Name: Aargau
Region: Core Worlds
System: Zug system
Suns: 1: Zug
Orbital position: 3
Moons: 1
Grid coordinates: L-10
Rotation period: 24 standard hours
Orbital period: 364 local days
Class: Terrestrial
Diameter: 12,928 km
Atmosphere: Type I (Breathable)
Climate: Temperate
Gravity: Standard
Primary terrain: Cities, Gardens, Mountains, Forests, Jungles, Oceans, Rivers
Points of interest: Dawn Pyramid of Aargau, Garden of Butterflies, IBC Arcology
Immigrated species: Humans, Muuns, Other
Primary language(s): Aargauese, Galactic Basic Standard
Government: Bank of Aargau (InterGalactic Banking Clan)
Population: 4.8 billion (84% Humans, 12% droids, 4% other
Demonym: Aargauun
Major cities: New Escrow (capital)
Major imports: Financial assets
Major exports: Precious metals, Bankers

Description: Aargau (pronounced /är-'gou/) was a planet in the Zug system of the Core Worlds region, not far from Coruscant and the Corellian Run. It was run by and served as the headquarters for the Bank of Aargau, which was part of the InterGalactic Banking Clan. Numerous other banks and corporations were also based on Aargau, including the Z-Gomot Ternbuell Guppat Corporation. Aargau was an exceptionally wealthy world, due both to its status as a financial center, as well as the planet's vast reserves of rare and precious metals.

Aargau was a member of the Galactic Republic from its discovery until the end of that galactic power. After the fall of the Galactic Empire, it was considered a New Republic stronghold. The region of space occupied by the planet would later fall under the hegemony of first the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, and then subsequently Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire. Despite this, Aargau took a neutral approach to politics, which meant that warring factions were mutually welcome to conduct business on the planet. The planetary government imposed only three laws on citizens and visitors, called the Three Statutes of Aargau. These laws focused on the export of Aargau's natural resources, the absolute ban on weapons for visitors—and, conversely, the requirement to bear arms for Aargauuns—as well as maintaining the integrity of the Bank of Aargau. Breaking any of these rules was punishable by immediate execution.

Aargau occupied a central location in the Core Worlds region; not only was it in close proximity to the politically important world of Coruscant, it was also surrounded by hyperlanes such as the Corellian Run and the Ag Circuit. Thanks to this, combined with a culture fixated on banking and finance, as well as enormous reserves of valuable metals, the planet became an economic powerhouse. Several governments, corporations, and organizations stored their assets in the planet's thousands of secure vaults.

Aargau's government, the Bank of Aargau, which in turn was owned by the InterGalactic Banking Clan, operated with only three primary laws called the Three Statutes of Aargau, all of which were punishable with death if broken. It was illegal to export Aargau's rare metals without proper approval, for non-Aargauuns to carry weapons—on the other hand, it was illegal for Aargauun citizens to be unarmed—and finally, it was unlawful to "defraud, discredit or deceive" the Bank of Aargau. The Bank's wholly owned subsidiary Bank of Aargau Security was, at the time of the Galactic Empire, the largest privately owned army in the galaxy. The Aargau Home Guard frequently played war games around Aargau's capital, New Escrow. This display of military power was meant to deter foreign powers from invading the planet, but in reality, Aargau's financial position already ensured this was an unpopular notion. Due to the planet's laws on export, the Bank of Aargau Security subsidiary BAS Customs strictly monitored all inbound and outgoing traffic.

Much of Aargau's surface was covered by city, though far from all of it. While the higher, newer levels of the cities were seat to the planet's political and financial power, the millions of years-old lower levels referred to as the Undercity, were home to a seedier element, which included members of the Hutt Desilijic clan. Due to Aargau's unique laws, this group of people were free to conduct their somewhat shady business mostly in peace.

