The All Terrain Armored Cargo Transport (AT-ACT) was a larger version of the standard All Terrain Armored Transport combat walker that featured a dedicated cargo bed for the transportation of heavy building materials or combat munitions.
Description
The All Terrain Armored Cargo Transport was deployed at major Galactic Empire construction projects, such as shipyards and sprawling research installations.[6] Although the AT-ACT was not built for combat it was still capable of posing a formidable threat to infantry as discovered by Rebel troopers during the Battle of Scarif. The walker's taller profile gave it a faster stride than an AT-AT, although at the expense of structural stability. To give the knee joints extra strength when carrying cumbersome loads, an electromagnetic tensor field kept the overstressed motive assembly in smooth alignment. The magnetically sealed cargo module housed within the AT-ACT's frame encompassed nearly 550 cubic meters of space and was capable of carrying raw material or combat munitions. Loads were carefully managed by stevedore droids who divided up partial holds of ultradense materials into manageable trips. Powerful engines and tensor field-supported legs kept the massive AT-ACTs moving forward, from mining sites to processing facilites, carrying cargo in situations where repulsorfields were unreliable or not suitable due to material incompatibilities. The AT-ACT's footpads distributed its weight. The articulated neck had an access tube leading to the cockpit. The cabin had a reinforced viewport, ventilation grid, and ladder rungs leading to an emergency exit hatch. The AT-ACT was armed with two Taim & Bak MS-2 heavy laser cannons.[1]
Despite the existence of AT-ACT drivers,[8] the AT-ACT's design did not boast a specialized driver corps, as it was not technically designated a battlefield assault vehicle. Imperial combat assault tank pilots, AT-AT pilots, and other Imperial combat drivers in the Imperial Military were all qualified to operate it.[1]
History
A number of AT-ACTs were stationed at the construction site of Fortress Vader.[9] When an army of Mustafarians attacked the newly built fortress, the walkers defended it until a trio of Force-sensitive Mustafarians used the Force to flood the place with lava. Darth Vader was the sole Imperial survivor, using a fallen AT-ACT to escape the flooded plains.[10]
At least four AT-ACTs were present on Scarif in a battle against a squad of Rebel soldiers. When the Rebel incursion threatened the security of the Imperial security complex, Director Orson Krennic ordered the beach secured, and the ground crews seized this initiative to move their AT-ACTs into action.[1] They proved resistant to the weapons of the Rebel troops, but took losses when faced with X-wings and U-wings. They, along with all the other Imperial and Rebel forces in the area, were destroyed when Wilhuff Tarkin ordered the Death Star to fire on Scarif.[4]
After the Battle of Endor between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, the walkers were among the forces deployed to defend Kuat Drive Yards during the New Republic's siege against the shipyards.[7]
At least one walker was stationed on the Mid Rim planet of Kashyyyk in the Black Forest before its liberation by the New Republic. By two years after the Battle of Jakku, the walker had fallen and was covered in ferns and flowers, with plant stalks and small trees sprouting from its blown-open metal belly.[11]
Behind the scenes
Part of the cargo walker's origin stems from the adage of 'create things as you remember not as they were'; turns out, most people remember the AT-ATs as being far taller than the 'real' scale works out to be, so the R1 walker ended up being a new model.Pablo Hidalgo
The first footage of the AT-ACT was shown in the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story teaser trailer on April 7, 2016.[13] The walker was identified as AT-ACT in a preview of the canceled reference book Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: The Official Visual Story Guide on May 17, 2016.[14] The full name was first revealed in the third episode of The Star Wars Show on May 25, 2016.[15] Behind the scenes, the walker was simply known as the "cargo walker."[16] The walker became a different model from the AT-AT as a result of those working on the movie believing the regular walker to be taller than it really was, necessitating the AT-ACT become its own variant.[12]
Appearances
- Darth Vader (2017) 23
- Darth Vader (2017) 24
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story novelization (and audiobook)
- Star Wars: Rogue One: A Junior Novel (and audiobook)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Graphic Novel Adaptation
- Rogue One Adaptation 5
- Rogue One Adaptation 6
- Star Wars: Commander
- "Blade Squadron: Kuat" — Star Wars Insider 168 (First appearance)
- Last Shot (and audiobook) (Wreckage only)
Sources
- Rey, Death Troopers, and More: Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016 Key Art Unveiled! on StarWars.com (backup link)
