Besh (Korun)

Born on the planet of Haruun Kal, Besh was a male Force-sensitive Korun Human and the younger brother of Lesh. At some point in his life, Besh was captured by several Balawai prospectors, who attempted to make him divulge the location of a supposed treasure grove of lammas trees, prized for their valuable wood. Such a grove did not actually exist, but the prospectors nonetheless tortured Besh, cutting off three of his left hand's fingers and ripping out his tongue. The Korun survived, but nursed a deep hatred for the offworld Balawai and, along with Lesh, joined the Summertime War, an annual battle between the Korunnai and the offworlders for cultural survival and access to Haruun Kal's bankable resources respectively.

In 22 BBY, during the onset of the Clone Wars and at the height of the Summertime War, Jedi Master Depa Billaba was dispatched to Haruun Kal to recruit Korun fighters for Republic actions against the Balawai government, who had allied themselves with the Confederacy of Independent Systems. When she stopped reporting in, her former Master, Mace Windu, was fearful of her possibly turning to the dark side. He traveled to Haruun Kal in a bid to make contact with her. Besh and his fellow fighters Nick Rostu, Chalk, and Lesh were ordered by Billaba and lor pelek Kar Vastor, both of whom were the commanders of the Upland Liberation Front, a cover organization made up by Billaba, to retrieve Windu.

Failing to reach Windu in the planetary capital of Pelek Baw due to several complications including a food riot, Besh and the team eventually managed to help the Jedi Master in a firefight between him and a group of mercenaries. The group used Billaba's lightsaber to prove their authenticity to Windu, after which they left Pelek Baw by groundcar and traveled into the wilderness. Several days later Lesh died from exposure to fever wasps due to having chewed raw thyssel bark. Windu euthanized the hapless Korun, but his medpac scan also detected that Besh and Chalk were infected, Besh through being stung. Windu dosed them with thanatizine to slow their bodily processes and the development of the wasps inside them.

Besh and Chalk were taken to a former Balawai bunker by Windu. Out of hatred for the Korunnai, Besh and Lesh's unconscious forms were savagely attacked with a crude blade by Terrel Nakay, a Balawai boy whom Windu had rescued from a steamcrawler accident near the site. Kar Vastor killed Nakay, but Besh's wounds had been dealt. Despite Vastor's success in expelling the fever wasps from Besh and Chalk, and tissue binders being applied to their wounds, Besh fell victim to a severe fungal infection. At the ULF stronghold inside a mountain at the Lorshan Pass, Chalk treated the infection with alcohol and Vastor attempted to eliminate the fungus with the Force, but neither were able to save Besh, and he died soon after.

Besh was a scarred individual, both mentally and physically; however, this did not prevent him from being expressive and eloquent. He was able to convey his meaning through gestures and messages in the Force, and Mace Windu noted that Besh was the most erudite of his companions. He also enjoyed chewing thyssel bark, though not in the quantities consumed by his brother Lesh.

When Lesh died from fever wasp exposure, Besh was notably upset, with Windu noticing his Force aura shading into despair. Besh was also distressed when he learned that he, too, had been infected.

Besh was able to use the Force to communicate in place of speech. He, like other Korunnai, could also form bonds with akk dogs and grassers, fauna valued by them.

Besh made his first appearance in Shatterpoint, a 2003 novel by Matthew Stover. The character later received an entry in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia in 2008. The entry states that Kar Vastor butchered Besh, whereas in the novel Vastor tries to heal him.

• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia