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- "…Under Tarkin's rule, Eriadu finally achieved the celebrity it had been clamoring for. It became the rising star, planet other eager-to-be-exploited worlds began looking up to."
- ―Berch Teller, on Eriadu
Eriadu was a terrestrial planet in the Eriadu system of the Seswenna sector in the Outer Rim and was located on the Galactic Frontier. The planet featured mountains as well as jungles and had a black pall. Eriadu's chief industry and export revolved around lommite ore which was abundant on the planet. Eriadu was also the homeworld of the Tarkin family including Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin.
History[]
Early Republic Era[]
In the early days of the Galactic Republic, after the Dark Age ended with the Sith being defeated, the demilitarization of the Republic and the creation of a new pan-galactic Senate, the planet Eriadu was settled by pioneers under the permission of Coruscant as the burgeoning government expanded and sought more resources.[2] The planet's first settlers[12] included the Tarkin family. The first Tarkins to land on Eriadu claimed to have encountered a large fire-breathing[14] dragon[12] burrowed within the planet, and built Bri-Phrang City atop the creature as a tribute to pacify it.[14] Eriadu's rich deposits of lommite ore, which served as a main component in transparisteel, made the planet a prime target for expansion. Lommite extraction and shipping was an expensive undertaking which required the settlers to take out high interest loans from the Intergalactic Banking Clan. Due to hyperspace travel requiring guidance from hyperware beacons with lots of reversions to realspace to ensure safe travel, shipments of lommite ore were frequently delayed or lost because of several catastrophes. As the economic situation worsened and Eriadu's debt increased, the banking clan prepared to take over Eriadu as a client world until entrepreneurs from the Core Worlds planet Corulag intervened.[2]
Under the direction of Corulag, lommite extraction increased significantly, transforming large sections of the once lush planet into polluted industrial zones and poverty stricken cities leading to the standard of living to fall dramatically. Although amplified operations did lead to rampant growth, it also caused an influx of impoverished workers from neighbouring worlds. The main ways few Eriaduans gained credits quickly and easily at the time was by working in ore- processing, local, and deep- space transport and lending credits at high interest rates. Corulag was also integral in lobbying the Republic Senate to route the Hydian Way through Eriadu space placing the planet on the galactic map and making the planet the focal point of the Greater Seswenna Sector. During Eriadu's period of growth, the Tarkin family, the earliest pioneers to Eriadu, primarily focused on providing security rather than gaining credits as a form of wealth. The Tarkin clan managed to become the most influential families on the planet by functioning as their own police force, countering attacks from Eriadu's native fauna and criminals alike who attacked struggling settlements with exposed populations. Tarkin leadership eventually caused the evolution of local militias into a sector military and were also known for pioneering innovation on Eriadu in the form on colossal machines, swift starships and potent weapons. The Tarkin clan made several attempts to model their mansions to the architectural fashions of the Core however many in the Core favoured life on Coruscant than the "barbaric" life on Eriadu where many of the cities at the time lacked weather control and opera houses with several residents continually battling against pirates.[2]
High Republic Era[]
Great Hyperspace Rush era[]
Sometime during the early High Republic era, the "golden age" of the Republic, the Eriaduan human male Smuggler Radicaz Dobbs known as "Sunshine" to his friends, left his parents whom he described as drunken and simpering. He was later known as a treasure hunter who specialised in Force artifacts and operated out of the pleasure yacht Scupper.[15]
Attacked by the Nihil[]
- "You will pay for this. This I vow: vengeance. The people of Eriadu are hunters. You and all the monsters with you have now become our pr—"
- ―Mural Veen, to Kassav Milliko
