When we look at a Super Star Destroyer, we see what appears like a city resting on top of it. These massive ships are well-equipped, but do they go so far as to host a city? In many ways, they do just that. Read more about the quasi-cities on Super Star Destroyers.
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Executor-Class Dreadnought
The Executor-class Super Star Destroyer has several distinctive features. First and foremost is its size and power–measuring 19,000 meters in length (62,000 feet) and carrying 13 Executor-50.x engines. In fact, it is the largest of the Super Star Destroyers that surpass the regular Imperial Star Destroyers, which are already quite vast.
The Executor is technically a Star Dreadnought and served as Darth Vader’s flagship. This ship’s armaments are another distinctive element, including 5,000 turbolasers, 750 twin heavy turbolasers, 1,000 twin-mounted batteries, and 100 ion cannons. The Executor also transported over 1,000 TIE Fighters.
We can also point out the ship’s capacity to hold over 280,000 crew members. This feature leads to thinking about the top part of the Executor-class Super Star Destroyers. We would assume the top section is whether most of the officers, troops, and Vader resided.
Is the Top Part a City?
That top part of a Super Star Destroyer does resemble a city and largely functions like one. Fans have indicated on this discussion how the top area contains “shield generators to protect the command bridge and quarters for officers” in a way that resembles “naval warships”. Hence, this part functions like “a miniature city” with “an unfinished look” so that “future upgrades” could occur.
The command tower and bridge are on the upper-tier section of this quasi-city. This video of the Executor diagrams how the command tower houses tractor-beam equipment, a scanner, a reactor, and an officer’s mess hall. The bridge (1:40) contains an office environment complete with a conference room that resembles what we would see in a building on the ground. The bridge also contains unique elements like Vader’s meditation chamber.
In the center city-like area below the bridge and command tower, we see “an ‘island’ of habitable volume” where many more of the staff would be working and living. Surrounded by weapons, most officers, stormtroopers, and fighter crews live in the lit-up main area. Similar to this diagram of a Star Destroyer, we encounter housing or living quarters situated next to workstations, artillery platforms, and hangars.
How Did the Crew Live on a Super Star Destroyer?
Posts on this discussion indicate how Super Star Destroyers resemble “the Death Star interior” but not on the same scale. Accordingly, the living arrangements or crew quarters tend to be small and based on rank, while hangers are “massive caverns” and common mess areas likewise large “communal spaces.” These descriptions add further to the idea that the crew lived on a near-city or mini-moon.
On the Executor, we would see almost 29,000 troops and support staff distributed across the ship city. This ship would need that many people to operate the armaments that included specialized weapons like assault concussion missile launchers. This ship also requires many pilots and bombers, never mind behind-the-scenes personnel like cooks and janitors, although droids would be used too.
This enlisted crew depiction for a Star Destroyer would probably be very similar to a Super Star Destroyer. We would encounter “segregated” living areas based on such occupations as technicians, crewmen, and gunners, along with Warrant Officers monitoring the quarters. Other specifics may include about 10 enlisted crew per quarter with beds lined along the walls.
Within this city, the living would be crammed for most residents. Rank and position would help provide more space, but not necessarily job security.
The City on the Super Star Destroyer
The main top area of a Super Star Destroyer does resemble a city and operates in many ways like one. The city area contains staff quarters, work areas, and command centers alongside vast military components that distinguish the Executor and other Dreadnoughts.