- “Chandrila is a jewel of the Core Worlds but has historically harbored factions of dissent and treason.“
- ―Colonel Maximilian Veers, Imperial Handbook: A Commander’s Guide
Chandrila was an agriworld located in the Chandrila system of the Core Worlds’ Bormea sector. The planet had two continents and two moons—Chandra and Chandrakant—and lay on the Perlemian Trade Route. The world was relatively rural, though it had 1.2 billion residents and was home to several cities.
The planet was an early member of the Galactic Republic and remained a part of the body for thousands of years, except during a brief conquest in the New Sith Wars. Chandrila hosted the Grand Army of the Republic’s Third Mid Rim Army during the Clone Wars against the Confederacy of Independent Systems, a conflict which saw a bioweapon attack on its capital, Hanna City.
When the Galactic Empire was formed from the Republic, Chandrila was absorbed into the new government. A series of Imperial-appointed governors were placed in charge of the planet; nonetheless, the democratic Chandrilan House—a council composed of the governors of each of the planet’s cities—was not dissolved, and opposition to the Empire remained strong among the democratically inclined populace. Two Chandrilan Senators—first Mon Mothma and then Canna Omonda—were harsh critics of the Empire. The first was forced to resign from the Imperial Senate, while Omonda, her replacement, was eventually executed. Harsh agricultural tariffs were placed on Chandrilan products, and the planet was blockaded. However, the Rebel Alliance, of which Chandrilan resistance fighters were a founding member, sent Rogue Squadron to break the blockade.
Later in the war, when the conflict had turned in the Rebellion’s favor, Grand Vizier Sate Pestage sent another force to blockade Chandrila, which he hoped to use as a bargaining chip. The plan ultimately failed, and Chandrila became a part of the newly formed New Republic. It remained a part of the Republic through the Yuuzhan Vong War and was able to avoid invasion.
Description[]
Geography and astrogeography[]
- “Only after I was living in the forest on Pzob I realized how much I loved it, how much I’d missed the woods and the trees of Chandrila.“
- ―Triv Pothman reminiscing about Chandrila
Located in the Chandrila system, a part of the Ringali Shell portion of the Core Worlds’ Bormea sector, Chandrila was a temperate terrestrial agriworld—a planet focused on farming—[1] with a breathable atmosphere.[6] The remote planet was one of the most sparsely populated in the Core[19] and was covered in plains, forests, hills, oceans,[1] and gentle seas.[6]Chandrila was kept far more pristine than many other Core Worlds,[1] and its beauty was regularly compared to that of the planet Alderaan.[20] Industry was only allowed in Emita, one of the planet’s largest cities, thought it was subject to strict environmental regulations.[1]
Chandrila had a diameter of 13,500 kilometers and was orbited by two moons, Chandra and Chandrakant.[1] The planet itself orbited a star of the same name[6] and was located on the Bormea/Darpa Corridor section of the Perlemian Trade Route, eleven hours standard hours by hyperdrive from Corulag, eighteen hours from Brentaal IV, ninety-two hours from Ralltiir, thirty-four hours from Esseles, and sixty-one hours from Rhinnal.[5] Using a military-grade Class One hyperdrive, travel times to nearby planets were shortened: two hours to Corellia, one hour to Corulag, five hours to Coruscant, three hours to Esseles, two hours to Rhinnal, and four hours to Ralltiir.[21] Chandrila’s location on the Perlemian put it on the border between the Northern Dependencies portion of the Core Worlds and the Arrowhead, which constituted the Slice region of the Core.[2] A day on Chandrila lasted twenty standard hours, while a year was 368 standard days in length.[1] The strength of the planet’s gravity was standard.[6]
The lush planet had two main continents—Ananta and an eastern continent[1]— which were covered with rolling, grassy plains. An idyllic world, Chandrila remained temperate year-round, with gentle winters and warm summers. Dry seasons were interspersed with mild drizzles, leading to a lack of drought, and even the winds were mild. Chandrilans lived in harmony with nature, educated from birth in proper maintenance of a balanced ecosystem. Furry squalls could be found wandering within cities, protected by law from harm. They also maintained game preserves where the forest’s birds, such as blackbacks, were hunted for sport.[6] Chandrila’s carefully managed hunting grounds were one of the only such facilities in the Core.[5]
Sights on the planet included the attractive Gladean State Parks, a wild game reserve near Hanna, Brionelle Memorial Military Academy, and a dacha owned by Rebel Alliance founder Mon Mothma on the shores of Lake Sah’ot. Just offshore of Hanna lay a spectacular coral reef.[6]
Flora and fauna[]
Chandrila’s native fauna were extremely important to the Chandrilan populace, and it was not uncommon to see wild creatures—especially the squall and fecklen—roaming wherever they wished. Other Chandrilan creatures included the blackback—a bird of prey—and the cairnmog, a horned lizard. Despite their overall protectiveness of the environment, Chandrilan hunted both cairnmogs and blackbacks (though doing so required an expensive permit) and fished the planet’s seas. The equinoid ghorla was ridden by Chandrilans and used to hunt the blackback.[1] One Chandrilan hunter was Kylo Batta, who settled on the planet and started a family with his wife and son, Kaori.[22] An avian creature with quicksilver wings also dwelled on the planet.[8]
Although much of Chandrila was covered by farmland, native plants could still be found on the planet. These included the tintolive[1] and sienta trees, which made up part of the forest in the Hanna Wild Game Reserve.[6] Balmgrass and bristing lined the coast of the Silver Sea. Chandrila was also home to a variety of tree with bark that was scored with diamond-shaped patterns.[8]
History[]
Early history[]
- “But [Xendor] failed, and it was war—war on Chandrila and Brentaal, then Coruscant and Metellos.“
- ―Warrior Arden Lyn speaking in a debriefing to Imperial troops about the Great Schism
Chandrila was settled by 25,000 BBY—a time that saw the Galactic Republic’s first expansion in the galaxy—and[1] in 25,053 BBY[23] became one of the Core Founders that came together to form the Republic.[2] Eventually, Chandrila would claim that it was the first agriworld to join that body, although records were not reliable enough to confirm or deny that claim.[1] 553 years later, the First Great Schism began. The Schism was a conflict between rival factions of the Jedi Order[3] that began in 24,500 BBY.[24] During the struggle, a battle was fought on the planet,[3] although it was not a major battle.[25]
At some point in the planet’s history, a Chandrilan language was used on the planet. By the Imperial Period, the language was only used by academics, but its legacy lived on in the names of Chandrila’s moons, Chandra and Chandrakant, which meant “point” and “counterpoint,” respectively.[1]
Age of the Sith[]
