"Who would've thought that a group of pirates would settle down to found a matriarchal society built around a royal family. The Hapes Consortium has remained staunchly independant of both the Empire and the Republic, protected by the nebulae of the system that interferes with most sensory equipment on ships - something that the Hapans have utilized fully to their advantage of defense and offense. They say that they favor swift brutal strikes in war, in duels, and in society - and all records indicate that it is not unusual for assassination attempts to happen frequently against the royal family." - VIRGO
Hapes is the homeworld of the Hapans, a near-Human race known for their beauty, and the administrative capital of the Hapes Consortium. Surrounded by shimmering nebulae, and with seven moons in the sky after sunset, Hapes never know the darkness of true night, and the Hapan people had relatively poor night-vision as a result of these conditions.
The planet only have a few neat cities nescessary to cater for the needs of the state bureaucracy and the Consortium's commercial and legal institutions, and much of the planet is an unspoiled wilderness of broad oceans, snow-peaked mountains and lush primeval forest, where tightly-controlled commercial fisheries and game-preserves are the major focus of human activity. Its few cities are beautiful jewels of architecture, seemingly made in style with the famed beauty of its inhabitants.
Astronavigation Data: Hapes system, Hapes Cluster sector, Inner Rim
Suns: 1 (Hapes)
Moons: 7 (Megos, Igos, Isolder, Logo, Demos, Ares, Stratos)
Day Length: 22 standard hours
Orbital Year Length: 240 days
Population: 8 million (99% Hapan Humans, 1% other)
Government: Hereditary matriarchy
Capital: Ta'a Chume'Dan
Terrain: Cities, mountains, forests. Moderate surface water
Gravity: Standard
Major Imports: Foodstuffs, high technology, luxury goods
Major Exports: None
Located near the center of the Hapes Cluster, Hapes is one of only two planets in the Hapes system, along with Kavan. Due to the light reflected off of the seven moons surrounding Hapes and the shimmering nebulae of the Transitory Mists, the inhabitants of Hapes never know true night. The surface is marked by large oceans, forests, and mountains. Much of the surface is untouched due to the Hapan love of beauty, with Hapans preferring to stay in cities such as Ta'a Chume'Dan, the capital city of Hapes.
Hapes was first discovered by the Lorell Raiders, a group of pirates who had found routes through the Transitory Mists and used the Hapes Cluster as their base. For centuries, the Lorell Raiders stalked the trade routes of the Galactic Republic using Hapes as their base. The Lorell Raiders would abduct beautiful women from all over the Galaxy and bring them back to the hidden worlds of Hapes, along with any other treasure they would plunder. The women would stay on Hapes and raise their children, but the Lorell Raiders would eventually take the boys with them and train them as pirates in turn. After months the pirates would return with the boys to rest.
About a thousand years ago, however, the mostly male Lorell Raiders were wiped out by the Jedi when they ventured out into Galactic Republic space. Hapes was forgotten and the women left behind took control and vowed that a man would never rule them again, creating both the title of Queen Mother and the matriarchal society that would continue to this day.
The main inhabitants of Hapes are the Hapans, a culturally distinct branch of Humans. They look identical to the average Republic human except they are considered more beautiful (due to the limited gene pool available) and suffer from poor night vision due to the fact that Hapes has never seen true night. The official language of the Hapans is Hapan, a dialect of Basic with many antiquated terms and phrases.
The Hapans are ruled by the Queen Mother, who holds court at the Fountain Palace. The title of Queen Mother is hereditary, passed down from mother to daughter. If the Queen Mother fails to have daughters, the wife of the firstborn son becomes Queen Mother. However, to be in the line of succession means both the Queen Mother and her heirs have to avoid constant attempts on their lives by jealous relatives who vied for the throne themselves. The Queen Mother's word is considered law. The Queen Mother is treated like a goddess by the Hapans, and her selection of a consort is important to all her people. A consort will father the next possible queen, and it is often fierce rivalry to be selected.
Due to the matriarchal society of the Hapes, men are often treated with less respect and given less important roles in society. While they have the same rights as female citizens, their words are often considered less than that of their female counterparts and they rarely have high positions of power. The exceptions to this is the more militaristic pursuits, where men often find more power and authority than they would otherwise have when joining the official military of Hapes, or as privateers. Many Hapan privateers and pirates are just disillusioned noble sons looking for more freedom and power in the galaxy.
Anti-Jedi sentiments are strong among the Hapans, mainly due to the fact that the Lorell Raiders had fallen to the Jedi. This makes interactions with the Republic very strained, and the Sith Empire are regarded with a great deal of suspicion as well as the Hapan see no difference between the two zealous orders other than colors and allegiances.