Yuuzhan Vong
The Yuuzhan Vong are a humanoid extragalactic species that feature in the Star Wars.
Contents |
History
The Yuuzhan Vong were a humanoid species that were native to another distant galaxy where they evolved on the planet Yuuzhan'tar. Their homeworld was unique in that it was a sentient planet that was able to use the Force. The Yuuzhan Vong lived as a peaceful species living as symbiotes on Yuuzhan'tar where all their needs were provided with by technology that was organic in nature as it was bred from the world itself. Their history changed when they were subjugated by a technologically advanced race. In response, the Yuuzhan Vong called upon the protection of their world which they saw as a god and it provided them aid in the form of knowledge that allowed them to turn the life on Yuuzhan'tar into living weapons. With this power, they struck back fiercely against their invaders who they defeated and this victory empowered them to become a more war-like race as they turned into conquerors of other species and civilizations. The Chazrach were one race that they Yuuzhan Vong used as slave soldiers as they adopted a campaign of subjugating other species and rid their galaxy of inanimate technology which they saw as abominations. In time, they began to conquer their home galaxy and fell into in-fighting eventually with them waging the devastating Cremlevian War. Among the casualties in the conflict was Yuuzhan'tar itself as the Yuuzhan Vong turned against their living homeworld and destroyed it. However, the planet dispatched its offspring that it sent to safety where it left the home galaxy and settled in another one thousands of years later. In addition, the loss of their homeworld caused the Yuuzhan Vong to be stripped from the Force that was experienced across their entire race. The act caused them great pain leading to them adopting the concept of pain and mutilation as part of their culture. Furthermore, they created a religion of several deities that helped govern their society with them forgetting their true origins. Around this era, there were several civil wars fought by the Yuuzhan Vong where their savage conflicts devastated their home galaxy. In time, their galaxy became incapable of supporting their race and they decided to embark on a mass exodus to find a new home land in a different galaxy. Thus, they constructed the massive Koros-strohna worldships that served as generation ships with their entire surviving population departing in a journey that took a thousand standard years.
There is evidence that the Yuuzhan Vong had scouted the galaxy since before the Mandalorian Wars: 4,000 years before their initial invasion, Canderous Ordo encountered a "living asteroid that spat fire" that escaped towards the edge of the galaxy. However, the Yuuzhan Vong only began probing in force 4,000 years later, several years after the Battle of Naboo. They attacked Zonama Sekot in an attempt to steal its advanced biological technology, but the living world defeated them and Old Republic Jedi Vergere offered herself in exchange that Zonama Sekot be left undamaged. The Yuuzhan Vong accepted her, and Vergere lived with them for 50 years. During this time, she revealed information about her galaxy while learning their secrets. Also during those years, the Yuuzhan Vong remained hidden from the galaxy, sending a number of Intendants to scout the galaxy. A notable Intendant assigned to this task was Nom Anor. After the Galactic Civil War which saw the New Republic defeat the Imperial Remnant, the Yuuzhan Vong saw their chance to invade the weakened galaxy.
On the distant world Rhommamool, the invaders, through Nom Anor disguised as the leader of the Red Knights of Life, stirred up a rebellion between Rhommamool and its neighbor Osarian. As a result, the Praetorite Vong took over Helska IV and brought down Sernpidal's moon upon the planet, killing millions, including the famous Wookiee, Chewbacca. The Yuuzhan Vong then encountered the Jedi, whom they considered the worst of a galaxy of infidels. Nom Anor then infected hundreds of beings with a fatal disease, including Mara Jade Skywalker. Mara Jade Skywalker was, however, cured with the tears of the Jedi Vergere.
Next, the Yuuzhan Vong began attacking more worlds in their path with much ease. Bimmiel, Dantooine, Dubrillion, and Obroa-Skai were among the many worlds captured, while Ithor (whose baffor trees gave off pollen toxic to the Yuuzhan Vong armour) was turned into a fireball and rendered uninhabitable. Then arose the problem of refugees from shattered planets that the government could not ignore. The New Republic began to blame the Jedi for starting the conflict with the aliens. Knowing that the Jedi were their worst enemies, the Yuuzhan Vong Warmaster Tsavong Lah, offered the galaxy a ceasefire in exchange that all of the Jedi be handed over to them. Many members of the embittered galactic government fell for this ploy, even despite the invaders' attack on the other side of the galaxy at Fondor which was close to the capital Coruscant itself. During the Battle of Fondor, the Yuuzhan Vong suffered heavy losses when Centerpoint Station was fired by Han Solo's cousin Thrackan Sal-Solo, after the station was activated by Anakin Solo.
