Cloud City

Cloud City a paradise among the clouds Name: Cloud City Location: Bespin, Greater Javin (K18) Summary: Aerial Metropolis / Luxury Resort Tibanna Gas Refinery Business Capital: Greater Javin Affiliation: Sanya Tagge (Baroness Administrator) Trade Spine League The Exchange Black Sun Rath Cartel Tenloss Syndicate Faction: Galactic Empire

Located high in the atmosphere of the gas giant Bespin, Cloud City is a vast aerial station, that juxtaposes the industrial complexes of a Tibanna gas refinery with the amenities and architecture of a luxury metropolis. During the Galactic Civil War it was associated with Baron Administrator Lando Calrissian and became a haven for Rebel and criminal activity, but since the Treaty between the Empire and the Alliance of Free Planets, Cloud City has become the unofficial "business capital" of the Greater Javin, which is being gentrified as a replacement for the now inaccessible Corporate Sector.

The current political leader of Cloud City is Baroness Administrator Sanya Tagge. The Moff of the Greater Javin, Ceto Rübezahl, maintains a permanent presence. The city is also home to a number of individuals who straddle the line between legitimate business and criminal enterprise, including Ambassador Wrath, Emelie Shadowstar, and Sanis Prent.

Cloud City is a significant roleplay setting on theholo.net, and has it's own forum.

History

Cloud City was commissioned in around 400 BBY by Ecclessis Figg, designed by engineers from the Incom Corporation and built by an immigrant Ugnaught labor force.

During the Clone Wars, the city was attacked by the Confederacy of Independent Systems in an attempt to disrupt the Republic's access to tibanna gas. The city was occupied by the Separatists for a short time, but was eventually liberated.

Under the Galactic Empire, Bespin's tibanna operation was too small to earn the planet significant notice, allowing it to be used as a haven by members of the fledgeling Rebel Alliance. After the Battle of Hoth however, the Empire garrisoned the station, and the rebel Baron Administrator Lando Calrissian was removed from power. Shortly before the Battle of Endor and the subsequent Iron Blockade of the Anoat Sector, the Alliance attempted a coup, but the Imperial garrison was able to withstand the Rebel forces leading to a stalemate; both sides expected reinforcements, but the heavy losses for both sides at Endor made that impossible. Food and medical supply shortages led to widespread rioting and looting, forcing the Rebels and Imperials to negotiate a ceasefire. While the Empire legally retained power, rebellion and underworld activity on the city persisted, particularly in Port Town, allowing numerous Jedi to reside in secret on Cloud City.

Following the appointment of Miranda Tarkin as Empress of the Galactic Empire, Sanya Tagge was appointed Baroness Administrator.

By 10 ABY, Ceto Rübezahl had become Moff of the Greater Javin and, after the Starkiller Crisis and the subsequent Treaty forced the Empire to concede a considerable amount of territory to the Alliance of Free Planets, Tagge and Rübezahl set about gentrifying Cloud City and the surrounding space, hoping to cultivate a replacement for the Corporate Sector - which had been separated from Imperial space - with Cloud City as it's hub. This was eventually formalised with the founding of the Greater Javin Corporate Authority in 11 ABY, based from Cloud City, to serve in a similar capacity as the Corporate Sector Authority once did.

Geography

Cloud City floats at an altitude of 60,000 kilometres above the core of Bespin, and stands at 17.3 kilometres tall with a 16.2 kilometre radius.

It consists of 392 levels as well as a plaza ("Level Zero") in the upper surface, and is home to nearly six million sentients.

Levels / Districts

Hierarchy

Nominally, Cloud City is ruled by the Baron Administrator: a position that began with Ecclessis Figg at the city's construction. The Baron - or currently Baroness - Administrator controls Figg & Associates, the corporation that owns the Cloud City platform and many of its businesses; and has direct control over civil organizations such as Cloud City Control and the Bespin Wing Guard. The incumbent Baroness Administrator is Sanya Tagge.

The businesses and workers of Cloud City are represented by two other government bodies. The Exex represents the owners and major investors in Cloud City's corporations and businesses, in a manner similar to the Direx Board of the Corporate Sector. The Parliament of Guilds meanwhile represents the various workers in Cloud City's industries, and oversees the safe and lawful operation of everything on Cloud City.

Due to the current Administrator's affiliations, Cloud City is currently a loyal subject of the Galactic Empire, and is protected by an Imperial Garrison stationed in the city.

