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- "This isn't Tatooine, Luke."
- ―Leia Organa, to Luke Skywalker
Tirahnn was a bustling trade world in the Inner Rim's Zeemacht Cluster, that served as an important stop along the Perlemian Trade Route. A mercantilist society essentially ruled by super-rich "merchant princes," Tirahnn was known across the galaxy for its massive bazaars and markets, the largest of which stretched for miles and were bigger than entire nations on other planets. This made Tirahnn a popular destination for rich tourists, with the annual Great Fair especially drawing a vast number of visitors to the world. Among the offworlders who stopped by for the Great Fair were famed Rebel leaders Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, who visited the event in 0 ABY. Tirahnn's importance as a trade nexus made it occasionally a target during wartime: during the Clone Wars it changed hands multiple times between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems.
Description[]
A major trade world along the Perlemian Trade Route, Tirahnn served as the sector capital of the[2] Inner Rim's[1] Zeemacht Cluster. Tirahnn's landscape was characterized by vast plains, forests and mountains. The planet's weather was mild year-round, and much of Tirahnn remained pastoral millennia after civilization became widespread.[2] Tirahnn's fields were filled with native wildlife, although the disruption caused by the Separatist conquest of the world during the Clone Wars introduced non-native creatures like roggwarts to the environment.[6] Still, Tirahnn was most well-known for its large, multi-tiered cities, the largest of which—also named Tirahnn—stretched for hundreds of miles in all directions. The second world from its sun, Tirahnn had nine moons, and had a year lasting 272 days of 28 hours each.[2]
History[]
- "The planet you see before you is Tirahnn, a world on the Perlemian Trade Route. Some months ago, the planet fell into Separatist hands, and we could not spare the resources to oppose them. Since that time, the Separatists have used their control of the world to disrupt trade and supply lines, and the Jedi Council has tasked us with dislodging the Separatists and reopening the trade route."
- ―Ezar Elasra
As a stop along the one of the galaxy's busiest hyperlanes, the Perlemian Trade Route, Tirahnn developed a society highly influenced by trade. Tirahnn's bazaars and shops had became famous throughout the galaxy, and the world was known a stop for bargain-hunting, rich tourists who wanted a real-life street level experience.[2] Tirahnn's location and status as a trade nexus made it a target for invasion at several points throughout its history: the world was taken by the Honorable Union of Desevro & Tion during the Tionese War, during the Galactic Republic's early centuries.[5] Tirahnn later sided with the Galactic Republic at the outbreak of the Clone Wars, only to be conquered by the Separatists in an effort to cut off a vital supply line down the Perlemian. The Separatists proceeded to heavily fortify Tirahnn, putting in place a powerful defense fleet around the planet and commandeering a planetary ion cannon located within Tirahnn city. Despite the disruption of trade with the Republic, the Confederacy allowed the markets to operate relatively normally, although battle droids became a regular sight in the streets and Hailfire droid tanks were routinely used to dispel gatherings.[6]
Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa flee from Catuman warriors on Tirahnn.
Several months later, the Republic launched a mission to retake the world, led by the Barabel Jedi Master Ezar Elasra. The Republic Navy carried this out by sneaking a team of commandos onto Tirahnn via a LAAT/s stealth gunship, and after a crash landing that claimed the lives of several clone troopers, sabotaging the ion cannon and clearing the way for a full-fledged invasion. The Republic operatives proceeded to lead a successful ambush of a major Confederate tank convoy, cutting off one of their main lines of retreat and leading to a decisive Republic victory.[6] By the time of the Galactic Empire, the world was governed by a mercantile oligarchy ruled by Tirahnn's richest merchant princes, who periodically chose one of their own to hold an honorary governor position. The Empire maintained a light presence on Tirahnn, occasionally sending delegations to visit the sitting governor. The criminal organization known as the Osaji Syndicate made major inroads on Tirahnn during the Rebellion era, with Osaji higher-up Osaji Varane operating a successful import-export business on the world.[2]
In 0 ABY, Tirahnn was visited by Rebel leaders Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa and Han Solo, when Solo's Millennium Falcon touched down on the world for supplies during the bustling Great Fair. Amidst the crowd, Skywalker and Organa had a run-in with the dangerous S'kytri Dark Jedi Kharys, who sent a team of Catuman warriors chasing the Rebels through the streets. Solo—the real target of Kharys' hunt—saved them and brought them back to the Falcon, only for Kharys to kill Solo's friend Katya M'Buele with a dark side smoke demon. Desiring revenge, Solo and his friends left Tirahnn to defeat Kharys on her homeworld of Skye.[4]
Inhabitants[]
- "All my life, I've heard tales of the Great Tirahnn Fair, but I never thought I'd get to visit it."