After they were contacted to help the Outer Rim Hetzal system during the Great Hyperspace Disaster, Eriadu itself experienced tragedy during the crisis. The disaster began when the cargo freighter Legacy Run was destroyed while traveling through hyperspace and its debris began dropping into realspace in star systems further down the lane at extreme speeds, transforming the pieces of the freighter into weapons of mass destruction; the galactic community named these events Emergences. Eriadu was one of the planets included in a massive hyperspace blockade of the outer rim ordered by Republic Chancellor Lina Soh in order to prevent another hyperspace disaster from occurring while investigations proceeded into the destruction of the Legacy Run. At a time when none in that galaxy could predict where and when the Emergences would occur, the vicious marauder gang the Nihil under the direction of Eye of the Nihil Marchion Ro had managed to map the exact location and timing of the Emergences, planning to use their foreknowledge for profit.[16]
Nihil Tempest Kassav Milliko and his crew aboard the New Elite traveled to Eriadu where three Emergences were set to occur. Kassav's crew sliced into Eriadu's communications and contacted Planetary Governor Mural Veen, whom Kassav attempted to extort for 50 million credits, promising to stop the debris about to hurtle into the space around Eriadu. Kassav directed the New Elite's gunners to obliterate the first Emergence in order to prove his seriousness. The governor, hesitant to pay the exorbitant sum missed Kassav's window to stop the second Emergence which entered the system and obliterated a cargo transport hauling lommite. The cargo transport's explosion destroyed four other nearby vessels all of which had been parked in space waiting for the end of the blockade. Kassav warned the governor that a third and final Emergence would soon hit Eriadu's inhabited moon. Dismayed, Governor Veen deposited the credits in the account Kassav provided as she warned him that she had identified both him and his ship and was transmitting a copy of their conversation to the Republic.[16]
The New Elite flew to the location where the Emergence would exit hyperspace and prepared to destroy it. However, Dellex, a "Storm" in Kassav's crew, miscalculated the ship's jump due to the effects of the drug "smash," which the Nihil crew had all taken together before the mission. The New Elite was nowhere near the Emergence as it entered the system unabated and collided with Eriadu's moon, killing 1.2 billion inhabitants. Governor Mural Veen vowed that Kassav and his crew would face vengeance. She warned him the people of Eriadu were hunters and the Nihil were now their collective prey, as Kassav cut the transmission and fled the system. Indeed, the people of Eriadu then joined the Republic in the Battle of Kur, where they fought as the Eriaduan flotill. In the final phase of the battle, Veen personally boarded the New Elite and executed Kassasv.[16]
Republic Defense Coalition base[]
Around 229 BBY[17] and 228 BBY,[18] with the war between the Republic and Nihil having dragged on and resulted in the Nihil claiming a portion of space behind the so-called Stormwall, the Republic Defense Coalition began setting up a base on Eriadu, which sat a comfortable distance from the Stormwall while still being close enough to worry RDC Captain Joss Adren. All the same, Eriadu had proven to be quite safe from the Nihil whenever they raided territory beyond the Stormwall. The RDC worked to keep its new base on Eriadu a secret, even though it proved to be quite active as an increasing number of RDC members arrived on-world. With the people of Eriadu none-too-keen on an offworld military calling their planet home, RDC members did their best to blend into the population. Joss and his wife, Pikka Adren, were among the RDC members who worked on Eriadu, where they ran nearby shipments to help in setting up the base. Meanwhile, Eriadu was bustling with traders and active black markets, which sought to take advantage of the ongoing Republic-Nihil conflict.[19]
One day, the Adrens met with RDC Admiral Pevel Kronara and the newly recruited Ensign Ebbe Casset in a commissary on Eriadu, where the Adrens agreed to a mission that would see them intercept a supposedly abandoned Nihil craft outside the Stormwall. Afterward, Joss packed their Longbeam cruiser the Aurora III for the journey, packing far too much in both his and Pikka's opinion, and the Adrens were seen off by Casset shortly before takeoff, during which time Casset inadvertently revealed to Joss that his wife was pregnant. Ebbe offered to come with them on the mission, but the Adrens declined and departed. In that time, Kronara had also departed Eriadu and returned to Coruscant. After a short hyperspace trip, the Adrens found the Nihil ship had two lifesigns aboard and considered returning to Eriadu for backup. While they did make contact with Casset, the Aurora III then lost power and found itself about to be met by incoming craft.[19]
Twilight of the Republic[]
Pirate attacks and rise of Wilhuff Tarkin[]
Young Wilhuff Tarkin fighting off a pair of feline creatures
