As cool as it was, having the Tantive IV blast off from Skariff, I actually thought that was a minor narrative misstep.
Let me explain. For years, I had imagined that the Blockade runner was lightyears from the source of the transmission, and the spies gave their lives in a suicide mission breaking in to an Imperial facility knowing once they sent the transmission, there would be no way out.
The sequence in the narrative would been as follows:
1. Rebel spies infiltrate Imperial Facility. (I hadn't imagined a nearby assault as a diversion...but, hey, that works.)
2. They barricade themselves in so they have long enough to send the signal to the Tantive IV. (Having a fleet destroy a jamming device like the world shield works here, too.)
3. Once the signal went out, the Imperials would be altered to their presence of the insertion team.
4. Vastly outnumbered, deep in the installation, Vader and his troops wipe out the spies and Vader uses The Force to read the mind of one of the infiltrators as he tortures and then kills the spy. The Imperials trace specifically where the signal was sent...to a small blockage runner in the Outer Rim travelling toward Alderaan.
5. Vader orders his Star Destroyer into hyperspace in pursuit of the receiver of the transmission. He orders them to analyse their trajectory and find a location on their path where they will be able to intercept the vessel far from the eyes of the Galaxy. They reach their prey in a sparse region of the Outer Rim.
6. The Princess knowing that she can not go directly to Alderaan without incriminating her father and her people, makes a risky gamble that she can get the plans somewhere nearby. She knows that Obi-wan is on nearby Tatooine. Since her father told her that the Empire has no knowledge that Obi-wan is alive, it is the only hope. She orders that her ship divert to Tatooine.
7. Vader's Star Destroyer detects to route change and continues pursuit.
7. Vader's Star Destroyer detects to route change and continues pursuit.
8. Last shot is the same...the Princess' vessel knowing it could be followed are hoping to reach preparing for pursuit The rebels would have wanted the plausible deniability of having the plans in the hands of a vessel that had a reason to be where it was. Sort of like when you are smuggling illegal goods, so you make sure to stay under the speed limit to avoid police complications.
Like I said...not a huge deal. Still loved the movie and the ending. It just didn't match the fan-fic-esque narrative that I had concocted for my head-canon.
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