Citadel

For other uses, see Citadel (disambiguation).

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"Fear. A Jedi spends his whole life training against it. But at the Citadel, breaking Jedi is our specialty. Within these walls, they will learn to fear us. And if not, they die."

―Osi Sobeck^[src]

The Citadel, also known as Citadel Station, was a prison constructed on the planet Lola Sayu by the Galactic Republic to hold rogue Jedi. Early in the Clone Wars, it was captured by the Confederacy of Independent Systems and Osi Sobeck became its warden.

History

"The Citadel wasn't designed to hold common criminals, it was created to hold Jedi if any of us lost our way."

―Anakin Skywalker^[src]

Constructed in 522 BBY, the Citadel was originally designed by the Galactic Republic to hold rogue Jedi Knights. During the Clone Wars, it fell under control of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, which conquered Lola Sayu early in the war.^[1] It was run by warden Osi Sobeck, who was considered to be sadistic.^[3] The Jedi Archives was known to have information on the original layout of the facility, but this was considered extremely old and outdated by the time of the Clone Wars.^[2]

Under Separatist control, the Citadel became known as the Confederacy's most isolated holding facility that held their high value detainees. The prison was heavily guarded by a number of droids including BX-series droid commandos and hundreds of electro-mines. The clone trooper training facilities in Tipoca City on Kamino used a Citadel Challenge training course simulating an attack on the Citadel as part of their programs.^[4] During their trials, Domino Squad succeeded in completing the course.^[5]

At one point, Jedi General Even Piell and his officers were captured. Piel was incarcerated and tortured for information regarding the Nexus Route in the Citadel, prompting an elite rescue team led by Jedi Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to free him.^[2] After climbing a steep cliff-face dotted with electro-mines, the task force successfully infiltrated the prison and rescued Piell and Wilhuff Tarkin with the help of R2-D2 and a squad of reprogrammed Separatist battle droids. Echo was presumed dead when a droid commando blew up the shuttle on the platform outside the facility. During the Jedi's escape with their clone troopers across Lola Sayu's unstable terrain, a group of anoobas and droids led by Osi Sobeck attacked them. The warden was killed by Ahsoka Tano while attempting to throw Captain Tarkin into a lava gorge, and General Piell was fatally injured by one of the anoobas. Piell managed to whisper his Nexus Route information to Ahsoka Tano before succumbing to his injuries, however, and Ahsoka later passed on the crucial intelligence to the Republic.^[6]