Qiilura

Qiilura is a planet with a temperate climate in the Mid Rim, located about forty light-years from Ord Mantell. Its landscape consists of islands with fertile soil, deep river inlets, hilly plains, deciduous forests, and lakes; there are also mines where zeka quartz and green silicates were extracted. Known among the local non-predatory fauna are gdans, merlies, and vheks.

Qiilura is the homeworld of the Gurlanins, sentient shapeshifting predators. By the time of the Clone Wars, a human colony of about two hundred thousand farmers had become firmly established on the planet. The economy was based on agriculture: barq, kushayan, and other delicacies were produced here, and merlie meat was exported. Qiilura supplied a significant share of the galactic market for fine foods and drinks, but the planet was controlled by the Neimoidian trader Lik Ankkit, who left the farmers a negligible part of the profits, so that most of the inhabitants eked out a meager existence.

At the beginning of the Clone Wars, Qiilura was home to a Separatist biological weapons laboratory developing a pathogen targeting clones. The task of destroying it was assigned to the Republic commando squad Omega; at the same time, the fate of the Jedi stranded on the planet was being decided. The consequences of the operation resulted in a galactic shortage of barq and struck both the Trade Federation and the ruined farmers.

The planet's subsequent history was shaped by an agreement between the Republic and the Gurlanins and the related evacuation of the human colony, and in 20 BBY Qiilura became a battlefield during the Confederacy's annexation of the system. With the coming of the Empire, the planet was occupied by stormtroopers, and later it found itself within the territory seized by the Yuuzhan Vong.