Sevarcos II Sevarcos II was the only inhabitable planet in the Sevarcos system . Sevarcos was the only source for the spice variants carsunum and andris , which were its only export . In 52 BBY , Jedi Master Dooku negotiated the Sevarcos Dispute , which would have great consequences for the history of the galaxy , and ultimately for the rise of the Galactic Empire . Climate and nature . Sevarcos was dry and rugged , much like Tatooine . The landscape was in shades of brown and amber due to the light of the planet ' s orange sun Lumea . The southern hemisphere was extremely dry and covered with vast deserts , while the northern hemisphere was quite mountainous . Around the equator , the landscape consisted of vast plains . The planet was haunted by eternal harsh winds , which caused many sandstorms in the southern areas , and which would reach gale - force around certain annual equinoxes . These conditions gave the planet its nickname of " The World of Endless Wind " . Temperature - wise , it was unbearably hot during the days , while cool at nighttime . While the surface was rough and harsh , the planet ' s porous substrata was full of underground tunnels and arterial networks of water , small lakes , and pools . Whereas the surface was virtually lifeless , this underground world was a haven for various plant and animate lifeforms that had adjusted to a life in complete darkness . Most lifeforms on the planet were rather harmless , with the exception of giant burrowing sandworm s known as the spice eel s . Spice eels roamed the subterranean tunnels and were hunted by nomadic Sevari tribes . History . The system was scarcely populated . What population it possessed was divided into three groups : the native Human Sevari , the mining population , and Imperial personnel . The planet had six major starports — two Imperial starports and four civilian starports . The Sevari society was a rigid clan - based society , ruled by a council of spice lord s . The Sevari used equipment dating back to the days of the Galactic Republic and were typically armed with flashpistols as blaster weapons were too dangerous in the spice - laden atmosphere of Sevarcos . The Sevari had developed a special type of repulsorlift barge , called a wind rider , which made use of the never - ceasing winds of the planet . Imperial presence . During the time of the Galactic Empire , the Empire controlled the extraction and trade of Sevarcan spice , and therefore maintained a firm grip on the entire Sevarcos system . The planet itself was under a constant Imperial planetary blockade , patrolled by several " Victory " - class Star Destroyers and an abundance of TIE fighters , including the Fate ' s Judges . Traders were only allowed to land on Sevarcos by invitation in the form of an Imperial trade permit issued at local offices of the Ministry of InterGalactic Transit . The fleet blockading the planet would interdict virtually any ship from light freighters and upwards for customs inspection . The Imperial forces in the Sevarcos system were governed by planetary commandant Velpar Raftin , who had direct access to all Imperial ground units and equipment , including : a walker battalion , a repulsorlift battalion , artillery and line armor regiments , several stormtrooper battalions , and other Imperial personnel . He would also oversee the construction of new prison and mining facilities . A special type of stormtrooper , trained specifically for deployment in mines , saw extensive use on Sevarcos , and became known as a " Minetrooper " . These Minetroopers , alongside Imperial commissars , oversaw the spice mining and were tasked with keeping spice production at a maximum by maintaining very strict discipline . Spice . Sevarcos was rich in various types of spice , and also hosted two types of spice - " andris " and " carsunum " - which were unique to the planet . Catching the wind . The planet was so rich in spice that it was found everywhere on the surface , underground , and in the atmosphere . The presence of spice granules in the wind gave rise to a phenomenon known as " catching the wind " , which consisted of unprotected newcomers being affected by the spice particles in the air , provoking dizziness , nausea , and euphoria . Most people usually wore breath masks on Sevarcos . Underground , the air was so thick with pure spice that regular exposure to it was fatal . The spice mines of Sevarcos . Ever since the colonization of Sevarcos , its substrata was mined for spice . Eventually , it became common practice to have prisoners , rather than ordinary citizens , work in the harsh conditions of the mines . In the days of the Galactic Empire , the mining population was a mix of criminals and political prisoners , and even some droids were incarcerated in the penal mining colonies and put to work . The mining process would typically begin with mining refinery platforms cruising the surface of the planet . Upon arrival at a resource - rich location , mining shafts would be extended into the surface of the planet . In these shafts miners — often not using breath masks — would use low - power laser torches and sonic hammers to dislodge pieces of spice - rich rock , which were loaded onto grav carts and then conveyed up to the refinery platform where the refining of the spice took place . Life in the mines was extremely hard . There were many dangers , such as frequent cave - ins , angry spice eels , and the ever - present noxious , spice - filled air itself . Indeed , a sentence to work in the spice mines of Sevarcos was considered equivalent to a death sentence by most . The miners were led by taskmasters , who were prisoners themselves and had shown to have a flair for often - brutal leadership . There was absolutely no loyalty among the inmates , and prisoners would gladly squeal on each other . Although the Empire claimed otherwise , escapes happened quite often . Typically , bribery or corruption was involved , but mix - ups were quite common , which allowed inmates to sneak aboard cargo haulers , automated barges , and sometimes even capital ships . It was also rumored that the Rebel Alliance had agents in the area that had specialized in rescuing Rebel personnel captured by the Empire and sent to the mines . Spice smuggling . In the days of the Galactic Republic spice smuggling from Servacos was frowned upon and considered a capital offense . With Palpatine ruling the galaxy , the Empire held the planet in an iron - tight grip and monopolized the trade of spice totally . Nevertheless , a network of smugglers had become rather successful in smuggling spice under the nose of the Empire using various methods of deceit and confusion such as disguising spice among ore , stone or general commodities , as well as obtaining trade permits through bribery or forgery .