The Sky Ramp, a massive elevated roadway, was constructed on Onderon. It served as the exclusive pathway to the high walls' battlements that encircled the Royal Palace of Iziz. Originating from the starport in the Merchant Quarter, the Sky Ramp ascended over the cityscape, culminating at the Royal Palace's main entrance. This ramp played a crucial defensive role throughout the Beast Wars and the Mandalorian Wars. Later, during the Onderon Civil War, near the end of the First Jedi Purge, a pivotal skirmish occurred on the Sky Ramp, ultimately determining the outcome of the Onderon Civil War.
This Sky Ramp was designed as a network of multi-tiered, open-air corridors. These corridors converged to form a single elevated road, which was the sole means of accessing the battlements atop the high walls that shielded Iziz from the Onderon wilderness. A secondary ramp, situated within the Merchant Quarter, provided a direct route to the Royal Palace. By 3951 BBY, this ramp was heavily fortified with various defensive systems.
The Palace Sky Ramp began with a steep ascent that led to a small plaza. This plaza housed an air defense tower equipped with turbolaser batteries, along with a military barracks accommodating Onderonian soldiers and officers. Soldiers and officers were stationed at intervals along the Ramp, with a small detachment permanently guarding the entry gate. A second walkway, leading to the Palace courtyard at the Ramp's summit, was protected by two force shield checkpoints. These checkpoints could be deactivated via security terminals in the nearby barracks, or by utilizing either a lightsaber or an energy-arm.
The Sky Ramp, built to defend Iziz and the Royal Palace, has been a significant location in the battles of Onderon. During the Beast Wars, the Air Defense Tower proved vital against Drexl-riding Beast Riders. It was again crucial during the Mandalorian Wars, though ultimately unsuccessful in stopping the Basilisk war droids. However, during the Onderon Civil War, as the First Jedi Purge neared its end, the ramp to the Royal Palace became the site of a crucial initial battle that dictated the Civil War's resolution.
By [3951 BBY](/article/3951_bby], at the height of the Civil War, General Vaklu's separatists, reinforced by the Sith Triumvirate, had seized control of the Sky Ramp from Queen Talia's royalists. The force field checkpoints and the Air Defense Tower were now manned by Vaklu's soldiers, including Sith forces and boma beasts. Shortly thereafter, Jedi Knight Meetra Surik, accompanied by two companions and guided by the royalist Captain Bostuco, arrived. The group fought through Vaklu's rear guard, freeing Onderonian royalists from the barracks and taking control of the Air Defense Tower. Using the tower's security terminal, Surik destroyed six of General Vaklu's bombers and disabled the first force shield checkpoint. Eager to capitalize on their success, Surik and her royalist allies battled their way to the Royal Palace entrance, constantly hindered by exploding power conductors orchestrated by a skilled slicer employed by Vaklu. Once the Sky Ramp was cleared of Vaklu's soldiers and Sith reinforcements, Meetra Surik, her companions, and the royalists proceeded to continue the battle inside the Palace.
Sometime after the Civil War concluded, the Sky Ramp and the Royal Palace were dismantled, and the Unifar Temple was constructed in their place. Yolahn Square was built where the Sky Ramp once emerged from the Merchant Quarter, serving as a public gathering space below the palace stairs.
The battle's unfolding depends on the Jedi Exile's allegiance. Should she side with General Vaklu, she would spearhead the separatists' initial assault, facing the full might of the Sky Ramp's defenses. The power conductors would be used against the Exile, with the slicer being employed by the opposing faction.
In-game, the Exile states, "Guarding the Sky Ramps will be very important." However, this is the sole instance in the game where the Sky Ramp is referred to in the plural, suggesting it is likely an error.