Ryloth

"Another armed occupation is not a free Ryloth. How long before I am fighting you, Master Jedi?"

- Cham Syndulla, to Mace Windu

Ryloth was a planet in the Ryloth system of the Outer Rim Territories, and the homeworld of the Twi'lek species. Its terrain varied, filled with jungles, mesas, valleys, and volcanoes, and had an atmosphere breathable for Twi'leks and humans alike. A forest covered its equator, filled with dangerous predators. Given the varied and dangerous terrain, Twi'leks lived in caves underground where it was safer.

Early history
Ryloth was the homeworld of the Twi'lek species. For centuries, the planet and its people were exploited by the Hutts and their criminal enterprises.

Clone Wars
In the years preceding the Clone Wars, Count Dooku secretly backed coups on Ryloth as part of larger political attempts to seed discontent in the galaxy's Outer Systems during the Separatist Crisis. Upon the declaration of war between the Confederacy of Independent Systems and the Galactic Republic, Ryloth was invaded by the Separatist Droid Army, however was ultimately repelled by the Republic, several Jedi, including Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu and Ima-Gun Di. As well as the Twi'lek Resistance, the latter of which was led by freedom fighter Cham Syndulla.

Imperial protectorate
After the Clone Wars ended, Ryloth officially became a protectorate of the Galactic Empire. It was classed as free and independent, although that did not reflect reality as it was under the rule of the Empire, something which would cause a rebellion against its reign. Five years after the proclamation of the New Order, Darth Sidious and Lord Vader became trapped on the planet after the destruction of the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Perilous over the planet in an attempt to assassinate the Empire's political leadership, a move designed by Cham Syndulla's reorganized Free Ryloth movement.

With the help of the disillusioned Imperial officer Colonel Belkor Dray, Cham and his lieutenant Isval attempted to hunt down and kill the two Sith Lords. However, Sidious and Vader managed to elude their hunters using their Force powers and lightsaber skills. The two Sith Lords were eventually rescued by Moff Delian Mors during a showdown with Cham's Twi'lek forces at a remote village. Cham managed to escape but Dray and Isval were killed by Mors and Vader respectively. The failed assassination attempt ended Cham's plot to decapitate the Empire's leadership and sow anarchy throughout the Empire.

About three years before the Battle of Yavin, Imperial TIE bombers based on an orbiting Quasar Fire-class cruiser carrier were used to bomb Ryloth. Cham and the Ryloth resistance wanted to destroy the carrier in order to demonstrate the strength of the Ryloth resistance. However, his daughter Hera Syndulla, who had become the leader of the Spectres, disagreed with her father's plan and convinced him and his companions Numa and Gobi Glie to steal the ship for the Phoenix Squadron; which desperately needed a carrier to house its starfighter squadron. During the mission, the two rebel cells also managed to destroy an Arquitens-class command cruiser which boosted the morale of the Ryloth resistance.

The following year, the Chiss Grand Admiral Thrawn was dispatched by the Empire to deal with the Free Ryloth movement. By studying Twi'lek art, culture, history, and philosophy, Thrawn was able to devise successful counterinsurgency tactics that led to the capture of Tann province and the loss of many Free Ryloth fingers. He also captured the Syndulla residence and forced Cham to flee. Cham later rendezvoused with his daughter Hera and her rebel cell. Together, the two rebel cells took part in an unsuccessful attempt to recover a Syndulla family heirloom, the Kalikori, from Imperial custody. However, Hera and her droid Chopper foiled an attempt by Captain Slavin to trap the two rebel cells under the pretext of facilitating a prisoner exchange.

Independence
In the year 5 ABY, the Galactic Empire abandoned their garrisons on Ryloth. After the planet regained its independence, the rebel fighter Yendor became the planet's ambassador to the New Republic, the government that had been established by the Alliance to Restore the Republic.

Following the Galactic Concordance, Ryloth did not join the New Republic and instead opted to remained a sovereign and independent world from both the Populists and the Centrists political factions. About six years before the destruction of the Hosnian system, Ryloth's economy and independence came under threat from the Nikto crime lord Rinnrivin Di's cartel, which had become a major spice dealer and smuggling group. Rinnrivin's cartel exacted a heavy toll on Ryloth's offworld shipping due to sporadically-enforced New Republic financial regulations, infrequent patrols of the shipping lanes, and rampant bickering within the Galactic Senate. Emissary Yendor traveled to the Galactic Senate on Hosnian Prime to raise his planet's plight to the Senate.

In response, Senators Leia Organa and Ransolm Casterfo traveled to Bastatha and Ryloth to investigate Rinnrivin's syndicate. Over the course of their investigation, the two senators discovered that a mysterious entity was channelling funds to Rinnrivin's cartel through a militia group called the Amaxine warriors as part of a conspiracy to destabilize the New Republic. While visiting the Ryloth archives, Leia and her entourage discovered that Rinnrivin was formerly a lowly spice dealer who had rapidly risen to become the leader of a powerful criminal cartel.