- "You can't control anything in this galaxy—she knew that—so she buried us in a place so insignificant nothing would ever, ever change. I guess she was wrong about that too."
- ―Chelli Aphra, on her mother Lona
Arbiflux was a forest planet located in the Outer Rim Territories along the Veragi Trade Route. The future archaeologist Chelli Aphra and her mother Lona moved to the world after leaving her father. During that time, the Galactic Empire's Coalition for Progress manufactured the threat of raider attacks, pushing the inhabitants to turn to Imperial support. Lona Aphra was killed in one such attack, calling Galactic Empire forces in to rescue her daughter. With the ruse of attacks successful, the Empire occupied Arbiflux, industrializing the planet, ruining its environment. As an adult, Aphra returned to her home on Arbiflux, hiding from the Empire, but she had been tracked to the planet, and was forced to escape.
Description[]
- "You promised me a boring planet with a foul smell and that's exactly what I got. Except…now it's got bonus bad guys."
- ―Vulaada Klam, to Chelli Aphra
Abiflux was a terrestrial planet[8] in the outer reaches of the galaxy's Outer Rim Territories,[1] in a portion that intersected with the New Territories.[2] Situated at the coordinates L-3 on the Standard Galactic Grid,[5] it lay along the Veragi Trade Route between the[6] planet[9] Oru and the astronomical object Sernpidal.[5] Arbiflux was covered in forests, plains of dirt and grass, as well as mountain ranges.[1] The planet was orbited by at least four moons,[4] and its Type I atmosphere[7] was breathable to humans,[1] though it had an unpleasant smell. Rain and storms could also occur on Arbiflux.[8] The planet was home to creatures such as the nuna bird, as well as the chatterplant, a plant able to make sound that could be utilized as a warning alarm.[1]
History[]
Lawless backwater[]
- "You know, you should be thanking us…you get to go back to civilization—and away from this wretched world. Things are going to get ugly around here. Your farm wasn't the first to get hit, you know."
- ―An Imperial officer, to Chelli Aphra
In the early years of the Galactic Empire's reign, Arbiflux was an obscure world that was mostly uninhabited. Lona Aphra, the wife of the professor Korin Aphra, feeling that her husband's work got in the way of their family, took her daughter Chelli from their home on the Second Moon of Thrinittik and lived on Arbiflux,[1] constructing a house and a farm.[8] Over the two years that they lived on Arbiflux, the younger Aphra came to dislike living on the planet, which she saw as simple and boring.[1] The Imperial Coalition for Progress, led by Minister Pitina Voor, wishing to force the natives of Arbiflux into requesting Imperial protection, created the threat of raiders, staging false attacks on various settlements.[11] One of the attacks took place at the Aphra farm, fatally wounding Lona Aphra.[1]
Chelli Aphra fought off the raiders using her mother's blaster, but could not prevent her death. Before dying, Lona Aphra contacted the Galactic Empire, who sent a garrison to survey the area. The troopers discovered the young Aphra, who they rescued and sent home to her father.[8] According to the Imperial officer who took care of Aphra, the planet's natives had formally asked the Empire to intervene.[10] With the scheme devised by the Coalition for Progress successful, the Empire occupied the planet,[11] claiming to have dealt with the raiders.[8]
Under the Galactic Empire[]
- "If this recording reaches you, Aphra—get out. Get out now. We intercepted Imperial comms. They tracked you to Arbiflux."
- ―Chief of Intelligence Airen Cracken
Twenty years after originally moving to Arbiflux, Doctor Chelli Aphra returned, hiding out in her old home, accompanied by the orphan Vulaada Klam, who Aphra had unofficially taken in as her ward. By that time, Arbiflux's environment had been partially ruined by the occupation of the Empire, who had built cities and Star Destroyer construction facilities, filling the air with smog. However, the Empire knew Aphra was on Arbiflux, having tracked her[8] after she stole the Farkiller, an ancient Jedi weapon.[1]
The Empire sent several bounty hunters to capture her, but one of the hunters, the Wookiee Krrsantan, recognized Aphra, incapacitating the other hunters as she owed him a large amount of money. Evading a platoon of stormtroopers, Aphra, along with Klam and Krrsantan, returned to her starship, the Ark Angel, leaving the planet. They were pursued by TIE fighters, but managed to escape into hyperspace.[8]
Locations[]
- "As hideouts go, it's very you."
- ―Vulaada Klam, to Chelli Aphra
A number of farms and settlements existed on Arbiflux.[10] The homestead constructed by Lona Aphra was located on the edge of one of the planet's forests, near several mountains,[1] in between which the Empire would later construct a sprawling city.[8]
Inhabitants[]
- "The natives have formally invited us to intervene. There'll be some losses of personal freedom, of course, but…well. One has to let go of the things that don't fit the big picture."
- ―An Imperial officer, as the Empire begins to occupy Arbiflux
During the early Imperial Era, Arbiflux had a native population, as well as a number of settlers,[10] at least two of whom were humans, Lona Aphra and her daughter.[1] Despite this, the younger Aphra never saw any other sentient beings on Arbiflux for the two years that they lived there. The Galactic Empire's eventual occupation brought more inhabitants to the planet.[8]
Behind the scenes[]
Arbiflux was first mentioned, albeit indirectly, in the comic Darth Vader (2015) 10, written by Kieron Gillen[12] and published on October 7, 2015.[13] It was not given a name until Doctor Aphra (2016) 32, written by Simon Spurrier[1] and published on May 8, 2019,[14] in which it appeared in a flashback sequence penciled by Caspar Wijngaard.[1]
Appearances[]
- Doctor Aphra: An Audiobook Original (In flashback(s))
- Darth Vader (2015) 10 (First mentioned) (Indirect mention only)
- Doctor Aphra (2016) 2 (Indirect mention only)
- Doctor Aphra (2016) 3 (Indirect mention only)
- Doctor Aphra (2016) 5 (Indirect mention only)
- Doctor Aphra (2016) 32 (First appearance) (In flashback(s)) (First identified as Arbiflux)
- Doctor Aphra (2016) 33 (In flashback(s))
- Doctor Aphra (2016) 34
- Doctor Aphra (2016) 35 (In flashback(s))
- Doctor Aphra (2016) 36 (In flashback(s))
Sources[]
- Star Wars Galaxy Map
- SWCA 2022: 7 Things We Learned from the Lucasfilm Publishing Behind the Page Panel on StarWars.com (backup link)
- "The One With the Green Thumb" — Star Wars - Das offizielle Magazin 107
- Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 Doctor Aphra (2016) 32
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Star Wars Galaxy Map places Arbiflux in the area of space Star Wars: The Galactic Explorer's Guide identifies as New Territories.
- ↑ Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Doctor Aphra (2016) 33
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Star Wars Galaxy Map
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Star Wars Galaxy Map places Arbiflux on the hyperspace route Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon 37 (Guide to the Galaxy: Visiting Dantooine) identifies as the Veragi Trade Route.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Doctor Aphra (2016) 32 establishes that Arbiflux had a breathable atmosphere that Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon 43 (Secrets of Spaceflight: Types of Atmosphere) classifies as Type I.
- ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 Doctor Aphra (2016) 34
- ↑ "The Battle for Horizon Base" — Star Wars Adventures (2017) 32
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Doctor Aphra (2016) 35
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Doctor Aphra (2016) 36
- ↑ Darth Vader (2015) 10
- ↑ Darth Vader (2015) #10 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2016) #32 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)