- Leia doesn’t know that the Empire is tracking the Millenium Falcon and then proceed directly to the Alliance base anyway (treason? insanity?)
The Empire was tracking them, so no matter where they went, the Empire would follow, kill them and take back the plans. Their only hope was to out run them in Han’s hotrod, get the plans to the rebels and hope to find and exploitable weakness in the big slow space station before it got to them.
The only change I’d make is to put Luke in his flight suit during the mission briefing to show that some time has passed and he’s ready to go. Keeping him in his old clothes makes it seem like it all happens the same day.