- The Star Wars Show: Chewbacca Mom, Rogue One Character Reveal, A Star Wars Birthday Party on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (Posted on StarWars.com) (First identified as All Terrain Armored Cargo Transport)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Trailer Tease on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Trailer (Official) on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (Posted on StarWars.com)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Trailer #2 (Official) on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (Posted on StarWars.com)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "Prevail" TV Spot (:30) on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "Chance" TV Spot (:30) on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "Together" TV Spot on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Featurette on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (Posted on StarWars.com)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "Dream" TV Spot on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "Jyn & Cassian" Extended TV Spot on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "Trust" on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "Breath" TV Spot on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- Star Wars: Rogue One (Pack: Rapid Fire Imperial AT-ACT) (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Top Trumps: Star Wars: Rogue One (Card: Imperial AT-ACT Cargo Walker) (backup link)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "Introducing Jyn Erso" Featurette on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (Posted on StarWars.com)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "10 Days" on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Official Chinese Trailer on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- Entertainment Weekly's Ultimate Guide to Rogue One
- Art of Coloring: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- Star Wars: Rogue One: Rebel Dossier
- Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – The Official Collector's Edition
- Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia
- Star Wars: On the Front Lines
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 49 (Highlights of the Saga: Battle on the Beach)
- Star Wars: Geektionary: The Galaxy from A - Z
- Star Wars: The Rebel Files
- Dawn of Rebellion
- Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 62 (Helmets: Scarif Rebel Trooper (Sergeant Melshi))
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 62 (Weapons & Uniforms: SpecForce on Scarif)
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 71 (Helmets: General Merrick)
- Star Wars Helmet Collection 71 (Highlights of the Saga: The Battle of Scarif)
- Gadgets and Gear
- Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition
- Starships and Speeders
- Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian — "Connections"
- "Imperial Troops" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Gentle Giant Statues (Pack: AT-ACT Walker Bookend) (backup link)
- "The Heroes of Rogue One" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
- "Walkers and Ground Vehicles of the Empire and First Order" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Star Wars Galaxy of Sounds — "Dark Side"
- Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy
- Star Wars: Dawn of Rebellion: The Visual Guide
- AT-ACT walker in the Databank (backup link)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dawn of Rebellion
- ↑ Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Starships and Speeders
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 AT-ACT walker in the Databank (backup link)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Blade Squadron: Kuat" — Star Wars Insider 168"
- ↑ Star Wars: Rogue One (Pack: Rapid Fire Imperial AT-ACT) (backup link)
- ↑ Darth Vader (2017) 23
- ↑ Darth Vader (2017) 24
- ↑ Last Shot
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Pablo Hidalgo (@pabl0hidalgo) on Twitter: "Part of the cargo walker's origin stems from the adage of 'create things as you remember not as they were'; turns out, most people remember the AT-ATs as being far taller than the 'real' scale works out to be, so the R1 walker ended up being a new model." (backup link)
- ↑ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: The Official Visual Story Guide on the official Edelweiss website (backup link)
- ↑ The Star Wars Show: Chewbacca Mom, Rogue One Character Reveal, A Star Wars Birthday Party on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (Posted on StarWars.com)
- ↑ Pablo Hidalgo (@pabl0hidalgo) on Twitter: "Production wise, it was just 'cargo walker'. That's usually the case with these things. They typically don't get an in-universe acronym (AT-ACT) until the franchise folks turn them into products. I've come up with my share over the years." (backup link)