what do you know about Kessel?

I need some help here guys. I'm doing a background story for my enlisment into the 501st and need some info on the planet kessel. Such as, Is it an Imperial prison planet? I know they harvest spice there but what else is there? If not Kessel where did the Imperials house political\rebel prisoners ?
I was hoping you rpg guys would have some info from the books. I dont know where else to start. Thanks

 

Read the Jedi Academy Trilogy by Kevin J. Anderson and you will find out all you need to know about Kessel.

Book 1 Jedi Search
Book 2 Dark Apprentice
Book 3 Champions of the Force

 

This is fairly vague, since it's a long time since I read the books...

They mine Glitterstim on Kessel. It is a spice that goes active when exposed to light, it then gives whosoever consumes it a rush and some telepathic abilities for a short time.

As such it must be mined in complete darkness, so the slaves are sent into the mines with IR goggles (1 per 2 slaves) to mine the stuff.

It appears that Glitterstim may be the waste product of some kind of crystaline spider beastie, which sucks heat out of anyone it attacks.

The planet is next to a cluster of Black Holes called the Maw, it is faster, but more dangerous, to go close to the maw on the infamous Kessel run. This is why it is amazing that the Falcon did it under 12 parsecs.

The facility is run by the Imperials at the moment, but smugglers deal with corrupt officers to make massive profits from smuggling glitterstim out.

The planet has a very thin atmosphere, thus making it very dangerous for anyone to try and escape over the surface of the world.

 

Now THATS the info I was looking for.

Go read the books...who are you, Woodsey the Owl?

I'm in the middle of the second Harry Potter. Dont tell me I need to read a whole trilogy for scraps of info.
Thanks JediB

 

The Rebellion Era Sourcebook has a couple of pages on Kessel, the Maw, and that kinda stuff. The whole sourcebook is pretty nifty, too.

 

You are only in 2! All I know is tht Han was enslaved there. I frogot the rest.