Eriadu was a frequent target for pirates, marauders, and privateers. For refusing to comply with the Core Worlds arbitrary deals, the Judicial Forces were kept back from intervening in disputes in the Seswenna Sector which included Eriadu. This led to the planet and the sector to form the Outland Regions Security Force to respond to pirates and privateers. Second rate ships armed with laser and ion cannons were built on Eriadu and the Outer Rim planet Sluis Van to equip the newly created planetary defense force. Lommite shipments leaving the planet on their way to the Core were of particular interest to pirate gangs looking for easy credits. The Outland Regions Security Force attempted to handle the pirate situation but were stretched too thin to deal with the problem permanently. The pirate threat became far worse when multiple pirate gangs formed an alliance under the leadership of the pirate queen Q'anah. The Outland Security force and Eriadu Mining and Shipping were consistently outsmarted by Q'anah's Marauders, who brought the mining company to the verge of bankruptcy.[2]
The raids ended when Wilhuff Tarkin, a Lieutenant in the Outland's anti-piracy task force, managed to crack the sequence Q'anah used to decide which specific lommite containers in a shipment she would target. Knowing which containers Q'anah would hit, Outland commander Ranulph Tarkin infected the lommite containers' hyperdrive motivators with a virus that would spread to the pirate vessels, forcing their navicomputers to override the locations entered and instead deliver the ships to the waiting Outland Security Forces. Ranulph presented the captured pirate queen to the man who outsmarted her, his younger cousin. Q'anah's reign ended when Wilhuff ordered her, and her crew placed into an empty shipping container which was programmed to slowly pilot itself into the sector's sun. Video and audio feeds from within the container were broadcast as the pirates were slowly roasted to death, in order to strike fear into any who dared to follow in Q'anah's footsteps.[2]
Rise to stardom[]
Wilhuff Tarkin (pictured) was elected governor of Eriadu and brought his homeworld to the level of galactic stardom its people had always clamored for.
Promised support from his friend and mentor Senator Sheev Palpatine, who had the backing of shadowy allies even Tarkin did not know the names of, Tarkin returned to his homeplanet years later and was elected Governor of Eriadu. During Tarkin's tenure as governor,[2] Eriadu was the location of the "Eriadu Conference," a summit meant to ease tensions between the Trade Federation and the Republic. The conference was a political disaster, and assassins killed the leadership of the Trade Federation and attempted but failed to kill Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum. Governor Tarkin blocked the Supreme Chancellor's attempts to mount an investigation, weakening Valorum's position considerably. Nute Gunray took lead of the Trade Federation and instigated the Invasion of Naboo which led to a resulting Vote of No Confidence which removed Valorum from office.[20]
In the aftermath of the Naboo Crisis and Palpatine's ascension to Supreme Chancellor, Palpatine was unable to stop the Separatist movement from growing leading to countless star systems seceding from the Republic. Though many Republic member worlds started to join the Separatists, Eriadu still remained loyal to the Republic[2] and enthusiastically supported the Military Creation Act proposed by the Galactic Senate alongside the Colonies planet Carida, while other worlds such as the Core Worlds planet Alderaan and the Mid Rim Territories planet Naboo were openly against the act.[21] In fact, Coruscant representatives looked to Eriadu, where Tarkin had formed a military of his own, as an example for its own developments. Furthermore, due to the Naboo Crisis breaking the Trade Federation's monopoly in the Outer Rim and Valorum Shipping losing its reputation after numerous scandals, Eriadu Mining and Shipping prospered. Eriadu became a major trade center on the Hydian Way, and Eriadu Mining and Shipping formed various trade relations that allowed the shipment of lommite through the Mid Rim planet Malastare, circling around the Inner Rim planet Bestine to reach the Colonies planet Fondor and the Core Worlds. Overall, Tarkin's time as Governor would see the planet achieve the stardom its people had always wanted.[2]
Seeds of Chaos[]
- "…sometimes economic pressures are not enough to guarantee success—as you well know, Governor. Or do you believe you could simply have bought off the pirates who harassed this sector for so long? Of course not. Eriadu established the Outland Regions Security Force to deal with them. You went to war."
