Planets - B (pt.2)
Source List & Abbreviations
Berusa
The first planet in the Garos system. [SWAJ]
Besberra system
The space station Zirtran's Anchor was once located in the Besberra
system until it suddenly and mysteriously vanished. The station later
reappeared, abandoned and empty, near the Phosphura Belt Nebula. [SWAJ]
Bespin system
Located in the isolated Ison Corridor, the Bespin system contains three
planets (Miser, Orin, and Bespin) and the asteroid belt Velser's Ring,
all of which orbit the star also called Bespin. The system is rich in
natural resources, including tibanna gas and valuable metals. [GG2]
Bespin
Bespin, the outermost planet in the system of the same name, is a large
gas giant approximately 118,000 kilometers in diameter which rotates
every twelve hours. Bespin has many moons, though only H'gaard and
Drudonna (known as The Twins) are large enough to command attention. The
planet's solid metal core is surrounded by a thick layer of liquid-metal
rethen, which is in turn surrounded by a layer of liquid rethen. Above
the rethen is Bespin's colorful cloud layer, which only extends 1000
kilometers into the heart of the planet. The "Life Zone," in which
humans and Bespin's native animals can survive, is a thirty kilometer-
deep band located within the cloud layer. Plant life in Bespin's Life
Zone is exclusively made of vast colonies of floating algae, such as the
numerous pinks and the phosphorescent glowers. Animal life includes
predatory velkers, batlike rawwks, and the kilometers-wide,
jellyfish-like grazers called beldons. The clouds are also home small
herd of saillike Alderaanian thrantas, which are the only surviving
members of their species after Alderaan1s recent destruction.
Naturally-occurring tibanna gas is a useful hyperdrive coolant which can
be found in Bespin's upper layers of clouds. Spin-sealed tibanna gas,
however, is an extremely rare element used in boosting blaster
firepower, and this gas can be found in abundance in the lowest levels
of the gas giant's atmosphere.
Many years ago, Lord Ecclessis Figg constructed the first floating
settlement on Bespin near the planet's equator-- the Floating Home. At
the time, it was the only outpost built on a gas giant to last more than
a decade. Ten years after its founding, expansion began which would
eventually turn the outpost into the vast metropolis of Cloud City. The
construction materials for this expansion were mined from Miser, the
innermost planet of the Bespin system. Cloud City is over sixteen
kilometers in diameter and houses almost five and a half million
inhabitants. The highest levels house casinos and nightclubs, while the
lowest generally house factories and production plants. The seedy,
corrupt environs of Port Town are found on the middle levels. Hotels in
the upper plaza include the Yerith Bespin, the Stratosphere, and the
Holiday Towers (formerly owned by Jabba the Hutt). Some of the many
casinos include the Royal, the Pair O'Dice, and the Trest. Besides
gambling, the many diversions for this level1s wealthy tourists include
watching the monthly 3sky rodeo2 performed by the thranta herd and its
alien riders, or boarding a floating health spa to breathe cloud vapor
(which is rumored to have therapeutic value). Due to Bespin1s rapid
rotation, visitors can enjoy two sunrises and sunsets every 3standard2
day.
The three branches of Cloud City's government are the Exex group of
business administrators, the Parliament of Guilds, and the single
Baron-Administrator. The massive repulsorlift generators keeping the
city afloat also draw spin-sealed tibanna gas from the lowest levels of
the planet's atmosphere. The gas is sent into the city's refineries,
where it is pressurized, purified, and frozen into carbonite blocks for
storage and sale. Ostensibly, Figg & Associates, Ltd. manufactures
tibanna gas for use as a hyperdrive coolant-- in reality, the company
sells spin-sealed gas to weapons manufacturers not affiliated with the
Empire. The city is small enough to avoid the official notice of the
Mining Guild, but an annual payment was typically made to Guild leaders
to keep them from organizing Cloud City's workers. Though the city's
primary industry is tibanna gas production, other profitable Cloud City
companies include Bespin Motors. Before the destruction of Alderaan,
Bespin participated in a lucrative trade triangle with the Alderaan and
Corellian systems, and Cloud City still receives much of its shipping
from the nearby Corellian Trade Spine. Most of the city's industrial
work is handled by a large population of Ugnaughts (originally from
nearby Gentes) belonging to the Irden, Botrut, and Isced tribes. The
Storm Guard weather watch keeps an eye on Bespin's atmosphere from
Kerros' Tower (the highest point on Cloud City), and security is handled
by the city's Wing Guard. A hollow wind tunnel runs through the center
of the city.
Another floating city, Tibannopolis, was once a prosperous boomtown but
is now an abandoned ghost town, picked clean of valuables and drifting
at an angle due to its malfunctioning repulsors. Many other refineries,
waystations, and resorts drift through Bespin1s sky, including
independent prospectors searching for elusive tibanna gas strikes.
