General Information
Saga Edition Core Rulebook, page 228.
Region: Outer Rim
Climate: Temperate (in the Life Zone)
Gravity: Standard
Moons: 2
Length of Day: 12 standard hours
Length of Year: 5,110 standard days
Sapient Species: 68% Human, 8% Ugnaught, 6% Lutrillian, 18% other species
Government: Guild
Capital: Cloud City
Major Exports: Tibanna gas, tourism, cloud cars
Major Imports: Foodstuffs, technology
Knowledge [Galactic Lore]
| DC | Result |
|---|---|
| 15 | The gas giant of Bespin is renowned for its rich stores of Tibanna gas, a key component in blaster ammunition. |
| 20 | Cloud City was built by Ugnaughts, the descendents of whom now work the Tibanna gas mines above the planet |
| 25 | The beldon is a huge, floating creature that lives in Bespin’s atmosphere and feeds off of airborne plankton floating around the planet. |
Knowledge [Social Sciences]
| DC | Result |
|---|---|
| 15 | Bespin’s primary outpost of civilization is Cloud City, an independent mining colony and haven port for travelers in the Anoat Sector. |
| 20 | Though Bespin is a mining colony, they are not a part of the Mining Guild and have rejected any attempts by the Mining Guild to bring the colony into the fold. |
| 25 | Bespin maintains neutrality most due to its size, making it a favorite port-of-call for smugglers and others that do not wish to attract governmental attention. |
Old Republic Era
Knights of the Old Republic, page 123.
The gas giant Bespin has not yet been colonized during this time period, and will not be until 1,989 BBY when Cloud City is first commissioned. However, hyperspace scouts discover Bespin years before the Galactic Civil War, and a number of corporations try—and fail—to establish Tibanna gas mining operations above the world. With the decline of pulse-wave weapons and the ascension of blaster weapons, the undeveloped world of Bespin is rising in importance to the galactic economy. A number of corporations continue to lobby the Galactic Senate for mining rights to Bespin, though corporate lobbies keep the Senate tied up in procedures as each company jockeys for position.
The carbonite-rich planet Empress Teta stakes an extremely strong claim to Bespin, because explorers from the Hyperspace Navigators Guild whose guildhouse is on Empress Teta—discovered the world. No permanent outposts are established above Bespin, and Tetan mining operations consist mainly of large repulsorcraft dipping into Bespin’s atmosphere to scoop up gas where they can. During the Mandalorian Wars, a fleet of Mandalorian warships destroys most of the Tetan mining infrastructure, hoping to break up the Tibanna gas supply chain for the Republic. Following this attack, few companies have the time or resources to attempt to mine Bespin, and the planet remains nearly unheard of until the founding of Cloud City.
Clone Wars Era
Clone Wars Campaign Guide, page 115.
While Bespin has always been an important source of Tibanna gas, its economic and strategic importance is only truly realized at the start of the Clone Wars. The Republic and the Confederacy, desiring a stake in Bespin’s resources, dispatch forces to secure their interests. A number of small orbital battles, punctuated by lengthy dogfights in Bespin’s upper atmosphere, ultimately end with the Republic having a slight edge over its Separatist foes. Even though the Battle of Bespin is considered a loss for the Separatists, occasional skirmishes continue to occur between the two enemies throughout the entirety of the Clone Wars.
One of the most popular tourist hubs on Bespin prior to the Clone Wars is Tibannopolis. Tibannopolis’s only true competition is Cloud City, and the rivalry between the two settlements only fuels their popularity. As the Clone Wars intensifies and tourists are less inclined to travel to Bespin’s resorts, Tibannopolis ceases to be a significant economic factor. Cloud City’s ability to mine Tibanna gas on behalf of the Republic is its salvation, enough to keep it functioning until the official end of hostilities.
Dark Times Era
Force Unleashed Campaign Guide, page 153.
Tibanna gas mining operations on Bespin and visitors to Cloud City remain steady during the Dark Times. The planet’s remote location and insignificant strategic value keep it well under the Empire’s sensors.
The industrial facilities continue claiming that they mine Tibanna gas as a hyperdrive coolant to downplay their significance and send off inquiries from the Mining Guild: most still supply spin-sealed Tibanna gas for the arms market through discreet shippers who transport and market it in other systems.
Cloud City’s first-rate hotels, restaurants, and entertainment still attracts tourists from around the Outer Rim. Coupled with its industrial prosperity, Cloud City’s success outshines that of other floating platforms, which fall into financial ruin (such as the abandoned Tibannopolis facility) or isolate themselves as independent, forgotten platforms.
During this turbulent era, Bespin serves as a haven for smugglers, resistance fighters, and political dissidents. But the people of Cloud City, and particularly the authorities, value their independence and neutrality. They remain wary of political refugees and militant subvenes who use Bespin as a base for their resistance activities against the Empire, and they exert their influence to evict them when their operations tocaten to draw unwanted attention to the planet. Those on the run from the Empire might find a temporary sanctuary on Cloud City, but they quickly wear out their welcome if they continue their subversive fight againsi galactic authority. Others on the fringe, however, such as the Bloodliwe Pirates and other criminal organizations, still operate with freedom as long as they don’t attract any undue attention to Bespin.
Legacy Era
Legacy Era Campaign Guide, page 112.
Largely untouched by the [[Yuuzhan&nbap;Vong (species)|Yuuzhan&nbap;Vong]] invasion, Bespin continues to profit and prosper after the rise of the Galactic Alliance. Still a major shipper of Tibanna gas, Bespin’s location makes it less than ideal for most large-scale mining operations to attempt to control, allowing smaller operations to set up shop and reap a tidy profit. However, with the return of the Empire, restrictions on the sale of Tibanna gas to non-government entities come back in force. This, in turn, forces many small operations out of business, driving their owners off of Bespin to seek cheaper places to make a living.
As a result of this exodus from Bespin, Cloud City is somewhat in decline. Coupled with the surging popularity of more mobile shadowports and fringe-friendly locales such as the Wheel, Cloud City has become a darker and more dangerous place. With fewer wealthy, respectable citizens capable of supporting Cloud City’s government, cutbacks have eliminated much of the Wing Guard, leaving the city even more lawless than before. With much of the city abandoned, the current Baron-Administrator (a shrewd Ithorian named Ormo Haddon) has attempted to revitalize the economy by ordering all of the businesses and residential areas to move to more central locations, creating a populated nexus of commerce surrounded by abandoned outskirts. The outskirts of Cloud City are dark, empty places where shady dealings take place, and the honest citizens of Bespin avoid them.