- ―Count Dooku, to Wilhuff Tarkin
However, Eriadu's strategic location on the Hydian Way and its geopolitical alliances caused Eriadu to find itself in a difficult situation with the Republic and the Separatists pressuring Eriadu to declare its loyalties to which side. During the Separatist Crisis, Count Dooku of the Outer Rim planet Serenno met Tarkin several times to create a southern Separatist sphere by bringing not only Eriadu but also Inner Rim planet Yag'Dhul and Outer Rim planet Sluis Van into the Confederacy of Independent Systems. In the course of these meetings, Dooku emphasized how Eriadu had always been neglected by the Core Worlds throughout its history. However, the real truth behind the meetings was not to bring Eriadu on the side of the Confederacy. Palpatine under the alias of Darth Sidious arranged Dooku to meet with Tarkin to test Tarkin's loyalty.[2]
Count Dooku (pictured) urged Tarkin to join the Confederacy of Indepedent Systems.
By 22 BBY, in the weeks prior to the Battle of Geonosis which marked the beginning of the Clone Wars, Tarkin nearly completed his second term as Governor and was urged by many of his friends to run for Senator in the Republic Senate representing his homeworld. During this time, Dooku met Tarkin for a final time at Tarkin's compound. While Tarkin and Dooku ate food prepared by the Tarkin family’s chefs and drank rare wine provided by Dooku, Dooku was restless and eventually bluntly told Tarkin that he needed to know where Eriadu's allegiances would lie. Tarkin later joined Dooku at the balcony in the residence and questioned the urgency of the Count to know which side Eriadu would ally with. Though Dooku did not reveal much, Dooku later told Tarkin how Eriadu would survive if it's business partners such as Fondor joined the Confederacy. Dooku said to Tarkin how if Eriadu joins the Confederacy, Eriadu can continue business with Confederate worlds such as Falleen, Ruusan, and even the Tion Sectors. However, with Tarkin adamantly loyal to the Republic Dooku promised Tarkin that should a War between the Confederacy and the Republic ever occur, he would ensure that no lasting harm ever comes to Eriadu which Tarkin thought hinted at a deeper conspiracy.[2]
Tarkin later warned the planetary leadership of Eriadu of how Eriadu will suffer a cataclysm if the planet joined Dooku and the Confederacy. Although not every member of the ruling body agreed, Tarkin managed to make sure that Eriadu continued to be loyal to the Republic. After forming a consensus with Eriadu's ruling body, Dooku's words caused Tarkin to not seek re-election for a third term leading to his father summoning him at the Tarkin residence. Tarkin's father, who by then was ill, asked Tarkin why he did not seek re-election and Tarkin told his father how Dooku said that a galactic war was happening and how he needed to be ready for it. Tarkin later remarked how Eriadu has finally been considered as a Core World in the Outer Rim and how much of Eriadu's internal problems and economy had already been solved. Although Tarkin's father disagreed with Tarkin's decision, after some convincing, he eventually respected Tarkin's wishes and warned him of how every world will suffer from the supposedly coming war.[2]
Dooku's prophetic words became reality in 22 BBY with Battle of Geonosis marking the beginning of a galactic war that would be known as the Clone Wars. Tarkin immediately joined the newly established Republic Military and remained loyal throughout the war in which he participated in the Battle of Murkhana, the Battle of Kamino before being temporarily captured by the Separatists at the Citadel on Lola Sayu.[2] After his rescue by a Jedi-clone strike team, Tarkin was drafted into the Strategic Advisory Cell's Special Weapons Group overseeing the construction of what would become the Death Star.[22] During the Clone Wars, the fervant loyalist Eriaduan native Byno Doubton, who with the support of Tarkin founded the Commission for the Protection of the Republic, COMPOR. Doubton produced two propaganda pieces for the Republic's unity communications campaign where one featuring the Jedi never saw distribution to the Republic at the behest of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and the other with the collaboration of the Republic War Office, featuring clone troopers instead of Jedi, saw widespread distribution to Loyalist worlds in the Republic.[21]
Reign of the Empire[]
Imperial Summit and Rebel attacks[]
- "Hemlock's set to attend a high-level Imperial summit in two rotations."
"Where?"
"Tarkin's compound on Eriadu." - ―Echo and Hunter
After the declaration of the Galactic Empire and the end of the Clone Wars, Eriadu became an Imperial stronghold because it was the location of the compound[23] known as Raven's Peak[24] owned[23] by Governor[8] Tarkin.[23] Doubton, after the Republic's transformation into the Empire, became an instructor in the Commission for the Preservation of the New Order's Sub-Adult Group and eventually retired to his family estate on Eriadu.[21]
In 18 BBY,[25] Governor Tarkin contacted Chief Scientist Doctor Royce Hemlock regarding the growing number of clone troopers questioning their orders with Hemlock voicing his concerns that decommissioning clones wouldn't solve the problem leading to Tarkin expect a full briefing from Hemlock about his plan at the summit[26] in Raven's Peak. Echo, a member of Clone Force 99, managed to obtain intel from one of his contacts in a resistance network run by Captain Rex that Hemlock was going to attend the summit, causing Echo and the Bad Batch to go to Eriadu in the hopes of placing a homing beacon on Hemlock's ship, thereby being able to track the ship to where Crosshair and other clone prisoners were being held at.[8]
A Venator-class Star Destroyer above Eriadu.
While the Bad Batch travelled to Eriadu, a Venator-class Star Destroyer dropped out of hyperspace near Eriadu and sent a Nu-class transport shuttle housing Doctor Hemlock to Raven's Peak. Hemlock's shuttle reached Raven's Peak and landed in the hangar where he was greeted by two Imperial shock troopers who escorted him to the command center where the summit was held. Upon arriving near Eriadu, members of the Bad Batch were greeted by various Venator-class Star Destroyers. With this, Echo transmitted a clearance code obtained from another one of his contacts which allowed the Marauder under the designation, "Vessel 1143" to enter Eriadu airspace. The Bad Batch landed at a mountain close to Raven's peak and a nearby sky rail which connected Raven's Peak to it’s starfighter depot. Due to nearby sensors attached to the sky rail which could only be deactivated for thirty seconds, Tech rappelled to one of the sensors, Sensor 38-11 and deactivated it which allowed the rest of the Bad Batch to "hitch a ride" under one of several railcars, traveling to Raven's Peak without Lieutenant Maylur, who was in charge of security, realizing what occurred.[8]
A summit was held on Eriadu, which included several high-ranking officers and Doctor Royce Hemlock.
The Bad Batch managed to reach the outer defenses of Raven's peak and killed several stormtroopers without alerting Maylur and his team. While the Bad Batch were infiltrating the compound, at the summit, several key Imperials present[8] at it included Governor Tarkin, his rival Commander Orson Callan Krennic,[22] Doctor Hemlock, and his two friends General Hurst Romodi and Admiral Barton Coburn discussed various projects and plans they were in charge of and how much progress had been made and addressed the growing number of clone troopers questioning their orders with Hemlock suggesting that they be used as test subjects to aid in his research since they were Imperial property. During the summit, members of the Bad Batch managed to reach the hangar where Hemlock's shuttle was parked at. Due to the rest of the shuttles looking the same as Hemlock's, Hunter, Tech, and Echo were forced to go to the Hangar control room to access the main frame while Wrecker and Omega stayed put. Tech, Echo, and Hunter managed to quietly take over the Hangar control room with Echo looking at the ship manifest. Tech later contacted Omega and Wrecker that Hemlock's shuttle was in the hanger. With this Omega sneaked to the ship however was about to be discovered by stormtroopers present at the Hangar causing Echo to create a diversion with a crane which allowed Omega to place a homing beacon on Hemlock's shuttle.[8]
Raven's Peak was partially destroyed by Commander Saw Gerrera's Partisans.
Due to Echo realizing that several security systems in the compound had cycled deactivations, Tech and Hunter went to investigate. After finding another quadrant disabled and a thermal explosive, they met Commander Saw Gerrera and a fellow Partisan. Disagreeing over differing goals caused both rebel groups to be discovered by a squad of stormtroopers after Maylur sent them because of the discovery of cycled deactivations in the compounds security systems. Members of the Bad Batch left to steal a rail car and leave the compound before it blew up. In the duration, Maylur informed Tarkin of what transpired and Tarkin ordered all communications to be switched to encoded channels and Maylur to find them. The compound entered full lockdown leading to the command center being sealed and guarded by a squad of Imperial shock troopers. Gerrera's partisans managed to escape the facility and detonate the thermal detonators placed at the compound resulting in much of the compound being destroyed apart from the command center. Although the Bad Batch escaped through hijacking a car and using the sky rail, the explosion resulted in power to the sky rail being cut leaving the Bad Batch stranded.[8]
The rail car housing the Bad Batch was partly damaged by a squadron of Imperial V-wings, forcing Tech to sacrifice himself.
The Bad Batch came under fire from stormtroopers in the opposite car. As the Bad Batch were pinned down, Hunter tasked Tech to restore power to the rail line by connecting to one of the terminals located on the sky rail. Tech managed to reach the control panel on the sky rail and began working to restore power. Just then, Tarkin ordered Maylur to send a squad of Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing starfighters to shoot the insurgents down. Maylur hesitantly obeyed and a V-wing squadron was sent. Hunter and the rest of the Bad Batch fired on the V-wing squadron to buy Tech some time to restore power. Hunter destroyed two V-wings and Tech by then restored power to the sky rail. However, before Tech could reach the Bad Batch, a V-wing damaged the rear half of the rail car causing Tech to use his grappling cable to hold onto the dangling car. Due to another squadron of V-wings coming to blast the Bad Batch out of the sky, Tech enacted Plan 99 by disconnecting the hinge that connected the two halves of the rail car, allowing the front half of the rail car that housed the rest of the Bad Batch to move before the squadron of V-wings closed in. The remaining members of the Bad Batch couldn't reduce the speed of their rail car causing the rail car to crash into a station. The remaining injured members of the Bad Batch escaped in the Marauder and left Eriadu.[27]
In 14 BBY,[28] a group of rebels attempted to steal several air scrubbers in an airscrubber farm near the city of Phelar by hooking tow cables from the rebel's starships to two of the scrubbers. Infuriated, TK-462's father attempted to stop the robbery using a blaster however one of the air scrubbers that was being taken by the rebels was still held to a power conduit. Eventually the cable holding the scrubber snapped and the scrubber landed at the family's house resulting in the death of Xea, TK-462's sister.[29]
Tarkin's promotion, stricter laws and increased recruitment[]
In the same year, after Tarkin managed to defeat Berch Teller's rebel cell, he was promoted to Grand Moff and visited Eriadu via an Imperial shuttle from the Executrix, an Imperial-class Star Destroyer under his command. Arriving at the Phelar Spaceport, Tarkin was greeted by many cheering crowds, various media representatives and a military marching band. He went to Eriadu City where he visited family and old friends. He then allowed various reporters to interview him. After the interviews, the local Governor, who was a relative of Tarkin, awarded him a key to the city and organized a parade. While at the Tarkin Family Compound, he waited for a sculptor who was commissioned to create a statue which would stay at the principal public space of Eriadu City. Following this, Tarkin managed to persuade his platoon of personal guards that he wanted to go to the Carrion Plateau alone as part of an effort to bait Berch Teller. This worked and Teller attempted to sneak up on Tarkin, however, instead fell into a pit trap leading to him having a broken ankle. Jova, Tarkin's great uncle, alerted Tarkin to what happened and both of them went to the pit trap. Tarkin mocked Teller for not seizing earlier opportunities to kill him and also for not realizing that he baited him. Tarkin offered to let him escape however Teller rejected the offer. Tarkin and Jova consequently left the pit trap, confident that Teller wouldn't get out of the pit alive by nightfall.[2]
Later in the year, Tarkin introduced even more stricter laws on the planet which led to Eriaduans such as TK-462's father being able to travel to the city of Phelar alone. In that same year, Tarkin visited the airscrubber farm where the rebel attack occurred. He met with TK-462's father and while doing so, TK-462 was fascinated with the Imperial Stormtroopers accompanying Tarkin. TK-462 later asked his father if he could enlist into the Empire but his father denied the request. TK-462 did not listen to his father though and instead snuck, leaving behind a note for his father.[29]
TK-462 managed to graduate and become a stormtrooper.