The Yuuzhan Vong struck a deal with the Hutts that allowed them to pass through Hutt Space uncontested. Knowing they would give information to the New Republic, the Vong gave the Hutts false information, which aided in the attack at Fondor. After that, the Vong attacked the Hutts' worlds. The Peace Brigade, an organization which supported the Yuuzhan Vong, was formed through Yuuzhan Vong agents. This organization helped the Yuuzhan Vong capture Jedi. Then, on Yavin 4, Yuuzhan Vong of the oppressed Shamed caste came to admire the Jedi after a wrongly shamed Yuuzhan Vong named Vua Rapuung helped Anakin Solo rescue fellow Jedi Tahiri Veila, and as a result, a heresy was formed that infiltrated all levels of Yuuzhan Vong society, particularly the Shamed caste.
With Coruscant rapidly becoming surrounded, the Yuuzhan Vong created fearsome Voxyn beasts that hunt Force-sensitive individuals. A Jedi strike team led by Anakin Solo soon destroyed the Voxyn breeding facility over Myrkr, though most of the team was slain, including Anakin. At Coruscant, the Yuuzhan Vong captured the planet after a long battle and transformed it into Yuuzhan'tar, the Yuuzhan Vong homeworld.
Following the fall of Coruscant, General Wedge Antilles led remnants of the New Republic's Coruscant fleet to hold at Borleias, where the basis for the Yuuzhan Vong's eventual defeat was formed. Jaina Solo, greatly assisted by a humbled Kyp Durron and Chiss-raised Colonel Jagged Fel, misled the Yuuzhan Vong by pretending to be the Vong goddess Yun-Harla, leading to many rash battle maneuvers by their enemies, including Czulkang Lah, father of Warmaster Tsavong Lah. This compounded the Anakin Solo-founded heresy in the ranks of the Shamed Ones, which would eventually lead to vulnerability in the Vong ranks.
Beyond the Borleias system, Han and Leia Organa Solo started a series of rebel bases across the galaxy, to both resist Vong attacks and treachery by New Republic officials. Added to scientist Danni Quee's and Jedi Master Cilghal's yammosk-blocking machine, which disrupted the battle-coordinating creature's abilities, Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker's alliance with Wraith Squadron on captured Coruscant, and Lando Calrissian's Yuuzhan-Vong Hunter droids being produced, the elder Lah was overwhelmed and killed, along with one of the Vong's new and improved worldships, crucial to their conquest of the Star Wars galaxy.
The transforming of Coruscant was sabotaged by the Jedi Knight Jacen Solo, who was captured on Myrkr by Vergere and transformed from an uncertain boy to a powerful and potent Jedi Knight. The New Republic was officially disbanded, reforming into the Galactic Alliance, with its capital on Mon Calamari. The new government prepared to attack the weary Yuuzhan Vong. However, NRI head Dif Scaur had created the Alpha Red Project, which would destroy the Yuuzhan Vong and their organic technology. In order to prevent this devastating biological warfare weapon from being used, it was destroyed by Vergere. The Yuuzhan Vong were then lured into the Deep Core moon Ebaq 9, under the carefully planned assault by retired and ailing Admiral Ackbar. A full third of the task force is destroyed. There, Tsavong Lah was slain by Jaina Solo, and Vergere sacrificed herself to eliminate ten thousand other invaders in order to save Jacen Solo's life.
