Nirauan - Capital Planet of the Empire of the Hand
Nirauan is the location of the Hand of Thrawn Fortress in Timothy Zahn's Hand of Thrawn Duology, Specter of the Past and Visions of the Future, and never really visited again after that in Legends, except for what amounted to a cameo mention in Survivor's Quest. As the Capital of the Empire of the Hand, I needed to expand upon it, a LOT more, for my AU, if the Hand itself is going to be an Empire in more than just name.
A lot of my features for Nirauan and its governing are are taken from my original novel idea, the Spiral Empire, and its "protagonist" people, the Chie. Please see my post on the Chie for more info.
Note that the Empire of the Hand uses the same date system as the Empire proper - dating things from the establishment of the Empire (BEE and AEE - Before and After Establishment of the Empire). I seriously doubt they'd use the Rebels' goalpost of the Battle of Yavin. For readers' sake, however, I will put in both dating systems.
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A former colony of the Rakatan Infinite Empire over 27, 000 years ago, Nirauan was long marked on Galactic maps, but unoccupied and ignored by the wider galaxy for millennia because of its relative distance from even minor Lesser Space hyperspace lanes, with only the occasional visit from curious archeologists to its one notable ruin on the south-eastern continent, the ancient Rakatan “High Tower”, a fortress with five distinctive towers reaching out of the surrounding jungle landscape, a profile resembling the fingers of a human (or Chiss) hand. Although ancient, the fortress was remarkably well-built and durable, making for a perfect planetary base and “starting point” for then-Commander Thrawn’s “mapping expedition” to the Unknown Regions in 10 AEE (10 BBY). Thrawn’s wife Xelarra, a trained librarian, created the fortress’ physical library and information databases, to archive not only the findings of the expedition, but also any other information that both she and Thrawn deemed relevant. (so pretty much everything)
(the only picture of the Hand of Thrawn Fortress I've been able to find online. Original artist sadly unknown. Please let me know if you know who it is!)
The “Hand of Thrawn”, as Imperial personnel took to calling the base, became one of the most extensive libraries in the Galaxy, rivaling Coruscant’s Imperial Palace Library, Alderaan’s Royal Archives, or Csilla’s Expeditionary Library. The Fortress is a functioning military base as well, with turbolaser batteries on the pinnacles of each tower, a squadron of TIE Defenders, and a full battalion of stormtroopers protecting its archives.
After the arrival of the Rogue Phalanx – Chiss who left the Chiss Ascendency and made the difficult journey through the Chaos, exiling themselves to join Thrawn – in 13 AEE (7 BBY), it became apparent that the “mapping expedition” could no longer be just a military operation. A local civilian population had to be established as well, besides the few civilians, mostly family members of the Imperial crew of the ISD Admonitor, who had been residing in and around the Hand of Thrawn fortress up to that point. With support from the Imperial army forces under Thrawn’s command, the first civilian settlement was established on the north-western continent, on almost the exact opposite side of the planet from the Hand of Thrawn Fortress. This is so that if either settlement is attacked from orbit, the other will likely be relatively safe, and can quickly dispatch forces to support the other.
World type: Terrestrial planet, 38 850 km equatorial circumference, 0.92 standard (Coruscant) gravity. Standard nitrogen/oxygen atmosphere.
Solar system: Orbits Nira, a K-type orange dwarf main sequence star, approx. 4.3 billion years old, 0.82 standard stellar masses, sole stellar body in the solar system. Second planet from its sun of seven (in orbital order): 3 terrestrial 1 super-terrestrial, 2 gas giants, 1 ice giant, numerous dwarf planets past the ice giant located in the system’s Kuiper Belt. Standard asteroid belt between the super-terrestrial and the first gas giant.
Moons: Two, medium-sized, lifeless, no atmosphere.
Surface conditions: Two continents, a mostly temperate north-western, and the tropical south-eastern. Standard composition saltwater ocean in between. Average plate tectonics, with population centres located away from more geologically-active areas.
