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How does a human (humanoid) travel across the Death Star, which is way bigger than any of the Imperial Navy Vessels (Death Star I was 120km in diameter, DS2 was even larger - 200km). Let us say that an officer is ordered to travel to another sector to check on workers activity there. How can this be achieved in a reasonable amount of time?

I do not remember seeing any lifts, trams or anything like that in the movies, but perhaps it is covered in the books?

Legends or Canon answers are accepted.

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    In fact turbolifts are seen in the movie, when Luke and Han take Chewie to the detention level. That only showed vertical travel, though.
    – SpaceWolf1701
    Sep 4, 2020 at 20:07
  • @SpaceWolf1701 - Given that gravity is controlled locally, that turbolift could have been moving in any direction
    – Valorum
    Sep 4, 2020 at 20:16
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    Very carefully.
    – Paul D. Waite
    Sep 5, 2020 at 23:02

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Per the Death Star Technical Companion.

Turbolift Cluster Station

One couldn’t walk more than a few bundled meters without bumping into some kind of turbolift conveyance, but even more impressive were the scores upon scores of turbolift cluster stations found all over the battle station. The turbolift conveyance system made use of the most common form of technology available in the galaxy, repulsorlift field generators. By filling long stretches of cylindrical shafts with repulsor fields, the designers created a travel system that connected all portions of the Death Star. Turbolift cars reach incredible speeds within a repulsor field, covering many kilometers per minute. They also performed the much-needed tack of gravity transition orientation through the use of gravity compensators and rotating cars.

Turbolift cars were activated by voice command. Repulsor shafts crisscrossed the massive battle station in all directions, and all shafts connected somewhere within the Death Star. If a crewman entered a turbolift anywhere on the battle station, he could have directed it to take him to any other location aboard the Death Star. Turbolifts extended into the surface city sprawls, but even with the large number of cars available and the great speeds that they reached, it was often faster and more convenient to take a shuttle from one hangar bay to a bay nearer the final destination.

The Death Star Owner's Technical Manual also offers a plan view of the major arterial turbolift channels.

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    "Here you go, Grand Moff, here's the Owner's Manual" "Owner's Manual! I don't have time reading that thing! Darth!" ... Of course, as everyone is aware, HAD he read the damned thing, the Rebellion wouldn't have succeeded...
    – CGCampbell
    Sep 23, 2020 at 14:17
  • @CGCampbell - Tarkin built it and would already know everything in the manual. I'm not really sure who the target audience is supposed to be. Probably the next guy along.
    – Valorum
    Sep 23, 2020 at 14:21

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