Bora

These Boras were gigantic plants, some reaching heights of up to six hundred meters and boasting base diameters exceeding ten meters. Their extensive foliage formed a vast, overarching canopy over the planet, a tapestry of green colored with splashes of gold, blue, purple, and red. Despite their tree-like appearance, xenobotanists refrained from classifying them as trees. However, the native Ferroan people referred to them as boras, which was their word for tree. Compared to trees from other planets, these enormous organisms displayed an exceptionally rapid growth rate. Their massive trunks spread extensively, featuring large, winding tentacles capable of defending against threats. They also possessed the ability to channel lightning to power intricate organic processes within their trunks. Notably, the branch tips were composed of iron, acting as lightning rods. The minds of these creatures were not located in the upper reaches of the organism, but instead in a more central location. This small mind could only process simple instructions, such as protect or attack, meaning that the creatures could not be reasoned with.

The boras were recognized for their intricate life cycle, leading some to regard them as a remarkable species. This life cycle was even mirrored by Zonama Sekotan ships. Mature boras released seeds onto the ground, which then moved to feed on the dead limbs shed by the parent tree onto the tampasi floor. These bora seeds were more akin to animals in their mobility, allowing them to migrate to nurseries each summer (some would evolve into seed-partners, which were the basis for the creation of Sekotan starships). During thunderstorms, the boras directed lightning through their branches to the seeds, infusing them with energy and cracking them open in a process called forging. After the seeds opened, the tree's specialized leaves shaped them into future boras through a process known as annealing. This process ensured that no two boras were identical, leading to a multitude of types. However, the system was not perfect, and mutations could occur. These mutant organisms were highly dangerous and territorial if left uncontrolled, hence the strict containment measures. Their aggression prevented any inbound flying craft from approaching, effectively blocking any form of landing.

Different types of boras included the Annealers, which had long, spade-like arms used to shape exploding seeds in a complex process. Once completed, the seeds transformed into various types of boras and were relocated from the nursery to the tampasi. The wild boras, known as Rogues or Lost Ones by the natives, lacked nursery affiliations and scavenged off the communal fields, destined never to rejoin the commune. The origin of these boras remained a mystery, with some suggesting they escaped burning nurseries to be shaped elsewhere, perhaps by other rogues. Despite their outcast status, they served a purpose by keeping the communes alert, as they were known to snatch seeds, either to consume or raise as their own. Occasionally, swarms of smaller wild-types would appear during the forging process, before the lightning struck, and seize the pellets meant for the seeds. While rogues were generally scarce, some valleys were densely populated with them.

Each bora's massive trunk served as a miniature ecosystem, supporting a diverse array of animal and plant species. Plants and fungi thrived in these locations, becoming prey to brightly colored insects, which in turn were consumed by lizards and arachnids, ultimately falling prey to larger predators like birds. Furthermore, the boras produced food and fruits located higher up their expanse. At night, the lower branches of the boras served as resting places for bioluminescent insects, illuminating the darkness for other inhabitants.

A vast root system created by the boras permeated the surface of Zonama Sekot, connecting the various organisms and linking the tampasi together. This resulted in a large organic network known as the Boras Network which allowed communication to travel throughout the root system to far flung sections of the sentient planetoid. This network enabled inhabitants to communicate and stay informed of recent developments. The native Ferroans could tap into the network, granting them access to information from across the planet at almost any time.

The boras were native to the living planet of Zonama Sekot, existing long before the planet gained sentience. They were first used as a living factory and used to control the art of shaping seeds during the initial colonization of the planet by Ferroans and Langhesi. Indeed, it was the first Magister who studied the boras and befriended them. This friendship led to the boras inviting the colonists to observe their nurseries in the tampasi, after which they were accepted as shapers. However, mastering the craft took the first Magister twenty years, and he subsequently trained the boras to manipulate their dense canopies to serve as organic factories for the Jentari. This act by Magister Leor Hal also had the benefit of concealing the creation process of Sekotan ships from prying eyes.

The natives of Zonama Sekot used Kybo airships to harvest produce from the boras' higher reaches. At some point, the living intelligence of Sekot allowed a stand of rogue boras to sprout. These were confined to a region in the northeast and were permitted to exist to promote genetic diversity. These malignant boras were allowed to flourish, as no one disturbed their seeding grounds, where they were known to attack intruders. The Jedi Order first learned of the boras before the Clone Wars when Obi-Wan Kenobi and a young Anakin Skywalker journeyed to Zonama Sekot to discover the fate of missing Jedi Vergere. During their time on the living world, the Jedi duo learned about the nature of the boras from the Magister's daughter, Jabitha.

During the tumultuous period of the Crossings, the devastation inflicted on Zonama Sekot's surface resulted in powerful hurricanes that uprooted entire boras. Near the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War, Luke Skywalker traveled to Zonama Sekot to seek the planet's assistance. There, he, along with his wife Mara Jade Skywalker, nephew Jacen Solo, Saba Sebatyne, Danni Quee, and Soron Hegerty, learned about the boras. However, Sekot's living intelligence secretly tested Jacen Solo by orchestrating the kidnapping of Danni Quee and Jabitha by Senshi, who took them to a grove of malignant boras where their lives were threatened by the wild creatures. It was during this time that Sekot assessed their fight-or-flight responses and ultimately decided to aid them in fighting the Yuuzhan Vong.