Apatros Apatros was a desolate world in the Apatros system of the Savareen sector , located in the Outer Rim Territories under the jurisdiction of the Galactic Republic . As of 1003 BBY , Apatros fell under the direct control of the Outer Rim Oreworks Company , which maintained a cortosis mine on the planet . Apatros was notable for being the homeworld of Darth Bane , the Dark Lord of the Sith who worked in the cortosis mines for ten years before joining the Sith army during the New Sith Wars . Description . Apatros was a planet within the Apatros system , which was part of the Savareen sector of the Outer Rim Territories . A desolate world of featureless wastes and barren rocky flatlands , Apatros was small , moon - sized , and orbited a dim orange star . It was orbited by a single moon , had a thin atmosphere and some indigenous plant life , and a day that was twenty standard hours in length . Below the planet ' s surface was a large amount of very valuable material — cortosis , a rare fibrous substance that was often used for starship hulls and armor , which was mined in underground tunnels . History . Apatros was located within the borders of the Galactic Republic . At some point , large quantities of cortosis were discovered underneath the planet ' s surface , prompting the Outer Rim Oreworks Company to take over Apatros . Outer Rim Oreworks established a colony on the desolate planet and began mining for cortosis , which it sold to the Republic . In 1026 BBY , a man named Dessel was born on the planet , eventually going on to work in the cortosis mines for ten years . In 1003 BBY , Dessel killed a Republic ensign over a game of sabacc , although with the aid of a Neimoidian bartender named Groshik , he was able to escape the planet before being incarcerated . Dessel joined the Sith army during the New Sith Wars , and , after serving with distinction , his Force - sensitivity was discovered . He later became Darth Bane , one of the most influential Dark Lords of the Sith in galactic history . Locations . Apatros had only one colony on the entire planet , also called Apatros . The Apatros colony was primarily used as the home of the cortosis miners and only had two buildings of note : a cantina owned by the Neimoidian Groshik , which was the main retreat of off - duty miners and visiting Republic crews , and a market , once a barracks , which sold basic items at high prices . The colony and mines were connected by a shuttle for transport back and forth . The cortosis mines were maintained by the Outer Rim Oreworks Company , but the death toll for miners was high and their equipment outdated and substandard . Inhabitants . Apatros was mostly inhabited by miners working in the cortosis mines , the majority of which were Humans . However , other species lived on the planet , including a Neimoidian named Groshik who owned a cantina in the Apatros colony . The most famous of Apatros ' inhabitants was Dessel , who worked in the cortosis mines for a decade and later became a Dark Lord of the Sith after leaving Apatros . Behind the scenes . Apatros made its only appearance in Drew Karpyshyn ' s 2006 novel , " " , and was later mentioned in its sequel , " " , and the third book in the trilogy , " " .