Life on Tae'Karada began thousands of years ago. It was a harsh world, desolate and barren. Vast dunes covered the lands, making the planet seem almost a sister to the other outer rim world of Tatooine. The humans that inhabited Tae'Karada, who called themselves Karadans, struggled daily to survive. Plant and animal life were scarce. The people separated themselves into tribes and followed the herds to the sources of water they were always desperately in need of. It was in this way they survived the beginnings of their history.
In the spring, they would journey back over the mountains, to the more tolerable climate of the north. And, then, when the northern heat became unbearable again, the journey to the south would begin. The Karadan's lived this nomadic life for many centuries, until the coming of the Rast'a ko Braetaga, the Plague from the Skies. It was three hundred years ago from the current day when the planet was invaded from space. They came in starships, and landed across the planet's surface. The fight with the natives did not last long. The invaders wore armour against the primitive Karadan weapons and carried weapons of their own that belched M'ringa's Kash, the Fire of their god M'ringa. It was only ten days before all of the Karadan's surrendered to the invaders, to their new masters.
Over the next couple centuries, life improved on Tae'Karada as more and more of the planet was terraformed. And, in that time, great ships travelled between Tae'Karada and Arraega, carrying thousands upon thousands of people from their dying planet, finally out of the precious resources needed to sustain life. But, their new planet, once transformed, would support them for many millennia. After years of oppression under the High Prince's rule, the slaves formed small factions and carried out several revolts against their overlords. They sought to reclaim the planet their ancestors had thrived on for millennia. Their cause was noble, but they were suppressed by the High Prince's forces with little effort. The slaves, however, refused to be silenced, and over many years, they attempted numerous revolts. All failed. To the High Prince, they had become social parasites whose rebellious, violent spirits could not be quashed. He considered having them all sterilized so the filth couldn't breed, but he found them useful as slave labourers and decided to have mercy upon them instead of condemning their bloodlines to extinction. Instead, to prevent them from running rampant on the planet, he contained them within slave encampments guarded by a special task force called the Tae'Morad. Their duty was to keep the slaves from plaguing Tae'Karadan society with their primal, violent actions, and they performed this duty with impeccable success. The revolts ended and the slaves continued their work on the terraforming project without incident.
In the time since High Prince Dane Valreth, three princes have held the throne of Tae'Karada. Taiel Valreth ruled for fifty-three years and his successor, Ailor Valreth for another forty. Upon his death, his son, Airan Valreth, the last of the Tae'Karadan high princes, assumed the throne. In the time of his father, High Prince Ailor, the threat of the slaves was finally considered at an end. He recalled the Tae'Morad to Arcadia to act as the personal guard of the high prince of Tae'Karada. The slaves were left to their own means out in the desert cities that were now their homes. When the Arraegans came from their own planet, they brought along many of their customs. Primary among all was that of the style of dress. The weather of Tae'Karada was perfect for the traditional clothing of their homeworld. Men went about in richly tailored breeches and shirts made of the finest fabrics and designs. The women wore an equadi, a piece of fabric cut in the most revealing of patterns, and sheer to leave the woman's form visible for all to admire. The breasts were kept bare, though adornments were acceptable provided they did not hide the beauty of the woman. The genitals were covered with an undergarment usually coloured to compliment the equadi. The women of the high prince's harem were refused the undergarment, only allowed to wear the equadi. Most women on the street wore both equadi and the undergarment, though a few daring women wore only the equadi. It is said that the women who did so were only seeking to curry favour with the high prince. When he finally deemed the planet civilized, High Prince Dane set into law that any woman born of Tae'Karada would be required to wear the traditional attire while she stood on Karadan soil. As trade with off-world was necessary, the high prince excluded women born away from Tae'Karada from the law, but encouraged that they adopt the traditional dress. A Karadan woman caught not wearing her equadi was subject to a one thousand credit fine as well as a night in a Tae'Morad prison cell.
