Wemod

Wemod was a planet in the Unknown Regions, the homeworld of the Minetii. It was a vassal world of the Tetrarchy of Mezlagob before being liberated by and joining the Golden Empire.

Geography
Wemod was a world of many terrains, though its plains and rock formations existed in roughly equal proportions. Most of the latter occurred in mesas, plateaus, and rocky hills and quarries; true mountain ranges were rare. Rock formations sometimes occurred with apparent spontaneity in otherwise fertile prairies, though they existed more commonly in or along the borders of the deserts and badlands of the planet. Many of these rocky areas contained mineral deposits, which were a crucial source of valuable ores.

The water of Wemod existed in a few moderately-sized oceans, as well as lakes and rivers throughout the continents. While water was rare in desert climates, rivers did sometimes run through deep canyons to more temperate climates.

Society and culture
Wemod's only sentient species was the Minetii, who by the final centuries before the Battle of Yavin had developed a heavily industrialized society with several major, kilometer-spanning cities. Several were built near or even onto the world's rocks formations and mesas and became ore mining facilities. Across the globe, half the world's largest cities were little more than a combination of factories and dormitories for workers. The rich who controlled the production facilities often had estates further out into the prairies, while the wealthiest had private homes on the water, tethered to the nearest land by transportation cables.

Under the Golden Empire, laws were enacted to protect both workers and the environment of Wemod.

History
After the Minetii evolved into sentience and began to dominate their homeworld, different nations competed for territory, especially desert borderlands which were rich in minerals and ore. Though the land was otherwise sparsely populated, its climate inhospitable to most life without supplies from elsewhere, control of these resources gradually determined a nation's strength. Arms races resulted in mining opportunities skyrocketing, and the Minetii weapons industry flourished around the world. However, much of the atmosphere and water supply were polluted by the constant manufacturing, necessitating the creation of treatment plants and air-scrubbers.

Eventually, the Minetii were united under a single nation, which controlled the entire planet. The weapons business staggered under the suddenly reduced need for arms, and much of Wemod entered a depression. Local governments sought to resolve the crisis by continually expanding their mechanized cities, requiring both civilian laborers and continued production of plating for catwalks, bridges, and buildings. This attempt at recovery showed promise in some areas more than others.

In 93 BBY, Wemod was invaded by the Tetrarchy of Mezlagob, becoming one of the first vassal worlds of that government in the Xoquon sector. The Tetrarchs intentionally concentrated power in the hands of existing government leaders, who became even more wealthy as a result, while the majority of the Minetii languished further, even though Wemod became an important manufacturing world for the Tetrarchy's weapons.

In the first year of the Great Liberation, the Golden Empire attacked the Tetrarchy forces at Wemod. While the Royal Navy was exterminating the Tetrarchy's fleet, the Minetii revolted en masse, using the very weapons they had mass-produced to fight against the Tetrarchy's soldiers. When the Royal Army landed, their battle was less combat and more mopping up the battalions the Minetii had missed or been unable to overcome.

The Minetii who had collaborated with the Tetrarchy were executed by their fellows, and Wemod became the first former Tetrarchy world to join the Golden Empire, supplying arms to the Empire throughout the rest of the Great Liberation. After the Tetrarchy was toppled, Rin Sakaros appointed a Royal Consul to Wemod to help implement Royal culture and implement the environmental reforms necessary to keep the planet habitable.

Wemod eventually became the site of one of the Officer Training Institutes of the Royal Starfighter Corps.

Appearances

 * The Fall of Keltrayu