I'm currently reading Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel. I'm going to watch Rogue One and then A New Hope when I finish the book. I'm curious if anyone else has done this?

I've tried it: Don't do it.

Rogue One's ending just messes up too much the first 10-20 mins of ANH. In the original story the Tantive received the Death Star plans from a series of relay stations and ships hoping that the Imps would lose track of the transmission. It didn't work and the Devastator jumped right above them just after they received the transmission. That's why both Antilles and Leia insisted on being on a diplomatic mission that was their cover story - and that's why the Imperial officer (forgot his name) was concerned about the Senate's reaction for seizing a diplomatic vessel.

In Rogue 1 the Tantive participated in the battle at Scarif, the Imperials clearly have recordings about it so they have unquestionable evidence about Organa taking military action against the Empire and therefor he and his family would lose political immunity immediately. And there wouldn't be point insisting on being on a diplomatic mission while they jumped just out of a battle zone WITH the Devastator hot on their heels.

For me this controversy was very disturbing. Including the Tantive in the battle was one of the worst choices mode for R1 (although the list of bad choices is disturbingly long) and totally ruined ANH for a while for me.

14 hours ago, Norell said:

I've tried it: Don't do it.

Rogue One's ending just messes up too much the first 10-20 mins of ANH. In the original story the Tantive received the Death Star plans from a series of relay stations and ships hoping that the Imps would lose track of the transmission. It didn't work and the Devastator jumped right above them just after they received the transmission. That's why both Antilles and Leia insisted on being on a diplomatic mission that was their cover story - and that's why the Imperial officer (forgot his name) was concerned about the Senate's reaction for seizing a diplomatic vessel.

In Rogue 1 the Tantive participated in the battle at Scarif, the Imperials clearly have recordings about it so they have unquestionable evidence about Organa taking military action against the Empire and therefor he and his family would lose political immunity immediately. And there wouldn't be point insisting on being on a diplomatic mission while they jumped just out of a battle zone WITH the Devastator hot on their heels.

For me this controversy was very disturbing. Including the Tantive in the battle was one of the worst choices mode for R1 (although the list of bad choices is disturbingly long) and totally ruined ANH for a while for me.

Too late.

It sucks that the issues you bring up ruined A New Hope for you. There are so many angles regarding the Death Star plans between Canon and Legends that it can be difficult to find a seamless transition from Rogue One to A New Hope. I've reconciled it by tossing out all the Legend material as well as the canonical novelizations and just focusing on the films themselves. But even there, there are a few points of tension that need resolution and I think the solution of those issues involves stitching together linkages and explanations that are "good enough" to make sense.

"Diplomatic missions" was always Leia's cover if you take into consideration the Rebels season two episode, "A Princess On Lothal." So it makes sense Antilles and her would use that excuse after the Tantive IV is captured, even though Vader knows they are lying. "You are part of the Rebel..." Vader says. He also claims, "I have traced the Rebel spies to her...." How does Vader know this? He knows transmissions were sent to the Rebel fleet, presumably because Scarif Base detected them and sent that info to the Death Star before the base was destroyed. The Death Star shared that information with Vader's ship. (The Persecutor , the Intimidator , and the shield gate had all been destroyed at the time of the transmissions.) This is confirmed by Vader's officer just before they board the Profundity . Regarding the transmissions, the tape Jyn stole contained four distinct "lines," so each one could be considered a separate transmission. This fits fairly well with what is said about transmissions in A New Hope.

Technically, the Tantive IV didn't participate in the Battle of Scarif as it spent the entire battle docked inside the Profundity . (You can see her inside the docking bay of the cruiser just after the ship arrives at Scarif.) It's logical for Vader to believe that the ship also received the plans transmitted from the surface. The Tantive IV is the last Rebel ship to leave the battle area, hence the pursuit to Tatooine.

So, that's how I see it. I don't know if my interpretation changes anything for you, but maybe it will.

Before Rogue One, I'd always accepted the following as canon from the Star Wars Radio Play in 1980.

The leak about the information of the Death Star came from two sources. Rebels who desperately tried to get initial information to Leia when her ship, the Tantive IV (and for me it's Tan-tiv-ee, btw, tyvm...LOL!) was offering "relief supplies" to the citizens of Raltiir. Lord Tion, an Imperial officer who has been quite taken with Princess Leia for some time, tells Leia on Raltiir that he plans on taking her father up on a longstanding offer of hospitality on Alderaan. Darth Vader also appears on Raltiir, and Leia manages to sidestep Vader's presumed authority by stating that Lord Tion is in charge of the Imperial ops on Raltiir. Vader concedes, but warns Captain Antilles and Leia not to raise ship, as the Imperial ships in orbit have orders to fire on any unauthorized departing ship. The Imperials are setting up a sophisticated surveillance system in Raltiir's capital, and Leia takes advantage of it by staging a conversation with Capt. Antilles to play on Lord Tion's ego...thus prompting Tion to move on the hospitality offer from Bail. After the ruse is in play, Leia and Antilles request permission to launch from Raltiir.

