TIE Fighter Construction Facility

The TIE Fighter Construction Facility was a massive shipyard that orbited the moon of Nar Shaddaa in Hutt Space. Dedicated to the overwhelming mass production of TIE craft during the Imperial Era, the facility was considered a prime target for those seeking to strike a blow against the Galactic Empire

Characteristics

These factories were constructed throughout the galaxy to maintain and build up the Empire's military–industrial complex and typically hung in low orbit above a planet. They were owned and operated by Sienar Fleet Systems, though ultimate ownership laid with the Empire. It was protected by several squadrons of well trained Imperial Navy commandos. This facility was one of the first of its type.^[6]

Inside the facility, the Empire began perfecting its mass production techniques which churned out thousands of TIE/LN fighters. Rows upon rows of TIE components parts moved along a magnetic conveyor where automated laser arms welded the vehicles together before they were transported to loading bays.^[2]

History

In 3 BBY, the facility was taken over by former Jedi General Rahm Kota and his comrades. During the ensuing battle, Kota's men planted explosives throughout the factory. This was, however, not their main objective, as Kota sought to draw out Darth Vader, but instead Vader's secret apprentice was drawn to the conflict. Kota detached the base's command center by detonating some of those explosives in a bid to kill the apprentice, but failed in his efforts to achieve the latter.^[2]

Behind the scenes

The TIE Fighter Construction Facility appears in the 2008 video game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, in which it is the first story-based level. In-game, the base is referred to as the "TIE Fighter Factory", and much of its information is provided by the game's Databank. The facility also appears in the novel and comic of the same name.

The interior of the Facility was designed having "Imperial" visuals, derived from and based on the sceneries of A New Hope and the rest of the original trilogy. Story-wise its layout shows the construction of TIE fighters, with wing racks and cockpit assembly lines. Gameplay-wise it was furnished with objects that could be hurled against enemies, or destroyed (in some platforms exemplifying the Digital Molecular Matter technology). The command center went under several revisions, and the final color palette was chosen to complement the green-emerald effects around Rahm Kota.^[7]

The first appearance of the Facility was in a preliminary demo delivered in February 2007 where a player could explore its first areas. Thanks to its complex layout and the usage of Force Powers, the game's high interactivity could be demonstrated. In the later demo, the Facility's infuser room was used an example of the lighting engine.^[7]

The TIE Fighter Construction Facility has differing appearances between versions of The Force Unleashed video games. In the Wii/PS2 versions, the facility's external appearance has an array of pods adjoined together on a spine-like structure, with the top having a long bridge area. In the PS3 and XBOX360 versions of the game, the structure is largely more sleeker and also curved, almost bell-shaped.

Appearances

• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed novelization (and unabridged audiobook) (First appearance, in book)
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed graphic novel (In flashback(s))

Sources

• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia

Notes and references