Vardos

Located in the Jinata system of the Core Worlds, Vardos was populated with Imperial installations, training grounds and military bases, as well as housing millions of citizens loyal to the Empire. It was described as an "Imperial utopia." The stunning red soil of the planet could be seen from space, as can its mountain ranges and oceans. But the planet's jewel was Kestro, the capital city and Imperial hub. It was also the location of the Future Imperial Leaders Military Preparatory School, as well as the headquarters of Jinata Security.

During the Imperial Era, Garrick Versio joined the Empire and brought the Galactic Empire to Vardos. For this, he was honored as a hero and had a statue built for him. He was married to Zeehay Versio, an Imperial propagandist. They had a daughter named Iden but the two divorced when she was just an infant and would go on to train as an Imperial soldier. Iden attended the Future Imperial Leaders Military Preparatory School where she met Gideon Hask and was mentored by Gleb, the leader of Jinata Security.

Following the destruction of the Death Star at the Battle of Yavin, Garrick Versio formed Inferno Squad to prevent another blow like that from occurring again and ordered them to infiltrate the Dreamers, a remnant of Saw Gerrera's Partisans. As part of the mission, Iden pretended to be a traitor to the Empire. Following her treasonous comments she was brought to Vardos to do hard labor. During this time she stayed at Gleb's house. Gleb knew about the mission and ensured that the Dreamers found her. The Dreamers eventually "rescued" her and her team succeeded in ending the Dreamers. During this time Zeehay died, but learned that Iden was not actually a traitor.

After the destruction of the second Death Star and death of the Emperor, his contingency plan, Operation: Cinder began. Aboard the Eviscerator, above Vardos, Iden was briefed by Admiral Versio on Operation: Cinder. He sent Inferno Squad in their ship, the Corvus to the planet Fondor to receive climate disruption array satellites. Following a battle against a rebel attack, the satellites were secured on the Dauntless, which then traveled to Vardos. The Corvus arrived shortly later to find the satellites ready to attack Vardos. Iden was infuriated and barged onto the bridge of the Eviscerator where she was horrified when she learned that Admiral Versio had no problem with targeting Vardos, despite it being both his own homeworld and loyal to the Empire. The satellites were activated and Iden was sent with Inferno Squad to extract Protectorate Gleb from the planet as massively destructive storm systems were formed in minutes. The Corvus landed at Bay 2 and Inferno Squad headed for the Archive to extract Gleb. While walking they saw the stormtroopers struggling to control the population, who were uneasy about the storms and requesting to leave, requests which were denied and met with notices that all ships that attempted to leave without authorization would be shot down.

As they approached the Archive, the storms increased in ferocity and Kestro was ravaged by lightning strikes. Inferno Squad began to argue amongst themselves about the morality of Operation: Cinder; Iden and Del Meeko were highly uncomfortable with the idea of massacring innocent civilians and loyal Imperials, but Hask was indifferent to their moral quandary as he believed the Empire could never be wrong in what it did. Upon reaching the Archive, they found Gleb and a large number of civilians sheltering from the storm, several of whom were almost crushed by falling debris from a lightning strike. Iden and Meeko decided to evacuate the civilians to the Corvus. However, Hask stopped them and refused to disobey orders. Hask attempted to fire upon Iden, but she shot him in the leg before he could. After Iden and Meeko left, Hask contacted Admiral Versio who ordered him to return Gleb to him while he would deal with the traitors.

Iden and Meeko found death marks on their heads, forcing them to fight their way to safety. At the same time, the civilian population realized they were being left to die and erupted in rioting, many taking to their ships and trying to flee the planet. The Empire's anti-air batteries began firing on escaping civilian ships in response. Iden and Meeko stole an AT-AT and fought their way through numerous Imperial forces and destroyed the relay controlling the anti-air batteries. As they made their way to the Corvus, the walker was struck by lightning and destroyed, but the two rogue agents escaped unhurt and boarded the Corvus, fleeing Vardos alongside many escaping civilians. Meanwhile, Hask managed to return Gleb to the Admiral and received a promotion to Commander.

Sometime after stealing the Millennium Falcon from Han Solo, Gannis Ducain went to Vardos to meet his employer, who told him that he would have big plans for him within the galaxy's new ruling order.

Due to Operation: Cinder, Vardos was left an uninhabited dead world, the former great cities being reduced to ghost towns covered in ash, an atmospheric run-off from the storms generated by the satellites. Following the Empire's defeat at Jakku, Vardos became a base for Project Resurrection; the kidnapping of children to convert to First Order stormtroopers. After the death of Meeko, who had learned about the Project on Pillio, Hask, now a First Order officer, returned to Vardos to set up a trap for his former Inferno Squad Commander. Iden, her former New Republic comrade and old friend in the Resistance Shriv Suurgav, and her and Del's daughter Zay, went looking for Meeko and eventually made their way to Vardos.

Believing Gleb had captured Meeko, Iden and Shriv moved to the Archive, the same place Inferno Squad was broken thirty years earlier, while Zay stayed on the Corvus. Shriv originally thought that the ash was snow until Iden explained that it was left over from Operation: Cinder. While making their way to the Archive, they witnessed the destruction of the Hosnian system in the sky, though neither knew what it was.

They both, however, correctly assumed that the First Order was responsible for it. When they reached the Archive, they found that Hask had killed Gleb. His troopers captured Iden and Shriv, while Hask explained the New Republic was now gone and that he murdered Meeko. He then forced them to watch his Resurgent-class Star Destroyer, the Retribution, blast the Corvus out of the sky in an effort to kill Zay. Hask ordered his troopers to find out what the pair knew about the Resistance and then burn the city to the ground.

As Iden and Shriv were being escorted, they managed to free themselves and found a battle taking place between Jinata Security and the First Order due to the death of Gleb at the hands of Hask. Iden and Shriv fought their way through the ruins of the city, being fired at by both members of Jinata Security and the First Order. They searched the ruins of the Corvus, eventually finding Zay. After clearing the area of opposition, they informed Zay about what happened to her father, Meeko. The trio then made plans to board the Retribution in order to learn more about the First Order and get it to Iden and Shriv's dear friend and the Resistance's leader General Leia Organa.

As the fighting cleared and the Jinata Security members that were attacking were killed, the First Order prepared to leave. Iden, Shriv, and Zay stole two TIE fighters and joined the other First Order fighters in formation around the Retribution. They were soon recognized as having been stolen and the First Order starfighters attacked them. While this was happening, they were able to board the ship before the Retribution exited the atmosphere and jumped to hyperspace.

The planet was revealed at Star Wars Celebration Orlando 2017. Both Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge: Traveler's Guide to Batuu and Star Wars Droids Guide to a Galaxy Far, Far Away place Vardos at grid square K-9; Star Wars Galaxy Map however, places Vardos at L-10. According to Jason Fry, its placement in Traveler's Guide to Batuu was based on mapping done for the mobile game Star Wars: Rise to Power.

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