Dantooine base

"Dantooine. They're on Dantooine."

The Dantooine base was a base operated in the jungles of Dantooine by the Alliance to Restore the Republic prior to the Battle of Yavin. By the time of the Battle of Scarif, the base had been abandoned.

Description[]

The base was built in a dense forest on the far side of Dantooine from Dantoo Town. It was disguised as a sap farm.^[2] The first structures erected were prefabricated living modules, which were soon supplemented with defenses including weapons stolen from smuggler outposts and an energy shield taken from an Imperial prison.^[3] The base contained a vast enclosure that could house dozens of small starfighters, dozens of droid-charging ports, advanced communications technology, and dozens of bunks for several hundred troops. At one point, the Alliance troops planned to expand the base, starting to dig underground extensively.^[4]

General Antoc Merrick was in overall command of the starfighter squadrons on Dantooine.^[5]

History[]

"Our scout ships have reached Dantooine. They found the remains of a Rebel base, but they estimate that it has been deserted for some time. They're now conducting an extensive search of the surrounding systems."

―Officer Siward Cass —

Listen (file info)^[1]

The Dantooine base was the first rebel base established by the Alliance to Restore the Republic.^[6] Gold Squadron was based there before being transferred to the Massassi Temple on Yavin following the Declaration of the Rebel Alliance by Mon Mothma^[7] in 2 BBY.^[8]

Although the base was originally intended to be only temporary, more and more facilities were constructed as the Alliance grew. At some point prior to the Battle of Scarif, the pilot Ryle Torsyn found an Imperial tracking device hidden in an equipment delivery. Not taking any risks, the device was destroyed and Dantooine base was evacuated,^[3] with the headquarters moving to an ancient temple on Yavin 4, a base already used by Jan Dodonna and his rebel cell.^[9] However, the former base on Dantooine was still unknown to the Empire.^[3]

Some time later, Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan was captured by Grand Moff Tarkin, who kept her prisoner on the Death Star. When Tarkin threatened the princess with destroying her homeworld if she did not give up the location of the Alliance's base, Organa attempted to fool the Grand Moff by naming Dantooine. Tarkin, however, ordered the destruction of Alderaan anyway.^[1]

An Imperial survey team^[4] consisting of several scout ships^[1] and a Star Destroyer, led by Cassio Tagge,^[2] was dispatched to Dantooine to investigate the princess' claim. Although the Imperials did find the remains of the Alliance base, they rightly estimated that it had been evacuated some time ago and began to scout surrounding star systems.^[1] However, they did capture Chelli Lona Aphra, who was searching the base for salvage. Believing her to be trouble, Tagge ordered her execution, but she escaped.^[2]