- “The Library of Chandrila did uncover a Sith text, as they predicted. Our shadow agent on the scene disposed of the text. No one was harmed.“
- ―Haazen reporting to Krynda Draay on the text found in the Library of Chandrila
Around 4017 BBY,[27] future Jedi Knight Keval Raffaan was born on Chandrila.[28] 54 years later, in 3963 BBY, the Library of Chandrila discovered a Sith document, which was quickly disposed of by an agent of former Jedi Krynda Draay and Haazen.[26] Also in that year, the brothers Del and Dob Moomo were instructed by Jervo Thalien to find the Snivvian Marn Hierogryph on the streets of Chandrila in order to participate in an operation on[29] the Core World[20] of Taris.[29] Hierogryph came to the planet after he and his partner, Slyssk, accidentally saved a battalion of Republic soldiers during the Mandalorian Wars. He was commended by a group of Ministry of Defense officials there, who spun a false narrative about how “Benegryph Goodvalor” had saved the soldiers.[30] During the Mandalorian Wars, Chandrila was represented in the Galactic Senate by the mother of Dallan Morvis.[31]
In 3643 BBY,[32] the Alderaanian Markus Thul fled his homeworld with his wife and daughter, settling with his family in a vineyard on Chandrila.[33] Although for 25,000 years after its settlement, no major battles occurred on Chandrilan soil,[6] around 3642 BBY[34] a battle did occur on an station in Chandrilan orbit between the forces of the Sith Empire and the Republic, which was aided by Chandrilan Security Force personnel. The battle ultimately resulted in the defeat of the Sith Lord Darth Ikoral.[35] Admiral Brionelle of the Security Force fought and died on the station, and a military academy on the surface was later named for her.[1]
By the time the New Sith Wars broke out[6] in 2000 BBY,[36] the planet was able to import most of the industrial goods that it needed from other worlds while making use of agriforests and automated agricombine farms to grow beans, grains, and produce for export. The planet was also the location of a Jedi temple and the tomb of the third Jedi Barsen’thor, a hero of the Great Galactic War.[1] Although initially located in Republic space,[2] the world was captured by the Brotherhood of Darkness near the end of the New Sith Wars.[14]
Chandrila’s early settlers were particularly interested in preserving the planet’s natural beauty and establishing a representative democracy. They made sure to invest in education in the early era of Chandrilan settlement, which they felt was necessary to prevent anyone from infringing upon the people’s power to self-govern.[1] At some point prior to the Galactic Civil War, the Chandrilans also established a colony world on G’rho in Wild Space, but it was only ever sparsely settled. One of its few residents was Dev Sibwarra, who was born on Chandrila[17] around 11 BBY[37] but moved to G’rho with his mother, hoping to avoid the Empire after the disappearance of another Force-user. Ydra Sibwarra, Dev’s mother, had been working on a book that detailed the history of Chandrila’s subversion at Imperial hands.[38]
The Republic’s Final Years[]
Palpatine[]
- “My father arrived unexpectedly on Chandrila. He had me taken from the youth program vessel and brought to our ship. My mother and siblings were already aboard. After the launch I learned that I was being taken to Chommell Minor. Just as you warned. We fell into an argument…then, I’m not sure what happened—”
“Tell me what happened”
“I killed them. I killed them—even the guards.“ - ―Palpatine to Darth Plagueis, describing the murder of his father
As the era of the Republic drew to a close, the Legislative Youth Program, a mock senate for children, met on Chandrila to encourage political discourse among the young. The meeting, which was reported on in an article by HoloNet News CoCo District Edition, saw the youth legislature narrowly approve the Military Creation Act in a mock vote.[40] Palpatine, the future leader of the Republic,[1] participated in the program and had the opportunity to explore Chandrila’s parks, wilderness, and farmland some years after 67 BBY. While in the Hanna Wild Game Reserve, Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Plagueis visited Palpatine, surprised to find that he already knew that he was coming. Plagueis’s droid, 11-4D, was also present for the meeting.[39]
Plagueis realized that Palpatine was strong in the Force and encouraged him to seek freedom from his father, Cosinga Palpatine. Ultimately, Plagueis was able to get the younger Palpatine to admit his desire to rule over the galaxy and promised to help him. Weeks later, as Palpatine prepared to leave the planet, he was surprised by the sudden arrival of his father, who took his son offworld using his own ship. Onboard the ship, Palpatine killed his father, his two brothers, and his two sisters. On Plagueis’s advice, he then returned to Chandrila, the authorities of which questioned him. By that point in Chandrila’s history, the planet’s wealth was greater than that of the Mid Rim planet Naboo and comparable to that of the[39] Core World[2] of Kuat.[39]
Years later, around 52 BBY,[41] the Chandrilan government commissioned the CR90 corvette Freedom’s Messenger for use as a diplomatic ship.[42] Four years later, in 48 BBY, Mon Mothma was born on Chandrila.[43] In 37 BBY,[44] future Admiral Hiram Drayson was born on Chandrila.[45]
In 26 BBY,[46] the governments of Alderaan and Chandrila negotiated a joint mining venture on[47] the Expansion Region planet[20] Aridus. However, after receiving information from a group known as the Friends of the Republic that showed that the venture would lead to an enormous humanitarian crisis, both governments ended the project.[47]
The Clone Wars[]
- “You failed and now thousands of Chandrilans and other Republic citizens lie dead in the streets, their bodies so horrifically mutilated they might never be identified.“
- ―Chancellor Palpatine berates Jedi Grand Master Yoda for not stopping the Separatist bioweapon attack on Chandrila
The planet remained loyal to the Republic during the Clone Wars between the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems and was host to the former’s Third Mid Rim Sector Army, making it the capital of the region known as Sector 3.[3] During the conflict, Chandrila was represented by Senators Mon Mothma, Ran Harva,[48] and Den Skeenah in the Galactic Senate.[49] Despite the planet’s overall support of the Republic, Ocandra Leeds and 574 other employees of the Public Safety Commission—a Hanna City–based organization responsible for responding to emergencies—walked off their jobs in protest of the Senate’s recent vote approving the creation of a Grand Army of the Republic, which funneled Chandrilan tax revenue towards the central government’s military project. In a response to the protest that appeared in an article by the HoloNet News CoCo District Edition, governor Tanis Mothma noted that Chandrila’s government had always supported free speech and that the fact that the protestors had left droids in their place to continue their work would be taken into account when they were judged.[50] Another political flashpoint[47] occurred in 22 BBY[51] when the Core World of Ralltiir suggested that Chandrila, Coruscant, and Alderaan should subsidize the defenses of planets like Ralltiir that were closer to the edge of the core, a proposal that was opposed by Alderaanian senator Bail Prestor Organa.[47] The next year,[52] Republic Senator Padmé Amidala visited to Chandrila to attend a women’s retreat organized by the Sisterhood of Ta’fan-jirah, an act which frustrated her husband, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. The retreat was ultimately cut short by an outbreak of Ralltiiri measles, allowing Amidala to return. The two were reunited for dinner at the Coruscant apartment block home to Senator Bail Organa. As the marriage between Amidala and Skywalker was a secret, Skywalker feigned ignorance of Amidala’s absence, which caused Organa to express pleasure that Amidala was on Coruscant rather than Chandrila.[53]
