View source for Cloaking device/Legends

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{{Otheruses|Cloak}}
{{Weapon
|image=[[File:SDS_clock_field_generator.jpg]]
|name=Cloaking device
|manufacturer=*[[Sienar Design Systems/Legends|Sienar Design Systems]]
*[[Imperial Department of Military Research/Legends|Imperial Department of Military Research]]
|model=Cloaking device
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|affiliation=*[[Galactic Empire/Legends|Galactic Empire]]
*Various criminal organizations}}
{{Quote|You can't fight what you can't see.|[[Urai Fen]]|<ref name="Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption">''[[Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption]]''</ref>}}
The '''cloaking device''' was a mechanism capable of rendering an object invisible to both [[Sensor/Legends|sensors]] and/or the naked [[Eye/Legends|eye]].

==Description==
{{Quote|They can't have disappeared. No ship that small has a cloaking device.|[[Captain/Legends|Captain]] [[Lorth Needa/Legends|Lorth Needa]], regarding the [[Millennium Falcon/Legends|''Millennium Falcon'']]|<ref name="Episode 5">{{Film|V}}</ref>}}
While [[Sensor jammer/Legends|sensor jammers]] could leave a [[Starship/Legends|starship]] invisible to sensors, cloaking devices generated cloaking fields that completely absorbed all incoming sensor scans while shielding the host ship's emissions and reflected energy, thus rendering the starship invisible to both sensors and the naked eye. A single cloaking device unit towered over the average [[Human/Legends|Human]] with a balloon-shaped computer core standing over a series of cloaking field antennas. Below lay the [[Power pack|power cells]], which were connected to the cloaking field matrix by a series of wires.

[[File:StealthShip-ChristophsisMoon.jpg|thumb|left|200px|A [[Galactic Republic/Legends|Republic]] [[Stealth ship/Legends|stealth ship]] cloaking during the [[Battle of Christophsis/Legends|Battle of Christophsis]].]]

The only sensor capable of sensing a "cloaked" vessel was the expensive and rare [[Crystal gravfield trap]], which tracked the gravitational fluctuations created by a large mass in space. Thus, any cloaked vessel was unable to hide from the CGT. However, such cloaking shields also came at a disadvantage to their users because they drained a large amount of energy from the starship's power plant, and (though dependent on the size of the device) a single unit cost millions of [[Galactic Credit Standard|credits]].

The [[Hibridium/Legends|hibridium]] model cloaking device's worst drawback was perhaps the "double-blind" nature of the cloaking shield, which also blocked the host ship's scanners and communication systems. Crews and passengers on cloaked ships were unable to peer beyond the cloak's shroud. Since visual navigation was impossible, any other form of navigation could only be exercised by preprogramming astrogation routes. The vessel was thus effectively isolated from the rest of [[The galaxy/Legends|the galaxy]]. Communications, combat operations, and sensor sweeps could only occur when the cloaking field was lowered or disabled. The cloaking device did nothing to impair senses dependent on [[The Force/Legends|the Force]], however, and trained [[Force-sensitive/Legends|Force users]] could detect even cloaked ships in battle with ease.

Another drawback common to both was that a cloaked ship could be tracked was by the ship's magnetic signature. This tactic, used mostly by [[Confederacy of Independent Systems/Legends|Separatist]] [[Commander/Legends|commander]] [[Admiral/Legends|Admiral]] [[Trench/Legends|Trench]], allowed [[Tracking torpedo/Legends|tracking torpedoes]] to be fired and follow the ship even if it was cloaked.

==Operational history==
The [[Sith Empire (Post–Great Hyperspace War)|Sith Empire]] planned to utilize [[Adegan crystal/Legends|Adegan crystals]] to create an invisible stealth armada.

Cloaking devices were once fairly common, based on [[stygium]] crystals mined on the [[Planet/Legends|planet]] [[Aeten II/Legends|Aeten II]] in the [[Dreighton Nebula/Legends|Dreighton Nebula]]. However, as the crystal supply dwindled, cloaking devices followed suit, until there were none left at all.

