Kessel

Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Scum and Villainy

Kessel is a harsh world with little breathable air aside from that provided by the atmosphere factories on the surface; a Breath Mask is required to travel anywhere on the surface. Ancient ruins and tombs- believed to be of Sith origin- dot the landscape, though most have long since been looted of anything valuable.

The planetoid has virtually no indigenous lifeforms, the major exceptions being a species of skeletal, avian beasts that occasionally attack prisoners who stay out in the open for too long- and the Energy Spiders that live in the mines, creating Glitterstim spice.

Kessel Statistics[]

Region: The Outer Rim

Climate: Barren

Gravity: Low Standard (82%)

Moons: 1

Length of Day: 26 Standard Hours

Length of Year: 322 Local Days

Sapient Species: 22% Humans, 78% Other Species

Government: Military Administration

Capital: Kessendra

Major Exports: Glitterstim

Major Imports: Foodstuffs, Machinery

Planetary Updates[]

Familiar planets undergo significant changes over the centuries. The updates in this section should provide Gamemasters with enough information to use these planets in their respective sourcebooks' eras.

The Dark Times[]

Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Force Unleashed Campaign Guide

Formerly run by a succession of shady business ventures, Kessel's spice mining operation comes under Imperial control during The Dark Times. Palpatine realizes the power that Glitterstim has to enslave portions of the galactic population and Kessel's usefulness not only as a source of spice but a profitable penal colony operation. Imperial forces evict the private enterprises that formerly operated under the Republic, establish a garrison on Kessel's moon to administer spice mining, and begin importing and dumping prisoners of all backgrounds onto the planet to mine Glitterstim. The world population increases dramatically as violent criminals, political dissidents, persecuted aliens, and captured resistance fighters all find themselves sentenced to permanent imprisonment on Kessel.

During this period, the planet earns its dire reputation as the dreaded penal colony from where few return. Imperial personnel throughout the galaxy use the threat of imprisonment on Kessel to coerce individuals and entire populations to stay in line. Certainly the most vile criminals receive sentences to Kessel, but Imperial judges- and even military officers passing summary sentences- frequently condemn citizens to the penal colony on a cruel whim for moderate or even slight infractions simply to get rid of them.

The Empire does little to improve conditions on the planet. The air factories that once provided miners with a reliable source of breathable atmosphere fall into disrepair; Imperial engineers conduct only enough maintenance to ensure that the factories continue functioning at minimal levels. Imperial forces focus on maintaining control over spice production and ensuring its indirect distribution through crime syndicates, ultimately weakening societies through increased Glitterstim addiction. Most Imperial personnel occupy military installations on the Garrison Moon, with guard and administrative personnel shuttling to key sites on Kessel's surface in shifts. Eventually they establish an administrative center at Kessendra, the largest prisoner encampment, making it Kessel's impromptu capital. The Empire encourages dissent among the prisoners, rewarding those who show a willingness to work with their jailers and bully their peers, and installing them as overseers who drive the common prisoners- mostly by threats, blackmail, and violence- to increase spice production. The processed spice finds its way into the underworld distribution chains thanks to a handful of "Corrupt" Imperial administrators who sell to crime syndicates and smugglers.