Polis Massa
From Wookieepedia, the Star Wars wiki.
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| Polis Massa | |
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| Astrographical | |
| Region | |
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| Physical | |
| Climate |
Artificially maintained temperate environment[2] |
| Primary terrain |
Airless asteroid[2] |
| Points of interest | |
| Societal | |
| Native species | |
| Immigrated species | |
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| Affiliation | |
Polis Massa was once an arid, barren planetoid and the origin of a colony of resulting asteroids. It was originally the homeworld of the little-known Eellayin civilization, who dwelt in underground cities such as Wiyentaah, but the world was fractured by a mysterious cataclysm. This natural disaster formed a field of asteroids which remained known as Polis Massa, especially the largest of them. The Eellayin civilization disappeared.
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[edit] History
About 519 BBY, the Kallidahin from Kallidah, another world in Subterrel sector, abandoned their homeworld and under the leadership of the Archaeological Research Council of Kallidah settled Polis Massa Base. They sought to prove the Eellayin were the ancestors of the Kallidahin through cloning tissue samples recovered in their digs. The most important find was the lost city of Wiyentaah (not far from the Research Base), discovered 59 BBY, began an archaeological mining project on this planetoid, to uncover the mysteries of the cataclysm and the native species it destroyed. The Local Dig was established over Wiyentaah. Such was the length of this project, the Kallidahin became known as Polis Massans themselves.
Excavations on the largest Polis Massa asteroids uncovered many prize artifacts, mostly from deep within the planetoid. The Polis Massans analyzed these artifacts for organic tissue suitable for cloning. Though the aliens frequented the Subterrel Sector, they had little contact with the galaxy and as a whole, the Polis Massa outpost remained remote and hidden.
The gravitational pull on the rocky colony was just strong enough to be harmful to those who walked the surface without the proper equipment or protection. However, the facilities built on the asteroids were especially gravity-controlled inside and so suitable for living in.
Polis Massa was technically a loyal part of the Galactic Republic and friendly to the Jedi. Far from any major trade route, the remote settlement served as an emergency sanctuary for the Jedi after Order 66, during the rise of the Empire and Palpatine's Great Jedi Purge. The colony also housed the medical facilities in which Padmé Amidala Skywalker gave birth to the twins Luke and Leia, and subsequently died because she lost the will to live. It was here that Bail Organa chose to adopt Leia into his family. When Yoda arrived with Bail, he was visited by the specter of Qui-Gon Jinn who offered to tutor Obi-Wan Kenobi in the art of surviving one's death with the consciousness still intact.
Not long after the formation of the Galactic Empire, the Inquisitors Malorum and Sancor began investigations of Polis Massa, discovering much information to be sent to Lord Vader. In a fateful run-in with Obi-Wan Kenobi at the Research Base, Sancor lost his life.
During the Galactic Civil War shortly before the Battle of Yavin, Imperial intelligence tracked the Death Star plans to a small Rebel outpost in the medical center. The 501st Legion stormed the facility, and managed to obtain one holodisc. Overall, the raid was only a partial success, with the Rebels beaming the remainder of the plans to Princess Leia Organa's corvette the Tantive IV orbiting over Tatooine.
Polis Massa did not attract the attention of the Yuuzhan Vong and remained unscathed during the Yuuzhan Vong War.
[edit] Behind the scenes
It is possible that the name Polis Massa was inspired by the word polis (meaning an ancient Greek city-state) and massa (a large mass) to mean a "city-mass" or "city of great mass".
In the DVD commentary for Revenge of the Sith, John Knoll explains that George Lucas specifically designed the look of Polis Massa to be an homage to the look of the Clavius moon base in the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
[edit] Appearances
- Star Wars: Battlefront II
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith comic
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith novel
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
- LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game (Non-canonical appearance)
- LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Non-canonical appearance)
- Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (Mentioned only)
- The Last of the Jedi: Dark Warning
- The Last of the Jedi: The Desperate Mission
- The Last of the Jedi: Death on Naboo
- Old Wounds (Non-canonical appearance) (Appears in flashback(s))
- Dark Nest III: The Swarm War (Appears in hologram)
[edit] Sources
- Risk: Star Wars Clone Wars Edition (First appearance)
- Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith: Illustrated Screenplay
- The Art of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
- Revenge of the Sith: The Visual Dictionary
- Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary
- Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide
- Star Wars: Complete Locations
- The New Essential Guide to Alien Species
- The New Essential Guide to Droids
- Star Wars Miniatures: Revenge of the Sith
Polis Massa in the Databank
- Polis Massan in the Databank
