Theta - class T - 2c shuttle / Canon The Theta " - class T - 2c shuttle , also known as the Theta " - class shuttle , was a model of shuttle used by the Galactic Republic and later , the Galactic Empire . Emperor Palpatine ordered Grand Vizier Mas Amedda to inform Captain Kagi to prepare his " Theta " - class for immediate takeoff to rescue Darth Vader on Mustafar following a duel there against his former Jedi Master Obi - Wan Kenobi . The shuttle would also be used to transport a number of incarcerated Imperial senator s in the aftermath of a mass arrest by Imperial Intelligence . In the early days of the Empire , a " Theta " - class shuttle transported Palpatine and Vader to a desert world in the Mid Rim , and later transported Palpatine and Vader to the Coruscant abandoned tower in order for Vader to take command of the Inquisitorius . During the Berch Teller campaign , Moff Wilhuff Tarkin asked the captain of the " Liberator " for a " Theta " - class for transport to the " Goliath " . Characteristics . The " Theta " - class T - 2c shuttle , also referred to as the " Theta " - class shuttle , was a type of shuttle constructed by Cygnus Spaceworks on special order by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine of the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars , and as such , were never available for public purchase . the shuttle could reach speeds of 2 , 000 kilometers per hour , were 18 . 5 meter s in length , were equipped with a Class 1 hyperdrive , were outfitted with one laser cannon and two quad laser cannons , were crewed by at least two pilot s , and could accommodate at least four passengers . It had two landing gear legs and a ramp that opened up to the front of the ship for entry and exit . The shuttle also carried at least one medical capsule . The shuttle had two side wings that folded at a degree downward , and raised up in landing position . The shuttle also possessed a central fin , which housed the shuttle ' s ray shield generator , with the side wings being able to vent heat collected by the shield . The cockpit of the shuttle was located at the front of the vessel , and had a reinforced window to protect high - level passengers . A second gunner station was located in the cabin . Role . The " Theta " - class primarily served as a transport for high - ranking individuals , which included the Supreme Chancellor and later Emperor Palpatine . The shuttle was also used by the highest ranking officers of the Galactic Empire ' s navy . History . During the Clone Wars , Supreme Chancellor Palpatine , secretly the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious , submitted a special order to Cygnus Spaceworks for the production of the " Theta " - class shuttle . As a result , the vessel was never available for public purchase . Nearly immediately following the establishment of the Galactic Empire with Palpatine as its Emperor and the Jedi Purge , Palpatine sensed that his newly christened Sith apprentice , Darth Vader , was in danger when dueling his former Jedi Master Obi - Wan Kenobi , and ordered Grand Vizier Mas Amedda to inform Captain Kagi to prepare his " Theta " - class shuttle for immediate takeoff to Mustafar . Palpatine was able to rescue Vader , and brought him to the Grand Republic Medical Facility on Coruscant for medical treatment . One day after the formation of the Empire , Imperial Intelligence conducted a mass arrest of senator s , resulting in the incarceration of sixty - three senators , and a number of these senators were loaded into a " Theta " - class shuttle . During the early days of the Empire , Palpatine utilized the " Theta " - class to drop Vader off in a desert world in the Mid Rim so that he could begin his quest to locate a kyber crystal . In the early days of the Empire , a " Theta " - class T - 2c shuttle transported Palpatine and Vader to the Coruscant abandoned tower in order for Vader to take command of the Inquisitorius . The shuttle was eventually incorporated into the Imperial Navy , although it would be continuously used by high ranking officers . During the Berch Teller campaign , Moff Wilhuff Tarkin asked the captain of the " Venator " - class Star Destroyer " Liberator " for a " Theta " - class T - 2c shuttle for transport to the " Goliath " . Behind the scenes . The " Theta " - class T - 2c shuttle first appeared in . It was designed as an homage to the " Lambda " - class T - 4a shuttle that first appeared in . The " Theta " - class T - 2c shuttle ' s tri - wing design was made less angular with a less aggressive cockpit to soften the obviousness of the villain ' s transport . Though portrayed primarily in CGI in Episode III , the boarding ramp was made as a practical effect and shot against a greenscreen in the scene where Palpatine emerges with Anakin Skywalker ' s charred body on Coruscant .