Kessel miners

Kessel is a noxious mining world where workers endure harrowing conditions extracting spice and coaxium for shipment offworld. The Empire sentenced many prisoners to be used as slave labor by the planet’s economic rulers, the criminal Pyke Syndicate.

Pykes sentinels supervise prisoners working in the mines of Kessel, prevent smugglers from absconding with spice, and guard against incursions by rival gangs. Kessel’s corrosive conditions require sentinels to wear radiation-resistant lead smocks and use blasters that are cheap to replace.

The Pyke Syndicate’s Kessel operations are run from a control center overseen by Quay Tolsite. To save credits, Tolsite has assembled a staff largely of droids, which monitor the miners’ output. Tolsite controls his mechanical charges with restraining bolts.

Coaxium is a rare form of hypermatter that is essential for faster-than-light travel. Starships’ hyperdrive reaction chambers are coated with a thin layer of coaxium, which is energized to allow passage into hyperspace. Unrefined coaxium is mined on worlds such as Kessel, but is dangerous to transport. Highly volatile, it explodes if jostled or allowed to get too hot.

During the Clone Wars, the Pykes became the galaxy’s preeminent spice dealers, gaining control of mining operations on Kessel and funneling illicit substances to Coruscant’s most influential crime families. The Pykes’ stronghold is Oba Diah, but they are a powerful presence on nearby Kessel. Pyke sentinels keep a close watch on miners sentenced to extract spice and coaxium from Kessel, as well as on the smugglers hired to ferry these valuable cargos to offworld purification plants and refineries.

The Galactic Empire ruled for years through fear, intimidation, and tyranny. With a mighty military force including stormtroopers, spy technology like probe droids, and the planet-destroying Death Star, Emperor Palpatine’s regime seemed unstoppable and permanent. But some dared to strike back…