Sunspot(Tython system)

Sunspot

Sunspot was a minorplanet that was located within theTython system ofthe galaxy'sDeep Core region. The small world experienced violent storms when it passed the planetMalterra in itsorbit, and it had an extremelyhot climate. More than thirty-six thousandyears before theBattle of Yavin, the non–Force-sensitivesettlers of the planetTython colonized Sunspot.Millennia later,mining operations had been established on the planet.

Description[]

Sunspot was a minorplanet with nomoons that was located within theTython system ofthe galaxy'sDeep Core region. Theorbit of the small world was closer to itssun,Tythos, than that of any other planetary body in thestar system, coming as close as forty-eight million kilometers at some points. Additionally, Sunspot was near to the orbital path ofMalterra, the second planet of the system. The two worlds rotated around their common star in opposite directions, however.Scientists speculated that Sunspot was a rogueplanetoid that had been captured by thegravitational pull of Tythos. Sunspot experienced violent space storms and magnetic interference when it passed Malterra in its orbit for four days, and the climate on the small planet was extremely hot.^[4]

A tectonically active world, Sunspot was considered solid but was a planet in constant flux. Volcanoes erupted constantly around the equator, and groundquakes racked the world every day. Despite the hostile environment of the planetoid, Sunspot's crust was filled with exotic elements that could be transformed into fuel, or converted into weaponry. Deeper down, strange crystals that rang with the power ofthe Force could be found. Scientists also speculated that the rare element known asdark matter could be found, or at least created using material buried in the arid environment. Settlements existed in the polar regions of the world, where the ground was more stable and habitable. Even from its dark side, the violent storms that racked the world were visible from space as the lava and magma illuminated the atmosphere's noxious clouds with a pinkish light.^[4]

History[]

When the non–Force-sensitivesettlers ofTython—^[6] the fifth planet of the system—^[1]traveled to its neighboring worlds more than amillennium after^[6] theyear36,453 BBY,^[4] they began to turn their thoughts to Sunspot.^[6] It wasn't until the 29,000s BBY that a series of exploratory missions began visiting the world to search for any signs of previous habitation. Believing the planetoid to have originated from outside the star system, the scholars examining the world believed that it might hold clues to its origins but were underwhelmed with the lack of evidence the crust held. The mining operations on Sunspot relied on a rotational crew of miners hoping to earn their fortunes, attracted by legends of great stores of wealth in the planet's crust. While 10% of miners died every year, and a miner might only remain on the world for one or two seasons, the profitability of the mines was no mere myth.^[4]

At some point before25,800 BBY,^[7] theKoorivarSlug had anincident on the planet that left him indebted toDaegen Lok—^[5] a member of the mysticJe'daii Order.^[8] By25,793 BBY,^[9]mining operations had been established on Sunspot, which were made possible by the use ofenvironment suits.^[1] In that year,^[9]Ketu—aTemple Master of the Je'daii Order—told thePadawan learnersHarun andResi the history of the Tython system, and mentioned the colonization of Sunspot, amid other events.^[6]

Stargazer plot[]

In the the final years of the Je'daii Order, rogueJe'daii JourneyerDalien Brock led a cabal ofStargazers to Sunspot to arm a device designed to power aGreehypergate they believed was hidden deep in theOld City of Tython. Tracked to Sunspot byJe'daii RangerLanoree Brock and her comrade,Tre Sana, the rogue Je'daii had planned his trip to Sunspot to coincide with the orbital crossing of the planet with its neighbor Malterra. Hoping that the space storms would prevent the Order from stopping his plot, Je'daii Brock managed to land atRan Dan's Folly near the southern pole safely. Hoping to prevent her brother from finding dark matter in the bowels of the abandoned mining complex, she failed to stop the Stargazer Cult but managed to continue after them to prevent them from succeeding on Tython.^[4]

Behind the scenes[]

Sunspot was first pictured in the entry for Tython inThe Holonet feature of the official website forStar Wars: The Old Republic—a2011massively multiplayer online roleplaying game developed byBioWare. The planet was depicted in a schematic of the Tython system. Since its establishment in2008,The Old Republic's website has gone through a number of changes, resulting in the removal of some of the features and images that were originally located there, including the aforementioned schematic. The Tython system—and therefore Sunspot—was placed in grid square L-10 byThe Essential Atlas—a reference book co-authored byJason Fry andDaniel Wallace, and published onAugust 18,2009. Sunspot's name and additional information on it were provided inStar Wars: Dawn of the Jedi 0, a preview issue of theStar Wars: Dawn of the Jedi series ofcomic books. The issue was published onFebruary 1,2012, and was written byJohn Ostrander and penciled byJan Duursema. The small world was also mentioned in thefirst and theeighth issue of the series, which were published onFebruary 15, 2012 andFebruary 27,2013, respectively.

Appearances[]

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• Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void(andaudiobook)(First appearance)
• Dawn of the Jedi: Force Storm 1(Mentioned only)
• Dawn of the Jedi: The Prisoner of Bogan 3(Mentioned only)

Sources[]

• Tython onThe Old Republic Holonet(original site is defunct)(First pictured)
• Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi 0(First mentioned)

Notes and references[]