The Zygerrian Slave Empire, also referred to as the Zygerrian Empire, constituted an empire populated by the Zygerrian species, situated within the Outer Rim Territories of the galaxy. Operating from their capital on Zygerria, they sustained a substantial slavery operation for millennia, until the Old Republic outlawed it. Subsequently, the Jedi Order engaged in combat, dismantling their slaving activities, resulting in the empire's collapse.
During the Clone Wars, Queen Miraj Scintel aimed to reinstate the age-old slavery enterprise as part of a scheme orchestrated with the Confederacy of Independent Systems and its leader, Count Dooku. These two governing bodies deployed their forces to the Togruta settlement on Kiros, seizing the local inhabitants. However, the Jedi thwarted their ambitions by locating the abducted colonists, while their queen met her demise at the hands of Dooku.
Realizing that the legal status of slavery might differ under the Galactic Empire, the slaver known as Raney, accompanied by his troops, capitalized on the Republic's downfall. They sought to return to Kadavo, with hopes of prospering once again.
By the time of the Galactic Civil War, King Atai Molec had ascended to the throne, and his successor, Prince Sono Molec, assumed authority over Kowak. Together, they commenced the revival of the Zygerrian Empire to its former prominence.
For thousands of years, Zygerrian slavers successfully operated their slave industry, providing enslaved labor to unscrupulous, affluent, and influential individuals throughout the galaxy. In its prime, the population of Zygerria constructed strongholds and urban centers atop the mesas dotting the planet, utilizing their slaves. However, its splendor diminished after the Old Republic declared slavery illegal. The Jedi dismantled their slaving operations and freed countless beings from captivity. This action brought an end to the Zygerrians' proficiency in slavery, relegating it to the shadows of the criminal underworld, dismantling the empire, and restricting the remnants of its government to Zygerria, the civilization's homeworld.
During the High Republic Era, the Zygerrian Alliance existed, which continued slaving operations. The future Nihil Tempest Runner Lourna Dee was among their slaves, but she was freed by a joint Jedi–Republic attack on an alliance camp.
In the later stages of the Republic Era, the Zygerrians maintained work colonies run by slaves. Queen Miraj Scintel recognized a chance to rejuvenate Zygerria's ancient slave trade and devised a strategy to secure assistance from the Confederacy of Independent Systems and its Head of State, Count Dooku during the Clone Wars. Zygerrian Commander Darts D'Nar was dispatched to the Togruta colony world of Kiros in a conquest; D'Nar and his forces moved in to "occupy" the colony. Dooku had misled the governor, Gupat Roshti, into believing he would be taken to a "safe haven," only for battle droids and Zygerrian slavers to abduct the population. When the Republic responded and a battle on Kiros ensued, Dooku and Zygerrian Prime Minister Atai Molec contacted him as he negotiated with, and later fought, Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi. Dooku then ordered D'Nar to bring Kenobi to him on his knees, but the incident ended in D'Nar's capture. The Confederacy provided the Zygerrians with the captured Togruta population, with the intention of selling them through the revival of the royal slave auction, a custom of the old Empire.
However, the Jedi foiled their plans by locating the missing colonists, dispatching Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Padawan Ahsoka Tano, who was a Togruta, undercover to infiltrate the slavers' auction on Zygerria. Skywalker and Tano posed as master and slave. Tano later threatened Scintel, but the queen had already outfitted the girl's neck with a shock collar, which she then remotely activated, electrocuting Tano unconscious. Skywalker and Kenobi were captured too. At this point, Scintel started developing feelings for Skywalker and decided not to kill him which Molec saw as a weakness and invited Dooku to Zygerria to speak with the Queen about her defiance in not killing Skywalker. When the Queen refused to kill him, again, Molec and Dooku decided to take matters into their own hands, seeing Scintel unfit to be queen. Molec then stood by, watching, as Dooku Force-choked her. However, she was saved by the timely arrival of Skywalker, who tried to convince Miraj Scintel that she too was a slave and pawn in the Separatists plot, something she realized to be true just before succumbing to her injuries and dying while escaping in the hands of Skywalker.
Following the Queen's death and Atai Molec's assumption of power, Skywalker and Tano fled from the Zygerrians and headed to Kadavo to free Kenobi, Rex, and the Togruta captives, who had been relocated to the Zygerrian slave processing facility on the planet. While en route, the two also requested reinforcements from the Republic.
