I've been running Star Wars websites for nine years now, part of the online Star Wars usenet community a few years before that, and a fan forever. I hadn't verbalized it to myself, but in my mind I guess I believed that I'd heard every question that was to be asked about the classic trilogy.

Imagine my surprise when at the tail end of a meeting this afternoon, someone throws out something new...

Who exactly were the other people being held in the detention level on the Death Star?

Now I'm sure dozens of you have thought about this, but it was a new ponderance to me. And a new ponderance about Star Wars is simply an excellent treat... like finding $10 in your jacket pocket.

It has no obvious bearing on the main continuity and the answers could be literally anything anyone dreams of. Other rebels. Innocent bystanders who were accidentally in the Empire's way. Misbehaving stormtroopers needing solitary... you name it.

Did they die when Luke sent in the blast, or perhaps get away on the trip from Alderaan to Yavin?

I'll be happily pondering for a few days now.

That's all.