- Date
- 1 BBY
- Continuity
- Canon
- Place
- Tantive IV over Tatooine
Chronology note. Following Star Wars: Timelines, this pre-Yavin event is placed in 1 BBY. Older publications sometimes label it 0 BBY. About the dating convention →
The capture of a diplomatic vessel
The Devastator attacked and seized the Tantive IV. Stormtroopers boarded, killed defenders and searched for the stolen technical data. Leia claimed to be on a diplomatic mission, but Vader suspected that the blockade runner had been part of the Scarif escape.
A message entrusted to two droids
Leia copied the plans into R2-D2 and recorded a request for Obi-Wan Kenobi to help her father Bail Organa. R2-D2 and C-3PO escaped in a pod and reached Tatooine, while Leia was captured and brought under Imperial interrogation.
Small carriers of a great secret
The droids were not formally recognized commanders or trusted members of the Senate. Their ability to move without drawing the same attention as a ship or officer allowed the evidence to evade the initial search. The data remained secure despite the capture of Leia herself.
Anthropological assessment
Information can outlive the power of its original holder when a community creates alternate channels for transmission. Leia's reliance on droids illustrates the political significance of overlooked participants in an intelligence network.
Interactive evidence lab
Open a chronology check or switch perspectives. The result appears immediately below your selection.
Were the plans destroyed when the Tantive IV was captured?
No. R2-D2 carried them safely to Tatooine.
Sources and methods
Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope; StarWars.com Leia Organa and Tantive IV databanks. Explore the original background →. Interpretive analysis is distinguished from information shown in the story. Captions disclose when artwork is a character portrait rather than a depiction of the specific historical scene.
Canon · 1 BBY · Pre-Yavin evidence
Leia entrusts the plans to R2-D2
Original story and chronology
As Darth Vader's Star Destroyer captured the Tantive IV, Leia Organa placed the stolen Death Star plans inside R2-D2 and recorded a plea for help addressed to Obi-Wan Kenobi. R2-D2 and C-3PO escaped aboard a pod and reached Tatooine. Leia's diplomatic position did not shield her from Imperial detention, and the droids' small size allowed the information to move beyond the boarding force.
Social history and political consequences
A familiar astromech droid became a carrier of knowledge upon which entire political communities depended. Leia's plan required trust across human and droid roles rather than relying solely on recognized diplomatic authority. The message was also a personal appeal to an older social connection, not a published Senate decree.
Why 1 BBY rather than 0 BBY?
These events take place shortly before the Battle of Yavin. Lucasfilm's modern dating convention uses the Battle of Yavin as year zero, not a full 0 BBY year. Previous duplicate pages with a 0 BBY suffix will be redirected to the 1 BBY entries.
Test your historical judgment
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