Manaan/Legends

"Manaan's an unusual place. Not for its water, mind you... it's the kolto. Healing juice. Only place where it occurs in the galaxy."

- Jolee Bindo

Manaan was an aquatic planet in the Pyrshak system. It was home to the Selkath, an amphibious species. The planet was completely covered in water and was the only known source of the healing liquid, kolto, in the Galaxy. In the years leading up to and during the Jedi Civil War, kolto was so important to the Galaxy that the Selkath were able to use it to enforce their policy of neutrality and autonomy. The only above-surface settlement on Manaan was the floating Ahto City. During the Jedi Civil War, both the Sith and the Republic attempted to get an upper hand in the war by creating secret deals that would give them more kolto. In the end, the Selkath banned the Sith from Manaan for trying to overthrow the government. When kolto was replaced in favor of bacta, the Republic abandoned Manaan, and the Selkath left Ahto City for their ancient cities in the depths of their oceans. Manaan did not have contact with the galaxy until the Selkath were enslaved by the Empire sometime during the Galactic Civil War. Under the manipulation of Darth Vader, the Order of Shasa later overthrew their Imperial masters, only to become servants to Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine. Manaan may have been liberated in 5 ABY, by the New Republic's campaign through the Inner Rim.

Geography
"Water worlds were never very appealing for us to conquer."

- Canderous Ordo

Manaan was the second of three planets that orbited the star Pyrshak. It had no moons and the entire surface of the planet was covered with water. Ahto City served as the capital of the planet and was the only surface city and spaceport. Since it was the only settlement accessible to off-worlders, the only way to the true surface of the planet was through a submersible from Ahto City.

Canyons and rifts lined the ocean floor. At least one of the major rifts, the Hrakert Rift, had deposits of kolto. The Hrakert Rift was also home to a giant firaxan shark known as the Progenitor. The Progenitor was said to have been the guardian of an ancient Star Map on the ocean floor, a relic of the Infinite Empire, and of the kolto. The dark side energies emitted from the Star Map and the presence of kolto may have contributed to the Progenitor's tremendous size. The Progenitor was also believed to have been somehow connected with the flow or creation of kolto. Its offspring, the firaxan sharks, protected their mother and inhabited the rift, attacking anything that attempted to endanger the reef.

Deep undersea caverns served as homes to the native aquatic species, and the sentient Selkath built their cities, deep-sea pods, far beneath the surface. These pods, however, were not always filled with water as adult Selkath could breathe air without being submersed. Once such pod may have been the Umber pod.

Fauna
"The Progenitor?! The mother of our species!"

- Kota member of the Ahto High Court

Manaan, being an oceanic planet, hosted numerous aquatic species in its vast seas. The Selkath were originally aquatic beings, having lived in the oceans in their earlier, prehistoric eras. As the Selkath developed and evolved the ability to live outside of water, various other species prospered in the depths of the Manaan oceans. The firaxan shark became a prominent species, though several other aquatic animals and plants could be found within the waters. The planet was also home to several avian species, flocks of which could usually be seen flying over Ahto City.

The Progenitor was the largest of the firaxan sharks and may have been the ancestor of life on Manaan. She was a legend to the Selkath, who not only believed her to be the source of the kolto, but perhaps even the origin of their species. As a result, they regarded her with much respect. The Selkath believed that the Progenitor, with her firaxan shark offspring, was also the the protector of kolto and guardian of the ecosystem.

Infinite Empire
"All slaves were terminated upon the completion of the project."

- Ancient Droid on Dantooine

Manaan was once a member of the Infinite Empire, thousands of years before the creation of the Republic. The Selkath were among the numerous species enslaved by the Rakata, and their language was among several spoken by an ancient droid that Revan encountered many millennia later. The Selkath slaves were used to construct marvelous structures across the Rakatan empire including temples and the Star Forge. When their empire began to collapse, however, the Rakata abandoned the planet. The only known evidence the Rakata left behind was an incomplete Star Map in the Hrakert Rift on the ocean floor.

Jedi Civil War
"I believe that the Republic respects the laws of our people, unlike the Sith."

- Jhosa

By the time of the Jedi Civil War, Manaan had established itself as one of the most important planets in the Galaxy. As the sole provider of kolto, access to Manaan's resources were in high demand. In order to serve the needs of non-Selkath visitors, the Selkath built Ahto City, which was so large that it could be seen from orbit. Since kolto was in high demand during the war&mdash;due to its powerful healing properties&mdash;Manaan's entire economy revolved around its exportation. During the years prior to the Mandalorian Wars, Manaan's main client was the Galactic Republic, though Manaan itself was not a member of the Republic. Instead, Manaan adopted a state of neutrality. As the Jedi Civil War began, the Selkath established a series of laws to preserve their neutrality, sovereignty, and protection. Both the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire had to abide by these laws, or risk full kolto sanctions. If any faction decided to invade the planet, the Selkath threatened to destroy the kolto supply.

