The Kelita River existed on the Outer Rim planet of Mandalore; it was a river.
A river found on the Outer Rim world of Mandalore, the Kelita River took its name from the Mando'a term for moat, kelita. This river resided in the northern part of Mandalore, specifically at forty-five degrees north of the planet's equator. The Kelita River meandered for many kilometers through areas populated with trees and across grassland. Keldabe, the capital city of Mandalore, was situated on a bend in the extensive river, atop a flat-topped granite hill that the Kelita had eroded over time. The Kelita River nearly encircled Keldabe, effectively creating a natural moat, which is how the river got its name.
A sturdy stone balustrade was at some point constructed to act as a barrier between the city's edge and the steep drop from the hilltop down to the Kelita. The river's swift current was augmented by several tributaries originating in the Kelita valley. A sluice gate had been installed on the Kelita in the past, but it was eventually removed, and the narrow path leading from Keldabe to it was fenced off. Frond-grass thrived in areas of Keldabe that were dampened by the spray from the rapidly flowing Kelita River. Several bridges were built over the Kelita, enabling people to enter the city on foot.
When he was a young child in the year 19 BBY, the Mandalorian Venku Skirata enjoyed watching the rapid current of the Kelita River. During a visit to Keldabe with his grandfather and uncle, Kal and Fi Skirata, they stopped so the boy could observe the river from the Keldabe balustrade. A few weeks later, Mij Gilamar, a friend of the Skirata family, encountered his former Cuy'val Dar colleague Dred Priest while in Keldabe. Upon discovering that Priest had joined the newly formed Death Watch splinter group, Gilamar stabbed and killed Priest, disposing of the body in the Kelita River.
During the attack on Mandalore by the extra-galactic Yuuzhan Vong, the woodlands around the Kelita River were dramatically changed. Extensive areas of forest surrounding Keldabe were destroyed, and parts of the nearby land were poisoned by the Vong. However, the river's swift current aided in cleansing the damaged land, gradually washing away toxins and purifying the soil. Consequently, Mandalorians selected a watery meadow near the Kelita as the site for a mass burial ground; mass graves were a common practice in Mandalorian culture, as they believed they would all be united in the collective afterlife.
The 2006 e-novella, Boba Fett: A Practical Man by author Karen Traviss, marked the initial appearance of the Kelita River in the Star Wars universe. It subsequently became a prominent and recurring natural feature of Mandalore. The Kelita was later featured in Traviss' fourth and fifth books in the Republic and Imperial Commando series, titled Order 66 and Imperial Commando: 501st. Traviss also included the Kelita in two of her contributions to the multi-author novel series, Star Wars: Legacy of the Force, specifically Sacrifice and Revelation.