Dantooine

Dantooine was a planet in the Dantooine system, in the Raioballo sector of the Outer Rim Territories' northern New Territories region. Dantooine was affiliated with both the Galactic Republic and, later, the Galactic Empire.

Description

A terrestrial planet within the Raioballo sector of the Outer Rim Territories, near the Sinsang and Angor systems, Dantooine was the fourth planet in-orbit around its star, Dina. Dantooine, itself, was orbited by two moons, the larger of which shone a light purple luminescence, while the lesser of the two gave a greenish radiance. Two hyperspace lanes ran near-to Dantooine: the long, winding Veragi Trade Route, and the smaller Myto's Arrow, a rather backwater route from Dantooine to Jaemus—though which provided travelers with a faster trip. Nevertheless, despite having a close proximity to both lanes, Dantooine was considered somewhat inaccessible.^[2]

Most of the planetary surface topography and geography of Dantooine consisted of grassy plains and low, rolling hillocks and mounds dotted with blba trees, as well as forested hills containing creeks, rivers, and large freshwater lakes.^[8] Much of Dantooine's weather away from the colder poles was rather uneventful, remaining steadily temperate, mild and semi-dry throughout much of its 378–local day year. In springtime, the rainy season in spring, which brought torrential downpours that turned the fertile soil into mud and tinged the brown grass with a shade of lavender.^[2] Dantooine also had damp, dense forests with thorny undergrowth and an endless canopy, where sap farms were grown.^[14]

Dantooine was rich in wildlife. The foliage from the plains blba trees sustained large herbivores, such as the piket. Native predators included the stalker lizard, the graul,^[2] and the kath hound,^[17] though the latter had become rare in the wild after many were captured as guard animals and pets. Fabool, a balloon-like creature, were sometimes punctured by blba tree thorns and eaten by carnivorous snails.^[2]

History

Early history and High Republic Era

Several centuries before the onset of the Clone Wars, records mentioned involvement from the Jedi Order on Dantooine. At one point, a temple was maintained on the planet. A few Jedi found kyber crystals within the eggs of them cave-dwelling kinrath.^[11] Following the Jedi's withdrawal from the planet, Dantooine was resettled as part of the Galactic Republic's campaign to populate the New Territories.^[2] The oldest settlement on the planet contained a public house and acted as a trading port, but the town itself was still small^[15] as of circa 381 BBY during the High Republic Era. Around that year,^[18] the Evereni Marda Ro arrived in the public house in search of other members of her kind, meeting a human inside who pointed her towards two Evereni on a space station close to^[15] the moon^[8] Pantora.^[15]

In 232 BBY,^[19] the Galactic Republic space station Starlight Beacon prepared to open. Among the areas of its biosphere zone was a recreation of Dantooine jungle, which was toured by Jedi Padawan Bell Zettifar while he attended a conclave there. The Great Hyperspace Disaster, an incident in which the freighter Legacy Run was destroyed in hyperspace, occurred soon afterwards. In the aftermath, Emergences of the starship's debris into realspace began occurring at random throughout the Outer Rim Territories, leading Supreme Chancellor Lina Soh to institute an extensive hyperspace blockade to prevent further disasters. The eighteenth Emergence occurred near Dantooine, prompting the blockade to be extended another fifty parsecs. Another one of the first twenty-one Emergences destroyed an orbital shipping facility near the planet which had been coordinating a large aid shipment to Outer Rim worlds affected by the blockade.^[20]

Clone Wars

During the time of the Clone Wars, Dantooine was populated by peaceful farmers who came to the planet to grow crops and raise livestock on homesteads primarily powered by wind energy. During the war, the Confederacy of Independent Systems arrived on Dantooine, supposedly in search of ancient artifacts, and the Republic responding by dispatching Jedi Master Mace Windu to deal with the situation. During the battle, many of Windu's troopers perished, but the Jedi was able to defeat the Confederacy's B2-series super battle droids and seismic tanks that caused dangerous shock waves to the planet's surface.^[2]

While on Dantooine, the Republic troops were able to send out a distress signal which was later picked up by the Republic,^[2] who sent supplies and medical aid to the planet immediately aboard the Pelta-class frigate TB-73 with the help of Jedi Padawans Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee. However, the two Jedi were unable to complete their delivery mission as a result of an infestation of Geonosian brain worms aboard the frigate, and was later undertaken by Jedi Master Kit Fisto.^[16]

Galactic Civil War

By the early Galactic Civil War, Dantooine was an Alliance regional operations sector headquarters and meeting hub for executive-level discussions. Dantooine was included in a map of the galaxy that listed safe worlds, starfighter hubs at level five or higher, regional headquarters and operations sectors, and deep space caches, which was later incorporated in The Rebel Files.^[21] The Rebellion used the planet as the location of their first base.^[7]

