Yavin, in the system of the same name, is an orange gas giant nearly 200,000 kilometers in diameter with a strong magnetic field. The planet occupies the outermost position in the system and has dozens of moons, three of which (designated four, eight, and thirteen) can support humanoid life. Refracted light from the system's star causes the planet to seemingly glow with an inner light. Yavin's atmosphere, almost 65,000 kilometers deep, is composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, and the windstorms at this level often exceed 600 km/hour. Throughout this upper atmosphere live several varieties of floating gasbag creatures, which breed once every century. Most are non-predatory and feed on drifting algae, but two species (the floater shark and floater squid) prey on their fellow animals. Yavin's metallic core is surrounded by a thick layer of frozen liquids under tremendous pressure. Many species of nearly two-dimensional "crawlers" live in this frozen layer, at pressures that would crush most other lifeforms. The pressures are so great that carbon and metallic hydrogen are compressed together to form quantum crystals called Corusca gems. The gems, found only at Yavin's core, glow with an inner light and are the hardest substance known in the galaxy. Due to their uniqueness and rarity they are extremely valuable. The Damarind Corporation, an enormous galaxywide consortium of jewel merchants, had an exclusive contract with the Empire to harvest Corusca stones from Yavin. Damarind Fishing Station, in orbit above the gas giant, retrieved gems for several years until eventually going bankrupt due to economic difficulties. Immediately following the Battle of Yavin, an Imperial Salvage Station was temporarily set up in the planet's orbit to analyze the debris from the destroyed Death Star. Seven years after the Battle of Endor, the New Republic attempted to dispose of the Sun Crusher by depositing it in the planet's dense core, but it was quickly retrieved by Kyp Durron. One year later, following an intense battle at Yavin 4, Admiral Daala's Super Star Destroyer Knight Hammer plunged into Yavin's atmosphere and was destroyed. Nineteen years after Endor, Lando Calrissian established GemDiver Station in Yavin's atmosphere to retrieve Corusca gems from the lower levels. The station operated by dropping a quantum-plated diving bell via an energy tether down to Yavin's core, where the largest gems can be found. Jacen and Jaina Solo were kidnapped from GemDiver Station following an Imperial attack. [SW, SWN, DA, DLOS, YJK, GG2, DS]