Spice/Legends

"Glitterstim's all right if you're blue... Everything takes on a rise, a buzz, a life, as if your whole body had been made new and your whole future with it."

- Anonymous Rebel soldier

Spice was slang for various mind-altering drugs. Varieties included ryll and the strongest (and most expensive), glitterstim. The planet Kessel was rich with these spices, which were harvested from dangerous mines, at one point in history by slave labor. Sevarcos II, Rori, Ryloth, and Troiken were other sources of spice. The word could also refer to non-narcotic herbs and minerals used to give foods or drinks flavor.

History
Spice was mined on Kessel by criminals. Since Kessel lay within the Maw Cluster, if a prisoner were to escape (very unlikely under Imperial rule) they would not likely go far because of the black holes. The spice found on Kessel was glitterstim, one of the most prized spices in the galaxy. This particular spice was created by a species of energy spiders that would spin the spice into webs. Any unlucky miner that came into contact with one of these creatures would have their life energy sucked out of them in seconds.

Spice mining was a very dangerous job. Kessel had no natural atmosphere and factories on the surface create air; however, the air was still too thin to breathe without a oxygen mask. Spice was activated by light, forcing workers to work in complete darkness.

The Galactic Empire attempted to keep a tight rein on the circulation of the various forms of spice, making it a frequent item for smuggling. It must be noted, though, that various forms of spice had medicinal uses-not every form of spice is addictive, or even illegal.

Most forms of spice were collected raw, then processed and refined. Some forms of spice were produced completely synthetically, without the use of any kind of natural material. Many organizations, and planets, took on this enterprise, notably the Hutts.

Spice was known to have gained widespread use since the days of the Old Republic, even before 4000 BBY. In 13 ABY, Lando Calrissian bought the spice mines of Kessel.

The illegal spice market was virtually destroyed as a result of the Yuuzhan Vong War. With the Hutts attempting to fight off the Yuuzhan Vong, their contacts were stripped of their connection. Many people were forced to confront their addictions, and spice all but lost its worth. By at least 130 ABY, the spice trade had been rebuilt.

Known spice variants

 * Andris
 * Avabush
 * Booster Blue
 * Carsunum
 * Crash n' Burn
 * Firespice
 * Giggledust
 * Glitterstim
 * Glitteryll
 * Gree
 * Grey Gabaki
 * Gunjack
 * Gy'lan
 * Kassoti
 * Lumni
 * Muon Gold
 * Neutron Pixie
 * Pyrepenol
 * Ryll
 * Rylca
 * Ryll kor
 * Sedative H4b
 * Tempest
 * Tirefin
 * Thrusterhead
 * Yarrok

Behind the scenes
The usage of the word "spice" in reference to narcotics might be derived from Frank Herbert's Dune books, in which melange, a potent spice said to prolong life and invoke psychic abilities, has many parallels to modern-day drugs. In the same way that Kessel is the only source of glitterstim, a single planet (Arrakis) is the sole source of melange.

The concept of spice in the Star Wars Universe appeared for the first time in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and is only mentioned shortly. Since then spice has appeared in countless Expanded Universe works and is even mentioned briefly in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Spice is also a crucial element in the side-quests in the Knights of the Old Republic games, where it is managed by the Hutts and the Exchange.

In addition to its use to denote narcotics, the word "spice" could apparently also have its usual out-of-universe meaning as well.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 3: Commencement, Part 3
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 4: Commencement, Part 4
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 22: Knights of Suffering, Part 1
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Cloak of Deception
 * Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter
 * Star Wars Republic: Twilight
 * Jedi Quest: Path to Truth
 * Jedi Quest comic
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Tempest Feud
 * The Paradise Snare
 * Rebel Dawn
 * Star Wars Galaxies
 * Star Wars Journal: The Fight for Justice
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * A New Beginning
 * Star Wars Annual 2: Shadeshine
 * Tales of the Bounty Hunters
 * Shadows of the Empire novel
 * Star Wars: X-wing Alliance
 * X-wing: Rogue Squadron
 * X-wing: Wedge's Gamble
 * X-wing: The Krytos Trap
 * X-Wing: The Bacta War
 * Hutt and Seek
 * The Last Command
 * Jedi Search
 * Young Jedi Knights: Trouble on Cloud City
 * Young Jedi Knights: Crisis at Crystal Reef
 * Vector Prime
 * Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial
 * Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse
 * Edge of Victory I: Conquest
 * Edge of Victory II: Rebirth
 * The Unifying Force
 * Dark Nest I: The Joiner King
 * Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen
 * The Last One Standing: The Tale of Boba Fett
 * Star Wars: Rebellion
 * Star Wars: Rebellion