Existing within a star system located in both the Outer Rim Territories and the [New Territories](/article/new_territories], the planet known as Vernid possessed at least a pair of moons. This world, characterized by its mud plains and the presence of impactful rain, was inhabited by worm farmers operating dig-rigs, individuals whom some considered uncivilized. In the year 4 ABY, a former major of the Galactic Empire's 204th Imperial Fighter Wing, Soran Keize, reinvented as "Devon Lhent," secured employment within Vernid's dig-rig operations, a position he held for several weeks.
While visiting a local cantina, Keize witnessed a news report detailing the defeat of his former Imperial unit by the New Republic on the world of Pandem Nai. This prompted a drunken tirade against the New Republic, voiced in front of the other patrons of the cantina. Aware that he had attracted unwanted attention, Keize feared his new life on Vernid was in jeopardy. However, his dig-rig colleague, Klevin, assured him the following day that his political views were of no concern to anyone.
Despite this, New Republic Intelligence managed to track Keize to Vernid. Subsequently, two agents journeyed to the town of Bakerstown, arriving during the Red Moon Festival celebrations involving Keize and his coworkers. The agents confronted Keize, intending to apprehend him. This confrontation escalated into a skirmish where Keize, aided by Klevin, killed both agents. Although Klevin offered assistance in concealing the incident, Keize concluded that his time on Vernid was over and departed to rejoin the 204th.
Vernid was a terrestrial planet that existed within a star system situated in a region where the Outer Rim Territories and the New Territories intersected within the galaxy. Its location was near the Veragi Trade Route, specifically at coordinates M-4 on the Standard Galactic Grid. The world possessed at least two moons in orbit, with the second moon exhibiting a red hue under particular circumstances. Some considered Vernid to be a dirty mud heap. The landscapes of Vernid included mud plains. The atmosphere was type I, breathable for humans and other species. The weather on Vernid was characterized by heavy and rapid rain that could cause bruising on exposed skin and flood every crack and crevice in the landscape.
In 4 ABY, amidst the Galactic Civil War between the Galactic Empire and the New Republic, the overseer responsible for the dig-rigs in Vernid's worm farming sector maintained communication with "the Harch," a female Harch who managed a repair team aboard the Lormar-class space station named Whitedrift Exchange. Around this time, one of the Harch's crew members, "Devon Lhent," approached his employer with the intention of leaving the space station. Lhent was actually Soran Keize, a major in the Empire's 204th Imperial Fighter Wing who had deserted his unit after its part in Operation: Cinder, as he believed that his side was destined to lose the war.
The Harch decided to send Keize to Vernid, coordinating with the dig-rig overseer, who offered "Devon" a position within a dig-rig crew. This crew consisted of the crew hauler Klevin, the crew rigswoman Nanchia, the crew cranksman Vi'i'che, and a boy named Tyros. After several weeks of working with the crew, Keize became accustomed to Vernid's culture and environment, even rescuing the worker Grahamos from a mucking pit. One night, following the completion of the evening shifts, the former Imperial joined Klevin, Nanchia, Vi'i'che, and another crewmember at their local cantina, while Tyros chose to take a shuttle to a nearby town to meet a crush of his.
Keize joined the other four crewmembers, who were sharing a bowl of the alcoholic sludge known as mijura, discussing Tyros's absence, and placing orders. When a cantina patron requested that a viewscreen be activated, the former Imperial's attention was captured by the news of a New Republic victory against the 204th on the planet Pandem Nai. Under the influence of mijura, Keize denounced the New Republic as "bastards," asserting that they showed no mercy to the Imperial forces. His outburst garnered unwanted attention, leading him to quickly leave the cantina to avoid a confrontation.
The following day, Keize carried out his work alongside his crewmates, acting as if the previous night's incident had not occurred and operating the signaling lights on the dig-rig. As the shift concluded that evening, Klevin approached "Devon" to inquire whether he would be joining them at the cantina. Keize, still concerned about the repercussions of his outburst, hesitated and warned his colleague that he would leave if he caused any disturbance. Klevin, however, reassured "Devon" that nobody on Vernid cared about his political views as long as he didn't complain about them. Consequently, Keize accompanied his crewmates to the cantina, where he observed that there were no issues from the previous night as he socialized with the other crewmembers.
Meanwhile, Caern Adan, an agent within the New Republic Intelligence, tasked some of his personnel with investigating the background of Yrica Quell, a former lieutenant in the 204th, whom Keize had persuaded to defect to the New Republic when he abandoned the fighter wing. Through their efforts, they uncovered a lead suggesting that Keize was alive and tracked him to Vernid. The night after another visit to the cantina, the former Imperial joined his colleagues on a trip to the town of Bakerstown for the Red Moon Festival, where a crowd celebrated around a small collection of stalls that offered food, drink, and games.
Simultaneously, two New Republic agents entered Bakerstown in search of Keize, approaching Klevin to locate their target. Eventually, Keize had enough of the celebrations and began making his way towards a public speeder on the edge of town to return home. It was at this moment that Klevin approached "Devon" with the two agents along one of the catwalks. After confirming that they were speaking to "Devon Lhent," the pair revealed that they knew his true identity and requested that he accompany them. Keize assured them that he posed no threat and promised not to be one if they left him alone. The agents were reluctant to show leniency to their target, who questioned whether the New Republic was genuinely trying to be better than the Empire.
Noticing one agent reaching for their weapon, Keize jumped off the catwalk, dodging their blasterfire. The agents attempted to pursue, but Keize grappled one of them and made the spy fatally shoot himself accidentally while Klevin attacked the other. The former Imperial then disarmed the second agent and killed her with her own blaster. Klevin, aware that the agents had initiated the attack, offered to assist "Devon" in covering up the incident. However, Keize had grown frustrated that his past continued to haunt him and told his colleague to inform the overseer that he had killed the agents, stating that he would leave Vernid for good. Leaving the scene, Keize decided to abandon the identity of Devon Lhent and returned to the 204th, becoming the unit's new commanding officer after its loss of leadership at Pandem Nai.
After learning that Keize was leading the 204th in 5 ABY, Adan's working group, Alphabet Squadron, examined his past through the files New Republic Intelligence had on him. One member, Captain Nath Tensent, recounted the intelligence on Keize's time on Vernid, with another, Starfighter Commander Wyl Lark, questioning whether Keize was attempting to live a normal life. When later engaging with Keize in a dogfight above the planet Chadawa that year, Lark questioned his adversary about his time on Vernid, which Keize described as "fleeting."
The inhabitants of Vernid included human and alien worm farmers who operated dig-rigs during their harvest season, working until nightfall except during the peak of the harvest. They wore waterproof clothing to cope with the rainy weather. Some considered the population of Vernid to be uncivilized, with festivals being infrequent on the planet, except for events like the Red Moon Festival when the second moon glowed red. One cultural practice on Vernid was the consumption of mijura, a steaming alcoholic sludge.
Vernid made its first appearance in the 2019 novel Alphabet Squadron, the initial book in Alexander Freed's Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron trilogy.