Administration

Most of the Baron Administrator's executive power is exercised through the Cloud City Control agency. This body is responsible for providing Cloud City with security and law enforcement, as well as orbital and air traffic control. It's major component is the Bespin Wing Guard, which serves as both a security force and a defensive militia for Cloud City and Bespin. The Storm Guard meanwhile is a meteorological agency, tasked with ensuring the health and safety of Cloud City's citizens in the face of Bespin's sometimes dangerous and unpredictable weather.

Most of Cloud City Control's operations are coordinated from Kerros Tower. Offices for the Administrator's support staff are found in the Administrative District on Levels 101 through 120.

Criminal Underworld

The government authority of Cloud City is subverted by a number of criminal groups.

• The Exchange is an information broking network, that uses Elysian Acquisitions and the Elysium nightclub as a front for its operations, which mostly exploit legal grey areas.

• The Black Sun Syndicate operates at least two of Cloud City's casinos (Cumulus and Holiday Towers), using them as a front for their various smuggling enterprises.

• The Rath Cartel is a Hutt-owned syndicate that operates the Trest casino, and owns a number of corporations (including Ubrikkian Industries and Czerka Arms) that have industrial operations on Cloud City.

• The Tenloss Syndicate has recently acquired the Royal Casino for a similar purpose, though Tenloss' criminal activities skew towards trafficking, extortion, and other far worse crimes.

Miscellany

Figg & Associates

TaggeCo

Santhe/Sienar

Ubrikkian Industries

Elysian Acquisitions

Corporations

A number of companies and corporations are based on, or have invested in, both Cloud City and her sister-city Tibannopolis. Many of the facilities and small businesses - and indeed, Cloud City herself - are owned by Figg & Associates, a corporation founded by Ecclessis Figg and controlled by the incumbent Baron or Baroness Administrator. Due to the other associations of Sanye Tagge, the current Administrator, TaggeCo has a significant presence in the City, ranging from Biscuit Baron outlets to operations by the Tagge Mining Company, and manufacturing by Mobquet Swoops and Speeders.

With the expansion of the Greater Javin into a replacement for the Corporate Sector, a number of other corporations have begun to invest heavily in Cloud City. Several subsidiaries of the Santhe Corporation, including Santhe/Sienar Technologies and the Incom Corporation have manufacturing operations on Bespin, producing I-7 Howlrunners for civilian agencies in the region, and developing the TIE/d Automated Starfighter for the Galactic Empire; while Santhe Security provides protection for corporate interests on Tibannopolis. Ubrikkian Industries also has a significant investment in Cloud City and Tibannopolis, including the Trest casino, and manufacturing facilities for both Ubrikkian Transports and Ubrikkian Steamworks.

A number of shipping corporations operate from or through Cloud City, including Santhe Passenger and Freight, Valorum Shipping and Transport, Ororo Transportation, and Elysian Acquisitions.

Cumulus

Holiday Towers

Trest

Elysium

Royal Casino

Entertainment

Much of Cloud City's real estate is dedicated to entertainment venues. Broadly speaking, these are divided into two main categories: the upmarket establishments of the Tourist District, and the seedier establishments of Port Town and the lower levels. Many of these entertainment venues come in the form of hotels and casinos, and many such venues are owned by, or serve as fronts for organised crime, such as Cumulus and Holiday Towers (operated by Black Sun) and Trest (operated by the Rath Cartel) in the Tourist District, or Elysium (operated by The Exchange) and The Royal (operated by the Tenloss Syndicate) in Port Town. Venues with less nefarious ownership include the Pair O'Dice casino in the Yarith Bespin hotel, and the Grand Bespin Hotel - which currently boasts Sector Governor Ceto Rübezahl as a resident.

A number of other establishments help to make life on Cloud City more comfortable for residents and visitors alike. Restaurants like the Cloud 9 Bar & Grill or the Twin Star offer a variety of cuisines, and chain outlets like Biscuit Baron and Stratobucks are available for the less discerning pallette. The fashion boutique OKwear boasts the most famous and talented designer in all of Hutt Space (arguably a low bar), and patrons are able to spend their days and nights enjoying the non-stop masquerade ball in the Masque Hall, or the various rides and distractions of the SkyCenter Galleria amusement park.

Appendices

For more information, visit the Cloud City Roleplay Group or the Cloud City forums.