Page 123 - Star Wars Insider (Special Edition 2020)

THE MILLENNIUM FALCON
’’S APPROACH
TO THE DEATH STAR IS ONE OF THE STAR
WARS SAGA’S MOST DISTINCTIVE SCENES.
AMY RATCLIFFE LOOKS AT WHAT WE KNOW
OF THE IMPERIAL BATTLE STATION, SO FAR...
he Death Star. The mighty battle station constructed
by the Empire at Emperor Palpatine’s behest was the
ultimate weapon. The concept of a weapon the size of
Ta moon capable of wiping out entire planets was so
appealing, the Empire returned to the Death Star playbook for
a second try after the first attempt met an explosive end. Hey, wouldn’t
you? Though the weapon was meant to instill fear across the galaxy—and
it accomplished the objective by targeting and blowing up Alderaan—the
Death Star actually brought destruction to the Empire. When the Rebel Alliance
exploited a weakness and turned the weapon into an expensive fireworks show,
it marked a turning point in the Galactic Civil War. The Empire lost millions of
soldiers and years of work and resources in a single blow.
Given the monstrous size of the Death Star, you can imagine the number of materials and
people involved in its construction. Stories published in recent years have filled in the gaps
since the space station was first mentioned in the opening crawl of A New Hope: “During the
battle, rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the Death
Star.” Rogue One: A Star Wars Story delves into how those spies get their hands on the plans, while
countless comics and books have given glimpses of what went into building such a devastating
creation. Here is a small glimpse at the history of the “ultimate power in the universe.”
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