Yavin 4/Legends

"Great events happened here on Yavin-4. You can get a real sence of history."

- Hoggon

Yavin 4 was one of the many moons of the gas planet Yavin.

Old Republic Era
The ancient Jedi built an underground city on the moon around the year 10,000 BBY and used it to modify the climate of the moon into a jungle state. The Jedi eventually left Yavin, losing track of this Lost City of the Jedi, though in later years at least one individual still knew its location, as the "Jedi prince" Ken was hidden there (by Obi-Wan Kenobi?). The city was eventually rediscovered by Luke Skywalker, who trapped Kadann, Supreme Prophet of the Prophets of the Dark Side, there.

Naga Sadow used Yavin 4 to hide from the Republic in 5,000 BBY. The Massassi, members of the Sith warrior caste, were brought by Naga Sadow to Yavin 4, where they constructed the Massassi temples and evolved into a primitive hunter-warrior society. This civilization was later found by Freedon Nadd and then by Exar Kun in 3,997 BBY. Using his dark powers, he enslaved the Massassi and took over Yavin 4. He then used his Massassi slaves to construct new Sith temples and palaces, based on Sith architecture and designed to focus dark powers. His slaves also discovered the flagship of Naga Sadow beneath the ruins of an ancient Massassi temple.

Kun also created the battle hydras, terentateks, Night Beast, Golden Globe, and practically genocided the Massassi, using their life energies to invest his spirit into the temples. Some Massassi escaped his madness, evacuating the moon in spaceships. Other tribes may have survived until the Galactic Civil War, hidden deep in the jungles. In 3,993 BBY, the moon was cleansed of terentateks by the Jedi.

The Wolhanian expedition of archaeologists studied the Massassi ruins. They uncovered a bas-relief depicting Jedi and Sith battling in the Great Hyperspace War as well as a Sith Chalice. Both of these items ended up in the art collection of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.

During the time of the Clone Wars, Anakin Skywalker chased Asajj Ventress to Yavin 4 following her attack on Republic starfighters at the Battle of Muunilinst. It was here that she destroyed Anakin's customized Jedi Starfighter, the Azure Angel as well as a group of Republic forces sent to protect Anakin. Anakin and Asajj had their first duel through the thick jungles and the Massassi ruins until Anakin bested her and knocked her off of one of the temples. She was presumed dead and he took off with her Geonosian Fanblade Starfigher.

Imperial Era
The moon was home to the Rebel Alliance's main military base, Massassi Station, built from the Great Temple of the Massassi, prior to and during the Battle of Yavin. The Rebels established this base in following the abandonment of their previous base on the planet Dantooine. The Galactic Empire sought to use its new space station superweapon, the Death Star I, to destroy the small jungle moon and crush the Rebellion. A small force of X-Wing and Y-Wing starfighters were sent to destroy the Death Star, but most were killed in the attack. With the timely assistance of his friend Han Solo, Luke Skywalker was able to fire a proton torpedo into a small thermal exhaust port in a small trench near the northern pole, thus destroying the station and saving Yavin 4. A great ceremony was held following the Death Star's destruction, where Princess Leia bestowed medals of honor upon Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, along with his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca.

This battle became known as the Battle of Yavin, and its date is used galaxy wide for marking events. Events before the Battle of Yavin are marked by BBY, and events that occur after are marked by ABY.

The Rebels remained on the moon for 6 months afterwards, until finally escaping the Imperial blockade. General Jan Dodonna remained behind, blowing up a temple to damage the Imperial forces. Under the secret observation of Mara Jade, Darth Vader wiped out the remaining ground troops and captured the injured Dodonna, whom Vader interrogated until Dodonna revealed the Rebel presence on Reytha. Dodonna was then imprisoned aboard the Lusankya, although most Rebels, and even Mara Jade, mistakenly believed him dead. The Empire then occupied the moon.

The Imperial maintained a military base, a labor outpost, and a mining outspost on the planet. In response, the Rebel set up a new base on the planet to harass the Imperials, not to be confused with the earlier Massassi Station. The Imperials were forced to construct a new base after the original was captured by Rebels.

New Republic Era
Yavin 4 served as the first capital of the New Republic, and the small village of Vornez grew up. SPIN was headquartered here.

Luke later returned to the moon to found a Jedi Praxeum on the moon, rather than on Coruscant. The academy was attacked in 12 ABY by Admiral Daala and the then Vice Admiral Gilad Pellaeon during the Galactic Civil War, and again in 23 ABY by the Second Imperium. However, the Jedi Praxeum was destroyed during the invasion of the Yuuzhan Vong in 26 ABY.

Appearances

 * Tales of the Jedi: The Fall of the Sith Empire
 * Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith
 * Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War
 * Tales of the Jedi: Redemption
 * Star Wars: Battlefront
 * Star Wars Battlefront II
 * Star Wars: Clone Wars
 * Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
 * Underworld
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * The Day After the Death Star
 * Marvel Star Wars 25: Siege at Yavin
 * Marvel Star Wars 26: Doom Mission
 * Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
 * Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike
 * Jedi Search
 * Dark Apprentice
 * Champions of the Force
 * I, Jedi
 * Before the Storm
 * The Lost City of the Jedi
 * The New Rebellion
 * Junior Jedi Knights
 * Young Jedi Knights
 * Edge of Victory I: Conquest