- "You will put your weapons on the floor now."
"But we face very dangerous enemies. We cannot know when it will be necessary to fire."
"The Lakra will do any firing that is necessary." - ―A Lakran mercenary squad leader and the Eickarie Su-mil, while the latter is pretending to serve the Warlord
The Lakra were a species that originated in Wild Space's Lakra system. Lakra settled the planet Kariek, home to the Eickarie species, and entered a centuries-long civil war with them. Around 28 BBY, the alien known as the Warlord began a fifty-year-long tyrannical reign on Kariek, using Lakran mercenaries to subjugate the Eickaries. Eventually, the tribes of the latter unified and waged war against the Warlord's forces with the aid of the Empire of the Hand. Ultimately, the Warlord was captured, and the InterTribal Council of the United Tribes of Kariek was formed to govern both the Eickaries and the Lakra.
Biology and appearance[]
The Lakra were a sentient species that had hands and feet. The hands of one Lakra, a mercenary squad leader, were massive, and the sound of his voice resembled that of rocks being inside an operating fruit blender.[1]
Society and culture[]
The Lakra could speak Basic but also made use of another language that was not the main trade language of the Eickarie species.[1] The former species was more aggressive than the Eickaries.[4]
Lakra in the galaxy[]
Subjugation of the Eickaries[]
- "If it were up to me, I'd give [the Eickaries] another month to chase the Lakra back into these reinforced beetle holes of theirs, then drop all two hundred of 'em into piles of rubble and go home."
- ―Cloud
The Lakra originated in Wild Space's Lakra system[2][3] and at some point settled the[4] Wild Space[5] planet Kariek, which was also home to the Eickaries.[4] Eventually, a centuries-long civil war began between the Lakra and the Eickaries[6] as well as among the various Eickarie tribes.[1] Around 28 BBY,[7] the alien known as the Warlord, who had arrived on Kariek[1] and aligned[4] himself[1] with the Lakra,[4] began a fifty-standard year–long tyrannical reign over the Eickaries.[1] No Lakra or Eickarie was ever aware of the ruler's true identity,[8] which he concealed behind a set of full-body armor. The Warlord utilized a force of Lakran mercenaries equipped with full armor and blasters to subjugate the Eickaries, and the oppressors co-opted ancient Eickarie fortresses for their own purposes.[1]
Most of the Eickarie tribes eventually joined forces in opposing the Warlord's tyranny, in the process forming the government of the United Tribes of Kariek. They negotiated the aid of the Empire of the Hand interstellar state in overthrowing the Warlord, and during the subsequent eight-month war the Imperial military forces, alongside those of the Eickaries themselves, fought the Lakran mercenaries.[1]
Capture of the Warlord[]
- "The way [the Warlord] walked around encased in that armor, we couldn't tell whether he was another Lakra, a rogue Eickarie, or someone from a species we hadn't run into before."
- ―Twister, on the Empire of the Hand
Forces of the Empire of the Hand, including Unit Aurek-Seven (pictured), fought against Lakran mercenaries on Kariek.
At some point by 22 ABY,[9] the Empire of the Hand, wishing to learn the identity of the Warlord, carried out an attack on the fortress housing the Warlord with the objective of capturing him. When, prior to the commencement of the attack, the Imperial stormtrooper Unit Aurek-Seven was approaching its designated position in the city near which the fortress was located, bad weather was skewing the infrared data supplied to the heads-up displays of the troopers' helmets and was making it impossible to carry out gas-spectrum analysis, therefore hampering the unit's ability to distinguish between Eickaries or Lakra if they encountered them.[1]
Eventually, with the help of a group of Eickaries, Unit Aurek-Seven was able to infiltrate the fortress during the attack and, after several skirmishes against squads of Lakran soldiers, the Warlord was captured. Subsequently, the Empire of the Hand discovered that the Warlord belonged to a species other than the Lakra or the Eickarie. Meanwhile,[1] the United Tribes of Kariek formed the leadership body known as the InterTribal Council, the mandate of which included day-to-day governance of both the Eickaries and the Lakra,[6] and entered negotiations to join the Empire of the Hand.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
The Lakra appeared in Fool's Bargain, a 2004 novella by Timothy Zahn.[1] The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, published in 2008, erroneously states that the[8] Lakra-supported[1] Warlord's reign on Kariek ended twenty-two years after the Battle of Endor,[8] which corresponds to 26 ABY,[10] when in fact Fool's Bargain, which depicts the event,[1] must be set at some point by 22 ABY instead.[9]
Appearances[]
- Fool's Bargain (First appearance)
Sources[]
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia (Mentioned in multiple entries, but without own entry)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 Fool's Bargain
- ↑ 2.0 2.1
Star Wars: The Essential Atlas Online Companion on StarWars.com (article) (backup link)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1
The Essential Atlas and Galactic Cartography: Official Discussion on the Jedi Council Forums (Literature board; posted by jasonfry on December 11, 2007 at 7:59 AM; accessed February 2, 2024): "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) 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 Lakra system as the location of one such homeworld with regard to the Lakra species.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. I, p. 17 ("Ha-ran")
- ↑ Star Wars: The Essential Atlas Online Companion on StarWars.com (article) (backup link) — Based on corresponding data for Kariek system
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 108 ("InterTribal Council")
- ↑ The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III, p. 319 ("Warlord") establishes that the Warlord's reign on Kariek began approximately four years after the Battle of Naboo, which corresponds to around 28 BBY per The New Essential Chronology.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III, p. 319 ("Warlord")
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Fool's Bargain is set before Survivor's Quest, the events of which The Essential Reader's Companion dates to 22 ABY.
- ↑ The New Essential Chronology
