- "There's nothing dangerous in here. The Emperor's protecting junk."
- ―Del Meeko
The Emperor's Observatory, also known as Palpatine's observatory, on the planet Pillio was one of several observatories maintained by Emperor Palpatine throughout the galaxy, each one being part of his goal to find out what lay beyond the known galaxy. The Pillio observatory contained a number of artifacts from the Emperor's collection.
In 4 ABY, after the Emperor's death, the Emperor's Observatory was discovered by Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker and Imperial Agent Del Meeko of Inferno Squad. Meeko's orders were to destroy the observatory, but Skywalker convinced him not to and to avoid inflicting damage to the planet. Skywalker left the Observatory with a compass, an artifact he sensed was important.
Description[]
- "Why would the Emperor have a vault that can only be opened using the Force?"
- ―Del Meeko
The Emperor's Observatory was a bunker on the planet Pillio.[1] It was one of many observatories that Emperor Palpatine, also the Dark Lord of the Sith, established across the galaxy. Each observatory looked beyond the galactic rim with the intent of finding what laid beyond the known galaxy, and each had a specific purpose.[2] The Pillio observatory contained a number of items the Emperor had collected before his death, such as a compass. The bunker had no locking or unlocking mechanism, and it could only be opened with the Force.[1]
The Pillio observatory also housed a replica of the Emperor's yacht Imperialis.[3]
History[]
- "I won't stop you from destroying this vault. But wouldn't you say the Empire has done enough damage to innocent worlds?"
- ―Luke Skywalker, to Del Meeko
During the Clone Wars, while he was still Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic,[4] Sheev Palpatine felt the call of unknown space from beyond the galactic rim. He wanted to explore the Unknown Regions and galaxies that laid beyond his own,[2] and even theorized that such unexplored space could be the source of his dark side powers.[5] He built observatories, such as the one on Pillio, as part of that exploration and used this one to store several artifacts.[1]
In 4 ABY,[6] Palpatine—ruler of the Galactic Empire—was killed during the Battle of Endor. After the battle, Inferno Squad member Del Meeko was tasked with leading a contingent of Imperial troopers to Pillio in order to destroy the Observatory. At the same time, Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker also traveled to Pillio. He felt called to Pillio by the Force, and the arrival of Imperial troops confirmed his suspicions that there was something special on the planet.[1]
Luke Skywalker opens the door to the Emperor's Observatory using the Force.
After Skywalker destroyed the Imperial forces he encountered and saved Meeko, who was trapped after an encounter with scritters who lived in Pillio, the two worked together to find the Emperor's Observatory; neither felt the other was truly their enemy. The Jedi opened the door with the Force when they arrived, and Meeko realized that the Emperor—the man who destroyed the Jedi Order—could also use the powers of the Force. Once inside, Meeko felt that none of the items were of any value or worth the Emperor protecting, but Skywalker discovered the Emperor's compass. Meeko allowed him to keep it, and Skywalker convinced Meeko not to destroy the Observatory. The Empire, Skywalker said, had already inflicted enough damage on innocent worlds.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
The Emperor's Observatory on Pillio was introduced in a mission during the single player campaign of Star Wars Battlefront II.[1] Observatories and their connection to unknown space were previously introduced in Star Wars: The Aftermath Trilogy.[2]
Appearances[]
- Star Wars Battlefront II (First appearance)
- Battle of Jakku — Insurgency Rising 2 (First identified as Palpatine's observatory)
- Battle of Jakku — Insurgency Rising 3 (Mentioned only; in the opening crawl)
Sources[]
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi: The Visual Dictionary
"Emperor Palpatine" — Star Wars Encyclopedia- Star Wars 100 Objects (Indirect mention only)
- Star Wars: Timelines
- "After Endor" — Star Wars Insider 222
- Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy
- Pillio in the Databank (backup link) (Picture only)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Star Wars Battlefront II
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Aftermath: Empire's End
- ↑ Aftermath: Empire's End establishes that each Observatory hosts a functional replica of the Emperor's yacht Imperialis.
- ↑ Aftermath: Life Debt
- ↑ Aftermath
- ↑ Star Wars: Galactic Atlas