Pre - Republic era The Pre - Republic Era ( — 25 , 053 BBY ) , also known as the Early Hyperspace Age , was the period before the formation of the Galactic Republic . It included the formation and evolution of all the species of the galaxy , the dawn of their civilizations and their first developments in space travel , and ended in approximately 25 , 053 BBY , when the Republic was founded . Pre - Republic history was largely dominated by ancient and mysterious species who developed interstellar travel long before Humans and other , more well - known species . Such species included the Columi , Killik s , and Rakata . The names and histories of some of these species have been entirely lost to time , including the Celestial s . In their travels about the galaxy , many of these civilizations affected the evolution and cultural development of the more primitive species that would later dominate galactic affairs . Some built massive , mysterious structures for these and other purposes , including Centerpoint Station , the Maw , the Foundry , and the Star Forge . History . In the beginning , there was the Big Bang . Eventually , the galaxy and life on its planets came into being . For billions of years , those species evolved and formed civilizations , and eventually a few took to the stars . These first spacefarers have been forgotten , their only legacy the large artificial structures they left behind . The Corellian system was an artificial creation from this era , and the Drall and Selonian s were transplanted by one of these unknown species to planets within the system . The presence of certain flora and fauna on many different worlds , such as the bantha , was likely also due to the intervention of these advanced species . The ancient species of the galaxy took a hand in the shaping of many worlds as well ; Kashyyyk and Tatooine were two such planets whose biospheres were manipulated by these civilizations . Some time after this , the Devaronians became one of the first identified species to develop space travel . For a time little happened on a galactic scale ; species such as the Gree and Columi rose briefly before disappearing again . After the independent discovery of a mystical power on several worlds across the galaxy , a group of mysterious vessels gathered Force - sensitives and brought them together to the Deep Core world Tython . In 36 , 453 BBY , the Je ' daii Order was founded to codify beliefs and study about the Force . The first known civilization to seize power on a large scale was the Rakatan Infinite Empire . By 30 , 000 BBY it reached its peak , spanning worlds as far apart as Dantooine and Honoghr , although in actual number , it was composed of relatively few planets . The Rakata embraced slavery to fuel their Empire , ruling tyrannically over many species , including the Ghorfa , Selkath , and Humans . As a monument to their power , they built the Star Forge , an artifact of the dark side that powered their vast war machine . Meanwhile , on Tython , an equally important development was occurring . In 25 , 793 BBY , some of the mystics wished to use the power of the Force to increase their own stature , and the followers of the Bogan , as they called it , soon found themselves in conflict with the followers of the Ashla , and soon Tython was engulfed in the Force Wars . By 25 , 783 BBY , the side of the Ashla won , and in the wake of the war , they formed themselves into an order of monastic knights dedicated to the principles of peace and harmony . The Jedi had been born . The Infinite Empire soon found itself stretched too far , and the aggression that powered it turned the Rakata on themselves . A slave revolt throughout the Empire , a plague that killed only Rakata , and a civil war that broke out on their homeworld of Lehon quickly sped the Empire to its collapse around 25 , 200 BBY . Free from Rakatan oppression , the former slave species of Humans and Duros developed rapidly , adopting abandoned Rakatan technology to speed innovation along . Within 200 years , hyperspace travel made it feasible to travel quickly , cheaply , and conveniently between planets across the galaxy . In 25 , 130 BBY in the Outer Rim Territories , the warlord Xim came to power in the Tion Cluster . He unified its governments into a highly expansionist empire and set about conquering its neighbors . As he reached the Si ' Klaata Cluster , this brought him into conflict with the Hutts , whom he fought to a standstill at the First and Second Battles of Vontor . The Hutts signed the Treaty of Vontor with the native species of the Si ' Klaata Cluster , recruiting them to fight Xim . When they fought again at the Third Battle of Vontor , Xim was finally defeated and captured . The species of the galaxy were ready to unite . The hyperdrive had been perfected and the Core Worlds were freely accessible . The Unification Wars were the last major conflict before this