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Utapau

<Utapau

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Utapau

Astrographical information

Orbital position

4^[3]

Moons

9^[2]

Grid square

N-19^[3]

Distance from Core

51,000light-years^[1]

Rotation period

27standard hours^[4]^[3]

Orbital period

351local days^[4]^[3]

Physical information

Class

Terrestrial^[3]

Diameter

12,900kilometers^[3]

Atmosphere

Type I(breathable)

Climate

Temperate, windy and arid^[2]

Gravity

Standard^[4]

Terrain

Scrublands^[3]
Savanna
Canyons
Sinkholes^[2]^[3]
Desert surface^[2]
Grottoes
Undergroundoceans

Surface water

Less than 0.9%^[1]

Points of interest

Fauna

Societal information

Native species

Pau'ans^[2]
Utai^[2]

Other species

Amani

Primary language(s)

Government

Utapaun Committee^[4]

Population

95 million:^[1]^[3]
- 30% Pau'ans^[3]
- 70% Utai^[3]

Major cities

Pau City(capital)^[4]

Major imports

Medicine
Technology^[4]
Foodstuffs^[3]

Major exports

Affiliation

"Greetings, young Jedi. What brings you to our remote sanctuary?"
"Unfortunately, the war."
"There's no war here. Unless you brought it with you."

―Tion Medon and Obi-Wan Kenobi^[12]

Utapau (pronounced /'ʔuːtəˌpaʊ/) was an aridsinkhole world in theUtapau system of theTarabba sector in theOuter Rim Territories. Utapau was thehomeworld of thePau'ans and theUtai, more commonly referred to collectively asUtapauns. These species lived in the many giant sinkholes that dotted the planet's scrub-covered surface.

History[]

Utapau was a peaceful world that attempted to remain neutral in times ofgalactic conflict. The sinkhole world was shared by two symbiotichumanoid races whose common ancestors settled the planet at some point after57,000 BBY. The languid,gray-skinned Pau'ans composed only thirty percent of the planetary population but served as theport masters,bureaucrats, and patricians of the world. The stubby, humble Utai composed the Utapaun labor class, which maintained the windmills of their sinkhole cities and served as handlers for the nativevaractyl anddactillion dragonmounts.^[11]

Originally, the Pau'ans and the Utai colonists lived separate lives; the Pau'ans on the unremarkable surface, the Utai deep underground. In the 10,000-year span before theClone Wars, the planet's climate began to change, causing stronger and strongerhyperwind storms. This forced the Pau'ans to move underground, re-establishing relations with the Utai people and adding their own, unique touch to the Utai cities. The sinkhole communities soon became a mix of Pau'an and Utai architecture, such as the form known asOssic.^[1] These cities were built into the crevasses and rocky ledges that lined the edges of the sinkholes.^[11]

The mixed population of Utai and Pau'ans were divided into city states, with occasional border skirmishes and small wars occurring between separate sinkhole communities.^[11] However, thanks to the efforts of Utapaun nobles such asTimon Medon, the various cities were brought together and Utapau was unified.^[1] To fuel the modest energy needs of the sinkhole cities, many largewindmill farms were erected on the wind-blasted surface. These farms were responsible for generating over 99% of the energy consumed by the Utapaun communities.^[11]

Pau City Sinkhole — The massive sinkhole settlement ofPau City.

During theGreat Galactic War, Utapau became one of the manybattlegrounds between the Galactic Republic and the resurgentSith Empire.^[14]

Around50 BBY, an offworld water-mining company discovered supposed healing elements in the underground water lakes of Utapau; the export of this water brought Utapau into thegalactic community. For millennia, a rumor additionally persisted that the planet was one of the birthplaces of theJedi Order.^[15] This legend added to the sales pitch, but the water was soon discovered to have no extraordinary powers and the business ended.^[11] In the time before the Clone Wars, the planet also served as the headquarters ofBuuper Torsckil Abbey Devices.^[11]

Clone Wars[]

"Chancellor Palpatine thinks Grievous is on Utapau..."

―Ki-Adi-Mundi^[12]

Main article:Battle of Utapau

Utapau never joined theGalactic Republic. During theClone Wars, Utapau remained neutral, but allegiance was forced upon the current Master of Port Administration,Tion Medon, whenGeneral Grievous and theSeparatist Council took the world as their own, at the command ofDarth Sidious. Grievous threatened to destroyPau City should Tion attempt to call for help, though luckily,Jaing andKom'rk Skirata located Grievous on the planet.Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi went to Pau City to spring a trap on the Separatists and was greeted by Tion Medon, who secretly gave Kenobi the location of Grievous'sLucrehulk-class Droid Control Ship,Unlimited Projection.

