Mount Corvast

Mount Corvast was a volcanic mountain and the capital of Sarapin. Situated amidst a series of islands, it was a bountiful location, filled with natural resources. It was also the center of operations for the planet-wide energy mining facilities, and was the only known established city on the planet.

During the Clone Wars, it became the key point of contention during the Hunt for the Decimator campaign. Jedi General Jor Drakas was sent by the Republic to defend the vital location, but his forces were defeated by the Dark Acolyte, General Sev'rance Tann. Tann instated Zian Finnis as the caretaker of the city, and the planet while she continued fighting on the frontlines across the galaxy, but the Confederate occupation was not to last long. General Echuu Shen-Jon, with his Padawan, Naat Reath, reclaimed the city, and, as a result, the planet shortly after Tann's attack, restoring Republic control.

Description
Bordered on at least one side by a river of lava, Mount Corvast was pockmarked with deposits of natural resources. Surrounding it were a series of small islands amidst the cobweb of lava streams. It was ringed with smaller ranges of carbon reserves, which were constantly harvested to provide for the settlement. To a lesser extent, there were both nova crystal and ore deposits. However, there were no known food resources on the mountain, although Banthas were known to reside in the vicinity.

In order to make the location suitable for settlement, artificial metal plates were placed across the top of the lava pool at the top of the mountain, creating an artificial plateau. Gaps were left in the plate, possibly for cooling purposes. The largest structure on the plateau was the Mount Corvast Citadel, the center of operations for the planet-wide mining facilities. With the advent of the Clone Wars, however, the Republic installed fortresses, defensive turrets, factories, and research centres. The city was also walled, although whether the wall was installed for defensive purposes during the Clone Wars or not is not known.

When Sev'rance Tann's forces took the volcanic capital, much of the Republic architecture and infrastructure was destroyed. It was replaced, hurriedly, by Geonosian defensive structures, the construction of which was overseen by Zian Finnis. These defensive structures, in turn, were swept away by the troops of General Echuu Shen-Jon.

The slopes of Corvast were supposedly difficult to traverse, a problem likely encountered by both Republic and CIS forces when they scaled the Mountain in 22 BBY. There was at least one bridge that led to the mountain, and at least one track, which was usually well covered by the defender's turrets, making assault difficult. Most of the mountain was surrounded by sheer cliff faces, making beaten tracks the only ones worth considering for transit. The surface at the base was also highly unstable, and lava was prone to burst up through it under pressure.

Early history
At an undetermined time, settlers established a city atop the volcanic mountain of Mount Corvast. Built atop the pool of lava at the summit, it became both the capital city of Sarapin, and the headquaters for the mining facilities across the planet. As well as serving as a perfect vantage point for observing mining operations, the plethora of carbon deposits that ringed the city provided a rich stream of natural resources.

Clone Wars
In the first few months of the galaxy-wide Clone Wars, Republic High Command suspected that the Confederacy of Independent Systems might try and secure Sarapin's natural energy reserves, providing them with a cheap source of power. Such an occurence would also cause an enduring blackout on many critical Core worlds, so, naturally, High Command sought to fortify it.

Jedi General Jor Drakas was dispatched to the volcanic world, where he established a base at Mount Corvast. Not only could he keep a watchful eye on the mining process, to check for sabotage, but it was a perfect vantage point, should the CIS invade. He also had an orbital defence grid put in place, should the CIS try to bombard Corvast from space.

First Battle of Sarapin
General Sev'rance Tann, an acolyte of the CIS Head of State, was dispatched to Sarapin to claim it for the Confederacy. Utilising the new Decimator technology, her troops fought through the orbital grid, and landed in the vincinty of Corvast. Drakas watched on as Tann's forces ploughed through his defences, battering aside the clone troopers dispatched to halt her advance. During her ascension to the pinnacle of Mount Corvast, her troops destroyed many of the laser drills lining the road, permanently damaging the intricate mining operation.

Tann's forces eventually made it to the top of the mountain and into the city, but to the Chiss General's surprise, Drakas had kept his best troops in reserve. His heavy turrets rained down upon the CIS troops, who fought back with the extremely powerful Decimators. When the battle reached its zenith, both Generals entered the fray, golden lightsabers flashing and carving their way through, alternatively, clones and droids. Nevertheless, Tann's forces were able to overcome the Republic defences, obliterating the turrets and wiping out the troops. Drakas perished in the chaos, though whether it was by Tann's hand or some other means is not known. CIS swept into the Mount Corvast Citadel, damaging it heavily, and Tann knocked out the power supplies of approximately 80% of the Core worlds. Zian Finnis was brought in to oversee the repairs to the Mount Corvast defences, and to make sure the CIS was reaping the benefits of Sarapin.

Second Battle of Sarapin
Unfortunately for the CIS, the Republic response was swift. The Jedi Council dispatched General Echuu Shen-Jon and his new Padawan, Naat Reath, to reclaim the energy planet for the Republic. Finnis had barely even been given the opportunity to install his own Geonosian-based defensive structures, and had certainly not begun repairs to the existing Corvast buildings that had been heavily damaged during Tann's attack. Due to this, Shen-Jon's advance was far easier than Tann's, and he was able to successfully reclaim Mount Corvast, restoring power to the Core worlds.

Inhabitants
Sarapin did not have any known native sentient species, but Mount Corvast was inhabited by humans and other employees once the mining system was installed. With the advent of the Clone Wars, a substantial garrison of Clone troopers lived in the barracks set up within the city walls. When Zian Finnis took control of the city, it was home to a small defensive force of droids, and Geonosian builders.

Mount Corvast Citadel
The largest structure in Mount Corvast was the Mount Corvast citadel, the center of operations for the planet wide mining operation. Located in the center of the city, the building was almost razed by Sev'rance Tann during her conquest of the world, but was presumably restored by the Republic when Echuu Shen-Jon reclaimed it.

Mount Corvast Spaceport
Mount Corvast was home to a small spaceport that was the transport hub of the planet. It is possible that this structure was razed by Sev'rance Tann during her attack on the mountain. At any rate, the CIS did not install their own spaceport upon occupation.

Republic defences
During the Clone Wars, the Republic installed a variety of defences, to ward off any attacking force. This included at least two fortresses and several turrets, both anti-infantry and anti-air. A series of factories and training facilities were also put in place along the outskirts of the city.

Behind the Scenes
Mount Corvast first appeared in the LucasArts expansion pack to Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, Clone Campaigns. It was also mentioned in passing in Daniel Wallace's Star Wars: The New Essential Chronology.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns