Apatros

Apatros was a desolate world in the Outer Rim Territories, under the jurisdiction of the Galactic Republic. The planet was under the direct control of the Outer Rim Oreworks Company, which maintained a cortosis mine on the planet. Apatros was notable for being the homeworld of Darth Bane, the Dark Lord of the Sith who worked in the cortosis mines for ten years before joining the Sith army.

Description
Apatros, located in the Outer Rim Territories, was a desolate world of featureless wastes and barren rocky flatlands. Apatros was small, moon-sized, orbiting a dim orange star. It had a thin atmosphere and some indigenous plant life, and had a day of twenty standard hours long. Below the planet's surface was a large amount of very valuable material&mdash;cortosis, a very rare fibrous substance that was often used for starship hulls and armor, which was mined in underground tunnels.

History
Apatros was inside the borders of the Galactic Republic. At some point cortosis was discovered underneath the planet's surface. Subsequently the planet was taken over by the Outer Rim Oreworks Company, which established a colony on the desolate planet and began mining Apatros for cortosis, which it sold to the Republic. In 1,026 BBY, a man named Dessel was born on the planet, eventually going on to work in the cortosis mines for ten years. In 1,003 BBY, Dessel killed a Republic ensign over a game of sabacc, although with the aid of a Neimoidian bartender named Groshik, he was able to escape the planet before being incarcerated. Dessel joined the Sith army during the New Sith Wars, and after serving with distinction his Force-sensitivity was discovered. He would later become Darth Bane, one of the most influential Dark Lords of the Sith in galactic history.

Locations
Apatros had only one colony on the entire planet, also called Apatros. The Apatros colony was primarily used as the home of the cortosis miners, and only had two buildings of note: a cantina owned by the Neimoidian Groshik, which was the main retreat of off-duty miners and visiting Republic crews, and a general store, once a barracks, which sold basic items at high prices. The colony and mines were connected by a shuttle going back and forth. The cortosis mines were maintained by the Outer Rim Oreworks Company, but the death toll for miners was high and their equipment outdated and substandard.

Inhabitants
Apatros was mostly inhabited by miners working in the cortosis mines, the majority of which were Humans. However, other species lived on the planet, including a Neimoidian named Groshik who owned a cantina in the Apatros colony. The most famous of Apatros' inhabitants was Dessel, who worked in the cortosis mines for ten years, and who became the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Bane after leaving Apatros.

Behind the scenes
Apatros made its only appearance in Drew Karpyshyn's 2006 novel Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, and was later mentioned in its sequel, Darth Bane: Rule of Two. The planet also received an entry in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia and a mention in Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force as the homeworld of Darth Bane.

Appearances

 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
 * Darth Bane: Rule of Two