Coruscant's Planetary Shields

[The Arbiter]

I put this here because planetary shields are EU (if you don't count the Alderaan shield in ANH) - Coruscant's planetary shields are a prevalent feature of its defence system, but what I've heard about it is fragmentary and often contradictory.

For example, some sources state that Coruscant only gained its shields during Palpatine's reign, while others state that Coruscant's shields played a significant role in the Second Battle of Coruscant. My question boils down to the exact role planetary shields played in that battle. In the movie the Invisible Hand seemingly ignores the presence of any planetary shield; in the Clone Wars series, Grievous was able to land shock troops on Coruscant to both divert the Jedi and to abduct Palpatine. Where are the shields during the battle, and why didn't they prevent Palpatine's abduction? Why, then, and how, was the CIS fleet trapped under the planetary shield when the open Circle fleet came? Were the shields "weakened" by CIS bombardment (which sounds quite unlikely) or were they compromised by CIS agents on the ground? How do shields function if Coruscant's space traffic is so huge anyway? If Grievous managed to slip his forces in through a stream of space traffic, why didn't the Republic stop space traffic? How much do LoE and the Clone Wars series say about the Battle of Coruscant anyway?

[Master Magnus]

It's stated in the ROTS ICS that the Seperatist fleet was trapped beneath the planetary shields in the upper atmosphere.

[The Arbiter]

But how did they end up there in the first place, anyway?

[Master Magnus]

But how did they end up there in the first place, anyway?
They were caught there when they were about to make their escape. They were delayed as Republic reinforcements arrived.

[The Arbiter]

So the CIS managed to deactivate Coruscant's shields beforehand, abducted Palpatine, got too close, and got trapped as the shield came back online? Very neat, if the first part could get official confirmation.

[Master Magnus]

So the CIS managed to deactivate Coruscant's shields beforehand, abducted Palpatine, got too close, and got trapped as the shield came back online? Very neat, if the first part could get official confirmation.
They didn't deactivate the shields, they weren't up. It was a surprise attack and only the various district deflector shields went up at first (Labyrinth of Evil). This is my conjecture, but with all the in- and outgoing traffic they must've waited before they could raise the planetary shield. This would explain why they were caught when they were delayed by the Republic reinforcements.

[The Arbiter]

Ok, that makes sense - because I was always under the impression, bolstered perhaps by the EU, that planetary shields were continously mantained fixtures that were always up, except at places where space traffic had to pass.

The DS destroyed an Alderaan with an activated planetary shield, after all. But perhaps the Alderaanians got their shields up in the assumption that they wouldn't be wantonly annihilated by a shield-busting petaton superlaser, but by some kind of ground occupation.

[Master Magnus]

Ok, that makes sense - because I was always under the impression, bolstered perhaps by the EU, that planetary shields were continously mantained fixtures that were always up, except at places where space traffic had to pass.

The DS destroyed an Alderaan with an activated planetary shield, after all. But perhaps the Alderaanians got their shields up in the assumption that they wouldn't be wantonly annihilated by a shield-busting petaton superlaser, but by some kind of ground occupation.
I think that one of the points with the Death Star was to demonstrate that it was so powerful so that even planetary shields wouldn't matter.

[DarthSolo]

I think after the time of the Republic, the Empire and the NR learned to keep the shields up at all times. Probably some advances in technology to make it cost effective. I know that by the NJO there were two planetary shields surrounding Coruscant, possibly during the X-Wing series.

[Braden Dar]

My recollection of the X-Wing series is that the planetary shields around Coruscant became a standard, fixed feature with limited openings for traffic (Imperial era). They had two layers, with sufficient spacing between them as to allow traffic to sit in a holding pattern inside of the first shield, while the second shield was still up. After clearing one shiled, the shield would be reactivated before the other shield was deactivated. To make matters worse for incoming assualt, the shields were actually many, many, many small shields that were each controlled regionally by substations. They overlapped so as to avoid an enemy finding a gap between the shields.
I can not say with any certainty how the shields were used during the Prequel era, or even if they were there before ROTS. But after that point they were very standard. I would assume that Palpatine used the shields more as a control measure than out of fear of assualt.
When the NR gained the capital world, they employed the shields conservatively. They wanted the citizens of the galaxy to understand that the NR was an open book, and not a dictatorship like Palpatine's rule.
The instance that sticks out the most to me is in the Black Fleet Crisis. Leia orders the shields up on Coruscant when Nil Spaar makes a sudden and deadly blast off from a space port. She also orders a defensive cruiser in orbit to shadow the Yevethan Thrustship. After a few moments, she changes the orders and drops the shields and calls off her shadow ship. (Perhaps it was Ackbar or someone else that actually gave the orders for defensive measures, I can't recall.)
So the shields are used for defense, to keep control over the people, and for cool special effects or storytelling purposes. And they are two layers of multiple shields that overlap significantly, and controlled by substations.
So small sections at a time can be lowered to allow for commercial or private traffic, yet keep out large cruisers and other warships.
I hope this helps clear some thing up for you.