A fleet of Star Destroyers showed up near Tae'Karada, and they made an offer to High Prince Airan: Align with the Empire, or be destroyed. High Prince Airan was a willful man, and refused Admiral Tarkin, the Imperial emissary's offer. The Empire acted swiftly in blockading the system. The blockade nearly stopped dead the Tae'Karadan economy (which relied heavily on commerce outside of their own system). Then, after a number of unproductive skirmishes, Admiral Tarkin employed spies on the planet's surface to get Imperial shuttles through the shield. A legion of Stormtroopers landed in Arcadia, and stormed the palace. The Tae'Morad was an elite fighting force, but they were no match for the Imperial Stormtroopers. The Imperial force was merciless in their execution of Admiral Tarkin's orders, and they left no one alive. Within the hour of hearing of High Prince Airan's death, Admiral Tarkin landed on the planet and claimed it as an Imperial protectorate, now under his leadership. And, thus a new age was born on Tae'Karada and with that came many changes... For a place dubbed Commerce City, there certainly isn't alot of money being made around here these days. As a business woman myself, I've seen firsthand the effects the Imp presence has had on the Tae'Karadan economy. Their embargo stalled all trade to and from the planet, which just about dried up the planet's funds. For a planet with no real natural resources, trade is what keeps this place alive. It's businesses like my own that smuggle in the commodities this planet needs to keep our interplanetary trade going. That blockade almost ended all of that for us...read more Kaysa Zenarr, Owner of Zenarr Inc. He was a brute, a tyrant who liked his women, and his power even more. Dargus Kandran floated stealthily about Tae'Karada in his cloaked pleasure ship like a pestilence, sweeping through the planet and leaving only a trail of blood behind. The monarchy did nothing to stop as his corruption threatened to consume the entire planet...read more Yelara Zaneth, Freelance TechOp Oh Salvation. That's what it is, I tell you. That dear Admiral Tarkin is going to save this planet from itself. I've lived here for thirty-seven years, and this city has never been more wonderful than when that high prince was cast down and the Empire took his place. The moral fibre of Tae'Karada is safe now. No more bigoted rulers making all the women dress like two-credit whores all for the delight of the chauvinistic bastards in charge of the place. If it's not a woman in power, at least it's someone who's not out to exploit them all...read more Gladyne Faeg, New Plouton shopkeeper 'Desert' seems an awfully inaccurate description of Thanatos. To its inhabitants, and especially those of the rest of Tae'Karada, my home is a desolate, barren land, but in my eyes, it's teeming with life...read more Nieme Yaresh, cook at The Rhack The desert makes us hard. The desert makes us strong. The desert made us the people we are today, and nothing the soft, lazy Wetters do will ever take that away from us. We were here first, before they came. But, they had technology and they enslaved us. Well, my people. I've never been a slave, not officially. But, I feel a slave to the stigma of a native of Thanatos...read more Kael Selrid, Thanatos gang leader It's like an infestation the way these criminals multiply. Everyday, there seem to be ten more for every one that is arrested by my security force. That just won't do. I first acquired the position of Administrator of the Drogen Shipyards three years ago, while it was under the ownership of Dargus Kandran. Of course, it went against everything I stood...read more Shrezade Anoran - Administrator of the Drogen Shipyards Tarkin's rule lasted a matter of months before the Rebels joined with the citizens of Tae'Karada, the Jedi, Oot Kovan, Shrezade Anoran and a rebel attack force she had recruited to defeat his troops in a combined space and land battle. Much of Tarkin's force was obliterated or turned tail and limped home, while Tarkin's fate was undetermined. What was certain was that Tae'Karada was now free, and Oot Kovan was appointed the planet's regent in Arcadia. The Jedi's participation in the liberation of Tae'Karada was recognized, and they were quickly accepted as Guardians of Peace on the planet, while the newly entitled New Republic set up a base on Tae'Karada's moon to maintain a constant presence on the planet. It wasn't long before Tae'Karada began to rebuild and again thrive. And it was even sooner than that that two wayward Padawans from the Temple rebelled and seized Tae'Karada's throne, supplanting its current ruler, Dame Oot Kovan. Nieme and Dani declared themselves the Empresses of Tae'Karada, establishing an army of clones created by Dargus Kandran to protect their palace, and now rule the planet recklessly and incompetently as their interests lie more in enjoying themselves than doing what's best for the Tae'Karadan citizens. For now, they have reimposed much of High Prince Valreth's old decrees, and only the Jedi and the New Republic soldiers stationed on the planet are interested in preventing the planet from sinking into lawlessness and turmoil once again. |
The terraforming project was completed on Selene 10, 97BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin). Speaking from a raised dais overlooking the central square of Arcadia, High Prince Dane Valreth announced the completion of the planet's transformation. Then, he decreed that the slaves who laboured so hard were now free. There was a grave stipulation to their freedom though, they were only allowed to live in the outlying colonies that were their homes during the transformation, places like Thanatos, and Eritos. In short, the high prince condemned them back to the lives their ancestors had lived centuries before, but this time in squalid cities that were little more than prisons.
When High Prince Airan ascended to the throne after his father's death, he set into motion a plan to turn the entire planet into a garden of paradise that would bring travellers from all over the galaxy. He never saw that dream come to fruition as his life was cut short only four years after taking the throne. The Galactic Civil War had taken a turn, and Emperor Palpatine turned his sights onto Tae'Karada as a foothold in the outer rim.