Rothana, a planet, was situated within the Outer Rim Territories. Its frigid arctic zones served as the habitat for the arctic horny whelmer. Around 800 BBY, the world was acquired by Kuat Drive Yards (KDY), a company specializing in vehicle construction. It then became the base of operations for Rothana Heavy Engineering (RHE), a KDY subsidiary. This subsidiary played a role in technological advancements. To safeguard Rothana's star system from espionage by the Trade Federation, the KDY corporate-security starfleet provided defense.
Beginning around 31 BBY, both Kuat and Rothana entered into a clandestine agreement with the Kaminoans to engineer novel vehicles for the Galactic Republic's burgeoning clone army. RHE conceived several new vehicles, with the Acclamator-class assault ship marking the company's inaugural starcraft. The All Terrain Tactical Enforcer drew inspiration from Rothana's arctic horny whelmers. These vehicles were first deployed at the outbreak of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY, during the conflict against the Separatist Alliance.
Following the conclusion of the Clone Wars in 19 BBY, Rothana continued its contributions to the Galactic Empire, the successor to the Republic. However, it operated at a diminished capacity, primarily focusing on the production of ground vehicles. The world remained involved in the Imperial Military's war efforts, including actions against a rebel cell in 14 BBY. In 3 ABY, the Rebel Alliance opposing the Empire identified Rothana's Imperial facilities as a potential target.
By 5 ABY, all Imperial personnel stationed on Rothana were reassigned to Jakku, the planet where the Empire ultimately met its demise. After the Empire's collapse, Rothana's shipyards were left abandoned. A salvager crew, aided by Terex, a former stormtrooper who had previously served as security, infiltrated the facility. The crew absconded with a collection of derelict Imperial ships, including the decommissioned corvette known as the Carrion Spike.
Rothana existed as a terrestrial planet situated within a star system at the intersection of the Outer Rim Territories and the Slice. Its location was designated as T-15 on the Standard Galactic Grid. Characterized by a predominantly arctic climate and mineral-rich terrain, Rothana presented an orange-brown appearance when viewed from space. The arctic regions were defined by icy precipices and intense gusts of wind. The world served as the home of the arctic horny whelmer, a ten-legged creature indigenous to Rothana's arctic regions, known for its pack hunting behavior and relentless pursuit of prey.
Around the year 800 BBY, Kuat Drive Yards (KDY), a vehicle manufacturing enterprise headquartered on the planet Kuat, acquired Rothana. KDY then established Rothana Heavy Engineering (RHE) as a subsidiary, leveraging Rothana's fertile soil to enhance the company's financial performance. Over the years, RHE joined other technology companies in the galaxy in developing gravitational manipulation technology, and was also developing walker vehicles by the High Republic Era. An experimental walker was dispatched from Rothana to the Republic Fair on Valo in 231 BBY, where cultural and technological wonders from across the galaxy were displayed. The walker provided cover for dignitaries, including Supreme Chancellor Lina Soh of the Galactic Republic, during an attack by Nihil marauders on the fair, but was destroyed, injuring some dignitaries. This event was documented in Jedi Master Harli Cogra's Chronicles of the Jedi in 229 BBY.
In 33 BBY, leading Kuati executives were assassinated at the Eriadu Conference, an incident that saw a Neimoidian takeover of the Trade Federation corporation and a failed assassination attempt on Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum. The industrialists at Kuat Drive Yards were outraged with the Trade Federation afterward, and Rothana Heavy Engineering itself kept no friendship with the corporation. The KDY corporate-security starfleet also defended Rothana's star system, deploying mines in Rothana's inbound hyperspace routes. These measures, alongside Rothanian etiquette for outsiders, prevented espionage from the Trade Federation.
Following the Kaminoans' commencement of the clandestine cloning of an army for the Republic in 32 BBY, Kuat Drive Yards received a secret order for mass weapon production in 31 BBY. Given Rothana's proximity to Kamino, the Kaminoan homeworld, the Kaminoan government secretly contracted Rothana Heavy Engineering to create starships and ground vehicles for an army. RHE's factories and orbital shipyards at Rothana secretly produced an array of vehicles for the Republic.
The Acclamator-class assault ship became the first starcraft developed by RHE, constructed on Rothana under Project Icefang. The assault ships also became the first intergalactic warships to be built in decades. The Low Altitude Assault Transport, All Terrain Tactical Enforcer, and Self-Propelled Heavy Artillery Turbolaser were other notable vehicles developed by the company. The All Terrain Tactical Enforcer's design was influenced by the native arctic horny whelmer, mirroring its ability to withstand strong winds when traversing icy cliffs.
The Trade Federation and other corporate bodies like the Techno Union, while officially holding a neutral political stance, became founding members of the Separatist Alliance, a rival government to the Republic that was formed following the Raxus Address of 24 BBY. Kuat Drive Yards' grudge with the Trade Federation led to the company, along with Rothana, aligning with the Republic.
