In Rogue One, a major part of the story takes place in the Scarif Vault. It’s a high-tech security-focused facility that is responsible for safeguarding the deepest secrets of The Empire. It is also home to the schematics of the Death Star. Even though the planet of Scarif looks peaceful, it was once a fortified hub, with the vault in particular housing piles of data tapes and media. It also allowed the Empire to store all of its classified information. Within the vault, there are key engineering files and research archives, one of them being Project Stardust. This is the codename that Galen Erso, played by Mads Mikkelsen, gave to the Death Star Plans.
Delving into the Inspiration behind the Scarif Vault.
When you break down the general construction of the Scarif Vault, it’s clear that it takes heavy inspiration from the vaults used in other cinematic blockbusters. The Scarif Vault also takes real-world vault concepts and applies them to make it feel more real. Vaults have been used in cinematic storytelling for quite some time as well, especially in hits like Mission Impossible and Die Hard, which both feature secure vaults.
Casino-heist films like Ocean’s Eleven also feature bank vaults, and different security systems that help to keep them safe. Vaults are also present in games, which shows what a legacy they have, and how much allure they offer. If you look at the Action Bank slot game for example, you’ll see that this also takes inspiration from numerous vaults throughout history. This includes a secure vault door, with numerous graphics that pay homage to high-security bank vaults and the impenetrable nature of them. Graphics and symbols also pay homage to the high-tech security nature of bank vaults. Relating these concepts to the Scarif Vault is easy to do, as it stands as a symbol of the security systems the vault has implemented, while highlighting the cinematic appeal of security systems and vaults as a whole.
The Scarif Vault has Multiple Layers of Security
The vault is protected by numerous layers of defense. First of all, you have a planetary shield, with a shield gate that determines which ships can pass in and out of the airspace. You then need to use imperial credentials alongside biometric scans and manual interactions to gain access to the vault. As the vault is not connected to a network, it cannot be hacked remotely. Within the vault, data tapes are stacked high, and mechanical handles have to be used to extract whatever you need. Although the process is secure, it does help to means that only authorized people can access the system, while guaranteeing that the data stays safe.
In the Rogue One movie, Jyn Erso, K-2SO and Cassian Andor use an Imperial ship to infiltrate Scarif. K-2SO, being the resourceful droid that he is, gains access to the vault and finds a data tape called Stardust. Both Jyn and Cassian scale the tower to get the file. Even though K-2SO managed to give them time, the file was transmitted to the Rebel fleet. Even though the vault was destroyed, it was a huge turning point in the Galactic Civil War. None other than Luke Skywalker would eventually deliver the blow to the Empire’s weapon at the Battle of Yavin, showing what a huge part the Scarif Vault plays within the whole saga.