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When Tarkin shoots Scarif, he chops the transmission dish off with his shot. The collateral damage is a side effect. It is actually the fastest way to stop anything from transmitting, as well as potentially saving the rest of the data.

How much of the data in that facility was the only copy of that data ?

bilateralrope wrote:How much of the data in that facility was the only copy of that data ?

No idea, but if you can easily stop the signal without destroying the data there is no reason not to.

What other methods of stopping the signal did Tarkin have access to ?

The shield was still up. The only weapon he had that could penetrate it was the Death Star.

I'm assuming that communication with the troops on the ground was limited and Tarkin had no idea what was happening down there.

eMeM wrote:Tarkin was a few minutes too late, but how could he know that?

I think this is a weakness of the scene. We know that Vader know that the plans were transmitted at some point and because he immediately launches a boarding action to recover them. Unless Vader is getting better intel than Tarkin surely Tarkin must know too?

Kojiro wrote:

eMeM wrote:Tarkin was a few minutes too late, but how could he know that?

I think this is a weakness of the scene. We know that Vader know that the plans were transmitted at some point and because he immediately launches a boarding action to recover them. Unless Vader is getting better intel than Tarkin surely Tarkin must know too?

That's not what happens. Vader learns about the transmission only after smashing a GR-75, cutting through a Nebulon and disabling the flagship. By this time the Scarif dish is long gone and the citadel is consumed by the blast seconds later.

I presume a transmission that could go through the shield and be obtained by the Rebel ships could also have been "heard" by the Imperial vessels.

I presume the Death Star shot at Scarif wasn't a direct hit because their targeting systems were a bit off? It's a planetkiller not a surgical strike precision guided JDAMRAAMLRSLBM92F-117/11.

If they wanted to stop any transmissions this was a very accurate shot

I am so confused with that shot myself. Hyper-accurate? Or missing the target area by who knows how many KMs?

Look at the top of the tower, where the transmitter is.

Also comes with the added benefit of being a final "fuck you" to Krennic from Tarkin, with love. Upper management pissing over middle management succeeds even in galactic empires.

But generally, the first Death Star was not meant for super accurate shots, hence the DSII being surprising in being able to target capital ships at the Battle of Endor. It could also be down to the firing solution Tarkin had at the time, and wanting to take the shot ASAP. Remember the whole plot point of the Battle of Yavin is the DS coming out behind the gas giant and not having a shot. Takes time to move that beast.

eMeM wrote:Look at the top of the tower, where the transmitter is.

I think taking out the transmitter was more of a "lucky accident" then anything intentional, if they could target the DS1 superlaser so accurately then why have the main impact site several dozen kilometers (at least) from the tower rather then hitting it head on.

eMeM wrote:Look at the top of the tower, where the transmitter is.

I know. But I wonder if that was deliberate or some cool ass unintended thing that just happened because it's a movie.

I wasn't entirely serious, that's what " " was for

I think they just didn't have time to aim properly, on Jedha they struck the city dead center.

eMeM wrote:That's not what happens. Vader learns about the transmission only after smashing a GR-75, cutting through a Nebulon and disabling the flagship. By this time the Scarif dish is long gone and the citadel is consumed by the blast seconds later.

My memory must be faulty then. I've only seen it once and it is a hectic time in the movie. I don't recall how exactly Vader learns of it though.

He went from "PREPARE MY CRAFT FOR BOARDING" to chasing and massacring those troopers with the data... maybe he read some freaked out as fuck Rebel's mind? Like, he's boarding them to murder them and someone thought "OH FUCK HE KNOWS ABOUT THE PLANS" and he sniffed that thought out and his Path of Murder converged on the Rebels with the plans?

Kojiro wrote:

eMeM wrote:That's not what happens. Vader learns about the transmission only after smashing a GR-75, cutting through a Nebulon and disabling the flagship. By this time the Scarif dish is long gone and the citadel is consumed by the blast seconds later.

My memory must be faulty then. I've only seen it once and it is a hectic time in the movie. I don't recall how exactly Vader learns of it though.

