Atrivis sector

Atrivis sector

Despite being a smallsector in the northernOuter Rim Territories, theAtrivis sector and its inhabitants participated in events of galactic and historic significance. From hosting an outpost of theRakatanInfinite Empire in30,000 BBY; to giving birth to the formidableDeath Star in0 BBY; to forming part of the most stable Imperial splinter faction, thePentastar Alignment, between6 and11 ABY; to supporting theEmpire-in-exile in137 ABY; the Atrivis sector was involved in tumultuous events. Located in theNew Territories, the sector was traversed by theBraxant andRelgim Runhyperlanes, and was home to several nativesentientspecies, including theDazouri,Ho'Din,Makurth,Shaliz'Na andZeffliffl. Those civilizations, and the immigrants that joined them in the sector, were united by their fierce independence. Full exploration of the sector began in15,000 BBY and continued through until1000 BBY. During that period, several Ho'Din participated in theGreat Hyperspace andMandalorian Wars, while Makurth participated in theNew Sith Wars.

During theClone Wars, the independent attitude of the Atrivis sector's inhabitants manifested in sympathy for theConfederacy of Independent Systems. The Confederacy employed the notoriousPirates of Iridium to raid supply lines, and ran aresearch factory onFest, but was eventually defeated by theGalactic Republic. Later, the rise of theGalactic Empire saw the sector placed under the control ofGrand MoffWilhuff Tarkin as part ofOversector Outer. The sector was home to some of the earliest resistance to the new, autocratic government, although its inhabitants remained disorganized and internally divided in their resistance efforts until themassacre ofMantooine led to the establishment of the unifiedAtrivis Resistance Group.

For twoyears, the Empire constructed the Death Star in the sector'sHoruz system, supporting thebattle station's construction with forced labor from penal institutions onGree Baaker,Desolation Station, andDespayre. The Death Star repelled several assaults by theAlliance to Restore the Republic before using itssuperlaser toshatter Despayre, subsequently leaving the sector on a quest to brutally eliminate the Alliance leadership and cow the galaxy into submission. Armed conflict, however, continued in the sector, with altercations atAtrivis,Fest andSpefik and as part ofOperation Cobolt, contributing to theGalactic Civil War.

Following thedeath ofEmperorPalpatine at theBattle of Endor, the Atrivis sector was included within the newly-formed Pentastar Alignment, an Imperial splinter faction led by Grand MoffArdus Kaine. The Alignment lent forces toGrand AdmiralThrawn, who personally planned anassault againstGeneris that transpired only eight days prior to hisassassination. The following year, the death of Kaine during a major offensiveImperial campaign precipitated the eventual transition of the sector intoNew Republic control. It remained in Republic hands for only a few years before being conquered by theinvading, extra-galacticYuuzhan Vong in26 ABY. Following their eventual defeat in29 ABY, the Atrivis sector soon passed back into Imperial territory as part of a newly resurgentEmpire. It would remain under Imperial control until after theSith–Imperial War, when it began to support theEmpire-in-exile of deposed EmperorRoan Fel.

Description[]

The Atrivissector was a relatively small sector ofspace in theOuter Rim Territories,^[4] located in thegalactic north in a region known as theNew Territories.^[1] Itscoreward boundary bordered theCademimu sector, and, moving clockwise, it also bordered theCassander,Albarrio,Relgim andOplovis sectors.^[27] Two majorhyperspace routes passed through the sector: theBraxant andRelgim Runs. The Braxant Run was the most important route in the entire northern quadrant of the galaxy, beginning at an intersection with theHydian Way. The Braxant entered the Atrivis sector fromKetaris in the Oplovis sector and traversed theFedje andVuchelle systems before leaving Atrivis for the Cassander sector. The Relgim Rum began at theFedjesystem, but struck out almost perpendicular to the Braxant Run, working its way through a string of Atrivis systems, with a sharp kink west at theNam'ta system before continuing across Atrivis and into its namesake, the Relgim sector. By25 ABY, the average population of the sector was less than 1 million per inhabitedplanet, with the exception of Fedje and areas aroundMoltok, which averaged between 1 and 10 million inhabitants.^[1]

Braxant Run star systems[]

The planet Fedje, at the intersection of the Braxant and Relgim Runs,^[1] was aforested world, home to many exotic arboreal life forms; these included the rarefolded ear boosqueak.^[5]Humans settled Fedje, becoming known for the expansive hand gestures that accompanied their oratory.^[28] Located further down the Braxant wasVuchelle, an orange planet^[12] right on the three-way border with the Cademimu and Cassander sectors.^[1]

Relgim Run star systems[]

TheFest system was a prominent system along the Relgim Run. It contained the planetFest, an urbanized and densely populated world with little remaining wilderness areas. It was equipped withspaceports,spysatellites, and anorbitalImperial base. Fest had a history of petty bickering withMantooine, another Atrivis sector planet.^[4] Further along the Relgim Run was theDevon system.^[1] Members of a religious sect inhabited its fourth planet,Devon Four.^[29]