Tano and her Master soon arrived on the planet onboard the YV-865 Aurore-class freighter Tecora and tried to break into the slave processing facility. When ordered to cease by the Zygerrian Keeper Agruss under threat that the slaves would be killed, Skywalker did not comply. Later when Galactic Republic reinforcements led by Admiral Barton Coburn and Jedi Master Plo Koon landed on Kadavo, they confronted the slavers, with the Wolfpack detachment attacking the facility with LAAT/i gunships and clone Z-95 starfighters. However, although they were initially halted by its ray shields, Skywalker was able to destroy the defensive towers. Meanwhile, Kenobi and Rex rebelled and killed Agruss who, in a last act, tried to throw the Togruta hostages into the volcanic crevice below the facility, but following a plan devised by Tano, the Republic forces evacuated everyone onto Admiral Coburn's Arquitens-class light cruiser Hand of Justice. The Republic strike team then destroyed the slave facility, with its destruction dealing a crippling blow to the Zygerrian slave trade. After their escape, the Togruta gladly joined the Republic.
Despite the defeat of the Separatist-aligned Zygerrian slave trade, a Zygerrian named Raney came to command a group of slavers; which were made up of a YV-865 Aurore-class freighter and an encampment–staffed by Zygerrian soldiers and his pet Brezak—in the ruins of Old Ord Mantell City on the planet of Ord Mantell. The Clone Wars would also come to an end, as the Confederacy collapsed after the deaths of its leaders, while the Republic was transformed into the Galactic Empire. Understanding that the laws concerning slavery could be different under a new regime, Raney and his troops took advantage of the Republic's fall, taking captives to build a new empire. Their prisoners included humans and Falleen, who were made into their slaves, and an adolescent rancor named Muchi, which had belonged to crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure.
Raney sought to return to Kadavo to make up for their defeat during the Clone Wars. Meanwhile, desperate for the return of his pet, Jabba had his majordomo, Bib Fortuna, hire the Trandoshan Cid to rescue the rancor; Cid hired a team of deserting clone commandos named Clone Force 99, otherwise called "the Bad Batch," to rescue Muchi from the slavers, albeit without informing them Muchi was a rancor. Ordering their youngest member—the enhanced clone Omega—to stay back at their ship, the Marauder, the commandos attempted to attack the encampment, only for the Brezak to attack CT-1409 "Echo," revealing the presence of the team. The commandos were captured to be made into slaves, and two Zygerrian guards searched through the Marauder but found nothing, as Omega remained hidden and GNK-series power droid Gonky pretended to simply be a box. Seeing that her friends were captured, Omega set out to rescue them, being caught only after she removed the lock on Muchi's cage and rampaged throughout the encampment, allowing the Bad Batch to rescue the slaves. As Echo and Omega escorted them to safety and while Muchi fought the Brezak, Clone Sergeant "Hunter" fought Raney, who attacked the commando with his electro-whip. Nevertheless, Hunter overcame the pain and quickly defeated the slaver. Afterward, Omega would claim a Zygerrian energy bow, and clone commando "Wrecker" began to fight Muchi in order to convince the rancor to follow them. With the Zygerrians defeated, the Bad Batch was able to escort Muchi back to Cid's Parlor, where she was reunited with Fortuna.
By the Galactic Civil War, Molec had ascended to the throne and his son Prince Sono Molec assumed control of the Zygerrian outpost on Kowak from his palace.
The Zygerrian Empire was governed by a king, or a queen serving as the supreme authority. The ruler was assisted by the prime minister, who possessed substantial authority and also held the position of Captain of the Guard for the royal guards, a group of sentinels dedicated to safeguarding Zygerria's Queen. These roles collectively formed a single, unified order, overseeing the slavery industry, which contributed to the Zygerrian Empire's wealth and influence, although at the expense of others.
In diplomatic terms, the Zygerrians were highly business-oriented, seeking to maintain their empire by exploiting other civilizations and holding countless slaves across numerous worlds throughout the galaxy. This practice became an integral aspect of Zygerrian culture and heritage.
The Zygerrians, a humanoid feline species, were known for their cunning nature. They were a warlike and self-centered race that greatly valued the notion that the strong should dominate the weak as a natural order, making slavery commonplace for the species. Consequently, they exhibited significant prejudice towards both aliens and humans.
The ancient Zygerrian Slave Empire once spanned vast territories, exerting control over numerous sectors throughout the galaxy. However, the Jedi Order eventually pushed them back to Zygerria.
During the time of the Clone Wars, the Zygerrian Slave Empire resurfaced on Zygerria, mirroring its ancient form. It gained control over the Togruta colony world of Kiros, situated in the Expansion Region, as well as Kadavo, located in Wild Space. By the Imperial Era, it governed Kowak in the Outer Rim.