Kessel

Astrological

Region: Outer Rim Territories
Sector: Calaron Sector
System: Kessa system
Suns: 1 (Kessa)
Moons: None; formerly 1 (the Garrison Moon)
Rotation period: 26 standard hours
Orbital period: 322 local days

Physical
Diameter: 6,632-7,980 km
Climate: Barren
Gravity: 82% standard
Primary terrain: Alkali flats, barren mountains, mushroom forests, fields

MONOPOLY STATS

Rent value (default): 18 Credits

Rent value (1 settlement): 90 Credits

Rent value (2 settlements): 250 Credits

Rent value (3 settlements): 700 Credits

Rent value (4 settlements): 875 Credits

Rent value (with City): 1050 Credits

Mortgage value: 110 Credits

Purchase value: 220 Credits

Cost of Settlement/City: 150 Credits

Kessel was a planet located in Kessel Sector, in the Outer Rim Territories, near Hutt Space and the dangerous celestial bodies of the Maw. It was a prison world, and was home to the Galaxy's largest spice mining operation. Under Imperial rule, slave labor was in extensive use.
The planet had a sole moon called the Garrison Moon, which was destroyed by Tol Sivron using the Death Star Prototype.

The misshapen, asteroid-shaped planet had a barren, rocky landscape. The atmosphere was very thin, with most of the air being provided by factories on the surface. Ancient tombs and ruins, possibly of Sith origin, dotted the landscape, haunted by skeletal avians. The prison had been established in these inhospitable settings. There was a single large settlement on the planet, Kessendra.

HISTORY

OLD REPUBLIC

Kessel was the only source of glitterstim spice, a valuable drug used both therapeutically and recreationally. During the Galactic Republic's time, the prison was administered by the Colicoids. Later the prison was controlled by Imperial Warden Commander Dewt Kluskine. Several prisoners rose to positions of power under him as trustees. The most powerful of these was Moruth Doole, who gained effective control of the spice trade by manipulating the Warden's accounts. Doole engineered the assassination of Kluskine by a Wookiee prisoner named Gyylghrard, and eventually seized control of the mines himself.

GALACTIC CIVIL WAR
Shortly after the execution of Order 66, a small Jedi conclave was called in one of the abandoned mines of Kessel by Shadday Potkin in a futile attempt to lure Darth Vader into a deathtrap. The plan ultimately failed and all the Jedi who attended were killed.
During the Galactic Civil War, Wedge Antilles became a prisoner and slave at one of the Empire's Spice mines, after being captured near the Imperial Enclave on Kile II. He was scheduled for termination, and was being transported by train to a death camp, but the timely intervention of Luke Skywalker and Rogue Squadron allowed him to make a last-minute escape. A few days later, the Rogues returned with Rebel General Crix Madine and a task force of commandos, who used Wedge's knowledge of the prison camps to quickly rescue a large percentage of the slaves working for the Imperials. Tyber Zann was another prisoner here, but he escaped during a prison revolt he caused, thanks to his lieutenant Urai Fen.

Kessel had not suffered from an earthquake in so many eons they did not know what one was, until Imperial Captain Bzorn used the Ion Ring Ship to torment the planet with groundquakes and cyclones, trying to force the Rebels on Kessel to surrender to him. Professor Renn Volz, creator of the Ship, eventually refused to help Bzorn continue the devastation of the planet, despite the fact that his daughter, Mira Volz, was (supposedly) being held hostage. In reality, Mira had escaped from the Empire. She recruited the help of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, and they rescued her father, who destroyed the Ion Ring Ship.

Kessendra was administered by Grand Moff Bertroff Hissa, and was known for its grandiose colosseum. After the Battle of Endor, Hissa set up the mutant Trioculus as the new Emperor, in opposition to Ysanne Isard on Coruscant. He was defeated by the unintentionally combined efforts of Isard and SPIN. Also during that period was the revolt of the staff of the Imperial Correctional Facility. The prison's administrator and his guards kept more than half of the planet under their control until 11 ABY.
Under the New Republic, the planet had no slaves. A legitimate spice mining business was run by Nien Nunb, who was installed as administrator around 13 ABY by Lando, who had purchased the mines. Mara Jade was also involved with running Calrissian's business, at least for a time. Nunb employed craniopods, blind, sentient insectoids who thrived in the underground tunnels.