History

Aargauun history stretched back millions of years, to the construction of its first cities by the planet's original natives. The existence of the enormous Dawn Pyramid of Aargau—considered by the historian Vicendi to be one of the Twenty Wonders of the Galaxy—led some scientists to believe the planet had been visited by the Sharu civilization several thousands of years prior to the founding of the Galactic Republic. Aargau was discovered by the Republic and the galactic community at large between 20,000 and 17,000 BBY, in the period of time referred to as the Great Manifest Period. Over time, Humans came to be the dominant species of the planet, and the Bank of Aargau became its planetary government. It was considered a major financial center by 3963 BBY, and was in direct competition with the Telerath Interstellar Banking Initiative until Telerath was abandoned during the Mandalorian Wars.

In 22 BBY, just prior to the outbreak of the Clone Wars, Senator Aks Moe of Malastare was killed in a bomb explosion in New Escrow. Moe was visiting the planet to negotiate a deal with the InterGalactic Banking Clan to secure funding for a proposed Republic military initiative to deal with the Separatist Crisis, which concerned a rapidly growing secessionist movement within the Republic itself. This movement was suspected of being involved with Moe's assassination, but that claim was never proven.

When the war broke out, Aargau retained its neutral stance, despite the fact that the Banking Clan were heavily involved in the war on the Separatist side. The Republic, fearful for its substantial investments, and suspecting the Banking Clan of manufacturing Hailfire droids on the planet, garrisoned a large peacekeeping force of clone troopers in major cities, including the InterGalactic Banking Clan Arcology. This was not without controversy: technically, the Republic occupation broke one of the Three Statutes of Aargau, specifically the one stating no non-Aargauuns could carry weapons. Not before Aargau threatened to secede did the Republic send diplomatic envoys.

Republic intervention, however, did not stop the prominent Confederacy of Independent Systems official San Hill from visiting the planet to attempt to recruit the crime lord Gorga Desilijic Aarrpo to the Separatist cause—a meeting that, by chance, was witnessed by the future leader of the Mandalorians, Boba Fett. During the war, the neutral organization Aargau Medical Observer Corps investigated recent battlefields for evidence of war crimes. This inquisitional organ was tolerated by both sides of the conflict.

In the early days of the Galactic Empire, the Galactic Corporate Policy League held a week-long meeting on Aargau in the famed Dragonbird Gardens to plan and write the charter proposing the establishment of the Corporate Sector Authority, a Corporate Sector-based interplanetary government focused on free enterprise.

The planet retained its neutrality throughout the Galactic Civil War, which meant that both the Alliance to Restore the Republic and Galactic Empire could conduct business on the banking world. In 3 ABY Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan attempted to secure a loan for the Alliance that would enable the organization to procure several T-65 X-wing starfighters. The collateral presented for the loan were the priceless Crown Jewels of Alderaan. Imperial Supreme Commander and Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader, also on Aargau at the time, feigned an attempt to stop Organa's financial transaction from going through. His actual objective was securing the crown jewels, which he promptly stole as soon as the Alliance's loan was approved. Both Organa and Vader were tried in absentia following this incident, and were recommended to be arrested should either of them return to the planet. Vader also retained an account on Aargau, which Lando Calrissian hacked to place the embezzled funds from Captain Hugo Treece into it as revenge for the latter's backstabbing him and his use of slavery on Cloud City's Ugnaught populace.

During the Imperial Civil War, a conflict that lasted from 4 to 12 ABY, Aargau became a New Republic fortress world, and was garrisoned with a fleet consisting of hundreds of warships. Between 10 and 11 ABY, following the resurrection of Emperor Palpatine, a battle between Imperial forces from the Deep Core and the New Republic was fought on Aargau.

Aargau completely avoided the destruction wrought by the Yuuzhan Vong War. The region of space occupied by the planet fell under the political hegemony of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, and later Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire.

Inhabitants

The original native people of Aargau were responsible for beginning construction on the world's many cities. However, by the Galactic Civil War, Humans had become the dominant species on the planet, although, as a major financial hub in the galaxy, thousands of other species were represented.

Locations

Bank of Aargau

The Bank of Aargau was a subsidiary of the InterGalactic Banking Clan. The Bank had a large branch in the Financial District of Coruscant and was headquartered on Aargau.