Established in 13 AEE (7 BBY), the Capital City of Nirauan and by extension, of the Empire of the Hand itself, this is the primary population centre of the planet, with the city and its surrounding area housing more than two thirds of the entire planetary population of approx. 10 million (not bad for a colony world settled less than half a century ago). Chakra has a temperate climate and experiences four seasons regularly – spring, summer, autumn and winter -- with widely differing average seasonal temperatures. The area is surrounded by thick, deciduous forests, brilliantly coloured in autumn.
The city itself is almost divided into two by an ancient glacial escarpment cutting across the middle of the city. Below the escarpment, the city is compact, reaching towards the oceanic waterfront – from which submersible public transit can be taken to the aquatic town of Aquril, home to water-breathing sapients, off Chakra’s coast. Above the escarpment, the city is more spread out, featuring numerous city parks and wild areas.
Overlooking the lower city, one can spot the Houses of Parliament, built a short distance away from the edge of the escarpment, from where the members of parliament, representing all inhabited Empire of the Hand worlds, meet and govern (unlike the chronic lack of representation in the New Republic’s senate for Outer Rim/Wild Space members), with Empress Xelarra overseeing sessions of Parliament. Walk down a path from the Houses of Parliament, through the beautiful Parliamentary Gardens (and past the memorial to Sheev Palpatine, historically the first Emperor of the Hand), and you will reach the Imperial Palace Museum, the city’s (and arguably the entire Empire of the Hand’s) most popular cultural centre. The Museum houses an art gallery, archeological and cultural exhibits representing all Empire of the Hand member species and major cultural groups, a massive public library and a musical/theatrical performance centre, with a large, white marble statue of our beloved Grand Admiral Thrawn, standing tall in front of the main entrance. Empress Xelarra and her children also reside in a penthouse residence above the Museum while they are in Chakra.
Other city features of note include the “Little Ryloth” neighbourhood, inhabited mainly by the Twi’lek people, the "Hunting Lodge", a inn/tavern/"guild house" owned and operated by Trandoshans and a popular spot with the city's reptilian population, the Chakra City spaceport, and adjacent military barracks/headquarters (there is usually a star destroyer or two in orbit at any given time), “Toraton Park”, which features a children’s playground in the shape of a large animal native to the south-eastern continent, hiking trails through the forest along the escarpment which cross by several small but scenic waterfalls, and the waterfront trails and beach, especially popular in the summer season.
Chakra is a safe, family-friendly city, with numerous amenities for children like public parks, library branches and both indoor and outdoor playgrounds. Older children often roam and explore, unaccompanied by their parents.
Chakra and the other settlements on Nirauan enjoy a socialist planetary government. All citizens, regardless of income level, are provided with the necessities of life, much as personnel in the military are. All citizens have access to healthy food, clean water, basic but comfortable and safe housing – including all utilities, public transportation across the north-western continent, and free access to public education from preschool up to the university/academy level and healthcare. The Imperial Credit is mostly used for “extra” luxuries, and partaking of the city’s thriving small businesses.
In times of danger, Chakra City and the surrounding area is protected by a strong planetary shield, and even cloaking devices to hide the city’s precise location from orbit. Not that there’s much to worry about with Nirauan’s planetary defense fleet always on alert, and there usually being at least a few star destroyers in the solar system at any given time.
(See Hamilton, Toronto and Ottawa, Ontario, as my major inspirations for Chakra City, with some completely imaginary features thrown in, like the Imperial Museum)
Other population centres:
Aquril
Underwater town in the ocean near the north-western continent, a short submersible ride away from Chakra. Originally founded by a small group Quarren, who emigrated to the Empire of the Hand, stating their planetary neighbours, the Mon Calamari, were becoming too intertwined with the New Republic. Since its founding, Aquril has welcomed other aquatic sapients and has a limited area within which air-breathing sapients can visit.
