Path engine
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Path engine
Production information
Type
Usage and history
Purpose
Affiliation
- "I've readOld Republic records of Nihil ships doingimpossible things withlightspeed. Jumping in close to planets…blinking across battlefields almostinstantaneously…it was likemagic."
- ―Chelli Aphra[2]
Path engines, also known asPath drives, were a type of specializedhyperdrive that provided incredibly fasthyperspace travel through use of the unorthodox and otherwise inaccessiblePaths. Utilized by theNihilmarauder organization during theHigh Republic Era, the Path engines allowed the Nihil to appear unexpectedly when undertaking raids, giving the marauders a feared reputation. The devices were installed on Nihilstarships in addition to normal hyperdrives, connected to the vessels'engines. Path engines, as well as the Paths that they utilized, were originally provided to the Nihil byAsgar Ro after he positioned himself as the firstEye of the Nihil; after hisdeath, his son,Marchion, took his place. In truth, the Paths were calculated by theForce-sensitiveMari San Tekka, whom theRos had captured long before.
Marchion Ro had plans to manipulate the Nihil for his own purposes, and the Path engines played a role in his scheme. After Ro orchestrated theGreat Hyperspace Disaster, a hyperspace incident that led to subsequentEmergences across theOuter Rim, theGalactic Republic andJedi Order became aware of the Nihil and their unconventional hyperspace abilities. As part of his maneuvers, Ro sentone of the Nihil's threeTempests to their deaths in theBattle of Kur, hoping to convince the Republic of the Nihil's destruction. Ro utilized the Path engines of the Nihil starships to perform short and unpredictable hyperspace jumps across theKur Nebula; the supposedtactic escalated into the Nihil ships being sent into fatal impacts with the opposing vessels. His plan was successful, with the Republic believing that the force at Kur had been the entire organization, and Ro proceeded to take control of the Nihil himself. As theirconflict with the Republic carried on, however, Tekkapassed away, which left the Path engines unreliable; while they sometimes worked as planned, other occasions ended in disaster as they caused the entire starship to explode.
Long after the time of the Nihil, during theImperial Era,Beol De'Rruyet, founder ofDe'Rruyet Industries, acquired an ancient Path engine. Though De'Rruyet claimed to have the ability to replicate its design, revolutionizinglightspeed travel, the Path engine that De'Rruyet possessed was only one part of the larger system, and as such would not work as he had claimed. De'Rruyet succeeded in constructing a replica of the Path engine, but the reproduction was incomplete, and would combust if it were to be activated. Nevertheless, his claims drew the attention of his rival,Domina Tagge of theTagge Corporation, who recruited the roguearchaeologistDoctorChelli Aphra to verify De'Rruyet's claims before he could unveil it at anexpo on the planetMidarr. Aphra learned of the catastrophic effect that the replica's activation would have, but her attempt to shut De'Rruyet down was interrupted by the arrival ofGeneralVukorah of theUnbroken Clan, who wished to take the Path engine for herself.
Description[]
- "What I'm seeing here is amuch more complex system than the one[Beol De'Rruyet's] advertising."
- ―Chelli Aphra, viewing a diagram of the Path engine[2]
The central unit of the Path engine, which was situated within a larger system
The Path engine was a type ofhyperdrive that provided astarship with a fast and unconventional method of traversinghyperspace, utilizing thePaths,hyperspace routes located between and across typical hyperlanes. The device could translate the Paths into navigational data that only the Path engine could utilize; any conventional system would reject the data as impossible.[1] The time-phased Path calculations were imputed into thenavigation computer of the drive.[3]
A complex system composed of multiple components, the engine had a hexagonal frame, inside which was a smaller device:[2] a half-spherical metal lattice, containing a glowinggreenfire,[1] with stepped edges and four pointed legs.[2] Path engines were attached to a starship'sengines;[1] the larger Path engine in its entirety could fit into a compartment of the same shape located within a system that retracted beneath the vessel'sbridge.[2] The Path engine would additionally be connected to the hyperdrive and control systems.[1]
In addition to accessing unconventional routes, the Path engines were able to make a starship perform hyperspace jumps shorter than was possible with regular vessels, flickering in and out ofrealspace in leaps as short as onekilometer. The engines could also be activated remotely. When calculating jumps from within aplanet'sgravity well, Path engines had to do so from a specific point.[1]
History[]
Rise of the Nihil[]
A Path and a plan[]
- "We worked hard, and we had a plan…for the Paths, for the Nihil…for all sorts of things."
