Galaxy Gun

"This weapon can destroy a city… a landmass… or even an entire planet anywhere in the galaxy."

―Emperor Palpatine^[1]

The Galaxy Gun, or Galaxy Weapon, was a superweapon built by the Galactic Empire in 10 ABY. It was commissioned by the "reborn" Emperor Palpatine and designed by Umak Leth.

Description[]

"Ya see that? The Imps are building something big. What do ya think it is?"

―Shug Ninx to Salla Zend while on Salvager Three^[1]

The Galaxy Gun was a 7,250-meter-long cannon-shaped space station built above the planet Byss. The Galaxy Gun was almost five times the length of an Imperial-class Star Destroyer. Equipped with sublight thrusters and a slow Class Six hyperdrive, the Galaxy Gun was permanently stationed in Byss's orbit.^[2]

The sole purpose of the Galaxy Gun was firing missiles outfitted with particle disintegrator warheads,^[3] commonly referred to as "lightspeed torpedoes". These massive, high-yield explosives were launched from the Galaxy Gun before entering hyperspace and emerging at precise coordinates virtually anywhere in the galaxy.^[2] Each missile was equipped with a fast hyperdrive,^[3] allowing it to travel at speeds through hyperspace that could rival the Millennium Falcon.^[2] Once fired, a missile could travel from the Deep Core to the Outer Rim in hours.^[3]

Dropping out of hyperspace, the projectile locked on to its targeted planet. As the missile flew towards its target, integrated defense systems were activated to defend the projectile. Automated laser cannons targeted incoming enemy vessels and starfighters, while powerful deflector shields and armor plating protected the missile from ion cannon and turbolaser fire.^[3]

On approach to the target, the particle disintegrator warhead was energized by the power core.^[3] Once the missile struck the planet, the energized warhead exploded, setting off a series of nucleonic chain reactions that would then spread across the surface, converting matter to energy that consumed everything in its path.^[2] The missile had variable power settings; at full power, the projectile was capable of destroying an entire world if the nucleonic reactions were sustained until all available matter had been consumed. However, reduced power settings allowed the missile to be used as a tactical strike weapon, targeting and consuming a city or military base while leaving the rest of the planet unscathed.^[3]

Operational history[]

"They will return to Pinnacle Base and boast to their friends… They have at best a few hours to celebrate before they all die! It is time to show the Rebel Alliance its day is ended! Prepare to fire the Galaxy Weapon!"

―Emperor Palpatine^[1]

Galaxygunoverbyss — Imperial warships surrounding the Galaxy Gun

The Galaxy Gun was secretly constructed^[2] in 10 ABY^[4] in orbit over the planet Byss by order of Emperor Palpatine. Palpatine intended for the Galaxy Gun to be a new weapon of terror through which he could destroy the New Republic and reinstate his dominance over the galaxy. The Galaxy Gun was stationed at Byss, defended by the massed Imperial fleet. Any attempt to destroy the superweapon would have forced the New Republic to engaged in a near-suicidal attack on the most heavily fortified world in the Empire.^[3]

In retaliation for the New Republic attack on his citadel and the escape of the surviving Rebels into hyperspace along with a group of smugglers, Palpatine ordered the launch of the first projectile against the New Republic base on Pinnacle Moon.

Within hours, Pinnacle Moon had been wiped off the face of the galaxy. However, due to the presence of spies in Byss itself, the New Republic forces along with some of the native Ixlls managed to escape the doomed moon in a fleet of transports.

ParticleDisintegratorWarhead-HBDE — The Galaxy gun fires a particle disintegrator warhead at Pinnacle Moon

In response, New Republic commando and sabotage teams attacked the Galaxy Gun, but were annihilated by the massed Imperial fleet. The Emperor continued to launch projectiles, destroying entire unruly worlds and nearly crippling the New Republic. Krinemonen and Hirsi were devastated by the gun.^[5] As a result of this terrifying tactic, the Empire regained key territories in the Inner and Outer Rims in a relatively short time. Other known targets included Nespis VIII's Space City, where even the New Republic's Kuat V-200 ion cannons were unable to penetrate the shielding of the projectiles, as well as the New Republic troopship Pelagia under the command of Captain Tekba, which was carrying a hundred thousand troops at the time of its destruction.

Ironically, Palpatine's excessive usage of the Galaxy Gun would end up being one of the major factors that led to his downfall: several Imperial officers, disturbed at their clone Emperor's erratic behavior, arranged for Royal Guard and member of Lumiya's Sith Carnor Jax to have the Emperor's genetic material tampered with down to the source material.

Despite the vast firepower possessed by the superweapon, the Galaxy Gun would be destroyed in 11 ABY along with Byss and much of the massed Imperial fleet. With the Emperor's final death at the Battle of Onderon, the famed astromech droid R2-D2 took control of the immense Eclipse-variant super star destroyer Eclipse IIs computer banks and set the ship on a collision course with the Galaxy Gun. The Galaxy Gun was too clumsy and slow to evade the colliding Super Star Destroyer, which had devastating consequences.

The resulting explosion destroyed both superweapons. One of the victims killed in the destruction of the Galaxy Gun was Umak Leth, the engineer who designed the superweapon. However, one last projectile exited the firing tube just before its destruction. The unguided missile was pulled in by Byss's gravitational field and drifted toward it. Then, the particle disintegrator warhead detonated and destroyed Byss, crushing the majority of the reborn Emperor's forces and loyal officers. The destruction of Byss and its inhabitants by the Galaxy Gun was a major factor for the ending of Operation Shadow Hand.

Legacy[]

"At the time, the Galaxy Gun was the most destructive weapon we'd ever seen. But I wish we had it now. We could blast those Yuuzhan Vong worldships right out of the sky."

―Luke Skywalker^[2]

Galaxygunconstruction — The Galaxy Gun in construction over Byss

Nearly fifteen years later during the Yuuzhan Vong War, Luke Skywalker would almost regret the destruction of the Galaxy Gun, as it could have helped the New Republic wipe out thousands of Yuuzhan Vong Koros-Strohna worldships.^[2] Over a century after Palpatine's death and the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, Vul Isen of the One Sith created viral spores that could poison planets. After being confronted by Cade Skywalker, Isen boasted over the Galactic Empire no longer needing the Galaxy Gun or the Death Star to destroy planets compared to his science.