Varkana

"I finally have enough credits to get off this stinking planet."

―Lechee^[4]

Varkana was a rocky desert planet located in the Outer Rim Territories. It included the port village Vargo Spaceport, where the human Losha Tarkon operated a cantina. The cantina was visited by the Nautolan bounty hunter Nakano Lash and her crew around 10 BBY. By 34 ABY, the Resistance spy Norath Kev operated on Varkana and tracked the First Order's activity and connections there. That year, he was reported by a local vendor and captured by the bounty hunter Ax Tagrin.

A distress signal activated by Kev came to the attention of fellow Resistance spy Kazuda Xiono, who put together a group that travelled to Vargo Spaceport in search of Kev. Tagrin confronted the group, but they got away after a brief skirmish and managed to located the bounty hunter's starship in order to find Kev. When Xiono and two of his companions boarded the ship and freed Kev, Tagrin trapped them aboard the vessel and tried to rendezvous with the First Order.

However, Tagrin's captives were able to crash the ship on the inside, and while the bounty hunter continued to pursue them, Xiono and Kev got away while their associates were captured. With the First Order arriving, Xiono's comrades were interrogated for information, but the two Resistance spies were able to disguise themselves as First Order stormtroopers and free their allies. While Tagrin attempted to stop them from escaping, they defeated the bounty hunter and fled Varkana.

Description

"Look around. There's nothing of much value in this place."

―Synara San^[4]

Varkana was located just off of the Salin Corridor hyperspace route.

Varkana was a terrestrial planet^[4] located in an eponymous star system within the New Territories portion^[2] of the Outer Rim Territories region.^[1] It lay in the Quelii sector^[3] just off of the^[9] Salin Corridor^[7] hyperspace route between the Botajef and Vinsoth systems.^[9] Varkana was situated at the galactic coordinates 325.04, 311.41, -8.2^[6] and in the grid square O-6 on the Standard Galactic Grid^[5] Appearing bronze-colored from above, Varkana's surface was characterised by rocky deserts with cliffs, canyons, and spires. It had a dry climate with little vegetation,^[4] but could host rain and lightning storms.^[8]

History

A toast to companions

"You do see me waiting by the bar, right, T'ongor? I'm good for my round."
"I saw you ignore two bartenders who came up to you. And I need something to drinks—before Bossk gets us kicked out of this place."

―T'onga and T'ongor^[1]

Nakano Lash holds a meeting with her crew on Varkana around 10 BBY.

By around 10 BBY,^[10] the human Losha Tarkon owned a cantina at the^[1] village^[4] Vargo Spaceport on Varkana, working there as a one of the bartenders.^[1] Around that year,^[10] a crew of bounty hunters led by the Nautolan Nakano Lash visited the cantina for a briefing. While one of the crew, the Trandoshan Bossk, got into a fight with other patrons, another member, the human T'onga, was getting a round of drinks for the group, becoming distracted by Tarkon. When^[1] her^[11] twin^[12] brother T'ongor went to see what was taking her so long,^[1] he^[12] realized the reason decided he would have to sort his own drink himself.^[1]

Lash soon started the briefing with^[1] her^[12] crew, highlighting the importance of the bounty hunters working together amongst the harsh banter between some of the other crewmembers. T'onga joined the meeting partway through and the crew toasted to companionship at the end.^[1] By 3 ABY,^[13] Tarkon had relocated to the moon of Logal Ri with^[12] her now wife T'onga.^[14]

Spy activity

Call for help

"I was tracking the shipments and materials the First Order moves through black market channels."
"Until Lechee double-crossed you."
"Greed got the best of him. I had a whole list of names. First Order sympathizers and dealers."

―Norath Kev and Kazuda Xiono^[4]

Norath Kev tracked First Order activity on Varkana

By 34 ABY,^[15] the Resistance spy Norath Kev operated at Vargo Spaceport, monitoring black market shipments there. Intent on tracking First Order activity, the spy accumulated a list of individuals on Varkana working for the First Order as dealers or collaborators. However, the junk vendor Lechee discovered Kev's ties and reported him to the First Order. Ax Tagrin, a bounty hunter tasked with capturing Resistance operatives for the First Order, was sent to capture the spy. Kev and his droid 2BR-NTB were pursued to a building, where the spy hit a datapad with all of his intelligence and activated a distress signal on it. Tagrin arrived and destroyed 2BR-NTB, taking Kev prisoner. Set on using the distress signal as bait for more Resistance targets, the bounty hunter kept Kev on his starship,^[4] the Novahawk-class assault transport Dalkor Dagger,^[16] in a rented docking bay.^[4]