- ―Marchion Ro, on himself and his father[1]
During thetime of theHigh Republic Era, the hyperspaceprospectorMari San Tekka, who possessed the ability to locate the Paths[1] thanks to her specialForce-sensitivity[4] was taken by thefamily ofAsgar Ro and his son,Marchion. The family exploited her ability for their own purposes, with San Tekka being passed down through generations until Asgar Ro, who kept her alive within amedical pod aboard hisflagship, theGaze Electric. The starship was equipped with a Path engine—the first of many—of a unique design. The device could handle San Tekka's abilities, allowing theGaze Electric to traverse the Paths. San Tekka continued to discover Paths from aboard theGaze Electric, which were stored in a database on the vessel.[1]
The Nihil marauder organization was provided with the Path engines by the Eye of the Nihil.
Asgar Ro and his son, with an ulterior goal[1] of revenge against theJedi andGalactic Republic for their family's past[5] in mind, worked with theNihil, at that point a small and disorganizedmarauder organization that operated nearThull's Shroud.[1] The group had already been formed by their family, yet Asgar believed his mother,Shalla Ro, had failed to use them to their full potential so killed her in front of Marchion.[5] Asgar offered the Nihil the Paths for the marauders to utilize in their operations, becoming theEye of the Nihil[1] like his mother before him.[5] The starships of theNihil fleet were all equipped with Path engines, though less enhanced than the original device aboard theGaze Electric.[1]
With the Path engines, the Nihil situated themselves in theGreat Hall of the Nihil, a new base of operations withinNo-Space, an area only accessible through the unconventional and unmapped hyperspace routes. The Paths were provided by the Eye of the Nihil; the members of the Nihil's threeTempests were unaware where the routes originated. The Nihil utilized the Path engines in maneuvers that appeared impossible—appearing without warning anywhere, at any time. With the Paths and the Eye's guidance, the Nihil grew larger and stronger, becoming feared across theOuter Rim Territories. Asgar Ro was eventuallykilled and succeeded by Marchion, who inherited theGaze Electric and control over the Path engines, continuing the plans set in motion by hisfather.[1]
Vision of the Eye[]
- "Disconnect the Path engine! Right now!"
- ―Kassav Milliko, after learning of Marchion's intent to sacrifice his Tempest[1]
The Path engines played a role in Marchion Ro's manipulation of the Nihil for his own goals.[1] In232 BBY,[6] Ro sent a NihilStormship on a Path that took it across the route of thefreighterLegacy Run, which broke apart in hyperspace while attempting to avoid the vessel. In the resultingGreat Hyperspace Disaster and its subsequentEmergences, debris from theLegacy Run was scattered across the Outer Rim. In their investigation into the incident and its cause, theGalactic Republic andJedi Order learned of the threat that the Nihil posed and their unconventional manipulation of hyperspace.[1]
Marchion Ro utilized the Path engines to achieve his goals in the Battle of Kur.
