Starfleet Jedi

In ANH's novelisation, there's a line somewhere near page 100, or maybe before, I think, that talks about the Death Star, and says something about the first time it has been fired or something else.
I don't have the exact reference in mind, but what does it refer to by talking about "first time" exactly?

I assume you refer to the following quote:

" Vader stared at the motley array of stars displayed on the
conference-room map while Tarkin and Admiral Motti conferred nearby.
Interestingly, the first use of the most powerful destructive machine ever
constructed had seemingly had no influence at all on that map, which in
itself represented only a tiny fraction of this section of one modest-sized
galaxy.
It would take a microbreakdown of a portion of this map to reveal a
slight reduction in spatial mass, caused by the disappearance of Alderaan.
Alderaan, with its many cities, farms, factories, and towns-and traitors,
Vader reminded himself.
Despite his advances and intricate technological methods of
annihilation, the actions of mankind remained unnoticeable to an uncaring,
unimaginably vast universe. If Vader's grandest plans ever came to pass, all
that would change."

(The map in question being this one:

"The tridimensional solid screen filled one wall of the vast chamber
from floor to ceiling. It showed a million star systems. A tiny portion of
the galaxy, but an impressive display nonetheless when exhibited in such a
fashion.
Below, far below, the huge shape of Darth Vader stood flanked on one
side by Governor Tarkin and on the other by Admiral Motti and General Tagge,
their private antagonisms forgotten in the awesomeness of this moment.
"The final checkout is complete," Motti informed them. "All systems are
operational." He turned to the others. "What shall be the first course we
set?"")

I'd say it's a fair bet that no other planet had been destroyed by the Death Star, if that's what you're getting at.

Erm, yes, I think that's it. Thanks for the long quote btw!

Looking on internet to grab more info on what the EU says about the first Death Star's past.
From the official site:

Once a functional test model proved that the technical refinements to the Death Star would work, Bevel Lemelisk took the plans from Maw Installation to the remote Outer Rim world of Despayre. There, prison labor mined the world for the necessary materials needed to finalize this weapon of terror. After long years of toil, during which many slaves died, the Death Star finally was completed. To mark the occasion, and to test its superlaser, Despayre became the first world targeted by the gargantuan weapon. The planet that was the Death Star's cradle was utterly obliterated.

So Despayre is a planet, and it was the first one ever destroyed by the Death Star. More precisely, it was the first time "the most powerful destructive machine ever constructed" was ever used.

But the novelisation established, more than 20 years ago, that the destruction of the planet of Alderaan corresponded to "the first use of the most powerful destructive machine ever constructed".

So, well... how can one spin this out to keep the whole EU friendly continuity credible?

How can one discount the destruction of a planet as a mere glitch in history?

Or is the author, channeling Vader's thoughts, saying that Vader was not aware of Despayre's fate?

Not only is it odd, but I remember seeing an old EU artwork showing Vader glancing at a pit full of slaves (most of which were wookies), with an incomplete DS floating in the sky. Which could well illustrate to a labour camp on Despayre.

You could look at it as different phases of the project.

In the sense as "first use as..." I suppose.

But it does not fit because the Death Star was dead ready when it destroyed Despayre. There was no more phase.

The film is clear: DS1 was NOT ready when Leia was captured. The general said so. AQlderaan was the 1st target...

Where is it said in the film that the DS1 in not complete?

I think you misunderstood, Sideswipe. No one said anything about the DS1 being structurally incomplete, just operationally incomplete and was still undergoing systems testing. Here's a few choice lines to that effect:


TAGGE: Until this battle station is fully operational we are
vulnerable. The Rebel Alliance is too well equipped. They're more
dangerous than you realize.


Later on...


IMPERIAL OFFICER: The final check-out is complete. All systems are
operational. What course shall we set?


So the construction of the battlestation was certainly likely to have been done, what remained was system testing, and actually using the main weapon for the first time.
-Mike

Oh cool, I guess I havent watched 4 in a while.

Mh... are we sure that "all systems operational" precludes a possible already operational state for the superlaser, at least?
There could have been other systems which were not ready, while the weapon system was.

Besides, has anyone wrote a letter to by Robert Valdes about his How the Death Star Works?

Conversely, the systems were all tested and turned on piece-by-piece in the superlaser itself, as they may have been dependent on other support systems in the battlestation that also had to be tested as well.
-Mike