Around the same time, an exhibit entitled “Cradle of the Galaxy” toured the Core Worlds and was tentatively scheduled to be displayed in the Hanna Institute of Antiquities on the date 14:5:2 under the Great ReSynchronization. The tentative schedule for “Cradle of the Galaxy” appearances was published in an article by HoloNet News CoCo District Edition.[54] After the passage of a reflex amendment on 14:10:03, the Chandrila Defense Fleet‘s command was shifted from Hiram Drayson[55]— whom had run a fleet of shipping barges to being appointed to the Defense Fleet[45]— to Kohl Seerdon, an official appointed by Palpatine. This action earned criticism from Mothma.[55] Later, the large fleet was absorbed into the Republic Navy entirely.[1] During Drayson’s time as a Defense Fleet admiral, the smuggler Lando Calrissian made multiple profitable smuggling runs to Chandrila.[56]
Chandrila’s era of peace ended during the Clone Wars when the Confederacy carried out an attack on Hanna City using a damotite bioweapon. The weapon was released from security cameras manufactured by Shield Securities and turned thousands of individuals belonging to multiple species into bloody slime and froth. The attack was orchestrated by Separatist General Lok Durd, while the weapon itself was created by the Human female scientist Bant’ena Fhernan. In the aftermath of the attack, Palpatine—now the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic—returned to Chandrila in an attempt to raise the morale of the people of the Core Worlds. Later, upon meeting Master Yoda, leader of the Jedi Order, Palpatine blamed him for not stopping the attack. Other planets worked to help Chandrila recover from the attack, including Naboo. Because that planet had a close relationship with the Sisterhood of Ta’fan-jirah, a Chandrila-based organization, it received special consideration from the Chandrilans. This led Naboo’s senator, Padmé Amidala, to instruct her personal assistant, Sovi, to work with the Chandrilan senatorial on coordinating Naboo’s relief efforts. Meanwhile, the Republic’s Special Operations Brigade worked with the Chandrilan Security Bureau to investigate the attack.[48]
The Emperor’s New Order[]
Before Yavin[]
Early dissent[]
- “We’re getting recruits in from Alderaan every day. And there are so many Bothan and Sullustan Pilgrims on Ylesia, those worlds might send us some troops and ships. It’s worth asking them. And what about Chandrila? They’re part of the new Rebel Alliance—sworn to help us!“
- ―Bria Tharen to Pianat Torbul
Chandrila became part of the new Galactic Empire after its formation[15] in 19 BBY,[36] and the Chandrilan Jesco Comark, whose family included socialite Amber Comark and owned an orchard near Nayli, was appointed governor. Eventually, Comark was convinced to resign by Mon Mothma.[15] Under the New Order, the democratic Chandrilan House was not abolished—despite the Empire’s dictatorial tendencies—though it was overseen by Grandon Holleck, who became governor after Comark.[6] Near the beginning of the Emperor’s reign, the former Jedi Jin-Lo Rayce temporarily settled on Chandrila after stowing away on a freighter before traveling to another Core World.[58] Later in the Imperial Period, Bynder Zebb, an employee of TaggeCo, traveled to a number of planets, including Chandrila.[59]
Chandrila was placed in the same Imperial Oversector as the galactic capital world Coruscant[13] and in 2 BBY[3] became one of the signatories of the Corellian Treaty, which founded the Rebel Alliance.[16] As the Alliance evolved, Chandrila remained one of its major players. Tension between Chandrila and fellow Alliance planets Alderaan and Corellia ultimately led to the appointment of General Jan Dodonna as the Alliance’s military commander, as he was someone who could manage the three planets’ disagreements.[3]
Later that year,[60] Corellian Resistance–turned–Rebel Alliance commander Bria Tharen asked her commanding officer, Pianat Torbul, if she could use Alliance troops to free the individuals who had been enslaved on the planet Ylesia. When Torbul said that he was not sure the Corellian Resistance had enough troops to carry out such an operation, Tharen mentioned that because Chandrila had become a sworn member of the Alliance, they were obligated to help the Corellians in such an operation. Ultimately, Chandrilan troops did join in the assault on the planet.[57]
The Premier[]
- “The throng outside the Imperial Cavalcade of Stars last night waited nearly six hours in near-freezing rain to get a glimpse of holo-vid star Quintana Trill“
- ―Morgraine Delefrenquin, Chandrila Daily Messenger
The Imperial Cavalcade of Stars was a holotheater located on the Chandrila.[62] On one night during the reign of the Empire, as reported by the Chandrilan Daily Messenger, holo-vid star Lady Quintana Trill came to the theater for the premier of her holofilm Denizens of Dakaret IX. A crowd waited outside the theater for six hours in freezing rain for her arrival, which they expected to be impressive.[61]
Trill arrived in a speeder three minutes before the start of the film, escorted by eight men. She then stepped out covered in liquid fire of several colors. The crowd was astounded, and the writer Morgraine Delefrenquin described Trill as looking like a mythological heroine.[61]
Mothma’s replacement[]
- “Canna Omonda, former senator of Chandrila and protégé of Mon Mothma, yesterday submitted a written and oral confession in which she admitted to acts of treason against the Empire“
- ―”Rebel Omonda Faces Execution,” Coruscant Daily NewsFeed
Mon Mothma, who helped to found the Rebel Alliance, was forced out of the Imperial Senate and replaced by Canna Omonda. When Senator Omonda criticized the Emperor for disbanding the Senate, Palpatine charged Omonda with treason and sent three Star Destroyers to Chandrila to seize her; her public execution was scheduled during Coruscant’s Fete Week. Not long after Omonda was captured, Cynabar’s InfoNet reported that Palpatine had said that because his reward for showing favor to Chandrila was that the planet sent two traitorous Senators in a row, the planet should be more closely supervised. As such, the network suggested divesting from any holdings its listeners held on Chandrila.[63]
