Velusia

"Beneath the colourful and free-spirited exterior of the Aquar people lies a history of exploitation and suffering. But, then again, what being could hold a grudge when you wake up each day with the freshest wind in the galaxy and a sunrise paving an endless road of light across the shimmering oceans?" - Mey Sivallio (Firrerreon Historian)

Basic Information

ASTROGRAPHICAL

Region: Core Worlds System: Velus System Suns: 1: Velus Orbital position: 2 Moons: 2: Habat Grid coordinates: L-9 Distance from Core: 8,958 LY Rotation period: 22 standard hours Orbital period: 325 local days

PHYSICAL

Class: Terrestrial Diameter: 9,650km Atmosphere: Type 1 (breathable) Climate: Tropical Gravity: Standard Primary terrain: Volcanic islands Surface Water: Oceans Native Flora: Tropical forests Native Fauna: Velusian fursnake Points of interest:Mount Hollow

SOCIETAL

Native Species: Aquar (Aquatic Human offshoot) Primary language(s): Galactic Basic Standard Government: World Government Marines Population: Scattered into various herds across the planet Demonym: Velusian Major cities:Mount Hollow Affiliation: First Galactic Republic Second Galactic Republic First Galactic Empire Yuuzhan Vong Empire Third Galactic Republic

Description

Nearly the entirety of Velusia's surface is covered in ocean with only a few landmasses resulting from volcanic eruptions focussed largely around the planet's equator. Most native wildlife exists within the oceans but a few creatures, such as the Velusian Fursnake and various avians, have adapted to life on the land. Island living can be difficult, however, with frequent tectonic and volcanic activity causing many settlements to be moved or rebuilt over the planet's history. The most stable and long-standing settlement is Mount Hollow, which serves as the planet's capital city and the site of the only major spaceport.

No sentient life developed from the planet itself but the native species that calls the planet home, the Aquar, developed as an offshoot of ancient spacefaring humans that settled on several of the planet's islands millennia ago. Given that they thrive underwater, the Aquar have colonised much of the underwater surface of the planet, which is host to vast coral reefs and ocean caverns.

History

Human settlement of Velusia (Sometime after 100,000 BBY)

The origin of humans in the galaxy is not entirely known but is theorised that the original human species developed on Notron (now known as Coruscant). While early human colonisation efforts may have given rise to the existence of early humans on Velusia, it is also likely that slave humans were delivered to the planet by the Infinite Empire sometime between 35,000 and 25,000 BBY.

Early humans were known to live a tribal lifestyle and live off the fertile volcanic soil. Given the frequently hostile nature of the volcanic islands and likely tribal warfare, humans that could survive for long periods in the planet's oceans were naturally selected to survive and the aquatic traits that eventually bore the Aquar sub-species developed.

With their reliance on the land removed, the Aquar species began to develop and colonise suitable underwater regions of the planet and developed a new civilisation below the sea level. Humans that did not adapt to live underwater eventually died out, leaving the Aquar as the only sentient species on the planet.

The Aquar lived a simple life, fishing the great oceans, farming them, and even having herds on the volcanic islands. Earthquakes were many, and so the Aquar lived on the continental shelf underwater, right by the islands where the sunlight was the strongest. The electromagnetic signals from the islands discouraged use of technology, and navigational systems were rudimentary.

Re-discovery and Joining the Republic (20,000 BBY)

Scouts from the Nexcore Mining Corporation, a company established around the time of the Old Republic, discovered the planet and negotiated with the natives for the rights to mine on the world, sharing their profits with the Aquar.

While the corporation established the first Spaceport within Mount Hollow on the planet, they intentionally attempted to keep the planet's existence hidden in order to maintain their monopoly over the planet's mining for as long as possible.

Eventually Nexcore's forty-year lease exclusivity with the Aquar expired and the planet became more widely-known to members of the Old Republic. Sometime before 17,018 BBY, Velusia became a formal member of the First Galactic Republic.

Planetary Exploitation (0 BBY)

After the conversion of the Republic into the first Galactic Empire, Velusia's mining operations continued as normal, with profits heavily diverted to the Imperial cause. However, when open rebellion broke out against the Empire, a much more aggressive period of oceanic harvesting was established, exploiting not only the planet's mineral resources, but also devastating the aquatic ecosystem. While there were rumours that an early Rebel cell was established on the planet, by 6 ABY the planet had become an Imperial fortress world and remained under their control until at least 7 ABY.

After the planet was released from the Galactic Empire's control, a number of Firrerreons liberated by Princess Leia Organa settled on what they hoped to be a peaceful planet. (Years before one of their own actually released a plague on their planet to prove his worth, and the survivors had to be put in suspended animation). They bred openly with the Aquar but never lost their fierce independence. The clan of a few thousand has been renowned in Velusia for being wary of individuals with too much power, as well as their love for family. This strain of outsiders introduced a new fire into the aquatic people, and the planet was slowly stirring.

The ecosystem did not have long to recover from the Galactic Empire's devastation before a second Empire, the Yuuzhan Vong, conquered the planet in 25 ABY and similarly exploited the planet until their defeat in 29 ABY. Fortunately, the planet was never Vongformed by the extra-galactic invaders, meaning that the planet's climate remained unchanged throughout their reign.

When that ended, Velusia’s oceans were almost ruined from mining, and the next few hundred years were spent trying to stabilize their once pure waters.

Recent History (Around 1,000 ABY)

A thousand years later, the Aquar were still attempting peace, but after the various shakeups years ago, the government body had changed. Resentment has simmered in the dark depths of the oceans where mining was heaviest. Gangs prowl the oceans looking to plunder fishing vessels to sell the fish for their own. The counterforce organized by the Aquar are fierce but outnumbered, and sometimes the people struggle to make ends meet for their planet. They used to be subsistent farmers and resisted relying on technology. Their revulsion to all things non-natural stemmed from their treatment by the mining corporation. But the increased efficiency of using such mechanics for fishing has increased the need for profit to support the maintaining of their technology. Before, survival was the only priority.