Ryloth/Legends

Ryloth, also known as Twi'lek, was the home planet of the Twi'leks, near the Corellian Run and forming one endpoint of the Death Wind Corridor.

Geographic features
The star was the central body in the Ryloth System, which was located in the Orus Sector of the Outer Rim Territories. Near Piroket and Tatooine.

The planet, the second world in the Ryloth System, was the homeworld of the Twi'lek race. It was a dry, rocky world with a thin, breathable atmosphere orbited by five moons.

Ryloth's location put it at one end of the Corellian Run, but many spacers noted that it was farther out in the galaxy than even Tatooine. The planet was originally located by Old Republic explorers some 10,000 years before the onset of the Clone Wars, and was one of the first worlds discovered by explorers in the Outer Rim.

Located in the Outer Rim Territories, Ryloth orbited its sun in such a way that one side was perpetually lit, the other was locked in the dark.

Ryloth's rotational axis is strongly tilted on its side. Instead of rotating with its axis roughly perpendicular to the plane of its orbit (like most other planets), Ryloth rotational axis is parallel to it's orbit ( on its side along its orbital path). In addition, one pole is tide locked with it's sun. This tipped rotational axis and tide-locked pole gives rise to extreme conditions on Ryloth.

The side that is perpetually lit are called The Bright Lands. These Bright Lands, where the daytime temperature, were scoured by huge heat storms. These storms eventually died on the night side, but not before warming the dark side up enough to support minimal life.

Because of the nature of Ryloth's orbit around it's primary, one side of the planet always faced its star. This resulted in the temperature on the day side being very high, and nightside temperatures extremely low.

Along the equator are the twilight realm - a thin habitable border between the two extremes. Here, the Twi'lek people lived in a series of caverns that were located in the habitable band of the planet. They lived in these caverns to avoid the extreme weather on Ryloth and the dangerous heat storms.

Industry on Ryloth was basic. Twi'leks integrated windmills and turbines to power their homes and industries carved into the mountains. The cultivation of fungi and molds provided nourishment for the populace, as did the rearing of cow-like rycrits, which were a source of meat. The other major product of Ryloth was the mineral known as ryll, which was mined and distributed for various medicinal uses. Ryll's highly addictive nature also made it a favorite recreational substance among the low-lives and scoundrels of the galaxy, despite the extremely dangerous risks involved with its use.

( Note about the sources and the orbit explained above: Platt's Starport Guide indicates that Ryloth had a year that lasted 289 standard days, and that a day on the planet lasted some nineteen hours. However, Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds indicates that the year on Ryloth lasted 305 standard days, and that its rotational period was the same, thus being tide-locked with it's sun. The description above supports both and uses the orbit of Uranus as a guide. )

Life of Enslavement
The slave trade became an everyday part of life on Ryloth since 12,500 BBY, and existed all over the Old Republic and Galactic Empire. Because of this, the Twi'leks were spread all over the galaxy, as servants, bodyguards, majordomos and slaves.

Part of the slave-trading "buisness" on Ryloth was led by the Anx Graxol Kelvyyn, that held his base in the planet. He was known for having a wide net that covered the Outer Rim, and even reached Kidiet Olgo. Some prominent examples during the wagning days of the Republic and during the Galactic Empire, could be the twins Ann Gella and Tann Gella owned by Sebulba; and Bib Fortuna and Oola, owned by Jabba the Hutt.

The Ryll
The Ryll spice (drug) was discovered in 4,800 BBY, and the explotation buisness started creatring great chaos between the natives of the planet. The rigid and strict system of mining and distribution of ryll was well respected by the twi'leks in the begining, but after it's the galactic discovery, a great smuggling came up. And so the irresponsible distribution of the drug led to the Gank Massacres.

And after stormy debates throught centuries, the trade rights, were taken by the Neimoidians and the Trade Federation during the wagning days of the Old Republic.

