Alderaan

"The galaxy knows Alderaan as 'the planet of beauty.' Nature, poetry, philosophy, art, couture, cuisine&mdash;we freely share all with all."

- Bail Organa

Alderaan, located in the Core Worlds, was a terrestrial planet covered with mountains. During the waning decades of the Galactic Republic, it was ruled by Queen Breha Organa and represented in the Galactic Senate by her husband, Senator Bail Organa.

Following the rise of Sheev Palpatine's Galactic Empire, Alderaan played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Rebel Alliance, a movement that sought to restore the Old Republic's values. Because of its ties with the Alliance, the planet was destroyed when Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin decided to test the superlaser of the Death Star, a moon-sized battle station developed by the Empire, at full strength. Among the few survivors of that disaster was Princess Leia Organa, adopted daughter of Bail and Breha Organa and heiress to the royal house of Alderaan.

Description
"Well, someday you'll come to Alderaan with me and see for yourself how wonderful it is. Not even you could be cynical about my world."

- Nash Windrider, to Thane Kyrell

From space, the planet of Alderaan, located in the star system of the same name, appeared as a blue-green orb enveloped in a white web of clouds. Its surface had vast bodies of water and was covered in snow-capped mountains, with patches of green grassy hills. Alderaan was known to the galaxy as "the planet of beauty." Famous natural landmarks of Alderaan included the Cloudshape Falls and the Isatabith rain forest.

A variety of grapevines grew on Alderaan, which notably allowed to produce Toniray and emerald wine. The local fauna included the Alderaanian wolf-cat and a species of white-winged bird.

The cities on Alderaan were carefully designed to respect the natural beauty of their environment. For example, the palace of the royal family and the city around it blended into the local snow-capped peaks. Alderaanian architecture made use of white synthstone, which inspired the architecture of certain mining economies of the Outer Rim Territories, like the floating colony of Cloud City, and the planets Lothal and Garel.

The Old Republic
The peaceful world of Alderaan was among the oldest members of the Galactic Republic, the democratic union that governed most of the galaxy. By the time of the Invasion of Naboo by the Trade Federation, it was represented in the Galactic Senate by Senator Bail Antilles. That year, the then-Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, Finis Valorum, was ousted from office, and Antilles was nominated for the position in the resulting election. However, the Alderaanian senator was defeated by Senator Sheev Palpatine, who represented the sovereign system of Naboo.

The Clone Wars
Ten years later, Alderaan was represented in the Senate by Viceroy Bail Organa, the prince consort of the planet's ruler, Queen Breha Organa. At that time, the Republic was facing a secessionist crisis due to the existence of the Confederacy of Independent Systems led by Count Dooku, pushing the galaxy to the brink of war. Through Organa, Alderaan was a member of Chancellor Palpatine's Loyalist Committee, which concerned itself with the stability of the Republic during the Separatist crisis and which would later strive to limit Palpatine's increasing executive authority. That year, an army of clones was discovered on the planet Kamino, which would be appropriated by the Senate in order to combat the Separatists. To save the Republic from the impending threat, the Supreme Chancellor was granted emergency powers, a decision that was contrary to the pacifist values of Alderaan and its representative and which ultimately led to the outbreak of the Clone Wars. At some point during the Clone Wars, Alderaan hosted a conference concerned with aiding war refugees. Padmé Amidala, then senator of Naboo, was nearly assassinated during the conference when the Hutt crime lord Ziro, whom Amidala had sent to prison, hired the bounty hunter Aurra Sing to take revenge. The plot, however, was thwarted by the Jedi apprentice Ahsoka Tano. Around the time of the Battle of Kadavo, two Alderaanian tourists visiting Tatooine died in a speeder-bike accident. The Zygerrian News implied that the two had gotten intoxicated in the cantina of Mos Eisley, which caused the accident.

Age of the Empire
With the Clone Wars coming to an end, Chancellor Palpatine abolished the Republic, establishing the Galactic Empire in its stead. However, a small number of systems rebelled against this new regime, and the Alliance to Restore the Republic was ultimately formed by Bail Organa and his former colleague in the Galactic Senate, Senator Mon Mothma of Chandrila. During this time, Alderaan became the Alliance's main source of munitions. The planet's crown princess and representative in the Imperial Senate, Princess Leia Organa, adoptive daughter of Bail and Breha Organa, began using her diplomatic immunity as an Imperial senator to carry out Rebel missions in restricted Imperial systems.