[[File:Scimitar_cloaking.png|thumb|right|250px|Darth Maul's ''Scimitar'' engaging its cloaking device]]
Before the rise of the [[Galactic Empire/Legends|Galactic Empire]], cloaking devices were virtually unknown, but not unheard of. Around [[32 BBY/Legends|32 BBY]], [[Sienar Design Systems/Legends|Sienar Design Systems]] developed and built a cloaking field generator for [[Darth Maul/Legends|Darth Maul's]] [[Scimitar/Legends|''Scimitar'']], powered by stygium crystals. [[Jango Fett/Legends|Jango Fett]] also had one, which had been added onto [[Slave I/Legends|''Slave I'']] by [[Mentis Qinx]], a dockyard owner on [[Tatooine/Legends|Tatooine]], in [[22 BBY/Legends|22 BBY]]. The [[Imperial Handbook: A Commander's Guide]] stated that any ship found with a cloaking device installed should be captured intact if at all possible.<ref name="Handbook">''[[Star Wars: Imperial Handbook: A Commander's Guide]]''</ref>

During the [[Clone Wars/Legends|Clone Wars]], [[Jedi General/Legends|Jedi General]] [[Anakin Skywalker/Legends|Anakin Skywalker]] piloted a [[Stealth ship/Legends|Stealth ship]] with a powerful cloaking device through the [[Christophsis blockade/Legends|Blockade of Christophsis]] commanded by [[Admiral/Legends|Admiral]] Trench. Anakin was able to utilize the stealth ship against Trench by using Trench's own tracking torpedoes against him. Thus the ship helped to break the blockade surrounding Christophsis for the time being.

[[19 BBY/Legends|Later in the Clone Wars]], the fleet of CIS Admiral [[Pors Tonith/Legends|Pors Tonith]] utilized cloaking devices in its ships, including the flagship ''[[Corpulentus]]''. These ships used the device to their advantage during the [[Battle of Praesitlyn]].

The ''[[Rogue Shadow]]'', [[Galen Marek]]'s transport, had an experimental cloaking device onboard that used stygium crystals in its operation.

[[Galactic Emperor/Legends|Emperor]] [[Palpatine/Legends|Palpatine's]] [[Emperor Palpatine's shuttle/Legends|personal]] [[Lambda-class T-4a shuttle/Legends|''Lambda''-class T-4a shuttle]] was also rumored to be equipped with a stygium cloak. By the time of the [[Battle of Yavin/Legends|Battle of Yavin]], Aeten II's reserve of accessible crystals had been depleted, making the manufacture of new stygium-based cloaks a virtual impossibility.

[[Grand Admiral/Legends|Grand Admiral]] [[Martio Batch]] managed to create a cloak based on [[Hibridium/Legends|hibridium]] obtained from [[Garos IV]], but it was inefficient and suffered from double blindness&mdash;occupants of a starship using one could no more see the rest of the galaxy than the rest of the galaxy could see them. This double blindness limited its military effectiveness.

Batch sent the [[Tarkin (superweapon)|''Tarkin'']] to Aeten II, where it blew up the planet, exposing thousands of previously unreachable stygium crystals for Batch to use. He recreated the old stygium technology and applied it to the [[TIE/ph phantom|Phantom TIE project]], but [[Alliance to Restore the Republic/Legends|Rebel]] saboteurs completely destroyed the project, including an [[Executor-class Star Dreadnought/Legends|''Executor''-class Star Dreadnought]] equipped with a stygium cloaking device that housed the project, the ''[[Terror]]'', and Batch was forced to flee.

[[File:Cloaked_TIE_Phantom.jpg|thumb|left|200px|A [[TIE/ph phantom|TIE Phantom]] activating its cloaking device.]]
Several weeks before the [[Battle of Endor/Legends|Battle of Endor]], a Rebel task force led by [[Rogue Squadron/Legends|Rogue Squadron]] destroyed a cloaking device project to be implemented on an [[Unidentified Executor-class Star Dreadnought|''Executor''-class Star Dreadnought]] at [[Fondor/Legends|Fondor]]. [[Wedge Antilles/Legends|Wedge Antilles]], piloting a captured [[TIE/HU Hunter multi-role starfighter|TIE Hunter]], flew into the vessel's trenches and destroyed the three cloaking relays. The resulting explosion not only destroyed the [[Star Dreadnought/Legends|Star Dreadnought]], but also the [[Fondor Shipyards/Legends|Imperial shipyard]] in which she was housed.

Palpatine also commissioned a second team to work on the [[Vorknkx Project]], aiming to make improvements to the hibridium cloak under the supervision of Grand Admiral [[Demetrius Zaarin|Zaarin]]. After Zaarin attempted to overthrow the Emperor, control of the Vorknkx Project passed to Grand Admiral [[Mitth'raw'nuruodo/Legends|Thrawn]]. The team successfully equipped the [[CR90 corvette/Legends|CR90 corvette]] ''[[Vorknkx]]'' with a hibridium cloak but were unable to overcome a problem which made the device unstable when entering hyperspace.

