Luke’s X-Wing?

The Grumpy Celt · Oct 28, 2004

Luke’s X-Wing?

So I watched Empire Strikes Back when it came out at the movies and have probably seen it more than a dozen times over the year. I recently bought the trilogy on DVD and for the very first time I twigged to something I had never noticed before.

What happens to Luke’s X-Wing?

Lord Vader and the forces of the Galactic Empire as part of a trap surreptitiously allow Luke into Cloud City. Luke and company escapes the trap in the Millennium Falcon, while Solo is taken away in the Slave.

Cloud City remained in the hands of the Galactic Empire until the end of the Galactic Civil War. Ergo, when the heroes hastily departed Cloud City, Luke’s X-Wing should have remained in the hands of Imperial forces.

So how did he get it back? Or was he issued another one for Return of the Jedi and subsequent Expanded Universe stories (and told not to crash this one into swamp worlds and not to leave it where those bully’s in the Galactic Empire could find it?)

Or am I looking too closely at this?

shilsen · Oct 28, 2004

The Grumpy Celt said:
Cloud City remained in the hands of the Galactic Empire until the end of the Galactic Civil War. Ergo, when the heroes hastily departed Cloud City, Luke’s X-Wing should have remained in the hands of Imperial forces.

Yes.

So how did he get it back?

Er...

Or was he issued another one for Return of the Jedi and subsequent Expanded Universe stories (and told not to crash this one into swamp worlds and not to leave it where those bully’s in the Galactic Empire could find it?)

Yes.

Or am I looking too closely at this?

Yes

John Crichton · Oct 28, 2004

R2 could theoretically pilot it by remote.

DarkSoldier · Oct 29, 2004

John Crichton said:
R2 could theoretically pilot it by remote.

But he would have to be plugged into it, which he wasn't. Unfortunately, the Empire had a well-used X-Wing starfighter at their disposal while they controlled Cloud City.

Tarrasque Wrangler · Oct 29, 2004

No no no, you're missing the whole wackiness of that film. The real question is: How the hell did Luke magically fix up the X-Wing after it was sitting at the bottom of that swamp? I know it represents the pinnacle of galactic starfighter engineering, but I guarantee you its makers never intended it to do laps in a marsh. You mean to tell me a high-performance spacecraft can be ready for action with just a little wipe-down after doing a fair impression of a peat bog mummy? I ain't buying it.

And just how the hell did Luke fix it, anyway? Does Dagobah have a Mr. Goodhydrospanner? Oh what the hell, the thing can fly faster than light, maybe it has a button in the cockpit labeled "Clean Swamp Crap Out of Engines". Maybe one of Yoda's magic farts cleaned it off.

...

I gotta stop listening to Bill Hicks after watching Star Wars.

John Crichton · Oct 29, 2004

DarkSoldier said:
But he would have to be plugged into it, which he wasn't. Unfortunately, the Empire had a well-used X-Wing starfighter at their disposal while they controlled Cloud City.

You missed the key words in my "theory": by remote. Plug him into the Falcon's computers, get them to agree to hack into the X-wing's systems to fire up the old X-wing and send it on it's way. That big-ass radar dish had to be used for something besides getting knocked off at the end of Jedi.

I never said it was a good theory.

dreaded_beast · Oct 29, 2004

Tarrasque Wrangler said:
No no no, you're missing the whole wackiness of that film. The real question is: How the hell did Luke magically fix up the X-Wing after it was sitting at the bottom of that swamp? I know it represents the pinnacle of galactic starfighter engineering, but I guarantee you its makers never intended it to do laps in a marsh. You mean to tell me a high-performance spacecraft can be ready for action with just a little wipe-down after doing a fair impression of a peat bog mummy? I ain't buying it.

I ain't no scientist, but maybe the X-Wing really was just wet and dirty. Maybe the hull wasn't breached so it was just basically lying in the mud waiting to get picked up and washed off. Hence, Yoda, your foce-powered car wash.

John Crichton · Oct 29, 2004

dreaded_beast said:
I ain't no scientist, but maybe the X-Wing really was just wet and dirty. Maybe the hull wasn't breached so it was just basically lying in the mud waiting to get picked up and washed off. Hence, Yoda, your foce-powered car wash.

I always liked the Karate Kid theory.

"Starfighter you will wash. On wax, off wax."

Just part of the Jedi training. Ya know?

...

What?

Gregor · Oct 29, 2004

*cough* nerds! *cough*

*Gregor remembers that HE is posting on Enworld*

Never mind... :uhoh:

Scribe Ineti · Oct 29, 2004

I always assumed that his X-Wing was left behind and either captured by the Empire, scrapped by Ugnaughts on Cloud City, stolen by someone or another, or quietly retrieved by a Rebel spy or team.

Heck, that's a plot hook right there.