Phelzepham system

"We have them outnumbered, sir.… We should have control of the moon within the hour."
"Hm. Tell all troops to retreat… except Vader."

―An Imperial officer and Governor Ahr, during the battle for the Phelzepham moon^[2]

The Phelzepham system was a star system in the Esuain sector of the galaxy's Mid Rim Territories. It contained the moon Phelzepham and was located at grid square P-7 of the Standard Galactic Grid. Around 2 BBY during the Imperial Era, the Phelzepham system became the site of conflict when insurgents on Phelzepham were targeted for destruction by the Galactic Empire. While the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader was ordered to win the battle all on his own toward its end, the Empire, thanks to Vader, was able to overpower the rebels and claim the moon.

Description

Located at Standard Galactic Grid grid square P-7 and in the Mid Rim Territories of the galaxy, the Phelzepham system was a star system in the Esuain sector^[1] that contained the moon Phelzepham.^[2]

History

"Hmp. Very good, then."

―Governor Ahr greets Darth Vader after the victory on Phelzepham^[2]

Darth Vader stands alone against the Phelzepham system insurgents around 2 BBY.

As part of the Esuain sector, the Phelzepham system^[1] fell under the jurisdiction of the Galactic Empire during the Imperial Era and was overseen by Governor Ahr, who knew the overall sector quite well. However, the Phelzepham system found itself the site of conflict after a group of anti-Imperial insurgents arose on the moon Phelzepham.^[2] Around 2 BBY,^[3] the Phelzepham system-based insurgents were targeted for destruction as part of an Imperial pacification operation within the Esuain sector intended to totally claim the sector for the Empire. Following victories in the Namzor system and the Ahn Krantarium system, the forces of the Sith Lord Darth Vader—who had been ordered to obey the whims of Ahr by his Sith Master, Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine—and Ahr arrived in the Phelzepham system aboard Ahr's Venator-class Star Destroyer.^[2]

While Ahr and another Imperial officer oversaw the battle from orbit aboard the Star Destroyer, Vader landed on Phelzepham with a force of stormtroopers to overpower the outnumbered Phelzepham insurgents. At a point where the Empire had nearly claimed victory over the insurgents, Ahr, as a test for the Sith Lord, ordered all the stormtroopers to retreat while Vader stayed behind to continue the battle. Nonetheless, Vader was able to singlehandedly claim victory over the remaining insurgents, winning the battle and claiming the moon for the Empire. Afterward, Vader returned to the orbiting Star Destroyer. Aboard, Ahr greeted Vader and, despite claiming the results were good, quickly looked for a new way to test the Sith Lord. At his direction, the destroyer hyperspace jumped to the Kankalo Belt Containment Zone.^[2]

Behind the scenes

The Phelzepham system was first featured via the moon Phelzepham in the one-shot comic Age of Rebellion - Darth Vader 1, released as part of the Age of Rebellion comic series. The issue was written by Greg Pak, illustrated by Ramón F. Bachs, and published by Marvel Comics^[2] on June 26, 2019.^[4] The system was later identified in the "Star Systems of the Galaxy" appendix published on StarWars.com^[1] on June 24, 2025. The appendix was written by Jason Fry and released alongside StarWars.com's Star Wars Galaxy Map, which was also written by Fry.^[5]