Barabel

Barabel
Homeworld	Barab I
Language	Barabel
Average Height	1.9 - 2.2 meters [1]
Skin color	Red, black, gray [1]
Hair color	None [1]
Distinctions	Scales, tail
Known Members	List of known Barabels

Biology and Appearance

On average, they stand 2 meters tall and weigh around 130 kilograms. Jagged, overlapping, black keratin scales cover their bodies protecting them from bites, blaster bolts, and radiation, and the Barabel are said to be able to shed their tails when necessary. Due to the planetary harsh radiation, they are forced to hunt at night and their eyesight has adapted, allowing them to see perfectly in utter darkness.

They also have a layer of fat that retains heat, so they fight well in both sun-baked heat and freezing cold temperatures.

The Barabels were a bipedal race of reptilians who were covered in very tough dark colored scales. A blaster set on stun would not damage them at all or slow them down, as it would merely bounce off their scales. Barabels were able to shed their tails if necessary, an ability that proved the undoing of many a startled foe. They also possessed heavy retractable claws along with needle sharp teeth. Also, Barabels were known to have two stomachs. [1]

For breeding, Barabels devised a system in which the nest eggs of two females are fertilized by two males. Subsequently, the four individuals protect the nest. Males not knowing which one was their young, the hatchlings take the name of their mother. [1]

Society and Culture

The Barabel evolved from a vicious reptilian species and maintain their hunting culture and are famously mean-spirited. This normally manifests itself in direct physical confrontation, but Barabel have no qualms with property destruction, traps, indirect fire, or even crueler tactics.

Outsiders often confuse Barabel viciousness with stupidity, though that is a foolish mistake, and often their last.

According to Barabel legend, a small group of Jedi, led by the Ithorian Noga-ta, came to Barab I circa 900 BBY. Noga-ta helped settle the civil war that had plagued Barabel society for thousands of years. Consequently, the Barabels held Jedi in high esteem and would accept a Jedi's judgment in any dispute. [1]

After this contact with the Jedi, the Barabels had little contact with offworlders for centuries. Soon after the rise of the Galactic Empire, Planetary Safaris began organizing hunting trips to Barab I, with the quarry being the Barabels themselves. After a few Barabels were killed, a Barabel leader named Shaka-ka organized groups of her fellow hunters into armies which overwhelmed the safari ships. When an Imperial investigation revealed that the Barabels were sentient, the safaris were ended. [1]

The race was noted for its hunting and tracking prowess. This was because many of their actions were fueled by their hunting instincts, leading to the general feeling that Barabels were always angry, or in the very least ornery. They were well known for their aggression but were also extremely loyal to their mates and parents. They also had a great deal of respect for the Jedi, because of their first experiences with a Jedi master who settled a dangerous clan dispute. Despite their moral nature, they were also noted as enjoying in ending up in fights with their Verpine neighbors with Barabels often capturing members of the insectoid race and giving the body parts to the Kubaz. [1]

Apologies, whether for a misdeed or in sympathy (e.g., "sorry for your loss"), were a concept either unknown or considered taboo by Barabels. It was considered mildly insulting to a Barabel to be apologized to and apologizing tended to actually make a situation worse than simply saying nothing would. This sometimes was disconcerting for members of other species, especially Humans, when they felt the need to apologize to a Barabel. [1]

Barabels had a native language known also as Barabel though they also expressed emotion—such as amusement or grief—by "sissing." They were a communal race with separate groups on their homeworld of Barab I numbering upto 10,000 individuals under the guidance of a pack leader. Unlike Humans, Barabels were much closer to their unconscious part of their brains than other species. [1]

Among Barabel beliefs were a group of demons called the Blight of Barabel. Their names were often used as curses. Lone Barabels tended to refer to themselves as "this one" instead of typical first person pronouns such as me or I. [1]

References: [1] - http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Barabel