Darth Vader's meditation chamber or Qabbrat[1] was a life support pod that allowed the Sith Lord to survive for extended periods without the helmet and mask of his suit. The injuries Vader sustained during the duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar normally made this impossible.
A mechanized arm equipped with a claw that extended from the ceiling removed, held and replaced the helmet and mask. The chamber injected atmospheric gasses and oxygen into the sealed volume from underfloor channels to sustain Vader. Built-in communication systems allowed Vader to maintain contact with the outside.
Chambers were installed at multiple locations. On the Executor it was placed next to a holographic communications chamber used to communicate with Emperor Palpatine. This example was lost at the Battle of Endor when the Executor collided with the second Death Star.
Another unit was lost when the Terror was destroyed by Rookie One and Ru Murleen at Imdaar Alpha.
Similar larger hyperbaric chambers were also present in Lord Vader's palace on Coruscant and at his private fortress, Bast Castle, located on Vjun. The chamber at Bast Castle remained intact well into the time of the New Republic. The Dark Jedi Tavion Axmis and her apprentice, Rosh Penin, drained the Force energy from the chamber with the Scepter of Ragnos. The Force energy was restored following Tavion's death and destruction of the scepter.
Behind the scenes[]
The meditation chamber was built on Stage 5 at the Elstree Studios adjacent to the Executor hallway and bridge sets.
The Star Wars Miniatures scenario The Theft of Vader's Helmet suggests the Tractor Beam Reactor Coupling map to play on. This map has two large turbolifts, which serves as meditation chambers for Vader in the scenario. The article mentions that one of them is a spare one. It is unknown, whether the spare chamber is canon or simple game mechanics.
Appearances[]
- Purge – The Tyrant's Fist 1
- Purge – The Tyrant's Fist 2
- "Shadow Stalker" — Star Wars Galaxy Magazine 10
- Rebellion 1
- Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided (Replica)
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back novelization (First appearance)
- Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back junior novelization
- Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
- Star Wars (1977) 41
- Star Wars (1977) 42
- Shadows of the Empire novel
- Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi (Deleted Scenes)
- Star Wars: Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire
- The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader
- "Starter's Tale" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 4 (In flashback(s))
- Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy