- "Welcome to the Wheel, the most luxurious casino this side of Canto Bight."
- ―Amaiza Foxtrain
The Wheel, also known as space station BDT-0978, was a space station located in the Besh Gorgon system of the galaxy's Mid Rim.
Characteristics[]
- "From what I've heard, Sanberge loves his shockball. There's a game today in the Ashton Stadium on the third level."
- ―Triss Terasu
The Wheel, formally known as space station BDT-0978, was an enormous orbital structure located in the Besh Gorgon system[4] of the galaxy's Mid Rim.[2] At least during the High Republic Era, the station hung above Besh Gorgon.[7] As its name implied, the station's main fuselage[4]—referred to as the Middle Ring[6]—resembled a massive rotating ring that had the diameter of a small moon, glittering with the lights from a thousand portholes. Two long spokes intersected at a bulbous hub, from which sprang a vertical axis that supported two smaller rings,[4] one of which was known as the Upper Ring,[6] which was added sometime by 26 BBY.[8]
The space station was divided in levels hosting many casinos, cantinas (like the Cosmo Lounge), sporting arenas (such as Ashton Stadium on the third level), and shopping malls.[4]
History[]
- "They operate out of space station BDT-0978 in the Besh Gorgon system."
- ―Jocasta Nu
The Wheel existed as early as the High Republic Era. At that time, Jedi Grand Master Yoda met with members of the Jedi High Council, Jedi Masters Pra-Tre Veter and Ela Sutan, in a corridor of the Wheel while it orbited Besh Gorgon. Yoda had been staying on Turrak at the time and had come to the Wheel to speak with the Jedi Masters, who argued about whether or not Yoda should return to Coruscant until Yoda showed them an instrument called a Taratti. After being gone for a few days, Yoda returned to Turrak.[7]
By 26 BBY, an Upper Ring had been added to the Wheel.[8] At the time, there was an uneasy truce between the Republic and the station's Baron Administrator, Jaspara. Therefore, the Jedi Order had promised to stay away from the Wheel. Despite that, the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan Anakin Skywalker did board the station incognito[4] in 26 BBY,[9] in an effort to locate Grynask Sanberge, leader of the Nova Crime Syndicate.[4]
By 10 BBY,[10] Ephant Mon successfully conducted an arms deal with the Pyke Syndicate representative on the station.[11]
After being rejected by the Grand Hutt Council and the Bounty Hunters' Guild for a possible alliance against the Galactic Empire, the Alliance to Restore the Republic considered allying itself with the Mining Guild, and had an investigation on a Mining Guild operation on the Wheel.[12]
Behind the scenes[]
The Wheel first appeared in the 1978 Marvel Star Wars comic Star Wars (1977) 18, part of the Star Wars Legends continuity. It made appearances in other Legends works such as Star Wars: Republic and Star Wars: Legacy. A version of the Wheel later appeared in Bob Roth and Bill Motz's non-canon 2016–2017 animated series LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures. Within the show the space station serves as the home of the Freemakers, a scavenging family who run a starship repair business[13] called Freemaker Salvage and Repair.[14] This version of the Wheel has three sections: the posh Upper Ring,[15] the middling Middle Ring,[15] and the seedy Lower Ring.[16] The Wheel is located in the Abrion system and acts as a plot setting for several of the series' episodes.[14]
Appearances[]
- Choose Your Destiny: An Obi-Wan & Anakin Adventure (and audiobook) (First identified as space station BDT-0978)
- "The Lost Eggs of Livorno" — Star Wars Adventures Annual 2018 (First canonical appearance)
- "Rabbit Hunt" — Star Wars Adventures Annual 2020 (Mentioned only)
- Yoda 2 (In flashback(s))
Non-canon appearances[]
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "A Hero Discovered" (First appearance)
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "The Mines of Graballa"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Zander's Joyride"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "The Lost Treasure of Cloud City"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Peril on Kashyyyk"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Crossing Paths"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Race on Tatooine"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "The Test"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Showdown on Hoth" (Mentioned only)
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Duel of Destiny"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Return of the Kyber Saber"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "The Embersteel Blade" (Mentioned only)
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Return to the Wheel"
- LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Return of the Return of the Jedi" (Mentioned only)
- LEGO Star Wars: All-Stars — "It Gets Ugly" (In flashback(s))
- LEGO Star Wars: All-Stars — "From Trenches to Wrenches: The Roger Story" (In flashback(s))
- LEGO Star Wars: All-Stars — "Dealing with Lando"
- LEGO Star Wars: All-Stars — "Han and Chewie Strike Back"
Sources[]
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens Beginner Game (First mentioned)
- Where in the Galaxy Are the Worlds of Rogue One? on StarWars.com (article) (backup link)
- Star Wars: The Rebel Files
- Star Wars: Droidography
- Star Wars: Smuggler's Guide
- "Scarif and Other Planets in the Outer Rim" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Star Wars Galaxy Map
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "The Lost Eggs of Livorno" — Star Wars Adventures Annual 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Star Wars: The Force Awakens Beginner Game
- ↑ Star Wars: The Force Awakens Beginner Game places The Wheel in the area of space Star Wars: The Galactic Explorer's Guide identifies as the Slice.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 Choose Your Destiny: An Obi-Wan & Anakin Adventure
- ↑ Star Wars Galaxy Map
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Star Wars: Droidography
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Yoda 2
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of Choose Your Destiny: An Obi-Wan & Anakin Adventure to 26 BBY. Because The Wheel's Upper Ring did not exist during the events of Yoda 2, but does exist by the events of Choose Your Destiny, it must have been added sometime by 26 BBY.
- ↑ Star Wars: Timelines
- ↑ Ephant Mon's entry in Star Wars: Smuggler's Guide is written prior to an entry by Dryden Vos. Vos dies during a portion of Solo: A Star Wars Story that Solo: A Star Wars Story The Official Guide dates to nine years after the formation of the Galactic Empire. As Star Wars: Galactic Atlas dates the formation to 19 BBY, Vos's death must occur in 10 BBY and Mon's entry in the Smuggler's Guide must be written at some point prior to that.
- ↑ Star Wars: Smuggler's Guide
- ↑ Star Wars: The Rebel Files
- ↑ LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "A Hero Discovered"
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Freemaker Salvage and Repair on LEGO's official website (original article) (backup link)
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "Crossing Paths"
- ↑ LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — "The Lost Treasure of Cloud City"