TheGeneris system was located further down the Relgim Run;^[1] it contained the planetsAtrivis 7,^[29]Atrivis,^[18] andGeneris. Generis was a world of striking natural beauty, covered with rough terrain and lush jungles. The planet had no major settlements, and was only lightly settled.^[10] Some of its locals—a mix of Humans and otherspecies—established wilderness ranches, attracting wealthy offworlders with opportunities to hunt, hike, and raft down white-water rapids.^[30] The planet was also dotted with ruins^[4] of the ancientRakata civilization.^[1] Atrivis 7 was also inhabited by Humans, who worked asfarmers and ranchers.^[29]

Continuing along the Relgim Run led to theMarkbee's Star system, containing thewater worldZeffliffl. In thesaltyseas of its southern continent, theZeffliffl species evolved.^[31] After Zeffliffl, the Relgim Run continued onto the Nam'ta system. It was there,^[1] in the system containing thegas giantNam'ta,^[5] that the Run kinked westward, continuing on towards theHoruz system.^[1] The Horuz system contained the planetDespayre, two gas giants and twoasteroidbelts. Despayre's single continent was covered in dense jungle filled with diversepoisonous species such as thecrab spider,flit andscorpion slug. Because of these attributes, the planet was turned into aprison for many of the worst criminal offenders in the galaxy.^[6]

TheMantooine system was located on the Relgim Run near to its crossover into the Relgim sector.^[1] The planet Mantooine was only lightly populated with farmers and had a long-standing rivalry with Fest.^[4] It lent its name to the classical dance piece known as theMantooine Minuet.^[32] It was also the endpoint of cruises by the giantluxury linerKuari Princess, which traveled down the Relgim Run betweenEndoraan and Mantooine.^[8]

Other star systems[]

The Atrivis sector had a number of other star systems that were not located on either of the two most prominent routes. TheHethar system was located on the eastern border of the sector.^[1] Native toHethar was thegornt species. These squat creatures were a staple of the local diet and were later commercially farmed bySullustan colonists and sold to theImperial Navy.^[16]

Further west in the sector were theIridium,Gibbela,Spefik andDartibek systems.^[1]Iridium was home for a time to thePirates of Iridium,^[12] whileGibbela—close to the Relgim border^[1]—was populated by a primitive species of polymorphs, known as theDazouri.^[9] It was distant from even minor trade routes, and was seldom visited.^[14] The Spefik system was home toSpefik, a desolate and barren planet. During theGalactic Civil War, it hosted aRebel base.^[22]

The Dartibek system was at the western-most extent of the Atrivis sector, at the joining of the Atrivis, Albarrio and Relgim sectors.^[1] The system contained a number of planets; one of the innermost was Moltok, which was entirely covered in trees. Although close to itssun, the planet was kept temperate by ash fromvolcanoes that blocked outradiation and heat. Its botanical species included thewuppa^[33] andCamba-Fruit; derivatives of the latter were commercially exported.^[34] Moltok was home to twosentient species: theHo'Din^[33] and theMakurth.^[35]

The Atrivis sector also contained theGree Baaker system.^[2] Its eponymousplanet was home to an ImperialLabor Camp for those serving life sentences.^[36] Also located within the sector was asystem that contained an asteroid belt. Built within a large, misshaped asteroid in this system wasDesolation Station, an Imperial construction facility that utilizedslave labor.^[19] Finally, the sector contained theShar'Ack system.^[2]

History[]

Pre-Republic history[]

In30,000 BBY, the planet Generis possessed a strongForce signature. As a consequence, it attracted the Force-basedhyperdrives of theRakatan species who were expanding from their homeworldLehon. The Rakata forged a vast empire that united worlds scattered all across the galaxy, naming it theInfinite Empire.^[1] On Generis, they built exotic temples that would last for thousands ofyears.^[4] The Rakatan empire lasted for almost five thousand years before collapsing due toplague, followed by slave revolts in25,200 BBY.^[1] Their temples on Generis eventually collapsed and were overgrown by jungle.^[4]

Galactic Republic[]

Early exploration[]

Some systems within the Atrivis sector were discovered by theGalactic Republic during theKymoodon Era, circa15,000 BBY. New advances inhyperspace technology at this time led to exploration of pockets of space not directly connected with the territory of the Republic; in the north these included the Mantooine andSestooine systems (the latter would become part of the Relgim sector), and spread to include the Dartibek and Horuz systems.^[1]

During thePius Dea Era of11,965-10,966 BBY, the Atrivis sector suffered suppression by theCoruscant-based religious sectPius Dea. Hoping to escape Pius Dea rule, Republic citizens abandonedFedje and settled thePrefsbelt system.^[39]

By5000 BBY, the Dartibek system—which contained the planet Moltok—and other parts of the Atrivis sector were widely explored by the Republic and were considered part of the civilized galaxy. The Republic had also established ahyperlane connecting Moltok to the central territories of the Republic viaOrd Cantrell,Iridonia andVicondor.^[1] The Ho'Din of Moltok had traveled offworld by this time; during theGreat Hyperspace War,Lohjoy served as astarshipengineer aboard theSith Empire starshipOmen.^[40]

A number of Ho'Din also served the Republic in3964 BBY, such asOojoh^[41] andRutu.^[38] Oojoh was trained as aJediPadawan onTaris,^[41] whileLieutenant Rutu served with distinction in theRepublic Navy during theMandalorian Wars.^[38] The extent of the widely explored area around Moltok remained largely static through this period until at least3956 BBY.^[1]

