Kandawa

Kandawa was a terrestrial world located within the region of the, positioned along the Augean Run. It was the of the Kandawans, a race of s, and served as the  for the Kandawan Empire.

Kandawa was primarily a desert planet rich in precious s and s, allowing the natives to grow wealthy and prosperous. The world was also a bastion, and was home to some of the galaxy's foremost researchers of -integrated technology. The planet's name translated to the "Realm of Awa", in honor of Queen Awa who led the slave rebellion against the during the age, bringing about a free and independent world.

Overview
Kandawa was the third planet from Kandar and the only hospitable planet to orbit the star, albeit barely. It was a rough and rugged world covered primarily by deserts and inhabited by some of the fiercest creatures in the galaxy, making survival difficult for those unaccustomed to the environment; because of this, most of the major population centers were located along verdant coastal regions and in mountain valleys. Despite the harshness of living on Kandawa, the natives managed to master their domain and grow strong there.

The humans who called this planet home, called Kandawans, were all due to the selective breeding that their ancestors underwent when the world was under the control of the. The Kandawans have used this trait to bind great dragons, griffons, and other creatures to their will. The Kandawans were also known to be lovers of the arts, as evidenced by the elaborate architectures and scultures present across the planet.

At some point before recorded history the s visited Kandawa. They left behind evidence of their occupation that remained buried and forgotten until 340 ABY, when the Shining Vault was uncovered.

Prehistory
During the age before recorded history, Kandawa was a nameless planet completely devoid of sentient life, inhabited only by the savage beasts that competed with one another for survival. At some point, during the conflict called the, an army of vanguard-class warriors discovered the planet and established a base of operations there: a structure that came to be known as the Shining Vault. From the Vault, the Celestials managed to not only monitor Rakata troop movements and mobilize rapid assault forces but also studied the malignant  which proved to be a threat to all life in the galaxy.

The Shining Vault became the construction site for a powerful meant to eradicate the Mnggal-Mnggal but before the weapon was completed, a  fleet controlled by the parasite combined with a Rakatan armada attacked. The Celestials waged a week-long battle against the besiegers, holding them off long enough to complete the weapon and fire it. The weapon was capable of completely obliterating both the Mnggal-Mnggal and the Rakata forces, but the surviving Celestials were forced to abandon the world by order of their commanders. Over time, the sands of Kandawa's deserts buried the Shining Vault and its weapon, allowing it to be forgotten with the passage of time.

Rakatan dominance
In roughly 28,000 BBY, the mineral-rich world was rediscovered and colonized by the. Naming the planet Forge, the established thousands of  across the colony-world's surface in an effort to strip the lands of their vast wealth of resources -- while  were the original source of labor employed, the Empire began to replace the machines in favor of   shipped to Forge from. Over several generations, the Rakata selectively-bred these humans into a population composed entirely of, making Forge one of the largest sources of available to the Empire at the time.

Years later, the Rakata's decision to create an entire race of strong force users proved their folly when the proto-Kandawans banded together under a rebel named Awa, and rose against the Empire during the. The rebels were formidable enough to fight their former masters to a stalemate even early on in the conflict and once the effects of the struck the Empire, the Rakata were utterly crushed by the people they once oppressed. After their victory over the Infinite Empire, the rebels renamed the planet to Kandawa, in honor of the Force Hound who led them to freedom.