Serroco

Serroco, a rainy and muddy world, was situated in the Serroco system within the Ploo sector of the Expansion Region. As the original homeworld of the Stereb species, Serroco possessed an atmosphere capable of sustaining other sentient beings, including Humans. The planet featured expansive dirt fields interspersed with patches of trees and other plants. Rainfall was frequent, and severe storms, accompanied by tornadoes, often posed a threat to the Stereb inhabitants.

The planet was composed of multiple continents and orbited at least one star. From the vantage point of space, Serroco's land appeared green, with vast oceans covering a significant portion of its surface. The Mandalorian nuclear attack during the Mandalorian Wars between the Galactic Republic and the Mandalorian warrior clans profoundly impacted the planet's landscape, resulting in the destruction of the Stereb cities and leaving behind only [glass](/article/glass-legends] craters.

By the time the Mandalorian Wars occurred, Serroco was a fully recognized member of the Galactic Republic, and Human colonists from the Republic had established settlements on one of Serroco's more hospitable continents. The Republic Navy maintained a watchstation in orbit above the storm-ridden planet, providing tornado warnings to the Stereb, who lacked the technological expertise to do so themselves. However, some personnel stationed at the watchstation found their assignment monotonous and engaged in the practice of issuing false tornado alerts during festivals, sporting events, and other gatherings, an activity that ceased after Serroco's senator lodged a complaint. Numerous Jedi were also routinely assigned to the planet, and during the Mandalorian Wars, one of the Jedi present on Serroco was the Human Meetra Surik. In 3963 BBY, the Mandalorian warrior clans advanced on Serroco from the planet Jebble. Anticipating an attack, Admiral Saul Karath assembled Battle Group Serroco and established a staging area on the planet, with encampments situated among the Stereb cities. These camps housed a significant number of Republic Navy personnel, as well as fringers who sold food and other services to the soldiers. Camp Three was home to the highly popular Little Bivoli mess ship, operated by two fugitives: Zayne Carrick, a former Jedi Padawan falsely accused of murdering his entire class on Taris, and Marn Hierogryph, a petty criminal believed to be his accomplice. Despite being among the Republic's most wanted individuals, Carrick and Hierogryph managed to evade detection directly under the watchful eyes of Karath and his battle group.

Karath and his team believed they were fully prepared for the Mandalorians, assuming that the Mandalorians would not risk directly attacking the Stereb cities for fear of damaging potential loot. Karath established a massive cordon of ships around the planet, hoping to halt the Mandalorians in their tracks. However, on the planet below, Carrick experienced a Force vision depicting the Mandalorians destroying the Stereb cities and annihilating the Republic camps, prompting him to immediately warn Karath. In haste, Carrick stowed away on the ship of hotshot Republic pilot Carth Onasi, the Deadweight, convincing Onasi of the urgency of the situation and securing a ride to Karath's bridge on the warship Courageous. Upon arrival, Carrick was recognized as the so-called "Jedi killer" and accused of being a Mandalorian spy. His warnings were dismissed. Soon after, a Mandalorian force emerged from hyperspace at the edge of the system. Disgusted by the Republic's "dishonorable" tactic of positioning its camps near the Stereb cities, the invaders initiated their assault by launching nuclear missiles. To Karath's surprise, the missiles bypassed the Republic ships, targeting the Serroco camps. As Karath had not anticipated this maneuver, the camps' missile defense systems were inactive, leaving the planet defenseless.

Impacts were recorded near twenty-seven populated areas. While the Human settlements suffered extensive damage, the Stereb cities were completely obliterated, transformed into glass craters. Furthermore, only eight of the Republic ships on the surface managed to escape destruction, one of which carried the Jedi Knight Meetra Surik. Before the missiles were launched, Onasi had transmitted tornado warnings to seventeen Stereb cities, hoping that their underground catacombs would provide protection if Carrick's vision materialized, an action that saved countless lives. Serroco was nearly annihilated, its surface scarred with massive craters where cities and settlements once stood. The Republic swiftly condemned the destruction of Serroco as a tragedy and a heinous crime, and the devastation was not soon forgotten. Republic propagandist "Benegryph Goodvalor" chose Serroco as the name for his fictional warship in transmissions aimed at the Mandalorians, and the planet later became the namesake of a real Republic ship during the Galactic War. "Goodvalor" was, in fact, Marn Hierogryph, who, along with the talented Trandoshan cook Slyssk, had narrowly escaped Serroco's destruction aboard a stolen troop transport, inadvertently saving half of a sleeping battalion. The Republic Defense Ministry transformed the rescue into a propaganda narrative, with "Goodvalor" celebrated as the "Hero of Serroco."

Life on Serroco persevered, and by the time of the Jedi Civil War several decades after the Mandalorian conflict, Serroco was led by Lelin-Dor, known as the First Patriarch. During the war, Revan, the Dark Lord of the Sith, had Lelin-Dor assassinated, believing him to be a destabilizing influence. By the time of the Cold War a few centuries later, a Republic military presence had been reestablished on Serroco. Around the same period, archaeologists discovered an intact Stereb shelter from the Battle of Serroco, containing numerous previously lost Stereb artifacts. During the Imperial Period, thousands of years after the Battle of Serroco, a small enclave of Stereb still existed on the planet.

Serroco was the native world of the Stereb species, responsible for constructing the massive stone cities that dotted the planet's surface. However, by the time of the Mandalorian Wars, Serroco had also been colonized by Humans from the Republic, who resided on one of the planet's more habitable continents. The impending Mandalorian assault on Serroco also brought a substantial contingent of Republic Navy personnel to the world, under the command of Admiral Saul Karath. Tasked with defending the planet from the Mandalorians, the soldiers were stationed in camps located among the Stereb cities.

Additionally, fringers, or freelance merchants, accompanied the Navy to the world to offer their goods and services. Among these individuals were Zayne Carrick and Marn Hierogryph, two of the Republic's most wanted fugitives, who sold food in Camp Three without attracting any attention. Even before the Battle of Serroco, the Republic naval forces maintained a presence above the planet, responsible for operating Serroco's orbital watchstation and alerting the natives to hazardous weather conditions. Bored crew members often entertained themselves by issuing false tornado warnings, a practice that incurred the wrath of Serroco's senator.

The Stereb constructed numerous stone cities across Serroco, featuring grand pyramidal structures and towering green columns rising from the earth. Originally, they dwelled in underground catacombs, built to escape Serroco's severe storms, which were still maintained as shelters during the Mandalorian Wars era. The Republic established its camps among the Stereb cities in preparation for the Mandalorian attack. One of these camps, Camp Three, housed the Little Bivoli mess wagon, operated by Zayne Carrick and Marn Hierogryph. With the culinary talents of the Trandoshan cook Slyssk, the Little Bivoli became a popular dining option for Republic naval personnel who had grown weary of the commissary food. A watchstation, operated by the Republic Navy, was positioned in Serroco's orbit to monitor the planet's weather patterns.

The planet Serroco was initially mentioned in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, a video game released in 2004. The planet and its destruction at the hands of the Mandalorians were referenced as part of the background story of the game's protagonist, Meetra Surik. The planet did not make an actual appearance until Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: Days of Fear, a comic arc penned by John Jackson Miller and published in 2007. Serroco was mentioned in several issues of Knights of the Old Republic and in various other sources, including Miller's novel Knight Errant, the Star Wars: The Old Republic MMORPG, The Essential Atlas, The Essential Guide to Warfare, and an entry in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.