TK-462 enlisted in the Junior Academy in Phelar and after a year, him and the rest of his class managed to graduate easily due to the local authority wanting to provide to the Empire as many local recruits as possible. TK-462 was later transferred to the Imperial Academy of Eriadu in Eriadu City, the capital of the planet. While at the academy, TK- 462 was continually beaten by other recruits under the orders of the academy's instructor, Commander Lassar due to the boy's short height. Before TK-462's graduation, Lassar gave to a toast to all his students. Just then, he crushed his wine glass and ordered TK- 462 to put all the glass shards in his boots and run five kilometers in full gear which included his boots. Although TK- 462 managed to reach the finish line, he later passed out. The boy managed to recover after two weeks with his feet being reconstructed. He then managed to successfully make it to the rank of stormtrooper. As stormtrooper, TK- 462 was assigned to patrol District five in Eriadu City where he and his fellow squadmates arrested shoplifters and other petty criminals. TK-462 later requested a transfer to the Outer Rim planet Lothal to help avenge his sister. He boarded a transport offworld and left Eriadu's atmosphere.[29]
Around 10 BBY,[30] Nautolan female bounty hunter Nakano Lash was present at a cantina in Phelar Port, a location on the planet, alongside her companions T'ongor, T'onga, and black market tech dealer Jhorstek. While the group were talking, a young thief was caught by a bartender after stealing ration packs from an Imperial speeder. When stormtroopers arrived at the bar and ordered that the thief be given to them, the Imperials were attacked by the cyborg Beilert Valance who managed to overpower the stormtroopers initially. Lash then went to assist Valance who by then was overwhelmed by Imperial reinforcements. Lash managed to kill the remaining stormtroopers and rescue Valance. After she asked Jhortesk to repair Valance which she paid herself, she later mentored Valance who became a bounty hunter.[10]
By the Imperial Era, the Tarkin family owned the Outer Rim planet Eadu however it was later ceded to the Tarkin Initiative as part of Project Stardust headed by Krennic.[31]
Visits to the planet and Galactic Civil War[]
By 5 BBY,[32] the sports team, "Eriadu Patriots" was founded and based on Eriadu. It was later reported in the HoloNet News that the Galactic League commissioner was reviewing a large proposed trade between the Patriots and the Shad Furies sports team who were based on Shad during the Imperial Era.[33] By 4 BBY,[34], the Lothalite native Holshef had a daughter who by then lived on Eriadu. By that time, the Corulag native Merei Spanjaf arranged for Holshef's daughter to meet her on the Outer Rim planet Garel if it was no longer feasible for Holshef to live on Lothal.[35]
In 3 BBY,[36] Alderaanian Princess Leia Organa conducted research on the terrain of Eriadu for her upcoming pathfinding class trip to the planet. While she attended an Apprentice Legislature reception on the planet Coruscant, Organa met Tarkin and asked him about the mountain ranges on Eriadu in the hopes of flattering Tarkin. Tarkin told Organa about the Rivoche Ranges and remarked that she did her homework. Organa later attended a pathfinding class to the planet.[37]
In the years before the Galactic Civil War, Eris Harro, HoloNet News Bureau Chief held office in the[38] city[29] of Phelar, on Eriadu.[38] After reporting the progress of the industrial and mining sectors of the planet Lothal to the Imperial capital Coruscant, the planet's Governor Arihnda Pryce extended an invitation to meet with government officials on Eriadu.[39]
At some point prior to the Battle of Yavin, Tarkin selected Ellian Zahra, Beldin, and Hannevik as possible proteges for him. Eventually, Tarkin brought the three Imperial officers to the Carrion Spike on the planet where he ordered them to hunt an albino veermok in twelve hours or else he would leave them behind. After some time, Zahra managed to kill the albino veermok and showed its head to Tarkin. Impressed, Tarkin took Zahra on his ship and left.[40]
During the Galactic Civil War, the human male[41] Eriaduan native[31] pilot Harb Binli joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic[41] and served as Red Seven.[31][42] He participated in the Battle of Scarif where he lost his wingman and friend Pedrin Gaul[41] and later participated in the Battle of Yavin in which he was killed in action.[43]
Shortly after the Battle of Yavin, in 0 ABY, the Devaronian smuggler Kurjak, who captained the starship Fast Friend, was hired by Del Meeko and Gideon Hask, members of Inferno Squad posing as brothers, to smuggle them and a container to Eriadu as part of their mission to infiltrate the Partisan remnant cell known as the Dreamers. While en route to their destination, the Fast Friend was attacked and boarded by the Opportunity, a pirate ship under the control of the Blood Bone Order and captained by their leader Lassa Rhayme. After Rhayme and her pirates successfully managed to take Meeko and Hask hostage, the pirates left Kurjak tied to his command chair.[44]
Valance followed his old mentor, Lash to a Safe House on Eriadu.
