Scarif



Scarif was a secluded and tropical planet in the Outer Rim Territories region of the galaxy. Despite its remoteness, it played an important part in the Galactic Empire's military-industrial complex, becoming a center for Imperial top-secret military research. In this capacity, it housed a multitude of different projects, including the construction of the first Death Star battle station. Because of its importance, the planet was protected by an impenetrable deflector shield that enveloped the entire world, with the only opening being the Shield Gate.

Description
Scarif was a relatively small world, made up of tropical volcanic island chains rising from the clear, shallow oceans. The planet's mantle filled with dense metals, making it valuable in starship construction. However, its astrographical situation in the remote Outer Rim Territories rendered the possibility of using it to supply the shipyards of the Core Worlds, such as those at Kuat, far too expensive. Instead, the planet, considered to be out of reach for inspections by the Imperial Senate, became home to sensitive projects of the Imperial Military.

Galactic Empire
The Galactic Empire saw Scarif as a potential place to house their most classified projects. To this end, the Empire built a major security complex on the planet, garrisoned by special deployment of the Tarkin Initiative, centered by the planet's Citadel Tower. Large swaths of land were excavated in order to build starships and an orbiting docking station allowed entry past the planetary deflector shield, as well as housed several Imperial Star Destroyers.

In 9 BBY, the Death Star, an armored battle station whose superlaser would be capable of destroying entire worlds, was moved from Geonosis to Scarif to continue its construction. The designs for the station were transferred to the massive databanks of the Citadel. Despite the importance of the project, the officers of the garrison, commanded by General Sotorus Ramda, became complacent, mainly because of the confidence placed in Scarif's defenses.

Battle of Scarif
The Battle of Scarif was a battle between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire, taking place in the year 0 BBY. The Rebels had received information from Jyn Erso that the Death Star plans were being held in the Citadel Tower and decided to make an attempt to capture them. Their attempt was successful, as they managed to transmit the plans to Princess Leia Organa, but the Death Star soon fired a precise single reactor blast at the planet, not destroying Scarif itself but instead only the Citadel Tower as well as everyone in its vicinity in an effort to halt the transmissions.

Behind the scenes
Scarif is a tropical planet that was created for the 2016 Star Wars anthology film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The first footage of the planet was shown in the Rogue One teaser trailer that was released on April 7, 2016. Director Gareth Edwards said the planet's nature came about after the crew noticed how George Lucas had been inspired by every theater of World War II except the Pacific front.

Appearances

 * Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
 * Rogue One: A Star Wars Story novel
 * Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – A Junior Novel
 * Star Wars Battlefront