About three years before the Battle of Yavin, Senator Bail Organa dispatched three Hammerhead corvettes to the Phoenix Squadron, which has sustained losses while fleeing Garel. Since Alderaan could not be seen directly supporting the rebels, Senator Organa arranged for his adopted daughter Leia to deliver the vessels to Lothal. The Alderaanians risked losing their seat in the Imperial Senate among other Imperial sanctions. Senator Organa had arranged for the crew of the Ghost to "steal" the ships from an Imperial depot on Lothal so that Alderaan could not be blamed for the "theft." With the help of the crew of the Ghost and the former Governor Ryder Azadi, Leia managed to deliver the three Hammerhead corvettes to the Phoenix rebels following a skirmish at the Imperial depot.

Destruction
Shortly before the Battle of Yavin, Princess Leia was captured by the Imperial Navy while on a mission to recruit the former Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi into the Alliance's fight against the Death Star, a secret battle station built by the Empire. Leia had obtained the plans for the Death Star, a new Imperial superweapon, and hidden it in her astromech droid R2-D2. Organa was taken prisoner by the Sith Lord Darth Vader, the Emperor's second-in-command, and brought before the Death Star's commanding officer, Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin. The Imperials forced the princess to witness the obliteration of her home planet, an act that Tarkin hoped would instill fear among the secessionist systems in an effort to keep them in line. The planet's destruction left only an asteroid field behind, which was blockaded by the Empire.

Almost immediately after the Battle of Yavin, Leia Organa would embark on a mission to rescue the survivors of Alderaan from Imperial reprisals following the destruction of the First Death Star.

On Coruscant, the Empire's planetary capital, the numerous Alderaanian residents of Level 3204 began to hold vigils for those who had perished in what they called "the Disaster." However, as more information became available about the Empire's role in the destruction of Alderaan, the vigils soon turned into riots, which were quickly repressed by brute force. Following the Battle of Yavin, Vader then took the remains of Alderaan to serve as reminders to worlds that attempted to resist the Emperor. Following an assassination attempt on himself at Shu-Torun, Vader then gave Trios, the new Queen of that planet, one of these reminders.

Legacy
"What act of terror could be more horrible than what happened to Alderaan? Have you forgotten that? I was there. I saw it happen, stood there watching while they destroyed my world, my home, everyone I had ever loved&mdash;"

- Senator Leia Organa, to Senator Ransolm Casterfo

By the time of the New Republic, Alderaan's destruction would become a stark reminder for future generations about the terrors of the Galactic Empire, and would often be an 'uncomfortable subject' for those that brought up the planet's destruction in conversation. As such, surviving Alderaanians would be treated with great respect for their lost world and people. For collectors, rare bottles of the alcoholic beverage Toniray would become a highly-prized commodity.

Inhabitants
"Soldiers are a thing of Alderaan's past, Leia."

- Bail Organa, to his adopted daughter Leia

Alderaan hosted a population of humans, known as Alderaanians, who were known for their philosophy of paciﬁsm. Even in time of galactic conflicts, the Alderaanians shunned weapons. They were not, however, bereft of spirit, as many of them chose to join the rebellion against the Galactic Empire. Their society was ruled by the House of Organa, in conjunction with an individual bearing the titles of Viceroy and First Chairman. The female child of the royal couple was referred to as a princess. For diplomatic missions, the Royal Family used streamlined cruisers.

On Alderaan, its people were encouraged to learn and grow. All education was free, and people would volunteer to teach various skills or crafts just for fun.

Behind the scenes
"The Alderaan system actually consists of seven planets. Alderaan was the capital planet of that system. There was a Senate and my father was the president of that Senate."

- George Lucas, assuming Leia Organa's character

Alderaan first appeared in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, the seminal movie of the Star Wars saga. In that movie, the planet was only seen from space during the scene depicting its destruction. In the treatment, rough draft, second draft, and third draft of what would become A New Hope, the name of Alderaan was used for the capital of the "New Galactic Empire." At that time, it was described as a giant gas planet that resembled Bespin, with a city that resembled Cloud City on it. In the second draft of A New Hope, the home planet of Princess Leia was called Organa Major. Aquilae, Utapau and Ophuchi were also considered as names for worlds partially corresponding to Alderaan.

Following the success of A New Hope, a full ancillary world was being built around the movie. In order to get everyone on the same page, George Lucas decided to create a few background stories and ideas. In those notes, Alderaan was described as a four or five million years old Earth-like planet, covered with high snowcapped mountains and green pastures. The same notes also described the planet as being the capital of its star system and possessing its own Senate. In canon, the surface of Alderaan only made its first appearance in the 2005 movie Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. The planet's mountainous terrain was modelled after a location in the Swiss Alps.