At some point after Mothma was forced out of her seat, an exhibit opened in the Hanna Institute of Antiquities entitled “The Courage of Palpatine,” which focused on Palpatine’s bravery during the Clone Wars. The exhibit was the least visited in the institute’s history. Meanwhile, Alliance agents on the planet hid weaponry in odorous crates of crustaceans from the Silver Sea, which were therefore able to avoid customs inspections.[1]
Under new management[]
- “Emperor Palpatine announced the appointment of Gerald Weizel as Governor of Chandrila. Weizel will be replacing Governor Grandon Holleck, who tendered his resignation early last week“
- ―A Coruscant Daily Newsfeed report on Chandrila’s new governor
The Commission for the Preservation of the New Order, or COMPNOR, instituted a set of new tariffs on luxury agricultural products from the Bormea sector.[65] The newly imposed tariffs caused economic problems, but the planet was able to escape serious damage from the sanctions.[6] Though the Empire’s anger inspired significant anger from the planet’s populace, many Chandrilans felt they were lucky compared to other Imperial victims.[20] Governor Holleck, meanwhile, said that although he would work towards the repeal of the tariffs, Chandrila’s government should work to improve its relationship with the Empire.[65]
Eventually, Holleck resigned, citing health problems.[64] At the urging of Grand Admiral Rufaan Tigellinus and Moff Jamson Caglio,[66] he was replaced by the aloof Gerald Weizel, who ruled from the Imperial base on the outskirts of Hanna and answered to Moff Kohl Seerdon.[1] Unlike his predecessor, Weizel rarely interacted with the Chandrilan populace, in large part because he understood that neither he nor his aides were able to match the native Chandrilans in political debate.[67] Weizel’s replacement of Holleck was reported on by Amier Candle in the Coruscant Daily Newsfeed.[64] In 0 BBY,[68] the Gran businessman Zhir Tolavor visited the planet to finalize a deal on fine wine.[69] By that same year,[70] the freighter Happer’s Way, captained by Norello, was operating out of Chandrila. It was hired by the Empire to carry a cargo of fifty All Terrain Scout Transports.[71]
Pacification of Salline[]
- “When the Rebel Alliance seized the port city of Salline, the Empire had to move quickly to remove the infestation.“
- ―General Maximilian Veers’s report on the Pacification of Salline
Between 2 BBY and 0 BBY,[72] the port city of Salline was taken over by Alliance to Restore the Republic forces. The Rebels launched their operation in response to a declaration that Salline’s governing council was traitorous because of its opposition to arrests carried out by the Imperial Security Bureau. Colonel Maximilian Veers was placed in charge of the Imperial efforts to dislodge them. Although Veers would have liked to use All Terrain Armored Transports for the attack’s primary vehicle, a recent debacle on[13] the planet[73] Ord Torrenze gave him pause. In the end, he chose to deploy two of the walkers, along with four All Terrain Scout Transports.[13]
Early in the morning, Veer’s troops advanced. The Rebels had fortified the city’s government center, so the walkers marched down Guildhead’s Way, which led directly to the building. The Rebel troops attacked the advancing Imperials multiple times, but they were only able to damage one of the AT-ATs. Veers blew open the compound and demanded that the Rebels surrender. Instead of doing so, they fled on watercraft and were destroyed by Imperial TIE fighters. Veers would eventually write a report on the battle, which was included in the document Imperial Handbook: A Commander’s Guide with the subtitle “The Importance of Unit Support in Armored Assault.” In the report, Veers called Chandrila a “jewel of the Core Worlds” but noted its history of subversive activity. Another report in the book, entitled IMQ-54544-XX-07 Security Clearance Black DS-1 Orbital Battle Station, listed Chandrila as a world that provided the Alliance with “political or strategic aid.”[13]
Blackwing’s Aftermath[]
- “My name’s Zahara Cody. I worked with your husband aboard the Prison Barge Purge. Your husband had something he meant to pass on to you. I just wanted to make sure that you got it.“
- ―Zahara Cody speaks to Kai Zook on Chandrila
In 1 BBY,[75] a virus spread aboard the Imperial prison barge Purge, killing most of the crew. After the survivors escaped the Purge, two of the ship’s crew, medical officer Zahara Cody and former prisoner Trig Longo, traveled to Chandrila, where the locals believed them to be siblings. They walked along the shores of Lake Sah’ot there, and Longo noted that Chandrila’s air was clean and cool, noting that he could imagine settling on the planet.[74]
On the lakeshore, Longo and Cody located a small community of fishermen and farmers, who directed the pair to a nearby ranch. There they found Kai Zook, the wife of Omar Zook, an Imperial Corrections Officer on the Purge, and delivered a letter that Omar had written to her. Kai read the letter and tearfully thanked Longo and Cody, inviting them into her home for tea.[74] The same message was later recovered from the Purge itself.[76] Also around 1 BBY,[77] future Jedi Octa Ramis was born on Chandrila.[78]
Poisoned Politics[]
During the Imperial Period, an election was held in Hanna in which Jovive Centi ran for reelection as the city’s governor. Centi spent much of her free time walking through the streets of Hanna, talking with her citizens. She was always accompanied by her bodyguard Tristan Pex, a former member of the Bounty Hunters’ Guild. During one of Centi’s rallies, an assassin attacked Centi with a poisoned weapon known as a datadagger. Pex was able to throw himself onto the blade, saving Centi at the cost of his own life.[6]
However, Centi had not been the target of the assassination—Pex had. The assassin, Ratambo Gale, was a member of the Malkite Poisoners, a group that for at least forty years had carried out assassinations on Chandrila. Pex had been targeted because his contacts in the Bounty Hunters’ Guild were engaged in a conflict with the Poisoners. Meanwhile, Gale hid the poisoned datadagger in the possessions of a group of individuals who had been assigned to oversee the election. The group was therefore forced to attempt to find Gale in order to clear their names.[6]
Two Hunts[]
On another occasion, a fugitive was pursued by law enforcement to the Hanna Wild Game Reserve, where they had previously stashed a Z-95 Headhunter starfighter. Most of the hunters in the park were evacuated, but not all received the instructions to do so. The trigger-happy hunters posed a danger to the heroes sent in after the the fugitive.[6]
At a different date, the assassin Kodi Vilthar—who had killed the Corellian Cilyn Gara—was seen on Chandrila. Cilyn’s daughter, Magda Gara, hired several agents to find Vilthar and bring him to Corellia. Vilthar was on Chandrila to meet with crime boss Yustavan Dreezian, who operated a spice plant in Hanna City. The agents hired by Magda found Vilthar at Dreezian’s spice plant, where they either saved the assassin from the crime boss or allowed the former to die.[6]
Assumption ends here.
