Marker

Markers were structures that were built and used for different purposes across the galaxy. They were made up of two wooden poles that were held together at their base by a white material and spread diagonally away from each other. A banner was stretched between the poles, with a vertical rectangle in its center that would be colored by the owner. The design of markers remained the same for their different builders.

In the year 3000 BBY, on the planet Naboo, the Gungan thief Marsune used markers with blue-colored rectangles on them, in his gang's secret forest base near the city Otoh Sancture. Four markers were placed around the animal nursery in the base, which served to highlight its presence. Marsune used the nursery to hold five nerfs, a species of antlered animal that had been traded to him by Otoh Sancture's leader, Boss Gallo in exchange for four worker Glurrgs.

Between the years 39 and 36 BBY, markers were used during the colonization attempts on the moon Alaris Prime by both Wookiee colonists from the planet Kashyyyk, who had legal authorization to colonize the world from the Galactic Republic, and the company known as the Trade Federation who were trying to illegally take Alaris Prime. The first Wookiee to land on the moon, Attichitcuk, built a small settlement and left several markers with orange-colored rectangles to show the way to the camps' location. Later, Attichitcuk's nephew Shoran arrived on the moon and did some scouting, leaving several markers behind until he stopped when he encountered an obstruction, a power core that had been built by the Trade Federation. Shoran stayed at his position until his cousin and Attichitcuk's son Chewbacca followed the markers to him with the assistance of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. Once they had met up with each other, Chewbacca and Shoran destroyed the power core at Jinn's suggestion, and then followed the markers Attichitcuk had left until they reached his settlement.

Two markers were later used in another settlement on Alaris Prime that was led by Chewbacca. The markers were placed at the entrance to the camp and were a gathering point for the Wookiee warriors who went to rescue Attichitcuk, who had been shot and nearly killed by a unit of Trade Federation battle droids commanded by DRN-38. Chewbacca led the Wookiees to save his father and defeat the droids who had injured him.

The Trade Federation also used markers in one of their bases. They placed four of them with gray rectangles around their fortress in a base commanded by the droid SRAM-13. The base and the fortress were destroyed by the Wookiees in an attack that drove the Federation off Alaris Prime.

During the Invasion of Naboo in 32 BBY, Trade Federation forces led by Darth Maul found the Gungan Boss Ganne hiding next to a marker. Two markers with green rectangles were present at the Gungan Sacred Place when evacuees from the Trade Federation's attack on the Gungan capital Otoh Gunga arrived there.

Markers were first mentioned in the strategy guide by Steven L. Kent—released on November 7, 2001—for the LucasArts video game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, released on November 11, 2001. In the first level of the Wookiee tutorial campaign, "Moving and Attacking," markers are used to teach the player how to move their units. In other campaign levels, markers highlight certain buildings that the player has to destroy or send units to. The objectives section in the fourth level of the Trade Federation campaign, "Capturing the Crown," instructs the player to build a Neimoidian Throne inside a set of markers, but a set of units called flags are used instead. In the scenario editor mode of the game, markers can be placed by the player, with the color of the rectangle in their center depending on the color chosen by the player for their units. The colors can be blue, red, green, yellow, gray, purple, cyan, or orange.

• Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Prima's Official Strategy Guide