Yavin 4

Content approaching.

Parts of this article are no longer up to date. This article needs updating from multiple sources. Click the dropdown below to see the full list.

Sources

Star Wars Rebels, Andor Season 2, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Doctor Aphra (2016) 3, Poe Dameron: Free Fall, Ultimate Star Wars, Star Wars: The Galactic Explorer's Guide, Star Wars: Dawn of Rebellion: The Visual Guide, Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire, Star Wars Bestiary, Vol. 1: Creatures of the Galaxy

Please update the article to include missing information, and remove this template when finished.

"Welcome to Yavin 4....There are cells gathered here from every corner of the galaxy."

―Garazeb Orrelios^[21]

Yavin 4,^[3] also known as Yavin,^[22] was the jungle-covered fourth moon in orbit around the red gas giant Yavin Prime. Prior to the Galactic Civil War, Yavin was first a secret rendezvous point for members of the Axis Network^[14] and later home to the Massassi Group,^[23] one of many disparate rebel cells fighting against the Galactic Empire. Sometime before 2 BBY, the headquarters of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, was established on the moon,^[24] becoming fully equipped to wage war by 1 BBY.^[25] Following a major battle that took place around Yavin,^[10] the Alliance went on the run, and eventually relocated its headquarters to Hoth.^[26]

During the New Republic Era, Wetyin's Colony was the main settlement on the moon, and the Dameron family was settled there.^[15] Due to New Republic demilitarization, the Civilian Defense Force was founded to defend the moon. The Defense Force, along with the New Republic Security Bureau, was later involved in an altercation with the Spice Runners of Kijimi after they crash-landed on the moon and escaped.^[7]

Description[]

The surface of Yavin 4 was divided into several continental masses, two of which were Starloft and Wetyin.^[27] Notable natural formations included Massassi Valley, Skygazer Hill, and the Ferra Groves.^[8] The verdant world had a comfortable, temperate climate but a challenging ecosystem and dangerous predators.^[28]

The moon's landmasses were covered by dense jungles and rain forests, whose flora included purple-barked Massassi trees, grenade fungi, bioluminescent orchids, and climbing ferns. Yavin 4 also had swampy areas.^[1] The moon, however, was completely lacking in any mineral resources of significance.^[29]

History[]

Early history[]

"I know that the Massassi have been extinct for millennia. I knew that before I studied history."

―Chelli Lona Aphra^[13]

Temple of Exar Kun — An ancient Massassi temple on Yavin 4.

Five thousand years before the Battle of Yavin, the ancient warriors of the Massassi lived on Yavin 4 and constructed the Great Temple.^[17] The Great Temple was alleged to have been built under the leadership of the Sith Lord Naga Sadow around 5000 BBY.^[30] The Massassi venerated the tyrant as a god and the Temple was raised in Sadow's honor. Archeologists later proposed that the Great Temple may have functioned as a large-scale communications device to contact other Sith Lords throughout the galaxy.^[31] Being enslaved by the Sith, the Massassi species went extinct^[16] millennia^[13] before 0 ABY,^[32] sometime after finishing their temples.^[16]

Sometime before the Battle of Coruscant, an archaeological expedition on the moon of Yavin 4 uncovered the Great Sith Wars Bas-Relief^[33] in one of the enormous stone temples built by the Massassi.^[16]

Early rebellion[]

By the Imperial Era, Yavin 4 was only known to scouts and gas prospectors.^[18] In 4 BBY, Axis network agents, Cassian Andor and Porko, chose Yavin 4 as their rendezvous point for after Andor's mission to Sienar Test Facility 73. However, a day after Andor left, the remnants of the Maya Pei Brigade arrived at Porko's location, and killed him when he opened fire on them. Andor would later return to the rendezvous point with the stolen TIE Avenger prototype two days later and was taken prisoner by the Brigade.^[34] Soon after, tensions among the Brigade boiled over and splintered into two sub-factions under Bardi and Gerdis, the former holding the TIE Avenger while the latter holding Andor, the only pilot, hostage. The following night, Bardi and Gerdis resolved to settle their standoff with Five Hands, only to be interrupted and devoured by a Yavinian doodar. Andor managed to escape in the chaos and retook the TIE Avenger and departed the moon, leaving the remaining rebels stranded.^[35]

Galactic Civil War[]

"…the Empire now knows our location. Therefore, our first priority is to find a new base of operations. To that end, all Rebel fleets have arrived to assist us in evacuating Yavin immediately."