Ro sent theTempest ofTempest RunnerKassav Milliko to theKur Nebula, supposedly to intercept atransport carrying theflight recorder of theLegacy Run to prevent the Republic from gaining further information on the Nihil. In reality, Ro had intended for Milliko and his Tempest to be sent to their deaths to give the Republic the impression that the Nihil had been entirely eliminated; the subsequentBattle of Kur saw the Tempest come up against a much largerRepublic Defense Coalition andJedi force than Milliko had expected.[1]
Despite the Nihil's use of atypical tactics at Kur, the marauders were trapped and slowly became overpowered. During the battle, Ro remotely activated the Path engines of the ships in the Nihil fleet, utilizing a tactic that he referred to asBattle Paths, in which the starships entered hyperspace and exited it almost immediately, disappearing and reappearing short distances away. The tactic caused chaos across the battlefield; while the rapid jumps disoriented the Nihil's opponents, the Path engines took some ships directly into the path of both Republic vessels and their own.[1]
Learning of Ro's intention to sacrifice his Tempest, Milliko ordered his crew to disconnect the Path engine of hiscorvette, theNew Elite; at the same time, the Battle Paths began to actively target the Republic vessels, sending the Nihil ships into direct impacts. The Nihil were unable to control or stop their Path engines, and Milliko's Tempest was destroyed as a result. Ro's maneuvers had succeeded—the Republic and Jedi believed that the Nihil were no longer a threat. In the aftermath of the Battle of Kur, Ro reorganized the Nihil, dissolving the Tempest hierarchy and taking control of the organization.[1]
Without Tekka[]
When Tekka became truly aware of her surroundings thanks to the captured Jedi MasterLoden Greatstorm, who was kept aboard theGaze Electric for ayear by Ro, she also became aware of her coming death[4] and sought to give one final Path to theJedi KnightVernestra Rwoh. Having been transported to theGravity's Heartspace station in theBerenge sector to help with creating agravity well projector, shelured Rwoh to her position to gift her the Path before finally passing on.[7] While theGravity's Heart project gave Ro the key to developing thestormseed weapons,[8] the death of Tekka robbed the Path engines of much of their effectiveness. Without her to calculate new Paths, sometimes the engines worked as the Nihil hoped, while other times ended in destruction; instead of entering hyperspace, the Nihil ship could explode. As such, some Nihil decided to use regularhyperdrives instead of taking the risk.[3]
The Nihil scientistRoyce, who had joined the marauders because he was fascinated by the Path drives, explained to the young inventorAvon Starros that Tekka's death and the sudden lack of new Paths limited what the Nihil could safely do with their special engines. However, he remained unconcerned, arguing it was better to die in a blaze of glory than to live a life that could end in himself being forgotten.[3] When Ro reunited with the remains of Tempest RunnerZeetar'sTempest in the time after theBattle of Galov, Zeetar informed the Eye of his losses and, noting he would need them to return to No-Space, questioned if he had any more Paths to give. Ro promised he would send Zeetar those he had so they could rendezvous and plan at the Great Hall, with Loruna Dee's Tempest soon revealing it had arrived at Zeetar's rendezvous point as well.[9]
Rediscovery[]
Technology from the past[]
- "Beol De'Rruyet claims this artifact holds the key to a long lost, incredibly fast method oflightspeed travel…and he's found a way to replicate it. If that's true, it couldcompletely change the galactic economy…orend the war once and for all."
- ―Domina Tagge[10]
By theImperial Era, long after the time of the High Republic, the Path engine and the technology's abilities were lost.[10] During theGalactic Civil War between theGalactic Empire and theRebel Alliance,[2] thesmugglerRemy discovered a Path engine[11] within the wreckage of a Nihilbattleship on the planetDol'har Hyde. Remy retrieved the engine and put it up for sale[2] on a clandestinenetwork of artifact sellers and buyers, where it was noticed byBeol De'Rruyet, founder ofDe'Rruyet Industries. De'Rruyet was interested by the Path engine, purchasing the device from Remy[12] on the planetCorellia[11] and returning with it to his company's headquarters,De'Rruyet Center, on[12] the planet[2]Midarr.[12]
The replica Path engine created by Beol De'Rruyet
De'Rruyet intended to create a reproduction of the Path engine[12] in order to replicate its abilities, claiming it would revolutionizelightspeed travel.[10] He and his company were successful in creating a reproduction of the Path engine, using seemingly genuine parts.[12] However, the Path engine that Remy had discovered on Dol'har Hyde was only one part of the system—the device would not work on its own.[2] As such, the replica that De'Rruyet Industries produced was incomplete and did not work as he had claimed; in fact, its activation would result in the engine combusting, destroying the starship in which it was installed.[12]
Destructive demonstration[]
- "Nobody could have made this work. It's a mess. That ship is adeath machine. Attempting a lightspeed jump would make itcombust. The pilot would burn to death,and you would lose the engine. If it goes off in the middle of the confluence, everyone in the main hall could be killed."
