Flitter was the codename for a Rebel Alliance safe world in the Tierfon system during the early part of the Galactic Civil War. Flitter became a graphic example of why the Rebellion needed to keep its safe world locations secret when an Imperial starship captured a Rebel transport bound for Flitter and subsequently discovered its existence. The Empire responded by leveling Flitter's cities and poisoning its ecosystem with air-dropped toxins. Because the Imperial attack occurred in the dead of one of Flitter's harsh winters, rather than dispatching ground forces, the Empire merely stationed a pair of corvettes in orbit and left the rest of the planet's refugees to die. By the next spring, 95% of Flitter's population of over 40,000 had succumbed to starvation or exposure.

DescriptionEdit

The planet Flitter, one of the Rebel Alliance's safe worlds, was located in the Tierfon system,^[3] within the Sumitra sector of the galaxy's Expansion Region.^[1] Flitter was a temperate world with a cool temperature, a moist hydrosphere, very cold winter seasons, and terrain primarily comprising mountains, plains, forests, and glaciers.^[4]

The planet featured a Type I, breathable atmosphere and standard gravity. A day on Flitter lasted twenty-five standard hours; and a year 378 local days. Flitter's fauna included grubs.^[4]

HistoryEdit

During the Galactic Civil War, agents of the Empire, when politically expedient to do so, routinely eliminated family members of known Rebel Alliance personnel as a form of terror. In response, the Alliance Support Services branch established a number of remote safe worlds, where Rebel sympathizers and their families could safely live free of Imperial oppression.^[4] "Flitter" became the codename for one of these safe worlds, located in the Tierfon system, which also included the planet Tierfon, home of the Tierfon Rebel Base.^[3]

Eventually, Flitter's population swelled to over 40,000 men, women, and children, more than twice the average population of a Rebel safe world, and became a prominent producer of ores for conversion into fuel. However, an Alliance Support Services transport was captured^[4] by an Imperial starship^[3] en route to Flitter, and the vessel's pilot broke under Imperial interrogation,^[4] revealing the safe world's location to the Empire.^[3]

Within one month's time,^[4] an Imperial fleet laid waste to Flitter, destroying many of the planet's cities,^[3] turning Flitter's one major city into rubble, and poisoning all of the nearby land and forests with air-dropped toxins,^[4] contaminating much of Flitter's ecology.^[3] The Imperial attack came in the dead of winter, and the Empire refrained from even dispatching ground troops to the planet surface. The Empire simply posted a pair of corvettes in orbit and let Flitter's elements take their toll—by the time spring arrived, more than 95% of the safe world's population had died from starvation or exposure. The remaining survivors scattered and hid in caves, subsisting on grubs and tree bark.^[4]

By circa 2 ABY, Flitter's population numbered only 1,000. The Rebellion desperately wished to rescue the Flitter survivors, but as of 2 ABY, they were unable to muster enough firepower to challenge the Imperial blockade around the planet. Flitter thus became a graphic example of the Rebellion's need to keep its safe worlds secret.^[4]

InhabitantsEdit

Flitter's refugee population ranged from Humans to many other species, and the populace lived at a feudal technology level, with no starports. Following the Imperial attack on Flitter, the planetary government degraded into anarchy and Flitter itself afforded no major imports or exports.^[4]

Behind the scenesEdit

The planet Flitter was first mentioned in the October 1990 first edition of the West End Games Rebel Alliance Sourcebook as an example of a Rebel Alliance safe world, providing a basic background description for the planet.^[2] Flitter's backstory was repeated in the sourcebook's April 1994 second edition, which also provided the planet with basic geological and societal statistics for roleplaying purposes.^[4] Flitter was subsequently provided an entry in the 2008 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.^[3]

SourcesEdit

• Rebel Alliance Sourcebook (First mentioned)
• Rebel Alliance Sourcebook, Second Edition
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia

Notes and referencesEdit

External linksEdit

•  Flitter in The Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia