I was just thinking if I had a planet sized ship with the power to destroy a planet I would never leave. Who could you trust with that kind of power while you are away on another planet. I think that if the empire had won in ROTJ the DeathStar would have been the new imperial capital.

Its the size of a moon so I wouldn't go that far. Since they are a galactic civilization I was thinking of them as main bases sort of like aircraft carriers are used today to operate campaigns from.

 

I personally would of made my planet destroyer weapon smaller and more stealthy so it can get in blow crap up and get out without being detected instead of an object the size of a moon.

Edited February 15, 2012 by Kabloosh

Don't entirely see why...

 

The Death Star was a power ploy. A weapon of fear. Neither (Given the chance the second was finished) could do a lot of things simultaneously thanks to design.

 

 

The Death Star couldn't jump into a system and instantly fire its laser. And a second shot required 24 hours recharge (At least with the first, the second had a variable yield laser that was never used at full, planet destroying power)

 

They were designed to hang about and generally be 'Don't mess with the empire' weapons. You'd need to somehow convince all 3000+ personel on board to strike at Curoscant to be a threat to the emperor.

I thought thats why Vader was there to keep Tarkin in line

I can't remember where I read it - it may have been in the Death Star novel, but wasn't it mentioned that Palpatine was worried Tarkin WOULD try to exert control over the Empire with control of the Death Star?

The Death Star doesn't work as a "capital" because its not self sustaining. Worrying that someone may co-opt or mutiny is a valid concern. But, how do you expect to live on it or sustain a population for that matter. If I remember right the Death Star had a compliment of like 1 million troops. So lets look at it like this. Lets say you half that and only have 500,000 people on the station including troops and people to not only help manage the station but run the Empire as well (because while Palpatine was powerful, he still needed bureaucrats to run the government, officers to run his military and troops to fight his battles). How do you think the death star will feed all of those people? Maybe they have a farm built into the station. But for 500,000 people thats a lot of food and supplies. What about regular supply runs? That's the most likely scenario but living on the death star means the Emperor is now reliant on his military to keep his capital supplied. Then you have the same problem with Tarkin in charge of the death star. If his officers decide to mutiny they could cut off the station.

 

The Death Star works best as a fall back option if the seat of government is lost or under siege. But the most reliable place to maintain as a capital is a true planet. It would hold out better and is less reliant on support. Though I think that is probably less true with Coruscant.

You'd need to somehow convince all 3000+ personel on board to strike at Curoscant to be a threat to the emperor.

 

3000?.... the first Death Star had a crew compliment (including crew, support, tech and troops) of over 1.5 million with passenger space for close to 900,000 more beings... not to mention according to lore the Emperor had codes hardwired into every imperial system on every imperial ship so no one could "turn" on him like that... so even if those million and odd so people decided to use it against him they most likely couldn't...

Edited February 15, 2012 by Liquidacid

Its the size of a moon so I wouldn't go that far. Since they are a galactic civilization I was thinking of them as main bases sort of like aircraft carriers are used today to operate campaigns from.

 

I personally would of made my planet destroyer weapon smaller and more stealthy so it can get in blow crap up and get out without being detected instead of an object the size of a moon.

 

The death star wasn't ever meant to be JUST a weapon of destruction. It was meant to instill fear.

 

It's one of those weapons that once it's been fired once, the mere though of it being fired again would be enough to quell rebellious worlds.

 

I know that if MY planet was being rebellious and one morning I looked up in the sky and saw the death star hanging there after Alderaan, I'd be on the first shuttle off that world. Right after I changed my pants.

 

if I was a LEADER of a world that the death star is now orbiting, I'd immediately surrender and submit to imperial rule.

 

Yeah, stand up for what you believe in and all that, but not only are you putting yourself in danger, you're putting billions of innocent people in mortal jeopardy.

 

If the rebels had failed to destroy the first Death Star, imperial rule would have been absolute. Who'd risk rebelling when entire worlds can be wiped out in a day, not only your friends, and family, but trillions of beings across the galaxy would be hurt in some way by it.