Knowing that Zaarin was obsessed with obtaining the best technology, Thrawn allowed him to capture the Vorknkx, which was destroyed when Zaarin attempted to flee into hyperspace while cloaked.

During the chaotic years of the [[Galactic Civil War/Legends|Galactic Civil War]], the gangster-turned-warlord [[Tyber Zann]] would utilize a fleet of [[Frigate/Legends|frigates]] and [[Destroyer/Legends|destroyers]], as well as [[F9-TZ Transport]]s, equipped with some form of cloaking device. He and his [[Lieutenant/Legends|lieutenant]] [[Urai Fen]] were also equipped with their own [[personal cloaking device]]s.

[[File:Vengeancecloak.jpg|thumb|right|150px|A [[Vengeance-class frigate|''Vengeance''-class frigate]] engages its cloaking device in battle.]]

The original hibridium cloak prototype found its way to the Emperor's storehouse on [[Wayland]], where it remained hidden until the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Thrawn used the technology in a number of creative ways, including hiding a shipload of [[TIE/LN starfighter]]s and [[Plasma-Jet Mole Miner|mole miners]] as "empty cargo" in the [[Battle of Sluis Van]]; using cloaked asteroids as a unique siege engine at [[Coruscant/Legends|Coruscant]]; and carefully lining up ships above and below a [[Planetary shield/Legends|planetary shield]] (with the ones beneath the shield cloaked) so fire from the orbiting ships would appear to pass right through the shield. This tactic led to the conquest and occupation of several [[New Republic/Legends|New Republic]] member worlds including [[Sluis Van/Legends|Sluis Van]] and [[Ukio/Legends|Ukio]] without the heavy damage to lives, industry, and resources sustained during most conventional planetary invasions.

After Thrawn's death, innovation in finding a use for the device focused on the [[Computerized Combat Predictor]]. Ten years later, the Predictor still performed insufficiently to warrant further hope.

The [[Empire Reborn]] used a shuttle that was equipped with a one-way cloaking device. In [[14 ABY/Legends|14 ABY]], [[Jedi Knight/Legends|Jedi Knight]] [[Jaden Korr]] went to [[Yalara]] on a mission of destroying the planet's cloaking device, to prevent the [[Imperial Remnant]] from laying hands on it.

However, the [[Cloning/Legends|clone]] [[Grodin Tierce]], who had been created with some of Thrawn's own thought processes, found a new use for the cloaking device, hiding three [[Star Destroyer/Legends|Star Destroyers]] in the outskirts of the [[Both system|Bothawui system]], guiding them in by use of a comet that barely grazed the cloaking field.

The use of cloaking devices was outlawed by the [[Pellaeon–Gavrisom Treaty]].<ref name="EGW">''[[The Essential Guide to Warfare]]''</ref>

==Behind the scenes==
In ''[[Star Wars: Battlefront II]]'', the Bothan Spies for the Rebels have an ability called Stealth. This is a one way cloaking shield. The one way part may be due to game mechanics. The ''[[Knights of the Old Republic]]'' games also featured stealth-generating belts rendering the user invisible.

