system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[A New Hope] Why didn't the rebels figure out where the thermal port was, and drop in closer instead of flying all the way around the circumference of the Death Star?
gpt
Because a direct route opens them to opposing fire from the Death Star's defense towers. That's the entire reason they took the trench, because it was below where the towers could hit, providing defense while their targeting computers locked on to the exhaust port.