A look behind the text of the new SWTOR Manaan Story that BioWare released on July 30. Find out what might be hiding in between the lines!
BioWare has released a new short story in the form of an intelligence report about Manaan. It is meant to set the stage for our return to the planet with the release of the next expansion, Legacy of the Sith.
On this planet, we currently have access to the Manaan stronghold and a small staging area for a flashpoint on the planet set during the events preceding the Shadow of Revan Expansion. When 7.0 releases, we will have access to another flashpoint on Manaan as well as a daily area.
If you really want an extra dose of immersion, here’s some Hrakert Station music you can listen to while reading the article.
Intelligence Report: Historical Analysis of Manaan
DISPATCH FOR COMMANDING OFFICERS OF THE IMPERIAL MILITARY
REPORT: MANAAN INVASION
SUBJECT: HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF VULNERABILITIES AND AREAS OF EXPLOITATION
To counteract the Selkath’s blatant disrespect while substantially bolstering our kolto supply, the Dark Council has authorized an offensive against Manaan. Careful planning is required–in the past, the Selkath have guarded against outside aggression by threatening to destroy all of the kolto on Manaan. This risk, coupled with the planet’s completely aquatic surface and lack of sufficient landing zones, necessitates a more cautious approach than our typical military engagements.
MANAAN’S POLITICAL LANDSCAPE: NEUTRALITY AND ISOLATIONISM
In the years since the Selkath returned to the surface and resumed trade with both the Republic and the Empire, it has become increasingly evident that Manaan’s native population have few dedicated allies or friends to call upon. Millennia of isolation have heavily influenced the Selkath’s desire to stand alone, as shown by their steadfast commitment to “neutrality.”
Even if the Selkath had a fully-organized military, the Selkath’s number of Force-wielding combatants is shockingly low. A secretive organization known as the “Order of Shasa”–made up of weak and fanatical fools–is all the Selkath have at their disposal. The extremist members of this order are unlikely to ever align themselves with the Selkath’s government or military, even in times of crisis–a harsh consequence earned by not keeping a tight leash on the Force users in one’s ranks.
Against the might of the Sith and the strength of the dark side, the Selkath stand no chance.
POINTS OF INTEREST AND LOCATIONS TO AVOID
Ahto City
Ahto City, or what remains of it, may seem like a tempting prize, but the half-sunken ruins of Manaan’s former capital should be considered strictly off-limits, for now. While there are most certainly technological and military advancements–as well as profits–to be made from scavenging what was left behind in Ahto City, the return on investment is still considerably low.
The possibility of such rewards is still just that–a possibility. Since the “Devastation of Manaan,” Ahto City’s supportive and foundational structures are largely in disrepair. This is unlikely to change, as the city is mostly submerged in Manaan’s treacherous depths, and has been for decades. Time and effort would be better spent toward a more fruitful endeavor, one that would produce guaranteed assets in our war against the Republic.
Mercantile Plaza
The Mercantile Plaza, where the Empire currently conducts the vast majority of our business with the Selkath, should not be used for military staging of any kind, for any reason whatsoever.
Although the Empire enjoys a stable presence in the Plaza, as well as extensive knowledge of both the Selkath’s and the Republic’s movement within it, any aggression on our part in this area will potentially result in Republic casualties. Doing so would open the door to Republic interference, as they would have just cause to respond in kind. Our goal should be keeping the Selkath as isolated in this fight as possible.
Hidden Resources
Reports indicate that prior to the Revanite crisis, the traitor Darth Arkous worked with a Selkath scientist named Gorima in a facility on Manaan’s ocean floor. As far as we can ascertain, the pair worked together in an attempt to create an army of “super soldiers” out of other Selkath.
The facility was obliterated, and Gorima was killed in the destruction. Rank and file military personnel should avoid the area. I have authorized a separate team, reporting directly to me, to investigate the wreckage and salvage any useful data from Arkous and Gorima’s project. Modifying their work into a tool that could enhance the abilities of our soldiers–or even better, control the Selkath’s forces–would send a firm message to anyone who defies the Empire.
