Cloud City
From Wookieepedia, the Star Wars wiki.
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| Cloud City | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Constructed |
ca. 2,000 BBY |
| Builder | |
| Location information | |
| Planet | |
| Points of interest |
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| Societal | |
| Population |
5,427,080 |
| Era(s) | |
| Affiliation | |
- "If you can bribe a member of Bespin's Wing Guard into taking you on a spin around Cloud City, you won't regret spending the credits. The views are stunning."
- ―Excerpt from Ullok's Underground Guide to Bespin[src]
Cloud City was a covert tibanna gas mining colony on the planet Bespin. It received its name from the fact that it floated high above the actual planet—an uninhabitable gas giant. It also served as a luxury resort, complete with hotels and casinos.
Contents |
[edit] Characteristics
[edit] Layout
Cloud City consisted of 392 levels, in addition to a top-side surface-level concourse. The level-arrangements were as follows:
- Level 1-50: Luxury hotels and casinos which made the city famous throughout parts of the Outer Rim.
- Level 51-100: Upscale housing areas.
- Level 101-120: Administrative offices.
- Level 121-160: Port Town, an area which held an infamous reputation.
- Level 161-220: General housing of the facility's workers.
- Level 221-280: Factories.
- Level 281-370: Gas refineries and miners' quarters.
- Level 371-392: Contained the 36,000 repulsorlift engines and tractor beam generators that kept the city afloat and in position.
[edit] Government
The government of Cloud City was divided into three main branches. The Baron Administrator was in overall control, while the Exex were responsible for the bureaucracy and administration, while the Parliament of Guilds represented the working classes.[1]
[edit] Population
The last official counting placed Cloud City's population at 5,427,080 (not counting droids)[2]. As Bespin's total population was somewhere around 6 million[source?], this makes the city the largest of all colonies on Bespin.
[edit] Monitoring and upkeep
Lobot went on inspection walks twice a day. He calculated that it took 97 standard days to complete an inspection schedule for Cloud City.[3]
[edit] History
Cloud City was commissioned by Lord Ecclessis Figg and built by the Incom Corporation at around 2,000 BBY at the same time Darth Ruin founded the New Sith Empire.
During the Clone Wars, the Confederacy of Independent Systems launched an invasion force of battle droids to attack the Tibanna gas which was providing energy for Republic warships. Jedi Master Glynn-Beti and groups of clone troopers along with some Jedi Starfighters and LAAT gunships defended Bespin from the invasion force.
Cloud City became overrun by battle droids, super battle droids, and droidekas. Vulture Droids and Droid Gunships ran the skies, destroying many Jedi Starfighters and gunships. The Republic Army managed to save some civilians and take them to a Star Destroyer and escape, but the Confederacy was able to take the planet.
Months after the Clone Wars, the Empire attempted to trade Nazren slaves to Darga the Hutt in exchange for Tibanna gas during Cloud City's annual sabacc tournament. The slaves were rescued by agents of Bail Organa in Z-95 Headhunters.
The city's chief export was Tibanna gas, which was used in the production of weapons and hyperdrives. At the time of the Battle of Hoth, Cloud City was run by Baron Administrator Lando Calrissian, who had won administration of the city from Baron Administrator Dominic Raynor in a Sabacc tournament. During this time, the City was relatively free from Imperial interference.
In the wake of the Battle of Hoth, Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa arrived at Cloud City, seeking refuge and repairs for their hyperdrive, with Han confident that Lando would provide assistance. Unbeknownst to Han, Lando made a deal with Darth Vader to ensure the colony's continued independence. He would help the Galactic Empire trap his old friend and lure the Alliance commander Luke Skywalker to the city.
When it was clear Vader did not intend to keep his end of the bargain, Calrissian betrayed him and ordered his citizens to flee. However, Han ended up being frozen in carbonite and taken away by the bounty hunter Boba Fett. Lando escaped with Leia and Chewbacca in the Falcon, while Luke and Vader dueled in the depths of the city, with fateful consequences.
The Empire garrisoned Cloud City, putting down an attempted coup staged by the Rebellion. Right before the Battle of Endor, the Imperial forces present on Bespin were defeated by a more substantial Rebel force, thanks to the intel provided by Tian Chyler, a defector from the Imperial Security Bureau. With the victory at Endor, Cloud City and its citizens could enjoy their freedom.
After the rise of the New Republic, Cloud City rose out of obscurity and became a major exporter of Tibanna Gas for the Republic. However, Bespin lay relatively close to what remained of the Empire, and changed hands more than once over the subsequent decades. Cloud City had been reoccupied by the Empire by the time of Grand Admiral Thrawn's Thrawn campaign in 9 ABY, and during the Empire Reborn crisis, the city was once again overrun by Imperial Remnant forces, now allied with the Reborn and Reelo Baruk . Kyle Katarn, returning from Nar Shaddaa with Lando Calrissian, helped the Bespinians free the city. It was there that he finally met Tavion Axmis and learned that Jan Ors was alive.
During the Dark Nest Crisis, Bespin was troubled by the appearance of Tibanna tappers, siphoning gas from floating refineries such as BesGas Three to sell elsewhere. Because of this, Cloud City's profits dropped by at least ten percent. Fortunately, the Jedi made an effort to stop the Tibanna tappers.
[edit] Denizens
- Lando Calrissian
- Lobot
- Humans
- Ugnaughts
- Various aliens
[edit] Technology
[edit] Behind the scenes
Cloud City may have been inspired by a similar city seen in the episode of the original Star Trek television series entitled "The Cloud Minders", and/or similar concepts explored in other previous science-fiction works.
In the early rough draft of Star Wars written in 1974, a city on Alderaan, which is set as a giant gas planet and the capital of the New Galactic Empire at that time, resembles the Cloud City of Bespin in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. When McQuarrie began conceptual work for the second draft, he designed the Imperial capital on Alderaan. The art he provided was the inspiration for the look of Cloud City, differing only in minor respects from the city as seen in Episode V.
[edit] Appearances
[edit] Non-canon appearances
- Tag & Bink: Revenge of the Clone Menace (Picture only)
- Tag & Bink Are Dead
- LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
- LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
- Star Wars: Demolition
- Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back
- The Revenge of Tag & Bink (Mentioned only)
- The Return of Tag & Bink: Special Edition (Mentioned only)
- The Secret Tales of Luke's Hand
- Tall Tales (Ambiguously canonical source) (Mentioned only)
- The Lost Lightsaber (Appears in flashback(s))
[edit] Sources
- Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, First Edition
- Galaxy Guide 2: Yavin and Bespin
- Heroes & Rogues
- Imperial Double-Cross
- The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels
- Shadows of the Empire video game instruction booklet
- Star Wars: The Action Figure Archive
- Rebellion Era Sourcebook
- Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Star Wars Chronicles
"Star Wars Kids Answer Quest" - Star Wars Kids 6
- Inside the Worlds of Star Wars Trilogy
[edit] External links
Cloud City in the Databank
- Lando Calrissian in the Databank
High Flying on Hyperspace
- Grim, But Could Be Grimmer on Hyperspace
