Jakku Observatory The Jakku Observatory was an observatory located on Jakku . It was part of a network of Emperor Palpatine ' s observatories across the galaxy . The Jakku Observatory was part of the Emperor ' s Contingency plan to destroy the Empire in the event of his death . It was located under the Plaintive Hand plateau and housed a replica of the Emperor ' s yacht " Imperialis " , computers displaying a map of the Unknown Regions , a storehouse of Sith relics and artifacts , and a borehole which led to Jakku ' s core . The future Counselor to the Empire Gallius Rax was tasked with using the Jakku Observatory to execute the Contingency by detonating Jakku and the orbiting Imperial and New Republic fleets . However , he was foiled by Grand Admiral Rae Sloane , Norra Wexley , and Brentin Lore Wexley . Description . From above , the Jakku Observatory appeared to be only a bunker buried in the sands of the Plaintive Hand plateau . The Observatory was protected by automated turret s and sentinel droids . Much of the facility was hidden underground and it could only be accessed from the outside by a broad automated door hidden in the side of a dune . To open the door , two people need to press their hands against a scan plate . This door led to a pentagonal hallway , made from burnished metal and black glass . The hallway was held up by a series of pillars which prevented the sands above from pressing down and swallowing the Observatory whole . Due to its pressure - sealed compartments , the Jakku Observatory was kept clean from the dust and dirt of Jakku . The hallway led to an eight - sided chamber which led to an octagonal - shaped bank of computer systems . These ancient computer systems came from an earlier civilization and projected a three - dimensional Star map of the Unknown Regions . For decades , these computers plotted out computerised routes into the Unknown Regions using information derived from Admiral Thrawn . Emperor Palpatine believed that a dark presence lay in the Unknown Regions and had sent probe droid s to explore the computations that the computers had made . Beyond the octagonal chamber was a hallway lined with various relics of the old Sith Empire including a red mask , a white lance , a blood banner and a black holocron . These artifacts were guarded by sentinel droid s , which would activate when a threat approached . Beyond this hallway lay a borehole that was drilled through the schist and mantle of Jakku . According to Palpatine , Jakku was once a verdant world with forest and ocean s . He believed that Jakku ' s core still retained the vital spark of life essence . This borehole was central to Palpatine ' s Contingency plan to destroy Jakku and the remnants of the Empire should the Emperor die prematurely . The Jakku Observatory also had computers which controlled the telescoping vents that could close the shaft . The Jakku Observatory also had a nearby automated landing dome which housed a replica of the Emperor ' s yacht " Imperialis " . History . Origins . In 30 BBY , Sheev Palpatine and his Adviser Yupe Tashu traveled to Jakku ' s Plaintive Hand plateau with several excavation droids . Tashu and Palpatine soon left on the latter ' s luxury yacht " Imperialis " . A local boy named Galli stowed aboard the " Imperialis " . Palpatine soon detected Galli ' s presence and gave the boy a choice of dying or serving him . Galli chose to live and serve Palpatine , who instructed the boy to returned to the Plaintive Hand site and guard it . Palpatine instructed Galli to kill any intruders to preserve the site ' s secrecy . For the next ten years , Galli guarded the site while the droids drilled a borehole into Jakku ' s core and built underground facilities hosting Palpatine ' s computerized maps of the Unknown Regions , a storehouse for his Sith relics , and a landing platform for a replica of the " Imperialis " . Galli ' s companions included several protocol droid s , assassin droid s , astromech droid s and excavators which cleared the ground at Jakku . Galli also interacted with Tashu , who reported on the site and boy ' s progress to his master . The Contingency . By 20 BBY , construction of the Jakku Observatory had been completed . Palpatine rewarded Galli by designating him as the Contingency and inducting him into Imperial service . Gallius adopted the persona of Gallius Rax . He then became a commander in the Naval Intelligence Agency before rising to Fleet Admiral and Counselor to the Empire by the late Galactic Civil War . Following the Emperor ' s death during the Battle of Endor , Rax put the Contingency into action and began killing other Imperial commanders and setting stage for the Empire ' s last stand on Jakku . After taking leadership of the Imperial remnants following the Attack on Chandrila , Gallius Rax ordered the Imperial fleets to relocate to Jakku where he planned to test the mettle of his new armada . Rax claimed that the harsh conditions of Jakku would be a testing ground for his Imperial forces in their final showdown against the New Republic , the successor to the Alliance to Restore the Republic . Rax also established a base on Jakku and established a partnership with the Hutt crime lord Niima . Niima guarded the pass leading to the Jakku Observatory and ordered her thugs to kidnap local orphans who would serve as Rax ' s child soldiers . Meanwhile , Rax ' s rival former Grand Admiral Rae Sloane and the rebel operative Brentin Lore Wexley learned about Rax ' s true origins from the Anchorite Kolob . The two also learned from Niima that Rax had what was supposedly a secret weapons facility in the Plaintive Hand plateau . Sloane and Brentin managed to convince Niima to take them there . However , Rax ' s security cameras spotted them and the Counselor ordered the base ' s turbolaser s to blast the convoy . Rax then captured Sloane and Brentin and brought them back to his headquarters . After initiating the Battle of Jakku , Rax along with Adviser Tashu , the former Commandant Brendol Hux , Hux ' s son Armitage Hux , and the child soldiers traveled on a transport to the Jakku Observatory . Upon arriving , Rax used his sentinel droid to order the base ' s turbolasers and sentinel droids to power down . Rax then summoned the landing pad carrying the replica of the " Imperialis " and instructed the others to board it . He and Tashu then traveled into the Observatory to initiate the final stage of the Contingency plan . Yupe Tashu donned several Sith relics and artifacts and the two initiated a Sith ritual . Rax then threw Tashu down the bridge into the borehole leading to Jakku ' s core . Before Rax could rejoin the other Imperials aboard the " Imperialis " , he was attacked by Sloane . Rax managed to overpower Sloane but was attacked by Brentin and his wife Norra Wexley , who was a New Republic operative . Despite killing Brentin , Rax was killed by Sloane . While Norra left the base with her deceased husband and rejoined the New Republic , Sloane heeded Rax ' s order to join the Contingency and accompanied the Hux ' s and Rax ' s child soldiers into the Unknown Regions . Behind the scenes . The Jakku Observatory first appeared as a plot element in Chuck Wendig ' s 2017 novel " " , the last installment in " " .