IM - 455 modular garrison The IM - 455 modular garrison , also known as The Peacekeeper , was the Empire ' s standard base deployed on planets to keep the peace and serve as a home for its troops . It was built by Rothana Heavy Engineering as a rewarded manufacturing contract , and its main purpose was to allow an Imperial Army commander to achieve the same results of turning a venerated political / religious structure into the seat of power for the Empire on a world and at the same time allow for optimized defense . A standard Imperial garrison was elevated for observation and angled for defense , and acted as a symbol to rebellious populations that the Empire wasn ' t going anywhere . Characteristics . Garrison bases consisted of eight levels , topped by a sensor and communications tower . Levels one through to five , all identical in size and shape , consisted mainly of the large surface vehicle bays where all the surface vehicles were stored , maintained and deployed from . The vehicle bays were large enough to accommodate AT - ATs . They also contained most of the personnel quarters as well as the armory , detention cells and most other key base areas . It also contained a recreation center , which by 0 BBY added a scoopball court by popular request . Level six held the officers ' quarters , TIE fighter pilots ' quarters , command rooms and so on . Level seven consisted entirely of the TIE / LN starfighter hangars . Level eight was the deployment chutes and control rooms for the base ' s TIEs . TIEs were launched , retrieved and manipulated by the base ' s powerful suite of tractor - beam projectors . Garrison bases also had underground sub - levels which contained the generators ( including the main reactor ) and main infrastructure . The roof contained the sensor suite tower , which was equipped with a hypercom array as well as Rothana ' s patented mix of thermo - infra - ecto multivariate sensors . Models . Although the basic garrison was a standardized model , several variations existed : Shield projector garrisons . The shield projector garrison was a model that was utilized for Imperial orbital construction projects , where it projected an uninterrupted energy shield around the orbital site . It had enough defenses to put down planetside uprisings from the conscripted workforce . It includes a command garrison , which was broken down into several smaller structures similar to the IM - 445 , albeit with an armored bunker to house the generator ; a 20 - meter - tall landing pad to accommodate docking AT - ATs as well as two to three " Lambda " - class shuttles ; and the SLD - 26 planetary shield generator . Oceanic garrisons . An aquatic model , the oceanic garrison , lacked the underground levels and had several powerful repulsorlifts to keep it afloat . In addition , it was equipped with underwater hangar bays . The contingent included seatroopers and AT - AT swimmers . Orbiting garrisons . An orbiting garrison was two standard garrisons locked together base - to - base , but this variation was rarely deployed . These garrisons were only deployed in orbits around extremely hostile and dangerous planets . This provided the troops on the ground with an orbital fire base and also made the headquarters extra secure . Orbiting Garrisons could support a full TIE wing and several orbital tug ships . Since the garrisons lacked engines , the tugs were the only means of propulsion . However , orbiting garrisons created a controversy with the Navy , which considered all space - deployed units their jurisdiction . In the end , the command on orbiting garrisons was split between Navy and Army , with one base commanded by an Admiral , the other one by a Major General . Additionally , a new orbital defense platform for the Navy was put into production . Hostile - environment garrisons . For planets with unfriendly climate , the hostile - environment garrison was equipped with sealed airlocks on all entry points on an extra life - support sub - level . Garrison complexes . Several standard garrisons could be deployed in proximity to form a garrison complex . The buildings would be connected via underground tunnels and walkways . The largest complexes were constructed of up to six garrisons arranged in a ring . Like orbiting garrisons , these complexes were rarely constructed . Only worlds of major strategic importance required such a great headquarters . Most complexes were headquarters of an Army , a Systems Army , or a Sector Army and commanded by a General . Personnel . Imperial garrisons were commanded by a Major General and housed 3000 base personnel divided as follows : The numbers of specific staff were flexible to the mission ' s needs . Defenses . Garrison bases were equipped with three heavy twin turbolaser turrets and six heavy laser turrets , as well as tractor beam projectors . Though shielded , garrisons also possessed extensive ground defenses such as anti - infantry and anti - vehicle minefields and a ten - meter high electrified death fence . This had variable power settings , so it could either severely shock an individual or fry them outright in an instant , depending on the base commander ' s choice . To get through the fence and into the base , units had to pass through force field gates . These were flanked by two guard towers with stormtroopers on constant duty and positioned evenly around the fence ' s perimeter . Running behind the fence and parallel to it was an elevated catwalk patrolled by stormtroopers with guard towers ( each equipped with electrobinoculars , floodlights , and alarm systems ) spaced every 100 meters . Some garrison bases were positioned to use the terrain to their advantage , such as setting them into mountainsides or on outcroppings . These tailored their ground defenses accordingly . Garrison bases also possessed air recyclers and advanced environment and filter systems allowing them to be deployed almost anywhere , from hostile worlds to asteroids . History . Boba Fett once took an assignment to capture a criminal , conveniently the brother of a base commander , on the order of Jabba the Hutt . His actions to capture the criminal forced him to destroy most of the base , including two AT - ATs , two AT - STs , and the commanding general . The engagement gave the criminal time to escape . As a result of this , although the Imperials denied the rumors of Boba Fett breaching the garrison , they nonetheless developed and distributed a defensive upgrade called XZD - 001 : FETT COUNTERMEASURES as a result . Star Destroyers like the " Imperial " - class could carry one of these installations , while an " Executor " - class Star Dreadnought could carry up to three . Prefabricated bases were dropped from orbit in ready - made pieces and assembled on - site by Imperial engineers and construction droids . The Y - 85 Titan dropship was essential to this purpose onboard Imperial ships larger than Star Destroyers . Han Solo claimed that he and Chewbacca infiltrated the garrisons more than once , and even offered to aid fellow New Republic general Crix Madine in training various troops on how to do so . Madine , however , was skeptical of this claim , even telling Solo that he would have borrowed a holothriller if he wanted fiction in response .