Abafar, situated in the Outer Rim Territories, was a desolate planet of desert landscapes, notable for its substantial deposits of rhydonium, a highly sought-after and unstable energy resource. The vast desert expanse, known as the Void, possessed unique optical properties due to the peculiar composition of its regolith, causing light to distort and obscuring shadows, making it impossible to discern tracks. During the Clone Wars, the Confederacy of Independent Systems established a mining facility near the settlement named Pons Ora. The planet's population density was quite low. During the Imperial Era under the Galactic Empire, the Hutt crime lord, Jabba Desilijic Tiure, operated a drilling platform on Abafar, intending to extract rhydonium. Subsequent to the Battle of Endor, Wedge Antilles, a pilot from the New Republic, journeyed to Abafar while searching for potential Imperial forces hiding within the Outer Rim.
Abafar was geographically positioned within the Sprizen sector of the Outer Rim Territories. Its dominant geographical feature was a desert region referred to as the Void. This name stemmed from the atmospheric conditions and unique surface regolith that prevented sunlight from penetrating and obscured any traces left on the ground, making navigation through the desolate terrain exceptionally challenging. Among the known wildlife were Void striders, reptavian creatures adapted to traverse the Void in search of scarce surface water. Besides Void striders, Abafar exhibited limited biodiversity, with insects representing one of the few other species present. The planet's primary economic value was its reserves of the valuable and highly explosive rhydonium fuel.
By the time the Clone Wars engulfed the galaxy, interest in Abafar had waned due to the significant depletion of its rhydonium reserves. Following the Battle of Sarrish, a major setback for the Galactic Republic, Captain Gregor, a clone commando who survived the battle, crash-landed on Abafar near the settlement of Pons Ora. The crash left him amnesiac, retaining only his name. Borkus, a Sullustan who owned the Power Sliders diner, exploited Gregor's memory loss by employing him as a dishwasher in his establishment.
Around 19 BBY, the Confederacy of Independent Systems dispatched forces to Abafar, seizing control of Pons Ora to extract rhydonium as part of a plan to bomb the Republic strategy conference held on Carida. Consequently, despite Abafar's overall neutrality, the Confederacy maintained a military presence on the planet.
Eventually, D-Squad, a Republic unit comprised of droids under the command of Colonel Meebur Gascon of the Zilkin species, experienced a crash landing on the planet after encountering a comet swarm while returning from a mission to steal a Separatist encryption module. Their objective had been stealing a Separatist encryption module. After reaching Pons Ora, the squad's astromech droids were dispatched to scout the town in search of a suitable vessel, while Gascon and WAC-47, a pit droid, sought sustenance for the colonel.
Gascon and WAC-47 entered Power Sliders, only to be ejected by Borkus after Gascon loudly proclaimed his status as a Republic military officer, partly due to the Sullustan's desire to conceal Gregor's presence. However, the pair circled around to the back, where WAC-47 suggested that Gascon scavenge for food in the refuse. There, they encountered Gregor, quickly realizing his memory was impaired as he was unfamiliar with the term "clone." In the meantime, R2-D2 and the astromechs discovered the town's spaceport, which was heavily guarded by battle droids and contained a Republic attack shuttle along with numerous containers of rhydonium. After strategizing, D-Squad concluded that attempting a covert infiltration would be suicidal. The colonel decided that they needed to enlist Gregor's assistance to escape.
Later that day, Gregor aroused Borkus's suspicion when he inquired about the definition of a clone, explaining that someone had insisted he was one. Borkus dismissed the matter, stating that clones were valiant soldiers and advising him to disregard the encounter. D-Squad trailed Gregor to his basement apartment, where Gascon used R2-D2 to project a hologram of Clone Captain Rex through the window, startling Gregor. Gascon then confronted him, informing him that the recording depicted him and that he was a clone. To verify Gregor's identity, Gascon instructed R2 to scan the barcode on Gregor's wrist, a standard feature on all clones. The scan revealed his ID number and rank as a commando who had been listed as MIA following the Battle of Sarrish. The reminders of his past triggered a partial restoration of Gregor's memories, leading him to agree to aid D-Squad in their escape, after they located his gear.
Abafar was first depicted in "A Sunny Day in the Void," an episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars that was originally broadcast on December 7, 2012. The setting of Abafar bears resemblance to a location featured in George Lucas's 1971 film THX 1138. The 2024 reference work Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy erroneously claims that Abafar is located within the Quelii sector.