The Industrial Complex of the Farnel Research Facility functioned as the main industrial hub for the Farnel Research Facility, a research center situated on the planet of Balmorra. After the insectoid Colicoids overran the Farnel Research Facility, the entire region became infamous as "Bugtown," with the Colicoids building nests within the Industrial Complex. Later, the Balmorran resistance expelled the Colicoids and transformed the facility into a hospital, though they continued to face Colicoid incursions during the battle against the Sith Empire.
Constructed as an integral part of the Farnel Research Facility, the Farnel Research Facility Industrial Complex was a scientific research installation located on the outskirts of Lake Farnell on the planet of Balmorra. This industrial complex was designed as an underground bunker situated on the facility's northern edge, housing a variety of industrial and scientific machinery. However, the accidental release of the insectoid Colicoids, which were subjects of experimentation at the lab, led to their takeover of the area. Consequently, the industrial complex became one of several locations where they established their nests. Following the recapture of the bunker by the Balmorran resistance and the Republic Military, it was repurposed into a hospital and equipped with medical resources.
Prior to the Great Galactic War between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire, the Farnel Research Facility was established as an experimental genetic research center with assistance from the Colicoid Creation Nest, a Colicoid organization dedicated to enhancing their species. The facility conducted experiments on Colicoid specimens, mutating them into ferocious monsters while enabling them to process the toxic waste prevalent on the industrialized planet. The Farnel Research Facility Industrial Complex also engaged in the development of weaponry, including a potent neutron detonator. However, during the Great Galactic War, Balmorra became a target for invasion by the Sith Empire, and Imperial saboteurs unleashed the Colicoid specimens. The Colicoids swiftly seized control of the entire complex, killing the facility's personnel and establishing nests in the industrial complex and other areas of the Farnel Research Facility, a region soon dubbed "Bugtown."
The escaped Colicoids soon spread to other regions of the planet, but Bugtown remained infested with Colicoids for decades as the Empire and Republic fought for Balmorra's control. Around 3643 BBY, a decade after the Great Galactic War ended and the Cold War commenced between the Empire and the Republic, Imperial forces began to infiltrate Bugtown and establish a presence. Lieutenant Piloc of the Fifth Infantry's First Battalion learned of a rumor concerning the neutron detonator being developed at the industrial complex, and dispatched his squad on multiple assaults against the Colicoid-infested bunker in an attempt to secure the plans. Private Suzoku discovered that Piloc had fabricated the orders to retrieve the plans, explaining Piloc's refusal to request reinforcements; however, Suzoku became trapped within the complex during the third assault. Before being killed by the Colicoids, the soldier managed to leave behind a recording detailing Piloc's incompetence and his actions.
Shortly thereafter, individuals allied with the Empire and dispatched by Piloc successfully infiltrated the bunker and recovered the plans. Although Suzoku's recording was discovered, Piloc's incompetence was not reported to his superiors.
By 3642 BBY, the Galactic War had erupted between the Republic and the Empire, and Republic forces established a beachhead in Bugtown, driving back the Colicoids. The Balmorran resistance against the Empire then occupied the cleared industrial complex, and Archiban "Doc" Kimble, a combat medic, established a hospital within the facility. However, the Colicoids tunneled underground and attacked the industrial complex; Kimble and his patients were rescued by the prompt arrival of the Jedi Knight known as the Hero of Tython, who repelled the Colicoids and provided Doc's staff with time to relocate their patients to the bunker's secure area. Following the attack, Doc refused to evacuate his patients due to the severity of their injuries, instead requesting the Jedi to procure Imperial trauma kits to stabilize them. Once stabilized, the wounded were evacuated, and the facility was abandoned due to the persistent Colicoid threat.
The Farnel Research Facility Industrial Complex made its debut in Star Wars: The Old Republic, a video game launched by BioWare in 2011. Unlike most planets, Balmorra is not a shared-faction world, resulting in different experiences for Republic and Imperial players. In the Imperial version of Balmorra, the complex serves as the location for the Heroic mission "A Question of Motivation," where players must decide whether to report Piloc for his incompetence. Given that Imperial players are typically assumed to make choices that yield dark side alignment points, this article assumes that Piloc went unreported, as this represents the dark side choice in the mission. The Republic version of Balmorra features the complex as a class-specific phase for Jedi Knight players, serving as the setting for the class mission "Lives in the Balance."