==Appearances==
{{Scroll_box|content=
*{{Hnn|53|business/13425_2.html|New Cloaking Legislation in Effect|https://web.archive.org/web/20130728113246/http://www.holonetnews.com/53/business/13425_2.html}}
*''[[Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords]]''
*[[Red Harvest (novel)|''Red Harvest'']] {{Mo}}
*[[Red Harvest (audiobook)|''Red Harvest'' audiobook]] {{Mo}}
*''[[The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance]]''
*[[The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance (audiobook)|''The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance'' audiobook]]
*''[[Star Wars: The Old Republic]]''
*[[Darth Plagueis (novel)|''Darth Plagueis'']]
*[[Darth Plagueis (audiobook)|''Darth Plagueis'' audiobook]]
*[[Darth Maul (2000) 1|''Darth Maul'' (2000) 1]]
*[[Darth Maul (2000) 2|''Darth Maul'' (2000) 2]]
*''[[Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter]]''
*[[Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace (novelization)|''Star Wars'': Episode I ''The Phantom Menace'' novelization]] {{Mo}}
*[[Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace (unabridged audiobook)|''Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace'' unabridged audiobook]] {{Mo}}
*[[LEGO Star Wars: Microfighters (video game)|''LEGO Star Wars: Microfighters'' video game]] {{Nc}}
*{{TCW|Cat and Mouse}}
*{{TCW|Holocron Heist}} {{Mo}}
*''[[Ace Assault]]''
*''[[Ace Assault II]]''
*''[[A Mon Alone]]'' {{Mo}}
*[[Starfighter: Crossbones 3|''Starfighter: Crossbones'' 3]]
*''[[The Wrath of Darth Maul]]''
*''[[Boba Fett: A New Threat]]''
*''[[Jedi Trial]]''
*''[[The Last of the Jedi: Dark Warning]]''
*''[[Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight]]'' {{Mo}}
*[[The Force Unleashed (novel)|''Star Wars: The Force Unleashed'' novel]]
*[[Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (comic)|''Star Wars: The Force Unleashed'' comic]]
*[[Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (video game)|''Star Wars: The Force Unleashed'' video game]]
*''[[Star Wars: Electronic Battle Command]]'' {{1st}} {{ID|Screen}}
*''[[Scoundrel's Luck]]'' {{Mo}}
*{{FFG|book=Strongholds of Resistance|story=Phantoms in the Dark}}
*''[[Star Wars: Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire]]''
*[[Rebellion 10|''Rebellion'' 10]]
*''[[Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption]]''
*{{Hyperspace|url=hyperspace/member/fiction/f20080522/index.html|text=Lando Calrissian: Idiot's Array|int=Lando Calrissian: Idiot's Array|newurl=http://star-wars.suvudu.com/2012/10/star-wars-shorts-lando-calrissian-idiots-array.html|newhost=[[Unbound Worlds|Suvudu]]}} {{Mo}}
*''[[Mission to Lianna]]''
*{{Journal|4|Surprise Visit}}
*{{WEGCite|book=Imperial Entanglements (West End Games)|text=''Imperial Entanglements''|story=Surprise Visit}}
*{{Film|V}}
*''[[Star Wars: TIE Fighter: Collector's CD-ROM]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Battlefront II]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy]]''
*{{WEGCite|book=Twin Stars of Kira (West End Games)|text=''Twin Stars of Kira''|story=Den of Spies}}
*{{Journal|7|The Kaal Connection}} {{Mo}}
*{{Journal|1|A Glimmer of Hope}}
*{{WEGCite|book=The Best of the Star Wars Adventure Journal, Issues 1-4|story=A Glimmer of Hope}}
*{{DarkStryder|Artifact of Aaris|The DarkStryder Campaign}} {{Mo}}
*''[[Heir to the Empire]]''
*''[[Dark Force Rising]]'' {{Mo}}
*[[Dark Force Rising (unabridged audiobook)|''Dark Force Rising'' audiobook]] {{Mo}}
*''[[The Last Command]]''
*[[The Last Command (unabridged audiobook)|''The Last Command'' audiobook]]
*''[[Specter of the Past]]''
*[[Specter of the Past (unabridged audiobook)|''Specter of the Past'' unabridged audiobook]]
*''[[Vision of the Future]]''
*[[Vision of the Future (unabridged audiobook)|''Vision of the Future'' unabridged audiobook]]
*''[[Young Jedi Knights: Shadow Academy]]''
*''[[Young Jedi Knights: The Lost Ones]]''
*''[[Young Jedi Knights: Darkest Knight]]''
*''[[Young Jedi Knights: Jedi Under Siege]]''
*''[[The New Jedi Order: Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[The New Jedi Order: Edge of Victory I: Conquest]]''
*''[[The New Jedi Order: The Final Prophecy]]''
*''[[Dark Nest I: The Joiner King]]''
*''[[Legacy of the Force: Tempest]]''
*''[[Legacy of the Force: Inferno]]''
*''[[Legacy of the Force: Fury]]''
*''[[Legacy of the Force: Invincible]]''
*{{InsiderCite|135|Roll of the Dice}}
}}