could happen , and in their wake , the Galactic Republic was created with the signing of the Galactic Constitution . Thus ended the Pre - Republic era , and so began the Expansionist and Old Republic era . Civilization . Little was known about the details of individual civilizations . The presence of single planetary governments in the years of the Republic suggested that most worlds became unified under one government during this time . Many of the species that would become predominant in later eras originated in the Core Worlds , including Humans . However , it was notable that most of the ancient interstellar empires originated in the Outer Rim Territories and beyond , including the Rakata and Gree . Humans . Conflicting theories on the origins of Humans abound , but prominent historians believed that Coruscant was their most - likely homeworld . The Zhell were the earliest - known Human civilization , composed of thirteen nations , but nothing on them remained except the poem " Dha Werda Verda " , describing their ancient battles with the Taung . As Humans developed interstellar travel , they colonized many worlds , including the Core Worlds of Alderaan , Corellia , Axum , Alsakan , and Metellos . The presence of Humans on the Outer Rim world of Argai was a mark of the extent of Human colonization efforts . When the Infinite Empire arose , Corellia and Coruscant fell under their control and were forced into slavery , until the Empire ' s collapse . Xim ' s Empire . Descended from early Coruscanti colonists , the pirate Xim built an empire in the Tion Cluster in 25 , 130 BBY , conquering and unifying the many governments of the cluster . To eliminate the enemies of his empire , he formed a secret police force , the GenoHaradan , who would outlast the empire by over twenty thousand years . Eventually , his imperialism brought him into conflict with the Hutts . He was defeated , and his empire destroyed , at the Third Battle of Vontor . Azure Imperium . The Azure Imperium was an empire of Core Worlds lying along the Perlemian Trade Route . Its capital was Axum , whose sister world Anaxes provided the shipyards and defenses that guarded the Axum system . Hundreds of years before the Republic , the Imperium was peacefully annexed by Coruscant . Seoularians . The Seoularian s were a Human race from Seoul 5 whose civilization spanned many planets , and the ruins of whose garrisons could still be found on several planets eons later , after they had gone extinct . They were technologically advanced and had created a set of crystals capable of boosting mental energy and generating great power , enough to destroy a planet when brought together . The Seoularians were killed in a massive war , which was mistakenly believed to have destroyed their homeworld . They worshiped the mother goddess Onrai , mistress of the planet Notron , their name for the homeworld of humanity . Humans , when viewing statuary of Onrai , sometimes felt a strange familiarity with her . Duros . The Duros were early pioneers of space travel . Like Humans , they spread amongst the stars of the Core , colonizing worlds such as Neimoidia . They too were enslaved by the Infinite Empire . Duro ' s government was a hereditary monarchy . The last ruler of the Duros before the foundation of the Republic was Queen Rana Mas Trehalt . Infinite Empire . The Rakatan Infinite Empire spanned much of the galaxy , though its worlds numbered few . The Infinite Empire was built on the backs of slaves and powered by the Star Forge . The Rakata used the Force to carve their Empire out , as it powered their hyperdrive technology and the Star Forge itself . This use of the Force for conquest turned the Forge into an artifact of the dark side , and may have been what eventually blinded their species to the Force . That , a vicious plague that swept the Empire and killed only Rakata , and a sudden slave uprising eventually resulted in the fall of the Empire , and the Rakata retreated to their home planet of Lehon . Hutts . Originating on Varl , the Hutts built their expansionist Hutt Empire in the Outer and Mid Rims . They colonized several worlds , including Ko Vari and Evocar , where they encroached on the native Evocii population and eventually became the dominant force in the galaxy for a few centuries , between the decline of the Rakata and the rise of the Republic . The Hutt victory over the forces of Xim at Vontor and their conscription of the Klatooinians , Nikto , and Vodran cemented their place as a permanent power in the region later known as Hutt Space . Sith . The Sith species originated on the planet Korriban . Though they engaged in practices such as sentient sacrifice , held a strong caste system , and were in an almost constant state of war , their civilization was quite sophisticated ; they saw these acts not as cruel or barbaric , but simply basic aspects of existence . Their social order was very