Kessel

"We'll be sent to the spice mines of Kessel, or smashed into who knows what!"

- C-3PO

Kessel was a planet within the Akkadese Maelstrom that hosted spice mines. The planet also exported coaxium and Kesselstone. While Kessel's northern hemisphere was devoted to mining, the planet's southern hemisphere was home to lush sanctuaries. During the Imperial Era, the Galactic Empire and Pyke Syndicate ran several mining operations that employed slave labor. These slave mining operations were targeted by various underworld and rebel factions.

Description
The planet Kessel was located within the Akkadese Maelstrom in the Kessel sector of the Outer Rim Territories. Much of the planet's northern hemisphere was devoted to mining spice, coaxium, and Kesselstone. Kessel's southern hemisphere was home to lush sanctuaries.

Age of the Empire
For years, the Pyke Syndicate dealt with spice mined from Kessel, using smugglers and freighter captains to deliver it to the crime families of Coruscant. The Galactic Empire also operated a mining operation, employing numerous slaves, including Wookiees, to harvest spice. Meanwhile, the royal family of Kessel lived in lush sanctuaries in the planet's southern hemisphere, turning a blind eye to the brutal working conditions in the mines of the northern hemisphere.

In 10 BBY, the Pyke Syndicate Capo Quay Tolsite operated a coaxium mine on the planet which was manned by slave laborers. During a mission to obtain coaxium for the Crimson Dawn crime lord Dryden Vos, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Qi'ra, and the droid L3-37 freed the slave miners and droids from the Pyke Syndicate. They then escaped into the Akkadese Maelstrom aboard the smuggler and gambler Lando Calrissian's freighter, the Millennium Falcon.

Being pursued through space by Imperial TIE fighters and TIE heavy starfighters, Solo flew the Falcon through the dangerous Maw Cluster. Despite being attacked by a Summa-verminoth, Solo and his companions managed to complete the Kessel Run in twelve parsecs.

In 5 BBY, the Spectres rescued several Wookiee prisoners from Spice mine K76. During the mission, the former Jedi Padawan Kanan Jarrus identified himself as a Jedi by igniting his lightsaber, bring himself to the attention of the Grand Inquisitor.

Galactic Civil War
When the Empire boarded the starship Tantive IV, which carried Princess Leia Organa on a secret mission for the Rebel Alliance, the protocol droid named C-3PO expressed fear that he and his counterpart, R2-D2, would be sent to the spice mines of Kessel.

Later, when talking up the capabilities of the Millennium Falcon to Obi-Wan Kenobi shortly before the Battle of Yavin, Han Solo described it as being "the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs."

Behind the scenes
The planet Kessel was first mentioned in the 1977 film Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. Its first canonical appearance was in Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion, the premiere of the animated television series Star Wars Rebels. The series used designs and concepts created for Kessel by Star Wars creator George Lucas, who developed its appearance, culture, and economy.

Kessel was seen for the first time in the movie premiere of Star Wars Rebels, where the planet is shown with no cloud surrounding it. In Solo: A Star Wars Story, which takes place before Rebels, the infamous Kessel Run is shown to be the only entrance to Kessel through a cloud surrounding the mining planet, creating a continuity error.