For the picture I've added a sandstorm texture on top to give it a more weathered look. Source: https://pixabay.com/images/search/sandstorm/
The main source of the Jedha picture is from: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Jedha

image was created utilizing copilot's AI application and is submitted for formatting/visualization and not part of the actual competition submission of text.

A place once frequented by pilgrims and followers of the Force looking to visit holy sites, Jedha, otherwise known as the Pilgrim Moon, has become a favored location for pirates, smugglers, thieves and treasure hunters. Due to its long winters, the small desert moon has a perpetually cold atmosphere. Since the Empire’s attack on the planet ripped a devastating hole in the moon, the atmosphere has been left devastated and destabilized.

Located in the ruins of an ancient city lost to time, at the base of one of the many mesa’s found across the moon, is an ancient Jedi holy site. The entrance to this holy site was once a closely guarded secret, hidden within the cliff face and accessible only by using the Force. Now, due to the ravages of time, the harsh winds and destabilized atmosphere from the Empire's test firing of the Death Star, hints of the entrance have revealed themselves. Past the entrance are a series of tunnels leading deep below the surface of Jedha towards a cavern so deeply steeped in the living Force it was said that while inside, one could communicate with the spirits of those long since passed.

Not for the faint of heart or claustrophobic, the tunnels below the former Jedi holy site are a mix of natural and man-made caves. The various pathways underground crisscross and have a mix of vertical drops, large open caverns, tight squeezes and more than a few dead ends. Some of the original paths remain, some have caved in, some of them are new, but none are guaranteed to get you to the lost relics and kyber crystals hidden deep in the holiest parts of the caves. Few people make it into the depths of the caverns, they are either brave or stupid and usually a mix of both, and even fewer make their way back out.

Jedha: Remaining Ruins

Once a center for spiritual belief for both the Jedi and Guardians of the Whills, the planet Jedha experienced a tragedy which changed it forever. Devastated by the weapons of the Empire, the land of planet Jedha is a wasteland marred by conflict. The once great holy city lay in ruins, many buildings reduced to rubble and crumbling shadows of their former glory. The occasional survivor or scavenger can be found crawling among the ruins, skittering away from outside contact.

The planet’s surface is a dusty, rocky plateau. Blaster burns from orbital impacts can be seen scattered across the landscape. The ground level of the area is inconsistent. Craters formed from orbital and vehicle munitions dot the landscape, acting as a hazard to those who are unwary and do not keep close attention on where they are traveling.

Additional danger exists in the form of leftover explosives and ammunition scattered among the ruins. The conflict between Rebel Partisans and forces of the Empire required rapid movement and retreat; both forces having left resources behind.

Sentients willing to brave the dangers of this wasteland have the opportunity to turn a profit. For among the blasted ruins of Jedha lay a lucrative secret; an intact cache of Kyber crystals, waiting to be claimed by a sentient with the gumption and skill to secure and transport them.

Pilgrim's Market

Following the destruction of the Holy City during the Galactic Civil War, many of the faithful of Jedha fled from the ruins but still continued to worship. Commerce remained, as did their faith, and so the pilgrims on their path adapted to the newly devastated landscapes of their world, the market becoming nomadic.

Making several stops along the passages that remain to the ruins of the Holy City, the Pilgrim's Market can be found sheltering in the dessicated remnants of catacombs, in the shelter of barren tabletop mesas, and even beside the open clasts of lava flows. Stalls and tents are designed with movement in mind, capable of being collapsed at any moment as the wastelands of Jedha's desert world are well known to house sudden and extreme weather events, most commonly sandstorms. Enduring acolytes batten down their small world wares with clever techniques or technologies common to desert worlds, using portable moisture farming devices and desert-dwelling pack animals and tools made from the local fauna in order to support the lack of available water. Occasionally, Jedha's torrential downpours can still be seen celebrated even in the market's mazes of colorful and dusty tents, citizens dancing in the rain and chanting and shouting their prayers to the Force, salt and mud crusts thick on their skin and splinters of kyber held sacred to their hearts.

When the market is stationary and in good conditions, it is a sprawling affair with seemingly no order to an outside eye. It can be easy to become lost, and traders can be shunning of those who seem of ill-intent or suspicious of Imperial nature. Despite the dizzying array of goods and services, however, the entire thing may disappear in a moment's notice at some unseen signal, leaving unworthy wanderers to the desert's frozen, lonely grasp.

The Ancient Mines

One hundred Kilometers down an ancient mineshaft lies the remnants of an ancient Kyber Mine. The red sandstone crust of Jedha is far away and the twisting caverns and tunnels of the mines are consumed by darkness. once stable and well maintained the tunnels are now in danger of collapsing. Support beams and rocks litter the floors of the tunnels. Catwalks over some of the deeper pits have collapsed and the cataclysm from the Death Star test firing have cause deep fissures. Old equipment and generators line several of the walls. The generators are functional but turned off allowing individuals to attempt to light individual sections of the caverns if they can find the equipment in the dark.

Each combatant enters through a separate lift on either side of the mine. The turbo lift automatically returns to the surface until called for by a biometric scanner in the middle of the largest cavern. It however only calls down the opposite lift than the combatant entered the mines with. Additionally only one lift can be called at a time creating a race to find the scanner and return to the surface before your opponent does the same. Winners are only declared after one entrant reaches the surface.

The moon of Jedha has been a barren wasteland, more so than before, since the Death Star was turned against it. This moon had once been used to mine Kyber for the weapons of the Jedi. Kanal stood atop a destroyed mountain, at least what was left, as he stared out against the backdrop. The Children of Mortis want to find fractures of Kyber that they can use for their own purposes and it was Kanal's job to scout out the locations for planetary bombardment.

There were several locations that were fully exposed to the air after the ground had been overturned. Kanal could clearly see the Kyber ore exposed like a baby being born. There were several locations that were crawling with Mortis troops. Kanal dropped his scanner and marked the locations for the Brotherhood forces to come in and sweep away. Within moments Fighters and bombers of all types from around the Brotherhood clans, descended into the atmosphere and began bombing the marked targets. Some of the Mortis ships tried to take off to deal with the attacks but were unable to. The ships crashed back to the planet causing secondary explosions on top of the bombings that were already happening below.

Ruins on Jedha

Ancient ruins have survived the moon’s shift towards a volcanic and hostile environment. What was once a bustling center of culture, is now a crumbling and dangerous region. This ancient city sits along the wall of a plateau with buildings built up along the surface and tunnels dug into the wall. Many chambers have collapsed while some are barely held up by the crumbling architecture. An open circular area centered along the ruins of the ancient city lays devoid of any buildings where one might imagine was the center for trade. From here, large steps leading into a building protruding from the wall of the plateau can be seen. This building appears to be the most stable as it was once the people’s main religious or other governing body’s base and is reflected in its superior architecture.

While there are other smaller buildings and rubble surrounding the city center and presumed temple, they are deemed too dangerous to enter without carefully assessing the damage and could crumble upon the slightest shock. Inside the temple, an ominous aura looms as if an ancient and dark relic remains and holds the complex together. A complex network of chambers and tunnels have been carved out in the past, but many have crumbled or filled with volcanic gas unable to escape.