Slavery/Legends

Slavery is the practice wherein sentient beings are treated as property to be bought and sold, enforced by violence or other forms of coercion. It is typical for the owner of a slave to implant him with a device that will kill him if an escape attempt is made. In the more lawful portions of the galaxy where slavery is allowed, if a slave is killed or injured -- in a manner that devalues the slave or prevents him from performing his job -- by a third party, the owner is entitled to compensation from that third party for the depreciated value or the loss of the slave.

Slavery has been used by civilizations as disparate as the Infinite Empire of the Rakata, Xim the Despot's empire, the Galactic Empire and the Yuuzhan Vong. To chronicle the use of slavery by various civilizations over the history of the galaxy is considered by many to be a futile task.

Slavery was made illegal by the Galactic Republic under the Rights of Sentience clause, but continued to exist, particularly in regions not under Republic control, primarily the Outer Rim and Senex Sector. However, that ultimately came crashing down with the birth of Palpatine's Galactic Empire. Under the Empire, non-humans were rounded up and enslaved en-masse. Wookiees and Talz were exploited for their strength while the Mon Calamari were used for their famous ship-building skills. Many human critics of the New Order were enslaved as well. Ultimately, when the Republic was restored, slavery was once again made illegal.