In 2 BBY,^[19] during the early rebellion, the former Imperial Senator and rebel leader Mon Mothma made arrangements for the rebel fleet to rendezvous above Dantooine. She wanted to unify the disparate rebel cells and factions and make official the Rebel Alliance. With the help of Phoenix Leader Hera Syndulla and the Spectres, Mothma managed to travel through the dangerous Archeon pass to Dantooine. Above Dantooine, Mothma gave an impassioned HoloNet speech urging the galaxy to rise up in rebellion against the Empire. Shortly later, the rebel fleet converged above Dantooine.^[22]

At some point before the Battle of Scarif, an Imperial tracking device was discovered hidden in a shipment of supplies by Ryle Torsyn. Although the device was destroyed and the Empire remained unaware of Rebel activity on the planet, the Alliance took no risks and evacuated.^[2] They established their new headquarters on the jungle moon Yavin 4, a location that was already in use by Jan Dodonna's rebel cell.^[23]

When Princess Leia Organa was held captive on the Death Star, Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin threatened to destroy her home planet of Alderaan if she did not provide him with the location of the Rebellion's secret base. Organa then lied to him, stating the base was still on Dantooine. Tarkin, impatient to try out the Death Star's superlaser at full capacity, deemed Dantooine "too remote to make an effective demonstration" and ordered the destruction of Alderaan anyway.^[10] Nonetheless, Imperial forces, led by General Cassio Tagge,^[14] reconnoitered Dantooine, only to find the remains of the abandoned Rebel base. Thane Kyrell was one of those who were sent to explore Dantooine, and he was surprised by the level of organization and sophistication he saw in the abandoned base.^[6]

Chelli Lona Aphra was on Dantooine at the time of Tagge's expedition, scavenging at the abandoned base for 3.23 colicoidic pulse field modulators with which to repair and upgrade Droidekas. She surrendered to the Imperial forces to prevent them from discovering the Ark Angel, and learned about the destruction of Alderaan from Tagge. Although the general didn't think she was a rebel, he ordered a stormtrooper to execute her anyway. Dr. Aphra escaped by jamming the stormtrooper's blaster.^[14]

Around 3 ABY,^[24] Imperial Intelligence and the Imperial Security Bureau reverse-mapped suspicious activity reports against population studies in order to determine likely locations of Rebel bases. Dantooine was suspected as a possible system and appeared on a map along with other sparsely-populated worlds.^[25]

Rise of the First Order

Following the outbreak of the war against the Resistance, the First Order, a successor to the Galactic Empire, occupied and blockaded Dantooine. The Resistance Commander Venisa Doza led a mission to evacuate several Resistance sympathizers. Doza's Jade Squadron and the Ace Squadron pilots Torra Doza, Kazuda Xiono, and Hype Fazon managed to eliminate a squadron of TIE fighters blockading Dantooine.^[12]

They managed to rendezvous with three Resistance shuttles but were attacked by Commander Pyre's Resurgent-class Star Destroyer, the Thunderer. Though Jade Squadron and the Aces managed to destroy several TIEs and evacuate two shuttles, one shuttle was shot down by First Order TIE Fighter Pilot Jace Rucklin.^[12]

Inhabitants

Dantooine was poorly developed and quiet, with a low population made up mostly of farmers. Indoor lighting was considered a novelty around 0 BBY.^[14] Historians debated the reason civilization never took hold on the fertile planet, but most agreed that it was due to the lack of significant resources and its remote position in the Galaxy.^[2]

Dantooine was the homeworld of Davish Krail, a Rebel Alliance pilot who served in Gold Squadron and was killed at the Battle of Yavin.^[8]

Locations

One settlement on Dantooine was Dantoo Town.^[14] Another outpost was located on the planet's plains, and had spaceport facilities for at least three shuttles.^[12]

The Rebellion built their base, disguised as a sap farm in a dense forest, on the opposite side of the planet from Dantoo Town.^[14]

At some point after the start of the Imperial occupation, the Empire established a mining outpost on its surface.^[2]

Behind the scenes

Dantooine was first mentioned in the 1977 film Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, the first installment of the Star Wars original trilogy.^[10] Stories from Star Wars Legends, particularly the Knights of the Old Republic and Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, provided extensive details both about the planet's composition and history, within the Legends context.

Early versions of the 2015 sequel trilogy film Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens had the First Order converting Dantooine into their superweapon and retrofitting the abandoned Rebel base for their own purposes, having been previously retrofitted by the Galactic Empire. The superlaser was set inside an old volcano, stealing energy from the suns of the system, with X-wing fighters trying to dive-bomb into it. Literally and metaphorically bringing more darkness to the galaxy, the base's name was to be the "Doom Star."^[26]

Initially, the evacuation of the Dantooine Rebel base was to be featured in the 2016 Star Wars Anthology film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but did not make the cut due to budget constraints.^[27]

Appearances

Non-canon appearances

• "Far Too Remote" — From a Certain Point of View (and audiobook)

Sources

Notes and references

External links

• Dantooine on the Disney Wiki