Between3681 BBY and3653 BBY, theGreat Galactic War pitted the forces of the Galactic Republic against the resurgent forces of theSith Empire.^[11] As a side event of that campaign, the Republic was involved in theKanz Disorders of3670 BBY, after which the Republic shrunk its borders to Iridonia in the north, and began reconsidering Republic membership for distant settlements and Republic enclaves.^[1] After a significant victory atCoruscant, the Sith forced the Republic to sign theTreaty of Coruscant, which effectively divided the galaxy into two spheres of control. The Atrivis sector fell within the sphere of control of the Sith Empire, which compromised most of the eastern half of the galaxy. Despite the signing of the peace treaty, relations were uneasy between the galactic powers: aCold War lasted for over a decade years, beforeoutright war returned in3641 BBY.^[42] Around that time, anindependent organization on the planet Nam'ta claimed to have received thousands of diplomatic dispatches from the Galactic Republic. Its plan to release these onto theHoloNet was uncovered, and pressure brought to bear on theNam'ta government to clamp down on the organization.^[43]

Later exploration[]

The eastern portion of the Atrivis sector was not fully explored until the blazing of the Hydian Way, circa3000–1000 BBY.^[1] The Makurth, the second sentient species of Moltok, were found off-world by at least 1000 BBY; during theNew Sith Wars, the MakurthFohargh underwenttraining as part of theBrotherhood of Darkness,^[44] although Moltok itself was unaligned in the conflict.^[1]Seven hundred years later, the Ho'Din almost destroyed the ecosystem of their planet, leading them to embrace botanical sciences and other less invasive disciplines in restoring their world. By280 BBY, they had developed organic medicines that came to be exported around the galaxy.^[45] Another Ho'Din product available offworld wasHo'Din herbal tea; some combinations proved addictive to Humans.^[46]

In124 BBY, the Atrivis sector, together with the rest of the Outer Rim and parts of the Mid Rim, was declared by the Galactic Republic to be a free-trade zone. However, in the30s, a political faction known as theReformists sought to roll back that liberalization, and place taxes on many Rim trade routes.^[47] Several years before theClone Wars would embroil the galaxy, the religious leaders of Devon Four refused to pay taxes to the central galactic government. In response, the Republic embargoed the planet, preventing any starship traffic from reaching its surface. Shortly after the embargo was initiated, an infectious plague broke out on the planet's surface. Despite the threat this posed to the planet's population, the Republic was unrelenting in its embargo. At the behest ofSheeka Tull, whosesister lived on Devon Four,smugglers broke the Republic embargo, delivering medical supplies. Sheeka Tull was later caught by the Republic and was given a deferred sentence of ten years labor.^[29]

The Clone Wars[]

During theSeparatist Crisis, circa24–22 BBY, theConfederacy of Independent Systems hired the Pirates of Iridium asprivateers. Thepirates had been active in the Atrivis sector for ayear, raiding its trade routes.^[12] They were distinguished by their use ofpower gems. These unusual jewels radiated an aura that disrupted starships'magnetic-shields, an ability the pirates used to great advantage during their raids.^[48] During the Separatist Crisis, they raided Republic grain andspice convoys until they were destroyed in 22 BBY by aJedi-led Republic strike force at askirmish over Vuchelle.^[12]

When the Clone Wars finally broke out, the Atrivis sector was part of Confederate territory.^[1] Less than tenmonths into the war, they had established aresearch factory on Fest in which they were developing a super-metal known asphrik. The facility was discovered byNull-class Advanced Recon Commandos, andten months into the war, the Republic dispatched the eliteOmega Squad todestroy the factory. Encountering heavy resistance frombattle droids, they nevertheless successfully completed the mission.^[13] By19 BBY, the Republic had successfully recovered control of the Atrivis sector.^[1]

Galactic Empire[]

Early resistance[]

With thedeclaration of theNew Order in 19 BBY, the Atrivis sector came under control of theGalactic Empire. The sector fell under the jurisdiction ofGrand MoffTarkin as part ofOversector Outer.^[6] Oversectors such as this one were created to encompass numerous sectors known to house chronic unrest or rebellion, and facilitate swift Imperial retribution across sector boundaries.^[49]MoffsRebus^[23] andSeerdon also had projects within the sector.^[24] The Atrivis sector was at the forefront of opposition to the New Order, due in large part to the stubborn independence common throughout much of the Outer Rim Territories. However, in its early years, the sector's resistance was fractured and lacking unity, with resistance groups scattered across many systems and divided by regional and historic rivalries. Nonetheless, this continued annoyance prompted the Empire to establish agarrison post on Mantooine to keep order in the sector.^[4]

In2 BBY,^[50] theMantooine Liberators resistance groupoverthrew this under-defended garrison and boldly occupied the premises. The Liberators were unaware of a large Imperial strike force in the neighboring Fest system, and had no contact with the Fest resistance group that could have warned them of this danger. As such, the Mantooine resistance was caught by surprise when Imperial forces arrived in Mantooine; the local rebels were decimated.^[4] There were also extensive civilian casualties in the battle,^[1] which as heard of as far afield asHutt Space and came to be regarded as a massacre.^[7] The Rebel Alliance honored the sacrifice of those who lost their lives on Mantooine by casting theMantooine Medallion, which was awarded to individuals for "exceptionally meritorious service."^[51] Years later, aCorellian Corvette was named theMantooine in honor of the planet.^[52]

