Coruscant underworld/Legends

"&hellip;the underworld is never traveled alone."

- Pollux Hax

The Coruscant Underworld, Coruscant Underground, Lower Coruscant, or more properly, the Coruscant Underlevels, was the lowest region of the city-dominated, galactic-capital world of Coruscant, laid with a mixture of ancient and forgotten ruins from the planet's prehistory along with modern-looking, crime-ridden venues and clubs. Different regions and levels ranged from the merely seedy (such as the Uscru Entertainment District), progressively worsening as one descended, ending in truly hellish reaches of stygian darkness populated solely by hypertrophied vermin and zombie-like devolved humanoids. The Underlevel's streets were riddled by thugs and the walls and streets were home to all manner of weird vermin.

Most of the Underlevels rested more than a kilometer below the urban surface and city platforms. It was beneath some of the greatest skyscrapers in the Galaxy and other closely-spaced spectacular buildings of Coruscant where few rays of light filtered through to the gloomy section known as the Underworld.

Pre-Republic
Very little is known of the Coruscant underlevels in the Pre-Republic era. What can be said about them is that in 100,000 BBY the lowest fifty levels were built, which made the entire planet an Ecumenopolis. It was during this time that all the native Nonsentients became extinct, with the exception of the Thrantcill (which began to evolve with the new city) and the Hawk-bat (which stayed the same ). During the same year the Columi visited the world, hoping to find a high-tech civilization, only to pass it off as a primitive failure, despite the presence of a global city. Five thousand years later in 95,000 BBY the lowest and oldest fifty levels saw sunlight for the last time, along with the seediest taverns of the lowest levels. Slowly but surely criminals and vagrants took up residence. As well as this, some time after 95,000 BBY the native Sentient Humans outcast their criminals into the Undercity and many millennia later they devolved into the Semi-Sentient, zombie-like Cthon. Many millennia after that, the Cthon devolved even further into a Nonsentient subspecies called the Corridor ghoul which split from their mutation. As for the Infinite Empire's rule over Coruscant (that began as early as 49,000 BBY), they may have done the same as the Galactic Empire did to them so many millennia later. Over the generations the (immigrated) Nonsentients evolved, possibly brought by the Rakata from their homeworld of Lehon during their rule over Coruscant. In 25,200 BBY with the collapse of the Infinite Empire, the underlevels, along with the rest of the planet was forced to be abandoned by the Rakata, thus ending its 23,800 year slavery. Following the power vacuum of the Rakatans' withdrawal, the Humans in the upper and middle levels lives improved, presumably celebrating their freedom. The underlevels, however, where still in a seemingly endless dystopian society. Cthons, Corridor ghouls, criminals and the immigrated Nonsentients, formed the two centuries between the end of the Infinite Empire in 25,200 BBY and the formation of the Galactic Republic in 25,000 BBY, continued and haunted the underworld residents as the millennia passed.

Old Republic
In the formation of the Galactic Republic in 25,000 BBY, life in the underlevels were left unchanged by the new Galactic government. Except that its Sentient species were diverse along with the rest of the urban world that had become a galactic capital forever. "Whoever controls Coruscant, controls the Galaxy" was coined during the same year, however this term did little to nothing to purify the Coruscant Underworld, since it would continue, mainly due to the obstructions of patrolling the surface world. Millennia after millennia during the Old Republic era the undercity stayed the same.

During the Rise of the Empire era (Galactic Republic period), while the wealth and marvel of Coruscant gleamed on its exterior level, the Underworld below degenerated even further, since the Republic was in decline. It served as a refuge for scum, petty crooks, as well as drug dealers, the poor gone bad, and other outlaws. Even the highest of the underlevels fell into ruin and disrepair, as the Order of the Sith Lords where rising to take the place of the Republic. Seedy nightclubs, overlooked gambling corners, and trashy cantinas were actually areas of some of the higher sections of these run-down nether levels. One place as dangerous as it was popular in the Underlevels was the Uscru Entertainment District with such hangouts as the Outlander Club and the Snapping Septoid.

The once-famous criminal organization called Black Sun had many allies working in the Coruscant Underworld including none other than District Mayor Acros-Krik.

