Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

The Sarlacc rests in the sandy well known as the Great Pit of Carkoon, a sunken beast of enormous size with only its ghastly mouth visible, a beaked maw lined with spiky teeth and well-muscled tentacles. The strange creature's lair was the site of many spectacles for Jabba the Hutt, who entertained himself by forcing prisoners into the pit to be digested, according to local legend, over 1,000 years.

Rising from the north pole of the second Death Star is a 100-story isolation tower reserved for the Emperor, from which he oversees the battle station’s operations. The tower’s four spokes house a throne room, Palpatine’s private chambers, and a vault reserved for Sith artifacts. This throne room was the site of a climactic showdown between Jedi and Sith at the Battle of Endor; decades later, the tower’s corroded ruins could be glimpsed amid wreckage that had come to rest in the oceans of Kef Bir.

Built into the majestic trees high above the lush surface of Endor is the Bright Tree Village where the Ewoks of the Bright Tree Village tribe reside. Rope bridges and ladders connect each hut, village building, and watchtower. From the highest perches of the village, the Bright Tree Ewoks stand guard against predators like gorax and condor dragons. Unmarried Ewoks live in the lower huts, helping protect the village from Duloks and others that might do them harm. The more ornate huts are reserved for the village elders and leaders. The Bright Tree Village is where the heroes of the Rebellion were brought after they were captured by a Bright Tree hunting party just before they were adopted by the tribe. After the destruction of the second Death Star, this was the site of much celebrating by the Rebel Alliance.

Overlooking the beautiful cliffs and waterfalls of Naboo’s capital, the Theed Royal Palace is the seat of government for the elected monarchs of the Naboo. The ornate and ancient building is often the ending point for grand parades, but during the Trade Federation’s blockade of the planet it became the site of great oppression until Queen Amidala and her retinue re-captured it for the freedom of her people.

After Darth Sidious defeated the Jedi, Yoda retreated to the remote swamp planet of Dagobah. While in exile, he dwelled in a simple hut he built among the roots of a massive gnarltree. There, among the insects and beasts of the swamp, the great Jedi Master delved into the mysteries of the Force and waited for a new hope of renewal for the Jedi Order.

Hoping to crush the Rebellion once and for all, the Empire began construction of a second dreaded Death Star near Endor. Emperor Palpatine then leaked word of its construction to the Alliance, hoping to lure rebel forces in and destroy them. The Emperor died at the hands of Darth Vader and the Alliance destroyed the second Death Star, striking a momentous blow for freedom. Decades later, the wreckage of the battle station turned out to hold a perilous secret….

An idyllic world close to the border of the Outer Rim Territories, Naboo is inhabited by peaceful humans known as the Naboo, and an indigenous species of intelligent amphibians called the Gungans. Naboo's surface consists of swampy lakes, rolling plains and green hills. Its population centers are beautiful -- Naboo's river cities are filled with classical architecture and greenery, while the underwater Gungan settlements are a beautiful display of exotic hydrostatic bubble technology.

Instantly recognizable by its distinctive crown of five spires, the Jedi Temple was the home of the Jedi Order on Coruscant. Part school and part monastery, the Jedi Temple was the central hub for all Jedi activities in the galaxy. When Supreme Chancellor Palpatine enacted Order 66, clone troops led by the newly risen Darth Vader attacked the temple, massacring its inhabitants and leaving the structure badly damaged. With the Empire triumphant, the Jedi Temple’s spires still rose into the Coruscant skies. But the building was now the Imperial Palace, home to the Sith Lord who had destroyed the Jedi.

A single, winding dirt-swept road curves up into the crook of a rocky canyon, leading to a lone structure in the desert wastes beyond the Dune Sea of Tatooine. Here stood the palace of Jabba the Hutt, an immense curving building of sandblasted metal and pitted stone. Inside, the dregs of the galaxy congregated to do all manner of illicit business, to curry favor with the grotesque crime lord, or to avoid his fickle wrath. Jabba reclined atop a stone dais within the throne room of his palace, a bustling chamber that overlooked a secret pit that contained his favorite beast, the vicious rancor monster.

Secluded in a remote corner of the galaxy, the forest moon of Endor would easily have been overlooked by history were it not for the decisive battle that occurred there. The lush, forest home of the Ewok species is the gravesite of Darth Vader and the Empire itself. It was here that the Rebel Alliance won its most crucial victory over the Galactic Empire.

Tatooine is harsh desert world orbiting twin suns in the galaxy’s Outer Rim. In the days of the Empire and the Republic, many settlers scratched out a living on moisture farms, while spaceport cities such as Mos Eisley and Mos Espa served as home base for smugglers, criminals, and other rogues. Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker both once called Tatooine home, although across the stars it was more widely known as a hive of scum and villainy ruled by the crime boss Jabba the Hutt.

