Chad

The planet Chad, also referenced as Chadra or Chad III, was the original homeworld of the Chadra-Fan species; information on this world can be found in the planet article. It was situated within the Outer Rim Territories, and more precisely, inside the region known as the Slice.

Description

Chad was a world that orbited the blue-white star identified as Chad within the Chad system. This system was located within the Outer Rim Territories section of the galaxy, specifically within the Slice. The planet's orbit was uniquely elliptical, leading to some uncertainty regarding whether it was the third or fourth planet from its star. A single day on Chad lasted twenty standard hours, while a year consisted of 380 local days. Chad was a terrestrial planet featuring a breathable atmosphere, a hot climate, a wet hydrosphere, and standard gravity. It was also orbited by nine small moons, resulting in a complex and gentle tidal system.

Water encompassed three-quarters of Chad's surface, and its terrain was characterized by bayous, marshes, and bogs. The planet's geography was largely defined by extensive oceans and ridge-like, mountainous continents, separated by wide bands of tidal marshes. The deep oceans of Chad also featured long, broad currents. The only areas considered dry were narrow mountains; even the highlands experienced frequent rainfall and were covered in thick vegetation. On Chad, the concepts of depth and height were considered more significant than land and water. Wetlands began in foothills and lowlands, bogs appeared at moderate elevations, and deep swamps were found along the coasts. Vast expanses of shallowly submerged land gradually transitioned into moderate seas and then into the deep ocean.

The rays from Chad's sun heated the planet's surface to an average of 89 standard degrees, although recorded temperatures varied from 20 to 122 standard degrees. Due to the relatively high average temperature and the planet's nearly nonexistent axial tilt, Chad's climate remained fairly consistent, with minimal seasonal variations. However, the polar regions froze during winter, and the equatorial oceans steamed in summer. The sky was turquoise in color, and the seas were turbulent, with frequent hurricanes and tsunamis; hurricanes traversed the deep ocean almost every month.

Habitable land on Chad was limited, and even in those areas, significant fauna was scarce. The planet's government was composed of anarchistic clans and local ranches. Chad was a pre-industrial world abundant in methane fuels. Although scouts and traders introduced some advanced technology, the world was generally considered technologically primitive. Its exports included bildog meat, proop meat, and unique mechanisms, while its imports consisted of homestead supplies.

History

The native Chadra-Fan, an arboreal species, lived in simple structures atop the cyperill trees of the bayous. They did not invest in elaborate housing, understanding that their dwellings could be destroyed at any moment by the planet's frequent hurricanes and tsunamis. Callista spent her childhood on Chad with her family, who worked as deep-sea ranchers on the world's algic current, cultivating and herding wander-kelp. Around 25 BBY, Jedi Master Djinn Altis arrived to educate her in the ways of the Jedi.

Chad was not a member of the Galactic Republic. In 9 BBY, the fifth "death wave" in Chadra-Fan history occurred when underwater earthquakes caused massive tidal waves. This event resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Chadra-Fan and the destruction of much of their civilization. By 5 ABY, Chad had become the galaxy's dairy capital, thanks to its large herds of milk-producing lactils. However, the significant amounts of methane produced by the lactils often led to intense storms in Chad's atmosphere due to the greenhouse effect.

Locations

Chad lacked any known permanent local landing facilities or any landing facilities sanctioned by the Galactic Empire. However, the Chadra-Fan occasionally constructed landing platforms in hopes of attracting off-world traders.

Inhabitants

Chad was the only inhabited planet in its system, with a population consisting of twenty million Chadra-Fan and 15,000 Humans. It served as the homeworld for the Chadra-Fan, a rodentine species whose tendency to migrate to drier worlds and fear of water-related death originated from the violent nature of Chad's seas. While many Chadra-Fan were aware of life beyond Chad, their knowledge was limited. A series of natural disasters forced the Chadra-Fan to prioritize survival. An unchartered colony of loosely connected, resilient, and independent homesteaders and ranchers inhabited Chad's oceans. These predominantly Human groups lived in small, nomadic fleets of barges, herding semi-domesticated bildogs and proops. The Jedi Knight Callista Ming was among the Humans born on Chad. The Human colonists resided in oceanic ranches aboard large ranch-arks.

Behind the scenes

Chad's initial mention in Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races places it as the fourth planet in its system, while the later novel Children of the Jedi refers to it as Chad III. The Essential Guide to Alien Species later addressed this discrepancy by introducing Chad's unusual orbit, which causes it to be either the third or fourth planet at different times of the year.

Play It Again, Figrin D'an: The Tale of Muftak and Kabe identifies the Chadra-Fan Kabe as a native of the planet Chadra. This may be an alternate name for Chad or a separate Chadra-Fan colony. If it is a separate colony, it would have to be in another system, as Galaxy Guide 4 specifies that Chad is the only inhabited planet in its system.