Kev's distress call was picked up by the Colossus, a supertanker fuel depot that was on the run from the First Order. To the reluctance of Captain Imanuel Doza, Kazuda Xiono, a Resistance spy working with the Colossus, led a mission to investigate the distress signal. He was joined by his droid CB-23, fellow Resistance operative Jarek Yeager, and the pirate Synara San. The group landed just outside Vargo Spaceport in a Star Commuter 2000, making their way to the building where Kev had left his distress beacon. While they travelled there, Lechee spotted the visitors and tried to haggle them for business. Being turned down, the junk vendor contacted Tagrin, reporting on the visitors.^[4]

Tagrin's traps

"Snagged three more members of the Resistance, Pyre. My usual rate applies."
"Of course. The First Order thanks you for your service to our cause."

―Ax Tagrin reports to Commander Pyre^[4]

Ax Tagrin confronts Kazuda Xiono and Jarek Yeager

Finding where Kev had been captured, Xiono's group recovered the datapad, uncovering the spy's findings, identifying Lechee on the list of First Order affiliates. Before they could leave, though, Tagrin confronted them, leading to a skirmish as San engaged the bounty hunter to allow the rest to escape. San and Tagrin continued to fight outside the building, but the bounty hunter ended up escaping after hurting his pirate adversary. Xiono and his companions regrouped in a marketplace, discussing the situation and making brief contact with the Colossus. With Xion keen on finding Kev, they went to confront Lechee, who had received a sum of credits for his informant work. Interrogating the vendor, they were able to determine the location of Tagrin's ship. San destroyed Lechee's comlink as they departed.^[4]

After the group arrived at the docking bay, San kept watch outside while the rest of the group boarded the Dalkor Dagger to find Kev. Xiono found the captured spy and helped him out of his cell, only to find it was a trap as Tagrin closed the boarding ramp to the ship, enclosing them on board. Contacting Commander Pyre of the First Order, Tagrin took off and departed Vargo Spaceport. However, Xiono and his companions found a way to overload the Dalkor Dagger's systems from the inside, crashing it. As the Resistance operatives tried to escape the crash site, both CB-23 and Kev being damaged or injured, Tagrin pursued them again and overpowered Xiono and Yeager. San arrived on a speeder bike and joined the fight, allowing Xiono and Kev to escape on the speeder, but as she and Yeager kept Tagrin at bay, the bounty hunter used his vibro-ax to take them down, capturing them and CB-23.^[4]

First Order crackdown

"What is your status? A bounty hunter caught Yeager, Synara, and CB and turned them over to the First Order. Where are you?"
"I've powered down the Colossus, and we are hidden within some electrical interference, but it's only a matter of time before their patrols spot us."
"Hold out as long as you can, Captain. We have a plan. We're gonna get everyone back soon."
"Hurry, Kaz. If we run into trouble up here, we may have to jump away without you."

―Imanuel Doza and Kazuda Xiono^[8]

Jarek Yeager and Synara San were interrogated by Agent Tierny.

Meanwhile, the First Order Resurgent-class Star Destroyer Thunderer, commanded by Pyre, arrived in Varkana's orbit, sending down TIE/fo space superiority fighters and AAL-1971/9.1 Troop Transports^[4] carrying First Order stormtroopers to Vargo Spaceport.^[8] As Xiono contacted Doza for an evacuation, the captain said that it was too late, confirming the First Order's arrival.^[4] Pyre and First Order agent Tierny joined the forces deploying to Vargo Spaceport in an Upsilon-class command shuttle, disembarking to meet Tagrin and the prisoners. Tagrin was promised no payment until the Xiono and Kev were captured too. Tierny took the new prisoners away for interrogation.^[8]

Xiono and Kev evaded stormtroopers that were sweeping Vargo Spaceport, briefly making contact again with the Colossus, which was hiding in the electrical storm of a nearby moon. Xiono lied to Doza that he had a plan to save his team, but when Kev questioned what the plan was, he revealed he was still trying to formulate one. Pyre had a technician stormtrooper on trying to break into the databanks of CB-23 while Tierny tortured San and Yeager and information on the Colossus and the Resistance in one of the troop transports, taunting them. As the two Resistance spies kept sneaking around, Xiono decided that they should disguise themselves as stormtroopers, much to Kev's doubts. A couple of stormtroopers then found and pursued the pair, who tried to hide in the residence of the vendor Darrb. A reluctant Darrb was able to get the stormtroopers' attention, but the spies managed to incapacitate the troopers and carry them away.^[8]

The escape

"If we stay here any longer, those troopers will eventually find us."
"Back to the shuttle."