Ch’ao’sur
Chiss-majority town found in the northen polar region of the north-western continent, above the Arctic circle. Most citizens of the town grew up on Csilla, and actually missed the brutal cold of their homeworld. The town has become a popular resort for winter arts and outdoor activities such as Csillan ice sculpting and a rather rough, ice-played sport called “hoc’key”, tundra tours to watch the native animals in their natural habitats, soaking in natural geothermal pools and observing the night sky, including magnificent aurorae – the town’s namesake (“Ch’ao’sur being the Cheunh word for aurora).
(inspired by Churchill, Manitoba, with combined with Japanese hotspring resorts)
Cacao Town
Small farming community close to the Hand of Thrawn Fortress, the only civilian settlement on the tropical (but hot, humid and rainy) south-eastern continent. Largely responsible for growing the Empire of the Hand’s supply of cocoa beans (the Empress herself offers grants to many of the farms – she loves chocolate). Also houses a small research facility for Explorers and civilian scientists to document the architectural ruins from the Rakatans and the wildlife and ecology of the surrounding jungles.
Notable wildlife:
Nirauan's ecosystem seems to be at an "earlier" developmental stage than many planets sapients are more used to (about equivalent to Earth's Cretaceous period), with no native mammals at all. All land-based vertebrates are amphibians, reptiles or birds.
Toratons - (a giant tortoise/sauropod – borrowed from the speculative evolution mini-series “The Future is Wild)
Giant, but gentle herbivorous reptiles almost the size of AT-AT walkers, with long, muscular necks, leaf-snipping beaks, and hard shells covering their backs. Their annual migration is a celebrated event on Nirauan, as they pass by Cacao Town and by the Hand of Thrawn Fortress itself, holo-recorded each year for Chakra City’s Toraton festival, with select citizens getting to watch the migration live. The Empress’ throne is actually made from a fossilised Toraton shell, and they are considered the planetary animal of Nirauan, symbolising tenacity.
(a model AT-AT and Toraton, showing their size comparison)
Windrunners - (based on the Great Blue Windrunner, also from The Future is Wild)
Brilliant sky-blue avians with four wings, on their forelimbs in the usual avian way, and a secondary pair on their hind legs, and a long, fan-like tail. They land on tall mountain cliffs (or the sides of buildings in Chakra) for only a few weeks per year to lay their two eggs, with the hatchlings using their wing claws to cling to their parents’ back shortly after hatching until they can fly themselves. Feeds on smaller, more typical avians, hunting them down on the wing. The Starfighter corps demonstration TIE Defender squadron (think like the Snowbirds or Blue Angels in RL) is named and painted in their honour.
(A Microraptor (RL dinosaur), which is closer to how I envision Nirauan's Windrunner than The Future is Wild's version. Art by Serpenillus on Instagram)
Qoms – (Legends canon, featured in the Hand of Thrawn Duology by Timothy Zahn. I’m imagining them as pterodactyl-like creatures with the attitudes and comparable intelligence of corvids - crows, ravens, jays, etc.)
Semi-sapient avians native to the jungles and caves of the south-eastern continent. Curious, intelligent but sometimes destructive creatures, they are generalist hunters and scavengers in their ecosystem, but often make pests of themselves around the Hand of Thrawn fortress, sometimes playing with or stealing small equipment, and biting personnel who try to intervene. Come in two forms – the smaller Qom Quae nest on cliffs (and are favourite prey of Windrunners, despite their own double-wings suggesting a common evolutionary ancestor), while the larger Qom Jha live in caves, hanging from stalactites. The two forms often cooperate to avoid predators and pester sapients. Ways of gentle discouragement of this behaviour are being researched, with some Explorers hopeful they can eventually be trained. A refugee sky-walker once claimed the creatures were “talking” to her, but there is no substantial evidence to back up such a claim.
(art from Wookieepedia)
Pollas (tiny park sauropod dinosaurs!)
Small, long-necked, herbivorous reptiles, distant relatives of Toratons. These gentle and curious creatures inhabit the deciduous forests of the north-western hemisphere, feeding on the leaves of undergrowth plants and low-lying branches and saplings, but avoiding deep leaf litter for fear of their major predator, the forest lisvi. They have found Chakra’s city parks to their liking, with sapients often feeding them leafy green vegetables. Some sapients, including Princess Andorra, have adopted Pollas as pets.
