Batuu

Situated on the fringe of the Outer Rim Territories within the galaxy, Batuu was a temperate planet found in the Batuu system of the Trilon sector. It revolved around three suns known as Ubaat I, Ubaat II, and Ubaat III. This world was the location of Black Spire Outpost, a sanctuary for individuals seeking to avoid undue attention. The market stalls of Batuu were renowned for offering a diverse array of goods sourced from across the galaxy.

Once upon a time, Batuu was home to enormous trees, but these colossal plants met their end in a cataclysmic event that devastated the planet's surface. The remaining portions of these trees became petrified into gray and brown stone structures that towered above the surroundings. The local Batuuans referred to these structures as "spires." These spires served as important landmarks for the people who settled there. A smaller species of dark green conifers, known as Batuu trees, managed to thrive in the rocky soil, clinging to the rocky surfaces found across the planet.

Golden Lichen, a native form of lichen, flourished on numerous spires and buildings across the planet. Often called "gold dust," this lichen was harvested for use as a cooking spice and as a natural dye for clothing.

Batuu was populated by a diverse assortment of creatures, including the Batlizard, Batuuan braga bear, dugar dugar, lahiroo, pipa bird, Snarlok, nightsnake, terra tree toad, Batuuan Rat, and Spiran Firefly. Catfish also inhabited the sinkholes found on the planet.

By 34 ABY, creatures such as demlins, acid-spitters, and Kowakian monkey-lizards could be encountered in areas of the Batuu Wilds, such as around the Three Suns Overlook, Dead Root Refuge, and Hissiq Springs. Additionally, porgs were occasionally sighted at Seezelslak's cantina during this period.

Thousands of years prior to the arrival of the first settlers on Batuu, the planet was densely covered by giant trees. These trees were believed to possess advanced sentience, enabling them to consciously communicate and exert influence over their environment. Over time, these trees nurtured various lifeforms, including a race known as the fae. The trees employed the fae to propagate across the land. Eventually, the trees resolved to create more diverse lifeforms, tailored to thrive in different regions of the planet. This decision inevitably led to the emergence of an offshoot colony of fae, which demanded resources from their original progenitors. When the trees were unable to fulfill the demands of this colony, a war erupted between the two factions. A third faction, the newest colony of the trees, intervened in the conflict, seeking to enforce peace. As the war progressed, the factions of the fae continually developed innovative methods for extracting energy and creating weapons. This ultimately led many of the fae to extract energy directly from the trees, resulting in a cataclysmic event.

This cataclysm resulted in the destruction of the trees, which eventually became petrified. The world was initially settled by Ariana Surabat and the crew of her ship, the Ravenstar. Batuu became a significant trading post in the era preceding advancements in hyperspace technology. It served as a popular stop along older routes for those venturing into Wild Space. However, with the establishment of well-defined hyperspace routes, most travelers bypassed the planet. Consequently, it evolved into a haven for smugglers, gamblers, and explorers journeying from the galactic frontier into Wild Space, as well as a sanctuary for those who preferred to live in the shadows.

During the High Republic Era, the Jedi Order maintained a Jedi temple on Batuu, where a model of security droid assisted the Jedi. Within the temple, the Jedi undertook the study of an ancient Sith Runestone, which triggered an incident. Sylvestri Yarrow and her crew incurred a debt on Batuu, which proved challenging for them to repay.

During the Clone Wars, a galactic-scale conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Separatist Alliance, a cantina owned by the bartender Janott located in Black Spire Outpost on Batuu served as a transfer point for Separatists working under the Serennian Duke Solha. These Separatists utilized the cantina to transport equipment and materials to Solha's droid factory on the planet Mokivj, with the freighter Larkrer being involved in this operation. However, Janott also conspired with a smuggler gang to pilfer some of the Separatist's supplies, with the Separatist cargo inspector Oenti participating in the scheme.

In 19 BBY, Duja, a handmaiden working for the Republic Senator Padmé Amidala, uncovered the Separatist operations on Batuu but was subsequently discovered by the Separatists, who then killed her. However, before her death, the handmaiden managed to send a message to Amidala. Consequently, the senator traveled to Batuu to investigate the fate of Duja after failing to reach her. Meanwhile, the Separatists, suspecting Duja of being a thief, initiated an investigation to identify other potential thieves.

