Endor shield generator bunker

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"The shield is down. Commence attack on the Death Star's main reactor."

―Admiral Ackbar to the Alliance Fleet during the Battle of Endor^[2]

The Endor shield generator bunker was an Imperial outpost on the forest moon of Endor. It was composed of the Death Star II's deflector shield generator, a large landing pad, a bunker, a front entrance, and a secret back entrance. The ground portion of the Battle of Endor was fought around the secret entrance.

Characteristics[]

"The main entrance to the control bunker's on the far side of that landing platform. This isn't gonna be easy."

―Leia Organa Solo^[2]

The base was large and had a landing pad capable of holding at least two Lambda-class T-4a shuttles. It was at least 22.5 meters off the ground, as an All Terrain Armored Transport of Tempest Force, the security detail of the bunker, Tempest 1, was shorter than it. The landing pad's support structure contained several catwalks underneath, connected to the top of the pad by elevators. The catwalks acted as docks for the AT-AT. On one side of the landing pad was the main entrance.^[2]

The back door of the shield generator bunker

The base contained a back door that lead to a small bunker. It was built into a hill with a small clearing in front of it, and had blast doors. The bunker consisted of a maze of long corridors that eventually led down into the main power control room, which was garrisoned by stormtroopers and several Death Star troopers under Major Hewex, Lieutenant Grond, and Colonel Dyer's command. The control room itself contained a row of computers, a screen on one of the walls, and two entry-points; one leading to the bunker hallways and the other to the generator room. The generator room was about two stories from the base of the generators to the ceiling, and was looked over by a small catwalk with a railing.^[4]^[2] The power generators and machinery for the shield generator spread for at least seventeen square kilometres underneath the forest.^[source?]

History[]

"Commander Jerjerrod, should the Rebels manage to blow up the shield generator, you will turn this battle station onto the Endor Moon and destroy it."

―Palpatine to Tiaan Jerjerrod^[5]

Construction[]

When the Galactic Empire needed a new construction site for the second Death Star, the Forest Moon of Endor was chosen.^[6] The bunker began construction sometime between 0 ABY and 3 ABY on the site of the Dulok Swamp of Gorneesh's tribe, with many of the Duloks being put into slave labor for its construction.^[7] Darth Vader, as well as some of the Emperor's Royal Guards personally oversaw the construction of the bunker.^[8]

When Imperial teams arrived to construct the bunker's deflector shield generator complex and other installations, they discovered Rebel Alliance Captain Junas Turner, who had come to the moon to locate the new Death Star. He was taken captive and sent to the automated prison station Balis-Baurgh, along with an Ewok named Grael. They would later escape, but were too late to inform the Rebellion of the threat.^[9]

The Battle of Endor[]

Main article: Battle of Endor

"You Rebel scum!"

―Renz, to Han Solo^[2]

In around 3–4 ABY,^[3] a Rebel Alliance strike team, led by Dash Rendar and Luke Skywalker, captured information from the cruiser Suprosa at Kothlis. It confirmed the existence of a second Death Star, and provided it and the shield generator bunker's location. It was not realized then, but Emperor Palpatine had purposely allowed the plans to be captured, so that the Rebels could be coaxed into a trap.^[10] In order to ensure that the Rebels couldn't disable the shield generator before the Rebel fleet arrived, Palpatine made sure that a unit, Tempest Force, was created via the best of the Imperial Army, Navy, and Stormtrooper Corps to guard the generator, with its size also being comparable to that of a stormtrooper legion, anticipating the possibility of a strike team being sent to infiltrate the moon.^[2]

The Rebel fleet amassed near Sullust and formulated a plan to destroy the Death Star II. A Rebel strike team, lead by General Han Solo was to infiltrate the moon and destroy the shield generator bunker, leaving the Death Star defenseless, while the fleet, commanded by Admiral Gial Ackbar, and a substantial starfighter force led by General Lando Calrissian, would jump to Endor through hyperspace and attack the shieldless, incomplete Death Star.^[2]

Han and his commando team were joined by Princess Leia Organa, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, and R2-D2. They used the stolen Imperial shuttle Tydirium to slip past Imperial defenses and land on the moon, where they met the Bright Tree Village Ewok tribe, who agreed to help the Rebels in their fight against the Imperials on Endor.^[2]