In the Force Heretic series of the New Jedi Order novels, the Galactic Alliance heroes Han Solo, Leia and Twin Suns Squadron head out to find powerful allies while the Jedi Luke Skywalker begins a mission to find the legendary living planet Zonama Sekot. The Jedi stumble upon a Yuuzhan Vong attack against the Imperial Remnant and help fight the invaders off, thus gaining a powerful ally. Meanwhile, the Yuuzhan Vong Nom Anor was forced to flee the wrath of Supreme Overlord Shimrra for suggesting the disastrous Ebaq 9 mission. Disguised as the prophet Yu'Shaa, Nom Anor begins stirring up the heresy on Yuuzhan'tar (formerly Coruscant) posing as a Shamed One. Luke's team then heads into Chiss space to obtain information on the Unknown Regions and hopefully Zonama Sekot. Meanwhile, Han and Leia's team heads to Bakura, where they thwart a Ssi-Ruuk invasion. The Jedi search the Chiss libraries for their missing planet. Later, the Jedi locate Zonama Sekot, but so do the Yuuzhan Vong. Sekot drives off the attackers as the Jedi land on its surface. Meanwhile Han Solo and Leia attempt to bring a communication station to the Unknown Regions back online while the Jedi negotiate with the living world to help them in the war.
In The Final Prophecy, Yuuzhan Vong operatives steal one of Zonama Sekot's organic starships and the Shaper Nen Yim discovers that Sekotan technology is similar to Yuuzhan Vong technology and that her people have gone terribly astray. Nom Anor disguised as Yu'Shaa along with Nen Yim and the priest Harrar arrive on Zonama Sekot, where they find out that many of the species from their galaxy are found on the planet. A plot by Nom Anor to destroy the living world is foiled. In The Unifying Force, Han and Leia rescue hundreds of high-ranking Alliance prisoners facing sacrifice to the enemy's gods. The Galactic Alliance prepares a fleet to defend Mon Calamari from the invaders while another Alliance fleet engages the Yuuzhan Vong at Coruscant, with Luke Skywalker leading a team of Jedi, including Jacen and Jaina Solo, in a strike at the very heart of Vong power on the shattered planet's surface. While the fleets face daunting numbers of enemy foes the Jedi are beset not only by the Vong's bioenhanced Slayer warriors, but Shimrra himself faces Luke in a deadly duel. With Jacen and Jaina effectively tied up in battle, Shimrra has gained control, seizing Luke and holding him by the throat, gloating over his impending doom. Never to be bested, the Jedi Master regains his lightsaber and decapitates the towering Vong in a fell stroke, and the Jedi are victorious.
In the end, Supreme Overlord Shimrra is revealed to be but a puppet of Onimi, the real Supreme Overlord who has concealed his identity and malformations for fear of disgrace at being labelled a Shamed One. He is slain and the Yuuzhan Vong are defeated. Warmaster Nas Choka surrenders to the Galactic Alliance and the Yuuzhan Vong are placed under the living planet Zonama Sekot's jurisdiction. Zonama Sekot is revealed to be the seed of the long-dead original Yuuzhan Vong homeworld. One of the surrender terms the Galactic Alliance placed before the Yuuzhan Vong was that they were to help rebuild Coruscant. The Galactic Alliance moves its capital to Denon though it would be moved to Coruscant again after the rebuilding is complete.
The Yuuzhan Vong invasion was the most devastating crisis the galaxy had faced. The actions of the Yuuzhan Vong were even more costly to the Star Wars galaxy than the Galactic Civil War. The death toll over the known galaxy that resulted from the invasion was estimated at about 365 trillion sentients.
Overview
Biology
In appearance, the Yuuzhan Vong were a race of humanoids with features that made them resemble other such species. It was said that genetically that the species shared the same base genetics with that of humanity which was deemed unusual especially for a race that had extragalactic origins. A critical difference was one gene sequence that was completely unique in the Yuuzhan Vong and was shared by all their organic technology. Another unique aspect of their physiology was their lack of anything resembling a kidney. The species nervous system was also said to be very conductive allowing them to experience greater pain.
The most notable trait of the Yuuzhan Vong was that they could not sense the Force and were immune to its effects.
Society
Their society was divided into a caste based system that included the:
- Warrior caste :
- Priest caste :
- Shaper caste :
- Intendant caste :
- Worker caste :
- Shamed Ones :
They were a civilization that made use of slavery where they captured members of other races to force them to work in manual labour. Slaves were often tasked with working alongside the worker caste on various projects.