Additionally, assets in my spy network have heard whispers of underwater devices on Manaan–purpose unknown–that once belonged to the unaffiliated spy known only as “The Shroud.” Evidence suggests that the equipment has been abandoned for quite some time. If it can be located, our forces should make an effort to retrieve it before Selkath leadership learns of its existence.
Hrakert Rift
The subaquatic valley known as the Hrakert Rift holds one of the richest deposits of kolto in the entirety of Manaan. Claiming the area for the Empire would undoubtedly solve our medical supply problems, even beyond the end of our war with the Republic–but, until the Empire has established a firm military presence on Manaan, travel to the Hrakert Rift is strictly prohibited.
Should anyone choose to disobey this command, their fate will be decided by the monstrous Firaxan sharks that overrun the Rift.
This report should be taken into consideration in all strategy discussions, effective immediately. That said, all forces are hereby authorized to take the necessary measures to corrupt any relationship or alliance that affords the Selkath resources to wage war against us.
If the collective memory of the Selkath fails to recall the Empire’s last demonstration of power, then new lessons will be visited upon them.
For the Empire.
DARTH XARION, SPHERE OF GALACTIC INFLUENCE
This story was originally published on swtor.com on July 30 2021.
What hides between the lines of the Manaan Short Story
This report was authored by Darth Xarion of the Dark Council as shown above, not to be confused with Darth Rivix, who wears very similar armor and currently acts as the Alliance’s liaison to the new Hand of the Empire.
This story gives us some potential insights into what we will be doing when we return to Manaan in 7.0. The Empire’s purpose will be to secure a vast quantity of Kolto in Hrakert Rift and based on the concept art in the Legacy of the Sith announcement livestream, we will likely be returning there for the flashpoint and/or daily area.
Hrakert Station was a place that Revan went to in KOTOR in search of the Star Map and is home to the Progenitor, a massive firaxan shark that Revan pacified, as show below:
Here is Hrakert Station in KOTOR:
If we are to take the intelligence report at face value, I would guess that the flashpoint will have the Empire taking control of the Hrakert Rift area, which the Republic may attempt to stop us from doing, while the daily area focuses on defending it against the Republic, Selkath, and possibly firaxan sharks. I imagine that procuring the Shroud’s devices will likely be one of the specific missions in the daily area, possibly the heroic mission if they decide to have one there.
It is unclear whether we will be actually going to Hrakert Station or just some other station near there since a lot of the architecture depicted in the concept art shown during the 7.0 announcement livestream appears to be more Imperial in design rather than Selkath. It’s quite reminiscent of the Fortress Inquisitorius that Cal Kestis visits in Jedi: Fallen Order. One of the pictures seems to show Imperial repairs on a Manaan facility though, so perhaps the other image we have been shown depicts an area that ended up needing to be fully rebuilt after the Imperial attack on the Manaan facility.
The report also mentions Ahto City, the former capital of Manaan, though it was destroyed by the Empire as part of the Devastation of Manaan, one of the events that took place during the Great Galactic War that preceded the events of SWTOR and ended with the Treaty of Coruscant.
Xarion’s report does say that the conflict will avoid Ahto City and the currently accessible Mercantile Plaza (I assume this is a way to make it so they don’t have to actually update that area of the planet in the game), so it seems pretty clear we won’t be returning there specifically for this expansion. He did say that there were potentially riches and technological advancements to be plundered at Ahto City, so it’s possible we might go there eventually, just like we eventually got to see the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine after the planet was released as part of the Pirate Incursion event.
Personally, I am on the fence about visiting the ruins of Ahto City sometime in the future. Manaan is one of my favorite planets, but by that time we’ll have been able to visit quite a few underwater facilities, some of which were damaged, so it would probably be a bit too repetitive to return there for a third time. That said, I never really get sick of seeing Jedi and Sith ruins, so who knows? Maybe revisiting Ahto City someday would be cool!
