Coruscant's Level 1996 was a specific stratum of that city-planet. This particular level consisted of a complex network of pipelines, channels, and elevated walkways; it was situated below the compactors of the dubious Level 1997 and above the vast emptiness that was Level 1995. Not long after the destruction of the planet Alderaan, two Alderaanian children, Anandra Milon and Santigo Milon, sought refuge in Level 1996, hoping to evade capture by two agents of the Empire. Upon arriving at this level, Anandra instructed Santigo to continue onward while she created a diversion to slow down their chasers. Subsequently, a stormtrooper pursuing them arrived on the level using a turbolift, only to find Anandra awaiting him on a walkway. The trooper initially attempted to persuade the girl to give herself up, but their interaction escalated into a physical confrontation. This fight was then interrupted by the arrival of a Herglic criminal from Level 1997, who proceeded to hurl the trooper to his death into the abyss of Level 1995. The Herglic then advised Anandra that assistance could be found on Level 1782 before departing.
The debut of Level 1996 occurred in "One Thousand Levels Down," a short narrative penned by Alexander Freed and featured in the pages of Star Wars Insider 151 in the year 2014.