General Kenobi sent hisastromech droid R4-G9 away with hisstarfighter back to the fleet of Republic Ships to make the CIS believe he was leaving. He then attacked Grievous while he was unprepared. During Kenobi's battle with Grievous,Commander Cody's forces arrived, including a detachment of the501st Legion along with his own soldiers of the212th Attack Battalion,^[16] as well as local Utapaun warriors andpilots. Obi-Wandefeated Grievous and the droids.^[12] Eventually, Order 66 was issued and Cody followed an unsuccessful attempt to kill Kenobi. Theclone troopers, followingOrder 66 and theDeclaration of a New Order, turned on Obi-Wan, nearly killing him and forcing the Jedi Master to flee Utapau.^[12] The clone troopers then rounded up members of the resistance movement, including Tion Medon, and deported some toByss, where they were used as slaves in "recolonization efforts".^[17]

Galactic Civil War[]

TheGalactic Empire later established a secret storehouse on Utapau, holding artifacts such as the remains of Grievous's body andhis starfighter.^[5] In0 BBY, Utapau was predominantly governed by theFey family, and there was someRebel influence on the remote world. TheZann Consortium had the option to corrupt this world by sendingSilri and a detachment ofDefilers, 2Missile Attack Launchers (MALs), anddroideka Mark IIs to kidnapGarnak Fey and force the Utapau government to meet the Consortium's demands.^[18]Following theBattle of Endor, Utapau was one of the first worlds to become part of theNew Republic, a move designed to prevent the likelihood of once again being attacked and occupied by invading forces.^[13]

Second Imperial Civil War[]

During theSecond Imperial Civil War, theremnants of the Galactic Alliance led byAdmiral Gar Stazi set up a base on Utapau after their victory against Sith-Imperial forces on the world ofDac. Following theDevastation of Da Soocha, Sithscientist Vul Isen andSith Lord Darth Azard set up a secret laboratory on the planet where Isen started to study the various species of the planet so as topoison them and destroy the Alliance resistance. He also planned to send a assassin to take out Admiral Stazi before releasing the toxin. Fortunately, Isen's plot was stopped by theJedi Knights Wolf Sazen andCade Skywalker along with their associatesJariah Syn andDeliah Blue. Isen's assassin, a guard in the Galactic Alliance who waspaid off by the Sith, was killed by Syn and Blue, while Azard was mortally wounded by Sazen in alightsaber duel, and Vul Isen himself was cut in two by Skywalker before he could poison the planet.^[19]

Military[]

P-38 Fighter — ThePorax-38 starfighter, a fighter design native to Utapau.

From before theClone Wars, Utapau was one of the worlds restricted by aTrade Federation arms embargo on remote galactic regions.^[11] Because of this, the local defense fleet was based around downscaled warships only, many of which were designed and built on Utapau itself, including a variant of theRendili StarDrive Dreadnaught.^[10] It was capable of offering some protection against maraudingpirates, but as a battleship, it was outclassed by those put out by rich, industrialized sectors. For example, each vessel was only about one-fifth the size of aLucrehulk-class battleship^[10] and they were all destroyed by the invading Separatist forces.^[11]

On the other hand, Utapau's primary starfighter, thePorax-38, was a tough, long-range snubfighter, designed for Utai pilots and capable of extended interstellar patrols of up to twenty days. They saw good use when the scatteredUtapau Skyforce mustered to oust the Separatists alongside Republic forces at the Battle of Utapau.^[10]In addition to mechanical vessels, the Skyforce also made use of nativedactillions; giant, flying reptiles that could carry a rider into battle.^[7]

Behind the scenes[]

Utapau was a name for one of the planets (withAquilae/Townowi andOgana) that becameTatooine in therough draft andsecond draft ofA New Hope^[20]and was the original name forNaboo in the early drafts ofThe Phantom Menace.^[21]

ArtistRalph McQuarrie envisioned a sinkhole planet during pre-production ofA New Hope in1976, and this artwork was approved byGeorge Lucas during pre-production ofRevenge of the Sith. Digimatte artistBrett Northcutt who designed Utapau said that he succeeded in creating "the wheat-colored savanna that George and the art directors were looking for."

AuthorDaniel Wallace has also pointed out that Utapau is reminiscent of theCity of Bone in theMarvel Star Wars issueStar Wars (1977) 69.^[22]