The B'ankor Refuge was a small sanctuary on Coruscant given by Supreme Chancellor Chasen Piian of the Galactic Republic in perpetuity to surviving members of the B'ankora species during the waning years of the Republic.
Immediately after the end of the Clone Wars and the rise of the Galactic Empire, the B'ankora were forcefully removed from their reserve after an Imperial edict citing ancient laws of eminent domain was enacted. The B'ankora were brought to the lifeless Mid Rim world Parau VI, where the species became extinct. The buildings and fields that had once been home to the species were razed and the refuge was replaced by an Imperial energy research center. Some citizens objected to the refuge being replaced, but after some time, public opinion no longer thought much of the issue.
The B'ankor Refuge was a sanctuary located between the pole and the equator in the western hemisphere of the planet Coruscant. Unlike the fully urbanized eastern hemisphere, the area did not have weather control. The refuge was built by construction droids and complete with small lakes, fertile soil, copses of trees and other plants, and even two artificial hills. All in all, the B'ankor Refuge was 5.1 square kilometers.
Following the relocation of the B'ankora species, the buildings and fields that had once been their home were razed, their surface trails were erased, while air control stations and surveillance towers were erected.
The area was originally a privately owned grassland that was neglected due to legal difficulties. Around 1300 BBY, after the homeworld of the B'ankora species suffered a cataclysmic collision with a meteor, the Galactic Republic acquired the entire area and made it a temporary sanctuary for the members of the B'ankora species. During the waning years of the Galactic Republic, the Supreme Chancellor Chasen Piian granted the land that eventually came to be known as the B'ankora Refuge in perpetuity to the sole surviving members of the species.
Immediately after the end of the Clone Wars and the rise of the Galactic Empire, the B'ankora were forcefully removed from their reserve after an Imperial edict citing ancient laws of eminent domain was enacted. The B'ankora were brought to the lifeless Mid Rim world Parau VI, where the species became extinct. The buildings and fields that had once been home to the species were razed and the refuge was replaced by an Imperial energy research center. Some citizens objected to the refuge being replaced, but after some time, public opinion no longer thought much of the issue.
During her time on the planet Watassay in the Five Points system, Jyn Erso reminisced about her family, including her mother's attempts to protect Legacy worlds and her research of the B'ankor Refuge.
The B'ankor Refuge first appeared in the 2016 novel Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel, written by James Luceno. The novel served as a prequel to the Star Wars Anthology film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
- Star Wars: Timelines