The massacre on Mantooine drove home the necessity of communication to the other resistance groups in the Atrivis sector; theFest Resistance Group responded by forming a widerAtrivis Resistance Group (ARG) to coordinate resources within the sector. The ARG established a hidden base on an abandonedspace station in the barren Generis system, where their leadership was fed information from an extensive network across the sector. This centralization made the resistance a significantly more potent force, although their continuing success also brought concerns; they were still isolated within their system and vulnerable to Imperial offensives launched from outside the sector.^[4]

Elsewhere in the sector, the Empire established a Labor Camp on Gree Baaker, where many individuals were sentenced to life imprisonment.^[36] The Empire scouted Gibbela as a possible site for colonization, with preliminary reconnaissance suggesting the native population would provide little resistance;^[53] however, when a small taskforce wasdispatched to the planet, it was massacred byone such native after he polymorphed into a vicious predator.^[14]

The Death Star[]

During this period, a crucial Imperial project was under construction in the Atrivis sector: theDeath Star. This immensebattle station, designed with the capacity to destroy planets, was to be the foundation of theTarkin Doctrine,^[6] whereby the Empire would "rule through the fear of force rather than through force itself."^[49] After initial construction phases in theGeonosis,Seswenna, andPatriim systems, the construction was finally moved to the Horuz system for completion.^[1]

There, it orbited the penal world Despayre for two years. The system's twoasteroid belts^[6] were stripped ofiron andnickel by Imperialmasticators, and combined with alloys obtained from Despayre. The planet'smoon,Haroon, was alsomined for resources. Construction utilized convict labor, in particular, that of thousands ofWookiees.^[1] Prisoners from the Gree Baaker Labor Camp were also assigned to work duty on the station.^[36] The Empire also utilized Desolation Station to manufacture several components of itssuperlaser^[19] with which the Death Star would be able to rupture the core of planets, ultimately shattering its targets into pieces.^[54] The construction of the station was kept top secret.^[19]

Emperor Palpatine himself visited the Death Star while it was under construction in the Horuz system, for the culmination of his strategy to crush organized leadership of resistance to his Empire. Imprisoned aboard the station were four critical leaders of rebellion: three influential senatorsGarm Bel Iblis ofCorellia,Mon Mothma ofChandrila andBail Organa ofAlderaan, together with Jedi Master andOrder 66-survivorRahm Kota. The four leaders had met on Corellia and formallydeclared anorganized rebellion against the Empire. However, the four had actually been manipulated to meet on Corellia by Imperial machinations implemented byGalen Marek, a pupil of the Emperor's apprenticeDarth Vader; they were captured and transferred to the Death Star for interrogation.^[15]

Marek, however, had earnestly believed his efforts to draw together the insurrectionists would lead to the overthrow of the Emperor. Marek was furious at being duped. Uncovering the location of the Death Star in aForce vision, he traveled to the Atrivis sector andinfiltrated the vast construction site. Having inciting Wookiee slave laborers to riot, two of the laborers guided Marek to the Emperor's location. There, Marek dueled and defeated Darth Vader; before ultimately engaging the Emperor in direct combat. This provided a sufficient diversion for the four captives to flee the battle station to safety, although Marek perished in encounter.^[15]

Formalizing Rebellion[]

Senator Mon Mothma would return to the Atrivis sector, where she met with the leadership of the Atrivis Resistance Group. She proposed linking the ARG into the newly established Rebellion. After some deliberation, the ARG signed theTreaty of Generis, officially joining the Rebel Alliance for the duration of the Galactic Civil War. As part of this deal, anOuter Rim Communications Center was established on Generis, with astarfighter outpost to protect it. The Alliance also sent several dozenSpecForce officers to train up the Atrivis resistance. The Treaty also meant a flow of new weapons and equipment to the sector, in return for becoming a prime supplier of foodstuffs to the wider Rebellion. Within six months, the ARG transformed into a fully operationalAtrivis Sector Force.^[4] Rebel units that operated within Atrivis sector included the132nd Forward Division.^[55]

Kota subsequently directed several efforts to undermine the completion of the Death Star. Hedispatched former-Imperial stormtrooperX2 to Desolation Station to prevent one of the final components of the superlaser—thetributary beam—from being delivered to the Death Star. As the tributary beam was being stored on a transport that was protected by a defensive shield corridor, X2 was required to infiltrate the facility and deactivate the shield. Prior to deactivating the shields, X2 released someWookiee laborers held on the station. With their help, X2 fled the station aboard a capturedTIE fighter and, with cover provided by Rebel starfighter reinforcements, managed to infiltrate and gain control of the tributary-carrying transport. X2 activated the beam, using it to destroy Desolation Station. This mission set back the construction timetable of the Death Star.^[19]

Following this sabotage, the Alliance undertook an audaciousreconnaissance mission to the site of the Death Star itself. Starfighters under the direction of Master Kota entered the Horuz system and engaged enemy starfighters. X2, a volunteer on this mission, was able to infiltrate a supportingImperial-classStar Destroyer, using its weapons emplacements to strike at the Death Star.^[19]

