Ring of Kafrene

"Where good dreams go bad."

- Unofficial slogan found on graffiti

The Ring of Kafrene, also referred to simply as Kafrene, was a mining colony and deep-space trading post in the Kafrene asteroid belt of the Thand sector. The Alliance to Restore the Republic sent intelligence agent Cassian Andor here prior to the outbreak of the Galactic Civil War, leading Andor to learn of the existence of the Death Star.

Characteristics
The Ring of Kafrene was a monumental construction which served as both a mining colony and a deep-space trading post. Its structures, made from durasteel and plastoid, were slung between a pair of malformed planetoids in the Kafrene asteroid belt. Areas such as its aft docking bay were covered in lurid, phosphorescent graffiti. Roads led out from the docking bays towards the distant rock warrens of the planetoids, and the outpost itself was a labyrinthine sprawl of shacks, prefabricated housing, and countless maze-like corridors. Although there was some structure to the buildings around the main throughways, beyond these areas the layout of the Ring changed almost daily; shacks were made of sheet metal, and shelters utilized housing units recycled from foreign colonies. Alien housing complexes and tenements featured ventilation shafts that sent wafts of ammonia into the streets.

History
The Ring of Kafrene was constructed by members of nobility in the Galactic Republic, and was established as a mining colony to strip the asteroids and planetoids of the Kafrene asteroid belt of any valuable minerals. However, the founders soon realized that such coveted minerals were scarce in the Kafrene belt, and the failed mining venture became a trading post and stopover point for desperate travelers through the Thand sector. The Galactic Empire maintained a presence on Kafrene, and Imperial stormtroopers patrolled its streets.

Prior to the Liberation of Erso on Wobani, the Alliance to Restore the Republic sent Cassian Jeron Andor to the Ring of Kafrene to investigate why Imperial shipments of kyber crystals were being shipped across the galaxy. He met with Tivik, an informant who revealed the existence of a "planet-killer", the Death Star, before stormtroopers accosted the pair. Cassian shot them down, then killed Tivik when he proved a liability, before fleeing the area.

Inhabitants
As a deep-space trading outpost and stopover point for travelers, the Ring of Kafrene hosted crowds of individuals including humans, nonhumans, and beings of indeterminate genders. Many of these became stuck on the outpost, sentenced to live among the pressing crowds with a characteristic plodding gait. Workers toiled during the day, and stuck to the main throughways at night due to the constantly shifting nature of the Ring's layout.

Appearances

 * Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
 * Rogue One: A Star Wars Story novelization
 * Star Wars: Rogue One: A Junior Novel
 * Rogue One Adaptation 1