rigid , and while many rose to the title of Sith Lord , only one , King Adas , attained the position of monarch . Circa 28 , 000 BBY , Adas , marked as a chosen one from a young age by his unusual black skin , united the nations of Korriban in violent warfare . He took the title of " Sith ' ari " , meaning " overlord " , and was seen by his people as an immortal being who would rule forever . Eventually the Rakata arrived on Korriban . Pretending to ally themselves with Adas at first and giving him the technology of holocrons , they soon revealed their intentions and attempted to conquer the Sith . Adas and the Sith fought back and drove off the forces of the Infinite Empire , with the king giving his life in the process . Without Adas ' s strong hand , Korriban soon collapsed into civil war , with many naming themselves " Sith ' ari " . The massive infighting eventually forced the Sith to relocate their capital to Ziost . Columi . Around 100 , 000 BBY , the Columi left their homeworld of Columus and surveyed the galaxy , observing in particular the civilizations of Coruscant and Duro . Finding nothing of interest , they returned to Columus . Gree . In the Outer Rim , the Gree built their own interstellar civilization . Gree society was centered around innovation , with all principal social castes except administrators involved in the design , creation , and use of new inventions . The Gree created several marvels of technology , many of whose secrets were lost to time . The Gree civilization , like many other such ancient civilizations , eventually decayed into a shadow of its former glory . Kwa . A reptilian species , the Kwa , lived on Dathomir and built the Infinity Gate s that allowed them to teleport between worlds . Eventually the Kwa civilization collapsed , nearly exterminated by the Rakata . Sharu . The Sharu , a humanoid race native to the Rafa system , constructed colossal plastic pyramids and the Mindharp of Sharu , a strange object that constantly changed form as it shifted through dimensions . During this time , the Sharu developed an enormous fear of something , believed to be the Celestials , and hid underground , using mind altering life orchards to drain their intelligence and becoming the primitive Toka . Killiks . Originating on Alderaan , the insectoid Killik species developed space travel and eventually expanded to the nearby world of Alsakan . In approximately 35 , 000 BBY the species was driven from the Core into the Unknown Regions by the Celestial s . When Human colonists arrived on these worlds millennia later , the only signs of prior civilization were the massive mounds they had left behind , including the Castle Lands of Alderaan . Technology . With most worlds isolated from each other , the technological history of the Pre - Republic era largely consisted of the typical developments required to form an industrial civilization . Worlds can be expected to have undergone their equivalents of a , , and so forth . At some point , each species would have developed the means to leave their planet and travel at sublight speeds , resulting in a . The first warships appeared in this time period as well , primitive nuclear - powered rockets with basic laser weaponry . As beings sought to reach beyond their own star systems , they invented technologies such as sleeper ship s that enabled them to spread their civilizations throughout the stars without traveling faster than light . It was in this way that Humans first spread to worlds throughout the galaxy . In this period , quintillions of engineering pioneers helped develop and refine the hyperdrive , following the fall of the Infinite Empire . Their efforts culminated in the device that would remain the predominant way of facilitating interstellar travel for over 25 , 000 years . The discovery of hyperspace travel was the first step towards the eventual unification of the galaxy by providing species with a means to break the light barrier . The first technology to utilize this was the hyperspace cannon , a device that accelerated ships into hyperspace . It had severe limitations , however : the amount of travel possible was limited by the number of cannons , a ship needed to induce drag to revert from hyperspace at the proper time , and most importantly , it was a one - way trip unless another cannon was constructed at the other end . Such cannons first connected the Humans and the Duros . The peak of Pre - Republic innovation occurred with the invention of the hyperdrive , which finally allowed civilizations to freely roam the galaxy by traveling many times faster than the . It was the hyperdrive that gave rise to the Galactic Republic by connecting and uniting species from worlds across the galaxy . The invention of the hyperdrive itself is sometimes attributed to the mysterious race known as the Celestials , who are said to have given it to the other species , though it is now thought that