Despite the laws, both the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic were constantly looking for ways to gain the advantage. A few of the Selkath recognized the potential consequences of a Sith victory and made a secret deal with the Republic, allowing them to build their own kolto harvesting base on the ocean floor. Unfortunately, the location chosen for the station was the Hrakert Rift, and the Progenitor was not pleased by the invasion of her territory. Through what was described as a telepathic scream, she drove the Selkath in the base and the firaxan sharks outside the base insane and they attacked and killed all of the Republic's personnel. The operation was a disaster, and for some time the Republic Embassy did not know what had happened.

When Revan arrived in Ahto City in search of the ancient Star Map, he was asked by Roland Wann to investigate the facility. In his exploration of the station Revan discovered that the kolto harvesters were what had disturbed the giant firaxa. He needed to get past the Progenitor if he planned to uncover the Star Map, so he weighed his options. He decided to destroy the harvesters, rather than risk tainting the kolto by trying to poison the creature. This plan worked and the Progenitor swam aside, allowing Revan to pass. The Republic lost its harvesters, but the kolto supply was safe and the Selkath commended Revan for his actions.

Autonomy
"I've had it with these damn Selkath and their neutrality!"

- Republic officer

As the Jedi Civil War ended, Ahto City opened up to the galactic-wide movement to open refuge to those displaced by the war. With sporadic wars and conflict, the Selkath established the Order of Shasa, a Force-sensitive cult, to protect them from invasion. The Selkath were naturally strong in the Force, and many Selkath joined the Jedi Order. By a century after the Jedi Civil War, at least two Selkath had sat on the Jedi Council.

Manaan continued to extract kolto, but the supply mysteriously started to decline. As a result, the price of kolto sky-rocketed and the galaxy abandoned kolto in favor of a new healing agent: bacta. The new competition forced the Selkath to lower their prices, resulting in the collapse of the Manaan economy. This disrupted interstellar relationships and commerce. The decline of the kolto market meant the Selkath were forced to work much harder to re-establish themselves in the galactic arena. The Selkath attempted to join the Galactic Republic at this time, but corruption and complex interests barred the aquatic world from entering the interstellar union. With no other options, Ahto City was abandoned by the Selkath some time after the New Sith Wars, and they returned to their underwater cities beneath the surface. Due to Manaan's isolation, the Selkath began to grow primitive, warring as rival factions.

The kolto supply returned, however, and was known to be used as early as 1,013 BBY. It would continue to be used even through the years of the Galactic Civil War, though it was considered less effective than bacta and a cheaper alternative.

Galactic Empire
When the Galactic Empire was formed, Emperor Palpatine understood Manaan's potential, and sent an assault force to conquer the planet. The assault force consisted of thousands of aquatic assault stormtroopers and two Star Destroyers. Many Selkath were frightened by the Imperial force and surrendered. Just to be on the "safe" side, the Imperial forces released a huge deposit of orbital depth charges, which destroyed numerous undersea cities forcing the Selkath to the surface. Once in Ahto City, the Empire enslaved the Selkath, and crushed any resistance.

The Empire built a huge luxury resort in Ahto City and the Selkath were made servants to serve the rich Human guests. The kolto was exploited by the Empire, and by the time the Empire withdrew, most of the kolto had been taken by the Imperial Army. Industrial pollution also tainted Manaan's blue skies and clear waters. Finally, the Order of Shasa could not hide any longer. The Order was secretly manipulated by Darth Vader and under his guidance, overthrew the Empire's forces. In return for his help, Vader commanded the Shasans to swear loyalty to him and Palpatine. Vader instructed several Selkath in the ways of the dark side of the Force.

Around 5 ABY Admiral Ackbar began a campaign through the Inner Rim worlds, freeing several planets from the grip of the Empire. It is possible that Manaan was liberated in this campaign even though Manaan was not part of the Republic in the years leading up to the Galactic Civil War. It is unknown if Manaan joined the New Republic following the war.

Inhabitants
"Many people speak highly of the integrity of the Selkath people, but from what little I have seen of them, they are disgusting little fish people. But I suppose I just have too high standards."

- Juhani

The only known sentient species on Manaan was the Selkath. The Selkath had formed a civilization that dated to at least the Infinite Empire. As a species, the Selkath were amphibious in nature. Young Selkath were confined to living underwater in order to survive, as they were not able to breathe without being submersed. Adult Selkath, on the other hand, were able to breathe both in and out of the water. Over the millenia, they built Ahto City and became involved in Galactic affairs through the exportation of kolto. As Manaan lost is importance in the Galaxy, the Selkath abandoned the city and retreated to their underwater pods. The society regressed into clans and factions that fought. Some Selkath, however, did go off-world in the millenia between the Jedi Civil War and the Galactic Civil War. A few Selkath Jedi fought against Darth Bane in the New Sith Wars.

"The swoop racing here has been falling apart, ever since the Sith bombed Taris."