Upon arriving at a landing area near Black Spire, Amidala's H-type Nubian yacht immediately attracted the attention of two individuals at a nearby freighter. When one of them, a human, inquired about her presence, Amidala fabricated a story, claiming she was delivering the starship to a man named Kuseph Jovi. The human then directed her to Janott's Cantina in search of the fictitious individual. The senator proceeded to the cantina, where she discovered Duja's body laid out on a funeral pyre outside. Entering Janott's cantina, Amidala engaged in conversation with Janott, elaborating on her fabricated transaction with Jovi and inquiring about Duja's fate.

Returning to her ship, Amidala journeyed to the location where she had originally planned to meet Duja, hoping to locate the handmaiden's vessel, the Possibility. After finding Duja's starship, the senator investigated the vessel and discovered that Duja had uncovered a Separatist factory on Mokivj, owned by Solha. As a result, Amidala decided to travel to Mokivj. During her departure, the Batuu police, suspecting her of being a smuggler, pursued her. The police attempted to intercept the Possibility but failed to capture the vessel, which proved too fast for law enforcement.

With Amidala seemingly missing, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, the senator's secret husband, traveled to Batuu in search of her. Upon arriving above the planet, the Jedi encountered another starship piloted by Commander Thrawn of the Chiss Ascendancy. The Chiss engaged in conversation with Skywalker and decided to join the Jedi on his mission. The pair traveled down to Batuu, discovering Amidala's ship. The vessel was being investigated by Janott's smuggler comrades, who had intended to escape Batuu at that landing spot due to their fear of the Separatists' investigations into the thefts. Skywalker confronted the smugglers, but Thrawn intervened, and the chief of the smugglers explained that the landing spot was normally reserved for them.

After searching Amidala's ship, Skywalker and Thrawn decided to go to Black Spire to gather information about the senator. The pair located Janott's cantina, meeting Janott himself, displaying holograms of Duja and Padmé to the bartender, and offering him money for information. After Janott denied having seen either of them, the mugs on the bar exploded as a trap for Skywalker and Thrawn, releasing gas. Four armed Separatists, who had followed the pair to the cantina, then attacked them but were defeated in the ensuing skirmish. Janott had fallen unconscious during the fight. Aware that another gunman was waiting outside the cantina, Skywalker carried one of the dead Separatists dressed in Thrawn's attire to his Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor while Thrawn pursued the fifth gunman.

Securing the decoy body onto the interceptor, Skywalker flew his starfighter above Black Spire but was interrupted when a small explosion occurred on the portside repulsorlift. Having lost the decoy body, the Jedi made an emergency landing on a landing field near the outpost, defeating a droid that attacked him. Thrawn had followed the fifth gunman to the landing field and defeated him when the Separatist arrived at the Larkrer. After reuniting, the Chiss and Skywalker boarded the freighter and defeated two more droids guarding the vessel. The pair then discovered the Larkrer's destinations, including Mokivj, and that some of the materials were being stolen, linking this activity to Janott and the smugglers.

Meanwhile, some smugglers had taken the unconscious Janott into a shop, with Oenti and four Separatist thugs gathered outside the locked building. Thrawn learned of this and informed Skywalker, and the pair traveled towards the shop. As Oenti and his men prepared to enter the building, Skywalker and Thrawn attacked them, swiftly defeating the Separatists. The pair then took Oenti inside the shop and confronted Janott and the smugglers. Thrawn exposed their operations, as well as the thefts committed by the smugglers. The Chiss further deduced that Mokivj was the location of the factory being supplied by the Separatists.

In response to Thrawn's exposé, Oenti attacked Skywalker, and a shootout ensued, with Janott being the sole survivor as the Jedi and Thrawn emerged victorious. The pair then questioned the bartender about Amidala's fate, with Janott explaining the senator's eventual departure. After advising the bartender to leave Batuu, Thrawn and Skywalker left the shop and took control of the Larkrer. The pair traveled to Mokivj to investigate Solha's droid factory, which they eventually destroyed.

