Bestine ( city ) / Legends Bestine was the capital city of Tatooine during the Imperial Period . History . Bestine was founded by colonists from the water - world Bestine IV in 99 BBY , and a century later , skyhoppers were closely associated with both places . Before the arrival of the Empire , Bestine was primarily a farming and mining community . But following the rise of the Empire , Bestine became the seat of Imperial power on Tatooine . As a result , it was considered to be the most cosmopolitan and cultured settlement on Tatooine . It was , in many ways , considered to be a , " gem of Imperial politics . " Due largely to the influx of Imperial personnel and their credits , Bestine flourished while other cities on Tatooine struggled . Bestine was once a modest agrarian township , but had since grown to become a thriving economic hub . Bestine attracted a large number of honest merchants , interested in doing legitimate business . Bestine was also considered to be the safest of all cities on Tatooine . Imperial stormtroopers would patrol the streets , defending citizens from thugs and random Tusken Raider attacks . While the city was considered very safe , it still was not completely devoid of thugs populating the slums of Bestine . One location of note within the city was the Museum of Tatooine . The popular Barefoot Band would also regularly perform in Bestine ' s cantina . In addition to this , Bestine was the base of operations for the Imperial Storm Squadron . The Tatooine Visitors Bureau operated out of Bestine as well . Another location of note was a small Imperial garrison , which stood on top of a hill overlooking Bestine . Following the destruction of the Death Star in 1 ABY , Bestine became embroiled in a heated political struggle between an ambitious Imperial officer and a powerful merchant . They were Victor Visalis and Sean Trenwell , the Officer of Defense and Director of Commerce respectively . Both campaigned intensively to gain votes , vying for the same position as mayor of Bestine . Victor Visalis pledged to secure the metropolis with a surge of stormtrooper patrols , so as to protect the city from the ongoing threat of Tusken Raider attacks . Sean Trenwell pledged to improve Bestine ' s marketplace , with the support of the long established Bestine merchants . Both were careful to remain in the good graces of Governor Tour Aryon , in order to benefit their election . Because the elections were on - going , both had a chance to lead as mayor , and carry out their policies . During the same year , creatures dug up power cables which brought energy from the Tosche Station to Bestine . This caused a power outage in the city . As the Galactic Civil War intensified , Bestine became a hub of major conflicts between the Empire and Alliance . Occupation of the city would often switch between both factions , with one side constructing heavy defense barricades , while the other prepared massive invasion forces . Behind the scenes . Bestine was first mentioned in the novelization for " A New Hope " , when Luke cited that he lived west of Mos Eisley , near Bestine to some stormtroopers before Obi - Wan Kenobi managed to use the Force to mentally trick the stormtroopers into thinking that R2 - D2 and C - 3PO were something other than the droids they were looking for . In the deleted Tosche Station scene from A New Hope , Biggs Darklighter refers to a friend who has a friend " on Bestine " who might help them make contact with the Rebel forces . In the " Star Wars Galaxies " , players could take part in an on - going political election between Sean Trenwell and Victor Visalis . In the 2010 Game Update 15 of " Star Wars Galaxies , " Bestine , as well as Dearic and Keren were turned into major war zones . Occupation of the city switches between the Alliance and the Empire , depending on which faction successfully achieves the highest GCW score .