Star Map

The Star Charts were built as tributes to the reach and power of the Rakatan Infinite Empire. As a result, the Charts held data regarding planets and other significant locations under the Empire's dominion. Most notably, the Charts provided the location of the Star Forge, a gigantic space station that also functioned as a high-output manufacturing center capable of producing war materials at an astonishing rate. The Charts were also equipped with a self-repair mechanism. Even though the ancient Rakata tried to erase the information stored within the Charts, in order to prevent their former slaves from discovering their homeworld and seeking vengeance, these built-in repair systems eventually restored the structures and the data they contained.

A Star Chart was essentially a holographic image-based database stored within a free-standing structure supported by three legs. While the Chart itself was self-contained, it could be linked to external devices, like a computer terminal. Three "arms," etched with runes, extended from the base; these armatures unfolded when the Chart was activated. As the arms locked into position, the base of the structure opened, releasing a projector orb. This orb would then rise from within the base and project a holographic representation of the galaxy. This image highlighted key locations within the Infinite Empire, showcasing the extent of Rakatan influence and control.

Like other Rakatan technology, the Star Charts were infused with the power of the dark side of the Force. Each Chart had unique activation methods, but all could only be activated by individuals strong in the Force. Even those with such power had to overcome the protective measures safeguarding some of the Charts. For instance, the Charts on Dantooine and Kashyyyk were defended by droids and computer systems that tested the minds and bodies of those seeking their secrets. Those deemed unworthy were rejected as "false" and overwhelmed by these defense systems, often resulting in death.

As the Infinite Empire expanded, conquering world after world, the demand for military supplies grew. Starships and weaponry were needed to equip soldiers for combat and to dominate the conquered slaves. To meet this demand, the Rakata constructed the Star Forge. This immense space station and manufacturing facility was considered the Rakata's greatest achievement, but its use came at a high cost, corrupting those who wielded its power. The Star Forge drew its energy from the primary star in the Lehon system, but its use as a tool of conquest and subjugation steeped it in the dark side of the Force.

As the Infinite Empire conquered more planets, Star Charts were created as a tribute to the Star Forge. These Charts were placed on at least five planets, although more may have existed. The Star Charts depicted the extent of the Infinite Empire and revealed the location of its greatest achievement. Some Charts, like the one on Dantooine, were housed within temples dedicated to the Star Forge. Others, such as the Chart on Kashyyyk, were connected to computer systems but not placed within a temple or monument.

The Infinite Empire eventually began to collapse, and more and more worlds began to rebel. To protect and conceal their achievement, the retreating Rakata sabotaged the Star Charts and their accompanying information droids, attempting to erase all vital data. The Star Charts were temporarily rendered useless, and the location of both the Star Forge and the Lehon system was hidden. However, the technology began to self-repair, gradually restoring some of the deleted information. Other data, such as information about the Rakata, remained corrupted and inaccessible upon the Charts' rediscovery.

By approximately 4000 BBY, the Rakata and their Empire had been forgotten by the citizens of the Galactic Republic. Some planets, including the Rakatan homeworld of Lehon, had faded from the memory of the galactic community by that time. The ruins of various monuments and temples scattered across the galaxy served as the only surviving legacy of the Infinite Empire.

Near the end of the Mandalorian Wars, two Jedi Knights, Revan and Malak, uncovered evidence of the existence of the Star Charts and the Star Forge. As Revan and Malak succumbed to the dark side, they continued to lead the Republic fleet against the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders. During preparations for a battle near Malachor V, it is believed that Revan visited the Trayus Academy and learned about the Charts. Following the Battle of Malachor V, Revan took his fleet and disappeared into the Unknown Regions under the pretense of eliminating the remaining Mandalorians. However, during this time, Revan and Malak encountered the reborn Sith Empire on Dromund Kaas. Embracing their cause to reclaim Republic space, the Sith Lords gathered resources and sought out the Star Charts to locate the Star Forge.

Although the Star Charts had been sabotaged by the Rakata during their Empire's decline, they had begun to repair themselves due to their advanced technology. The restored data was limited. Consequently, Darth Revan had to travel to multiple systems, visiting the Star Charts on Dantooine, Kashyyyk, Korriban on at least two occasions, Manaan, and Tatooine. At the time of their rediscovery, enough data could be compiled that, when combined, the Star Forge's coordinates were revealed.

