The Chironians were a sentient species notable for possessing a centauriform physique; their upper body, encompassing the torso, arms, and head, bore resemblance to a humanoid, while their lower body mirrored that of a four-legged equine. A distinguishing feature of the Chironians was the pair of transparent, smooth horns that grew annually from their foreheads. Initially, these horns appeared as small, velvet-covered buds, eventually piercing through to become fully developed horns. Premature cutting of the velvet could result in a fatal wound. At least some young Chironians exhibited a red-gold color with white spots adorning their flanks and backs; this coloration deepened with age, and the spots diminished. Chironians were capable of developing lengthy manes and tails.
The planet Chiron served as the native world for the Chironian species. This planet was situated within the Outer Rim Territories, specifically in an area known as the Ash Worlds. This region gained its name following the devastation and bombardment of numerous star systems by the Hutt forces, around 24,500 BBY. Millennia later, the Galactic Empire imposed an interdiction on many Ash Worlds for weapons experimentation. After the Empire's fall, Lusa, a Chironian, was abducted by the Empire Reborn, a movement aiming to reinstate the Empire under the leadership of Lord Hethrir. Lusa was eventually rescued and reunited with her family. For a period, she aligned herself with the Diversity Alliance, a radical, anti-Human group, before leaving due to the Alliance's violent tendencies. Lusa sought assistance from Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and aided the New Republic in suppressing the Alliance. She later became a Jedi Knight within the New Jedi Order and met her death on her homeworld during the Yuuzhan Vong War, which lasted from 25 ABY to 29 ABY.
The Chironians were warm-blooded, sentient species possessing a centauriform build; in other words, they combined the head and torso of a humanoid with the lower body of an equine creature. Their lower body featured four legs, resembling those of a horse, each terminating in a delicate, cloven hoof. Chironians could sit by folding their horse-like legs beneath them. They were tall, reaching the height of an adult Human even when seated. They could also deliver powerful backward kicks with their hind legs, capable of knocking down other beings. Their gait could vary from a walk to a canter or a gallop.
Young Chironians often displayed a red-gold color with white spots on their flanks and back. As they matured, their body color deepened to a rich reddish-brown, akin to polished cinnamon, and the spots faded. They grew long tails, which they frequently flicked. Their torso included two arms, ending in dexterous hands capable of activities such as skipping stones, administering field medicine, and wielding weapons like stun sticks.
The Chironian head featured two wide, round eyes, sometimes red-gold, capable of producing tears. The eyes had lids and eyebrows. They also possessed a nose with two nostrils and a mouth with full lips. Chironians developed long, curly manes, sometimes reaching waist-length, flowing down their backs. These manes darkened to a rich reddish-brown with age.
Annually, two horns grew from their head above the temples. These horns began as small knobs covered in red-furred velvet, a vascular tissue. Once sufficiently developed, they naturally broke through the velvet, emerging as transparent horns, as bright as diamond, cool to the touch, and with smooth ridges. However, artificial cutting of the velvet could lead to death. Over time, the horns grew long and sharp, allowing adolescent Chironians to use them to gore opponents.
Chironians were strong enough to carry a Human on their backs. They emitted a scent reminiscent of woods and spices to Humans. The species included at least one sex, females, and some individuals possessed the capacity to use the Force.
Chironians expressed emotions through hoof mannerisms: stamping indicated impatience, while tapping or cantering signified excitement. They frequently shook their heads and manes, and their faces flushed when angry. Frightened young Chironians were known to rub their velvet-covered horns against the foreheads of emotionally close individuals. Chironians could swim and shook themselves dry afterward.
They had expressive, husky voices and could speak Galactic Basic Standard, though some spoke with a heavy accent. Some young Chironians, like Lusa, a Force-sensitive member, wore no clothing on their bodies, shoulders, torsos or midriffs. In her adulthood, however, Lusa wore a robe on her torso.
The Chironian species originated on the planet Chiron. Chiron was situated in the galactic east of the Outer Rim Territories, within the Kiirium Reaches, a region incorporated into Xim the Despot's empire as early as 25,127 BBY. According to legends, Kossak the Hutt ordered the bombardment and poisoning of many worlds surrounding Chiron several hundred years later, creating a desolate buffer between Xim's remnants and Hutt Space. This destruction led to the Chironians' home sector, shared with the Abyssins and the Nyny natives, becoming known as the Ash Worlds.
Chiron wasn't widely explored by the Galactic Republic until 5000 BBY, although during the Jedi Civil War from 3959 BBY to 3956 BBY, it fell within Darth Revan's Sith Empire. During the Clone Wars, Chiron was in unaligned territory between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. However, after the Republic transformed into the Galactic Empire, many Ash Worlds were interdicted and used for weapons testing.
Following the rise of the New Republic in 4 ABY, Chiron came under its control. During this period, the Empire Reborn, a secretive group aiming to revive the Empire, kidnapped at least one Chironian as a slave. Years later, during the Yuuzhan Vong War, a conflict between the New Republic and the Yuuzhan Vong, extra-galactic invaders, Chiron was believed to be safe. Nevertheless, the Yuuzhan Vong managed to send a pack of voxyn—creatures shaped to hunt and kill Jedi—to the planet. The voxyn attacked and killed the Chironian Jedi Knight Lusa while she was in a meadow.
By 137 ABY, after Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire rose against the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances—the New Republic's successor—Chiron was within one of the few areas still under Galactic Alliance influence.
In 14 ABY, the Chironian Lusa was abducted from her family on Chiron at a young age and pressed into service by the Empire Reborn. Lusa and other children were taken to the Rebirth, a worldcraft owned by Lord Hethrir. Hethrir claimed to test the children for Force-sensitivity, but only selected Human children to support the Empire's Humanocentric ideology. The remaining children were to be sold as slaves.
On the worldcraft, Lusa befriended Jaina Solo, the child of Leia Organa Solo, the New Republic Chief of State. Lusa was later sold to a wealthy backer of the Empire Reborn and taken to Crseih station to witness a ritual. However, this plot was foiled, and Lusa was freed by Organa Solo, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker.
Lusa returned to her family on Chiron, but the trauma persisted. In 22 ABY, she joined the Diversity Alliance, an anti-Human organization. Over two years, she became radicalized and carried out missions until asked to kill the crew of a scout vessel. Refusing, Lusa sought help from Skywalker on Coruscant in 24 ABY. He invited her to his Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4, where she reunited with Jaina. Lusa's experience with the Diversity Alliance contributed to its defeat. She reported its activities to the New Republic Senate and accompanied a mission to its headquarters on Ryloth. Lusa trained at the Jedi Praxeum, became a Jedi Knight, and grew close to Raynar Thul. In 27 ABY, during the Yuuzhan Vong War, she visited her homeworld and was killed by voxyn.
Vonda N. McIntyre created the Chironian species and Lusa for The Crystal Star, published by Bantam Spectra in 1994. She described Lusa as a centauriform or centaur, inspired by Greek mythology. Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta later used Lusa in six Young Jedi Knights books between 1997 and 1998. Lusa's role in the Diversity Alliance was central to the plot, but she had brief appearances in the Black Sun arc. Anderson and Moesta also did not name the species.
Stephen J. Sansweet provided an entry for Lusa in the 1998 Star Wars Encyclopedia, adding that she was from Chiron. In Greek mythology, Chiron was the wisest centaur. In 2001, Troy Denning's The New Jedi Order: Star by Star mentioned Lusa's death and first identified the species as Chironians. This name was repeated in "Who's Who in the New Jedi Order" in Star Wars Insider 53, which included a partial image by Dan Veesenmeyer, and in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.