Imperial Armory Complex The Imperial Armory Complex , also known as the Lothal Imperial Factory , was a factory built into the planet Lothal ' s Imperial Complex that produced a variety of vehicles for the Imperial Military , including speeder bike s , starfighter s , and walker s . The TIE / D Defender entered production at the factory , leading the Empire to consider it their most important facility in the region . Phoenix Cell was preparing to attack the Imperial Armory Complex and halt production of the new TIE / Ds , but was prevented from doing so when Grand Admiral Thrawn learned of their plans and launched an assault on their base on Atollon . Description . Housed in Lothal ' s Imperial Complex , the Imperial Armory Complex , also known as the Lothal Imperial Factory , utilized citizens as laborers to manufacturer a variety of vehicles for the Imperial Military , including 614 - AvA speeder bike s , AT - ATs , AT - DP walkers , TIE fighters . It also had hangar s that housed various vehicles produced at the facility , outside of which were landing platforms . By the year 2 BBY , the Imperial Armory Complex housed a specialized chamber called Section A2 which contained several Imperial military secrets including Grand Admiral Thrawn ' s blueprints for a new starfighter equipped with deflector shield s : the TIE / D Defender . The factory also housed an east gate that hosted a hangar for Imperial Troop Transport s and All Terrain Defense Pods . History . When the Spectres had to escape Lothal in 4 BBY , they infiltrated the Imperial Armory Complex to steal a " Sentinel " - class landing craft , picking up some shield generators on the way . Before the rebels could board the shuttle , Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger felt the presence of Darth Vader , who was awaiting their arrival to deal with them personally . Despite being outmatched by the Sith Lord , the Jedi were able to escape suffering no casualties . By 2 BBY , the former Lothal ian Governor Ryder Azadi had founded a rebel cell , which specialized in sabotaging vehicles produced at the Armory Complex . One of the saboteurs was the former farmer Morad Sumar . This led to a high rate of accidents among Imperial forces . In response , Imperial High Command dispatched Thrawn to the factory to investigate . After killing Sumar during a test demonstration on a 614 - AvA speeder bike , Thrawn order Governor Arihnda Pryce , Agent Kallus , and Lieutenant Yogar Lyste to lock down the factory and question workers . His inspection coincided with an undercover mission by the rebels Ezra , Kanan , and the astromech droid Chopper to steal the Imperial starfighter blueprints . While Thrawn arrested at least one worker for a faulty AT - DP , Chopper managed to steal the plans after Ezra and Kanan stole a pass code from an Imperial communication droid . The rebels managed to escape the base with the help of Kallus and a diversionary attack launched by Ryder on the factory ' s east gate . Ezra ' s team stole an AT - DP walker and engaged two AT - AT walkers . The successful rebel heist led Thrawn to realize that the Empire had a traitor among their ranks . He planned to turn the traitor into an asset for the Empire . Using the information stolen by Chopper , Hera made plans for part of the Phoenix Cell to attack the Imperial factory . Ezra was assigned with collecting reconnaissance on Imperial military movements above the planet . Before they could proceed with the mission , Ezra succumbed to a Force vision created by the former Sith Maul . While Ezra , Kanan , and Sabine Wren dealt with Maul , Hera and the rest of the team traveled to Lothal . The TIE / D Defender eventually entered production at the Imperial Armory Complex , which had come to be considered to be the important Imperial facility in the region . The Phoenix Squadron and General Jan Dodonna ' s Massassi Group prepared for a strike on the complex . However , their planned attack was disrupted by Thrawn , who exposed Kallus and tracked down the location of the rebel base on Atollon . As a result , Imperial forces attacked Atollon . In 1 BBY , the Rebel Alliance launched a raid against the Imperial Armory Complex led by Hera . However , Hera ' s T - 65B X - wing starfighter squadron was intercepted by Thrawn ' s forces and suffered heavy casualties , with many starfighters being destroyed or shot down . However , some time later , when Hera has been captured and being interrogated by Governor Arihnda Pryce , Hera is rescued by a strike team of Kanan , Ezra , and Sabine . However , refusing to let them escape , Pryce pursues them with an armor group of All Terrain Armored Transport walkers to the Lothal City fuel depot , ordering her men to fire on the central fuel tank , despite them knowing of what would happen if they do . As a result , the fuel tanks rupture and explode , wiping out the fuel reserves for the Imperial Armory Complex , forcing it to shut down and halt all production of the TIE / D Defender , infuriating Thrawn , who was away to meet with the Emperor on Coruscant regarding the funding for the TIE / D Defender . Though Pryce reveals that Kanan was dead , killed in the explosion as he sacrificed himself to allow Hera , Ezra , and Sabine to escape , Thrawn is unmoved by the Pyrrhic victory , as the TIE / D Defender production would never be completed , and Pryce would face punishment from Thrawn when he returned to Lothal . Behind the scenes . The Imperial Armory Complex first appeared , albeit unidentified , in " " , a one - hour television movie premiered on June 20 , 2015 on Disney XD . The facility was designed by concept artist Chris Glenn .