Suurja

"You're all Jedi? What are you doing here?''" "''Captured on Suurja&mdash;ambushed."

- Jarael and Ferroh

Suurja was an agrarian planet with a breathable atmosphere that was located within the Suurja system of the galaxy's Outer Rim Territories region and harbored both a native species called Suurjans and a colonist population of 16 million. By the year 3,966 BBY, Suurja served as a resource world for the nearby city-covered planet of Taris. During the early phase of the conflict between the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders and the Galactic Republic, both sides engaged in four devastating yet inconclusive battles on Suurja that made many of the world's inhabitants refugees. In 3,964 BBY, the Mandalorians captured a large group of Jedi crusaders on Suurja's surface and took them to the Flashpoint Stellar Research Station as experimental subjects for the Mandalorian scientist Demagol. Millennia later, the region of space surrounding Suurja changed ownership between various governments such as the Galactic Empire's successor states and the New Republic.

Description
Suurja was an agrarian planet that was located within the Suurja system of the galaxy's Outer Rim Territories region. The planet was the star system's primary world and was a part of the Ojoster sector. The planet had a Type I atmosphere that was breathable for members of the Human species.

History
"And now we learn that some of them were abducted from Suurja before the surprise attack&mdash;and after you left for Onderon!"

- Vrook Lamar, to the Revanchist, on the Jedi crusaders

The region of space surrounding Suurja was explored between the years 5,000 BBY and 3,996 BBY. By 3,966 BBY, Suurja served as a resource world for Taris, a nearby city-covered planet. That year, the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders, who had been conquering independent planets beyond Galactic Republic–controlled space for a decade, began to threaten Suurja and other Tarisian resource worlds, causing the Republic to grant Taris membership and military protection. As a result, a Republic security cordon called the Jebble-Vanquo-Tarnith line was created, and Suurja was one of the worlds that was located on the frontline. The following year, the Mandalorian forces engaged the Republic Military in four inconclusive battles on Suurja in the span of six weeks, devastating the planet and forcing many of the agrarian world's inhabitants to become refugees.

In 3,964 BBY, a large group of Jedi Knights affiliated with the Revanchist faction of the Jedi Order were present on Suurja on a scouting mission. They were ambushed by Mandalorian forces, who were also on the planet despite the earlier departure of the Mandalorian forces from the Suurja system. Many Jedi who survived the surprise attack, including the Jedi Knight Alek, were captured by the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders and transported to the Flashpoint Stellar Research Station, a facility where the Mandalorian scientist Demagol was conducting experiments on Jedi. That same year, the former Jedi Padawan Zayne Carrick posed as a refugee from Suurja in order to infiltrate an outpost of miners on the planet Vanquo.

During the Clone Wars that erupted millennia later, Suurja was located within Republic space. Following the fragmentation of the Galactic Empire in 4 ABY, the region of space containing Suurja fell within the warlord Zsinj's domain. After Zsinj's death, the territory surrounding Suurja became a part of the Imperial Space, and it remained within that region until the Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn's defeat. During the Imperial Remnant's campaigns against the New Republic, Suurja was located within the area controlled by the latter government, while by the year 137 ABY, Suurja fell within the borders of the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire.

Inhabitants
"Suurjans don't have ears."

- Marn Hierogryph

Suurja was home to Suurjans&mdash;a species that lacked ears. The agrarian world also had a colonist population of 16 million. Many inhabitants of Suurja where forced to become refugees following the battles between the Republic and the Mandalorians that took place on the planet.

Behind the scenes
Suurja made its first in-universe appearance in The Taris Holofeed: Prime Edition&mdash;an article that was written by John Jackson Miller and published within the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic/Rebellion flip-book on March 1, 2006. The next appearance of the agrarian planet was in the sixth issue of the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series of comic books. That issue was written by Miller and penciled by Brian Ching, and was published on June 28 of the same year. Suurja was subsequently mentioned in several other issues of the series as well the articles The Taris Holofeed: Siege Edition and The Secret Journal of Doctor Demagol. In 2008, Suurja also received an entry in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia. Later, the planet was mentioned in the reference books The Essential Atlas&mdash;which placed the planet in grid square N-7&mdash;and The Essential Guide to Warfare.

Appearances

 * "The Taris Holofeed: Prime Edition"&mdash;Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic/Rebellion flip-book
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 6: Commencement, Part 6
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 7: Flashpoint, Part 1
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 8: Flashpoint, Part 2
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 9: Flashpoint Interlude: Homecoming
 * "The Taris Holofeed: Siege Edition"&mdash;Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 15: Days of Fear, Part 3
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 25: Vector, Part 1
 * Star Wars: Kenobi
 * Star Wars: Kenobi