After Yavin[]
- “My lord…the family that lives here is named Mothma. One of the leaders of the Rebel Alliance is named Mothma.“
- ―Nanda discovers the Mothma estate
Before the Blockade[]
Just after the Death Star—the Imperial battlestation that had obliterated Alderaan—was itself destroyed[79] at the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY, the Sith Lord[2] Darth Vader and Ensign Nanda of the Imperial Navy traveled to Chandrila. Nanda landed on one of the planet’s continents and then walked to the childhood home of Rebel spy Kell Bircher,[79] a member of the Chandrilan Special Forces.[80] After reading several gravestones that lay next to the home, including those of Far, Finna, and Artar Mothma, Nanda realized that Bircher was part of the same family as Mon Mothma. Upon receiving this news, Vader flew the CR92a Assassin-class corvette Archer to the house and proceeded to fire upon it. Nanda, who was still nearby, received an enormous concussion and required medical care for three months afterward.[79]
Around the same time, the Alderaanian noble Cael Hanarist traveled to Chandrila in order to find and join the Rebellion, which he succeeded in.[81] At some point before the Battle of Hoth[3] in 3 ABY,[36] multiple Chandrilan families were assisted by Chandrilan authorities in faking their deaths in a transport crash. One of these families was the Farr family; two of its members, Samoc and Toryn Farr, immediately joined the Rebel Alliance as pilots.[3] Prior to the date 38:4:21 under the Great ReSynchronization, Chandrila was mentioned in the Smuggler’s Handbook, a text published by smuggling legend Platt Okeefe.[82]
At the time of Alderaan’s destruction, Chandrila operated an embassy on Coruscant, which employed fifty-eight workers. Senator Mon Mothma was the planet’s ambassador. Irem Gehldon worked as the acting ambassador if Mothma was absent.[83]
Nayli blockaded[]
- “Rebel scum, this is Moff Seerdon. Your resistance is useless. As you can see, I have blockaded the city and Chandrila is now mine. You will surrender or I will shoot you all down.“
- ―Moff Kohl Seerdon ordering Rogue Squadron to stand down during the Blockade on Chandrila
Later, Rebel Alliance’s victory on[6] the planet[85] Fest months after the Battle of Yavin left Moff Seerdon furious. Although the theft of AT-PTs on Fest had no relation to Chandrila, he nonetheless chose it as his target for retaliation.[6] Attacking his own homeworld, he sent squads of TIE Fighters to harass the city[84] of Nayli[1] and blockade it with wall builders.[84]
To prevent the loss of the capital, the Alliance General Carlist Rieekan[84] sent an armored hovertrain escorted by Rogue Squadron. The train carried supplies vital to the prevention of the wall builders. After reaching the city, the Rogues took out most of the Imperial attack force,[6] including attacking TIE bombers, TIE Interceptors, and six AT-ST walkers. The Rebels evacuated the city with three Lambda-class shuttles, winning the battle, although Seerdon was able to escape the planet in his own Lambda. Seerdon’s attack on Chandrila prompted the Alliance to launch its own attack on[86] the Outer Rim Territories planet[2] Sullust.[86]
Although Seerdon was forced off the planet, he stationed Imperial Star Destroyers at the nearby planets of Corulag and Brentaal IV, effectively blockading the planet. The Chandrilan Imperial garrison remained untouched through the conflict, though the Chandrilan Defense Fleet in orbit was prepared to destroy the garrison if Governor Weizel offered any provocation. In the meantime, Chandrilans relied on smugglers to bring in supplies.[1]
After Endor[]
- “Both sides want to use Brentaal to show that Endor was a fluke, and that they’ve recovered.”
“And Brentaal IV is the key to the Bormea sector, which we want because Mon Mothma’s homeworld Chandrila is here.“ - ―New Republic pilots Wedge Antilles and Avan Beruss
Around the time of the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, the Imperials deployed a massive invasion force that was ready to move on Chandrila, and had the Rebels not won the battle, the Chandrilans would have had only a few months before the second Death Star, another planet-killing Imperial battlestation, would arrive to destroy the entire planet alongside Mon Calamari.[3] After the Death Star’s destruction and the Emperor’s death, Mon Mothma signed the declaration that created the Alliance of Free Planets—an interim government that would eventually become the New Republic—on Chandrila’s behalf.[17]
In the six months after the Battle of Endor, the Empire withdrew all ground forces from Chandrila, cleared out and abandoned all of its facilities on the surface, and deployed seven Star Destroyers in picket formation around the planet. The Star Destroyers, along with support vessels, enforced a blockade, whereby all starship traffic to and from Chandrila’s starports was forbidden. With the absence of Imperial ground forces, a provisional government allied with the New Republic was formed, and though it was able to maintain order on the planet, it had little power against the blockade. As Chandrila held little strategic value, the reasons for the blockade were unclear to the New Republic.[88]
The ultimate reason for the blockade was that Grand Vizier Sate Pestage hoped to use the planet as a bargaining chip against the New Republic’s forces, though his plan failed after he was deposed by[20] Director of Imperial Intelligence[89] Ysanne Isard.[20] New Republic officials had speculated as much, but they knew that their forces in the region were unable to match the Imperial Fleet and therefore let the Imperials be.[88] Because it was Mothma’s homeworld, Chandrila was a target for the New Republic military.[87] Shortly after the fall of Imperial-held Coruscant, Chandrila was liberated by the New Republic,[6] and a proud Mon Mothma returned home.[20]
The New Republic[]
- “There was a woman in the quartermaster’s office asking about you.“
“Really?“
“Really. She’s cute, from Chandrila.“ - ―Tycho Celchu sets up Wedge Antilles with Reina Faleur
Mon Mothma once again took up leadership of her homeworld and Chandrila became a member in good standing of the New Republic.[6] One of the New Republic Defense Fleet’s corvettes shared its name with the planet,[91] and at least one Chandrilan pilot, Ran Kether, served in the Republic’s famous Rogue Squadron.[92] Another Chandrilan, Reina Faleur, was a lieutenant in the New Republic Quartermaster Corps.[90] During Operation Shadow Hand,[6] a series of attacks carried out by followers of the reborn Emperor Palpatine,[3] Chandrila acted as a haven for wounded evacuees and soldiers.[6] Following his career as a shockboxer, the Calian Lobar Aybock moved to Chandrila.[9]
During Operation Shadow Hand in 10 ABY,[36] New Republic historian Arhul Hextrophon traveled to Chandrila to recuperate from injuries received on Caprioril. While there, he gave a lecture to the Brionelle Memorial Military Academy in Hanna City. After his lecture, Hextrophon met with a Captain Flin to discuss a memorial fund.[93] However, Chandrila, too, returned to Imperial control under Operation Shadow Hand.[36] In 12 ABY,[94] stormtrooper Triv Pothman noted that although he had grown used to living on starships, being stationed on the planet Pzob reminded him of how much he missed Chandrila’s forests and trees.[18]
Korr’s visit[]
- “Rest peacefully.“
- ―Jaden Korr closing the Barsen’thor’s tomb on Chandrila
When the Disciples of Ragnos crisis broke out in 14 ABY,[36] cultists and Imperials, led by Dark Jedi Tavion Axmis, broke into the Barsen’thor’s tomb in the Crystal Canyons and attempted to siphon its Force power. After Chandrila’s government requested help from the reformed Jedi Order, Jedi Knight Jaden Korr was sent to the world. Korr engaged with the cultists there and ultimately used the Force to collapse the chamber containing the tomb, sealing it.[7]
Assumption ends here.