(inspired by the above pic)
Forest Lisvi (leaf-living “alligator/toad”, from an idea introduced in an Orson Scott Card novel, until his version ended up just being a bear using fallen leaves as cover. I wanted to “fix” that. “Lisvi” is the Cheunh word for “shark”)
Predatory amphibians which make their homes in the thick fallen leaves that carpet parts of the deciduous forest floor on the north-eastern continent, sometimes reaching piles meters deep. They are long and slender creatures with long jaws full of sharp, pointed teeth and a thick, muscular tail. Forest Lisvi will ambush prey from the leaf litter, seeming to “swim” through the covering slowly until they are within striking range, often camouflaged to resemble a fallen log. They usually prey upon small herbivores like Pollas, but large or brash individuals may attempt attacks on sapients. The easiest way to avoid them is to keep to marked hiking trails and avoid deep leaf litter.
Leptonyx (reptilian creature inspired by a Leopard Seal crossed with a Polar Bear)
Vicious, arctic predator that has a habit of swimming under thin layers of sea ice, or even "through" thick snow banks, in order to ambush its prey from below. While their habitat is so remote that they are rarely a problem, Leptonyx can and will see sapients as a valid food source, and those accustomed to such habits can present a real danger around Ch'ao'sur. One particularly troublesome specimen was hunted by the Kaleesh Army General of the Empire of the Hand, Bentilais san Sk'ar, and his Trandoshan mate Lieutenant-Commander Yuna of the Imperial Navy, at the request of Ch'ao'sur town officials.
Ysalamiri (Legends canon - “Heir to the Empire” trilogy)
Imported from the forest planet of Myrkr, which Grand Admiral Thrawn discovered during his campaign of 28 AEE (9 ABY - Heir to the Empire trilogy). These fuzzy, lizard-like animals (singular: ysalamir) found Chakra City’s temperate climate agreeable. Ysalamiri feed by inserting their claws into their host trees branches, absorbing nutrients through their claws directly from the tree, though they still have mouths in order to drink water, and sometimes do try to eat offered food, like leaves, though this is not recommended as their digestive systems have atrophied. They enter into a symbiotic relationship with the trees they inhabit, actually enhancing the trees’ overall health (possibly by sharing immune cells with their host trees, helping to fight off diseases). They hibernate through the winter, curling up in the forks of large branches in large groups, cuddling together for warmth. Usually silent, they can make a distinctive "squeak" call when alarmed or annoyed (like that of a desert rain frog).
Ysalamiri make friendly, low-maintenance, popular pets among the Empire’s citizens, including Empress Xelarra herself, who owns an albino specimen gifted to her by Grand Admiral Thrawn. Streets and avenues in Chakra City are lined with trees, most prominently the native elpam tress, which produce an edible (and sweet) syrupy sap, which ysalamiri seem to enjoy the most of any native tree. Almost every tree in the city houses at least a few ysalamiri, and they are slowly spreading across the rest of the north-western continent, improving the health of the forest for all native species. They have also been imported to many other Empire of the Hand worlds, and some have even made their way to the Chiss Ascendency. Some in the Hand hope to introduce ysalamiri throughout the Chiss Ascendency, especially on agricultural worlds such as Ool, as they can greatly help the productivity of fruit tree orchards.
(ysalamiri on Wookieepedia)
(or so goes the "public" discourse on Ysalamiri. In truth, Empress Xelarra would like to spread the little fuzzy lizards - and their Force-blocking ability - though the Chiss Ascendency to make it less and less likely they'll find any more candidates to be sky-walkers, inching towards eliminating the cruel program all together, and encouraging the Chiss Ascendency to consider the Empire of the Hand's hyperspace beacon network as an alternative).
updated Oct 26 2025 - added in Leptonyx in Nirauanian wildlife.
