Polis Massa Base

Polis Massa Base was a research base set up by the Archaeological Research Council on Polis Massa, a barren planetoid in the middle of an asteroid field. The goal of the research team was, to learn more about all alien species. They focused on searching ancient biological materials from which they could resurrect extinct organisms with the help of Kaminoan cloning technology. For 500 years the archaeologists surveyed and excavated the asteroid belt, seeking traces of the Eellayin, their ancestors. Though remnants of the Eellayin were scant, in 69 BBY the ancient underground city of Wiyentaah was discovered next to the base. The Local Dig was established to excavate and catalog the city. The base had a main hangar, a small landing bay for inter-asteroid flitters, a parking apron and loading bay for surface vehicles as well as mooring masts to tether large ships that did not fit in the main hangar. An artificial gravity generator provided gravity to the whole base as well as the Local Dig. The base was home to various different biological and medical facilities and laboratories. It operated discreetly to avoid pirates, in fear they would sell stolen artifacts to collectors in the Core Worlds.

When Darth Sidious ordered the extermination of all Jedi, Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan spirited Yoda, Grand Master of the Jedi Order, off Coruscant to the Polis Massa Base. Shortly thereafter, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi brought the stricken and pregnant Senator Padmé Amidala to the base's medical bay. Having lost the will to live due to the betrayal of her husband, Amidala was dying, but she managed to give birth to her twins Luke and Leia before breathing her last.

Some point into the Imperial Era, the Alliance to Restore the Republic made use of the facility as a base until Galactic Empire discovered them. Associating it with rebel activity, the Empire bombarded the base, leaving it in ruins. Later, Darth Vader would be led to the base after visiting the Tomb of Padmé Amidala on Naboo. Discovering a Chroon-Tan B-Machine midwifery droid, his forensics droid assistant ZED-6-7 accessed her damaged memory bank. Vader watched the footage in anguish as his wife gave birth and eventually died.

Text and facts from the “Polis Massa Base” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.