Corellian and Duros scientists developed it by reverse engineering Rakatan technology . By the time of the Galactic Alliance , myths of the Pre - Republic era included " dark knights " who fought mounted with lances , and would later be compared to the lancer troops that fought the Battle of Muunilinst . Whether such dark knights actually existed or were just widely accepted folklore is unknown . One of the most notable developments of this period , as measured by the far - reaching effects it would come to have on galactic society , was the creation of artificial intelligence and the invention of droids . Droids had appeared in advanced civilizations for uncounted millennia , but they were first developed in what would become Republic space circa 30 , 000 BBY . Some were doubtful that this technology could ever match their own natural sentience , and their doubts were echoed by noted philosophers such as Plaristes . Notable achievements . While most species were still in the early stages of development , a few civilizations reached their peak early in galactic history . By the time Humans , Duros , and the other later species began their spread , the ancient species had long vanished , but their sophisticated technological achievements , in the form of massive artificial structures , remained . The level of technology required to build these structures indicates an abnormally high stage of advancement compared with the rest of the galaxy . In many cases , the capabilities of these devices remained unrivaled even by later technology . The Corellian system . By precise control of gravitational fields , the species known as the Celestials altered the orbits of the planets in the Corellian system , resulting in the unusual case of five planets in the same system capable of sustaining life . To aid in the construction of the system , enormous planetary repulsor s were installed beneath the surface of the five inhabited planets . Centerpoint Station . The incredible feats performed in the construction of the Corellian system were made possible by the enormous space station called Centerpoint , which sat at the between Talus and Tralus . Centerpoint ' s abilities were due to its massive tractor beam installation , which was even capable of moving objects through hyperspace . In later years , the Killiks would purport to have built Centerpoint ; however , there is no evidence of this other than these claims . It had been speculated that the Killiks were used for manual labor by the Celestials to build the station , and that its purpose was to imprison the being known as Abeloth . The Maw . In a similar manner to the Corellian system , the cluster of black holes known as the Maw was so precisely arranged that it is likely it too was the product of an ancient civilization . Similar gravitational technology was no doubt used to move the star - like masses of the black holes that composed the Maw . The Killiks claimed to have created it as well , but as with Centerpoint , there is no evidence to support their claim . Some theorized that the Maw ' s purpose was to serve as the prison for Abeloth . The Star Forge . The Star Forge was the pride of the Rakatan Infinite Empire , an enormous space station and factory that turned the raw plasma of Lehon ' s sun into ships and weapons . Fueled by their aggression and conquest , the Star Forge was molded into an artifact of the dark side , and in turn corrupted the Rakatan people further . When the Infinite Empire collapsed , the Star Forge was abandoned , its secrets locked within the Temple of the Ancients . In worlds across the galaxy , Rakatan temples held their Star Map s , built as testaments to the power of the Infinite Empire . Star Temples . The Star Temple s were artifacts of the Kwa , built to house the power of the Infinity Gates . The Gates themselves were primarily a means of transportation between different worlds , although as a last resort they could also be activated as weapons that destroyed everything in their vicinity . The Star Temples protected the power of the Gates from being used by outsiders . Terminology . The term " Pre - Republic " was occasionally used by individuals such as Jedi Master Odan - Urr to refer to only the short period between the discovery of the hyperdrive and the founding of the Republic . The end of the Pre - Republic era was known as the Expansionist Era . Behind the scenes . Concepts that belong to this era use standard Earth terminology such as Kossak and Condottiere . The word ' Robot ' and the suffix - bot is preferred to refer to Pre - Republic machines , instead of ' droids ' . Sleeper ship s are also common in science fiction works having to do with possible future Earth technology . " Alien Exodus " was a planned novel that would have been set in the Pre - Republic Era , but since it was never published , the story developments that were planned for it remain non - canon .