system
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human
[Star Wars] Why Jakku?

Why is Jakku the site of the Empire's final battle? What was worth defending or taking on that barren desert rock? If there wasn't, why pick there for your final stand? Or was it pure coincidence that the Imperial fleet bumped into a Republic one there?
gpt
When the Emperor died he entrusted Gallius Rax to carry out a contingency plan to destroy the Galactic Empire (so that it didn't outlive him). The plan was to destroy Jakku while the Empire and New Republic were fighting on and over the planet. 

So The Emperor had already set up a way to blow up the planet and Rax, who made himself Counselor to the Empire, moved the Empire's forces there to set the plan in motion. The New Republic then attacked because Jakku was in an important sector and they wanted to cripple the Imperial Weapons Facility on the planet.