Jedi Knights on Ryloth
In 44 BBY, Jedi master Tholme and Quinlan Vos, were sent to Ryloth in order of stopping illegal animal smuggling. Here they met an infant Twi'lek that had force aptitudes: Aayla Secura. She was taken and later trained by Quinlan Vos.

Later in 32 BBY, Quinlan Vos and Aayla Secura discovered an illegal operation on Ryloth. The Twi'leks Pol Secura, Bib Fortuna, and Chom Frey Kaa, set up a glitteryll operation on Ryloth using energy spider eggs taken from Kessel. Although the Jedi stopped the operation, Pol Secura and Asante Vos suceeded wiping out their memories, using the Kiffar Asante Vos's help.



Ryloth: A member of the Republic
Ryloth was represented in the Galactic Senate by the senator Orn Free Taa and his aides Chom Frey Kaa, and Connus Trell. Senator Free taa kept Ryloth under the republic's protective arms by supporting most of the Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's dispositions, including the military creation act.

Clone Wars
During the Clone Wars, the planet was the location of a droid reclamation facility, and eventually part of it seceded to join the Confederacy of Independent Systems, which would eventually lead to a battle on the planet in 19 BBY during the Outer Rim Sieges. Ryloth being in internal chaos, it was still represented by Orn Free Taa on the Galactic Senate, and could be seen his proximity to the Chancellor Palpatine, when he went to meet the mandatary, after he was rescued in Battle of Coruscant.

Galactic Empire
Once the Galactic Empire was established, it held an anti-alien way of see the galaxy, called "human-centric". During these times, thousend of Twi'leks were enslaved, and the lost day by day their rights and galactic respect.

It's known that in 5 BBY, the Granf Moff Wilhuff Tarkin established a refueling outpost on Ryloth, using Twi'lek slaves for working and recruited the native Tol Sivron to administer the outpost now called Maw Installation.

In 3 ABY, Tyneir Renz, Padija Anjeri, Nikaede, and Drake Paulsen brought the crystal skull of Twi'lek Jedi New'arforrth to the Rebel base on Derora. Renz presented the skull to the Nercathi clan on Ryloth to persuade them to join the Alliance.

After the Empire
Following the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, Ryloth became a member of the Alliance of Free Planets. However, after it was liberated from the Empire, Ryloth chose not to join the New Republic.

After Rogue Squadron went to Ryloth in 6 ABY to get ryll to help heal the Krytos Virus, Twi'lek pilots joined Wedge Antilles and former pilots of Rogue Squadron in fighting Ysanne Isard in the Bacta War. Due to their ryll kor scams agaisnt the New Republic, the Shak clan was discredited.

At some point after that, the Twi'lek Nolaa Tarkona engineered a revolution that overthrew the ruling clans. She then assumed control of Ryloth and founded the anti-Human Diversity Alliance. However, in 24 ABY, the Diversity Alliance's efforts to launch a war against Humans was foiled. Following that, the planet was represented in the New Republic Senate by Kur and later by Cola Quis. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, the planet was a valuable member of the New Republic and its successor the Galactic Alliance.

Behind the scenes
Although Ryloth does not appear in any Star Wars film, its natives (Twi'leks) are in almost all the movies.

The original Twi'lek were in the Return Of The Jedi; Bib Fortuna, and Oola, plus Lyn Me (added in 1997's Special Edition). After these, the appeared in The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, in the personification of slaves, dancers, senators, Jedi, etc.

Appearances

 * Tales of the Jedi: Redemption
 * Cloak of Deception
 * Star Wars Republic: Twilight
 * Star Wars Republic: Rite of Passage
 * Jedi: Aayla Secura
 * Star Wars Republic: Show of Force
 * Labyrinth of Evil
 * Star Wars: Empire at War
 * Tales from Jabba's Palace
 * Champions of the Force
 * Young Jedi Knights: Diversity Alliance
 * Young Jedi Knights: Jedi Bounty
 * Young Jedi Knights: The Emperor's Plague
 * Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse