Despayre makes the most sense of course. IF you are going to steal plans, you do it before the Death Star is complete.
But in the old EU, Tarkin had Despayre destroyed by the Death Star to test the superlaser and tie up loose ends. When we first see it, the Death Star is not orbiting a planet, yet it is finishing testing before Tarkin orders in to Alderaan.
Alderaan has no weapons (right) and is a Core World. The Empire usually isn't needed to have a presence in the Core Worlds. They only project their forces into the Outer Rim and the like were the rebellion are happening. In the Core the Empire tries to show off a propaganda face of the New Order. The Marvel people mentioned the opening crawl in the first Darth Vader comic is more or less the opening crawl to Empire Strike Back or A New Hope, but from the Empire's propaganda point of view.
But in the old EU, Tarkin had Despayre destroyed by the Death Star to test the superlaser and tie up loose ends. When we first see it, the Death Star is not orbiting a planet, yet it is finishing testing before Tarkin orders in to Alderaan.
Alderaan has no weapons (right) and is a Core World. The Empire usually isn't needed to have a presence in the Core Worlds. They only project their forces into the Outer Rim and the like were the rebellion are happening. In the Core the Empire tries to show off a propaganda face of the New Order. The Marvel people mentioned the opening crawl in the first Darth Vader comic is more or less the opening crawl to Empire Strike Back or A New Hope, but from the Empire's propaganda point of view.