Ugnaught Surface/Legends

"Many humans will try an' tell ye there ain't no such thing as the surface o' Bespin, an' technically they be right -- that's why Boss Ugnor decided the planet needed one. Usin' leftover materials from the construction project floatin' overhead, materials given freely by a grateful Baron Figg, Boss Ugnor led thousands of Ugnaughts in a second massive construction project. An' as ye can see, the Surface has evolved o'er time, just as any landscape would."

―Ars Fivvle^[2]

The Ugnaught Surface was the name of the artificial Ugnaught colony built in the atmosphere of the planet Bespin, just one kilometer below the main colony of Cloud City.

Characteristics

The Ugnaught Surface measured approximately one square kilometer in surface area and contained artificial swamps, marshes, and jungles that were reminiscent of Gentes. No herbivores or large predators were known to inhabit the Surface, but a crashed ship had brought in stinging nank flys.^[3]

Many sections of the internal plasteel structure were exposed to the elements due to rough weather and aircar collisions, with some girders repurposed to become tourist walkways.^[1]

The Surface remained stable and floating at an ideal altitude thanks to a large set of tibanna gas-filled bladders.^[1] Its bowl-shaped structure allowed condensing moisture to be collected from Bespin's atmosphere, which could then be used to feed the artificial landscapes.^[3]

History

The city was originally the vision of Boss Ugnor, a popular Ugnaught leader that had helped Ecclessis Figg build Cloud City. Using donated, left-over materials from the construction of Ecclessis Figg's city, the Surface was used as a base, where Ugnaughts could mine the ores and minerals used to construct the Cloud City facility. Later on, it became somewhat a place for tourists overflowing from the crowds on Cloud City after the fall of the Empire.^[1]

While the population was constantly changing, the Surface generally held between 10,000 to 20,000 Ugnaughts, not counting visitors.^[3]

When Lando Calrissian took over as Baron Administrator of Cloud City, he promised to double the wages of Ugnaught miners, provided that any tibanna refining on the Surface ended.^[4]