The Star Wars Version of Deep Space 9/Babylon 5: How Would That Work

[Winter]

This one is inspired by Nobody700 on the Celebrating Pride Month: LGBT Stories You Would Create if Given the Chance: Star Wars Post and it got me thinking, if Star Wars did have a DS9/B5 equivalent how would that be done?

Let's assume for a moment that this follows the same idea as those two shows, a space station that is the main driving focus of events that leads to a all out War. Let's also assume place either in the far past, say The Old Republic, or after the events of the Disney Sequel Trilogy instead of just at anytime we want or even further then that during the Legacy time frame.

If this is to be like DS9 or B5 what makes this space station special, why is this place so important to everyone. In Babylon 5 the titular station is important because it's natural ground where everyone of every alien race and attempt to talk to one another in an attempt to make peace and later becomes the center of the Resistance against the Shadows and later Earth Gov.

Deep Space 9 is important because it's the last safe heaven on the edge of the unknown. It's where the Celestial Temple is located that is important to the Bajoran's because that is where their Gods are located. It is also what draws the attention of the Dominion and leads to the single largest war in Star Trek History.

So, what can this Space Station of Star Wars offer that sets it apart from it's sister sci-fi series? What makes this place so important that it becomes the center of a war and the key to victory or defeat in the battle of good vs. evil?

[Thebestoftherest]

I think that maybe having it be a base as far away from the core worlds as possible limited hyper space lanes but plenty of local planets so plenty of story idea.

[Nealithi]

Travel in Star Wars has been glossed over quite a bit. Hyperspace lanes but heroes generally seem to go directly to where they need to go. What a show needing a station to be important needs is consistent travel restrictions.
So put it between galactic arms, relatively empty space. This is where ships come to refuel before continuing across. Or just trade at the station and jump back the way they came.
This place has a constant issue with the government patrols wanting to catch smugglers and the civilian controllers wanting those smugglers to get in because they bypass the red tape so needed supplies arrive.
This basis works during the Old Republic and Empire times just changing who the government bureaucracy is and who the smugglers would be.
With an Old Republic background we can go pre-prequel. This place showing how the inner sphere is using the outer regions and paying lip service to support. Jedi can be both saviors and another sign no one cares as they come and go on their more important Jedi business. You could see different versions of pirate. One that wreck ships and murder for little gain. To Sparrow types that say "People ain't cargo, mate". All while the Trade Federation gains more and more military style power. Show those big donut ships as the freighters they originally were meant to be.

[Winter]

Travel in Star Wars has been glossed over quite a bit. Hyperspace lanes but heroes generally seem to go directly to where they need to go. What a show needing a station to be important needs is consistent travel restrictions.
So put it between galactic arms, relatively empty space. This is where ships come to refuel before continuing across. Or just trade at the station and jump back the way they came.
This place has a constant issue with the government patrols wanting to catch smugglers and the civilian controllers wanting those smugglers to get in because they bypass the red tape so needed supplies arrive.
This basis works during the Old Republic and Empire times just changing who the government bureaucracy is and who the smugglers would be.
With an Old Republic background we can go pre-prequel. This place showing how the inner sphere is using the outer regions and paying lip service to support. Jedi can be both saviors and another sign no one cares as they come and go on their more important Jedi business. You could see different versions of pirate. One that wreck ships and murder for little gain. To Sparrow types that say "People ain't cargo, mate". All while the Trade Federation gains more and more military style power. Show those big donut ships as the freighters they originally were meant to be.

I like this, makes it unique from DS9 and B5 and feels like Star Wars with the Space station's importance basically being, "It's a Gas Station in the Middle of Nowhere". That reminds me of the classic line when Luke first saw the Millennium Falcon one of the coolest and most iconic spaceships in Pop-Culture and his first line is "What a Piece of Junk!"

Perfect fit for Star Wars, I love it!

[McAvoy]

If I recall, the reason why there are known hyperspace lanes is because in Star Wars you cannot turn while FTL and any large gravitational bodies can bring you out of it. Or worse, crash right into one.

So all of the common lanes would be a point a to point b with perhaps, a point a to point b and then point c.

You could put a station at a choke point in those lanes where only through that area you can get to the other side. Like in a heavy black hole or dangerous nebula or whatever area of space. If I recall, in the Legends EU, the prototype Death Star (not the first one blown up at Yavin) was stationed there and I think another planet destroyer weapon too. Some R&D station only one way to get to.

I would have to think how this station would play a big part in fighting the big bad guy though.

[hammerofglass]

Wasn't the Resistance cartoon a try at this concept? I never actually watched it, cel-shading gives me a headache.

[stryke]

DS9 is very much a sci-fi take on a frontier town. You have a local hard nosed sherrif, the tavern owner running (holographic) girls, you have a plot about setting up a schoolhouse, and initially at least it was about the strangers that would drift into town and make trouble. This was part of the initial pitch of the show to the execs comparing it like how the original Star Trek was Wagon Train to the stars.

The thing is Star Wars doesn't need a space station for that as frontier towns are already so baked into the concept already. I'd just call it Tales of the Cantina to go with the current Disney+ convention, also like the classic book collection of shortstories, and go from there.

Surely it can't be worse that Book of Boba Fett, right?

[Madner Kami]

You could put a station at a choke point in those lanes where only through that area you can get to the other side. Like in a heavy black hole or dangerous nebula or whatever area of space. If I recall, in the Legends EU, the prototype Death Star (not the first one blown up at Yavin) was stationed there and I think another planet destroyer weapon too. Some R&D station only one way to get to.

That would be the Maw Installation, an Imperial R&D Base in the Maw Cluster, a cluster of black holes, which makes the navigation there almost impossible.

[Nobody700]

I already put in what I thought it be, and hell, its also a better Voyager cause the story is also about the space station no longer having outside resources to help them or troop rotate and they are UNABLE to force the planet to do what they want so they have to pretend they still have the power to do so.

[McAvoy]

You could put a station at a choke point in those lanes where only through that area you can get to the other side. Like in a heavy black hole or dangerous nebula or whatever area of space. If I recall, in the Legends EU, the prototype Death Star (not the first one blown up at Yavin) was stationed there and I think another planet destroyer weapon too. Some R&D station only one way to get to.

That would be the Maw Installation, an Imperial R&D Base in the Maw Cluster, a cluster of black holes, which makes the navigation there almost impossible.

Yes that. Thank you. It has been a long time for me the last time I really was into the good ol' Star Wars EU, or Legends as it's called now.