During the Black Fleet Crisis[56] of 16 ABY and 17 ABY,[95] Calrissian and Hiram Drayson discussed the former’s earlier smuggling runs to Chandrila. Calrissian described the fortune that he had made on his runs and jokingly suggested that he should have used some to bribe Drayson, who was frustrated that he had never been able to catch Calrissian.[56] At some point after 24 ABY,[96] Chandrila was mentioned in The Essential Chronology, a document created by the New Republic Historical Council.[97]
Yuuzhan Vong War[]
Safe haven[]
At the time of the Yuuzhan Vong War, Chandrila hoped to be overlooked by the Yuuzhan Vong invaders due to its lack of strategic military bases,[6] although units from the New Republic’s First and Fifth fleets were deployed to defend the planet. It was one of several worlds mentioned by bel-dar-Nolek as being important enough that he believed the New Republic would make an effort to defend it in contrast to his own world, for which the Republic had not done so.[98]
Late in the war, Chandrila had yet to be the target of a major assault and, at the urging of a majority of its populace, opened its borders to thousands of refugees and displaced citizens of the New Republic,[6] though some Chandrilans feared that the drastic increase in population would disturb the world’s ecological balance. During an operation against Yuuzhan Vong forces[98] in 25 ABY,[99] the Vong priestess Elan and former Jedi Vergere were sent to Coruscant through a circuitous route that passed through Chandrila.[98]
Durron and Solo visit Chandrila[]
- “It may be a fueling device, of course. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a weapon. If that ship can manipulate gravity at that scale, only fools wouldn’t understand its military implications. Whatever you might say about the Yuuzhan Vong, they aren’t fools.“
- ―Kyp Durron reporting to Wedge Antilles while on Chandrila
Retired New Republic general Wedge Antilles was living on the planet[8] by 26 ABY.[100] At a ranch along the Silver Sea, he was visited by the Jedi Kyp Durron and Jaina Solo, the latter of whom considered Chandrila’s open spaces and blue skies to be the best meeting place she could imagine, especially when compared to the cramped cockpit of an X-wing starfighter. The Jedi were there to report the existence of what they believed to be a Vong superweapon at[8] Outer Rim Territories planet[2] Sernpidal to Antilles and New Republic pilot Gavin Darklighter. Although Antilles had harsh words for the pair—and cautioned them that the New Republic would not launch an official strike against the weapon—he was concerned and promised to contact Admiral Traest Kre’fey with the information. Darklighter, meanwhile, planned to lead an all-volunteer Rogue Squadron on an unsanctioned attack on the weapon.[8]
After the meeting, Solo walked off alone. Durron was able to quickly find her near an abandoned villa on a hillside covered with tintolive trees, where he asked Solo why she had been avoiding him and revealed that he hoped to make Solo his apprentice.[8] Shortly afterward, disgraced Senator Viqi Shesh adopted the pseudonym “Welda Kether” and claimed to have met Jaina’s father, Han Solo, on Chandrila on two different occasions.[101] The planet stayed out of Vong hands for the rest of the war,[102] although anxiety about an attack prompted a team to move the Hydians Auction House from Nayli to the more isolated world of Epica.[103] In 28 ABY,[104] after seeing the way that the Vong had changed the Bilbringi asteroid fields, Antilles quipped that he should get the Vong to redecorate his home on Chandrila in a similar fashion.[105]
After the war[]
In 36 ABY, an updated version of The Essential Chronology, entitled The New Essential Chronology, was published. Like its predecessor, it mentioned Chandrila.[36] Later, during Operation Roundabout, an operation carried out against the planet Corellia by the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances[106] in 40 ABY,[107] the Galactic Alliance deployed a shuttle called the Chandrila Skies.[106]
Inhabitants[]
Chandrilans[]
Personality and attitudes[]
- “Chandrila has always encouraged and fostered free, responsible speech.“
- ―Governor Tanis Mothma during her response to a walkout at the Chandrilan Public Safety Commision
Chandrila’s inhabitants were known as Chandrilans and spoke primarily Basic and High Galactic. Chandrilans placed heavy emphasis on political education and encouraged political debates in the planet’s public spaces. Chandrilans were known for their political candor and were often viewed by outsiders as being intelligent but unaccustomed to hard work[6] and hypocritical for simultaneously condemning the industrialism on other worlds and relying on their purchases of Chandrilan crops.[1]
Chandrilans tended to be quiet and contemplative in private situations while presenting strongly held opinions when in public. They made regular use of sarcasm during debates and arguments and, unlike some other Core residents, did not accept the precept that progress necessarily entailed separation from nature.[67] Chandrilans generally enjoyed such hobbies as walking, debating, sailing, boating, yachting, and recreational fishing. Naval officers were particularly prone to boating and yachting. Most Chandrilan farmers owned stun rifles. A source of pride for the whole planet, Chandrila’s ranchers and farmers tended to be well-educated, politically active, and hard-working.[1] Chandrilans were also noted gardeners,[5] and elaborate gardens were seen as a mark of high status.[67] Those Chandrilans who had attended the Brionelle Academy were well-educated and often became pillars of their local communities.[1]
During the Imperial Era, the planet’s ties to the Rebel Alliance made it even easier for outsiders to criticize its populace. Though not all Chandrilans were Rebels, it was true that Alderaanians and Chandrilans made up a large percentage of Rebel Alliance personnel and that most Chandrilans at least disapproved of Imperial policy and sympathized with the Rebellion.[1] A few Chandrilans, however, argued vigorously in support of the body,[81] or even joined its military, as did Colonel Ardax[108] and Triv Pothman.[18] Similarly, Dem Keval was appointed the Imperial governor of[11] the Inner Rim[4] planet Tasariq.[11] Two other Chandrilans, Kithriss[109] and darksider Savuud Thimram, were close allies of Emperor Palpatine.[110] Those Chandrilans who did join the Imperial ranks were often not able to advance very far due to their general lack of respect for authority.[1]
Chandrilans who were members of the Rebellion ranged from its leader, Mon Mothma, to Jyn Freila, a pilot,[1] to diplomat Thel Erelen.[111] The Chandrilan Starship engineer Gen Tiraan was not a member of the Alliance but was a part of the team that helped develop the Alliance’s T-65 X-wing starfighter. Both Tiraan and Chandrila were mentioned in Wanted by Cracken, a report published by New Republic general Airen Cracken.[112] Meanwhile, the Coruscanti Edallia Monotheer and her husband worked to provide intelligence to anti-Imperial factions on Chandrila itself.[92] Maarisa Zsinj, mother of the Imperial Warlord Zsinj, was a Chandrila native and served in the Republic Outland Regions Security Force. After the Republic became the Empire, Maarisa scorned its corruption and became a pirate.[113]
Demography and education[]
The 1.2 billion Chandrilans were overwhelmingly Human, with just 4% being members of other species. The planet’s population changed little over time due to strict laws that were designed to help maintain the ecosystem. The laws were ratified by every city on the planet and prevented families from having more than one child unless they submitted special permits.[1] Even those families that had multiple children rarely had more than two.[67] Nonetheless, the planet’s citizenry swelled by thousands of individuals when Chandrila decided to accept numerous refugees from the Yuuzhan Vong War.[6] Wealthy individuals regularly constructed retirement homes and holiday estates on the planet.[1] Both Mon Mothma and New Republic Intelligence Service operative Bhindi Drayson spoke with the same accent, which marked them as being from Chandrila.[114] Some Chandrilan women, including Mothma, wore a piece of jewelry called a Hanna pendant.[115]
