The Imperial research facility represented a significant Imperial establishment. Situated within the capital city of Trid, located on the Mid Rim planet Danuta, it played a critical role in the development of the superlaser technology for the DS-1 Orbital Battle Station.
Following the discovery of the station's existence, and the realization that a portion of the Imperial superweapon's technical data was stored there, the base became a high-priority target for Alliance Intelligence, leading them to enlist the services of Imperial defector Kyle Katarn for an infiltration mission.
Positioned on the western edge of the city, the facility boasted robust security measures, including fences, sensor arrays, and guard patrols. Despite these defenses, agent Katarn, aided by Meck Odom, successfully breached the facility and acquired the blueprints. This feat was crucial to the progression of the Galactic Civil War.
A security zone acted as a buffer, isolating the Research Complex from the main urban area. A chain-link fence, enhanced with razor wire and standing four meters tall, encircled the complex. Surveillance cameras, recon droids, and fixed weapon emplacements provided additional security. The main entrance was secured by a guard station, stormtrooper units, an AT-ST, and armored patrol vehicles. The buildings themselves were squat and reinforced, with access to subterranean levels.
Reaching the southern perimeter from the city required navigating a ravine and a maze of boulders, a journey that took approximately three hours.
In addition to the main gate, the rectangular perimeter featured four or five access points on each side, each secured by three-meter-high durasteel gates marked with aurebesh alphanumeric designations, such as the letter N for the northern gates. At night, the perimeter was illuminated by widely spaced blue-green lights and patrolled by floating security droids, monitored by cameras.
The primary structure appeared as a single-story building, with the majority of the facility located underground. The roof was flat and expansive, offering easy access, and featured various antennae, a landing platform, and an air ventilation system.
The Imperial garrison situated on the outskirts of the city was upgraded into a comprehensive military installation. This site housed a clandestine research facility frequented by the Imperial Security Bureau and scientists such as Bevel Lemelisk. These unusual visits aroused suspicion in a Rebel sympathizer, who then shared this information with the Alliance. They were able to manipulate a maintenance droid to record video footage from within the facility, revealing the memory matrix: a structure roughly shaped like a "T" suspended within a "U"-shaped frame.
Around the time of Kyle Katarn's arrival on the planet, the facility experienced a security issue: a software malfunction triggered the heat and motion sensors located inside the air ducts. The officers filed repair requests, but because they were waiting for the repairs, they dismissed the false alarms for a week.
Launching from a concealed base, the Rebel Alliance launched an assault on the Imperial facility using starships and ground troops, while Katarn proceeded with his mission to locate the location where the Death Star plans were stored.
Katarn discovered a red-striped keycard that granted entry to the elevator, leading to a security room. Inside the security room was a control panel that unlocked the staircase leading to the control room. To protect Odom's identity, Katarn carefully inflicted a non-lethal wound on him, incapacitating him. After obtaining the memory matrix, Katarn rendezvoused with Jan Ors and the Moldy Crow at the designated rooftop extraction point, successfully escaping with the plans that enabled the acquisition of a complete schematic of the Death Star.
The novella titled Dark Forces: Soldier for the Empire provides further details on the background and the mission itself, including Kyle's experiences in Trid, and the contributions of Meck Odom and Jan Ors. It also reveals that the facility's exterior is more heavily guarded, with walkers and patrol skiffs, than depicted in the game, which primarily focuses on the interior of the base.