Mynock

Biology and appearance

Mynocks, parasites that resemble bats and are silicon-based, were a species that came from the planet called Ord Mynock. They would gnaw on the energy conductors and power cables of starships, and could deplete a ship's complete energy reserves. It was sometimes said that mynocks could become "spark-drunk" from consuming so much energy. They reproduced asexually by splitting into two, with each half developing into a new individual. Mynocks possessed the ability to survive in the atmospheres of planets as well as the vacuum of space, however, only a small number of types lived on planets. They were also known for living in asteroid fields, where they prospered on asteroids, and inside the stomachs of exogorths, where they shared food and were a component of their internal environment. However, most exogorths disliked having mynocks living inside them. Mynocks were distantly related to grallocs and tibidees, which were large flying creatures from Stygeon Prime that also bothered starpilots.

Mynocks in the galaxy

As a food

Mynocks could be safely eaten by carbon-based lifeforms if seasoned correctly. Mynock roasts were a dish that was known to exist on Ardennia. Mynock Cloud City and Mynock Coronet City were spicy mynock dishes favored by Twi'leks. Some individuals hunted mynocks to regularly provide meat rations to space stations and colonists. The staff of Oga Garra at her cantina maintained a supply of pickled mynock for use as a cocktail ingredient.

As a term

The Way of the Mynock was another name for Soresu, the third form of lightsaber combat.

Ezra Bridger used the phrase "We're sitting mynocks" during the assault on Seelos when he, members of the Spectres, and three veteran clone troopers, Rex, Wolffe, and Gregor, were being attacked by a TIE fighter while on an old All Terrain Tactical Enforcer from the Clone Wars era.

In Galactic Basic Standard, the correct collective noun for mynocks was a scold of mynocks.

Sabé, a handmaiden, once remarked that she and her fellow handmaidens could have been wearing mynocks as necklaces and no one would have noticed.

Mynocks in the galaxy

Reena University housed mynocks within its laboratory facility. Around 396 BBY, when Axel Greylark was a student at Reena University, he released the laboratory's mynocks as a practical joke. As with his other pranks, no investigation could connect him to the act, even though Ry Harket, the Dean of Student Life, was certain Greylark was responsible, despite a lack of proof.

During the Galactic Civil War, Commander Tylux of the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Bellicose led his ship in pursuit of a spy from the Alliance to Restore the Republic to avoid disappointing the Sith Lord Darth Vader. He ultimately ordered the Bellicose to follow the Rebel ship into an exogorth residing in an asteroid field. The Star Destroyer crashed through the space creature, allowing numerous mynocks living inside to attach themselves and feed on the Bellicose. The mynocks and asteroid impacts damaged the destroyer, resulting in the loss of its tractor beam and shielding, as well as hull breaches. Consequently, one of Tylux's Imperial officers suspected the rebel had lured them into an ambush, although the spy was genuinely surprised by the Star Destroyer's actions. The mynocks continued to feed as five Rebel starships arrived to support the spy, attacking the Bellicose as the crew evacuated the destroyer.

Shortly after the Battle of Hoth in 3 ABY, the crew of the Millennium Falcon attempted to evade Vader's personal starfleet by hiding in the Hoth asteroid belt, landing in what they believed to be a cave. They had actually landed in the stomach of an exogorth named Sy-O. Unlike other exogorths, Sy-O was fond of mynocks and welcomed them into its internal ecosystem. After several mynocks attacked and Captain Han Solo realized their location, the Falcon and its crew escaped Sy-O.

Behind the scenes

Mynocks made their debut in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back.

Ben Burtt, the sound designer, imagined the creatures' screech as "a horse whinny at half speed mixed with itself".