- "A humanoid population, small, with some seventy-five percent of the planetary surface uninhabited. Vast natural resources and mineral stocks we can use. It's called Arrochar"
- ―Leia Organa
Arrochar was a planet on the edges of Hutt Space, located near Mon Calamari and ruled by a traditional monarchy. For long time it remained away from the central politics in the Galaxy, being a recluse planet, as the inhabitants would say, private. Around the time of the Battle of Yavin, the royalty of the planet was eager to enter a "Community of Planets" and saw the Rebellion as a way to fulfill its desires, so, in the first year after the battle, the crown prince of Arrochar offered asylum to the Rebel Alliance, in exchange for Princess Leia Organa's hand in marriage.[2]
Description[]
Arrochar was a world located on a small system close to the boundaries of Hutt Space, Mon Calamari and also to the Tion Cluster.[2] The planet had vast volumes of water across its surface, as well as many continents spread over the planet. The planet was very mountainous and had several canyons, with much of the planets buildings and structures built along the mountain sides.[4] The planet was rich with natural resources, with many mining sites spread across the surface, one rich with nickel and iron in which the Rebel Alliance set up a base.[3]
History[]
Arrochar had long been a recluse planet, with its culture dating at least a thousand years at the time of the Galactic Civil War,[5] but on the first year after the Battle of Yavin IV, the planet joined the Rebel Alliance when the prince offered his home planet as a base for the Rebels in exchange for his marriage with Leia.[3]
As the arrangements for joining the Rebellion were being concluded, the Arrocharians also made plans on joining the Empire, thinking that their people would be given more respect than what they would be by the Alliance. One of the most experienced generals of the planet gave the location of the newly established Rebel base on one of the mining sites on the planet and arranged for an Imperial attack as Kaspar and Leia's marriage was taking place.[4]
Before the ceremony could start, a bomb was remotely triggered by the plotting general, causing a section of the palace's north wing to explode. The Arrocharian soldiers then secured the palace, making a defensive perimeter around the building, and keeping the citizens and rebels away. As the coup was taking place on ground, three Imperial Star Destroyers were preparing an orbital bombardment on both the rebel base and the Arrocharian palace. Mon Mothma ordered the evacuation of all Rebel personnel on the planet, and the activation of the ion cannons that were constructed around the rebel settlement, disabling the Star Destroyers and ensuring the Alliance escape from the planet, leaving the heavily damaged palace, the unmarried prince and the planet behind.[6]
Society[]
- "The Royal Houses of Alderaan are far less formal, much more political."
- ―Leia Organa on the Arrocharian formalities
Arrochar was a planet with a very proud human population, ruled by a traditional monarchy. The Arrocharian culture was rich with many formalities, specially concerning royalty; for example, for a diplomatic meeting aboard a foreign party's space ship, a shuttle would be sent and needed to be escorted by a group of the foreign party to the main ship. For royal marriages, the consort would have to present him or herself to the rulers of the planet and its people in a very pompous ceremony.[3]
The planet had some distinct military divisions; the Mountain Rangers and Royal Guard. The Rangers were a group of soldiers responsible for patrolling the mountains of the planet and securing the planet's defenses; these soldiers were commanded by generals and Ranger duties were passed from father to son for at least a thousand years before the Battle of Yavin. The Arrochar Royal Guard was responsible for the security of the royal palace and royal family, as well as the Arrocharian nobles; they also had ornate uniforms and were armed with metallic spears and shields.[5]
Locations[]
Royal Palace[]
Located on one of the planets many valleys, it was a large stone castle with turquoise tilings. It had several rooms, some of which could accommodate hundreds of citizens, used for ceremonies.[3] The inside of the palace was extremely luxurious, with many statues and paintings along its corridors.[3][5] The castle had a graveyard in its proximities, with multiple mausoleums and statues,[3] and a large courtyard that could hold several hundred people for festivities.[4]
Rebel Base[]
Located on a abandoned mining site on the equatorial region of Arrochar, it had seventeen square kilometers in area[3] with a high concentration of ferrous ore on the ground, enough for confusing average scanners.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
Arrochar made its first appearance in the twelfth issue of Dark Horse's comic series Star Wars, published on December 11, 2013, and was penciled by Carlos D'Anda, although he only worked on a single panel of Arrochar seen from orbit.[2] On the next four appearances in the series, where the surface of the planet was first shown, Arrochar was drawn by Stéphane Créty.[3] The events concerning the Rebellion settling on Arrochar make up the main plot of the Rebel Girl story arc from the series.
Appearances[]
- Star Wars (2013) 12 (First appearance)
- Star Wars (2013) 15
- Star Wars (2013) 16
- Star Wars (2013) 17
- Star Wars (2013) 18
Sources[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Star Wars: The Essential Atlas Online Companion on StarWars.com (article) (backup link)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Star Wars (2013) 12
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 Star Wars (2013) 15
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Star Wars (2013) 17
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Star Wars (2013) 16
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Star Wars (2013) 18