==Sources==
{{Scroll_box|
*''[[A Guide to the Star Wars Universe]]''
*''[[The Star Wars Sourcebook]]''
*''[[Imperial Sourcebook]]''
*''[[Galaxy Guide 6: Tramp Freighters]]''
*''[[Heir to the Empire Sourcebook]]'' {{ID|cloaking shield}}
*[[Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, Second Edition|''Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game'', Second Edition]]
*''[[Dark Force Rising Sourcebook]]'' {{ID|cloaking shield}}
*''[[Star Wars Gamemaster Handbook]]''
*''[[Dark Empire Sourcebook]]''
*''[[Han Solo and the Corporate Sector Sourcebook]]''
*''[[Galaxy Guide 10: Bounty Hunters]]''
*''[[The Last Command Sourcebook]]'' {{ID|cloaking shield}}
*[[Galaxy Guide 6: Tramp Freighters (Second Edition)|''Galaxy Guide 6: Tramp Freighters'', Second Edition]]
*''[[Cracken's Rebel Operatives]]''
*[[Star Wars Sourcebook (Second Edition)|''Star Wars Sourcebook'', Second Edition]]
*[[Imperial Sourcebook (Second Edition)|''Imperial Sourcebook'', Second Edition]]
*{{Journal|3|Blasters for Hire}}
*{{Journal|5|Zirtran's Anchor (article)|Zirtran's Anchor}}
*''[[Platt's Starport Guide]]''
*''[[TIE Fighter Collector's CD-ROM: The Official Strategy Guide]]''
*''[[The Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook]]''
*''[[Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded]]''
*''[[Star Wars Gamemaster Screen, Revised]]''
*''[[Wretched Hives of Scum & Villainy]]''
*''[[Introductory Adventure Game]]''
*''[[Pirates & Privateers]]''
*''[[Lords of the Expanse]]''
*{{Journal|14|From the Files of Corellia Antilles}}
*''[[Star Wars Trilogy Sourcebook, Special Edition]]''
*''[[Platt's Smugglers Guide]]''
*''[[The Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology]]''
*''[[Starships of the Galaxy]]''
*{{FFCite|5|THR2, ''Grand Admiral Thrawn''; SIT1&ndash;2, ''Sith'' Infiltrator}}
*{{InsiderCite|66|Who's Who: Imperial Grand Admirals}}
*{{WizardsCite|url=default.asp?x=swminis/article/universepreview9|text=''Universe'' Preview 9|int=Universe Preview 9|archivedate=20090604050634}}
*''[[Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords: Prima Official Game Guide]]''
*''[[The New Essential Chronology]]'' {{C|Mentioned as cloaking technology}}
*''[[The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Empire at War: Prima Official Game Guide]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption Expansion: Prima Official Game Guide]]''
*[[Starships of the Galaxy (Saga Edition)|''Starships of the Galaxy'', Saga Edition]]
*''[[Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide]]''
*''[[The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia]]''
*{{Hyperspace|url=fans/hyperspace/source/nagai11202009/index.html|text=The Forgotten War: The Nagai and the Tofs|int=The Forgotten War: The Nagai and the Tofs}}
*''[[Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Incredible Vehicles]]''
*''[[Star Wars: The Phantom Menace: The Expanded Visual Dictionary]]''
*''[[Star Wars: Darth Maul, Sith Apprentice]]''
*''[[The Essential Guide to Warfare]]''
*''[[Suns of Fortune]]''
*{{SWE|characters|captain-needa|Captain Needa}}
*{{SWE|technology|stealthship|stealth ship}}
*''[[Star Wars: Imperial Handbook: A Commander's Guide]]''
*[[Stay on Target (sourcebook)|''Stay on Target'']]
*''[[Lords of Nal Hutta]]''
*''[[Fly Casual]]''
*''[[Strongholds of Resistance]]''
*{{FFGXW2|Galactic Empire Conversion Kit|link=https://xwing-miniatures-second-edition.fandom.com/wiki/%22Echo%22|cardname="Echo"}}
*{{FFGXW2|Galactic Empire Conversion Kit|link=https://xwing-miniatures-second-edition.fandom.com/wiki/Imdaar_Test_Pilot|cardname=Imdaar Test Pilot}}
*{{FFGXW2|Galactic Empire Conversion Kit|link=https://xwing-miniatures-second-edition.fandom.com/wiki/Sigma_Squadron_Ace|cardname=Sigma Squadron Ace}}
*{{FFGXW2|Galactic Empire Conversion Kit|link=https://xwing-miniatures-second-edition.fandom.com/wiki/%22Whisper%22|cardname="Whisper"}}
*{{HasbroCite|set=Star Wars: The Vintage Collection|text=''Star Wars: The Vintage Collection Gaming Greats''|pack=Shadow Stormtrooper|altlink=https://www.gamestop.com/toys-collectibles/collectibles/figures/products/star-wars-the-force-unleashed-shadow-stormtrooper-vintage-series-action-figure/236086.html|archiveurl=https://archive.vn/fmdul}}
}}

==External links==
*{{Blog|danwallace|11|Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Cloaking Devices|Continuity, Criticisms, and Captain Panaka|Daniel Wallace|archivedate=20120204114158}}

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

{{Interlang
|de=Tarnfeld#legends
|es=Dispositivo de camuflaje/Leyendas
|nl=Cloaking Device
|ru=Маскировочное устройство
}}

[[Category:Imperial Department of Military Research products]]
[[Category:Republic Sienar Systems products]]
[[Category:Stealth technology]]