Charros IV

Charros IV was a planet in the Mid Rim Territories' Numesira sector. It was the site of the Xi Char Cathedral factories, where members of the Xi Charrian species produced the Vulture-class starfighter "vulture droid." During the Galactic Civil War, the Rebel Alliance was forced to retreat from Charros IV, expecting the Galactic Empire to soon retake the world.

Description

Charros IV,^[5] also known simply as Charros, was a planet^[6] in the fourth orbital^[5] position of the Charros system,^[1] located in the Slice portion^[2] of the Mid Rim Territories. Situated in grid square R-9 of the Standard Galactic Grid, it lay in the Numesira sector^[1] and was connected by hyperspace routes to the Bimmisaari and Togoria systems,^[4] with the Great Kashyyyk Branch hyperroute^[3] also linking it to the celestial body Balamak.^[4]

History

During the days of the Galactic Republic, the Xi Char Cathedral factories at Charros IV produced^[5] the Vulture-class starfighter "vulture droid," an automated starfighter that saw use by the Trade Federation corporation and eventually the Separatist Alliance during the Clone Wars against the Republic.^[7] The Clone Wars ended in 19 BBY with the fall of the Separatists and the Republic's transition to the Galactic Empire,^[8] which came to control Charros IV.^[6]

During the Galactic Civil War between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, the Alliance carried out its Mid Rim Offensive from around 1 ABY,^[8] with Charros IV being liberated from Imperial control.^[6] The campaign then collapsed in 2 ABY^[8] due to Imperial pushback. The Empire's counteroffensive necessitated the retreat of Alliance troops to more fortified holdings, and thus Alliance forces prepared to retreat from Charros IV as well as the planets Durkteel, Jeyell, Ord Tiddell, Pothor, and Trasse—all of which the Empire was expected to retake imminently.^[6]

The rebel General Carlist Rieekan made a summary of the situation in a classified document for the Alliance Commander-in-Chief Mon Mothma, with Charros IV and the other five worlds being mentioned. Rieekan added that while a few local revolutionaries were set to evacuate with the Alliance, the rest were set to stay and harass the Empire. Archivist Hendri Underholt soon collected the document and included it in their compilation of non-electronic documents known as The Rebel Files.^[6] In 34 ABY,^[9] a number of screens on Chandrila Star Line's Star Cruiser Halcyon showed a partial map of the galaxy that indicated Charros IV's position.^[10]

Inhabitants

On Charros IV, the Xi Char,^[5] a religious cult^[12] that founded^[5] the fanatical Haor Chall Engineering Corporation,^[12] operated its cathedral factories,^[5] where members of^[7] the sentient insectoid Xi Charrian species^[13] produced vulture droids.^[7] The Xi Char believed in bespoke production,^[12] and ultra-precision manufacturing was a religious act of worship at the factories^[14]—as well as the Haor Chall Engineering company as a whole—that was followed by thousands. Initiates in the workforce did not concern themselves with what came to use of the products.^[5] Most Xi Charrian vehicle designs, like the vulture droid, had an insectoid appearance.^[12]

Behind the scenes

Charros was first introduced in the current Star Wars canon via a map included in the 2016 Fantasy Flight Games roleplaying boxed set Star Wars: The Force Awakens Beginner Game.^[4] It was fully identified as Charros IV in the 2018 reference book Star Wars: Complete Vehicles, specifically in a section^[5] reprinted from David West Reynolds' 1999 reference book Star Wars: Episode I Incredible Cross-Sections of the Star Wars Legends continuity.^[15]

The first in-universe appearance of Charros IV came via depiction on a map viewable in Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, an immersive roleplaying experience at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida^[10] that was first opened to the public on March 1, 2022,^[16] and had its final voyage from September 28 to 30, 2023.^[17] Star Wars: Episode I Incredible Cross-Sections served as the first mention of^[15] the planet Charros IV in Legends, and it subsequently had its first full appearance in James Luceno's 2005 novel Labyrinth of Evil.^[18]

Appearances

• The High Republic Adventures (2021) 1 (Appears as point(s) on galactic map(s); based on correspondence between the map and maps in other sources)
• Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser (First appearance) (Pictured on screen only) (Based on correspondence between the galactic map and maps in other sources)

Sources

• Star Wars: The Force Awakens Beginner Game (First mentioned) (Appears as point(s) on galactic map(s))
• Where in the Galaxy Are the Worlds of Rogue One? on StarWars.com (article) (backup link)
• Star Wars: The Rebel Files
• Star Wars: Complete Vehicles (2018) (First identified as Charros IV)
• The High Republic Free Digital Sampler (Appears as point(s) on galactic map(s); based on correspondence between the map and maps in other sources)
• "The First Order" — Star Wars Encyclopedia (Appears as point(s) on galactic map(s))
• "Scarif and Other Planets in the Outer Rim" — Star Wars Encyclopedia (Appears as point(s) on galactic map(s))
• "Exegol, the Unknown Regions and Wild Space" — Star Wars Encyclopedia (Indirect mention only)
• Star Wars Galaxy Map poster (also published on StarWars.com) (Appears as point(s) on galactic map(s))
• Star Wars: Complete Locations, New Edition (Appears as point(s) on galactic map(s))
• Star Wars: The Acolyte: The Visual Guide (Appears as point(s) on galactic map(s))
• Star Wars Galaxy Map on StarWars.com (article) (backup link) (Appears as point(s) on galactic map(s))

Notes and references