Fort Tusken

"We've finally managed to fight off the remaining Sand People from Fort Tusken. As the last one fell, I was overwhelmed with profound pride as the fortress had at last been recovered from the hands of the foul murderers who have soiled its halls for so long. I look forward to sending word to... what's this... another wave of Tusken Raiders has appeared! They seem to fight with renewed vigor and have reinforced their numbers with much more powerful warriors this time. Perhaps my thoughts of victory are far too premature"

―From a personal voice recorder found in a Jawa junk sale^[3]

Fort Tusken, originally known as Tusken, was a settlement on Tatooine that was founded 98 BBY. It was situated on the northern edge of the Jundland Wastes near the Tusken March. It was named after an island on Bestine IV.

History[]

Raiding Fort Tusken — Sand people prepare to raid Fort Tusken.

Fort Tusken was the first settlement established in the northern sector of the temperate zone of Tatooine. The settlement was quite successful during its first two years because its extensive moisture vaporator array pulled enough water vapor from the atmosphere to allow the growing of healthy and bountiful crops. However, Sand people began attacking during the fort's third growing season, destroying several crucial pieces of farm equipment. Although the equipment was repaired, the harsh conditions and continued attacks caused the fort to be abandoned in 95 BBY.^[4] This incident resulted in the term "Tusken Raiders," which thereafter was synonymous with Sand People.

While hiding on the planet Tatooine, Adar Tallon took up residence in the Fort with his wife, Kay, and his servants.^[2]

Fort Tusken was briefly resettled by mercenaries and moisture farmers during the height of the Galactic Civil War, but a union of different clans of Tusken Raiders were able to recapture the fort. At some point during the war, some spacer artists briefly visited the ruins of Fort Tusken in order to paint up a panorama of the area across Tatooine, guided by various columns near certain landmarks.^[5]

After the Battle of Yavin, the bounty hunter Vi'conya T'ili, whose family was killed by the Sand People, encouraged any willing spacer to travel to Fort Tusken and kill some Tuskens.^[6] In 1 ABY,^[7] an Imperial force was sent to Fort Tusken. The Rebel Alliance ignored what happened exactly in the fort but much of the Imperial force was obliterated. The Rebel agent Pashna Starkiller later dispatched a spacer to Fort Tusken in order to retrieve an Imperial dossier with information concerning a particularly ruthless commander who was part of this Imperial force.^[8]

Description[]

The fort itself consisted of four main buildings, and plenty of balconies which offered exceptional defensive positions. Beneath the fort, there were caves which lead directly into the complex. These caves were filled with Tusken Raiders, who were vehemently defending a small pond of water beneath the ground.