The vehicles engineered by Rothana Heavy Engineering constituted a significant portion of the Grand Army of the Republic. In 22 BBY, Jedi Grand Master Yoda journeyed to Kamino to assess the clone army. During Yoda's mission, a fleet of twelve Acclamator-class assault ships were sent straight from Rothana to pick up the clone forces before being deployed against the Separatists in the First Battle of Geonosis, the outbreak of the Clone Wars. The battle marked the debut of Rothana's new vehicles for the Republic, and the Acclamators' success prompted further orders. As the war progressed, the limitations of certain RHE vehicles became apparent. While upgrades were implemented, the Acclamator-class assault ship was largely superseded by the more combat-focused Venator-class Star Destroyer developed by Kuat Drive Yards.
As the Clone Wars concluded in 19 BBY, the Republic transitioned into the Galactic Empire. While Kuat Drive Yards secured a near-monopoly on warship contracts for the Imperial Navy, Rothana Heavy Engineering became a diminished version of its former self, specializing in ground efforts and repulsorlift armored vehicles. It produced products for the Empire such as the TX-225 Occupier line, the All Terrain Personal Transport, and the Scout-class 2-M repulsor tank. Rothana still made some flight vehicles like the Imperial Dropship Transport, with Kuat Drive Yards licensing the company to manufacture the Onager-class Star Destroyer. The Imperial shipyards above Rothana served to repair and construct Imperial starships, including starfighters from the TIE fighter series.
In 14 BBY, a rebel cell led by the ex–Republic Intelligence officer Berch Teller stole the Carrion Spike, the personal corvette of Imperial Moff Wilhuff Tarkin. In the Empire's hunt for the Carrion Spike, which attacked multiple Imperial facilities, the Imperial Navy redirected ships from as far as Rothana and the gas giant Bothawui under the Imperial Admiralty's counsel. Imperial forces eventually recovered a damaged Carrion Spike. After Tarkin's death in 0 BBY, the corvette was mothballed at Rothana's shipyards.
By the time of the Galactic Civil War between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, the Rothana Imperial Shipyards were among the Empire's most major shipyards. After the Alliance's 61st Mobile Infantry caught early success in a campaign named Operation Ringbreaker that sought the eventual sabotage of the Kuat Drive Yards in 3 ABY, General Crix Madine considered potential future targets for the Alliance should the 61st's campaign succeed. He made a map of the Empire's major shipyards, drydocks, and key mining centers, with Rothana being marked as a high-priority, high-security target. The map was included in a report on Madine's proposal, which was sent to the Alliance's Commander-in-Chief Mon Mothma. Operation Ringbreaker ultimately failed to reach Kuat.
In 4 ABY, the Empire suffered a catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Endor in which Emperor Sheev Palpatine was killed. The Alliance reorganized into the New Republic and defeated the Empire in many subsequent battles. In 5 ABY, Grand Admiral Gallius Rax began redirecting Imperial forces to the planet Jakku in preparation for a final battle. The Empire abandoned the Rothana shipyards, taking all operational starships as well as all Imperial personnel, including the stormtrooper Terex. The shipyards were, in turn, shut down, with auto-security being activated and droids staying as guards.
The New Republic defeated the Empire at Jakku and won the war thereafter. Having escaped the engagement, Terex and fellow stormtrooper Corlac fled Jakku around 6 ABY. Knowing Terex's past deployment at Rothana's shipyards, Corlac liaised with two of his contacts, the ship salvagers Bett and Wenda, on the planet Kaddak. Corlac introduced Terex to his contacts, and they discussed using the latter's expertise on the Rothana shipyards.
Corlac promised Terex that they would use the ships to help regroup scattered Imperial forces, but in reality, Corlac and the ship salvagers were looking to amass a pirate fleet. Corlac and the salvagers infiltrated the shipyards above Rothana with Terex's help, salvaging many vessels and ship parts, including the Carrion Spike. Corlac, Bett, and Wenda intended on betraying Terex to start their pirate business, but Terex learned of their true intentions in 7 ABY and killed them first. Nevertheless deciding that Imperial order could never be returned to the galaxy, Terex used their team and the resources from Rothana to form a pirate group known as the Ranc Gang.
Rothana's introduction to the current Star Wars canon occurred through its mention in James Luceno's 2014 novel, Tarkin. The world's initial visual representation appeared in a flashback within the ninth issue of Marvel Comics' Star Wars: Poe Dameron comic-book series, authored by Charles Soule, illustrated by Phil Noto, and released on December 14, 2016.
The planet Rothana was originally part of the Star Wars Legends continuity, first mentioned in the name of Rothana Heavy Engineering in HoloNet News Vol. 531 #52, an in-universe news issue that was written by Pablo Hidalgo and Paul Ens and released on the HoloNet News website on April 18, 2002. Rothana was first mentioned separately in the reference book Star Wars: Attack of the Clones Incredible Cross-Sections, written by Curtis Saxton and published five days later. Rothana was first illustrated by John Van Fleet in the 2012 reference book The Essential Guide to Warfare, written by Jason Fry and Paul R. Urquhart.