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Since Leia's corvette was overtaken and captured by Vader's Star Destroyer, she figured out that Kenobi was "her only hope" to get Death Star plans to her father on Alderaan.

  • Was linking up with Kenobi part of the original plan, or did that only come out because of her ship's capture?

  • If it wasn't part of the plan, how did it manage to happen that her ship was captured exactly over Tatooine, which is a random hole in the underbelly of the Galaxy?

Answers from Disney or Legends canon please.

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  • 5
    Yes, the intention was that in their darkest time of need, they were going to collect their biggest big gun from where they'd hidden him
    – Valorum
    Sep 17, 2015 at 18:17
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    @Richard They were going to retrieve.... Jar-Jar?
    – DVK-on-Ahch-To
    Sep 17, 2015 at 18:18
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    His wacky antics would undoubtedly have helped them destroy the death star.
    – Valorum
    Sep 17, 2015 at 18:23
  • 2
    @DVK Don't underestimate the power of the... clumsy side!
    – Jane S
    Sep 18, 2015 at 4:02
  • 2
    @DVK: as a measure to torture Vader…—it works
    – Holger
    Sep 18, 2015 at 9:56

2 Answers 2

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Leia's message via Artoo is:

General Kenobi, years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope.

So she was going to Tatooine to see Kenobi anyway.

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    So does she not say who she is in the message? Is Obi-Wan supposed to recognize her on sight after not seeing her for 18 years, or just use the force to know he's supposed to take R2 to Bail Organa? lol
    – childcat15
    Sep 17, 2015 at 22:31
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    Although I suppose R2 knew who she was and could tell them that, although C3PO says he didn't know who she was
    – childcat15
    Sep 17, 2015 at 22:31
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    @childcat15 "A guy I served in the Clone Wars, who lives on Alderaan, and is anti-Empire... Oh, that must mean Organa"
    – Adeptus
    Sep 18, 2015 at 1:24
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    "you served my father in the Clone Wars ... You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan" - how many people did Obi-Wan serve during the war who were associated with Alderaan and had a female child at that time? And considering that Obi-Wan was present when Leia was given to Bail to hide on Alderaan at the end of Episode 3.
    – Remy Lebeau
    Sep 18, 2015 at 4:41
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    Princess Leia is a princess. She is bound to assume that she is famous and that people recognize her when they see her.
    – Thomas Pornin
    Sep 18, 2015 at 12:06
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Yes.

According to the new canon novelisation of Star Wars: A New Hope, linking up with Kenobi on Tatooine was a major part of Bail Organa's plan. Leia was supposed to "seek him out" and bring him to her father:

Admitting she failed made the words taste bitter in her mouth. Though she and the crew of the Tantive IV had downloaded the information and made the jump to Tatooine, she wouldn’t be able to complete the second part of the mission. Her father had requested that she seek out an old friend, one General Kenobi, because, in his own words, “a war demanded warriors” to fight. A legendary Jedi Knight, Kenobi had gone into secret exile on the remote desert planet to avoid the deadly purge that had wiped out his order.

We also learn from Rogue One that bringing Kenobi back into the fight was something that was discussed (between Mon Mothma and Bail Organa) before Leia was even involved.

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