The Republic eventually transitioned into the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY. Sometime between 2 BBY and 0 BBY, groups of Darshi, a species that traversed both Wild Space and the Unknown Regions, migrated to Batuu, claiming they were undertaking a pilgrimage to the planet. The Darshi constructed houses in Black Spire, establishing a communications triad to communicate deep into the Unknown Regions, and claimed landing spots, deterring many traders. Within these houses, the Darshi utilized hibernation chambers to imprison Force-sensitive Chiss children for the Grysk Hegemony, an enemy faction of the Chiss Ascendancy that had enslaved the Darshi as a “client species.” The Grysks sought to exploit the children and their powers to navigate the treacherous regions of the Unknown Regions, mirroring the practices of the Chiss themselves.

The Force-sensitive Chiss generated a disturbance in the Force, which Sheev Palpatine, the Galactic Emperor, detected and traced to Batuu. In response, the Emperor dispatched his Sith apprentice, Darth Vader, secretly Skywalker, and Thrawn, now a Grand Admiral in the Empire's navy, to address the disturbance. The reunited pair traveled to Batuu aboard Thrawn's flagship, the modified Imperial I-class Star Destroyer Chimaera, and then proceeded to Black Spire aboard a small freighter also belonging to Thrawn. Analyzing the area from above, the Grand Admiral identified the presence of the communications triad and grew suspicious of the number of starships at the landing area.

While above Batuu, the officers aboard the Chimaera, including Commodore Karyn Faro, detected the arrival of four Grysk transports and a pair of Grysk heavy freighters. Simultaneously, Vader and Thrawn entered Black Spire, discussing the Darshi presence and assessing whether they posed a threat. The pair entered Janott's old cantina, approaching the bartender Nodlia, who explained how the Darshi had altered the atmosphere of Black Spire. At this time, the Darshi within the cantina, acting under Grysk orders, distributed weapons in preparation for a diversion. Thrawn then received information from Faro regarding the transports and heavy freighters. Shortly thereafter, the Darshi attacked Vader and the Grand Admiral but were ultimately defeated.

One of the Grysk freighters descended to Batuu, destroying two Darshi houses of the communications triad in order to land and collect the Force-sensitive Chiss children. Vader dispatched members of his personal legion aboard their freighter, the Darkhawk, to approach the Grysk freighter in orbit above Batuu. The Grysk vessel detected the Darkhawk and broke its orbit in an attempt to escape. However, Defender Squadron One, a squadron of Imperial TIE/d "Defender" Multi-Role Starfighters led by Commander Vult Skerris, disabled the Grysk freighter, causing the four Grysk transports to scatter. The Darkhawk then clamped onto the freighter, and the legion troops, led by Stormtrooper Commander Kimmund, boarded the Grysk vessel.

Although the crew of the Grysk freighter destroyed its cargo before their vessel was completely seized, the other Grysk freighter fled Batuu and escaped into hyperspace. On the surface of Batuu, Thrawn and Vader investigated the remaining Darshi communications triad, discovering ten hibernation chambers. They then proceeded to investigate the Darshi bodies at the cantina, finding that others of their species had already recovered their bodies. After the pair learned that the Grysk had been controlling the Darshi all along, they returned to the Chimaera above Batuu. The Chimaera subsequently departed the system shortly thereafter.

In 3 ABY, the cyborg bounty hunter Beilert Valance traveled to Batuu on a mission to capture members of a Devaronian clan within Black Spire Outpost. Engaging in a firefight with the clan members, Valance eliminated most of the Devaronians before the remaining member commandeered a landspeeder. The Devaronian then attempted to run Valance over to avenge his fallen clanmates, but the cyborg knocked him off the speeder with a moisture vaporator pipe, rendering him unconscious. Valance departed after his droid companion Nine-Four-El informed him of a new bounty.

In 34 ABY, a freighter belonging to Mubo of Droid Depot was attacked by the Guavian Death Gang, led by Quarren pirate Tara Rashin. A droid repair technician managed to escape by crash-landing on Batuu. The technician, while running errands for cantina owner Seezelslak, defeated the Guavian Death Gang members who landed on the planet and recovered some of Mubo's lost cargo.

