Pasaana

Pasaana, a terrestrial planet, resided within the Middian system, which itself was a component of the Ombakond sector within the Expansion Region. Its location was marked at coordinates O-13 on the Standard Galactic Grid. This planet orbited a star and was accompanied by a single moon. Pasaana's diameter spanned 11,135 kilometers, and its yearly cycle consisted of 378 standard days. Characterized by an arid environment, the planet possessed a breathable atmosphere.

The planet's terrain featured expansive stretches of dunes and shrubland, bleached by the sun, punctuated by towering buttes composed of granite and sandstone. These formations created shaded valleys where water accumulated. Beneath Pasaana's deserts lay a network of caves connected to freshwater aquifers. However, these caves were also inhabited by predators, which deterred the Aki-Aki from excessively utilizing the water resources.

Phedrugrass and termania-spore were cultivated in dustgrain farms, forming a dietary mainstay for the Aki-Aki. Sarlaccs also existed on Pasaana, posing a threat to unprepared travelers. The planet was populated by various insects, including the gorpion, gouge-beetle, solif-spider, and thistlebuzzer. Other creatures present included the etobi, oki-poki, titan-erke, and vexis.

In ancient times, Aki-Aki hunter-gatherers created a language using rhythmic stomp patterns. This language later transformed into traditional dances for courtship, conflict, and storytelling, which are still performed at modern festivals. Aki-Aki history wasn't always peaceful; the species faced disputes among scattered clans, but eventually collaborated to endure Pasaana's tough environment.

Mari San Tekka, a hyperspace prospector exploited by Marchion Ro of the Eye of the Nihil to discover unusual Paths through hyperspace for the Nihil marauder group, found a route linking Urber and Pasaana. San Tekka, suspecting Ro was selling her Paths to the Galactic Republic, informed him of the route, which Ro then stored in the main database of his flagship, Gaze Electric.

In 21 ABY, Ochi of Bestoon, a Sith assassin, was lured to Pasaana during his quest to capture Rey, Darth Sidious' granddaughter. After murdering her parents, Dathan and Miramir, on Jakku, Ochi, in his drunken state, noticed the Aki-Aki beads Miramir had hidden on her person and mistakenly believed Rey was hiding on Pasaana. However, the girl was actually hidden on Jakku. Ochi met his end in the Forbidden Valley. Luke Skywalker journeyed to Pasaana on a mission to find Ochi. Lando Calrissian joined him and assisted in locating Ochi's ship.

Calrissian was impressed by the humility of the Aki-Aki people and realized he hadn't yet searched their quadrant for his missing daughter, Kadara Calrissian. He told Skywalker he would use Pasaana as a base to search for both the lost girl and his daughter, and he settled on the planet as a hermit in the Forbidden Valley.

In 35 ABY, after Sidious revealed himself and the Final Order was announced, Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and BB-8 traveled to Pasaana in search of Exegol. Their arrival coincided with the Festival of the Ancestors, a recurring event every forty-two years. Although the First Order lacked a permanent presence on Pasaana due to its limited resources and sparse population, the influx of visitors for the festival prompted the deployment of TIE fighters and stormtrooper patrols.

While trying to evade First Order troops, they encountered Landonis Balthazar Calrissian, who had been contacted by Organa for assistance. Having joined Skywalker in his search for Exegol, Calrissian directed the group to the Bestoon Legacy, an abandoned starship formerly owned by the Sith assassin Ochi. En route to the ship, they clashed with First Order forces before being engulfed by the Shifting Mires and finding themselves in the labyrinthine tunnels created by a vexis. The Resistance members discovered Ochi of Bestoon's remains, retrieving his dagger inscribed with Sith inscriptions needed to pinpoint the Emperor's wayfinder within the wreckage of the DS-2 Death Star II Mobile Battle Station on Kef Bir. Despite C-3PO's ability to translate the inscriptions, his programming prevented him from doing so.