[Cydon]

I concur.

[Darth Massacrus]

makes sense.

[Cydon]

Once again, I concur.

[Darth Massacrus]

I also concur with Darh Massacrus! :lol:

[Cydon]

I also concur with Cydon! :lol:

[Darth Massacrus]

probably not ALL the Separatist fleet that assaulted Coruscant was trapped under the shields, though...

[Cydon]

Read LOE by Luceno Darth? How did Grievous get on Coruscant if the shields kept them out?

[Darth Massacrus]

uh, element of surprise and help from Palpatines advisors. That is what the novel hints at. And who was the figure that Captain Dyne recognized as he was dying?

[Cydon]

Captain who? Sorry, I read it last year. I think.

[Darth Massacrus]

As Labyrinth of Evil is basically about 'The Hunt for Darth Sidious', a couple of the chapters are told from the perspective of Republic Intelligence Captain Dyne, who was investigating the areas beneath 500 Republica on behalf of the Jedi, even during the attack...

[Cydon]

I remember that! I just didn't remember the name! I am totally convinced that was Palpy.

[Darth Massacrus]

no, it was clearly not Palps. But one of his 'advisors'? Perhaps...

[Cydon]

The guy was shocked! I'm sure it was Palpy. Anything to dissprove that theory?

[Braden Dar]

Okay...back on topic.

I feel, though I have not read any of the Prequel materials, that perhaps Coruscant's shields were not up when the Seperatists showed up at Coruscant. If it was a true surprise attack, and Coruscant has so much traffic all of the time, it stand to reason that the shields were only used after the detection of the Seperatists - after they were within the shields boundaries. Thus, they became trapped under the planetary shields in their attempt to escape.

Likely, all part of Palpatines plan to make the war more meaningful for the citizens of Coruscant and the politicians. A means to gain more control and power for the Chancellor. A way to make the Jedi look inept in their duties to protect the galaxy from tyranny. And later, a means to point fingers at them and make it a Jedi attempt to overthrow the "elected government" in a bid for Jedi power.

[Cydon]

You should read some of them. There really good. I agree with you 100%

[Braden Dar]

Rethinking my previous post, I am reminded of ESB when the Rebel Alliance, on Hoth, detected the Imperial Fleet come out of hyperspace just outside of the system. The Rebels immediately raised their shields. Perhaps, just perhaps, the Seperatists were detected, the shields were raised, and someone came along and dropped the shields, or at least part of the shields.
This sounds like a job for an EU author. Once they write the details out and it becomes "Official," George can come along and make a short film saying that it happened a different way on a distant planet somewhere else in the galaxy. But that's neither here nor there.

[Cydon]

A FanFilm perhaps... that way GL couldn't do anything.

[Braden Dar]

Georgie-porgie would change whatever someone created just to make it his.

[Cydon]

:lol::lol::lol:

[Konig15]

So would it stand to reason then in the Imperial era Supplies would come largley through bulk carriers instead of small ships to reduce the time and chances that the shield would be down? And that civie traffic would be limited too?

[Cydon]

Exactly.

[Darth Massacrus]

agreed.

[silverbolt]

I think after the time of the Republic, the Empire and the NR learned to keep the shields up at all times. Probably some advances in technology to make it cost effective. I know that by the NJO there were two planetary shields surrounding Coruscant, possibly during the X-Wing series.

yep there are two its all in wedges gamble (book two x-wing series) when the rogues cause the storm to bring the shields down

[Braden Dar]

If I recall right, there were two shields around Coruscant for a very long time. I believe that I specifically recall that by Young Jedi Knights they had mentioned two layers to pass through. Maybe even by Isaard's escape from Coruscant in X-Wing.

I think the Vong had too many tricks, such as dovan basals, to thwart anything that they ran into. Pulling shields off of something is too easy a fix to give them an advantage and force the characters into being extra ingenious.

[Master Magnus]

^Yes, the planetary shielding was mentioned in LoE and Inside the Worlds of Episode 3/Complete Locations so shields were in place as early as the Clone Wars.