Barons Hed
- "The Empire sure knows how to ruin a perfectly good city."
- ―Kyle Katarn
Barons Hed, also spelled Baron's Hed and sometimes called the "Fallen City", was once a great spaceport full of life, with busy market streets, entertainment and cantinas that was located on Sulon.
History
The city was built around the hill of Barons Knoll, which gave the city its name. The city was layered like a cake, roughly divided into High Town and Low Town. Rimmer's Alley was a street of the city, and prior to the Imperial occupation, Barons Hed was filled with pyro flower gardens.
When the Galactic Empire took control of the city, many businesses quickly went under. Locals remarked that "everything but the river dried up." Only a handful of die-hard businesses remained open, for the sole purpose of catering to the Imperial officers and mercenaries that hung around. Outside the city limits, was a once bustling space refueling port, which saw very little business since the Imperials took over, depending on the ships of the Empire as customers, whenever one was close by.
Sometime before 1 BBY several Sulonians who complained about Imperial policies, eventually publicly gathered in the city and protested in a non-violent demonstration. They managed to scramble before Imperial forces reacted, embarrassing the local Commandant who failed to arrest any; he resolved to the recorded holovids (and the collaboration of a traitor) to identify and hunt them.[2]
During the Subjugation of Sulon where the Imperials, who were under the command of the mysterious Jerec and a certain captain Thrawn, smashed the local Rebel resistance, the Imperials "decorated" the city walls with the heads of the "traitors", along that of their leader, Morgan Katarn, put on a stake.[3]
A huge administration tower, Government House, was located in the center of the city where the governors and law enforcers once resided. For a time it was home to the Emperor's Hand and Dark Jedi Jerec, who had built it during his governorship.
One year after the Battle of Endor, Rebel agent and Jedi novice Kyle Katarn — Morgan Katarn's son — managed to fight his way through Barons Hed, which was garrisoned with bounty hunters, mercenaries and other thugs hired by the splinter of the Imperial Remnant that was under Jerec's control, and infiltrate the Imperial administration tower.
Locations of interest
- Barons Knoll
Barons Knoll was a hill that the city of Barons Hed was built around. The summit of Barons Knoll was the location of the Government House.
- High Town
A section of the city and was centered around around Barons Knoll.
- Low Town
Low Town was part of the city Barons Hed on Sulon and it contained the street Rimmer's Alley. It was centered around Barons Knoll as well.
- Club Hed
Club Hed was a music club in the city Barons Hed on the moon Sulon.
- Barons Hed Lagoon
The Barons Hed Lagoon was an artificial body of water in Barons Hed. The lagoon was in the middle of a plaza, and was fed by a waterfall. The Barons Hed Lagoon was a large stone pool, and contained no vegetation or life outside of several Drugons. Although it was located right next to an artificial river that flowed out of the city, it was not connected to it, being separated by a wall. Around the edges of the lagoon were a number of residences, a tavern, and the House of Max. A bridge connected the side those buildings were on to the other side of the lagoon, which contained the entrance to an expansive bazaar.
Behind the scenes
In Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, level 5 is played in the town and levels 6 through 8 are played inside the administration tower. Originally, levels five and six were one complete level, but was split into two because of how big it was.[4]
One small section of the level 5 map is based directly on a previously unused Ralph McQuarrie concept painting known as 'Gamorrean Commons'.
If Kyle Katarn is tempted by the Dark Side in the game, then many of the innocent bystanders living in the city die as he slaughters every living being — good and bad — in his quest towards the Dark Side.
Appearances
- Dark Forces: Soldier for the Empire
- Dark Forces: Rebel Agent / audio drama
- Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (First appearance)
Sources
"Lucasfilm's Latest" – Star Wars Insider 29 (Picture only)
"Game Room: Playing with the Dark Side" – Star Wars Galaxy Magazine 8 (Picture only)- The Essential Guide to Droids ("8T88")