Because of Chandrilan settlers’ early investments in education, by the Imperial Period education was widespread on the planet. And because Chandrilans’ interest in education was deeply tied to politics—they believed that a well-educated population was harder for politicians or corporations to seize power from—political and legal knowledge were as common as knowledge of science and the arts. One major educational institution on Chandrila was the Chandrilan Academy of Sciences. Chandrilans of all social levels regularly debated one another in public spaces using advanced rhetorical techniques and commonly represented themselves in the planet’s courts, which emphasized debate and negotiation.[1]
Culture[]
The inhabitants of Chandrila tended to live in small scattered communities instead of large metropolises. Family homes regularly contained a flower garden, fishpond, or insect hive.[6] Chandrila was regarded as a haven for art and culture among the Core Worlds planets.[19] Recreational fishing was popular on the planet, though it was tightly regulated by the government. In addition to fishing, Chandrila’s government supported regattas and the racing of vehicles called sun jammers. One such race, held annually after the harvest, was known as the cometary games and attracted racers from beyond Chandrila.[1] The Chandrila Equinoid Derby was another sporting event that shared its name with the planet.[116] A slow and intimate dance from Chandrila had made its way off the planet[117] by 7 ABY.[118]
Chandrilans acquired a reputation throughout the galaxy as arrogant and argumentative, due partly to their emphasis on political education and debate. Since Chandrila was a world with perfect climate and docile animal life, native Chandrilans were unfamiliar with the everyday struggles of life in less comfortable environments. Eager to share their paradisiacal way of life, they found resistance to their ideas baffling. Those who left their homeworld typically found employment as diplomats, negotiators, or artists,[6] as did opera singer Amaro Fonteen.[2] The right to protest on Chandrila was unparalleled, and Chandrilans took advantage of their right regularly. Political engagement and debate were similarly important in Chandrilan society; even the planet’s moons were said to represent the value of debate and peaceful coexistence, as well as the importance of moving on when a debate was finished.[1] Chandrilan culture was considered contrary to the culture of the other Core Worlds.[67]
Chandrilan cuisine, which included the dish Chandrilan squall tendermeat with a fresh colla sauce, was praised for its use of fresh, Chandrilan-sourced ingredients.[1] Two other items, Chandrilan herb tea[61] and Chandrilan hors d’oeuvres, shared their name with the planet.[119] The art of flat-sculp, created by the Vathkree species, was popular on the planet, as were dance, spoken word poetry readings, live theater, and holovids. Museums, such as the Hanna Institute of Antiquities[1] and the Tagge Holographic Museum could be found on the planet.[120]
Government[]
All citizens had a direct voice in government and were known for vociferously arguing politics among each other. The planet was ruled by the democratic Chandrilan House.[6] The House was an assembly of the governors of Chandrila’s cities, the most influential of whom was Jovive Centi. The House met in Hanna City, and although the body had floor debates, most legislative work occurred in private. Other governors during the Galactic Civil War included Millae of Nayli and Dehsea of Emita.[1] The Chandrilan House’s sessions were rowdy and sarcastic, constrasting with the staid procedure in the Imperial Senate. However, this apparent boorishness hid complex political maneuvering, especially by those members of the House who stayed quiet, for they often manipulated others from behind the scenes. Despite the Chandrilan House’s legislative role, all Chandrilans were able to vote on major issues.[67]
So strong was the public’s value of democracy that during Imperial rule, Governor Gerald Weizel chose not to disband the Chandrilan House. Although debates were largely civil, they sometimes became heated enough to lead to violence. Although Chandrila had little experience with open war, some natives were known to nurse grudges and even attempt assassinations, hence the development of personal weapons such as the datadagger. The Malkite Poisoners were an organization that carried out many assassinations on Chandrila.[6] Despite the importance of democracy to the Chandrilan people, there was at least one noblewoman, Hella Cordoni, who hailed from Chandrila.[121] Another nobleman, Lord Haakon, owned land on Chandrila but was forced to sell it by the Rebellion era.[122]
Each city was ruled by an elected official known as a governor. Over 1,000 governors held office at any one time, and the governors of many smaller communities represented their homes in the Chandrilan House. Individual cities had considerable freedom to create their own laws, and each one had a location in the city center—usually a rotunda, such as the Debate Rotunda in Hanna City—that was used for public debate. Chandrila had a planetary security force, the Chandrilan Security Force, and a navy, the Chandrila Defense Fleet.[1] The fleet made use of the Corellian corvette Stormstrike, the crew of which included Chandrilan quartermaster Kylan DuPre.[45]
Chandrila’s government included customs officials who worked to prevent parasites and other invasive organisms from damaging the planet’s ecosystem. The Galactic Empire also operated customs vessels in orbit until they were eventually driven off. The planetary government used its tax revenue to fund the Gladean State Park system and its rangers.[1] Every year, the government also earmarked funds for “squall maintenance,” used to repair damage caused by the ubiquitous animals. The government also issued a seal of approval for squall farms on other planets.[12]
Economy and infrastructure[]
Chandrila was one of the few agriworlds in the Core and was one of the only ones that did not make use of oxygen factories.[5] Chandrila specialized in crops that did not last long enough for long hyperspace travel;[67] the planet’s crops included grains, muja fruit, jaquira fruit, vegetables, beans,[1] and spices,[65] all of which were widely exported, especially to other Core Worlds. Although historically Chandrilans grew their crops in fields, these crops came to be grown in orchards, vegetable farms, and vineyards, a change that was necessary to make in order to compete with other agriworlds, which were much less environmentally conscious than Chandrila. Chandrilan crops were often sold to fine restaurants in the Core Worlds prior to their harvest.[1] Squalls were sometimes smuggled off the planet for use as pets and meat on other worlds. Although this was technically illegal, the squall population was large enough that Chandrilan authorities rarely prosecuted the crime, though they sometimes issued small fines.[12] Chandrila’s major imports included high technology.[5]
Chandrila also grew the Chandrilan grappaberry, which could be used to produce fine wines such as Chandrilan Blue ‘439.[1] By the time of the Clone Wars, Chandrilan wines were found on worlds such as Coruscant[123] and Tatooine, where the gangster Jabba the Hutt possessed fine Chandrilan wines.[124] Chandrila also produced brandy.[1]
Chandrila’s economy was dependent on the sales of its crops to other planets—especially to other Core Worlds—though it also did produce some manufactured goods of its own. Local economies across Chandrila were similary based off of ranchers and famers, who made up for their small families by hiring farmhands or buying droids.[1] By the Imperial Period, Chandrila was one of the largest food exporters in the Core and had practically cornered the Core’s market on perishable luxury foods and spices.[65] Although similar products could be sourced from the Mid Rim, Chandrila’s were of higher quality.[67] At least one bio-engineer, the Wookiee Cheyerooto, gained renown while working on Chandrila.[10] Chandrila was also a tourist destination.[1]