―Jan Dodonna^[36]

Acme-DawnofRebellion — The Great Temple was turned into a rebel base during the Galactic Civil War

By 2 BBY, the Alliance to Restore the Republic would utilize the temple during the Galactic Civil War as a base of operations against the then-dominant Galactic Empire. It was from this base that Operation Fracture was dispatched to Jedha in 1 BBY.^[37] Shortly following this, Alliance snub fighter squadrons with orders to destroy the Death Star were also launched from Yavin 4. After the space battle and the related award ceremony, the rebels evacuated the base to escape any retaliatory strike by the Empire.^[10]^[36]

After the temple was abandoned by the rebels, a Special Galaxy Reporter was sent to Yavin 4 to write a travel advertisement about the ruins.^[17] The moon was also occupied by the Empire after the rebels fled, with Imperial walkers and stormtroopers stationed around the former base. Amid the Imperial occupation, Doctor Korin Aphra led his daughter, Chelli Lona Aphra, droids 0-0-0 and BT-1, and the Wookiee bounty hunter Krrsantan into a raid at the Great Temple during his search for the Ordu Aspectu.^[19]

At another point, a rebel force was sent to the moon in order to seize leftover data centers from the previous rebel occupation. However, the Empire managed to discover the plot and also sent forces to secure them for its own purposes. In the time before the Battle of Hoth, multiple battles between Alliance and Imperial forces would occur on the moon's surface.^[8]

New Republic Era[]

"Let's go home, Shara Bey."

―Kes Dameron^[15]

SharaAndKesYavin4-ShatteredEmpire4 — Yavin 4 was home to the Dameron family during the New Republic Era

Around six months after the Battle of Endor and after leaving the rebellion, Shara Bey and Kes Dameron settled down on Yavin 4 and planted the twig of a Force-sensitive tree on the moon.^[38] During the New Republic Era, the Civilian Defense Force or CDF was established to protect the moon after the New Republic's Defense Fleet was reduced, and Bey was a pilot in the Defense Force.^[7]

Future Resistance pilot Poe Dameron grew up on Yavin 4. While flying his mother's starfighter, Poe was shot down by the CDF, which lead to a conflict with his father and close family-friend L'ulo L'ampar. Shortly after this, Poe ran away to Gully's cantina and joined the Spice Runners of Kijimi, who had crashed on the moon. Flying their freighter, the Ragged Claw, Poe helped the Spice Runners narrowly escape the New Republic Security Bureau, who had taken interest in the Spice Runners.^[7]

During the New Republic Era, Yavin 4 was home to some settlers, as well as scavengers who would prowl the Death Star debris still in orbit. Although rare, tourists would occasionally visit the moon. The flora and fauna were of interest to nature enthusiasts.^[18]

Behind the scenes[]

Yavin4BaseBriefingRoom-REBELION — The briefing room set utilised to convey one room of the Great Temple's interior, for episodes of *Star Wars: Andor'*s second season.

Yavin 4 first appeared in the 1977 film Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, the first installment of the Star Wars original trilogy.^[10]

The real-world location of Yavin 4 is the ruins of an ancient Mayan city at Tikal, Guatemala. Most of the shots of approaches to Yavin 4 from space are just repeats or copies of the Millennium Falcon approach in A New Hope, the only change being a ship replacement.

Yavin 4 is erroneously listed as a planet in the 2016 reference book Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia.^[28]