Rey agreed to extract the data from C-3PO and, anticipating the First Order had seized the Millennium Falcon, prepared to depart aboard Ochi's ship. Unbeknownst to the crew, the Knights of Ren had arrived on Pasaana to hunt them. However, Rey sensed Kylo Ren's arrival and left to confront him. Rey awaited Ren's attack in his TIE whisper, subsequently destroying it by slashing its wing with her lightsaber while leaping to safety. After disabling Kylo's fighter, Rey discovered that Chewbacca and the dagger had been captured by the Knights of Ren Ap'lek and Kuruk and taken by troopers aboard an AAL-1971/9.1 Troop Transport. Rushing to intervene, Rey attempted to halt the transport carrying Chewbacca and the stolen Sith dagger using the Force. Kylo Ren countered, and the ensuing struggle resulted in Rey inadvertently destroying the ship with a surge of Force lightning, shocking both of them. Horrified by her actions and believing she had killed Chewbacca, Rey narrowly escaped the approaching TIE/fo space superiority fighters.

Pasaana was the native world of the sentient Aki-Aki, who communicated using the Aki-Aki language. Adult Aki-Aki were easily recognized by the pair of prehensile trunks extending from their faces, while young Aki-Aki had stubby snouts and sunken eyes in a round, chubby face. These rounded cheeks disappeared as they matured, revealing more prominent ocular orbits. Their bifurcated trunks only developed upon reaching adulthood.

They were generally known for their peacefulness and hospitality, welcoming visitors to their planet. The Aki-Aki maintained a pre-starflight level of development, but adopted certain advanced tools to aid in their life on Pasaana. Aki-Aki history had its share of conflicts, with strife among scattered clans, but they eventually collaborated to survive Pasaana's harsh environment. Rather than concentrating in cities, the Aki-Aki lived in separate villages, gathering to trade at specific times.

The Festival of the Ancestors was a renowned event, held every 42 years, attracting people from across the galaxy. The festival's centerpiece was a large circle of bonfires symbolizing a portal to the ancestors, a gateway to the place where the Aki-Aki believed departed spirits resided. The Forbidden Valley hosted 500,000 Aki-Aki and 5,000 off-worlders during this time. Aki-Aki children were celebrated guests at the festival, representing the future. The lack of amenities, such as hotels, spaceports, and restaurants, meant that only the desperate and determined came to visit. Local chiefs hired mercenaries for security during this time. They scanned the crowds, looking for other hired guns or fugitives. The chiefs did not want to become involved in galactic affairs, but they did want to keep the celebration peaceful. Jaiyna Sibinth, a xenolinguist who regularly attended the Festival of the Ancestors, observed recurring themes and symbols in cultures native to other desert worlds, including Cona, Klatooine, Sriluur, and Tatooine.

The Aki-Aki possessed a remarkable sense of rhythm, thought to be a result of their trunks and footpads evolving to detect vibrations across the desert floor. Ancient Aki-Aki hunter-gatherers developed a language based on percussive stomp patterns, which later evolved into traditional dances of courting, aggression, and storytelling that continue to be performed in modern festivals. Aki-Aki were able to quickly fall into step with beats, and produce vast acts of seemingly spontaneous choreography. Their largest dance was known as Lobeha Mwadu.

Music was fundamental to many Aki-Aki traditions, with their oldest folklore preserved in songs passed down through generations. Their double trunks and strong lungs fostered the development of a diverse range of wind instruments. The Aki-Aki also enjoyed using their broad hands and feet to play percussion instruments of various sizes, some improvised and others intricately designed. Other performers visited the festival to see Aki-Aki virtuosos in action and to spot burgeoning talent among the self-trained. Many music-lovers simply loved the heady mix of storied heritage blended with creative flair and innovation that ensured no two performances were ever the same.

The primary economic activity on Pasaana was dust farming. While the Aki-Aki generally rejected post-starflight technologies, there was a notable exception. Dangerous seed spores were carried by desert winds across the world. Specialized electro-sifters could extract these from the gusts and deposit them into collection hoppers. These also contained moisture vaporators, allowing a grid of them to form an underground dust farm. The phedrugrass and termania-spore were a significant part of the Aki-Aki diet. However, the arid conditions meant lots of land has to be used to yield crops. Many farmers made use of skimmers to cross their farms.

Rather than concentrate in cities, the Aki-Aki kept to their disparate villages, but gathered together to trade at set times in their calendar. One of these was the Aki-Ktura farming community with a population of 3,000. The rocky valley known as the Forbidden Valley was the site of the Festival of the Ancestors. Other locations included the Ikledu Wastes, Jamtareen Mountains, and the Lurch Canyon.

Pasaana is featured in the 2019 film Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker. The planet's scenes were shot in the Wadi Rum desert located in Jordan.