I believe that when Leia returned to Alderaan to meet with her father, her father may have been the one to mention the project codename: Death Star (which at this point, the information is in the strong rumors stage). He informs Leia that Lord Tion is coming to Alderaan, convinced that the princess is attracted to him. Leia laughs that it was a ruse. However, father and daughter formulate a plan to try and get more information out of Lord Tion.

Their plan succeeds, but not without complications. During a private dinner in the royal palace (Bail, Leia, and Lord Tion), Tion boasts his status in the Empire by revealing some disturbing information about this proposed battlestation. Leia is infuriated, and in her anger, inadvertently blurts the classified codename "Death Star" as she unleashes on Tion. Tion goes immediately from invited guest to would be arresting officer as he draws his blaster on Leia and Bail. In the ensuing struggle, Tion is shot by his own blaster. Leia is shaken....she feared for her father, and she'd never killed anyone before (at least, that part is implied).

A short time later, Bail receives some information. Tion's death is made to look like a hunting accident...and the rebels, having acted upon information given to them through Bail's use of backchannels, won their first victory against the Empire in a major space battle, and that some of those rebels managed to capture plans to the Death Star, and escaped to a planet called Toprawa. The Imperials have cordoned off that area, and are engaged in a search for the rebels and the plans.

Bail Organa learned of this victory and relayed the information to Leia. Bail states his intention to go to Toprawa to get the plans. Worried for her father's safety, and citing that Bail is too important to the people of Alderaan, Leia volunteers to lead the mission instead. Bail balks at the plan, but Leia persists....and prevails. During this conversation, Bail charges Leia with a second task, to retrieve General Obi-Wan Kenobi from Tatooine. Leia enthusiastically agrees to the request.

So, the Tantive IV makes its way to Toprawa. Captain Antilles respectfully expresses his displeasure and concerns about this plan to Leia. Leia states her pragmatic view on the matter, and at that point, the issue is settled. She is introduced to C-3P0 and R2-D2, who are given programming by Antilles, on the spot. The droids are ordered to protect and conceal any and all references to Leia Organa's presence inboard the vessel, and she is designated a "command/control voice" to the droids. The plan Leia concocts is to have Artoo move out onto the Tantive's hull after they drop out of hyperspace, and behave as if he is making repairs to the ship's navicomputer sensor suite. He is to also make reports on his "progress" with the sensor suite, should any Imperials be listening in. That should give the crew an alibi for being in a restricted solar system.

The Tantive IV drops out of hyperspace, and Artoo is sent on his "task". As they make their way back to the bridge, Leia asks Antilles if he'd ever heard of a secret strategic weapons project called Death Star, and explains its genocidal capabilities. As Antilles comments on this, the rebels on Toprawa have detected the Tantive IV's presence in system, codenamed: Skyhook. They send an encrypted hailing signal which Leia deciphers, and then transmit the plans. During the course of this, the Imperial Star Destroyer, Devastator, hails the intruding vessel and orders it to heave to, prepare to be boarded and subjected to immediate search and interrogation. Antilles plays for time by identifying his ship as the Tantive IV, and that it is on a diplomatic mission, but has suffered a navigational malfunction which has forced the ship to exit hyperspace. He insists that they will clear the system as soon as repairs have been completed by their maintenance unit on the hull.

The Devastator's captain confirms Antilles' claim after having scanned Artoo's work and transmissions. He orders Antilles to maintain his ship's present course and prepare to receive Imperial investigators. After a few tense moments, the plans are completely received, and Leia tells the captain to "get us out of here!" C-3P0 urges Artoo back on board as the ship starts to accelerate to go into hyperspace. Antilles informs the star destroyer that the Tantive IV is on a diplomatic mission and is not to be detained or diverted, then sends orders to his crew to go to battlestations.

Devastator orders the Tantive IV to halt, as their sensors have indicated that the Tantive has received "illegal transmissions" in the solar system. "Heave to at once, or we'll open fire!" Artoo makes it back on board, and the ship is angled for hyperspace entry, and escapes. Leia is elated that they now have the plans, and informs Captain Antilles of the second part of their mission.....to go to Tatooine to pick up General Obi-Wan Kenobi. Incredulous, Antilles orders his first officer to change course to Tatooine, and suggests that Leia get some sleep during the voyage.

The Tantive IV bursts out of hyperspace hours later, with the desert planet in view, just as Leia awakens. And mere seconds behind them, the Devastator emerges from hyperspace. "Attention, Tantive IV" the star destroyer's captain says: "Surrender in the name of the Emperor! We have you under our guns!" Antilles surmises that someone on the Tantive IV is a traitor, and has broadcast their position to the Empire. He suggests that no one on the Tantive can be entirely trusted by either himself or Leia. Leia formulates a plan to get the information off the ship. Reluctantly, Antilles agrees with the plan, hands her his personal sidearm, and follows through with Leia's plan.

Anyhoo...that's the gist of how it is portrayed in the Radio Play from 1980. While it made for some really good story telling, and is the subject of my own visual adaptation work in progress, I found Rogue One's story to be much, much more exciting....and is the canon I now accept.