Yaka (planet)

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"The Yakas were once a simple and primitive people who lived on a planet neighboring Arkania."
―Senior Anthropologist Mammon Hoole, The Essential Guide to Alien Species[2]

Yaka[4] was a terrestrial planet[2] located in the Yaka system, a part of the Northern Dependencies portion of the Colonies.[1] It was situated near the Perave system[5] and was the homeworld of the sentient Yaka species,[2] members of which spoke the Yakan language.[3]

At one point, the scientifically advanced Arkanian species of the Perave system's planet Arkania conquered the Yaka system,[5] including the planet Yaka.[6] Subsequently, in 490 BBY, the Arkanians carried out a medical experiment[5] by forcibly[6] implanting the Yakas, whom the former viewed as "mindless" beings,[2] with cybernetic brain links. The Yakas consequently became one of the most intelligent species in the galaxy.[5] Senior Anthropologist Mammon Hoole eventually mentioned the Yakas' homeworld—the name of which was listed as "unknown"—in a description of the species that was eventually included in the book The Essential Guide to Alien Species.[2]

Behind the scenes

The homeworld of the Yaka species was first mentioned in the 2001 reference book The Essential Guide to Alien Species by Ann Margaret Lewis.[2] The 2009 reference book The Essential Atlas by Daniel Wallace and Jason Fry placed the Yaka system, and therefore the planet, in grid square M-8.[1] Fry has stated that the star systems listed in the book's Appendix section are named after the most prominent planets or celestial bodies located in those systems. This article therefore considers the homeworld of the Yakas to be named in accordance with the Yaka system.[4]

Sources

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 The Essential Atlas — Based on corresponding data for Yaka system
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 The Essential Guide to Alien Species
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons establishes that the Yakas, whose homeworld is mentioned in The Essential Guide to Alien Species, spoke the Yakan language.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Essential Atlas and Galactic Cartography: Official Discussion (post by jasonfry) on the Jedi Council Forums' Literature board (December 11, 2007): "I wouldn't get your hopes up re alien homeworlds, beyond simple stuff like the Planetnamian species getting a Planetnamia on the map or things Dan and I can account for with a relatively quick reference." (backup link) (screenshot) Jason Fry, co-author of The Essential Atlas, stated his intention to create homeworlds for numerous species based on context implied from their names. This article treats the Yaka system as the location of one such homeworld with regard to the Yaka species.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III, p. 348 ("Yaka")