c. -13,500,000,000 BSW4

Over billions of years planets formed and life arose through a steady progression of increasingly complex organisms. Woven into and intertwined with all of this – from the smallest molecule to the largest star – was the Force. Symbiont and residing within cells in all life forms are the Midichlorians, a microscopic life form that is intertwined with the Force. These tiny life forms communicate with the Force and reveal its’ will.

There are approximately 400,000,000,000 stars in the galaxy. Around half of these have planets that support some form of life. 10% of those developed life on their own, and one in a thousand of these worlds developed sentient life (about 20 million forms of sentient life).

The length of the galaxy is 120,000 light years across.

The Force is an essential part of nature – like energy or matter – but it has yet to be quantified and analyzed. The Force is not to be understood in the same manner as physical qualities of the universe. The Force is neither controlled nor controlling – it is part of life itself; asking if it controls or can be controlled is like asking if a person controls his component cells, or the cells control him. It is not known whether the Force has always been, came about as life evolved into intelligence, or if it coerced the evolution of intelligence, or if it coerced the evolution of intelligence. To the Jedi, it does not matter. It is enough to know that the Force is.

c. -7,500,000,000 BSW4

The Yavin system is formed.

c. -3,000,000,000 BSW4

The Sharu, an ancient race that inhabits the Rafa System, begin to evolve. They are a technologically advanced race, as evidenced by the wonderful buildings and monuments they build throughout the system. Scholars would describe the Sharu as “superhumanoids”. Their descendants are the Toka.

c. -2,000,000,000 BSW4

One theory of the creation of the Oseon System is during this period of time, a rogue star passes too close to the system, and its gravity well disrupts the planet - forming process which causes the Oseon asteroid belt.

c. -4,000,000 BSW4

The Valley of the Giant Oysters, home to the planet Mon Calamari’s huge oysters begins to form. It is rumored that this is the basis of the Calamarian Knowledge Banks.

c. -3,000,000 BSW4

An asteroid collision with the planet Vinsoth wipes out the largest mammals of the planet. Smaller species survive, and eventually evolve into the Chevin species.

c. -2,006,200 BSW4

Like most other animals on Columus, the Columi evolve to make use of this muddy world. Their ancestors were herbivorous lizards that, with the aid of a rather buoyant belly, crawled through the marsh on four webbed feet. Soon, the lizards developed the ability to stand on their hind legs in order to pull fruit and leaves out of the trees.

c. -2,004,200 BSW4

The Columi learn to lay their eggs in the trees to better protect them from predators. Following that development, the Columi begin living almost entirely in the trees, developing hands in place of claws and evolving a prehensile tail in place of the heavy caudal appendage that they had dragged around as quadrupeds.

c. -2,002,200 BSW4

The Columi learn to use tools, and begin a rapid series of evolutionary developments – loosing their tails and gaining a bipedal stance – that leads towards true sentience.

c. -2,002,000 BSW4

The Columi learn to mine metals and other raw materials from the bedrock, and they start to build cities that rise high above the tree and mud, supported on great pylons. Over the next few thousand years, Columi technology advances as rapidly as had their evolution.

c. -2,000,000 BSW4

Beggar’s Canyon is formed on Tatooine, a result of three rivers joining in a valley.

The Columi are among the first star - faring races in the galaxy. Disappointed to find barbarian races on other worlds (if even that), the Columi soon give up space travel and return to Columus to develop their own race. They spend the next millenia devoting themselves to meditation, science, and the improvement of their minds.

The cut–throat struggle for survival begins on the planet of Kashyyyk; species that could climb higher, such as the ancestors of the Wookiees, did so. The creatures that remained either evolved deadly defenses of became extinct. The survivors now thrive in the towering wroshyr forests, and peculiar plants and animals fill every possible niche in the vertical environment. The millions of years of competitive evolution created what many have called a “layered death trap” amid Kashyyyk’s wroshyrs.

Sullustans begin to evolve on the planet Sullust in a network of dark, mazelike warrens that imbued the species with an unfailing sense of direction. Once a Sullustan has travelled a path, the way is never forgotten. This innate skill would even extended into hyperspace, making Sullustans prized as star navigators and explorers in future generations.

c. -1,000,000 BSW4

The Hutts evolve on Varl, a barren, pock – marked planet circling the white dwarf Ardos. According to Hutt legend, both they and the planet Varl are the only surviving witnesses to a great celestial tragedy. Varl was once a lush, forested world whose azure skies were crossed by two suns, Ardos and Evona, who were lovers and gods in the Hutt mythology. These gods ruled the system in peace until Evona was lured into collision with a tiny black hole and perished. The other planets mourned her death, colliding violently and crushing each other into asteroids, many of which then crashed into Varl’s surface. Ardos, in agony over the loss of his mate and the destruction of his children, began to self–destruct, and he ejected his gaseous shell, searing Varl in the process, eventually condensing into the white dwarf he is today, a god no longer worthy of the Hutts’ respect. That story offers important insight into the Hutt’s exalted view of their own species. Evona died; the Hutts survived. Ardos withered; the Hutts survived. Fire, heat, and meteoric rain nearly destroyed their own planet; still, the Hutts survived. Surely this proves their greatness, say the Hutts. Surely this means that they are destined to be gods, more powerful than the gods before them.
Future Imperial astronomers easily point to the impossibilities inherent in the Hutts’ legend, but this much is true: Varl, and only Varl, orbits the dwarf star, Ardos. And there are lots of asteroids in the system.

