Atoa, situated within the Atoan system in the Ghost Nebula, was an obscure ice planet. This frozen world served as the homeworld for the Atoans, a near-Human species.
Not long after the creation of the Galactic Empire, a major campaign unfolded on the planet for Imperial forces. Darth Vader and the 501st Legion attacked the world, under the false impression that the Atoans were behind the vanishing of Admiral Garoche Tarkin. The truth was that Tarkin had actually deserted to join Lady Saro, the High Priestess of Atoa, who was among the rulers of the Atoan system.