Star Wars has finally resolved one of its oldest plot holes - revealing the Death Star didn't travel to Yavin 4 alone. The Death Star was the pinnacle of Imperial achievement. It had taken over two decades to build and had consumed vast quantities of resources from across the galaxy, but the Empire believed it to be their ultimate weapon.
And yet, there's always been something rather strange about the Death Star's attack on the Rebel base on Yavin 4. The Empire may be arrogant, but their leaders aren't stupid; they knew the Rebels would fight for their survival. Any military strategist would have figured they should send in support units with the Death Star, Imperial Star Destroyers to provide covering fire. While the Empire didn't believe the Death Star could be taken down - they didn't know about Galen Erso's sabotage - they also wouldn't want it damaged when it had just been completed. Viewers versed in military tactics have long puzzled over just what the Emperor and his tacticians were thinking.
This week's Star Wars #3 by Charles Soule and Jesus Saiz has finally answered the question; it turns out the Death Star entered the Yavin system with a fleet of backup. The issue features a lengthy diatribe by a Tarkin loyalist named Commander Zahra, and she explains why her Imperial Star Destroyer - named the Tarkin's Will - is in a serious state of disrepair. It seems this was one of many Imperial Star Destroyers caught in the explosion of the Death Star, and was struck by a massive chunk of Death Star wreckage. Presumably, some of these ships were still operational, and one must have even picked up Darth Vader.
This may fix one Death Star-sized plot hole, but unfortunately, it creates new ones. The most obvious problem is that there's no sign of an Imperial fleet accompanying the Death Star in the first Star Wars film; given the sheer size of the Death Star, it's reasonable to assume they exited Hyperspace at the far side of the space station. The Empire had consistently underestimated the danger posed by snub fighters, so they wouldn't bother to reposition them when they first detected the incoming Rebel attack. It's an awkward explanation, but it just about works.
The second problem, however, is rather more difficult to explain. If the Empire still had a presence in the Yavin system, then the Rebel Alliance should really have abandoned their base as quickly as possible. Instead, they took their time and even held an award ceremony for Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. According to tie-ins, they left the next morning. It's possible the Rebels believed the remaining Imperial forces were too severely damaged to press home the attack, but they were lucky rather than wise; if Darth Vader was quickly recovered, he'd have no doubt led an attack on the Death Star no matter what state his surviving forces were in.
Star Wars #3 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.