A more likely explanation, handed down through the years by starship pilots and galactic explorers, is that the Hutts destroyed the planet themselves; embroiling it in a civil war of such vicious ferocity that only a Hutt could comprehend it. Whatever the nature of the catastrophe, the Hutts survived, and managed to regain sufficient power and technology to relocate from the barren wastes of Varl to the paradise of Nal Hutta, a large, terrestial planet in the Y’Toub system, in the center of an area of the galaxy now known as “Hutt Space”.

Killiks, an insectoid race evolves on the planet Alderaan. The Killiks have four arms, each terminating in a powerful three – fingered claw, and two stout legs that appeared capable of leaping large distances. The Killiks construct monolithic hive castles that would last for millennia.

A Bith civil war occurs.

The Corellian system is artificially created by an unknown race (possibly the Columi?) using planetary repulsors. A humanoid race slowly evolves there over the next million years. The repulsors are buried underground on each of the Corellian worlds, with the only external relic being the floating space station the Corellians later dub Centerpoint. One prominent theory is that the original creators of Centerpoint Station constructed it when their own star had begun to go supernova. Once they arrived at the star Corell, they moved planets into orbit to give themselves a new place to live. Each planet’s repulsor would have helped the tractor – repulsor to organise the planets into orbits.

Though the planet Jerrilek would in the future have no native intelligent life, an aquatic species existed on the planet during this time, several of their ancient ruins would still be seen beneath the water's surface a million years later.

c. -999,975 BSW4

The planet Sernpidal takes Dobido as its moon.

c. -500,000 BSW4

The Devaron race develops star-traveling capability.

c. -300,000 BSW4

The height of the Gree civilization. An alien race, the Gree resemble large, six-tentacled cephalopods. They are covered with gray skin that is often tattooed, especially around their large, bulbous heads. The brain case of the Gree hangs in a sac-like appendage from the back of their head, and seems to draw their huge foreheads even longer. They have no mouth, per se, but instead there is a series of fleshy folds beneath their eyes that serves as a vocal communication method. The foremost pair of tentacles are used for manipulation of objects, while the middle pair is used for heavy work. The rear pair is used for locomotion, and they appear to be shambling mounds of flesh when they move. The Gree civilizatizon is immensely old (it is rumored to be hundreds of thousands of years old and was well past its prime when the worlds were discovered by the Old Republic). They have a technology that is vastly alien to that of the rest of the galaxy, and has its roots in music and the Gree physiology. They developed the knowledge of quanta - technology and dimensional engineering (which defied future Imperial scientists). Their views of technology are biased, and the Gree find little use for droids and computers, which they consider unimportant. The Gree however, were undone by their technology, falling victim to the ability to use it rather than improve on it.The discovery of life-extending technology further accelerated their decline, until they no longer knew or cared about their own devices. The technology collapsed when none of the Gree could maintain it, and the Gree isolated themselves from the galaxy. Little is known about their life cycle and customs, although it was discovered that their number system is based on the number 14 - the number of suction cups on each tentacle. They guard the Gree Enclave jealously, and any ship passing through it often disappears.

The Taungs, an ancient race, begin to control the planet Coruscant for many millennia, prior to the dawn of modern humans. They conquered the other peoples of the planet, including the Zhell, in a series of bloody conquests. They were known throughout history as the Dark Warriors, after a volcano erupted during their final battle with the Zhell. The ash from the explosion wiped out the Zhell city, and the Taung adopted the name ‘Dha Werda Verda’, or “The Warriors of the Shadow,” when the ash cloud filled the skies for two years, casting a shadow over their lives.

c. -199,998 BSW4

The sky over Coruscant is finally free of ash.

c. -100,000 BSW4

The ancient Sith race begins to develop their distinct culture and civilization. Only later, as these people spread across the galaxy did the term Sith become associated more with their teachings and philosophies than with the species itself. Though the Sith held great power, they were not united, preferring to remain in tribal “circles”, bands of Sith led by one or more sorcerors who were responsible for the safety and protection of their charges.

Note: This is not the same Sith as the later Dark Jedi to take the name "Sith," lest anyone think they predated even the Jedi themselves.

