Rakata

The Rakata, also known as The Builders, were a technologically advanced alien species native to the planet Lehon, at the far edges of the galaxy in the largely uncharted Unknown Regions. Emergent around 30,000 BBY during the Pre-Republic era, they developed hyper-technology including the powerful Star Forge, a gigantic automated shipyard designed to create massive armies and fleets overnight.

The basis of Rakatan technology was the dark side of The Force, making them an extraordinarily powerful civilization. They were infamously cruel and highly dominating, using their power to build the Infinite Empire, the first known major galactic government. At its peak, the Infinite Empire included hundreds of conquered worlds and enslaved numerous species including the Duros and Humans.

However, the Rakata fell to a mysterious plague around 25,200 BBY, which was suspected to have originated from their over-reliance and exploitation of the Force in technology. The plague specifically attacked those involved with the Force, reducing the Rakata’s ability to wield it and, in turn, operate their own technology. This led to a downfall in their civilization with slave revolts, infighting, and finally the collapse of the Infinite Empire.

Post-civilization, only a few Rakata survived, eking out a primitive existence on their homeworld. Isolated from the galaxy, the remaining Rakata lost much of their historical knowledge and identity. They splintered into tribal societies that, over millennia, descended into brutal warfare. Few traces of their former glory remained by the time Revan, the protagonist of the Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic video game, encountered them in 3,956 BBY.

The Rakata's legacy lived on in the form of their remarkable technological achievements. Despite their fall, they left behind numerous artifacts, such as the Star Maps, disembodied artificial intelligences that guided the way to the Star Forge. Their influence, although often unattributed or forgotten, sent ripples through galactic history long after the fall of their empire.

the Rakata serve as a cautionary tale within the Star Wars expanded universe on the consequences of unchecked ambition and overreliance on potentially destructive power sources, such as the dark side of the Force. Their tale provides a fascinating view on the cyclical nature of power, menace, and eventual downfall within the Star Wars universe.