During the time of the Cold War between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire, the Bank of Aargau began emptying out all safety deposit boxes in the bank that had lain unclaimed for more than four hundred years.

After the Dorvalla Incident, the stolen credits that made their way to House Valorum were channeled through the Bank. The IG codes used to communicate with the bank were the basis for the codes General Grievous used to communicate with the Separatist Council.

The Bank of Aargau was responsible for handling nearly every aspect of financial transactions on Aargau and as a result the bank was a primary driving force behind the government on Aargau. The Bank of Aargau Security, Ltd. was a subsidiary of the Bank of Aargau and was responsible for ensuring the security of their vaults, and was large enough to secure the neutrality of the planet Aargau during the Galactic Civil War.

Walon Vau had an account in the Bank of Aargau where he invested both his mercenary earnings and his Cuy'val Dar fee.

In 40 ABY the bank had a branch on Coruscant where Boba Fett had an account.

New Escrow

Aargau's capital, New Escrow was a remarkably wealthy city, something that was evident in its unique and luxurious architecture. Air traffic in the capital was directed to a complex network of roads, which made it arguably somewhat safer than other similarly sized cities. New Escrow was also home to the Garden of Butterflies, a place where visitors could conduct business surrounded by a large collection of butterflies.

Garden of Butterflies

The Garden of Butterflies was a place in the city of New Escrow on the planet, Aargau where people would socialize and conduct business among a variety of butterflies.

New Escrow's Old Spaceport

New Escrow's Old Spaceport was the former main spaceport of New Escrow on Aargau. It was here that Darth Vader destroyed Viscount Tardi's HRD replica.

It was later converted into a history museum.

Dawn Pyramid of Aargau

The Dawn Pyramid of Aargau was a large structure on the planet Aargau that was built by a species called the Sharu. Like other constructions of their civilization, the pyramid was made of indestructible, iridescent plastic. When the historian Vicendi listed the Twenty Wonders of the Galaxy in his 10,000 BBY publication, the Arturum Galactinum, the Dawn Pyramid was included.

Built by the Sharu civilization, the Dawn Pyramid was located on the planet Aargau in the Zug system, located at coordinates L-10 in the Arrowhead region of the Core Worlds. Like similar constructs with which the Sharu civilization covered every planet in their home system of Rafa and planted on other worlds in the Centrality region and beyond, the pyramid was built of iridescent, indestructible plastic, and featured sharp edges.

Around 100,000 BBY, the humanoid Sharu civilization controlled the Rafa system, from which they originated, as well as the surrounding region, which would later become known as the Centrality. They covered every astronomical body in their home system with pyramids and other constructs made from a plastic that was both indestructible and iridescent. In a brief period of expansionism, the Sharu planted pyramids on other planets in the galaxy as far Coreward as Aargau, a world that was still in its prehistory. The sharp-edged pyramid they built on that world would later become known as the Dawn Pyramid of Aargau. The Sharu later withdrew to their home system, buried their cities, and drained their intellects, an act some believed was in response to the threat of the Celestial civilization that controlled much of the galaxy.

As Aargau's own civilization grew, the Dawn Pyramid inspired the planet's architectural theme. It had been standing on for ninety millennia when the historian Vicendi composed the Arturum Galactinum commemorating the Galactic Republic's 15,000th anniversary. Vicendi added the Dawn Pyramid to his list of Twenty Wonders of the Galaxy in the Arturum Galactinum, a list that focused on sentient-built items as opposed to natural phenomena. The list was later criticized for its focus on antiquity and prolific Core Worlds items—two categories within which the Dawn Pyramid of Aargau definitely fell—and much later, a rewritten version titled Glorius Imperica became part of the Galactic Empire's Human High Culture propaganda through the Imperial Ministry of Education.

IBC Arcology

The IBC Arcology was a massive pyramidal structure on Aargau owned by the InterGalactic Banking Clan. The Galactic Republic garrisoned the structure early in the Clone Wars, despite the technical neutrality of Aargau. It claimed that Hailfire droids seen on Geonosis were produced in this arcology.

There was also an IBC Arcology on Coruscant.