Muunilinst/Legends

Muunilinst (pronounced "MYOON-il-ist", with a silent "n" near the end), nicknamed Moneylend, was the temperate, mineral-rich Muun homeworld and the headquarters of the InterGalactic Banking Clan. It was located on the Braxant Run. It was a member of the Confederacy of Independent Systems under Chairman San Hill.

Geographic features
Muunilinst was a lush world of forests, plains, and tall, jagged mountain peaks. It had a liquid iron core, a strong magnetic field, and was volcanically active throughout its known history. Its shallow oceans contained hundreds of "smokers," conical volcanoes built up by powerful vents in the crust. Many, though not all, of these smokers spewed out superheated gases containing rich, pure precious metals from the planet's core. The very cones surrounding these vents were made up of layers of precious metals, mixed in with the mollusks, tube-worms, and bioluminescent ferns nurtured by the heat and water. It was these natural formations that provided the Muuns with the almost inexhaustible wealth to guarantee the credit of the entire galaxy.

Culture
The tall, gaunt Muuns were famous for their financial acumen, mathematical genius (hence the name Moneylend of their Homeworld of Muunilinst), and greed. Muun children could calculate complex formulas as quickly as most adults of other species. Muuns typically looked at other species as hot-tempered and immature and felt little guilt in exploiting them. They possessed a drive to compete with other races and even among themselves. They also had a fundamental respect for fairness, however, and regarded a contract as almost a sacred trust; they were known to always follow the letter of the law, though often not the spirit. Their society followed a strict caste hierarchy. Higher castes were financiers, lawyers, engineers, and diplomats. Common Muuns rarely left the surface. Upward mobility was limited to the most gifted of common children: they were tested rigorously, and if found worthy, were allowed to enter the higher castes.

There was a podrace course out by the city of Pilaan.

Locations


The greatest Muun city was Harnaidan, the headquarters of the IGBC. Built around a series of magnificent spires reaching four kilometers into the sky, Harnaidan had a population of more than fifty million. It was built above caverns containing vast, naturally heated lakes, enormous hot springs heated by magma vents. While the higher castes go about their daily business, lower castes swim through the rich waters, collecting mollusks and algae. Harnaidan was, unfortunately for the Muuns, mostly leveled during the battle in the Clone Wars.

A skyhook connected Harnaidan with High Port, an orbital city. The Golan space defense platforms defending Muunilinst could be seen from here, as well as a magnificent view of the planet glittering below. Mariunhus was a particularly rich city built around a smoker rich in gold, platinum, and other precious metals. Mariunhus was an example of a "vault-spire," a virtual mountain of wealth, kept safe and secure, which could be mined at a moment's notice to guarantee credit anywhere in the galaxy. Other smokers were known for industrial metals and were known as "mine-spires."

Early Events
The former subjects of the Rakata during the time of the Infinite Empire, the Muuns eventually achieved their independence. All throughout the Galactic Republic era, Muunilinst had a knack for funding potentially profitable enterprises throughout its sector, regardless of ethics or loyalty. It provided much of the funding for the nearby Human colony world of Sartinaynian, which, ironically, broke away from the Republic because of anti-alien sentiments. The banking clans of Muunilinst were uninterested in these prejudices; they were far more interested in Credits. They funded colonies, trade guilds, and corporations all along the Braxant Run. At some point in their history the Muuns also colonized the planet of Mygeeto, which much like Muunilinst itself would become wealthy and an important financial center.

Eventually, both Muunilinst and Sartinaynian came to be member worlds in the Republic, and Muunilinst became one of the greatest financial powers in the galaxy. When the Republic established the Galactic Credit Standard, the InterGalactic Banking Clan was its guarantor and distributor. The corruption of the Banking Clan was largely unchecked as the Republic fell into decline, and with the looming threat of the breakdown of law and order, they invested in thousands of Hailfire droids to discourage customers from defaulting on their loans.

Clone Wars
Consistent with its reputation for playing both sides, Muunilinst simultaneously backed the currency of the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars. Alliances with the Confederacy, however, led to Separatist forces building droid factories and munitions depots on Muunilinst, over the objections of most of the native Muuns. Desperate, they turned in secret to the Republic for aid, even while San Hill and the IGBC collaborated with the Separatists. This led to a series of ruinous battles.



During the Battle of Muunilinst in 22 BBY, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Voolvif Monn retook the planet for the Republic, but at great cost. The Separatists fought savagely to hold the planet, with waves of battle droids and a special platoon of IG lancer droids led by Jedi hunter Durge. Confederate gun emplacements operated from within the cities, leaving Republic forces no choice but to assault the cities directly. The battle devastated the Muun infrastructure and led the galaxy to the brink of financial ruin.



Galactic Empire
Muunilinst later became the financial center of the Galactic Empire. However, the Empire couldn't destroy the InterGalactic Banking Clan, as it would of set the galaxy into a great recession, but rather subjugated the government. Many Imperials harbored no fondness for aliens, especially those who had associated with the Confederacy, but the mineral riches of Muunilinst were too important for the stability of Imperial credit. Muuns' lending and business operations were hampered by harsh Imperial decrees and the presence of Imperial monitors stationed throughout the world's financial institutions. Muunilinst was no more loyal to the Empire than it was to the Republic or Confederacy, but found it expedient not to undermine Imperial power, reasoning that, no matter the outcome of the Galactic Civil War, the victor would be forced to keep doing business with the Muuns and the IGBC.

During the Galactic Civil War, the head of the IGBC, San Hill was captured by IG-88, a bounty hunter in service of the Zann Consortium. It remained part of the Imperial Remnant during the New Republic years, protected by two Golan III battle platforms. Amazingly, but again consistent with their reputation, even while a part of the Imperial Remnant, Muunilinst still became the guarantor of the New Republic credit. This infuriated the Moffs, but they were powerless to move against the IGBC without destabilizing the Imperial credit.

Yuuzhan Vong War
During the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of the galaxy, the alien intruders attacked the Imperial Remnant, but managed to resist. In a coordinated strike, the Yuuzhan Vong decimated the forces protecting Muunilinst. The planet itself was bombarded from orbit, reducing it to a wasteland from which the Yuuzhan Vong plucked any survivors for use as slave labor.

Post-Yuuzhan Vong War
By 40 ABY, Muunilinst had recovered, with it and Mygeeto functioning as financial centers of the then-Imperial Remnant's sphere of influence. This had continued with the Fel Empire and subsequently the Empire-in-exile.

Behind the scenes
The Star Wars: Clone Wars designers made the Muunilinst cities look like neo-classical Greek structures hailing from U.S. dollar bills, as well as mimicking the currency's greenish tint.

Appearances

 * Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil
 * Jedi Quest: The School of Fear
 * Boba Fett: Maze of Deception
 * Storm Fleet Warnings
 * Only the Force
 * Jedi: Shaak Ti
 * CIS Shadowfeed Dispatch 14:3:10 Edition
 * CIS Shadowfeed Year's Start Fete Day Edition
 * Reversal of Fortune
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith novel
 * Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
 * Star Wars Dark Times 11: Vector, Part 5
 * Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight
 * Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption
 * Rebel Force: Target
 * Rebel Force: Hostage
 * Rebel Force: Renegade
 * Specter of the Past
 * Vision of the Future
 * Force Heretic I: Remnant
 * Sacrifice
 * Revelation
 * Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight
 * Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption
 * Rebel Force: Target
 * Rebel Force: Hostage
 * Rebel Force: Renegade
 * Specter of the Past
 * Vision of the Future
 * Force Heretic I: Remnant
 * Sacrifice
 * Revelation

Notes and references
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