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- "That 'Base Delta Zero' initiative the Empire keeps talking about? The new 'key to planetary liberation'? Don't believe it. It's a military code phrase, and it means TOTAL EXTERMINATION OF A TARGET POPULATION. It's completely loathsome."
- ―Sabine Wren, in her private journal
Base Delta Zero (
Δ
) was the naval code for a type of orbital bombardment capable of completely destroying the surface of a planetary target. It was used by both the Galactic Republic and its successor state, the Galactic Empire, although the former only used it as a last resort against enemies entrenched deep underground, while the latter deliberately used it as a tool of planetary-scale extermination.
Characteristics[]
Base Delta Zero[2] (Δ)[3] was an extreme form of orbital bombardment capable of melting a planet's upper crust to molten slag,[4] which in practice could amount to completely destroying said planet's population.[1]
History[]
- "…marking another successful planetary liberation utilizing the Base Delta Zero initiative."
- ―Alton Kastle on the HoloNet News
The Base Delta Zero initiative was originally introduced by the Galactic Republic, as a last resort against enemy armies entrenched deep underground.[4] After the Republic was replaced by the Galactic Empire at the end of the devastating Clone Wars, the code remained in use. However, the Empire publicly claimed that Base Delta Zero was only involved in planetary liberations,[2] while in actuality the tactic was used for mass exterminations.[1] Prior to Clone Force 99's search for Omega[5] in around 18 BBY,[6] the Empire conducted a Base Delta Zero on the Imperial medical laboratory on the planet Setron after the Advanced Science Division lost control of one of its experiments, the slither vines. The bombardment destroyed the Imperial facility but left a trio of clone cadets who managed to escape the facility prior to its destruction.[5]
In her journal, the Mandalorian artist and freedom fighter Sabine Wren wrote about how the Empire had lied about the true meaning of the code.[1] On one occasion on Lothal, Wren managed to access the data contained within the AJ^6 cyborg construct worn by Tseebo, an employee of the Imperial Information Office. There, she saw information about a five-year plan for the Empire's development in the Outer Rim Territories. When she reached a screen featuring the characters Δ, Wren was barred further access.[3]
Within the Empire, Base Delta Zero was also part of everyday slang. When Zare Leonis, cadet at the Academy for Young Imperials, began fighting with Nazhros Oleg after being provoked, Lieutenant Currahee warned their unit, Aurek, that she would be "going Base Delta Zero" on them if there were any further screw-ups.[7]
Behind the scenes[]
The Base Delta Zero naval code was first introduced in Star Wars Legends in 1989 in the Imperial Sourcebook for West End Games's Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game.[8] During early development of the Star Wars Rebels animated series, the idea of Lothal being faced with a Base Delta Zero event in the end-point of a storyline was proposed, but never utilized. The phrase became an easter egg that appeared throughout Season One.[9]
Appearances[]
Star Wars: The Bad Batch — "Paths Unknown" (Mentioned only)- Star Wars Rebels — "Rise of the Old Masters" (First mentioned)
- Star Wars Rebels — "Empire Day" (Mentioned in hologram only)
- Servants of the Empire: Imperial Justice (Mentioned only)
Sources[]
- Sabine My Rebel Sketchbook
- Star Wars: Complete Vehicles
- "Republic and Separatist Ships (1)" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Sabine My Rebel Sketchbook
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2
Star Wars Rebels — "Rise of the Old Masters"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Star Wars Rebels — "Empire Day"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Star Wars: Complete Vehicles
- ↑ 5.0 5.1
Star Wars: The Bad Batch — "Paths Unknown"
- ↑ Per the reasoning here, the seventh and eighth episodes of The Bad Batch Season 2, "The Clone Conspiracy" and "Truth and Consequences," can be placed in 18 BBY. Therefore, all Season 2 episodes proceeding "The Clone Conspiracy" occur between 19 BBY, which features the end of The Bad Batch Season 1 according to Star Wars: Timelines, and 18 BBY. The Galactic Empire, the formation of which Star Wars: Timelines dates to 19 BBY, sent Mayday's squad to Barton IV over a year prior to the events of the twelfth episode, "The Outpost." As it occurs over a year into the Imperial Era and is set shortly after the events of "Truth and Consequences," the events of "The Outpost" occur around 18 BBY. Following that logic, the ninth through eleventh episodes ("The Crossing" through "Metamorphosis") are also set around 18 BBY because they occur between the events of "Truth and Consequences" and "The Outpost." Finally, all season 2 episodes set after "The Outpost" occur shortly after its events, thereby placing those episodes around 18 BBY as well. The tally marks made by Omega in The Bad Batch Season 3's first episode, "Confined," indicate the events of the episode must take place at least 21 standard days following her capture, as depicted in the Season 2 episode "Plan 99." As such, the events of Season 3 must also take place around 18 BBY.
- ↑ Servants of the Empire: Imperial Justice
- ↑ Imperial Sourcebook
- ↑ Pablo Hidalgo (@pabl0hidalgo) on Twitter (August 6, 2022): "Very early on in Rebels development a possible end-point of a storyline was Lothal being the target of a Base Delta Zero event. That never happened, but the phrase kind of stuck around with the series as a Season One easter egg, popping up in odd places (like TIE target screens)." (backup link)