Because Chandrila’s major settlements and farming communities were so spread out, a system of hovertrains was built across the planet. These trains, which because of their repulsorfield generator posts could reach speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour, were used to carry people and goods, especially to the planet’s spaceports. Only three spaceports existed on Chandrila, though the largest, the Hanna City Spaceport, was capable of landing ships of up to 600 meters in length.[1] The travel agency Star Tours carried passengers from other planets to Hanna’s spaceport.[125] Roads on Chandrila were sparse, and both livestock and wild squalls were allowed to be on them, which sometimes caused traffic jams.[20]
Individual Chandrilans[]
Multiple Chandrilans, such as Suljo Warde,[126] Avan Post,[91] Keval Raffaan,[28] and Octa Ramis joined the ranks of the Jedi Order.[78] Many others, including Mon Mothma, Admiral Hiram Drayson,[45] slicer Gowan Ch’lessan,[127] and Corporal Midge, were members of the Alliance to Restore the Republic.[128] Aelon Reglis was a Chandrilan male who ultimately became a gambler and traveled in his starship, the Adventurer, until he gifted it to his daughter, Lynx.[129] By 3 BBY,[130] Chandrilan Pira Bland had become a spice smuggler operating on Tatooine.[131] The shipping magistrate Halbard was a Chandrilan.[67] Birrge was a Chandrilan who worked as a sanitation worker on Chandrila during the Imperial Period.[82] Zurel Hoban, an Imperial pilot crewman, grew up on Chandrila and was the son of an aide to one of Chandrila’s senators.[132]
Jax Keyn was a Chandrilan freighter pilot.[133]
Mon Mothma was born on Chandrila and raised in Hanna City, of which her mother was governor. Her father served the Republic as an arbiter-general. Mothma joined the Republic’s Senate while still a teenager and, after the body was reformed as the Imperial Senate, became one of Emperor Palpatine’s harshest critics. Ultimately, she became a founding member of the Rebel Alliance and eventually its leader. When the Alliance transitioned to the New Republic, Mothma kept a leadership role, becoming Chief of State of the new government. During that time, she reminisced fondly of her time on Chandrila. When she returned to her homeworld, she was welcomed as a hero and bought a dacha near Lake Sah’ot.[89]
Locations[]
Topographical features[]
- “I learned to love the Silver Sea.“
- ―Mon Mothma
Water was a salient feature of Chandrila’s landscape. The Emerald Ocean was one such body of water, located between the cities of Hanna and Emita. The Silver Sea was another large sea, this one located right next to Hanna. Lake Sah’ot was also near Hanna City and was connected to the Silver Sea by the Jhanjaari River.[1] The Silver Sea contained multiple reefs that teemed with life, some of which were visited by Gavin Darklighter, whose wife was Chandrilan.[135] The Shashwaat Mountains were a mountain range from which the Jhanjaari River issued.[1]
Chandrila also had huge Crystal Canyons, with bridges and gaps connecting them. The tomb[7] of the third Barsen’thor of the Jedi Order[136] could be found there.[7] Tours of the canyons were offered by the company Chandrilan Adventure Travel. Blackback birds hunted in the area,[1] and Chandrilan rebel Zal Artha raced speeders through the canyons.[81] Scholar Hethan Romund mentioned the canyons to monk Dao Jodh when describing various locations around the galaxy to him.[137]
Cities[]
Chandrila’s capital was Hanna City, located between the Silver Sea and Lake Sah’ot. The city was founded as a small fishing village,[1] but it evolved into a metropolitan area. It was home to Chandrila’s largest spaceport, an Imperial garrison, a harbor,[6] the Brionelle Memorial Military Academy, the Alderaan Expatriate Club, and the Chandrilan House.[1] The Brionelle Academy trained officers for Chandrila’s home defense fleet.[6] Hanna was separated from the nearby Hanna Wild Game Reserve by the Jhanjaari River, which ran along its southern edge from Lake Sah’ot to the Silver Sea. Chandrila’s bureaucracy was focused in the city, which also served as an academic center.[1]
Located on Chandrila’s Ananta continent, Emita was another of the three Chandrilan cities that contained a spaceport. The city was the only area of Chandrila that was zoned for industrial manufacturing, although its factories were still heavily regulated and taxed. Emita was home to the headquarters, warehouse, and primary factory of ChandrilTech, a major technology firm led by Hella Thimram and founded by her grandfather. Emita also contained most of the Gladean State Parks, a planet-wide system of parks that were named for a historical governor and included the Crystal Canyons, the Gladean Arboretum, and the Gladean Gardens Botanical Park of Chandrila.[1] The parks were renowned across the galaxy.[136] During the Imperial Period, Emita’s governor was Dehsea.[1]
Nayli was centered on its own spaceport. The city was surrounded by green hills, was located in the center of Chandrila’s equatorial belt, and produced a significant portion of its produce exports.[1] Salline was a port city that was temporarily taken over by the Rebel Alliance during the Galactic Civil War.[13] Located somewhere on Chandrila was a procession route known as Grand Avenue.[138]
Behind the scenes[]
Chandrila was first mentioned in the 1987 The Star Wars Sourcebook, which was published for use with West End Games‘ Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game.[139] It made its first appearance in[140] the February 28, 1998[141] LucasArts video game Star Wars: Rebellion; the image used in the game to represent Chandrila was also used to depict other worlds, such as Uvena and Geedon V.[140] The August 8, 2009[142] reference book The Essential Atlas placed Chandrila in grid square L-9.[2]
Chandrila has been erroneously named in multiple sources. Rage of the Wookiees, the 2005 expansion of the video game Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided, misspells the planet’s name as “Chandrillia,”[10] while the September 10, 2009 StarWars.com article Death Troopers: Recovered Messages from Purge—a tie-in to the novel Death Troopers, spells it as “Chandrilla.”[76] The December 3, 1998[143] video game Star Wars: Rogue Squadron and its official guide, released the same year, erroneously refer to the city of Nayli as Chandrila.[84][86] The 1995 reference book The Essential Guide to Characters by Andy Mangels states that Mon Mothma’s mother was the governor of all of Chandrila,[144] while later sources such as Daniel Wallace‘s 2002 reference book The New Essential Guide to Characters describe her mother as governor of only Hanna City.[89] This article assumes that the latter is correct.
Inconsistent astrographical information for Chandrila has also been given. The 1990 roleplaying game source article “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, How I Wonder Where We Are,” published in the thirteenth issue of the Voyages SF magazine, incorrectly places Chandrila in the “Chandril system” of the Relgim sector. Since that article was released outside of the Lucas Licensing process, its canonicity within the Star Wars Legends continuity was never confirmed.[145] Later, Star Wars: Rebellion erroneously placed Chandrila in the “Sesswenna” sector,[140] a misspelling of the Outer Rim’s Seswenna sector.[2] Later sources such as Wizards of the Coast‘s 2003 Star Wars Roleplaying Game sourcebook Coruscant and the Core Worlds established that the planet was actually located in the Chandrila system and Bormea sector.[6]
Another inconsistency concerns Chandrila’s hydrosphere. West End Games’ 1998 Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game sourcebook The Far Orbit Project describes the planet as having a “dry” hydrosphere.[5] However, multiple sources describe and depict Chandrila as being home to oceans and seas, contradicting the earlier sources.[6]