Cloud City
Cloud City was an outpost and a tibanna gas mining colony above the planet Bespin, named as such because it was perpetually surrounded by giant clouds. The city floated 60,000 kilometers above the core of the gas giant. It contained a large and famous luxury resort district on its upper levels, complete with hotels and casinos.
Level 51–100: Upscale housing areas.
Level 101–120: Administrative offices.
Level 121–160: Privately owned industrial areas with an infamous reputation, known as Port Town.
Level 161–220: General housing of the facility's workers.
Level 221–280: Factories.
Level 281–370: Gas refineries and miners' quarters.
Level 371–392: Contained the 36,000 repulsorlift engines and tractor beam generators that kept the city afloat and in position. The main saucer-shaped city structure was 16.2 kilometers in diameter, and 17.3 kilometers tall. The city floated 60,000 kilometers above the core of the planet, which was an uninhabitable gas giant. Some of the nearby floating settlements, like the Vapor Room, and industrial platforms were also considered part of the city. Six Gravity Control Generators were placed on the upper level of the city to regulate the city's position. During the time of the Galactic Civil War, the Rebel Alliance built the Bespin Government Center on the upper level. The city's main function was to harvest tibanna gas, by using tractor beams to draw the gas into internal refineries.
Layout
Cloud City consisted of 392 levels, in addition to level zero, a top-side surface-level plaza concourse. The level-arrangements were as follows: Level 1–50: The Tourist District, consisting of luxury hotels and casinos which made the city famous throughout parts of the Outer Rim.Level 51–100: Upscale housing areas.
Level 101–120: Administrative offices.
Level 121–160: Privately owned industrial areas with an infamous reputation, known as Port Town.
Level 161–220: General housing of the facility's workers.
Level 221–280: Factories.
Level 281–370: Gas refineries and miners' quarters.
Level 371–392: Contained the 36,000 repulsorlift engines and tractor beam generators that kept the city afloat and in position. The main saucer-shaped city structure was 16.2 kilometers in diameter, and 17.3 kilometers tall. The city floated 60,000 kilometers above the core of the planet, which was an uninhabitable gas giant. Some of the nearby floating settlements, like the Vapor Room, and industrial platforms were also considered part of the city. Six Gravity Control Generators were placed on the upper level of the city to regulate the city's position. During the time of the Galactic Civil War, the Rebel Alliance built the Bespin Government Center on the upper level. The city's main function was to harvest tibanna gas, by using tractor beams to draw the gas into internal refineries.
Demographics
520,000 tourists
1,999,990 Ugnaughts
393,550 workers in the tourists industry
346,450 administrators
499,080 factory workers
370,930 dock workers and ship maintenance employees
1,297,080 workers in the service sector
1,999,990 Ugnaughts
393,550 workers in the tourists industry
346,450 administrators
499,080 factory workers
370,930 dock workers and ship maintenance employees
1,297,080 workers in the service sector
Government
Cloud City was nominally controlled in all aspects by the Baron Administrator, though the bureaucracy and administration was controlled by the city's business leaders, known as the Exex, who did not consider themselves subordinate to the Baron Administrator. Furthermore, the Parliament of Guilds was a distinct faction which, by ancient custom, controlled the juries in all the city's courts. The Office of the Surgeon-General provided information to any and all major planetary systems for any travellers.
History
Cloud City was first commissioned in 1989 BBY and built by Ecclessis Figg, with the aid of Ugnaught labor and contracted employees from the Incom Corporation, around 400 BBY.
During the Clone Wars, the Confederacy of Independent Systems launched an invasion force of battle droids to attack the tibanna gas which was providing energy for Galactic Republic warships. Jedi Master Glynn-Beti and groups of clone troopers along with some Jedi starfighters and LAAT gunships defended Bespin from the invasion force. Cloud City became overrun by B1 battle droid, B2 super battle droids, and droidekas. Vulture Droids and Droid Gunships ran the skies, destroying many Jedi starfighters and gunships. The Republic Army managed to save some civilians and take them to a Star Destroyer and escape, but the Confederacy was able to capture the planet, if only for a time.
Months after the Clone Wars, the Empire attempted to trade Nazren slaves to Darga the Hutt in exchange for large shipments of tibanna gas during Cloud City's annual citywide sabacc tournament. The slaves were freed by agents of Bail Organa in Z-95 Headhunters. In addition, Cloud City was also a major center for intergalactic travel, due to it being one of the spots designated within both versions of the Intergalactic Passport, and one version in particular specifically stating that Cloud City provided refueling services and emergency repair facilities for anyone with the passport, as well as providing specific on all major planetary systems via the Office of the Surgeon-General.
In 2 BBY, Galen Marek came to Cloud City in search of Senator Garm Bel Iblis, whom Senator Bail Prestor Organa had sent Marek to find in order to start a Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire. After fighting a Gungan bounty hunter named Kleef and fighting his way through gangsters and criminals, Marek finally reached the mob boss, a Mandalorian bounty hunter named Chop'aa Notimo. After destroying Chop'aa's Basilisk war droid, he finished the hunter off in close-quarters combat, and rescued the Senator. Talks of a Rebel Alliance soon began, and a Treaty was established on Corellia, founding the Alliance to Restore the Republic.
The city's economy was centered on tibanna gas, which was crucial for the production of weapons and hyperdrives. The unique atmospheric conditions of Bespin allowed for the natural production of spin-sealed tibanna gas, which was highly compressed at the atomic level and was an energy source for the most powerful blasters. The manufacture and distribution of this gas was tightly regulated. Since the initial construction of Cloud City, its official purpose was to mine for regular tibanna gas for use in hyperdrives, but secretly The spin-sealed gas was also mined and exported for use in high powered blasters. Using the same canisters as the regular gas, the export of the spin-sealed gas was what allowed Cloud City to earn a self sustaining income.
Alternative Name(s)
Floating Home Mining Colony
Type
Capital
Population
5,427,080
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Characters in Location
Comments