Mount Corvast was a volcanic mountain, and capital of the planet Sarapin. Situated amidst a series of islands, it was a mineral-rich location filled with abundant natural resources. It was also the center of operations for the planet-wide energy mining facilities, and was also the only known established city on the planet. It provided power to the majority of the Core Worlds.
During the Clone Wars, it became the key point of contention during the Hunt for the Decimator. Jedi General Jor Drakas was sent by the Galactic Republic to defend the vital location, but his forces were defeated by the Dark Acolyte General Sev'rance Tann. Tann instated Zian Finnis as the caretaker of both the city and the planet while she continued fighting across the galaxy, but the Confederate occupation did not last long. General Echuu Shen-Jon reclaimed the city shortly after Tann's attack, restoring power to the Core Worlds.
Bordered on at least one side by a river of lava, Mount Corvast was pockmarked with deposits of natural resources. Surrounding it was a series of small islands amid the cobweb of lava streams. It was ringed with smaller ranges of carbon reserves which were constantly harvested to provide for the settlement. To a lesser extent, there were both nova crystal and ore deposits. However, there were no known food resources on the mountain, although banthas were known to reside in the vicinity.
In order to make the location suitable for settlement, metal plates were arranged across the top of the lava pool at the peak of the mountain, creating an artificial plateau. Gaps were left in the plates, possibly for cooling purposes. The largest structure on the plateau was the Mount Corvast Citadel, the center of operations for the planet-wide mining facilities. With the advent of the Clone Wars, however, the Republic installed fortresses, defensive turrets, factories, and research centers. The city was also walled, although whether the wall was installed for defensive purposes during the Clone Wars, or existed prior, is unknown.
After the outbreak of the Clone Wars, Sev'rance Tann's forces took the volcanic capital, and much of the Republic architecture and infrastructure was destroyed in the process. It was quickly replaced by Geonosian defensive structures, the construction of which was overseen by Zian Finnis. These defensive structures, in turn, were swept away by the troops of General Echuu Shen-Jon.
The slopes of Corvast were supposedly difficult to traverse, a problem likely encountered by both Republic and Confederacy forces when they scaled the mountain in 22 BBY. There was at least one bridge that led to the mountain, and at least one track that was usually well-covered by the defender's turrets, making an assault difficult. Most of the mountain was surrounded by sheer cliff faces, making beaten tracks the only ones worth considering for transit. The surface at the base was also highly unstable, and lava often burst through to the surface, due to pressure build-ups.
At an undetermined time, settlers established a city atop the volcanic mountain of Mount Corvast. Built above the pool of lava at the summit, it became both the capital city of Sarapin and the headquarters for the mining facilities across the planet. In addition to the location serving as a perfect vantage point for observing mining operations, the plethora of carbon deposits that ringed the city provided a rich stream of natural resources.
In the first few months of the galaxy-wide Clone Wars, Republic High Command suspected that the Confederacy of Independent Systems might try to secure Sarapin's natural energy reserves, providing them with a cheap source of power. Such an occurrence would also cause an enduring blackout on many critical Core Worlds; so, naturally, High Command sought to fortify it.
Jedi General Jor Drakas was dispatched to the volcanic world, where he established a base at Mount Corvast. Not only could he keep a watchful eye on the mining process so as to deter any sabotage attempt, but it was a perfect vantage point, should the Confederacy invade. He also had an orbital defense grid put in place, should they try to bombard Corvast from space.
Sev'rance Tann's Decimators attack Mount Corvast.
General Sev'rance Tann—an acolyte of the Confederacy Head of State—was dispatched to Sarapin to claim the world for the Confederacy. Utilizing the new Decimator technology, her troops fought through the orbital grid and landed in the vicinity of Corvast. Drakas watched as Tann's forces plowed through his defenses, battering aside the clone troopers dispatched to halt her advance. During her ascension to the pinnacle of Mount Corvast, her troops destroyed many of the laser drills lining the road, permanently damaging the intricate mining operation.
Tann's forces eventually made it to the top of the mountain and into the city, but to the Chiss general's surprise, Drakas had kept his best troops in reserve. His heavy turrets rained down upon the Confederacy troops, who fought back with the extremely powerful Decimators. When the battle reached its peak, both generals entered the fray, golden lightsabers flashing and carving their way through opposing troops. Nevertheless, Tann's forces were able to overcome the Republic's defenses, obliterating the turrets and wiping out the troops. Drakas perished in the chaos, though whether it was by Tann's hand or by some other means is not known. Confederacy forces swept into the Mount Corvast Citadel, damaging it heavily, and Tann knocked out the power supplies of approximately eighty percent of the Core worlds. Zian Finnis was brought in to oversee the repairs to the Mount Corvast defenses, and to make sure the Confederacy was reaping the benefits of Sarapin.
Unfortunately for the Confederacy, the Republic response was swift. The Jedi Council dispatched General Echuu Shen-Jon and his new Padawan, Naat Reath, to reclaim the energy planet for the Republic. Finnis had barely even been given the opportunity to install his own Geonosian-based defensive structures, and had certainly not begun repairs to the existing Corvast buildings that had been heavily damaged during Tann's attack. Due to this, Shen-Jon's advance was far easier than Tann's, and he was able to successfully reclaim Mount Corvast, restoring power to the Core worlds.
Sarapin did not have any known native sentient species, but Mount Corvast was inhabited by Humans and other employees once the mining system was installed. With the advent of the Clone Wars, a substantial garrison of clone troopers lived in the barracks set up within the city walls. When Zian Finnis took control of the city, it was home to a small defensive force of droids and Geonosian builders.
The largest structure in Mount Corvast was the Mount Corvast citadel, the center of operations for the planet wide mining operation. Located in the center of the city, the building was almost razed by Sev'rance Tann during her conquest of the world, but was presumably restored by the Republic when Echuu Shen-Jon reclaimed it.
Mount Corvast was home to a small spaceport that was the transport hub of the planet. It is possible that this structure was razed by Sev'rance Tann during her attack on the mountain. At any rate, the Confederacy did not install their own spaceport upon occupation.
During the Clone Wars, the Republic installed a variety of defenses to ward off attacking forces. These included at least two fortresses and several turrets, both anti-infantry and anti-air. A series of factories and training facilities were also installed along the outskirts of the city.
Mount Corvast first appeared in the LucasArts expansion pack to Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, Clone Campaigns. It was also mentioned in passing in Daniel Wallace's The New Essential Chronology.
- The New Essential Chronology