- ―Chelli Aphra[12]
Holographic diagram of the complete path engine mechanism
Despite the Path engine replica's incomplete nature, De'Rruyet continued to claim that the device was functional and revolutionary, intending to showcase it at theDe'Rruyet Industries confluence on Midarr.[12] His claims attracted the attention of various parties.LadyDomina Tagge of the rivalTagge Corporation—wary that the technology would change thegalactic economy or end the ongoing war, thus jeopardizing her own company's economic position—hired the roguearchaeologistDoctorChelli Aphra to investigate De'Rruyet's engine.[10]GeneralVukorah of theUnbroken Clan criminal syndicate wished to acquire the device for herself,[11] whileEmperorPalpatine intended to secure the technology for the Empire if it was successful.[12]
Oneday prior to the confluence, De'Rruyet's Path engine was still not operational, but De'Rruyet was not discouraged; he ordered his employees to make the device appear convincing so as to impress his company's investors. However, he had begun to panic about the possibility of an unsuccessful demonstration, having planned to run with hismoney in that event. Aphra, along with the smugglerSana Starros, infiltrated De'Rruyet Center, confirming that the Path engine's activation would be catastrophic and attempting to convince De'Rruyet to call off the upcoming demonstration. Before De'Rruyet could decide, however, Vukorah and her forces breached De'Rruyet Center; upon learning that the engine was not yet functional, she intended to hold the company's employees hostage until they made it so.[12]
Behind the scenes[]
The Path engine first appeared in thecomicDoctor Aphra (2020) 6, written byAlyssa Wong, penciled byRay-Anthony Height andRobert Gill, and published byMarvel Comics[10] onNovember 25,2020.[13]
Appearances[]
Sources[]
"Launchpad" —Star Wars Insider 201(Indirect mention only)- "Tobias Beckett and Other Characters of the Underworld" —Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Star Wars: The High Republic Show:The Fallen Star, the Nameless First Look, and More! on the officialStar WarsYouTube channel(backup link)(Posted on StarWars.com)
- Star Wars: The High Republic: Chronicles of the Jedi
- Star Wars: Timelines
- Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy
- The Nihil in theDatabank(backup link)
Notes and references[]
- ↑1.001.011.021.031.041.051.061.071.081.091.101.111.121.131.141.151.161.171.181.191.201.211.22The High Republic: Light of the Jedi
- ↑2.02.12.22.32.42.52.62.72.8Doctor Aphra (2020) 8
- ↑3.03.13.2The High Republic: Mission to Disaster
- ↑4.04.1The High Republic: The Rising Storm
- ↑5.05.15.2The High Republic: Eye of the Storm 1
- ↑Star Wars: Timelines
- ↑The High Republic: Out of the Shadows
- ↑The High Republic: Eye of the Storm 2
- ↑The High Republic: Tempest Runner
- ↑10.010.110.210.310.4Doctor Aphra (2020) 6
- ↑11.011.111.2Doctor Aphra (2020) 7
- ↑12.0012.0112.0212.0312.0412.0512.0612.0712.0812.09Doctor Aphra (2020) 9
- ↑
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020) #6 onMarvel Comics'official website(backup link)