The Yuuzhan Vong were divided into a number of clans that were known as Domains.
It was noted that deformed children were killed at birth though if the nature of the deformity was minor then the person was allowed to live.
Their faith dictated that life was suffering and death was the ultimate release from that suffering.
Within their religion, the Yuuzhan Vong believed in a pantheon of gods known as the Yun'O with these consisting of:
- Yun-Yuuzhan :
- Yun-Harla :
- Yun-Yammka :
- Yun-Ne'Shel :
- Yun-Q'aah :
- Yun-Txiin :
- Yun-Shuno :
Their belief system stated that all living creatures served the Yuuzhan Vong whilst they themselves served the gods."
A central component to their faith was a strict view towards inanimate technology and machines that were seen as abominations. Such was the vehement hatred of machines that Yuuzhan Vong were shown to break formations in order to destroy droids.
During their invasion, a new faith began to emerge among the Yuuzhan Vong which came as a result of an encounter with the Jedi. This led to the rise of the Jeedai Heresy with followers of this faith emerging from the ranks of the worker caste and the Shamed Ones. The Shamed Ones in particular came to see the Jedi as a means of earning their own redemption.
As a people, they were noted for their strict discipline and the obedience to one's superior officer.
The Yuuzhan Vong had their own language which they used to communicate with one another.
Technology
A unique characteristic of the Yuuzhan Vong was their technology that was entirely organic based in nature. It consisted of organisms that were specially bred for specific purposes.
For weapons, the Yuuzhan Vong created the amphistaff that were serpents which had the unique capacity of solidifying their body allowing them to withstand lightsaber strikes. As such, they could go limp-like allowing them to be wielded like a whip or switch to a solidified state where they acted more like a blade. The snake-like organisms also produced venom from their mouth that could be shot out at a target to blind or poison them.
Furthermore, they had engineered a number of insect-like life forms that were used for ranged combat. These include thud bugs that were thrown at a target where they dealt blunt force damage or razor bugs whose sharp edges could cut flesh and who flew back to their wielders.
For protection, they wore Vonduun Crab armour that were living organisms whose shells were strong enough to resist lightsabres.
The Yuuzhan Vong were able to breed new organisms to accomplish new tasks or combat certain threats. One example was the Voxyn that were bred by merging the traits of the fero xyn with that of the Vorsnkyrs. The goal for the breeding of these creatures was to create a living weapon that was tasked with hunting Jedi.
Communication was achieved through organisms known as Villips.
Propulsion was achieved through the gravity manipulating Dovin Basals. These organisms could latch onto distant objects and exert a gravitational effect to move themselves towards it. Thus, the were installed on-board Yuuzhan Vong vessels as propulsion systems. A secondary role they also played was in defence as the creatures could manipulate gravity to generate singularities. These singularities were used to absorb weapon fire and thus operated as a form of shielding.
More sophisticated organisms included the Yammosk that were known as war coordinators. These creatures were said to resemble the Yuuzhan Vong war god and were large beasts with many tentacles. Yammosks were not born rather than spawned allowing them to inherit the memories and experiences of their progenitor.
A more advanced biot was the Dhuryam that were large organisms that were known as world coordinators or world brains. They were responsible for managing entire planets where they managed an entire world along with the various biots.
The Yuuzhan Vong created Yorik Coral that was a substance used in construction with it forming the basis of their vessels.
Known craft used by the Yuuzhan Vong included:
- Yorik-et coralskipper :
- Yorik-akaga picket ship :
- I'Friil Ma-Nat corvette :
- Uumufalh gunship :
- Yorik-stronha spy ship :
- Yorik-trema landing craft :
- Yorik-vec assault cruiser :
Members
- Shimraa :
- Onimi :
- Tsavong Lah :
- Czulkang Lah :
- Jakan :
- Nos Choka :
- Nom Anor :
- Harrar :
- Nen Yim :
- Shedao Shai :
- Elan :
Notes
- The Yuuzhan Vong were a creation for the Star Wars Legends continuity where they featured in the Star Wars: The New Jedi Order series.
Appearances
- Star Wars: The New Jedi Order:
- Star Wars: Legacy:
- Star Wars: Invasion:
External Links
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