- Human traveler

Ever since recorded history began on Manaan, the Selkath were known to be pacifists, refusing to condone violence of any sort. This resulted in the birth of their long-lived and brutally enforced, neutrality policy. Their settlements were protected by Mark IV Assault droids. The Ahto City Civil Authority, ruled the planet, and employed War-droids to enforce their laws. Competition, however, was not eliminated. The Selkath enjoyed swoop racing and various aquatic sports. Swoop racing was conducted on a track in the large, open center of the city, which was filled with water.

During the Jedi Civil War, the Selkath were also strict environmentalists. If the environment was threatened or harmed, the parties responsible were held accountable. Possible punishment could be banishment, imprisonment, or even execution, if the crime was severe enough. Working to preserve the natural state of Manaan was met with praise from the Selkath, however, as demonstrated with Revan's destruction of the Hrakert Station.

Government
"If you have any further grievances, please do not hesitate to report them to us."

- Shelkar, Chief Justice of the Ahto High Court

Manaan was governed by the Ahto City Civil Authority. At the time of the Jedi Civil War, the Ahto City Civil Authority was controlled by the Ahto High Court, which consisted of twelve justices (five chief justices, five associate justices, and two alternate justices). Shelkar was the presiding chief justice at this time, and as such, had a large proportion of control over Manaan. The Ahto High Court tried to remain impartial to all cases that came their way. They issued orders to the Ahto City Civil Authority and kept the peace on Manaan. Disturbing the peace or committing acts of violence, usually rendered someone imprisoned, or executed. The Ahto High Court banished the Sith from Manaan for kidnapping Selkath youth and training them to overthrow the government.

After Manaan became isolated, it possessed no centralized government. Rather, the Selkath society had dissolved into rival factions and cities. During the Galactic Civil War, the Empire took control of Manaan, becoming the occupying government.

Ahto City
"Welcome to Ahto City, traveler! Please enjoy your stay here on Manaan."

- Selkath Dock Officer to Revan



The only city above the surface of Manaan's oceans, Ahto City was the meeting place between the Selkath and off-world visitors. It was a tremendous, shell shaped structure that floated on top of the water's surface using a buoyancy system that seemed to incorporate the city's massive center. Kolto would be gathered here from undersea vents and shipped off to those who requested it. Indeed, much of Ahto City was comprised of hangars and distribution centers. Exotic and beautiful fountains dotted the many courtyards of Ahto City. There were also many cantinas, shops, and other recreational facilities present. Other than kolto, tourism was also a major part of Manaan's economy. All visitors were given a free map and guide upon arrival. The Sith Embassy and Republic Embassy were located in Ahto as well, and were the center of each respective faction's interests on Manaan.

Hrakert Rift
"We've been sending mercenaries down to see what happened to the facility... they haven't been coming back lately."

- Roland Wann



The Hrakert Rift was the largest source of kolto on Manaan. It was home to thousands of firaxan sharks and the Progenitor. The rift also contained a Star Map, excavated by Republic scientists. The Hrakert station which secretly mined kolto from this location was built on the edge of the rift. The machinery disturbed the Progenitor, who screeched loudly, driving firaxan sharks&mdash;and Selkath alike&mdash;insane. Most of the Republic scientists were killed by the crazed Selkath, and production ceased. Republic diplomat Rolan Wann hired teams of mercenaries to investigate the facility, but they too were killed. The station remained shrouded in mystery until Revan arrived on Manaan, searching for the lost Star Map. Revan destroyed the Hrakert machinery to calm the Progenitor, and rescued the surviving scientists. The Hrakert rift was later used as the base of operations for the Order of Shasa.

Behind the scenes
The name "Manaan" may have been derived from "Manannán mac Lir," the god of the sea in Irish and Manx mythology.

In early publications about the game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the Umber Pod was listed as one of the closest to Ahto City. This, however, has not been confirmed in a canonic source.

Manaan is not the only oceanic planet in the Galaxy. Another is Dac, also known as Mon Calamari. This planet is home to the Mon Calamari and Quarren species. This connection has led to speculation that Admiral Ackbar, a Mon Calamari, was responsible for the liberation of Manaan during his campaign in 5 ABY.

Manaan and its kolto production make an appearance in Empire at War. In the game, all units on Manaan receive an automatic healing bonus due to the presence of kolto on the planet.

There are two conflicting sources regarding the location of Manaan in the Galaxy. A map published by Dark Horse Comics and LucasArts indicate that Manaan was located in the Inner Rim. On the other hand, the Wizards of the Coast role-playing game has a supplement that indicates Manaan was located in the Mid Rim.

The Selkath claimed that the giant firaxan shark, the Progenitor, was their evolutionary ancestor. If true, then the Selkath were also related to non-sentient the firaxan sharks. This could explain why the Progenitor's scream&mdash;in response to the Hrakert Station&mdash;drove both the firaxan sharks and the Selkath insane.

Appearances

 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
 * Star Wars: Empire at War
 * Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Notes and references
Manaan Manaan