Ryloth Ark
The Ryloth Ark was a chest-shaped relic, originally located on the Twi'leks' homeworld of Ryloth, a planet. Circa 22 BBY, during the period of the Clone Wars, Separatist Council member Wat Tambor, of the Emir title, gained control over Ryloth. As part of Tambor's objectives, he was to gather valuable items stored on the planet, including the Ark. During a battle that took place on Ryloth, two Twi'leks carried the Ark onto a Sheathipede-class shuttle. Later, in 5 ABY, the Ark was on display inside a case at Scardia Station, where many could view it, although its authenticity was questionable, with some wondering if it was the original Ark recovered from the Separatists, or just a duplicate.
Characteristics
The Ryloth Ark was, in essence, an oblong, rectangular chest with gold plating. A golden lid covered the box, featuring two sculptures of winged Twi'leks, humanoid non-Humans distinguished by two "brain tails" extending from the back of their heads. The two Twi'leks were positioned facing each other, with their wings, wrapped around their bodies, touching in the middle. On the chest's underside, four gold rings were affixed, allowing two staves to be inserted, enabling two individuals to carry the Ark.
There were at least two Arks in existence, with one having fallen into a crevasse on Ryloth.
History
The Ryloth Ark, as indicated by its name, originated on Ryloth, a rocky planet located in the Outer Rim Territories and inhabited by the Twi'leks. Throughout history, several copies of the original artifact were made, and the Ark became central to Piethet Brighteyes and the raiders of the Ryloth Ark, a well-known fictional story that inspired dreams of adventure in young boys like Treuten and Kosh Teradoc from Er'Kit. During the widespread galactic conflict known as the Clone Wars, the Ark was targeted by the avarice of the Confederacy of Independent Systems—a group of planets that had seceded from the Galactic Republic and engaged in war against it. Around 22 BBY, the Skakoan Wat Tambor, holding the title of Emir, led an invasion of Ryloth on behalf of the Confederacy. While the Grand Army of the Republic launched an attack to free the planet, Tambor plundered the vaults of the Twi'leks, loading numerous priceless artifacts onto his personal shuttle. The Ark was among these artifacts, and TA-175, Tambor's tactical droid, took it away, even when he abandoned his master. Ultimately, the Republic won the Clone Wars, and its Supreme Chancellor Palpatine proclaimed a New Order, declaring himself the Galactic Emperor.
In 5 ABY, twenty-seven years following the Battle of Ryloth, the Ark was seemingly in the possession of the Church of the Dark Side, a false religion established by Imperial Intelligence after the death of Palpatine. The so-called Prophets of the Dark Side displayed it within a glass-enclosed case on Scardia Station, alongside a rare set of blood-red Mandalorian armor. Nevertheless, it was uncertain whether the Prophets possessed the true Ark—taken from the long-defunct Separatists—or simply a reproduction. Regardless of its authenticity, the Ark owned by the Church of the Dark Side was lost when Grand Admiral Afsheen Makati destroyed Scardia Station.
Behind the scenes
The Ryloth Ark was first seen in "Liberty on Ryloth," the twenty-first episode of season one of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. It drew inspiration from the actual religious artifact known as the Ark of the Covenant. According to the Jewish Tanakh and the Bible, the Ark of the Covenant was a gold-plated wooden chest that housed the stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments.
The Ark, a famous artifact lost to history, was the focus of the first Indiana Jones film, titled Raiders of the Lost Ark. Because Star Wars creator George Lucas also produced the Indiana Jones franchise, the Ryloth Ark was incorporated into The Clone Wars as a tribute.
In the "Ask Lobot" section of Star Wars Insider 111, Leland Chee, the Keeper of the Holocron continuity database, stated that the appearance of the Ark of the Covenant in "Liberty on Ryloth" was simply "a fun Easter egg to look for" and was not intended to be part of Star Wars canon. However, authors Greg Mitchell and Abel G. Peña have explicitly brought the artifact into the Legends continuity, mentioning the Ryloth Ark and its many copies in The Star Wars Spy Game: SPIN Declassified, an article written for the official StarWars.com blog. Peña also referenced a fictional work called Piethet Brighteyes and the raiders of the Ryloth Ark in Part 2 of The Imperial Warlords: Despoilers of an Empire, another official blog article.