The lowest levels of the Underworld had such an unbelievable crime rate that many areas were locked down by order of the government. These poor communities of desperate beggars and violent people were isolated from the rest of society by enormous, impenetrable blast doors.

Queen Amidala of Naboo and her head of security, Captain Panaka, got to see the Underworld firsthand when she was taken hostage by mercenaries during her visit to Coruscant. Panaka was given access to one of the locked-down communities where the Queen had been taken by holding the door-operator, an intellectual government agent, at gunpoint. Once rescuing Queen Amidala and killing much scum and hostiles alike, Panaka re-opened the verbally-accessible blast doors by giving the passcode phrase "Coruscant has lovely sunsets".

Garbage was compressed into thick blocks and stored in the deeper levels of the Underworld. Much machinery that satisfied the needs to the well-to-do surface-dwellers, were also kept in the depths of the Underlevels and so there was a constant sense of motion and unrest. Artificial lighting barely brightened the dark, sorrowful levels. The Underlevels were home to various mutant species including the Cthon, Coruscanti ogre, Duracrete slugs, Mutant Rats, Shadow barnacles, taozin, and Granite slugs, which often posed a threat to sentient beings.



Lower-class immigrants who came to Coruscant, expecting to be living in the prosperity of the "surface life", were all gradually sunken into the subterranean realms. Self-made neighborhood lookouts would often gain some small territory over their group of companions and lessers (if lower ranks could at all be possible), thus occasionally creating a tight-knit and durable community who might have even withstood hoodlum fights and minor attacks. Usually though, once these vigilantes acquired weapons to protect their turf or began engaging in violence, even if in self-defense, there was always a great chance their strengthening community would collapse to eventual criminal influences.

Imperial Era


Throughout the Imperial reign of the Galaxy that began in 19 BBY, the Lowerworld only worsened, leaving even more filth to be cleaned during the time of the New Republic. As a result of all space traffic to Coruscant being tightly controlled by the Empire and the harsh cruelty of the ruling Imperials, many criminals fled to the underworld. They ranged from bureaucrats who had made serious mistakes in their work to diplomats from worlds punished by the Empire to even clumsy personal servants and slaves from the Imperial Palace. Thus, an entirely shadowy culture developed in the lower levels since the fugitives were forced to remain there for all their lives.

These fugitives survived by revamping some of the abandoned underbasement rooms, tapping into electrical conduits and stealing energy from the city world's power grid. These survived on scraps and the fungus found in these lower levels.

Han Solo was once forced to descend to the very planetary surface itself, an experience he found so harrowing he vowed never to do it again, making the same vow for the surface of Nar Shaddaa.

Also, at some time prior to the Battle of Endor, the Emperor had the Super Star Destroyer Lusankya constructed and hidden beneath the lower levels of the planetwide city. The Lusankya would become the private prison and secret headquarters of the Director of Imperial Intelligence Ysanne Isard who would use it to imprison key Rebel Alliance prisoners.

New Republic


Even after the capture of Coruscant from the Empire by the more benevolent New Republic in 6 ABY, life in the lower levels continued as it had for millennia. In 7 ABY, after one of her captives Corran Horn escaped, Ysanne Isard had the crew of the Lusankya break the immense vessel free of the planet.

While leaving Coruscant, the Lusankya caused devastation over 100 square miles (259 km&sup2;) of the planet surface, killing millions instantly and presumably causing damage to a large area of the lower levels. The Lusankya blasted its way through the two planetary shield levels, pausing to exchange fire with an orbiting Golan defense platform before jettisoning the lift cradle and departing the Coruscant system.

Worst was to come in 10 ABY when the Imperial Inner Circle launched an attack on Coruscant and other key worlds, having being encouraged by Grand Admiral Thrawn's devastating campaign throughout the New Republic. The combined Imperial armada began bombarding Coruscant's energy shield from orbit, causing extensive damage to the heavily populated cityscape below, turning much of the planet into a battlefield and forcing Chief of State Mon Mothma to order a general evacuation of the entire population of the capital.

However, after Coruscant had been retaken, the Council decided that it was time to elect a new Galactic Emperor. The various admirals, generals, Moffs, Inquisitorius, COMPNOR and Imperial Security Bureau officials disagreed, and an armed conflict (the "Imperial Civil War") soon broke out amongst the various Imperial factions on Coruscant. The city planet was devastated during the conflict with much of the planetwide metropolis devastated by the fighting and the deaths of billions.



