The Sentinel bases comprised a network of military facilities near Geonosis. These installations were built and utilized first by the Galactic Republic and subsequently by the Galactic Empire. Their function was to oversee the delivery of resources to the highly classified Death Star construction project that was underway in Geonosian space, and to protect it from outside attacks. Beginning in 18 BBY, Moff Wilhuff Tarkin assumed control of these bases. Among them were Sentinel Base, Rampart Station, and Desolation Station.