The DT-series sentry droid, also known simply as the Imperial sentry droid, was a line of sentry droids manufactured by Baktoid Combat Automata and utilized by the Galactic Empire. Imperial sentry droids were used as guards and combat training units, with one specific training model being stationed in Tipoca City on the extragalactic Kamino after the Clone Wars. Many of the droids were stationed aboard Imperial starships such as Class four container transports and Imperial Star Destroyers.
Imperial sentry droids in action
The DT-series sentry droid was an armed model of sentry droid that saw use by the Kaminoan government and the Galactic Empire, which earned the droids the name of "Imperial sentry droid." Equipped with white-plating and wrist blasters on both arms, one variant of the DT-series was introduced in 19 BBY and saw use as training droids, although they could be equipped with live rounds for lethal firepower. The variant was stored on racks in lockers when not in use. Another variant, with black and grey plating, was in existence by 9 BBY. It closely resembled the suits and droids produced by the dark trooper program. The DT unit D-L1T of that variant had white plating.
A sentry droid opens fire.
Based on old ST-series military strategic analysis and tactics droids and experimental droid plans that were abandoned, that variant of sentry droid was equipped with black-plating and equipped with a built-in E-11 medium blaster rifle on the droid's right or left hand depending on the unit. Whilst they could still use as training units, these sentry droids were often used for guard missions and, should one of the activated sentry droids fall under attack during such a deployment, the remaining deactivated droids would power on. They could also stun hostile targets. The droid was armored and could take several shots from small arms fire.
One variant of sentry droid was used on the planet Kamino as part of its training program.
White-plated DT-series units were introduced in 19 BBY as training droids used by the Kaminoan government under Prime Minister Lama Su. In that role, many were stationed in the Tipoca City Training Facility on the extragalactic world of Kamino. In the immediate aftermath of the Clone Wars, Clone Force 99 was pitted against a number of the sentry droids to test their effectiveness as the Galactic Empire began to establish its military. On the orders of Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin, the droids used live-rounds against the clone commandos, much to the surprise of the squad, but they nonetheless managed to triumph over the training units. Impressed, Tarkin dispatched the commandos on a mission to Onderon that ultimately changed his mind about their usefulness, with the exception of Crosshair.
When Clone Force 99 later returned to Kamino to rescue its sergeant, "Hunter," from Crosshair and his Elite Squad, the young clone Omega activated many of the sentry droids to save her squadmates from Crosshair's trap, resulting in an overwhelming number of training units swarming the training facility where Crosshair held them captive. As Elite Squad Trooper ES-02 fled under fire from the training droids, Clone Force 99 united with their lost brother to fight off the droids, with Crosshair and his former squad managing to take out all the units Omega had activated before Admiral Rampart ordered the destruction of Tipoca City. Any surviving training droids were left to sink to the bottom of Kamino's seas after Rampart's bombardment destroyed the city.
Imperial sentry droids of the black and grey model were introduced by the year 9 BBY. During that year, they were part of the security of an Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) base located in the Nova Garon system. The base was invaded by Jedi Knight Cal Kestis, who used the power of the dark side of the Force to leave a trail of destruction across the base. Many sentry droids were destroyed by Kestis, who had the help of his ally, the Nightsister Merrin, in combating a large group of these droids during the retreat from the base.
Grand Admiral Thrawn sparred with specially programmed sentry droids
In 2 BBY, four Imperial sentry droids were stationed aboard an Imperial class four container transport that was trapped in the stormy atmosphere of the planet Wynkahthu. When the Spectres and the pirates Hondo Ohnaka and Azmorigan boarded the ship, they accidentally reactivated one of the sentry droids. This sentry droid knocked out Azmorigan and the rebel Garazeb Orrelios and threw them into the ship's brig. Later, Azmorigan managed to shoot the droid and destroy it. However, this activated the other sentry droids who attacked the rebels and pirates. The droids were destroyed when the container transport descended into a vortex.
Later, Grand Admiral Thrawn kept two sentry droids aboard his office in his flagship Chimaera to practice hand-to-hand combat. He used the override code "Rukh" to deactivate them when they were not needed. The "Fulcrum" operative Imperial Security Bureau Agent Kallus later reprogrammed these droids to attack Thrawn in order to provide a distraction for he and his rebel comrades to escape.
A sentry droid controlled by Scourge attacks Darth Vader while he is in a bacta tank.
Sith Lord Darth Vader used sentry droids as part of the security of his fortress on the volcanic planet Mustafar.
When the Scourge, an artificial intelligence that aimed to dominate the minds of organic and artificial beings, attacked Fortress Vader to try to control Vader, who he believed was the key to controlling the power of the Force, some fortress's sentry droids were controlled by the Scourge to attack Vader. Although Vader was attacked at a time when he was very vulnerable, the Scourge were unable to fully focus on the attack due to a confrontation elsewhere, which allowed Vader to recover and win, destroying the droids.
The DT-series sentry droid first appeared in the Star Wars Rebels episode "The Wynkahthu Job." It was inspired by the Phase III dark troopers seen in the Star Wars Legends video game Star Wars: Dark Forces. First revealed in the sizzle reel for Star Wars: The Bad Batch, another version of the sentry droid appeared earlier in the Star Wars timeline in The Bad Batch episode "Aftermath." The official Databank on StarWars.com confirmed this droid to be the same type of sentry as those seen in Star Wars Rebels by using an image from The Bad Batch on the entry for the Rebels droids.
- Star Wars: Visions — "Lop & Ochō"
- Star Wars: Build Your Own R2-D2 29
- Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, Updated and Expanded
- Star Wars: Imperial Assault — Heart of the Empire
- Cyphers and Masks
- Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition
- The Art of Star Wars: Visions