The time period of 17,000 years prior to the Battle of Yavin (BBY) – a year within the Galactic Republic's Indecta Era – saw the First Alsakan Conflict unfold. During this very conflict, which had its genesis eighteen years earlier, Arkanian scientists – in their pursuit of genetic experimentation on sentient species – stumbled upon the primitive Xexto inhabiting Troiken. The Arkanians procured a sample of this species and transported them to the nearby world of Quermia, where both groups became subjects of genetic experimentation.
The Great Manifest Period within the Galactic Republic was a time characterized by expansion into the wider galactic community. Planetary governments and corporate entities rapidly expanded into the Slice with the goal of claiming new planets for both settlement and the exploitation of their natural resources. In the northern reaches of this region, proximate to the Perlemian Trade Route, Alsakan and Coruscant engaged in fierce competition, with hostilities escalating as they vied for economic and cultural dominance. Further exacerbating the situation, the Republic's bureaucracy and politicking intensified, fueling the rivalry as sectors of the galaxy had become so large as to be practically ungovernable. The growing governmental apparatus included the establishment of the Bureau of Ships and Services more than a millennium years before the Great Manifest Period came to an end. This body was formed to regulate interstellar commerce and maintain records of starship transactions and movements. Moreover, the escalating conflict between Alsakan and Coruscant reached a critical point. Initially, the dispute began as a blockade, but it soon escalated into active combat. A full-blown civil war was averted only through legislation enacted by the Bureau of Ships and Services. This legislation brought the immediate conflict to a close. However, the pursuit of economic advantages in the Expansion Region was not the sole catalyst for open warfare. Alsakan also harbored the ambition of seizing the seat of government from Coruscant, believing it was rightfully theirs. Consequently, the underlying motivations for the conflict remained unresolved. Open warfare commenced in 17,018 BBY with the Republic's assault and capture of Virujansi.
As the Republic grappled with the First Alsakan Conflict, the Xexto species of Troiken, an arboreal hunter-gatherer people, were discovered by renegade scientists hailing from Arkania. These scientists sought to conduct genetic experiments on sentient species beyond the Republic's jurisdiction, as such activities were outlawed within Republic space. Around 17,000 BBY, the Arkanian scientists secretly extracted a sample of the Xexto and relocated them to the nearby planet Quermia. There, the planet underwent terraforming, and the transplanted Xexto became defenseless subjects of genetic experimentation and manipulation. These experiments were not exclusive to Quermia; the Arkanians also conducted some experiments on those who remained on Troiken.
Within the Republic, the conflict between Alsakan and Coruscant marked the first of seventeen such clashes between the two planets. While the Bureau of Ships and Services managed to intervene in the initial Alsakan Conflict, the desire to usurp the capital, coupled with competition in the Slice, led to recurring unrest until the final conflict in 3017 BBY. These seventeen conflicts resulted in the destruction of historical landmarks, including Belgoth's Beacon and the Alsakan Mosaics, and devastated portions of the Expansion Region.
The group of Xexto subjected to genetic experimentation on Quermia by Arkanian scientists were monitored and tested for only a few generations. Subsequently, the geneticists abandoned their research, fearing repercussions from the Republic. They shifted their focus to other endeavors. Nevertheless, the Xexto on Troiken experienced lasting alterations. On Quermia, the significantly altered subjects were left to evolve naturally, eventually becoming the Quermian species. Both the Xexto and Quermians evolved into technologically advanced societies independently of each other. Following the discovery of both species by the broader galactic community, it became widely accepted that they shared a genetic connection. The link between Quermians and Xexto was uncovered millennia after their forced genetic divergence, but the Xexto initially resisted acknowledging it. However, they eventually grudgingly accepted the findings of genetic tests.
The year 17,000 BBY is initially referenced in The New Essential Guide to Characters, a reference book released on April 23, 2002, and has been cited in various reference materials in subsequent years. The New Essential Chronology in 2005 established 17,000 BBY as the starting point for the Alsakan Conflicts, although The Essential Guide to Warfare later revised this to 17,018 BBY.
- The New Essential Guide to Characters
- Ultimate Alien Anthology (First mentioned)
- The New Essential Chronology
- The New Essential Guide to Alien Species
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia (Quermian and Xexto entries)
- The Essential Atlas (Indirect mention only)
- The Written Word on Hyperspace (article) (content obsolete and backup link not available) (First appearance)
- The Essential Guide to Warfare (Established the beginning of the conflict as 17,018 BBY)