Their search brought them to Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities, where they interrogated the shopkeeper Dok-Ondar. The Ithorian interpreted the First Order sergeant's questions as thinly veiled threats and asserted that he was merely a humble proprietor. However, the sergeant was aware of Dok-Ondar's reputation for selling and acquiring valuable artifacts and suspected that the Resistance might have contacted him to gain access to the lightsaber of Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi, who had perished during the Clone Wars. After listening to Dok-Ondar's detailed account of how he had acquired the lightsaber and being told that the First Order would require the cooperation of Black Spire Outpost's inhabitants to successfully accomplish their mission on Batuu, the sergeant and his troops departed the shop, having received reports of Resistance activity in the nearby market.

Four months following the events of the Battle of Crait which took place in 34 ABY, General Leia Organa tasked the spy Vi Moradi alongside former First Order stormtrooper Captain Archex with establishing a fresh base of operations on Batuu. Upon their arrival to the planet, the pair found themselves embroiled in a conflict between a couple of smugglers, leading to a crash landing. The crew of Oga Garra, the local crime boss who held sway over the outpost, subsequently looted their vessel. To amass sufficient funds for reclaiming her stolen belongings, Moradi secured employment at Savi & Son Salvage. During this time, she encountered Garra, who proposed the return of Moradi's possessions in exchange for the retrieval of a specific artifact located within the ruins. Furthermore, Moradi successfully negotiated an agreement with Garra, granting the Resistance permission to utilize the ruins as a base. Simultaneously, the First Order became aware of the Resistance's presence on Batuu, prompting the dispatch of Lieutenant Wulfgar Kath along with twenty stormtroopers to conduct an investigation.

Moradi managed to acquire the artifact; however, she was pursued by the First Order and succumbed to poisoning from traps within the ruins. Dolin and his truffleboar Waba came to her aid, delivering her to his grandmother Grana for medical attention. Moradi successfully convinced Dolin to align with the Resistance, which unfortunately caused a rift between him and his grandmother. Moradi was able to recover the majority of her belongings from Garra, with the exception of her long-range comm array, which was essential for updating General Organa on the situation. While in town attempting to acquire a replacement, she encountered and defended a Chadra-Fan named Kriki who was being mistreated by her employer. Kriki also decided to join the Resistance, offering her technological expertise to assist Moradi in setting up the new base within the ruins and running errands. Later, Moradi recruited the inebriated yet charismatic Zade Kalliday, who played a crucial role in managing the recruitment of Resistance personnel. Shortly thereafter, Moradi was picking up lunch when she witnessed stormtroopers harassing two elderly women in an attempt to extract information about her whereabouts. Upon intervening, she was taken into custody.

Following an interrogation session conducted by Kath, Moradi was liberated by her recruits. They infiltrated the First Order's network and transmitted a message to the Resistance; however, Organa was unable to provide support. By this point, numerous stormtroopers had perished, leaving only twelve remaining, yet still enough to outnumber the Resistance fighters. The group devised a strategy to compel the First Order to evacuate Batuu. Moradi feigned capture to divert Kath's attention, while Kriki reprogrammed the First Order's ship to transmit a message indicating that the Resistance no longer posed a threat on Batuu, followed by self-destruction. Youths from Dolin's homestead rallied to the cause following the First Order's killing of two villagers, but they were untrained and suffered losses. Archex allowed Kath to take him prisoner, knowing that Kath would not depart without a victory, such as Archex's capture. Kriki's reprogramming proved successful; upon launch, the ship transmitted the message and subsequently exploded with Kath and Archex aboard. After Moradi had recuperated from her injuries, she met with Garra, who returned her long-range comms array as gratitude for eliminating the First Order. Moradi then informed Organa that the base was operational and prepared to serve as a Resistance fleet waypoint.

Roughly two months after the Resistance base's establishment, the First Order's 709th Legion disembarked in Black Spire Outpost at Docking Bay 9. Under the leadership of Lieutenant [Agnon], the 709th's forces, often called the "Red Fury," initiated a search of the outpost for Resistance operatives.