Suspended high among the pastel clouds of Bespin is a floating metropolis of sophisticated beauty and political freedom. Cloud City exists not only as a mining colony, extracting valuable Tibanna gas from the depths of the giant planet, but also as a sanctuary for those trying to escape the turmoil gripping the galaxy. Though profitable, Cloud City is small enough not to be noticed by larger authorities such as the Mining Guild. It prospered under the capable stewardship of Baron-Administrator Lando Calrissian. Calrissian, assisted by his aide Lobot, contended with self-sufficiency issues and labor difficulties throughout his brief term.

A compact blaster favored by the Empire’s scout troopers and patrol troopers, the EC-17 has a pressure-sensitive grip that makes it easier to fire while wearing thick gloves. A lightweight sidearm, it’s most effective in short-range combat.

These versatile rebel cruisers were often used to escort rebel convoys, protecting ships from Imperial patrols with an array of powerful turbolasers and tractor beams. After his confrontation with Darth Vader on Cloud City, Luke Skywalker recovered from his injuries aboard a Nebulon-B medical frigate. These escort ships were part of the rebel armada that assaulted the second Death Star at Endor.

After pledging himself to the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, Anakin Skywalker took the name Darth Vader but continued to use the blue-bladed lightsaber he’d fought with during the Clone Wars. He lost this weapon on Mustafar and constructed a replacement with the crimson blade favored by the Sith. Vader used his Sith lightsaber rarely but to deadly effect, as enemies of the Empire discovered.

The Z-6 Jetpack was the preferred jetpack of Mandalorian commandos across the galaxy, from the more organized sects like Death Watch to the outliers on the fringe, like Jango Fett and Boba Fett. They were fast and nimble and could maintain sustained flight as well as short bursts for tactical advantages in combat. The jetpacks could be equipped with a top-loaded rocket firing missile that could turn the tide in many a conflict. Their significant disadvantage was their vulnerability to external impact damage. One sharp blow with a stick could conceivably ignite the jetpack, causing all manner of unwanted performance that could lead to significant bodily harm or even death.

The Bantha-II cargo skiff was a common repulsor-based transport outside the Republic (and later the Empire.) They were extremely durable making them an austere choice for desert climes and perfect transports for passengers, cargo, or slaves for the Hutt Crime Syndicate or the slave traders of Zygerria. They were little more than floating platforms, and easily identified by their rust coloring, reinforced bows, and intermittent guard-rails around the perimeter. They came equipped with planks, making them the preferred execution conveyance for the vile gangster Jabba the Hutt, who loved to drop his enemies into pits full of monsters. Shortly before his untimely demise, Jabba forced Luke Skywalker to walk a skiff’s plank over the Great Pit of Carkoon. That was the last mistake he ever made.

Hyperdrives allow starships to travel faster than the speed of light, crossing space through the alternate dimension of hyperspace. Large objects in normal space cast “mass shadows” in hyperspace, so hyperspace jumps must be precisely calculated to avoid collisions.

Axes are intimidating weapons and come in a number of varieties, but none are more fearsome than the Vibro-ax. They all boast blades like a standard axe, but come equipped with vibration generators that increase their lethality and cutting ability significantly. They’re the weapon of choice for Gamorreans, but are wielded by any number of thugs who are looking for an advantage in melee combat.

These powerful blaster rifles, known for their impressive power and capable of piercing armor, were used by planetary forces across the galaxy. With their widespread use, it made them easy for the Rebel Alliance to procure on the black market to use against the forces of the Galactic Empire. They were scoped for increased accuracy. BlasTech Industries manufactured them.

These compact blaster pistols were favored by elements of the underworld, particularly those based on Tatooine. In the early days of the Galactic Civil War, former Jedi Kanan Jarrus carried one, using it far more often than his secret lightsaber. Later in the war, DL-18s were in wide distribution inside Jabba’s Palace in the last days of his life. Luke Skywalker used the Force to snatch one from one of Jabba’s men, just before he fell into the rancor pit below Jabba’s throne.

Mechno-arms were cybernetic replacements to hands and arms lost in a variety of situations, but more often than not by lightsaber blades. After Count Dooku severed the right arm of Anakin Skywalker in the opening battle of the Clone War, a mechno-arm was grafted to what was left. Luke Skywalker had much of one grafted to his wrist after Darth Vader severed his hand at Cloud City. Mechno-limbs were much stronger than organic limbs and thanks to an electrostatic fingertip system, users were able to retain their sense of touch. They could also be covered over in synthetic skin for a more realistic appearance.

DL-44s were accurate, highly reliable, and easily modifiable, which made them a go-to weapon for military personnel, bounty hunters, and smugglers. Perhaps the most infamous user of a modified DL-44 was the smuggler-turned-hero-of-the-Rebellion, Han Solo. DL-44s were capable of firing charges powerful enough to blow through Stormtrooper armor.

BlasTech’s E-11 Blaster Rifle was the weapon of choice and standard issue for the Stormtroopers of the Galactic Empire. With telescopic sights, adjustable stocks, and a high powered, red colored plasma blast, these weapons were the perfect killing machines for the Empire. They were equally deadly in the hands of the Rebellion at times when they managed to steal them from the Empire, as Princess Leia Organa did to aid in her escape from Cloud City.