Flashpoint, an airless planet, circled its star at an extremely close range, resulting in a single day lasting a mere standard hour. Due to its proximity to its star, the planet was constantly bombarded with stellar radiation, making it uninhabitable. Prior to the Great Sith War, a protective magnetic field was erected, and a research station was established by scientists for stellar observation. In 3965 BBY, Mandalorian warriors seized this station during their invasion of Galactic Republic territory. The Mandalorian scientist Demagol utilized the research station to conduct experiments on Jedi, aiming to uncover the origins of their abilities; however, the Mandalorian presence was later eradicated from Flashpoint by the fugitive Jedi Padawan Zayne Carrick and his allies in 3964 BBY.
Situated within the Meerian sector of the Outer Rim Territories, Flashpoint was a planet that orbited incredibly close to its star and possessed no moons. Flashpoint was a relatively recent addition to its star system, leading to a year consisting of 1,776 local days, with each day lasting only one standard hour. The nearness to its star also caused the planet's surface to be extremely barren and without any atmosphere, due to the constant bombardment of stellar radiation, thus making it devoid of life.
To make a small portion of Flashpoint habitable, scientists from the Galactic Republic created a magnetic field on the surface. Furthermore, they built a research station there to study stars. Traveling outside the protection of this field was impossible due to the persistent solar radiation. Even the brief nights did little to mitigate the radiation, and Flashpoint experienced minimal cooling during these periods.
Four millennia before the Galactic Civil War, the Galactic Republic established the Flashpoint Stellar Research Station on the planet to investigate the life cycle of stars, using funds diverted from another Observatory on Metellos 3. In 3965 BBY, following the Great Sith War, the [Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders](/article/mandalorian_neo-crusaders-legends], a nomadic group, initiated the Mandalorian Wars by attacking Republic planets bordering Mandalorian controlled space. Flashpoint was among these targeted worlds. One year later, Mandalore the Ultimate, the leader of the Mandalorians, granted the captured Flashpoint research station to Demagol, the Mandalorian scientist, to conduct experiments on Jedi in order to learn the secrets of their abilities. As the conflict between the Neo-Crusaders and the Republic intensified, larger numbers of Jedi were transported to Flashpoint, typically via small Teroch-type gunships.
Shortly after the Battle of Vanquo in 3963 BBY, Zayne Carrick, a fugitive Jedi Padawan, along with the crew of the space transport named Last Resort, journeyed to Flashpoint to rescue Jarael, a crew member who had been captured by the Mandalorians on Vanquo. Carrick, disguised as a prisoner of Rohlan Dyre, a renegade Mandalorian scout, infiltrated the research station. He then ambushed Demagol and stole the scientist's Mandalorian armor. Dyre and Carrick, now in disguise, diverted the attention of the Neo-Crusader sentries in the station's landing area while Carrick subtly used the Force to place mining charges on nearby vessels and shield projectors. Marn Hierogryph, another of Carrick's companions, remotely detonated the charges, leaving only one Mandalorian craft, which the remaining Neo-Crusaders used to escape. With their captors gone, the Jedi prisoners were able to evacuate Flashpoint, and Jarael was reunited with Carrick and the crew. Once they also departed, Flashpoint was left abandoned.
The sun's intense heat and radiation rendered Flashpoint's surface completely lifeless. Sentient beings, primarily scientific researchers, were able to live on the planet after the Great Sith War because of the protection afforded by a magnetic shield. By the time of the Mandalorian occupation, the majority of Flashpoint's inhabitants were Humans, along with sentries stationed in the research station to oversee the numerous Jedi prisoners held for Demagol's infamous experiments.
The Flashpoint Stellar Research Station, established by Republic scientists around 4000 BBY, was the only habitable location on Flashpoint. Five projectors maintained a protective magnetic shield over the station's structure and a landing area large enough for at least three Ministry-class shuttle-sized craft. The main part of the station was an underground bunker containing Demagol's experimentation chamber.
Flashpoint made its debut in Knights of the Old Republic 8, the second issue of the story arc of the same name from the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic comic book series, Flashpoint. The planet was further referenced in several subsequent issues, including a short story about Demagol by John Jackson Miller, the comic series' writer. Flashpoint was included in the 2008 Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide and The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia. The Essential Atlas, published in 2009, provided a precise location for the planet.
Miller has mentioned that he enjoyed creating locations like Flashpoint for the series because it allowed readers to explore previously unseen areas of the Star Wars universe.