- "There it is, the Empire's main communications tower on Lothal. It routes comm from every Imperial operation on the planet, including the Empire's HoloNet broadcasts."
- ―Kanan Jarrus
The Imperial Communications Center, also known as the Imperial Communications Tower, on the Outer Rim planet Lothal controlled all communications on the planet during the reign of the Galactic Empire. It allowed Lothal to send messages throughout the planet, into orbit, and to other nearby star systems. The Empire destroyed the tower after the crew of the Ghost used it to broadcast a rebellious message across the planet and into other star systems.
History[]
In 4 BBY,[1] the activities of a rebel cell operating on the Outer Rim planet Lothal drew the attention of Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, a high-ranking officer in the Galactic Empire. Having heard the stories of the rebel cell, and that their leader, Kanan Jarrus, was a Jedi, Tarkin put a plan in motion that led to Jarrus' capture. He was captured during a rebel mission to hack into the main communications tower to send out a transmission to Lothal, which would allow the rebels to deny the Imperial accusations that they were criminals and instead reveal themselves as rebels fighting against Imperial tyranny. The rebels were able to send out the signal to Lothal,[2] as well as to other worlds,[3] but Jarrus was captured at the tower.[2]
During the transmission, sent out by Ezra Bridger, the Empire destroyed the tower. The destruction of the tower hampered communication on Lothal, including amongst Imperial forces. The Imperial Military resorted to using astromech droids to relay messages from the planet to a communications ship in orbit.[3]
Appearances[]
- Star Wars Rebels webcomic
Star Wars Rebels — "Call to Action" (First appearance)- Star Wars Rebels — "Rebel Resolve" (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars Rebels — "Secret Cargo" (Mentioned only)
Sources[]
"Call to Action" Episode Guide | Star Wars Rebels on StarWars.com (backup link)
Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon 60 (Starship Fact File: Arquitens-class Light Cruiser)- Nexus of Power (First identified as Imperial Communications Center)
- Star Wars: Galactic Atlas
- Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, Updated and Expanded
Star Wars Helmet Collection 47 (Highlights of the Saga: Leaving Lothal) (Indirect mention only)
Alexsandr Kallus in the Databank (backup link)- Courier Droid in the Databank (backup link)
- Imperial Light Cruiser in the Databank (backup link) (as "Lothal communications tower")
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Star Wars Rebels began approximately five years before Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, in which the Battle of Yavin takes place. The events of the episodes "Empire Day" and "Gathering Forces" established that the Galactic Empire was celebrating its fifteenth anniversary. Knowing that A New Hope takes place nineteen years into the Empire's reign, and that "Call to Action," the episode in which the tower's destruction is depicted, takes place sometime soon after that anniversary, we can deduce that this event took place roughly four years before the Battle of Yavin.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Star Wars Rebels — "Call to Action"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Star Wars Rebels — "Rebel Resolve"