This and other damage inflicted on the Death Star provided a small opportunity for some Rebels on board the station itself. While some set about freeing prisoners aboard the station, X2 used the partially completed superlaser to strike at the Star Destroyer he had only recently departed, destroying it completely. Having glimpsed the destructive potential of the battlestation, the Rebel strike team extracted themselves from the battle and fled the Horuz system to deliver their intelligence toAlliance High Command.^[19]

Following this strike, the Alliance launched a more substantialassault on the station, led by theFortressa, aLucrehulk-class starfighter carrier. Launching at least 500 starfighters, the assault was a disastrous failure, with theFortressa destroyed early by a low powered beam from the Death Star and its fighters soon picked off by supporting Imperial forces.^[6]

Despite these attempts by the resistance to slow completion of the Death Star, the battlestation was finished soon after. Before departing the sector for theCore Worlds, the station'ssuperlaser wastested on Despayre; in three successive blasts, the prison world was destroyed, eliminating all inhabitants.^[6]Rianna Saren, an escapee from the prison world below who had infiltrated the station only shortly before this destruction, contactedLeia Organa, a high-ranking member of the Rebellion and daughter of Bail Organa, from the station and informed her of Despayre's destruction as well as the location of schematics of the Death Star located on the planetDanuta. Saren then fled the station to Danuta, part of a multi-pronged attempt tosecure the plans to the Death Star.^[56]

Following this destruction, the battlestation left the sector; however, the Empire left some forces in the system in case any members of the Alliance came to investigate. Shortly after, twoCR90 corvettes collectively compromisingEthar was dispatched to the system andcaptured by the Imperial forces. Further Alliance forces arrived in the system shortly after, and starfighters fromRed Squadron,Blue Squadron andGold Squadron managed to recover the corvettes.^[21]

The Death Star itself traveled to Alderaan in theCore Worlds, where its destructive power was publicly demonstrated with thedestruction of that planet. It then traveled to theYavin system, intending to destroy the leadership of the Rebel Alliance. In aclimactic battle, however, the Death Star was destroyed. Grand Moff Tarkin perished along with his battlestation^[54] and control of Oversector Outer—and, consequently, the Atrivis sector—passed to Grand MoffArdus Kaine,^[1] a brilliant theorist and strategist known for his emphasis on success through total domination.^[57]

Further conflict[]

Despite the significant blow dealt to the Empire at the Battle of Yavin, its control of the Atrivis sector continued. As part of another Imperial project in the Atrivis sector, the Empire re-established phrik processing on Fest. The alloy phrik was then used in theDark Trooper Project, producing extremely strong, lightweightdroidarmor. Shortly after the Battle of Yavin, theDark troopers weretested against aRebel base onTalay. Upon investigating, Rebel operativeKyle Katarn tracked the source of the attack to Moff Rebus, in charge of the project. Rebus revealed the phrik was being processed at the ImperialWeapons Research Facility on Fest. Traveling to the planet, Katarninfiltrated the Imperial operation, stealing a sample of phrik. The sample led Katarn to the source ofphrikite onGromas 16, and eventually led to the derailing of the Dark Trooper Project.^[23]

Further action occurred on Fest in1 ABY, when Rebel resistance againraided the Weapons Research Facility in order to steal threeAll Terrain Personal Transports. While the Rebels initially broke the transports out from the Imperial facility, they required aerial cover fromRogue Squadron to make good their escape. The successful raid upset Imperial Moff Kohl Seerdon, who was in charge of the research, and in retaliation the MoffblockadedChandrila, homeworld of Rebel leader Mon Mothma.^[24]

While these successes were significant for the Alliance, they also suffered various defeats at the hands of the Empire. An Imperial force of at least twoTIE fighterwingsattacked their base on the planet Spefik. According to reports, elite pilotRanulf Trommer single-handedly destroyed the Rebel's anti-orbitalion cannons defending the base.^[22] The eliteStorm commandos were also deployed in the sector onAtrivis where the rebelX-wing pilotHomack was shot down.^[18] Other Imperial counter-measures included spraying toxic defoliants across many worlds of the sector in an effort to cripple the agricultural capacity of the sector's resistance.^[4]

Sometime after 1 ABY,^[58] the Alliance launched "Operation Cobolt," a hit-and-run assault on anImperial orbital base over Mantooine. Its twin objectives were to steal anImperial Intelligencescandoc, and then to destroy the base, covering the theft in the process. The core of the mission involved a commando team led byColonelsAnna Seertay andToombs. Thesetroops were supported by starfighter forces stripped fromTierfon,Homon,Farstey and the survivors of theTocan systemdefeat. The mission was a success although the resistance forces sustained some losses. Shortly after this operation, the Atrivis resistance received a warning from a monitoring station in the neighboringOplovis sector. Analyzing Imperial requisition records,CommanderZgorth'sth was able to predict an attack byFleet AdmiralTzenkens on Mantooine. With this intelligence, the Rebels sprung their own trap en route,attacking the Imperial forces as they left hyperspace in the Generis system with three Alliancecruisers, defeating the Imperial forces with only minimal casualties.^[4] In honor of the sector's contribution to the resistance, the Rebel Alliance named aVangaard Pathfinder theAtrivis Advancer,^[46] as well as labeling afreighter group theAtrivis Day.^[59]