―San and Xiono^[8]

Disguising themselves in the stormtroopers' armour, Xiono and Kev slowly made their way towards the First Order transports, flimsily blending in among the other troopers around. Tagrin identified the pair in their disguises and chose to infiltrate their shuttle, contacting the Colossus in order to reveal its hiding location. After Tagrin informed the First Order, the Thunderer attempted to intercept the refueling station, which ended up escaping into hyperspace. Tierny had been called over to CB-23's holding site by Pyre, who left her there when hearing the Colossus had escaped. Pyre then ran into the disguised Xiono and Kev at the building entrance, being stunned when the pair failed to stay in character. As the technician stormtrooper successfully accessed CB-23's databanks, Tierny left them to it, but the droid was able to shock the trooper and wipe the consoles. When Tierny returned to the scene, the droid knocked her unconscious too.^[8]

Xiono and Kev rescued their companions disguised in stormtrooper armour.

As that happened, Xiono and Kev found and freed Yeager and San, with CB-23 joining them too. Before any more troopers could find them, they quickly made their way out of the docking bay and back to their shuttle. However, Tagrin had stayed there and tried to capture them, cornering them outside the shuttle. CB-23, though, took control of the shuttle and used it to take the bounty hunter down. As Pyre and two other troopers arrived, Xiono's group was able to board their shuttle and make away on it. On the commander's orders, First Order TIEs tried to pursue the shuttle, but the Colossus's Ace Squadron arrived and fended the enemy ships off. When the Thunderer tried to cut them off in orbit, the Colossus arrived out of hyperspace to quickly pick them up and jump away again, leaving Pyre's forces empty-handed.^[8]

Later the same year,^[17] the Chandrila Star Line's MPO-1400 Purgill-class star cruiser Halcyon, which had departed from^[6] the Core Worlds planet^[18] Chandrila^[6] made an unscheduled detour to Vargo Spaceport to pick up a shipment of blasters. The shipment was to be delivered to Kev on^[6] the Outer Rim planet^[18] Mon Cala. The pickup and subsequent delivery of the shipment was included in the cruiser's port of call schedule, was detailed in the voyage's datapad crew notes. The notes indicated that an attendant at Vargo Spaceport would have useful intelligence on the task.^[6]

Inhabitants

"We'll park just outside of the port. No need to attract any unwanted attention."

―Jarek Yeager^[4]

On Varkana, a multitude of species roamed the streets of Vargo Spaceport, including Gabdorins, Gran, humans, Morseerians, and Sakiyans.^[4]

Locations

"He rented out a docking bay in the main hangar on the south side, all right?"

―Lechee reveals where Tagrin is keeping his ship^[4]

Varkana was home to Vargo Spaceport, a port village with docking bays, houses, a marketplace,^[4] and at least one cantina.^[1]

Behind the scenes

"So, "Breakout" originally had Poe Dameron […]. He was with Kaz on the planet and initially, in our early conversations, that planet was going to be Batuu, from Galaxy's Edge and Disneyland. That land was in active development at that time and we had several conversations about incorporating it into Resistance but ultimately I think the decision was to give Resistance more of its own personality and I think there was a real fear it would be perceived as blatant product placement for theme park […]."

―Stephen Melching, on the original setting of "The Missing Agent" and "Breakout"^[19]

Varkana debuted in "The Missing Agent,"^[4] the twelfth episode of the second season of the animated television series Star Wars Resistance which aired on December 22, 2019.^[20] Prior to the episode's release, the planet was depicted, albeit unidentified, in a season trailer released on August 14 of the same year.^[21]

According to Steven Melching, a writer for the season, the setting for "The Missing Agent" and its subsequent episode supposed to be the planet Batuu. In those conversations, the decision was made to make a new planet in order to give the series more of its own personality and avoid any perception that it was blatant product placement, as Batuu was the setting of a themed land^[19] that also premiered in 2019.^[22] The architecture around Vargo Spaceport was designed to match the theme of an Old West outpost town. The exterior of the main hangar was specifically inspired by adobe Spanish missions.^[23] Concept art for Varkana in "The Missing Agent" and the following episode "Breakout," which aired a week later,^[20] were done by Lucasfilm Animation artists Andre Kirk,^[24]^[25]^[26]^[27]^[28]^[29] Stephan A. Carey,^[30]^[31] and Aaron Pham.^[32]