Kashyyyk

Kashyyyk (occasionally spelled Kashyk) was a wroshyr tree-covered planet located in the southwestern quadrant of the galaxy and the homeworld of the Wookiee species. It was a member of the Galactic Republic and after the Clone Wars endured enslavement under the Galactic Empire. The planet was classified by the Empire as G5-623.

Description

Kashyyyk was a temperate jungle planet orbiting around a single star located in the Mytaranor sector of the Mid Rim, and had a complement of three moons. Covered in wroshyr trees, it served as homeworld to the Wookiee species. Native fauna such as Can-cells would influence the design of starships by the Wookiee inhabitants, while great cities such as Kachirho would be built into the planet's trees.

The crash site of the prison ship Ashmead's Lock was known as the Black Forest. Wookiees believed that the Black Forest was cursed and haunted by bad spirits. By 5 ABY, sections of Kashyyyk's forests had been deforested and several rivers had been drained. The Empire also established undersea mining platforms. Mount Arayakyak was once a rainforest orchard known as the Cultivating Talon, which provided Wookiees with fruits such as shi-shok. By the Age of the Empire, it had been defoliated by a poisonous black mold.

History

At some point prior to the Invasion of Naboo, Jedi Master Yoda faced a terentatek on Kashyyyk, accompanied by his then Padawan Dooku.

Clone Wars

In the years following the Invasion of Naboo, the rogue Jedi Count Dooku fomented political turmoil on the planet. Due to its status as a major navigational point, Kashyyyk was of prime strategic importance to the Galactic Republic, which led the Confederacy of Independent Systems to attack the planet toward the end of the Clone Wars.

With the help of Yoda, the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, the Grand Army of the Republic managed to get the upper hand over the Separatists. However, shortly after that victory, the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic Sheev Palpatine unilaterally transformed the government into the First Galactic Empire.

Reign of the Empire

Despite Kashyyyk's loyalty to the Republic, the self-appointed Emperor had the Wookiees enslaved, and their planet itself was blockaded. Used as slave labor, the Empire would utilize the Wookiees to cut down the planet's native wroshyr trees for lumber and farm food to feed the Imperial Army as well as send them off to labor camps and construction jobs such as building the first Death Star, or for science and bio-weapon experiments. In addition to being occupied and enslaved, Kashyyyk was also stripped of its name and designated Imperial territory G5-623. By 18 BBY, news of the Imperial subjugation of Kashyyyk had spread to the news bulletins, leading the former Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano to worry about her Wookiee friend Chewbacca.

At some point during the reign of Palpatine, the natives of Kashyyyk attempted to revolt against the Empire. However, General Kahdah and the Imperial 212th Attack Battalion managed to quell the insurrection. On Kashyyyk, the Spectres raided several supply convoys before the Battle of Yavin. In the years leading up to the Battle of Yavin, the Imperial Commodore Thrawn and Lieutenant Commander Eli Vanto discovered that Wookiee slaves from Kashyyyk were being transported for processing and health checks to Baklek Base. They also foiled an attempt by the insurgent leader Nightswan to rescue the slaves.

Some time before the Battle of Endor, a massacre occurred on the planet under the command of the Galactic Empire.

Rise of the New Republic

In the months following the Battle of Endor and the death of the Galactic Empire's totalitarian ruler, the New Order would be thrown into a fractured and volatile state, putting Kashyyyk on lockdown as supply lines and convoys fell victim to the newly formed New Republic. Imperial territory G5-623 was ruled by Grand Moff Lozen Tolruck, who enslaved the Wookiee population using inhibitor chips. Like Governor Adelhard's Imperial remnant, Tolruck propagated the myth that Palpatine was alive and well. He did not fall in line with the Imperial forces commanded by Grand Admiral Rae Sloane and Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax.

With the Republic unwilling to divert resources towards the planet, Han Solo and Chewbacca would undertake a mission on the world with various other Wookiee refugees turned mercenaries after intelligence from Imra reported that Imperial redeployments would reduce the planets garrison, if only for a few days. Imra's information proved unreliable and Chewbacca was captured by the Empire and imprisoned at Ashmead's Lock. Han managed to rescue Chewie and the other prisoners with the help of Norra Wexley and her rebel band.

While Norra and her son Temmin Wexley returned to Chandrila with the other prisoners, Han and Chewie along with the former Imperial loyalty officer Sinjir Rath Velus and the New Republic soldier Jom Barell led a successful Wookiee slave rebellion against Tolruck's Imperial remnant. Sinjir managed to neutralize Tolruck's chips with a hyperspace transceiver. With his forces overwhelmed, Tolruck ordered his Star Destroyers to bombard Kashyyyk. However, a New Republic fleet led by Admiral Ackbar and Leia Organa attacked the Imperial fleet and forced their surrender.

Following the liberation of Kashyyyk, Wookiee and New Republic forces conducted mopping-up operations against Imperial holdouts. During one of these operations, Chewbacca reunited with his son Lumpawaroo, who had escaped from an Imperial slave labor camp.[12]

New Republic era

Chewbacca would live on Kashyyyk with his family until resuming his adventures with Han Solo.