Imperial Weapon Research Facility

This article is about the Imperial Weapon Research Facility in the Lasay Swamp. You may be looking for the contested Weapons Development Facility in the Gallo Mountains, both on Naboo.

"I only know what my employer requires me to know. Particularly, about the war between the Gungans and Imperials, the Mauler Camp, and the new Weapon Research Facility that the Empire has established."

―Vaik'anna Silverlight, to a spacer^[2]

The Imperial Weapon Research Facility, also known as the Weapon Development Facility, was an Galactic Empire research facility on the planet Naboo during the Galactic Civil War.^[3]

History

"Okay, it's a ways out there. I'll show you on your datapad. Watch out, though. The Empire doesn't want their little secrets getting out, but we'll all know one day. I'm telling you, the truth is out there. Go see it for yourself and you'll believe!"

―A commoner, to a spacer^[5]

The Imperial Weapon Research Facility was built by the Empire soon after the Battle of Yavin.^[2] It was a top secret and restricted area.^[5] It was defended by a garrison of stormtroopers and several AT-STs.^[3] A commoner from Kaadara once discovered the Facility while getting lost during a trip from Theed to Moenia.^[5] The Naboo noble Roric V`lia and his employee Vaik'anna Silverlight had activities related to the Facility.^[2]

In 1 ABY,^[1] the Weapon Development Facility had become a contested hotspot in the Galactic Civil War and Imperial and Rebel forces fought several times for the control of the facility. Rebel forces managed to capture the facility several times but Imperial forces had always taken it back.^[4]

The superlaser equipped on the Star Destroyer Conqueror was developed at the research facility. Located in the facility were testing bays and fabrication chambers, along with a main control room with computer consoles containing data on the Star Destroyer. It was guarded by the Sith Acolyte Namman Cha at the time.^[6] In 1 ABY,^[1] it was raided by the Rebel Alliance's Renegade Squadron, who defeated Cha and gained sensitive information on the Conqueror, which they were later able to use to locate and destroy the vessel.^[6]

Behind the scenes

The Imperial Weapon Research Facility appeared in the 2003 video game Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided, a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game developed by Sony Online Entertainment and published by LucasArts,^[3] prior to its closure on December 15, 2011.^[7] With the release of the "Publish 1" update on August 3, 2003,^[8] the Imperial Weapon Research Facility was turned into a "Factional NPC Base". Groups of Rebel players could attack Imperial NPCs and achieve several objectives to take control of the base.^[4]