Dynastic Era

Shey Tapani was crowned Emperor of his newly formed dominion in 7328 BBY (5,392 Tapani calendar) and over his long lifetime forged the foundations of a regional empire that lasted for nearly 6,000 years. The rise of the Tapani Empire did little to advance Shey's own House of Melantha since he was surprisingly generous at distributing power even-handedly to the nobles who survived the Unification War. A number of historians have commented that it was this impartiality towards the Houses that gave his empire such a good start.

Shey Tapani's empire made a great mark on the region. He established a number of universities and research facilities and imposed a new code of law and a new calendar. The university system on Mrlsst was codified in 7308 BBY (5,412 Tapani calendar). Shey selected his homeworld of Procopia as the seat of his new empire. The Palace on Estalle Island was the center of regional power throughout the Dynastic Era.

Shey Tapani's descendants consolidated his empire over the following 5,000 years. Sixteen dynasties ruled the Tapani Empire over the centuries, most hailing from one of the great houses of either Melantha, Mecetti, or Pelagia. High Lady Brezwalt III of House Mecetti was a member of one of these dynastic families. Some time before the Great Sith War the Tapani sector joined the Republic, although this may have been to a lesser degree of membership than full senatorial representation, presumably as an Allied Region. It would first send representatives to Coruscant much later, in 1486 BBY. Likewise, this contact led the Jedi Order to discover force-sensitive bloodlines in House Pelagia, although they would only actively recruit from it during the Federal Era.

Around 4200 BBY a group called the Mecrosa Order was formed to prevent outsiders from attacking the House Mecetti. When High Lord Tritum XI married Viscountess Mireya of Vjun the order was corrupted by her Sith teachings and was turned into a Sith cult that fought for Exar Kun during the Great Sith War, one of the largest engagements of the Old Sith Wars (4015 BBY – 3951 BBY). The Pelagia Duplex Command Assault Gunship was created during this period to bolster Tapani's defenses in the turbulent time surrounding Exar Kun's violent campaign against the Galactic Republic.

The Tapani sector was involved in further engagements of the Old Sith Wars. Between the Great Hunt events and the Mandalorian Wars a civil war took place in the Tapani sector that pitched the Jedi Order and House Pelagia against the Sith sponsored Mecrosa Order of assassins, who was sponsored by House Mecetti. House Melissus and House Barong were absorbed by House Mecetti during this conflict that became known as the Cleansing of the Nine Houses. During the Mandalorian Wars in 3963 BBY the Republic Senator Graw called for tariffs against the Tapani sector in response to their high prices.

In the aftermath of the Great Sith War, the Giju Passage trade route was blazed by Herglic scouts in 4003 BBY (8,717 Tapani calendar) and within 25 years it was an established route of trade into Herglic space. This route was actually forged previously by ancient Herglic traders but was long abandoned. The angular starships of the Herglic traders became a familiar sight in Tapani Space and the bulky aliens brought with them substantial investment capital and a vibrant culture.

With the establishment of stable trade pipeline the Empire experience a new surge of growth and expansion. It was at this time that the planets Neona and Tallaan became major trade worlds along the newly established routes. Over the following centuries Tallaan's modest orbital docks were turned into expensive shipyards.

The Kappela was the final dynasty to rule over the Tapani Empire. The emperors of this dynasty presided over a steady decline into regional factionalism. The final end of the empire came in 1582 BBY (11,138 Tapani calendar) when a cadre of military officers staged a coup and placed the government of the sector into the hands of a group of reformers and the Federal Era began..