Pentastar Alignment[]

Isolationism[]

The conflicts in the Atrivis sector played out against the background of galactic conflict. In4 ABY, on the far side of the galaxy from the Atrivis sector, the Empire and the Alliance clashed in an epochalbattle in theEndor system. The Alliance proved victorious; in the process, they destroyed thesecond Death Star and killed theEmperor himself, leaving the Imperial fleet in disarray.^[1]

In response to these developments, Grand Moff Kaine recognized that Imperial authority could quickly crumble across the Outer Rim Territories. He moved swiftly to establish thePentastar Alignment, an aggregation of fifteen Outer Rim sectors—including the Atrivis sector at its eastern-most expanse—that answered to his command from his capital atEntralla.^[1] In addition to Kaine as a representative of the Imperial military, the foundingPentastar Alignment Treaty was signed by ImperialgovernorDekeet,Commerce Master CommissionerRaquoran of theVelcar Free Commerce Zone, and corporate representativesWyrn Otro andElta Besk, ofGalentro Heavy Works andDynamic Automata, respectively.^[57]

Kaine, one of the earliest converts to the Emperor'sNew Order,^[57] held strongly to its policy ofHuman High Culture, which he applied throughout his dominion.^[1] The powerful corporate entities exploitedalien populations across the Alignment, funneling trade and industry profits into Alignment treasuries. With these profits, the Alignment produced a fleet ofEnforcer-class picket cruisers from itsshipyards in theObtrexta sector'sJaemus system. These warships formed part of the Alignment navy,^[57] which, spearheaded from theExecutor-class Star DreadnoughtReaper, was powerful enough to dissuade any challengers. Grand Moff Kaine soon became more feared throughout his realm than the distant Emperor had ever been.^[1]

As Kaine was not interested in expansionism, and showed little aggression toward sectors outside his direct control, the Alliance, and its successor government, theNew Republic, largely left the Alignment alone and instead concentrated on undermining other Imperial warlords.^[1] Through until9 ABY the Alignment maintained its stranglehold over the Atrivis sector,^[1] with the exception of the Republic retaining control of its Outer Rim Communications Center on Generis.^[25] This base was secured with theCracken Flight Group^[60]—an elite group ofRZ-1 A-wing interceptors, led byPash Cracken and composed of pilots that had followed him when he defected from the Empire soon after graduating from theImperial Naval Academy^[61]—except for a short period in7 ABY, when all of the base's forces were temporarily moved toward theCore Worlds in order to cover some of the sectors formerly used by rogue ImperialwarlordZsinj.^[62]

Imperial machinations[]

That year, however,Grand AdmiralThrawn returned from theUnknown Regions and rallied Imperial forces across the galaxy, including support from the Alignment's military. On the day of 44:8:19, just over four months after his initial strike atObroa-skai, Thrawn's forcesassaulted the Communications Center at Generis.^[1] Using a battle plan composed by Thrawn himself, the Imperial forces captured the Communications Center intact—along with most of the sector fleet supply depots—despite resistance from an elite Republicsquadron commanded byPash Cracken.^[25]

The Republic forces were able to sneak out most of the command staff, however, and deny the Imperials any working ships, but they nevertheless suffered a significant defeat at the hands of Thrawn.^[25] Among the Imperial casualties suffered at this battle was thestormtrooperGrodin Tierce;ten years later, Tierce was impersonated by members of theImperial Remnant in a bid to take control of that government.^[28] Thrawn's forces later destroyed the Communications Center.^[53]

From Generis, Thrawn's forces traveled via Fedje to Ketaris,Agamar andIthor, all within the space of two days. Thrawn's successes were not to last, however, and on 44:8:27, a mere eight days after his victory at Generis, Thrawn wasassassinated during theBattle of Bilbringi. With the loss of the genius and charisma of the Grand Admiral, the Empire soon reverted to factionalism, with Kaine maintaining control of the Alignment.^[1]

The following year, in10 ABY, a reborn clone of Emperor Palpatine emerged from theDeep Core, drawing together the splintered remains of his former Empire. Kaine was required to support the Emperor, but subsequently died duringOperation Shadow Hand—a series of military campaigns directed by the Emperor. The Alignment struggled to adjust to the vacuum left by Kaine's death, but remained one of the most significant Imperial governments through into11 ABY. The following year, it was incorporated into an Imperial Remnant under the military command ofAdmiralGilad Pellaeon,^[1] formerly Grand Admiral Thrawn's second-in-command. Pellaeon remained in control of a large swath of territory, including the Atrivis sector, until17 ABY, when he suffered amajor defeat atAnx Minor. Following this, he retreated to a mere eight sectors in the west of the Alignment, relinquishing control of the Atrivis sector to the New Republic.^[1]

New Republic[]

The New Republic regained control of Generis and rebuilt the Communications Center.^[53] Its role was expanded from the Outer Rim to include the Unknown Regions; at the time, the only such relay center to do so. This made Generis strategically important, but it was never selected for sabotage by the Imperial Remnant, as they considered theChiss—the dominant power in the Unknown Regions—to be too isolationist for the Republic to make any successful approaches.^[26] At one point, New Republic agents successfully capturedQan Gindoch on Mantooine, as part of an operation to disrupt the actions of counterfeiterPendor Gyrr.^[63]

