Antar 4, also referred to as simply Antar or the Gotal moon, existed as a moon in orbit around Antar. This planet was situated within the Inner Rim region of the galaxy, and it served as the original homeworld for the sentient Gotal species. During the Clone Wars, the Confederacy of Independent Systems seized control of it, which subsequently led to an Imperial operation known as the Antar Atrocity.
The Antarian Rangers, a security force, came into being in 620 BBY on the planet. Their purpose was to provide assistance to the Jedi Order.
Being a part of the Galactic Republic practically from its start, the Separatist Crisis caused a schism among the Gotals of Antar 4. This led to the emergence of terrorist groups linked to the Confederacy of Independent Systems, such as the Roshu Sune, a radical offshoot of the Gotal Assembly for Separation. Despite a terrorist bombing campaign by Roshu Sune in the months leading up to the Clone Wars, Gotal loyalists, bolstered by the Republic, managed to keep control. However, not long after the First Battle of Geonosis in 22 BBY, the moon was captured by Separatist forces, briefly becoming a headquarters for Count Dooku, their leader.
Consequently, Antar 4 became a complex political issue, giving rise to one of the first resistance movements. This movement consisted of loyalist Koorivar and Gotals, who received support from the Republic in the form of tactical advisers and secret shipments of weapons and supplies. While the resistance successfully carried out numerous acts of sabotage, the moon remained under Separatist control for the duration of the war. At some stage, a Battle of Antar 4 occurred, during which at least one BX-series droid commando was deployed and proved to be a valuable combatant.
Following the war, in 18 BBY, Moff Wilhuff Tarkin of the [Galactic Empire](/article/galactic_empire], the successor to the Republic, was instructed to make an example of Antar 4 as a warning to former Separatists due to their support for the Confederacy of Independent Systems. There was to be no attempt at repatriation, nor was he to spend time differentiating Separatists from resistance fighters and intelligence operatives awaiting exfiltration to safety. Instead, many Koorivar and Gotal loyalists were caught up in the subsequent arrests, executions, and massacres, which became known as the Antar Atrocity. As a consequence of the events on Antar 4, former Republic Intelligence captain Berch Teller, who lost many operatives in the Imperial reprisal, formed a rebel cell to fight against the Empire within a year of the attack.
The new Star Wars canon first mentioned Antar 4 in Tarkin, a novel penned by James Luceno and published on November 4, 2014. It was initially conceived for Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races, a Star Wars Legends supplement authored by Troy Denning for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game and released on June 1, 1989.
Inaccurately, Tarkin stated that Antar IV was located in the galaxy's [Mid Rim](/article/mid_rim_territories]. Furthermore, Antar 4 was mistakenly labeled as simply "Antar" on the galaxy map in Star Wars: Galactic Atlas.