After Palpatine's final death in 11 ABY at the Battle of Onderon, the New Republic retook the planet and used EVS Construction Droids to clear the rubble and create new gleaming, skyscrapers. However, much of Coruscant's population had fled as result of the fighting and the planet's population during the New Republic era may have been lower. Thus, many of New Republic City's midlevel apartments were unoccupied but still serviceable. However, the shadowy lower levels remained unaffected by the reconstruction program and would still remain the haunt of various crime syndicates, most notably the Lost Ones. Many still struggled to survive in the lower forty or fifty levels.

In 22 ABY, the Second Imperium sent three Nightsisters named Tamith Kai, Garowyn and Vilas to infiltrate the lower levels and recruit more followers for their cause including the street gang Lost Ones and Zekk. Those discovered to be Force-sensitive became Dark Jedi while others became Stormtroopers and TIE pilots.

Yuuzhan'tar
The Underworld persisted through the years of Yuuzhan Vong domination, but gained some new inhabitants. When the Yuuzhan Vong conquered and vongformed Coruscant into Yuuzhan'tar in 27 ABY, many Coruscanti fled into the Underworld to escape the Yuuzhan Vong. It was during this event the Yuuzhan Vong Empire was formed, since they had claimed the galactic capital. Soon, however, the tunnels became the home of the outcasts of the Yuuzhan Vong&mdash;the Shamed Ones. Fleeing torment and persecution, many Shamed Ones fled to the Underworld to find honor of their own. It was also down here that Nom Anor took the guise of Yu'shaa, and began molding the Jeedai heresy into a true threat to the Elite.

The lower levels were also the domain of various life forms brought in by the Yuuzhan Vong from their home galaxy. Following the planet's recapture by the Galactic Alliance in 30 ABY, it is yet to be seen if the underworld would be cleaned up and beautified.

Legacy
Between 30 ABY and 40 ABY the Coruscant Underlevels was left untouched by the new galactic government, due to the recovery efforts of the Galaxy after the Yuuzhan Vong War ended in 29 ABY.

As of 40 ABY, the Coruscant Underworld was still overrun with Yuuzhan Vong Feral (of the Yorik coral), and criminals that had been disorganized for ten years. This was due to the Galactic Alliance been obstructed with the Confederation-Galactic Alliance War. Since the Galaxy had just about been recovered in 39 ABY and was obstructed by the Five Worlds during that year and followed by the Confederation in 40 ABY.

By the time of the New Galactic Empire in 130 ABY the Yuuzhan Vong feral was cleaned up and security had finally been brought down to the Underlevels after countless milennia of hell. This was likely done some time after the Confederation-Galactic Alliance War by the Galactic Alliance. The Underlevels (and/or the Galactic Alliance) was/were (clarify) still intact by 137 ABY, and one watcher of the Underlevels was a Hutt called Queen Jool who owned Rik's Cantina. This Cantina appeared to be in the lowest level of the lowest fifty levels of Coruscant.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace game
 * Rogue Planet
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter
 * Boba Fett: The Fight to Survive
 * Boba Fett: Pursuit
 * The Last of the Jedi: Underworld
 * A Reckoning of Wraiths
 * The Paradise Snare
 * Star Wars Missions 15: Voyage to the Underworld
 * Shadows of the Empire novel
 * The Courtship of Princess Leia
 * Jedi Academy Trilogy
 * Young Jedi Knights: The Lost Ones
 * Star by Star
 * Traitor
 * Destiny's Way
 * Force Heretic I: Remnant
 * Force Heretic II: Refugee
 * Force Heretic III: Reunion
 * The Final Prophecy
 * The Unifying Force
 * Tempest
 * Fury
 * Star Wars Legacy 4: Noob
 * Star Wars Legacy 14: Claws of the Dragon, Part 1
 * Star Wars Legacy 15: Claws of the Dragon, Part 2
 * Star Wars Legacy 16: Claws of the Dragon, Part 3
 * Star Wars Legacy 17: Claws of the Dragon, Part 4
 * Star Wars Legacy 17: Claws of the Dragon, Part 4