At that point Tarkin's plan is simple and announced right after they jump into system, assume they've got the plans to the flagship because reasons. Wreck the archives with the death star as soon as they have a clear shot in range and send Vader to raid the ship.

Well then presumably the logical choice would be to blast the flagship. If you can take the dish off that tower the immobilised flag ship should be an easy shot. That would, after all, prevent someone on board leaving with the plans.

Lord Revan wrote:

eMeM wrote:Look at the top of the tower, where the transmitter is.

I think taking out the transmitter was more of a "lucky accident" then anything intentional, if they could target the DS1 superlaser so accurately then why have the main impact site several dozen kilometers (at least) from the tower rather then hitting it head on.

The Death Star was just over the horizon. That blast was from a low angle because that is where the Death Star was.

Admiral Valdemar wrote:But generally, the first Death Star was not meant for super accurate shots, hence the DSII being surprising in being able to target capital ships at the Battle of Endor.

From ROTJ: "That blast came from the Death Star! That thing can hit capital ships! is operational!"
I am quite glad Rogue One blasted that bit of old EU nonsense that the DS1 couldn't fire low power ship killing shots. Twice.

Admiral Valdemar wrote:It could also be down to the firing solution Tarkin had at the time, and wanting to take the shot ASAP. Remember the whole plot point of the Battle of Yavin is the DS coming out behind the gas giant and not having a shot. Takes time to move that beast.

That seems far more likely to me.

Kojiro wrote:Well then presumably the logical choice would be to blast the flagship. If you can take the dish off that tower the immobilised flag ship should be an easy shot. That would, after all, prevent someone on board leaving with the plans.

The Rebels literally just barely finished receiving the transmission before the dish was "chopped" off. How would the Imperials have known which ship or possibly ships were receiving the plans anyway? Tarkin's attempt to prevent the transmission from completing in the first place makes perfect sense.

Kojiro wrote:Well then presumably the logical choice would be to blast the flagship. If you can take the dish off that tower the immobilised flag ship should be an easy shot. That would, after all, prevent someone on board leaving with the plans.

Physically going on board and checking data or interrogating prisoners lets you confirm that the data hasn't already left the ship. Otherwise they one shot the flagship and don't know if someone has already boosted it away.

Only because we have the viewers perspective do we know that hitting the flagship would have worked. Tarkin doesn't have that information.

Kojiro wrote:Well then presumably the logical choice would be to blast the flagship. If you can take the dish off that tower the immobilised flag ship should be an easy shot. That would, after all, prevent someone on board leaving with the plans.

That depends on which way the Death Star is pointing. I don't think the superlaser can fire off-axis.

It (well the DS2) did fire off-axis in ROTJ rite?

Also... I wonder if Vader realized that the plans - which they knew the Rebels were trying to obtain from Scarif - were aboard the Profundity, downloaded and placed in a hardcopy, by feeling the fears of the crew (again, he could've just been there to murder everyone, whereas all his victims thought "oh space jesus he knows we have the plans!) just like how he realized that Luke had a sister in ROTJ.

Admiral Valdemar wrote:Also comes with the added benefit of being a final "fuck you" to Krennic from Tarkin, with love. Upper management pissing over middle management succeeds even in galactic empires.

But generally, the first Death Star was not meant for super accurate shots, hence the DSII being surprising in being able to target capital ships at the Battle of Endor. It could also be down to the firing solution Tarkin had at the time, and wanting to take the shot ASAP. Remember the whole plot point of the Battle of Yavin is the DS coming out behind the gas giant and not having a shot. Takes time to move that beast.

I assumed that was the main reason for the blast: getting rid of Krennic. If you're a fascist like Tarkin and you (a) don't like the guy whose work you just stole and (b) find out that his "friend" was involved in a major security breach and most importantly (c) have a chance to whack him, destroy the evidence and take your new toy for a spin well, why the fuck not?

I'm not sure, Krennic's career was over anyway, all the delays, then the Erso leak, losing the lab on Eadu and then the complete disaster on Scarif. He would be lucky if he didn't have to apologize to Vader.