The Galactic Empire's ultimate weapon, the Death Stars were mobile battle stations that mounted a directed superlaser weapon capable of completely destroying a planet with a single shot (though the second Death Star was destroyed before demonstrating its full capabilities). Planetary shields that could have held off entire fleets were ineffective against such a weapon. The first Death Star held 27,048 officers, 774,576 crew including troopers, pilots and officials, 400,000 support workers and over 25,000 Imperial stormtroopers. These represent minimum crew figures, and the station could probably hold several times this number. It also carried assault shuttles, Skipray Blastboats, strike cruisers, drop ships, land vehicles, and support ships as well as 7,200 TIE fighters. For surface protection it sported 10,000 turbolaser batteries, 2,500 ion cannons and at least 700 tractor beam projectors, and the superlaser. Even without the primary weapon, the Death Star carried enough troops and ships to occupy an entire star system by force.
Two Death Stars (I and II) were featured in the original movie trilogy: the first in A New Hope, and the second in Return of the Jedi. The designs for the Death Star are visible in Attack of the Clones; and in Revenge of the Sith. Palpatine is seen viewing the plans before the war ends, and the basic structure of the first Death Star is seen near the end of the film.
The Emperor and Vader survey the captured "Great Weapon"The first Death Star was designed by the Geonosians under Poggle the Lesser. At the start of the Clone Wars, they gave the designs of their "Great Weapon" (also referred to as the "Ultimate Weapon") to Count Dooku to prevent the designs from falling into Jedi hands. Dooku took the designs back to Coruscant and gave them to his master, Darth Sidious. Once the war was well underway, the Separatist leaders began to finance and build the weapon, using mostly Geonosians as their laborers. Due to the changing political climate, the Separatist leaders were all murdered, the Separatist movement was ended and the weapon fell directly into the hands of the newly-formed Empire.
Raith Sienar also had plans for a Death Star-like battle station. However, he later let Grand Moff Tarkin take credit for the design, since he no longer had interest in the project. It is believed that enslaved Geonosians continued to work on the Death Star well into its construction, the initial stages of which were shown in the ending of Revenge of the Sith. According to the New Essential Chronology as well as statements made by George Lucas himself, this is the same Death Star seen in A New Hope. Despite this, some fans (including Dr. Curtis Saxton on his Star Wars Technical Commentaries website) have claimed that this Death Star must be a prototype to the one seen in the original film. The construction was delayed while a test system was created at Maw Installation, and after a long delay for systems testing, construction was resumed on the battlestation.
In A New Hope, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker mistake the station for a small moon while following a lone TIE fighter. After escaping from the Death Star, the plans to the station, stolen by Rebel spies (according to the LucasArts video games, a secret signal interceptions asteroid, as well as Kyle Katarn), are transported by Princess Leia (with help from Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO) to Rebel leaders. Luke Skywalker pilots an X-wing starfighter through a trench-like indentation on the surface of the Death Star, evading a pursuing Darth Vader long enough to launch a pair of proton torpedoes down a thermal exhaust port that leads directly the reactor core, causing a chain reaction which destroys the battle station.
The Star Forge is a creation in the fictional Star Wars universe in the computer game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
The Star Forge was a dark side artifact that was created by the Infinite Empire of the Rakata around 30,000 BBY, five thousand years before the formation of the Galactic Republic. A giant automated shipyard, the Star Forge drew matter and energy from a nearby star, creating an endless supply of ships, droids, and other war material. After the fall of the Infinite Empire, the Star Forge was deserted and eventually forgotten. The only way one could find the location to the Star Forge was by accessing the Star Maps and using the co-ordinates to find the location of the Star Forge.
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Rise of Revan
As an artifact of the Dark Side of the Force, the Star Forge corrupted those who used it, feeding its desire for death. After the Mandalorian Wars, it came into the service of Darth Revan and Darth Malak, who had been powerful and honorable Jedi Knights before discovering the Star Maps leading to the location of the ancient space station. The Jedi used it to wage war on the Republic. Their assault was largely successful due to the Star Forge itself.
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The Unknown Planet
The Rakatan homeworld lay near the Star Forge and revolved around the star which the Star Forge drew energy from. The Unknown Planet, as it is called, housed a special device that would crash any ship coming within a certain distance of it. It is believed that this device was implemented by the Elder Rakata after the fall of the Infinite Empire, to prevent anyone from obtaining the space station. This disruptor field could only be shut down via the controls on the roof of a sacred temple, itself only accessible by Force-sensitive beings. All others where kept out thanks to a mysterious force field surrounding the temple.
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Battle of the Star Forge
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Canonical Light Side ending
The Republic learned of the existence of the Star Forge from former Sith Lord, Revan, and a young Jedi Knight, Bastila Shan. The two, with the assistance of eight other companions used Revan's memories as the Dark Lord to locate four ancient Star Maps, navigational artifacts the Infinite Empire constructed on conquered worlds as a monument to their power which led the finders to the Star Forge.
Before crashlanding on the Unknown Planet, Revan's team contacted the Republic Fleet, which arrived shortly after Revan disabled the protective disruptor shield of the Star Forge. Not surprised by his former master's plans, Darth Malak, the current ruler of the Sith Empire after usurping the position from Revan, ordered the immediate interception of the fleet, and expected a speedy victory thanks to the help of Bastila's Battle Meditation, whom Malak corrupted to the Dark Side after capturing her aboard the Leviathon.
With the Republic Fleet unable to make any effective attack on the Star Forge, and the Sith seeming to predict every strategic and tactical move of the Republic, Revan and his crew had no choice but to land on the Star Forge and bring Malak to justice themselves.
Revan and his team battled through seemingly endless waves of Sith troopers, Dark Jedi, and battle droids created by the Star Forge. Though Malak knew none of them would succeed in stopping his old master, they were providing him with enough time to prepare for their inevitable confrontation. When Revan finally cut through the Sith waves and made it to the Command Deck, Bastila, now even more powerful after her fall to the Dark Side, stunned his companions, and faced Revan in a brutal one-on-one confrontation. He defeated Bastila three times, who regenerated her strength using the power of the Star Forge during each interval. However, after a fourth time, she gave in to Revan, and drew on their bond to summon enough energy to stand against the omnipresent presence of the Dark Side. She turned her attention to aid the struggling Republic Fleet while Revan proceeded to the main Viewing Platform.
After facing and defeating more of the Star Forges battle droids's, Revan finally reached Malak. After a brief exchange of taunts, the two engaged in their final duel, Malak regenerating his strength by sapping the powers of Jedi kept in a state of suspended animation. Even this wasn't enough, as Revan eventually triumphed. He and his crew were able to escape the Star Forge just as the Republic Fleet hit the station's main orbital stabilizers, and it exploded in a scene reminiscent of the destruction of the Second Death Star.
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Dark Side ending
After turning to the Dark Side, joining Bastila, and slaying several members of his party on the Unknown Planet, Revan landed on the Star Forge with the intention of killing Malak and reclaiming his title of Dark Lord of the Sith.
Just as in the Light Side ending, Revan, Bastila, and what remained of their crew, fought their way to the Command Deck, where they slew Malak's three elite Dark Jedi. Bastila then turned her Battle Meditation on the Republic Fleet before it could gain an advantage in the battle.
Revan, in the meantime had located Malak, and after a lengthy battle, took revenge on his treacherous apprentice. The Republic Fleet was destroyed by the Sith Armada with Bastila's help, taking Jedi Master Vandar and Admiral Forn Dodonna with them. The game ends with a cutscene of the Star Forge surrounded by thousands of capital ships, which will presumably be used in Revan's final conquest of the Republic.