In25 ABY, the galaxy was invaded by an extra-galactic species known as theYuuzhan Vong. Theyentered the galaxy from the far north of the New Territories, and advanced steadily core-ward. One invasion corridor took the Yuuzhan Vong down the Braxant Run, where they assaulted and captured both theMoltok andFedje systems as they penetrated through the Atrivis sector and beyond. By thefollowing year, the Yuuzhan Vong were also in control of the Horuz system; however, the Generis system managed to hold out as a lone New Republic stronghold in the region.^[1]

In28 ABY, Generis wasattacked and destroyed by theYuuzhan Vong who were called to the base by an infiltrator armed with a communicationsvillip. The Yuuzhan Vong then proceeded toattack a similar station atEsfandia far to the west, the only other communications outpost servicing the Unknown Regions. There,Imperial Remnant Grand AdmiralPellaeon defeated the Yuuzhan Vong task force. Subsequently, the center at Generis was restored to operational capacity.^[26] The Yuuzhan Vong War ultimately came to a conclusion in29 ABY, when the invaders suffered a series of major military defeats.^[1]

Under a New Empire[]

Within the space ofeleven years, the Atrivis sector was reclaimed by a resurgentEmpire, which had expanded its borders to the edge of theMid Rim and beyond. This new Empire slowly absorbed much of the galaxy through peaceful means, before launching, in127 ABY, theSith–Imperial War against the other major political power, theGalactic Alliance. By the close of this conflict in130 ABY, the Empire had gained control of the rest of the galaxy; however, division existed within the Empire. By137 ABY, the Atrivis sector had become part of alarge portion of the New Territories that supportedRoan Fel, the deposed former Emperor who had been betrayed at the conclusion of the Sith–Imperial War by hisSith allies.^[1]

Inhabitants[]

Native species[]

Dazouri[]

Main article:Dazouri

The Dazouri were a species of polymorphs native to Gibbela.^[9] These beings were diminutive while in their settled form, however, when angered, they transformed into vicious predators double their original size.^[65] In this form, they had sharps claws capable of rending flesh and severing limbs. This was discovered by an Imperial scouting team to its detriment. The Dazouri were farmers, living in primitive cloth dwellings.^[14] At least one Dazouri, BossKaggle, ventured offworld. He became a minorcrime lord in theElrood sector.^[66]

Ho'Din[]

Main article:Ho'Din

The Ho'Din were one of two sentient species native to Moltok, and were the most prominent of the species indigenous to the Atrivis sector. They were a tall reptilian species, with dark eyes, lipless mouths and distinctivesnake-like hair. After industrialization almost ruined their world, the Ho'Din focused on organic technology, living in tree villages and structures literally grown from plants. This approach was inspired by their religion,Dinante Fli'R, whose tenets required them to be respectful to plants. Ho'Din were widely regarded throughout the galaxy as master botanists and healers. Notable Ho'Din healers includedBaji^[67] andIsm Oolos.^[68] Ho'Din Jedi includedIwo Kulka^[69] andPlett.^[34] The Ho'Din established colony worlds in neighboring sectors, such asAnemcoro^[70] in the Albarrio sector.^[2]

Makurth[]

Main article:Makurth

The Makurth were the second sentient species on Moltok. They were saurians covered in green scales with four horns on their heads.^[44] They were nocturnal carnivores, known for their terrifying scream. A number of Makurth found employment as bodyguards with the criminal organizationBlack Sun.^[35] One notable Makurth was Fohargh, who trained with the Brotherhood of Darkness during theLight and Darkness War.^[44]

Zeffliffl[]

Main article:Zeffliffl

The Zeffliffl were a species from the world Zeffliffl, the fourth planet ofMarkbee's Star, and appeared to be multi-humped stacks of dark greenseaweed. The leaf-like beings lived in shallow seas, and when traveling offworld, they periodically sprayed themselves withsalt water to keep themselves hydrated. Their language sounded like leaves swirled through water. A group of the species traveled toCrseih Station to seek healing from theWaru. There, he successfully healed their ailing member.^[31]

Immigrated species[]

Beyond its indigenous inhabitants, many exotic species called the Atrivis sector home. Around30,000 BBY, the Rakata utilizedForce-basedhyperdrives to unite widely spread worlds into the RakatanInfinite Empire. One such world was Generis,^[1] where they constructed large temples.^[60] However, after five thousand years of galactic dominance, plague caused the collapse of the Infinite Empire,^[1] and the species later became extinct. Their temples collapsed into ruins overtaken by the jungle, leaving no clues for later settlers as to how or why they died out.^[60]

During the administration of the Republic, Humans occupied many of the Atrivis sector worlds, including Mantooine, Fest, Iridium and Atrivis 7. Some notable Human inhabitants of the Atrivis sector included Travia Chan, the AllianceCommander-in-Chief for the sector. One of the original founders of the Fest Resistance Group,^[4] she continued working at the Generis base until its conquest in 9 ABY.^[25] Chan'sChief of Staff wasLoom Carplin, a survivor of the original Mantooine cell.^[4] Also from Mantooine was the HumanBrandei. Rather than joining the resistance movement, he rose to a high rank in the Empire, commanding theImperial I-class Star DestroyerJudicator.^[25] Sullustan colonists also settled in the sector on the planet Hethar.^[16]

