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Information from IGN; needs to be rewritten.Taris
Though located on the fringe of the Republic, the Taris system was, at one time, the nexus of a number of hyperspace junctions. This made it a popular destination, but further exploration and the discovery of new trade routes has since rendered it almost obsolete as a center for commerce. Various interests have begun to use the established infrastructure for smuggling and other unpleasant professions. It could be said that the planet is just as busy as it ever was, though the nature of the credits in the system has changed dramatically.
Much of the surface of Taris is covered by a sprawling super-city of the same name, the product of a century of unchecked development. The population is split along caste levels, with the Upper City housing the noble and business elite, and the Lower City essentially a vast slum. Below them both is the Under City, the highly toxic foundation that the whole system is slowly sinking into. Mutated and diseased creatures known as the Rakghoul hunt in these depths, though settlements of people rejected by both layers of the city do exist. A number of Gamorreans have also established a presence there, but they are famously tolerant of conditions better avoided by most civilized species.
The Upper City maintains a professional facade for alien interests dealing with the elite, but it is becoming apparent that one man behind the scenes holds most of the power on the planet. Davik Kang was a smalltime thug who made some powerful friends, and now runs all criminal activities in the system. Several gangs on the planet report directly to him, and in return they are allowed to operate unopposed in their respective territories. He keeps order by having them settle differences on a swoop track he sponsored, an annual event that now commands more respect than most stops on the official racing circuit. Charismatic leadership and powerful unnamed contacts have made Davik a rich man, and even an encroaching Sith presence in the sector has not hampered his activities.
Manaan
Mannan is a water world with only one major surface settlement: the city of Ahto. Built on banks of repulsors to keep it afloat, Ahto is a cosmopolitan metropolis designed to facilitate trade with visiting alien species. Though the Selkath have no need of surface dwellings, this accommodation was vital, as Manaan produces one of the most consistently valuable resources in the galaxy: Kolto. A liquid used in med packs and other medical equipment, kolto only occurs naturally on Mannan, and has been exported by the Selkath for centuries.
Most of Ahto's population is made up of off-worlders trying to make a profit from the kolto production. Both the Republic and the Sith empire have enclaves within the city. The Selkath are careful not to allow either of the groups to gain too much influence within the city, and have threatened to destroy the kolto production if either power tries to enforce its will militarily. Ahto is the only place in the galaxy where Sith and Republic troops intermingle, so the atmosphere is understandably tense.
The underwater settlements where the Selkath dwell are called 'pods'. The closest pod to the city of Ahto is the Umber pod, but not much is known about it because off-worlders are restricted from ever going there. The Umber pod is not filled with water; the Selkath are amphibious, and while their young must exist in water, once they mature they are able to breathe air.
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