Dlarit estate

"I'm uncomfortable with assassinating him, especially in his home.''" "''The act has much more impact there."

- Iella Wessiri and Elscol Loro

The Dlarit estate was the Thyferran home of the Dlarit family, who were made wealthy and powerful through their dealings with the Xucphra Corporation. The multi-floor mansion was owned by Aerin Dlarit and was the childhood home of his daughter Erisi Dlarit, future Rogue Squadron pilot and spy for Imperial Intelligence Director Ysanne Isard. The multi-floor mansion was located in a remote spot among Thyferran rain forests on a small knoll at the foot of high mountains that had once been part of an extinct volcano. A backdrop of waterfalls cascading down the mountains behind the Dlarit estate gave it the visual appearance of a paradise. Almost all travel to the remote mansion took place by airspeeder, and the estate was protected by an elaborate security system that included Tritracker Air Defense battery laser cannons, sensor arrays, and patrols of Human guards.

During the Bacta War, in 7 ABY, the Dlarit estate was raided by a group of mercenaries led by Elscol Loro and Sixtus Quin, who planned to assassinate Aerin Dlarit due to his high-profile position as general with the Thyferran Home Defense Corps. The mercenaries successfully infiltrated the estate by exploiting a weakness among the sensor arrays on the mansion's mountain side. At the suggestion of Iella Wessiri, however, they decided to publicly humiliate Aerin rather than kill him.

Description
The Dlarit estate was located in a remote area of rain forests on the planet Thyferra. A thick swarm of akonije trees and other forest life surrounded the front and sides of the mansion, which was set on a small knoll at the foot of high mountains that had once been part of an extinct volcano. Waterfalls cascaded down the mountains to the rear of the mansion, creating a visually gorgeous backdrop that made the Dlarit estate resemble a paradise to onlookers, especially when viewed from the front exposure. The estate itself was made of natural stone, and its location at the foot of the mountains made it appear to tower over the rain forests when seen from a distance. Breezes from the mountains and the mist of the waterfalls helped combat the heat from the humid air outside the mansion and also created a constant hum of natural background noises.

Due to the remoteness of the Dlarit estate and the forest terrain surrounding it, almost all travel to and from the mansion took place by airspeeder. Forty-five kilometers of twisting single-lane track connected the estate to a main through-way to the south, and visitors had to pass several gates and natural rock outcroppings interdicting the path. A large clearing between the rain forests and mansion structure served as a front yard of sorts for the Dlarit estate. An electronically-locked enclosed solarium served as the entrance to the building. The solarium led to a doorway into the lower floor of the main estate house. From there, a stairway leads to the main floor, where a large hallways includes several doors to the mansion's various rooms. That floor includes the private office of Aerin Dlarit, which includes a high-backed chair and a desk with a built-in holoprojector plate. The plate displays a slowly rotating meter-tall hologram replica of a statue of Aerin Dlarit atop a pedestal surrounded by throngs of well-wishers applauding at the base. A large staff of servants and maintenance employees tended to the home.

Security
The thick rain forest foliage, huge mountains and thunderous waterfalls surrounding Dlarit estate already served as a natural defense for the mansion, but it was further reinforced by multiple elaborate security measures installed around the estate. The estate was protected by a ring of well-hidden Tritracker Air Defense batteries, a ground-based anti-aircraft artillery laser cannons designed by CoMar Combat Systems. Additionally, the multiple gates and natural rock outcroppings along the lone pathway path served as ambush points in the event of an invasion.

Furthermore, various sensor arrays were positioned around the estate to monitor anyone attempting to approach through the rain forest. The arrays were muted on the mountain side of the estate, however, so the movement of water and sound from the waterfalls did not constantly trigger alarms. This would prove to be a majority security weakness during a raid on the Dlarit estate in 7 ABY. In addition to the elaborate electronic security system, patrols of Human guards made regular rounds both inside and outside the mansion. The external patrols focused their efforts primarily on the side of the estate facing the mountains and waterfalls, in part due to the muted sensor arrays there.

History
The Dlarit estate was owned by Aerin Dlarit, the patriarch of Dlarit family. He was heavily involved in the Xucphra Corporation, and the Dlarits became multi-millionaires through their dealings with Xucphra, and thus were able to afford the costly home and its upkeep. The Dlarit estate was the childhood home of Erisi Dlarit, Aerin Dlarit's daughter, who would eventually become a pilot for the New Republic's elite Rogue Squadron and a highly-placed spy for Imperial Intelligence chief Ysanne Isard.

Following a planetwide coup supported by Isard and Xucphra Corporation in 7 ABY that led to the Bacta War, Aerin Dlarit was promoted to general in the newly-formed Thyferran Home Defense Corps. Although largely a figurehead in the defense organization, Dlarit's high-profile status made him a strong symbolic target for assassination at the hands of an anti-Imperial mercenary group led by Elscol Loro and Sixtus Quin, who agreed to help Wedge Antilles attempt to wrest control of Thyferra back from Isard. The mercenaries planned to infiltrate the Dlarit estate and kill Aerin Dlarit; the prevailing feeling was that committing the assassination inside his own home would add a greater impact to the deed.

They sliced into planetary computers and conducted surveillance on the mansion using satellites owned by the Zaltin Corporation, a rival company to Xucphra. In doing so, Loro's team discovered that the sensor devices along the mountain side of the estate were muted and was therefore a weak spot from which to launch their attack. During the raid, the mercenaries successfully infiltrated the mansion, killing two security guards and stunning Dlarit in his office. At the suggestion of Iella Wessiri, they decided not to kill him, but rather stripped him naked and created a hologram of the humiliation, which served the propaganda purpose of weakening the will of both the Xucphra Corporation and the Thyferran Home Defense Corps.

Behind the scenes
The Dlarit estate was created by Michael A. Stackpole for his 1997 novel X-wing: The Bacta War, the fourth installment in the X-wing series of novels. To date, X-wing: The Bacta War marks the Dlarit estate's only appearance in the Star Wars canon.

Appearances

 * X-wing: The Bacta War