Murkhana City

Murkhana City was a city on the Separatist Alliance bastion planet Murkhana. Argente Tower was at one time its tallest building, but it was decimated in the Clone Wars. Following the Clone Wars, Murkhana City was occupied by the Galactic Empire. In 14 BBY, the Sith Lord Darth Vader and Moff Wilhuff Tarkin undertook an important mission in this city.
==Description==
Murkhana City was a coastal city on the Outer Rim planet of Murkhana. The city was dominated by tall, spiraling structures, which had been damaged by acid rain as a result of the environmental devastation unleashed during the Clone Wars. Murkhana City had at least two spaceports including a seaside hexagonal Corporate Alliance landing field and an older spaceport situated at the base of the hills. The Corporate Alliance landing field was propped up by massive piers and linked to the city by four ten-kilometer-long bridges. By 14 BBY,Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of Tarkin to 14 BBY. the Corporate Alliance landing field was sinking into Murkhana's oceans.
Murkhana city's hillside spaceport was in a state of ruin and disrepair during the early Imperial Era. The spaceport's guidance systems and terminal were no longer functioning while the spaceport's immigration and customs had relocated to the inner city. Due to Imperial sanctions, Murkhana city's local government was unable to rebuild the city's ruined structures and economy. The city's streets were still littered with wrecked military droids, AT-TE walkers, turbo tanks, and warships. Murkhana City's impoverished population depended on smugglers and the black market for basic goods and resources. Famished animals also roamed the city's streets.
During the Imperial era, Murkhana was garrisoned by the Twelfth Army. The Empire also maintained a secluded Imperial compound that served as the residence of the Imperial Ambassador. The city's population included Koorivar, Aqualish, Gossams, Sugi, and humans.
==History==
Murkhana City hosted several Corporate Alliance facilities during the Clone Wars including Argente Tower, a landing field, and a Corporate Alliance medcenter. The city also was the site of Separatist Shadowfeed propaganda broadcasts, making it a target for Republic forces during the Clone Wars. Nine months after the First Battle of Geonosis, Captain Wilhuff Tarkin led the 12th Sector Army in a successful invasion that disabled the Shadowfeed broadcasts and devastated much of the city and planet. Murkhana's environment and marine life was killed by Republic orbital bombardment while much of Murkhana City was left in ruins.
Following the end of the Clone Wars, Darth Vader undertook a mission to the city which ended with the execution of a Black Sun racketeer. This allowed the Sugi crime lord Faazah to dominate Murkhana City's underworld. During the Imperial Era, the Republic's successor state, the Galactic Empire imposed sanctions on Murkhana. With the local government unable to rebuild the city's infrastructure and economy, Murkhana City's population dwindled with the remaining inhabitants relying on smugglers and the black market to procure basic goods and resources.
Opposition to the Imperial occupation and taxation manifested in the vandalism of Imperial LAAT/infantry gunships and the defacement of Imperial propaganda posters. In 14 BBY, Moff Tarkin and Lord Vader undertook a mission to Murkhana City to investigate the appearance of a mysterious communications cache at the former Corporate Alliance hospital. While Tarkin was questioning the local Korrivar Imperial Security Bureau informant Bracchia at the Ambassador's residence, the insurgent leader Berch Teller and his rebel cell stole Tarkin's personal starship Carrion Spike with the connivance of Vice Admiral Dodd Rancit, the Director of the Naval Intelligence Agency.
Teller then launched a brief insurgency, which saw attacks on Imperial installations across the galaxy. In response, Vader and Tarkin killed Faazah and his followers before seizing his starship Parsec Predator, which they used to pursue the Carrion Spike.
==Behind the scenes==
Murkhana City first appeared in Star Wars canon in Luceno's 2014 novel Tarkin. Before that, the city had appeared in James Luceno's 2005 Star Wars Legends novel Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader.
==Appearances==
*Tarkin 
*Jedi: Battle Scars 
==Sources==
*Collapse of the Republic
*
==Notes and references==
Category:Cities
Category:Confederacy of Independent Systems cities
Category:Corporate Alliance locations
Category:Galactic Empire cities
Category:Murkhana locations