Western Sand Sea

The Western Sand Sea was a desert in western Dohm Exann on the planet Caterran, spanning the 1600km expanse between the Saioaran Basin and the coastal shrublands.

Pre-colonial
Owing to its location directly between two major societal zones of Dohm Exann, the Western Sand Sea saw trade routes carved across it for centuries in pre-colonial times. These trade routes were guarded by an order of knights who dwelled in fortified monasteries, the largest of which was located in Aussgen. Many of these knights were killed in the fighting of the Caterran Colony Wars, leading (coupled with the economic troubles of postwar Dohm Exann) to decreased trade and increased instability in the region. The surviving knights retreated to the Aussgen Monastery, abandoning the many monasteries dotted across the dead trade routes. Eventually, the few remaining knights either passed away or left the order, leaving the Western Sand Sea without protection. Only one knight remained active by 0BBY.

Rise in instability
The abandoned monasteries soon were inhabited once more by outlaw bands and militant groups seeking refuge from Republic-affiliated governments.