In 3 ABY,[45] during the Galactic Civil War, the re-emergence of Beilert Valance's old mentor Nakano Lash, caused Valance to try and track her where he followed her trail to a Safe House outside Phelar Port on the planet. After Valance discovered dead bodies, among them Jhorstek's corpse, he had a drink and reminisced about the time when he first met Lash. The droid Nine-Four-El later informed him that the cameras outside the building were destroyed. Subsequently, Valance connected a wire from a panel to his cybernetic arm where he learnt that Bounty hunter Boba Fett was responsible for the killings. While viewing the security footage, Valance managed to lip read from Jhorstek that Lash went to the graveyard planet Galmerah. Valance consequently left the world aboard the Broken Wing and traveled to Galmerah.[10]
Inhabitants[]
The people of Eriadu were known as the Eriaduans[2] and had a reputation as hunters.[5] Those who called Eriadu home included humans, such as the influential Tarkin family.[2] Other species found on Eriadu hailed from the Mid Rim Territories and Outer Rim, including Ugnaughts[19] and Rodians.[2] During the Nihil conflict, an increasing number of Republic Defense Coalition members began working on Eriadu even though the locals were not happy to have an offworld military based on their homeworld.[19]
Locations[]
Weathly Eriaduans tended to build their manisons in the style of the Core Worlds. For example, the influential Tarkin family maintained an elegant compound of that style in Eriadu City. All the same, Wilhuff Tarkin's father made sure to teach his son how their clan had achieved such a lofty position, reminding him that there were those beyond its walls who struggled to make due.[2] During the Imperial Era, Wilhuff also made use of a fortified compound[8] named Raven's Peak, where Tarkin could hold secretive meetings during the early Imperial Era. However, such meetings made it the targets of anti-Imperial forces,[24] such as the Partisans and the Bad Batch.[8]
The streets of every Eriaduan cities were laden with taverns during the High Republic Era. Those taverns, along with Eriadu's snow-topped mountains that hid much lommite ore, made the planet inviting to many.[19] However, the world was also wild and dangerous. Beyond its outlands suffering groundquakes, it remained home to rapacious natural dangers even after the Tarkin family had tamed the world. In fact, the Tarkins made sure to maintain the wild Carrion Plateau as an unforgiving jungle, where members of their clan were sent to survive as an initiation.[2] During the Nihil conflict, there existed black markets on the corners of each and every Eriaduan city and village, where black market traders tried to take advantage of the ongoing conflict. Ahead of their mission to investigate a downed Nihil ship, the Adrens and several other RDC members spent time at a commissionary located within a town. That town was a short distance away from the RDC's onworld hangar. At that time, the RDC was actively establishing a base on Eriadu.[19] The rough cities of Eriadu lacked weather control or opera houses during the late Republic Era, which Core World dignitaries judged it for.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
Eriadu first appeared in the new Star Wars canon in the 2014 novel Tarkin by James Luceno.[2] Eriadu was originally first mentioned in the Star Wars Legends Imperial Sourcebook released in 1989.[46]
