Centerpoint Station
From Wookieepedia, the Star Wars wiki.
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| Centerpoint Station | |
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| Length |
350 kilometers |
| Width |
100 kilometers |
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Centerpoint Station was an ancient space station that was capable of moving entire planets with its tractor beams. It was created by the Celestials c. 1,000,000 BBY.[source?]
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[edit] Characteristics
Centerpoint Station contained within its colossal bulk an extremely intricate collection of ultra-high energy systems. The best minds in the galaxy had been studying, mapping, and pondering the workings of this mechanical leviathan for ages, but there were still gaping holes in the understanding of its key processes.
What had actually been discovered was that the system was capable of generating huge amounts of nuclear, magnetic, electric, tractor beam, and hyperspace power for use in a type of "hyperspace tractor beam." Centerpoint Station was able to project this powerful tractor beam through a hyperspace path at any target. It was capable of 'gripping' an object as large as a star and then just as easily able to move the target object anywhere within its considerable operational range. The station could also harness this power for the actual destruction of stars and planets, collapsing their cores through massive gravitational fluxes.
The powerful hyperspace tractor beam arrays consisted of huge conelike structures within the station surrounded by six smaller cones. During the system's operation, this specifically designed geometric array acted as the source of the beam's power.
[edit] History
The Killiks have often claimed that they built Centerpoint, which they called "Qolaraloq", but this was typically seen as speculation and wishful thinking by most younger species. However, it must be said that the collective memory of the Killik species often originates from Joiners, and it is entirely possible that one of Centerpoint's designers joined the collective mind, therefore bringing the memory of the creation of Centerpoint into the fold of the hive-minded species.
[edit] Early history
Eons before the establishment of the Republic, Centerpoint Station was used to move the planets of the Corellian system—Corellia, Selonia, Drall, Talus, and Tralus—to their current locations. The station sat at a lagrangian point between the two worlds of Talus and Tralus, and it generated power from their gravity wells.
With a width of 100 kilometers and length of 350 kilometers, it was larger than the first Death Star. From a distance, it appeared as a huge partially translucent sphere with two small cylindrical poles facing Talus and Tralus. The interior consisted of a hollowed area known as Hollowtown that was, at one point, inhabited, as well as the station's immensely powerful tractor beam arrays. The station was built before the invention of artificial gravity, so it rotated to simulate gravity.
In actuality, Hollowtown and the Glowpoint, an artificial sun-like spot at its center, was the power source for the station and it's mysterious one-time inhabitants and builders.
[edit] Later history
It was discovered, during the Corellian Crisis in 18 ABY, that the unique tractor beam system could be used as a weapon; a weapon capable of destroying entire stars, making it at least as powerful as a Sun Crusher. In this crisis, Thrackan Sal-Solo intended to use the station to force entire star systems into submission and restore the Imperial system. After a gripping battle that rocked the Corellian system and very nearly dragged the New Republic down, the "Starbuster Plot" was thankfully averted.
Hollowtown was incinerated by the Glowpoint when the Sacorrian Triad used the Station to supernova their first star. The few survivors returned to their planets.
A few years later during the Yuuzhan Vong War, Anakin Solo refused to use Centerpoint Station to destroy an entire Yuuzhan Vong fleet in the Battle of Fondor, so Thrackan Sal-Solo did instead; however, his aim was off, resulting in the destruction of not only half of the Yuuzhan Vong fleet but nearly three quarters of the allied Hapan fleet as well.
In 40 ABY, Centerpoint Station was once again used as a weapon, but this time it was the Corellian people who took up arms within its massive walls. But their way would not be easy, as the station was controlled by a droid that Thrackan Sal-Solo had programmed to make itself believe it was Anakin Solo. Ben Skywalker was able to disable the station by making the droid, who then referred to itself as "Anakin Sal-Solo," realize the truth of its existence. It was damaged by Galactic Alliance forces at the end of the Blockade of Corellia, giving hope that this weapon would never again be used to obliterate neighboring worlds.
Despite the desire for peace, images of Centerpoint Station would be displayed on clothing items worn by Corellians to show their dedication to their homeworld's cause.
[edit] Second Galactic Civil War
It took little time for Centerpoint to be again operational after being damaged by the Galactic Alliance. The weapon was fired under Five Worlds Prime Minister Sadras Koyan's initiative in order to wipe out Jacen Solo and the Galactic Alliance Second Fleet. Solo managed to survive the assault, although the Second Fleet was not to be so fortunate. He later returned to Centerpoint at the head of a task force to capture the station for use against the Confederation.
Seeing that the balance of power would tip greatly in favor of anyone who possessed its enormous destructive force, Grand Master Luke Skywalker and the New Jedi Order carried out a raid upon the station in order to finally destroy it. Jedi Master Kyp Durron led the raid, with Toval Seyah, a Galactic Alliance scientist and former spy who had worked on the station in the past. Seyah was able to modify Centerpoint's galactic data reserves in such a way that all coordinates in the galaxy were altered to become those of the station.
During the pitched battle between Confederation and Galactic Alliance forces, a technician named Rikel who had lost his wife on the galactic capital of Coruscant to the Galactic Alliance Guard was left in charge of the station's fire controls. He set the coordinates to target Coruscant itself. When he fired Centerpoint, the massive construction targeted itself. The resulting gravitic pulse detonated the station, wiping all traces of the enigmatic structure from the system, killing all on board, and destroying countless vessels in its blast radius.
[edit] Appearances
- Ambush at Corellia (First appearance)
- Assault at Selonia
- Showdown at Centerpoint
- Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse
- Balance Point (Mentioned only)
- Edge of Victory I: Conquest (Mentioned only)
- Recovery (Mentioned only)
- Star by Star (Mentioned only)
- Dark Journey (Mentioned only)
- Ylesia (Mentioned only)
- Destiny's Way (Mentioned only)
- Force Heretic II: Refugee (Mentioned only)
- The Unifying Force (Mentioned only)
- Dark Nest I: The Joiner King (Mentioned only)
- Dark Nest III: The Swarm War (Mentioned only)
- Betrayal
- Bloodlines (Mentioned only)
- Tempest (Mentioned only)
- Exile
- Sacrifice (Mentioned only)
- Fury
- Revelation (Mentioned only)
[edit] Sources
- Cracken's Threat Dossier
- Coruscant and the Core Worlds
- The New Essential Chronology
Anakin Solo in the Databank
- Gravity well projector in the Databank
- Isolder in the Databank