Upon visiting each planet, Revan and Malak faced different challenges to acquire the Chart information. On some planets, computers or droids resisted their efforts. On others, like Korriban, the Chart was found in the Tomb of Naga Sadow and protected by the tomb's ancient defenses. Nevertheless, the pair successfully gathered enough information to trace the Star Forge to the Lehon system. After gaining favor with the Rakatan Elders, Revan and Malak were granted access to the Temple of the Ancients and the Star Forge. With the Star Forge under their control, the Sith Empire, founded by Revan and Malak, was able to amass large quantities of starships, battle cruisers, battle droids, and other weapons to conquer the weakened Republic.

At this time, however, the Charts remained relatively unknown to the broader galaxy. The ruins on Dantooine were investigated by the Jedi Nemo in 3956 BBY. Nemo was killed, however, by the ancient security measures before he could access the room housing the Chart. The Chart on Manaan was discovered by kolto harvesters, but it also remained unopened. Similarly, the Star Chart on Kashyyyk had not been accessed, although it had been discovered by the exiled Jedi Jolee Bindo and other explorers in the Shadowlands who were either hunters or employees of the Czerka Corporation.

The new power created by the Star Forge was combined with Jedi who had fallen during the Battle of Malachor V, and soldiers and officers of the Republic fleet who defected to serve under Revan. In 3959 BBY, the first major victory for the Sith Empire was the surprise attack on the drydocks and shipyards of Foerost, dealing a substantial blow to the remaining Republic Navy. Initially, the Republic, weakened by the Mandalorian Wars, was overwhelmed by the advancing Sith Empire. Under Darth Revan's command, the advancing fleet quickly swept through the galaxy unchecked.

Approximately two years after the devastation of Telos IV, the Republic assigned a small team of Jedi to board Darth Revan's command ship and capture the Dark Lord. During the battle aboard the ship, Darth Malak saw an opportunity to usurp the title of Sith Master. He ordered his vessel to fire on Revan's ship, leaving him unconscious and near death. One of the Jedi, Bastila Shan, used the Force to save Revan from dying and brought him before the Jedi Council.

Eventually, the amnesiac Revan, whose mind had been reprogrammed by the Council, began training as a Jedi again. Not remembering how the Sith Empire had amassed such power, Revan was asked to investigate the ancient ruins near the Jedi Enclave. In 3956 BBY, Revan scouted the ruins, finding the Star Chart as he had years earlier. Armed with this new information, and at the Council's direction on Dantooine, the redeemed Revan once again embarked on the quest for the Star Charts. Joined by Bastila Shan and Carth Onasi, among others, Revan sought to retrace his earlier steps. Finally, after visiting Kashyyyk, Korriban, Manaan, and Tatooine, Revan was able to trace the Star Forge to the Lehon system and set out to destroy it.

One of the first Star Charts discovered by Darth Revan and his apprentice, Darth Malak, was found on Dantooine in the ancient ruins located near the Jedi Enclave. Following the Mandalorian Wars, the duo visited these ruins to track down the Star Chart. Before their initial entry into the depths of the ruins, Malak questioned Revan's certainty about their path. After a moment's hesitation, Revan unsealed the doors. At the time of Revan's arrival during the Mandalorian Wars, this Chart contained the most complete data.

Several years later, when the amnesiac Revan, along with Bastila, re-entered the ruins, an information droid stationed in the main room instructed them on how to reach the Star Chart. Access to the main chamber, located straight ahead, was only granted by completing puzzles in the two rooms situated to the right and left. These rooms contained ancient computer terminals protected by security droids. The ancient droids immediately attacked the party, but they completed the puzzles and entered the main chamber housing the Star Chart.

Attached to an ancient computer terminal, this Star Chart was located on Kashyyyk's surface. Due to a malfunction in the computer system, the native wroshyr trees grew to an immense size, transforming the planet's surface into a wilderness of wild beasts and other creatures known as the Shadowlands. During his exile in the Shadowlands, Jedi Knight Jolee Bindo encountered the Star Chart but could not access it despite his attempts. Wookiee Chieftain Freyyr was also unable to access the device. After traveling deep into the Shadowlands on a mission for Chuundar, the amnesiac Revan learned of the device's existence. Revan, who had accessed the device years earlier in his search with Darth Malak, was able to access it again in 3956 BBY. During the encounter with the computer terminal, Jolee Bindo expressed surprise that the computer recognized Revan and that he could access the attached Chart.

