Barab I is the sole planet in the Barab system and is considered home by most Barabel that inhabit the galaxy. Its smaller size and tight orbit around its star keep its atmosphere thin and hot, though it still is able to support many different forms of complex life. Its ability to support life is enabled by layers of dense cloud cover which reflect a good portion of the nearby star's radiation and heat. What the clouds do not reflect, however, is trapped below them, baking the planet's surface and evaporating a majority of any exposed water sources. This leaves the land a hard, dry, and cracked surface during the 60-hour daytime period with planetwide precipitation at night. The heat and radiation have prevented the growth of all but the hardiest of plant species.

Most life on Barab I lives underground in dens, caves, under the cover of denser jungles, or in carefully shielded cities. Natural springs are often the center of support for local ecosystems in caves, and Barabel settlements make good use of extensive wells and aquifers. The creatures on Barab I have evolved to endure the higher levels of radiation, and most have become nocturnal, only venturing from their homes and dens at night when the temperature and radiation levels are at their lowest. Because radiation collects in those high on the food chain, the apex predators have a significantly lower life span than the smaller creatures they prey upon.

If the planet appears barren or dead during the daytime, it becomes a completely different place after dark. The temperature, while never reaching a point at which snow or ice could form, is considerably cooler than daytime temperatures. Torrential rains flood the parched ground and much of the animal life ventures out from underground homes to hunt and forage whatever food might be found. The combination of heavy rains and hungry and aggressive predators makes the planet, even in darkness, an extremely hostile place to visit.

Barab's extremely hostile environment makes the native Barabel society largely tribal, centered on clan and kin-group survival. Barabel hatchmates venture out of the caves during the night cycle to hunt - both to obtain food and to keep larger predators at bay. Peace among the clans is attributed to a visit by Jedi nearly a millennia ago, but it is unclear whether these accounts are apocryphal. In more recent decades, the Barabel have begun exporting cave fruits and a few unrefined ores, injecting cash into the planet's economy and enabling them to import weapons to use against the planet's formidable predators. Xenoanthropologists have also taken a deeper interest in the planet, eager to learn whether a technosocial shift from a tribal to urban society has altered Barabel customs in a significant way.