A diverse group of species passed through the sector as tourists aboard theKuari Princess, a luxury liner that traveled the Relgim Run throughThe Maelstrom.^[8] Many aliens were also brought to the sector and imprisoned on the planet Despayre, and later used as slave labor in constructing the first Death Star. These includedBrigians,Cereans,Givin,Gungans,Pho Ph'eahians,Mirialans, Wookiees,Ugnaughts,Zelosians,^[6]Twi'leks,^[56] andIthorians.^[49] Various individuals were also forcibly transported to the Gree Baaker Labor Camp^[36] and to Desolation Station.^[19]

Behind the scenes[]

Paul Murphy created the Atrivis sector for theWest End Games sourcebook,The Rebel Alliance Sourcebook, first published in1990. Murphy used the sector to illustrate possible structures for sector resistance groups. This publication placed three planets—Fest, Generis and Mantooine—in the sector and provided a number of anecdotal stories relating its struggles against the Galactic Empire.^[4] The sector was also mentioned in a number of other West End Games' products, but given little expansion at that time.^[60][71]

The short storyA Certain Point of View, written byCharlene Newcomb and published inStar Wars Adventure Journal 8, mentioned the "Generis sector."^[8] Given the prior placement of Generis in the Atrivis sector, and no further mention of a Generis sector, this is interpreted as an alternative name for the same sector. The novel,Children of the Jedi, written byBarbara Hambly and published is1995, mentioned theAtravis sector. While it is possible this was originally a misspelling of this sector, subsequent sources such as theStar Wars Encyclopedia treated it as a distinct entity.^[3][72]

The Atrivis sector was one of the many sectors included in the computer game,Star Wars: Rebellion, released in1998.Rebellion placed ten planets in the sector; an additional nine from those previously established. However,Rebellion contradicted numerous sources in some of its placements. As such,Leland Chee,Keeper of the Holocron, has stated that whenRebellion's placements conflict with other existingcanon placements,Rebellion is overridden.^[73] In the case of the Atrivis sector, this applies to three worlds,Tibrin,Togoria, andTrammis III. Tibrin and Togoria have been placed in the Mid Rim,^[74] while Trammis III has been placed in theCentrality.^[75] This left six new planets receiving placements in this sector: Nam'ta, Despayre, Moltok, Spefik, Fedje and Zeffliffl. In its internal encyclopedia,Rebellion also misspelled the sector name on a couple of occasion, spelling it as both "Artivis" and "Artivas."^[5]

The next significant mention of the Atrivis sector occurred in an article on theHoloNet News website, published in2002, which detailed a Republic strike against pirates operating in the sector. This article placed Vuchelle in the sector, as well as implying a connection with the planet Iridium.^[12] The sector received another mention on the HoloNetNews website,^[76] as well as in the Clone Wars-era novel,Republic Commando: Triple Zero, written byKaren Traviss and published in2006.^[13] Further planets were not added to the sector until the release of the seminal work,The Essential Atlas, co-written byDaniel Wallace andJason Fry and published in2009. This publication included a map of the Atrivis sector, which confirmed Iridium's location, as well as adding Devon, Gibbela and Hethar to the sector. TheAtlas also significantly expanded available information on the sector, providing details on its location, exploration, population density, and political history, including its incorporation into the Pentastar Alignment,^[1] a reference back to material originally published by West End Games inStar Wars Adventure Journal 3 in1994.^[57]

Following the publication of theAtlas,StarWars.com published anOnline Companion. Its first update included an appendix that included sector placements for many star systems; information that was not included in the original publication. This appendix placed Gree Baaker and Shar'Ack in the Atrivis sector. Additional updates to the Online Companion included a sector map of the Outer Rim Territories, which revealed the patchwork of sectors the Atrivis sector was part of, and, later, the addition of newly published or previously omitted systems to the appendix. TheJune 1,2010 update placed Desolation Station within the sector, incorporating several events fromStar Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron into the sector's history.^[2]

Travel times[]

Star Wars: Rebellion provided hyperspace travel times between each of the planets in its version of the Atrivis sector, and between them andCoruscant. These are reproduced in the table below, although it is unclear whether they are to be treated solely as game mechanics or may have some canonical value.^[5]

Appearances[]

• Star Wars: The Old Republic: Onslaught(Mentioned only)
• Jedi Smash Iridium Pirates; 3 Knights Killed —HoloNet News Vol. 531 #49(original site is defunct)
• Senator Moe Killed in Blast —HoloNet News Vol. 531 #50(original site is defunct)(Mentioned only)
• Republic Commando: Triple Zero
• Death Star
• Rebel Dawn
• "The Farlander Papers" —Star Wars: X-Wing(First appearance, simultaneous withStar Wars: X-Wing)
• Star Wars: X-Wing
• "A Certain Point of View" —Star Wars Adventure Journal 8(reprinted inTales from the Empire andHyperspace: The OfficialStar Wars Fan Club)(Mentioned only)(First identified as Generis sector)
• Star Wars: Rebellion
• Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
• The Last Command(andunabridged audiobook)(Mentioned only)

Sources[]

Notes and references[]

Notes and references[]