SpenceEdit said:
Eh, I think it would work on its own. I'll be trying it out tonight.
It could work on its own but I think it helps to pre-establish the fact that they're not going to the Death Star. That way a viewer that's going into the edit without that foreknowledge won't be flabbergasted or confused by the sudden appearance of the DSII behind the Emperor. Unless that's the intended effect.
Edit: Feel free to ignore this post. It's late and I just realized it works either way. =P