Soon after, the infamous Kendoh Gang made their presence known in Black Spire Outpost, aiming to pilfer the hilt of the Sword of Khashyun from Dok-Ondar. Already in possession of the blade, the group intended to profit by assembling the completed sword for their anonymous benefactor. During their stay, the First Order issued an arrest warrant for Remex Io, the Clawdite member of the crew. Varg, Dok-Ondar's fixer, had alerted the First Order to Io's presence, leading to a confrontation between Io and stormtroopers. He fled into the market, pursued by the troopers, which resulted in the death of a civilian nearby. After losing track of Io, the stormtroopers received information from a local, who was actually Io utilizing his shapeshifting abilities, indicating that their target was heading toward the spaceport. Varg then apprehended Io himself, incapacitating him before employing his own shapeshifting abilities to impersonate him and join Kendoh Voss and Wooro at Oga's Cantina. Voss discussed their heist with Hondo Ohnaka, a former pirate captain in charge of Ohnaka Transport Solutions, unaware that Ohnaka was colluding with Dok-Ondar.

Ohnaka eventually reported back to Dok-Ondar, but was watched by a cam droid operated by the Kendoh Gang. As Voss and Wooro moved to steal the hilt, stormtroopers surrounded the would-be thieves and Dok-Ondar, all suspected by the First Order of having ties to the increasing Resistance activity in the area. When the First Order questioned Voss about her activities, the gangster knocked over a kyber statue, which deflected the blaster fire directed at her. Voss heightened the chaos by releasing a baby sarlacc and using the distraction to pass the hilt to Wooro. However, Wooro would give the hilt to Io, who was actually Varg. The group evaded the First Order, but soon realized that they had been deceived. Wooro found Io back at the ship and realized the hilt had been stolen back. Dok-Ondar then contacted Voss via hologram, revealing that he had been the anonymous benefactor and telling them that their payment was a favor he did for them, which was to trick the First Order into pursuing an anonymous lead that would give them time to escape.

During the First Order's occupation, stormtroopers routinely patrolled the outpost, remaining vigilant for any signs of Resistance activity.

The original inhabitants of Batuu were known as Batuuans. Batuuans greeted each other with "bright suns" during daylight hours, and "rising moons" during the night. Common farewells included "'Til the spire" and "may the spires keep you." The planet's residents communicated in Galactic Basic Standard, Huttese, Rhodese, and Twi'leki.

Black Spire Outpost, the planet's most populous urban center, was surrounded by rural communities. In 34 ABY, the outpost featured a spaceport for arriving starships. Locals traveled by foot or landspeeder, with some using Savi's Path.

The Black Spire Outpost Market was home to a variety of local merchants, including Black Spire Outfitters, Creature Stall, Jewels of Bith, Toydarian Toymaker, and The Wooden Wookiee. Eateries such as Ronto Roasters and Kat Saka's Kettle could also be found within the market.

Outside the market, Docking Bay 7 at the end of Merchant Row housed Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo, which incorporated numerous converted cargo pods utilized by local vendors selling items such as meat and fresh produce. Another pod housed a full kitchen used by weekly guest chefs who docked their food freighters on the roof above the hangar. Local Batuuans staffed the pod where customers placed orders. Merchant Row extended to Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities, Oga's Cantina, the Milk Stand, and First Order Cargo within Docking Bay 9.

The industrial Land Port was the location of Black Spire Station, Droid Depot, and Savi's Workshop.

Peka and Surabat were also Batuaan communities. Galma was known for its illegal podracing.

Disney's CEO, Robert Iger, initially revealed during the D23 Expo on August 15, 2015 that the company planned to construct a Star Wars–themed land within Disneyland Park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, as well as in Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It was also announced that the lands would be set on a previously unseen planet situated on the fringe of the Outer Rim Territories, bordering Wild Space.

Batuu's landscape, characterized by mountains and rock spires, was a direct result of the Disneyland installation of Galaxy's Edge, which necessitated the rerouting of both the Disneyland Railroad and the Rivers of America within Frontierland. The redesigned northern curve of the river incorporates rocky cliffs, trees, and waterfalls, effectively obstructing views of the trading post for visitors riding the various vehicles along the river. Consequently, Batuu's mountains and spires serve as an expanded backdrop for the river, enabling Galaxy's Edge and Frontierland to coexist more harmoniously. Real-world inspiration for this rockwork includes Bandelier National Monument and the Bisti Badlands in New Mexico, Badlands National Park in South Dakota, and Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona.

In an interview with StarWars.com regarding his 2018 novel Thrawn: Alliances, author Timothy Zahn expressed a desire to further explore Batuu in future literary works.