Located in the Valley of the Dark Lords on Korriban, this Star Chart was situated within the unused tomb constructed for the ancient Dark Lord of the Sith, Naga Sadow. Although Sadow lived millennia after the fall of the Infinite Empire, the Chart was located in a room of the burial construct, its access blocked by a pool of acid. While it was said that Revan and Malak visited Korriban twice, it was unknown if the Chart had been accessed both times. Nevertheless, once the Star Forge was under their command, reaching the Star Chart—along with withstanding the tomb's other challenges—became part of an important initiation rite for promising students of the Sith Academy on Korriban.

To access the Chart again, Revan, having been redeemed, had to temporarily join the Academy and perform various tasks to gain prestige with Sith Master Uthar Wynn. After completing these tasks, Wynn considered Revan a promising pupil and a potential candidate for further Dark Jedi training. Once granted access to the tomb, Revan had to overcome the tomb's defenses and the fauna that had taken over the lair. Among the creatures in the tomb were two terentateks. After using special grenades to negate the effects of the acid pool, Revan crossed it and accessed the Chart.

The Star Chart on Manaan, a water world, was located beneath the watery surface along the Hrakert Rift. It is unknown how Revan and Malak initially discovered or reached the ancient artifact, but it was rediscovered by kolto harvesters working for the Republic during the Jedi Civil War. After the harvesters hit the "obstruction" in their efforts to tap into the kolto, the redeemed Revan arrived on Manaan with the crew of the Ebon Hawk. After performing tasks for Roland Wann, head diplomat of the Republic Embassy, he was allowed access to the harvesting station via submersible. Blocking the route to the Chart, however, was the Progenitor, a giant firaxan shark responsible for a recent insurrection by the Selkath at the harvesting station. To appease the beast, the portion of the harvesting station that reached into the rift had to be destroyed. With the station no longer interfering with the natural cycle of the kolto, the Progenitor permitted Revan to cross the rift and access the Chart. At this time, however, the Chart was not protected by ancient droids or visibly near an ancient building.

On Tatooine, the Star Chart was placed inside an ancient Rakatan temple that had been reduced to ruins by the time of Revan and Malak. The ruins were located in the Eastern Dune Sea, a vast, hostile desert expanse. By the time the redeemed Revan visited the ruins in 3956 BBY, a krayt dragon had made its lair there, making access to the Star Chart difficult. The krayt dragon may have been drawn by the dark side energies emanating from the Chart. The dragon was eventually killed by Revan, with the assistance of Komad Fortuna, allowing the Chart to be accessed. The Chart was not attached to any computer systems or security droids at the time of this visit.

The Star Charts first appeared in the game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. They serve as a crucial plot element; the player must acquire the coordinates contained within the Charts to reach the Lehon system and locate the Star Forge.

In the gameplay of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the Star Charts—excluding the one on Dantooine—can be acquired in any order. The order of Charts listed in this article is alphabetical and does not indicate the canonical order in which the Charts were acquired.

The player has the option of embracing the dark side during the game. By doing so, the player uses the Star Charts to reclaim the Star Forge from Darth Malak. Consequently, Revan is crowned the true Dark Lord of the Sith during a ceremony at the Temple of the Ancients. Following the dark-side path has no impact on the ability to access the Charts, except for player interaction with the computer terminal on Kashyyyk, where correctly answering the AI's questions will earn Dark Side points.

When the player discovers the fifth and final Star Chart, its animation will be different. The map will initially open normally, but then the outlines and most of the schematics disappear, leaving six hovering points with various pre-Aurebesh letters flickering above them. Red triangles flicker between these points until two triangles on opposite ends of the Map turn green, and a blue line consisting of small separated rectangles connects the two green triangles. These triangles, points and the line disappear after a couple seconds, then a large star appears in the center. It is surrounded by a transparent sphere divided into grids, which is surrounded by four dotted lines forming circles arranged to look like a solar system. Another large blue line of divided rectangles starts at the edge of the hologram and works its way around the star and ending at a small object in the line closest to the star, which is shaped like a steep upside-down pyramid pointing down at the star it orbits and has more small dotted lines forming circles around it. This is probably a map of the Lehon system, with the star representing the system's sun, Abo, and the outer three rings representing the orbits of the 3 closest planets from the sun (Iwar, Meldina, and Taxiode, in order from first to third from the sun). The closest ring around the star contains the pyramid-shaped object, which probably represents the Star Forge.