Galactic city, later known as Republic City and Imperial City covers all of the natural land on Coruscant. One remaining piece of land, Coruscant’s tallest mountain remains and is enshrined in what will be known as Monument Plaza. The city is built on an old battlefield between the ancient Taungs and the Battalions of Zhell.

c. -95,000 BSW4

Most seedy taverns on the lower forty to fifty levels of (present day) Coruscant’s underground see the sun for the last time this year.

-50,000 BSW4

The Yevethan species, young compared to others in the galaxy, gain sentience.

c. -30,000 BSW4

A large lake is formed by the impact of a huge meteor on the planet Alderaan. The capitol of Alderaan, Aldera would be built on an island in the middle of the lake. The impact of the meteor wipes out the Killik race. Many of the planet's dignitaries would be housed in Aldera, and the famous Alderaan University would also be situated there. Bail Organa would once maintain a palace in the city, where his study overlooked the lake and was surrounded by gardens.

During this time, the planet Alpheridies bears no sentient species upon its surface. The world’s flora and fauna exist in the normal state of slowly changing equilibrium. The system’s red dwarf star, Aber, casts little in the way of visible light upon the planet, instead emitting infrared radiation that keeps the atmosphere within a habitable range.

c. -28,000 BSW4

An isolated planet within what would be later known as the Pentastar Alignment, Criton's Point is located far from any major hyperlanes. Its arid, desolate surface is covered with ruins that date from before the foundation of the Republic. Among the many ruins is the mysterious Library of Xer, an ancient storehouse of information that has thus far resisted all attempts at translation.

c. -27,500 BSW4

The first human colonists arrive at Alderaan after many centuries of travel, and discover the remnants of the lost Killik civilization. The early colonists included miners, but most were retired businessmen or wealthy dignitaries searching for a beautiful world on which to spend their lives. The earliest colonists refused to pave their new home with ferrocrete – one Coruscant was enough for them. Instead, cities were built into canyon crevasses, beneath the polar ice, and on stilts in the shallow saline seas.

c. -27,000 BSW4

The invention of the portable power cell and the discovery of high – energy gasses leads to the development of the first energy weapons, known as beam tubes.

c. -26,000 BSW4

The ancient Nikto brotherhood called the Cult of M’dweshuu is formed shortly after the Nikto race discovered the existence of the M'dweshuu Nova. Many Nikto believe that the powerful ability of the Nova to affect life on Kintan is worthy of admiration, and develop a cult formed on the basis that they were as powerful as the Nova. The Cult rises quickly to power, and controls much of the planet in the years leading up to the arrival of the Hutts in the Si'Klaata Cluster. With the arrival of the Hutts and their conquest of the planet Kintan, the Cult lost much of its control, and was thought to have been disbanded.

The Verpine colonise the Roche asteroid field.

The Vontor Treaty is signed, binding the Klatoonian, Vodran, and Nikto races to the Hutts as permanent slaves. A Barada M’Beg represents the Klatoonians in the negotiations, and becomes so revered by future generations that they name their sons after him. The Hutts use an ancient device called the Lexicon Converter in the negotiations, which is used to translate languages electronically, in real–time.

Settlers arrive on the planet Alsakan from the starship ‘Kuat Explorer’.

A group of Morodins (intelligent, fifteen meter – long, lizard – slugs) arrive on the planet Varonat to start an agricultural colony. They transform a vast section of plains into the Great Jungle, and use immense organic starships to transport food back to their home planet. When an ecological disaster befell their homeworld, the Morodins on Varonat were stranded and forgotten.

c. -25,180 BSW4

Queen Rana is born on the planet Duro.

c. -25,130 BSW4

The tyrant, Xim the Despot begins his reign as leader of his personal empire. The planet Dellalt is a shining Jewel in his mighty empire. Xim’s defeated subjects, cowed by his military might, offer extravagant gifts and tributes from their worlds. To house his plunder, Xim commissions a vast network of vaults and chambers to be built on Dellalt. Xim’s treasure arrives aboard the ‘Queen of Ranroon’, guarded by his war droids and a brotherhood called “the survivors”.

The Nikto experience four intense civil wars, which nearly destroy the planet Kintan.

c. -25,100 BSW4

The 30 standard timepart reign of Xim the Despot ends in the Third Battle of Vontor, where the Hutts (led by Kossak) kill him and take over his criminal empire. After the defeat of Xim, the planet Dellalt drifts into obscurity as the nascent Old Republic shifts the geographic centers of power.

c. -25,020 BSW4

It is rumored that the hyperdrive was invented eons ago by a space - faring race from outside the known galaxy. When this race encountered the known galaxy, it first came upon the Corellian System. There, the aliens sold the secrets of the hyperdrive to the Corellians, who studied it for decades before producing their first, working hyperdrive.