Kashyyyk/Legends

"Well, it has big trees, in case your eyes don't work anymore."

- Canderous Ordo to Revan

Kashyyyk (see pronunciation), also known as Wookiee Planet C, Edean, G5-623, and Wookiee World, was the lush, tree-filled home planet of the Wookiees. A Mid-Rim world, it was a member of the Old Republic and later, the New Republic.

Geography


"This place is wild and untamed. It stirs the blood and makes one feel... alive."

- Juhani

With no axial tilt and a perfectly circular orbit, Kashyyyk experienced no seasons. It was composed of a molten metallic core, rocky mantle, and a silicate rock crust. The planet had four continents, making up 40% of the surface, which were mostly covered in lush, tree-filled forests, although the planet did have a small amount of desert region in the rain-shadow of its small mountain ranges. A tropical ocean belt contained strings of islands and long coral reefs. In addition, a few sandy beaches could be found along the shores of its oceans.

Flora
Vast forests dominated by wroshyr trees several kilometers high existed on the planet. The prevalent ecology could be politely described as a "layered deathtrap," as the dangers presented by local wildlife increased as one descended toward the forest floor. According to Wookiee culture, this vertical environment consisted of seven levels. The bulk of Wookiee civilization was located on the uppermost seventh level, and even the bravest Wookiees rarely ventured below the fourth level. The ground level was known as the Shadowlands and, sometimes, the "netherworld."

The forest of Kashyyyk were filled with a tremendous variety of plantlife, many with some form of consciousness. The Wookiees learned to communicate with these plants and often came to an understanding about their use. One example of this was with the Orga plants, who allowed the Wookiees to harvest their older roots to use in Life Day ceremonies.

Fauna
Besides the primary sentient Wookiees, Kashyyyk was home to a host of other animal species including anakkonas, can-cells, flame beetles, gorryl slugs, Kashyyyk land shrimp, katarns, kinraths, kkekkrrg rros, kroyies, mykals, netcasters, tach, borer beetles, webweavers, various species of banthas, and even a small population of terentateks. One species, the sureggi, were used as mounts by the Wookiees to traverse the lower depths of the forest. Another creature, the Can-cells were also uses as arial mounts and pets.

Infinite Empire
Millennia before the rise of the Galactic Republic, Kashyyyk was a member world of the Rakatan Infinite Empire. Its surface was terraformed by the Rakata for agricultural purposes, but the collapse of their empire left their terraforming machines unattended, resulting in the planet's abnormally large foliage.

Czerka Corporation and slavery
Later, Kashyyyk was discovered by Czerka Corporation, which renamed the planet first G5-623 and then, after a poll of stockholders, Edean. In 3,993 BBY during the Great Hunt, the Jedi Guun Han Saresh died on the planet fighting a terentatek.

During the Mandalorian Wars, the Mandalorians considered conquering Kashyyyk; although they eventually decided against it, their plans for assault included burning down huge sections of forest and glassing entire continents in order to stamp out any opposition. Czerka's control of "Edean" was disrupted when, in 3,956 BBY, the enslaved Wookiee populace, led by Freyyr, overthrew the local corporate headquarters and drove all outsiders off the planet.

Old Republic
"Good relations with the Wookiees, I have."

- Yoda

It was presumably some time after this that Kashyyyk decided to join the Galactic Republic. The Wookiees reverse-engineered the hyperdrive from a Trandoshan vessel. They were welcomed into the Republic through dealings with the Corellians, Verpine, and Alderaanians.

During the New Sith Wars, the planet was conquered by the Brotherhood of Darkness.

Eventually, Kashyyyk was represented in the Galactic Senate, with Senator Yarua being the last Kashyyyk representative prior to the outbreak of the Clone Wars. The Wookiees colonized both of the major moons of Kashyyyk, as well as other worlds in the system such as Alaris Prime.

A few years after the Battle of Naboo, the Wookiee Trade Guild attempted to tax the Trade Federation for goods passed through the Kashyyyk system. An army of super battle droids, led by Count Dooku, arrived at the Wookiee Trade Guild's headquarters and disbanded it.

The Clone Wars
At the start of the Clone Wars, Kashyyyk remained non-aligned. During the Dark Reaper Project, the Force Harvester found by Count Dooku on Raxus Prime was tested on Alaris Prime, in the Kashyyyk system, but all of the Separatists were forced off of the moon afterward, ending the immediate Separatist threat to the system. A small attack on Kashyyyk itself occurred some time later, but this too was repelled, and Kashyyyk retained its non-aligned posture until eighteen months into the Clone Wars.



The decision on what role the planet would play in the conflict lay in the hands of a number of Wookiee Royal Families, acting through a council dominated by King Grakchawwaa. He initially advocated neutrality, engaging in limited negotiations with both the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, which wished to control hyperspace route planning and to use the Wookiees' secret trade routes to disrupt galactic trade and communication.

