Deep Core

This article is about the Deep Core. You may be looking for the Core Worlds or the starship.

Map of the Deep Core

"The Deep Core is a maze full of anomalies that skew the senses! The task of finding one world within it is impossible!"

―Trill^[src]

The Deep Core (also known as the Deep Galactic Core) was a small region in the galaxy, about seven thousand light years across, that hid unusual worlds. The Deep Core was home to some thirty billion of the galaxy's oldest stars, and at its center was a massive black hole surrounded by antimatter and dense clusters where stars were only a hundredth of a light year apart. In some areas they were in such close proximity, stars would collide and rip the cores from each other. Due to the gravitational pull of the vast number of stars and the prominence of dark matter concentrations, local space-time was severely warped, making hyperspace travel difficult at best. The Deep Core held great strategic value because of its position nearby the Core Worlds, particularly in the case of the clone of Emperor Palpatine and his stronghold of Byss.

History

Despite the inaccessibility of the Deep Core, the Rakatan Infinite Empire was still able to colonize Byss during the Pre-Republic era between 35,000 BBY to 25,200 BBY. With the collapse of the Infinite Empire, Byss was presumably abandoned and the Rakatan structures crumbled over the millennia. In 36,453 BBY, the brightest and best philosophers, priests, scientists and warriors convened on Tython to discuss their discoveries involving the enigmatic, mystical Ashla, eventually forming the Je'daii Order. In 25,793 BBY, the Force Wars erupted on Tython between followers of the Ashla and dissidents who used the Bogan.^[1] The war ended with the followers of Ashla as the undeniable and unchallengeable victors, who gradually evolved into the Jedi Order. A proactive faction group left Tython to liberate other worlds around 25,783 BBY. These Jedi later established a philosophy school on distant Ossus in the Outer Rim.^[2]

Prior to 27,000 BBY, Koros Major was colonized by Human colonists from Coruscant who discovered vast deposits of carbonite in the system’s seven worlds. The Korosians discovered that carbonite could be used to preserve space travelers in a state of suspended animation for interstellar travel, leading to the development of sleeper ships that enabled Humans to expand throughout the galaxy. With the discovery of carbonite and andris spice, Koros Major prospered as a key base of the Mining Guild shortly prior to the formation of the Galactic Republic in 25,053 BBY. With the discovery of the Koros Trunk Line and the invention of the hyperdrive, Republic scouts were able to discover a few habitable worlds within the volatile region including Khomm and Vulpter.^[3] Over the millennia, Koros Major prospered from trade with Coruscant and became the largest settlement in the Deep Core frontier, developing into a vibrant ecumenopolis. Prior to the Unification Wars, the Coruscant government owned the Korosian mines but sold them off to the emerging Tetan aristocracy.

Following the Hundred-Year Darkness, the Sith Lord Darth Andeddu built a tomb on Prakith. In 5010 BBY, Empress Teta of Koros Major waged a prolonged war to consolidate her world’s control over the system’s seven worlds, concluding her campaign in 5000 BBY with the annexation of Kirrek.^[2] During the Great Hyperspace War, Koros and the red giant Primus Goluud in the Primus Goluud system were the sites of battles between Empress Teta’s forces and Sith Lord Naga Sadow’s Sith Empire. With the defeat of the Sith, Koros and its system was renamed Empress Teta and the Empress Teta system in honor of the Empress.^[4] Over the centuries leading up to the Great Sith War, Koros prospered and became a strategic economic and military powerhouse within the Deep Core. In 3997 BBY, the aristocratic Aleema and Satal Keto established the dark side-using Krath sect which seized control of the Empress Teta system during the early stages of the Sith War and launched the devastating Krath Holy Crusade that engulfed much of the Republic. With the defeat of the Krath and their Mandalorian and Sith allies in 3996 BBY, Republic control was re-established over the Tetan system.^[2]

Byss FactFile — Byss became one of several fortress worlds in the Deep Core.

The region was thought to be inaccessible, but certain individuals found other safe hyperlanes into the region, such as the Byss Run and the Deep Core Run over the millennia. In 980 BBY, Darth Bane traveled to Prakith to recover Darth Andeddu's holocron from the Malevolence cult.^[5] During the Clone Wars, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine dispatched scouts and probe droids to explore the region.^[3] As the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, he provided the Separatist leadership with access to secret hyperspace routes that allowed them to bypass the heavily-defended Corellian sector and attack Coruscant in 19 BBY.^[3]

During the early Imperial Period, the Galactic Empire established fortress worlds, bases and palaces on several Deep Core worlds. Classified Imperial records indicate that Imperial scouts discovered hundreds of habitable worlds within the region but were permanently eliminated to maintain this secret. Some of these new worlds including Prakith and Byss were selected for Imperial colonization efforts and settled by wealthy Imperial loyalists. Palpatine also nationalized the carbonite mines of Empress Teta and used the planet as a base for probe droids and scouting missions.^[3]

The Empire declared the entire region a security zone and all starships entering or exiting the region required authorization from the Bureau of Ships and Services (BoSS) and the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB). The former was responsible for policing the space-lanes while the latter was tasked with protecting Imperial Military secrets. Hyperspace jumps were also restricted with spacers required to report to Imperial authorities and receive frequent astrogation updates. As a preemptive against illegal spacers, an Imperial Hyperspace Security Net was established complete with gravity mines and jammers to inhibit communication.^[3]

The area remained an Imperial stronghold almost twenty years after the Battle of Endor. Several warlords including Sander Delvardus and Blitzer Harrsk came to dominate various Deep Core worlds. In 10 ABY, the reborn clone Palpatine used Byss as a staging ground to invade the New Republic during Operation Shadow Hand. Byss also became the site of the world-destroying Galaxy Gun superweapon which destroyed several New Republic targets. Following the final death of Palpatine at Onderon in 11 ABY, Byss and the Galaxy Gun were destroyed during a hyperspace collision with the Emperor’s flagship Eclipse II, dealing a heavy blow to Imperial forces in the region.^[3]

The remaining warlords squabbled among themselves until they were slain by Admiral Natasi Daala during a conference at Tsoss Beacon. One warlord Foga Brill established his own dictatorship on Prakith as a fortress world against the New Republic. However, the latter preferred to contain the Deep Core Imperial warlords and Prakith was overthrown during a coup by moderate elements that made peace with the Republic.^[3]

During the Yuuzhan Vong War, the Imperial Remnant’s leader Gilad Pellaeon supplied the Republic with information on secret Imperial hyperspace routes in the region. Using this information, Leia Organa Solo planned a trap for the aliens, drawing them into the difficult-to-navigate region.^[3] In 137 ABY, Prakith was visited by Darth Wyyrlok the Third who destroyed Darth Andeddu while on a mission to find a cure for his master Darth Krayt’s illness.^[6]