StarDestroyer.Net BBS

That does make it more clear, thank you. Could it be that the structure shown there was a lower layer of the DS1...more layers could have been built onto it later?

I don't see how. The method of construction for the Death Stars was shown in the OT ITW, and it doesn't reflect anything like that.

I think I agree with the consensus that what we were seeing is a prototype, however, there are multiple viable interpretations of the scene:

Casual viewers see what they believe to be the Death Star, and find the scene highly compelling.

Avid fans see what they know to be a Death Star prototype, and find the scene highly compelling.

So it looks like you really can interpret that scene any way you like.

By the way, Palpatine could easily conceal the Death Star's construction from the senate. Why list the expenses as military expenses anyway? The expenses could either be kept out of the official budget, or they could be creatively classified. If you don't think accounting can be creative, see Enron Corporation. I'm sure that in the Star Wars Galaxy, even more sophisticated accounting fraud is possible, and being the Emperor makes creating such a fraud that much easier.

Or he could do what they already do for black ops and spread the cost between a whole slew of military project credit requisitions. That way it just looks like what you're already doing is just more expensive and it's impossible to trace just how much you actually are spending on the Death Star.

It's not just the money, it's the resources. The DS1 was built in orbit around a prison colony, and the prison colony was it's first target. Secrecy was paramount.

and once its built the Emperor has the superweapon he needs to be able to say by by to the Senete. Once disolved, the the Senate was no longer around to question budget items. hence we get The Executor and other ships of its class being built. The Emperor no longer had to explain to a comittee why he needs a warship built anymore. I do recall that the Imperials have a hard time getting approoval to build ISD's. Of course once approved the built them as many and fast as possible. perhaps the cost of an ISD was enlarged to cover the deathstar project and the Executor class ships.