Death Star Uprising The Death Star Uprising was a relatively large prison riot , originating in Detention Block 2180 aboard the first Death Star , where Rebel Alliance captives - of - war attempted to escape by fighting their way into two hangars and stealing a " Sentinel " - class landing craft . Although the prisoners ' escape was completely prevented , their rioting may have only been a diversion for a more important and ultimately successful objective ; a section of the Death Star plans was secretly stolen during the uprising and transported into the possession of Rebels located at a covert base on Polis Massa . Prelude . During the later stages of the Death Star ' s construction , captured Imperial enemies from all across the galaxy were quietly sent to the top - secret space station for interrogation and imprisonment . A group of captives of the organized Rebel movement became acquainted with an unidentified Human Jedi prisoner who was also confined to Block 2180 . He had devised a simple plan to escape from the Imperial battle station that could be initiated with the co - operation of the other inmates . The uprising . The Empire was most likely not alerted of the stealthy prison - break until after the rioters had raided an Imperial arsenal , arming themselves against expected stormtrooper counterattacks . The first stormtroopers to become aware of the riot were those in Hangar 84G who met up with the elite 501st Legion troopers — coincidentally aboard the Death Star for an exterior inspection — that assembled in the hangar and drove off the Rebels through two blast doors that they poured in through . Most prisoners could not be recaptured without a fight and so were shot down in the unanticipated bloodshed . Hangar 84 - G was at last secured and locked - down by the Empire after a few minutes of assault and the Rebels instead moved on toward the Fire Control Room where the superlaser was located . Meanwhile , stormtroopers rushed across walkways toward the superlaser , blasting a Rebel who had stolen the Death Star ' s schematics . Unfortunately for the Empire , the bridge normally spanning a reactor tunnel , which led to Hangar 84 - G on one side and the Fire Control Room on the other , had been taken down earlier . The stormtroopers instead had to use the alternate ( and much longer ) route through the prison area . In the meantime , other Rebels had managed to arrive at Hangar 85G , just beyond the Fire Control Room , capturing it long enough to beam a separate , partial set of the schematics to a Rebel base on Polis Massa . The other sets would be stolen at Danuta and Toprawa . All the rioters in the Fire Control Room were blasted and the Imperial troopers moved onward to Hangar 85 - G before the Rebels could completely board and hijack a " Sentinel " - class landing craft as an escape shuttle . With not more than two minutes before take - off , stormtroopers burst into the hangar eliminating as many escapees as they could . Their Jedi leader at last exposed himself in a desperate sprint toward the shuttle , but a moment later , Imperial shock troopers had blown it up . The frenzied Jedi ignited his lightsaber and cut through any trooper that stepped into his path . The Jedi and his squad of troopers were eventually gunned down . Imperial intelligence later tracked the missing schematics to Polis Massa , where an even more fiery skirmish would eventually break out . Ironically , if it hadn ' t been for this uprising , the 501st Legion would have been wiped out when the Death Star exploded . Darth Vader , furious with the potential problem , replaced the 501st with a different legion of troopers . Aftermath . The prison break was a great embarrassment to Darth Vader ' s supposedly " Elite " 501st Legion , and thus an embarrassment to Vader himself . As punishment , Vader had the Legion reassigned , from their " comfortable " position on the Death Star , to his army , helping him search the galaxy for the stolen Death Star plans . The search would prove futile , however , as the plans were not found in time to prevent the destruction of the Death Star . Despite this , the punishment made sure that the Legion was not stationed on the Death Star when it was destroyed . The troopers that did take their place , however , were utterly doomed .