However, General Grievous grew tired of waiting and ordered his local Neimoidian commanders to launch several droids to help 'persuade' Grakchawwaa to make the right decision. He was on the verge of agreeing to join the Confederacy out of self-preservation, when news came that his son, Prince Rikummee, had accidentally been killed by the probe droids. In anger he allied himself with the Republic, ultimately forcing the Separatists to mount a massive invasion in the closing stages of the war.

In response, the Republic dispatched a task force led by Master Yoda to defend Kashyyyk. At the coastal city of Kachirho, a combined force of clone troopers and Wookiees fought against the Separatist droid invaders. Despite the overwhelming Separatist forces, the Second Battle of Kashyyyk saw the Republic and the Wookiees emerge victorious.

Galactic Empire and slavery


However, victory was short-lived for the Wookiees. With the rise of the Galactic Empire, the Jedi were branded enemies of the Republic. The clone troopers then took control of Kashyyyk, soon to rename it Wookiee Planet C, and placed it under martial law. In response, the Wookiees rebelled against their oppressors, but they were unsuccessful.

At the advice of the Trandoshans, who had long been enemies of the Wookiees, the Empire began using the powerful Wookiees to carry out slave labor. Wookiee captives were used for countless Imperial projects, including the Maw Installation and the Death Stars. However, because of their devotion to their homeworld, many Wookiees would evade the Imperial garrison to revisit their beloved forests for important Wookiee holidays such as Life Day. The Wookiees were frequently plagued by slavers from neighboring Trandosha and Mytaranor.

The New Republic
After the Battle of Endor, the Wookiees were liberated from slavery by the Alliance of Free Planets. The Nagai then attempted to enslave the species, but they were repulsed by the New Republic.

Sadly, the Wookiees' freedom was short-lived. The Empire, having licked its wounds, quickly reestablished a presence on Kashyyyk and enslaved the Wookiees once more. Around 5 ABY Han Solo and Chewbacca assisted in inciting a revolution among the populace, helped in part by Lando Calrissian, Rogue Squadron, and Admiral Ackbar.

Kashyyyk was represented in the New Republic Senate by Kerrithrarr, and the planet became a key signatory and member world of the Inner Council. The planet also welcomed trade, and its city of Thikkiiana became a major exporter of computer technology. However, this made it a target of the agents of the Second Imperium in 23 ABY. A task force under Zekk raided Thikkiiana's computer stores for use by the Second Imperium in its war against the New Republic.

During the Yuuzhan Vong War, Kashyyyk would be an important member world of the New Republic and, later, the Galactic Alliance. After the liberation of Coruscant at the end of the Yuuzhan Vong occupation, celebrations took place on Kashyyyk.

Fauna
Katarn, Borer beetle, Syren Plant, Phosflea, protoplasmic slug, Kroyie, Sureggi, Needlebug, Netcaster, Webweaver, Wroshyr tree, kkekkrrg rro, Daubirds, Blastail, Bolstyngar, Agr, Charkarr, Flarion, Mallakin, Sureggi, Urnsori, Mouf, Bolotaur, Varactyl, Kashyyyk Bantha, Khorrwot, Minstyngar, Uller, Walluga, flame beetle, Agr, Parquet Flowers, Scuttle Grazerr, Kshyy Vines, Taurill, Shag Fern, Yuugrr, Terentatek, Mykals, Tach, Kybuck, Land Shrimp.

Behind the scenes

 * The original drafts of Return of the Jedi called for the Death Star II to be built in orbit around Kashyyyk by Wookiee slave labor. It wasn't until later drafts that the setting and characters were changed to the Forest Moon of Endor and Ewoks.
 * The planet was introduced in live-action in 1978 in The Star Wars Holiday Special, and was finally reallized on the big-screen in 2005 in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
 * In the Super Nintendo Super Star Wars games, Chewbacca is listed to have come from Kazhyyyk.
 * A character in Star Trek: Voyager, Kashyk, was believed to have been named after the Wookiee world.
 * Some believe there is a contradiction between the portaryal of Kashyyyk in the EU and its portrayal in Revenge of the Sith. While the former (post-ROTS EU) portrayed Kashyyyk as a planet with inhabitants living only in trees and never decending to the ground, the latter portrays the planet as having oceans and coasts, with its inhabitants living on the ground. This alleged contradiction could be easily explained in that ROTS only showed a small part of the planet, and that it doesn't necessarily represent the layout of the entire planet. Additionally, the Han Solo Trilogy (specifically, Rebel Dawn) mentions that Kashyyyk has coasts and coasts are seen in Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds.

Pronunciation
Kashyyyk has been pronounced many different ways. In its first appearance in The Star Wars Holiday Special, it was pronounced /kə'zuk/. In the video games Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Star Wars: Republic Commando, among others, it is pronounced /'kæʃɪk/. The G-canon pronunciation, heard in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, is /kə'ʃik/. Star Wars: Battlefront II's pronunciation is essentially a combination of the previous two: /'kæʃik/.