The pre-battle scene where fellow combatants bond over the prospect of the danger and terror to come is a standard part of building the suspense in a story. Try devoting some time to it in a game, rather than rushing straight into the combat. Let the PCs know they have a few hours to wait, with nothing to do but ... wait. They can only clean and check their weapons so many times before they are left with nothing to do but ... wait. See what sort of conversations they get up to.

(We couldn't find a TV Trope for this, so you're spared a link.)

EDIT: And naturally, in response the folks over at TV Tropes put together a shiny new trope for Pre-Battle Banter. Yay!

Transcript

Biggs: Howdy, Luke is it? I'm Biggs. I see here in this here pilot profile that y'all are from Tatooine too.
Luke: Er, yes. I was a... farmer. Near Mos Eisley.
Biggs: Well slap my sarlacc and call me a womp rat. Me too! Mighty strange I never done seen ya at the County Fair. Whadya farm?
Luke: You know, I really have no idea.
Garven Dreis: Biggsy!
Garven Dreis: Luke, spiffing to meet you at last. We're all dying to see if you can shoot like your profile says.
Luke: What? Who's writing these profiles anyway?
Garven Dreis: Well, must trot! Shipward ho!
Biggs: Seeya at the hoedown, Luke!
Luke: Yeah. We'll share stories over some blue milk.
Biggs: The what with the who, now?
{beat, they separate}
Luke: Wow. This Rebellion sure is full of randoms.
C-3PO: You're lucky you got the ones who speak Galactic Basic.