- ―Luke Skywalker
Sixty percent of Tirahnn's 9 billion inhabitants were Humans, but many alien species called the Inner Rim planet home. The planet's unrelentingly capitalist society led to a stark social stratification and a large wealth gap: Tirahnn's elite, who lived in the ornate skyscrapers of the Heights, would sometimes boast that their feet had not touched the ground in decades. Owing to Tirahnn's lacking law enforcement infrastructure, few of Tirahnn's richest natives left their homes without armed backup. The Great Fair, which stretched throughout Tirahnn's mild summer,[2] also brought many offworld visitors to Tirahnn. Among the frequent visitors were the winged S'kytri of Skye, who previously were only rarely seen away from their clan holdings.[7] The arrival of the Separatists during the Clone Wars also provided a large infusion of new blood from offworld, which at times came at the expense of the natives: for instance, when the Zygerrian Commander Zolghast commandeered a police outpost in Tirahnn city's main financial district to serve as his operational center, all of the police working out of the building lost their jobs.[6]
Locations[]
Tirahnn's largest city, also called Tirahnn, consisted of hundreds of miles of seemingly endless bazaars that extended as much upwards as it did across the planet's landscape. Tirahnn was divided into many different levels, with the street level primarily being inhabited by craftsmen and traders, and the planet's elite residing above in skyscrapers that rose kilometers above the ground. Most of Tirahnn's richest inhabitants lived in a posh neighborhood known as the Heights, which was populated by palatial towers. Tirahnn's mercantilist culture was seen all over the planet, not just in its large cities, as even the smallest village was built around a bazaar. Some of Tirahnn's famous markets could be the size of entire nations on other worlds, and almost anything outside of serious military equipment could be found somewhere within. They also resulted in a lax approach towards law enforcement, as the merchant princes recognized that it was nearly impossible to prevent petty crime in such an environment.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
Tirahnn first appeared in Star Wars Annual (1977) 1, written by Chris Claremont and released in 1979.[4] Extensive information on the planet was later given in the Wizards of the Coast adventure scenario Triplet Threat,[2] and it was the site of an example campaign in the 2009 Star Wars Roleplaying Game sourcebook Galaxy at War.[6] Tirahnn was reintroduced in the newer Canon timeline in 2015, when it was mentioned in Jason Fry's junior novel Servants of the Empire: Rebel in the Ranks.[8]
Appearances[]
- SkyeWalkers: A Clone Wars Story (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars Annual (1977) 1 (First appearance)
Sources[]
"The University of Sanbra Guide to Intelligent Life: The Marvel Series" — Star Wars Gamer 1- "Triplet Threat" (original article link) on Wizards.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III, p. 250 ("Tirahnn")
- The Essential Atlas
- Galaxy at War
- The Essential Guide to Warfare
- Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook
- Star Wars: Age of Rebellion Core Rulebook
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4
Star Wars: The Essential Atlas Online Companion on StarWars.com (article) (backup link)
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 2.32 2.33 2.34 "Triplet Threat" (original article link) on Wizards.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Essential Atlas
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Star Wars Annual (1977) 1
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Essential Guide to Warfare
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Galaxy at War
- ↑ "The University of Sanbra Guide to Intelligent Life: The Marvel Series" — Star Wars Gamer 1
- ↑ Servants of the Empire: Rebel in the Ranks