Skywalker, fearing that his presence would endanger their mission, abandoned the team and allowed himself to be captured by Commander Igar, who brought him to Darth Vader on the shield generator's landing platform. In the platform's catwalks, Luke pleaded with Vader to come back to the light side, but Vader resisted, refusing to betray his master, Palpatine. Vader and Luke left Endor, the former taking the latter to Palpatine aboard the Death Star. Several hours later, Ewok scouts led the strike team to a ridge overlooking the shield generator's landing platform. On the advice of an Ewok, Wicket Wystri Warrick, the team then made their way the secret entrance, which only had four scout troopers guarding it. Another Ewok, Paploo, stole a speeder bike, leading to three of the four guards giving chase. Solo grabbed the attention of the last guard, who chased him around the side of the bunker's entrance, where the rest of the Rebels were waiting, aiming their guns at the trooper. The guard surrendered, with his uniform being taken by Rebel Nik Sant, who took up the guard's post while the team went into the bunker.^[2]

Stormtroopers after engaging the Rebels in a firefight in the bunker's hallways

They met a squad of stormtroopers in one of the hallways and two sides engaged in a firefight. The stormtroopers were all killed and the Rebels sustained only minimal casualties. The Rebels continued onward made their way to the control room. They entered and forced the Imperial personnel, including Major Hewex, against the wall, while they began preparing to set charges. As part of the Emperor's trap, the rest of Tempest Force was ready for them and began entering the bunker. The first to arrive, Colonel Dyer, attempted to confront the Rebels, but Han threw a charge at him, knocking him over a railing into the generator room below, resulting in his death. The rest of the Imperials, lead by Lieutenant Renz arrived and captured the Rebels. Above the moon, the fleet arrived but could not attack the Death Star as the shield was still up. Calrissian noticed and ordered their fighters to pull up,^[2] which most did, although a few didn't make it in time and crashed into the shield.^[5] A massive Imperial fleet revealed itself from behind the far side of the moon and began to launch fighters.^[2]

On the Death Star, as Luke was brought before the Emperor, Palpatine contacted the station's commander, Moff Tiaan Jerjerrod and ordered him to fire the superlaser at the moon in the event that the Rebels managed to destroy the shield generator bunker.^[5]

The destruction of the shield generator bunker

As the Rebels were being led out of the bunker. The Ewoks, with help from an impromptu distraction from C-3PO and R2-D2, attacked the Imperials, and the Rebels took advantage of the confusion while chaos ensued. A group of Imperial officers sealed themselves in the bunker and R2 took a blaster bolt while trying to open the doors. Han attempted to hot-wire the system, but only managed to close the blast doors by accident. Meanwhile, Chewbacca and two Ewoks captured an AT-ST and brought it to the bunker's entrance. Han, dressed in a stolen Imperial uniform and posing as Major Marquand, contacted the bunker's control room through the walker and told Hewex that the Rebels were fleeing and that the Imperials needed help pursuing them. Hewex fell for the trick and ordered the back door to be opened to allow three squads to help. As the Imperials exited the bunker, they were quickly surrounded by Rebel forces and promptly surrendered.^[2]

Solo and his team entered the bunker, laid the explosive charges, and set the timer. While they hurriedly ran out of the bunker, Imperial Storm commando Sarkli tried to stop Solo from escaping, but ended up shot near the entrance.^[4] Solo continued out of the bunker and took cover shortly before it exploded, destroying the shield generator and allowing the Rebel fleet to begin their assault on the Death Star.^[2]

When the personnel in the Death Star's control room realized that the deflector shield was down and were unable to contact the shield bunker, Jerjerrod was informed and reluctantly gave the order to fire on the moon. However, the Death Star exploded before it could do so.^[5]

Remains[]

"Guess we won the war after all."

―An unidentified rebel trooper upon seeing the remains of the shield generator bunker^[11]

Thirteen months after the battle, in 5 ABY, one of the strike team members and a scout trooper, both of whom had been marooned on Endor since the battle, came across the remains of the shield generator bunker. Having not previously known who won the battle, the destroyed shield generator confirmed to them that the Rebels had managed to win.^[11]

Behind the scenes[]

The set for the Endor shield generator bunker was at an area near the Smith River's redwood forests. In 2010, the staff for Star Wars Insider tried to relocate this area at the request of longtime Star Wars fan Brandon Alinger, but the trek became elusive. They later detailed this trek in the article "The Hunt for Endor's Forest Moon," included in issue 122 of the magazine.

At Disney Hollywood Studios theme park in Florida, a replica of the shield generator bunker serves as the backdrop for the stage that is home to the Jedi Training Academy attraction.

The shield bunker appears both in the Leia Organa and Darth Vader campaigns in the 2001 video game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds. The Darth Vader Battle of Endor mission is an alternate-history scenario, while the Leia Organa mission contradicts the film. The bunker has also been reimagined in LEGO form in the 2005 video game LEGO Star Wars.

The bunker also serves as the location for the battle in the alternate-history scenario given in the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II Endor downloadable content. Darth Vader's Dark Apprentice hunted down and killed Leia Organa, the last of the Jedi.