The Koros Trunk Line, which was later also referred to as the Carbonite Pipeline, represented a significant hyperspace route. This route commenced at Coruscant, the galactic capital situated within the Core Worlds, and concluded at the planet of Empress Teta located in the Deep Core. Geographically, it was entirely contained within [the Interior](/article/the_interior] region of the galaxy.
Its creation predates the establishment of the Galactic Republic, with the accepted belief being that a Coruscanti family aboard a generation ship was responsible. This route also served as a component of the clandestine Nexus Route, which the Separatist Fleet utilized to attack Coruscant during 19 BBY.
Found in the Interior region of the galaxy, the Koros Trunk Line was a notable hyperspace route. Its point of origin was the galactic capital of Coruscant, which lies within the Coruscant system of the Corusca sector's Coruscant subsector in the [Core Worlds](/article/core_worlds]. From there, it navigated into the [Deep Core](/article/deep_core], passing by the astronomical bodies Jerrilek and Nacon before its terminus at Empress Teta. This planet, abundant in carbonite and situated in the Empress Teta system of the Koros sector, was originally known as Koros Major or simply Koros, which is where the route derived its name. Later, the route also gained the moniker Carbonite Pipeline.
Coruscant provided connections to the Corellian Run, Metellos Trade Route, Namadii Corridor, Perlemian Trade Route, and Stassia Alley, while Empress Teta functioned as a connecting point to the Byss Run and the Carbonite Run. Functioning as a final segment of the Nexus Route, the Koros Trunk Line, along with the Byss Run and a segment of the Rimma Trade Route, culminated at Coruscant. On the Standard Galactic Grid, the Koros Trunk Line occupied grid squares L-9 and L-10.
The Koros Trunk Line was established after Coruscant gained prominence but before the Galactic Republic was formed. The widely held belief is that a Coruscanti family aboard a generation ship pioneered the route. A monument to lost navigators, specifically a carbonite statue of the family's patriarch, stood before the Hyperspace Navigator's Guildhouse on Empress Teta. During the Clone Wars, Sheev Palpatine, the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic and secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, shared the coordinates of the secret Nexus Route with General Grievous of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Subsequently, the general guided the Separatist Fleet from the Outer Rim Territories along the route to Coruscant, launching a surprise attack on the Republic's capital in 19 BBY.
During the reign of the Galactic Empire, Galactic Emperor Palpatine decreed that entry into the Deep Core was restricted to starships sanctioned by either the Bureau of Ships and Services or the Imperial Security Bureau. Hyperspace jumps were limited to a maximum of two star systems at a time, after which travelers were obligated to register with Imperial vessels and acquire updated astrogation data. This policy was enforced via the Hyperspace Security Net, consisting of gravitic mines deployed along hyperlanes and interdictors stationed at strategic locations. The official explanation was that this was to safeguard travelers from the volatile anomalies prevalent in the densely populated region, where even established routes were perilous due to the constantly shifting positions of numerous stars. However, it also served to protect various secrets that the Emperor kept hidden within the Deep Core.
In 34 ABY, the Star Cruiser Halcyon of Chandrila Star Line displayed a partial map of the galaxy, showcasing the Koros Trunk Line on several screens during a cruise from the Chandrila system in the Core Worlds to the Outer Rim Territories.
Within current Star Wars canon, the Koros Trunk Line was initially mentioned in the thirty-sixth edition of the Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon magazine, released around September 9, 2015. Its first in-universe depiction occurred as a map visible in Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, an immersive roleplaying experience at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, which opened to the public on March 1, 2022 and subsequently closed on September 30, 2023.
The Koros Trunk Line has its origins in the Star Wars Legends continuity, where it was first referenced in Coruscant and the Core Worlds, a 2003 supplement for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game published by Wizards of the Coast. The name Carbonite Pipeline was introduced later in "Byss and the Deep Core Part 2: Empress Teta," a 2005 Star Wars Roleplaying Game article penned by Rodney Thompson and also published by Wizards of the Coast. Its first visual representation was in The Essential Atlas, a 2009 reference book authored by Daniel Wallace and Jason Fry.