Years ago the Jedi Master Djinn Altis instructed his students, including
Geith and Callista, from a Jedi training platform hidden in Bespin's
clouds. The smuggler Lando Calrissian managed to become Baron-
Administrator of Cloud City after winning the rights from Baron Raynor
in a sabacc game. During his tenure Calrissian made the droid EV-9D9 his
security chief, and the psychotic robot destroyed one quarter of Cloud
City's droid population before being discovered and escaping aboard the
hijacked Mining Guild cutter "Iopene Princess." Calrissian also
established a new group of Commando-pilots to be used for Cloud City's
defense. Later, the city was used by Darth Vader in a vain attempt to
trap Luke Skywalker. Calrissian helped his friends escape Vader's
ambush, and the city was subsequently seized by the Empire. Rogue
Squadron pilot Rhysati Ynr, a native of Bespin, was forced to flee Cloud
City with her family when Imperial forces arrived. Six years later, the
Imperial garrison at Bespin was used by Grand Admiral Thrawn in his war
effort against the New Republic. Two years later, Luke Skywalker
returned to Bespin to recruit Streen, an independent prospector who used
the Force to sense gaseous eruptions from the lower cloud levels, into
his new Jedi Academy. One year later, one of the false charges filed
against Cray Mingla by the Eye of Palpatine's central computer concerned
retina prints and holograms provided by the government of Bespin. [ESB,
ESBN, TLC, JS, HTTE, SWS, COTJ, GG2, ISWU, TFJP, XWRS]
Bestine
When the Empire decided to open a high-security base of operations in
the Bestine system, the entire population of Bestine IV was evacuated to
make room for the installation. Alliance pilot Jek Porkins was one of
these dispossessed persons, and learned his piloting skills by hunting
sink-crabs on Bestine IV's rocky islands in his T-16 Skyhopper. Kestic
station, a free-trader outpost, was located near the Bestine system
until eliminated by the Star Destroyer Merciless. Alliance pilot Biggs
Darklighter defected to the Rebellion along with his ship, the Rand
Ecliptic, during a mission to the Bestine system. The Alliance cruiser
Defiance barely survived a surprise attack from the Star Destroyer
Immortal near Bestine, which was the site of an important base. A later
attack on the Rebel flagship Independence, just prior to the Battle of
Yavin, also resulted in a narrow escape for the Alliance. [SWN, MTS, FP]
Bethal
One of Bethal's primary exports is apocia hardwood, which takes two
centuries to mature and is used in the making of luxury furniture.
Cities on Bethal include the Altoona and Dora Prefectures, and the major
planetary cooperative is Bethal AgriCorp. Soon after the Battle of
Yavin, Bethal was infested by swarms of giant termites called
greddleback bugs. Several attempts were made to contain the nearly two
hundred greddleback swarms, which were moving across Bethal's southern
continent and threatening to wipe out the planet's apocia industry for
generations. [SWAJ]
Betshish
A swamp world that was scouted for possible colonization by Wetyin's
Colony. When a sentient species was found on the planet, Betshish was
removed from consideration. [GG2]
Bextar system
Located deep within the Velcar Free Commerce Zone in the Pentastar
Alignment, the Bextar system consists of four gas giants orbiting a pale
yellow sun. A thriving gas-mining operation, run by the Amber Sun Mining
Corporate, lies scattered across the planets' many moons. The
operation's labor force consists primarily of alien Entymals, who have
green exoskeletons and gliding membranes and make excellent pilots. The
Entymals were brought to the Bextar system from their homeworld, and
many dream of leaving the oppressive labor conditions of Bextar and
gaining their freedom. [SWAJ]
Biivren
A minor industrial planet formerly under Imperial rule. When the Empire
withdrew from Biivren after the Battle of Endor, they scuttled several
key factories and contaminated the world's water supply. Some
enterprising free-traders have been profiting by selling pure drinking
water to the planet's inhabitants. [SWAJ]
Bilbringi
Located in the Bilbringi system, the Imperial Shipyards of Bilbringi are
a mass of dockyard platforms, partially-built ships, and construction
vehicles, and are defended by at least four Golan II battle stations.
Floating shield generators line the approved approach vectors,
preventing any stray ships from wandering into restricted areas. The
shipyards, run by Bilbringi Control under the command of General Drost,
drastically stepped up warship production during Grand Admiral Thrawn's
offensive against the New Republic. During this period of construction
the yards ran short of strategic metals, prompting an Imperial raid of
Nkllon's Nomad City. Bilbringi was the site where twenty-two asteroids
were fitted with cloaking devices for Thrawn's siege of Coruscant; la
ter, an attack on the shipyards by the smugglers Mazzic and Ellor
resulted in the demolition of a nearly-completed Star Destroyer. The New
Republic attacked the Bilbringi shipyards after giving the false
impression that Tangrene was their target, and ran into a
carefully-prepared trap set by Thrawn. Help from a coalition of
smugglers (who had planned to steal Bilbringi's CGT array to sell to the
New Republic) allowed Ackbar's fleet to escape the trap and defeat
Thrawn's forces. [TLC]
Bimmisaari
Bimmisaari is inhabited by a species of short, half-furred, yellow-clad
aliens called Bimms. Attractions on the planet include their unusual
moving trees, the Tower of Law, a three-level, two-hundred year old
marketplace, and the city of Glastro, which is surrounded by asaari
woods. All weapons of violence are banned from Bimmisaari's main city.
Several years ago, the Bimm Glah Ubooki discovered a crashed Imperial
R&D vessel and, together with seven of his brothers, sold the prototype
weapons found on the wreck. The eighteen identical Glah brothers have
since opened import businesses around the galaxy, selling strange and
unusual items. Each brother insists that he is Glah Ubooki, though his
confused customers often insist otherwise. Five years after the Battle
of Endor, a commando team of Noghri attempted to kidnap Luke Skywalker
and Leia Organa Solo during their diplomatic mission to Bimmisaari.
[HTTE, SWAJ]
Black Nebula
The pirate Roark Slader once delivered a cargo of plexite ore to a group
of rogue starship fitters in the Black Nebula. [SWAJ]
Blackmoon
(see Borleias)
Bnach
Bnach is an Imperial prison planet. According to the smuggler Toob
Ancher, he and Kaine Paulsen once had a shoot-out with sector cops on
Bnach, though the veracity of this story is doubtful. [SWAJ]
Boeus sector
Planet - B (pt. 4)