Shashay

The Shashay, having evolved from avian ancestors into sentient beings, experienced a reduction in their need for flight, resulting in underdeveloped wings along their arms. They possessed "wing feathers" that could extend or retract, creating a pointed tip between their wrist and elbow, which allowed them to glide. Each forearm curved forward, ending in a five-fingered talon, including an opposable thumb for grasping. Their vibrant and thick plumage covered their torso, extending down to their broad tail and thighs. A Shashay's legs featured a joint where the lower leg bent forward, ending in a grasping foot talon with three forward-facing digits and one smaller digit facing backward. Notably, Crying Dawn Singer had legs similar to those of Humans, bending backward at the knees.

The Shashay's head was adorned with finer plumage that flowed backward, culminating in a pointed crest. Their faces featured dark eyes and a sharp beak, characterized by a larger, curved upper jaw with nares near its base, extending over the lower mandible. Their avian brains, adapted for navigating three-dimensional airspace, proved advantageous for hyperspace travel. Their inherent astrogation skills allowed them to comprehend the complexities of hyperspace, where other species relied on navigation computers. Furthermore, the Shashay possessed complex vocal cords, enabling them to produce exquisite singing characterized by intricate musical compositions accompanied by graceful movements. This led to their common designation as "Space Singers."

Known for their quick tempers and deep loyalty, the Shashay communicated through a chirping language and were capable fighters, using their beaks and foot talons in combat. In comparison to Humans, they typically moved slower, possessed less physical strength, and were unable to speak Galactic Basic Standard, although they could understand the language. Adult Shashay typically stood between 1.3 and 1.6 meters tall, and could glide for approximately twenty-five meters, covering ten meters forward for every five meters of descent.

Most Shashay were content to remain on their homeworld of Crytal Nest located in Wild Space. Organized around Nestclans, they produced a prized alcoholic beverage known as Idlewil liquor. A small number of Shashay traders operated discreetly along Galactic Republic trade routes near their planet. The Nestmothers of the Shashay governed the species, and became increasingly cautious of the Galactic Empire. The Shashay possessed a strong sense of community and zealously guarded the location of Crytal Nest. Fearing exploitation, Shashay astrogators committed the world's coordinates to memory and would rather die than reveal their secret.

A few Shashay, driven by a sense of adventure, served as navigators on Republic star lanes as traders. They maintained a low profile as they explored star systems near Crytal Nest, engaging in small-scale resource gathering and trade with less-established settlements. By 22 BBY, a number of Shashay had taken up residence on the Republic's capital city-planet of Coruscant in the Core Worlds. On the date 13:3:28 of that year, the HoloNet News CoCo District Edition on Coruscant published a report on a Rhire Medical Academy study, which revealed the disproportionate impact of air pollution on ten species, including the Shashay. The Rhire Academy's study, based on the Core World of Rhinnal, was released on the same day following an examination of Coruscant's middle-class districts. According to HoloNet News, "air pollutants from government industrial centers and civic traffic led to a 15-fold increase in the likelihood of debilitating respiratory ailments in the identified species."

Among the illnesses stemming from Coruscant's air pollution standards were lungrot, dioxo-brionchiectasis shock, silicalung, and hemorrhagic molting. The study urged planetary officials to revise their standards and replace outdated thruster propellant–based air buses with repulsorfield units, in accordance with their responsibility for public transport and industrial areas. HoloNet News interviewed a physician in the CoCo District who advised his Chadra-Fan patients to wear breathmasks outdoors, and also reported that Coruscant Health was considering the findings.

Near the end of the Republic's Clone Wars against the Separatist Alliance three years later, in 19 BBY, the Separatist Droid Army attacked Coruscant. Among the attackers were octuptarra droids carrying a pathogen intended to target Republic clone troopers. Following the battle, traces of the virus from destroyed droids mutated, infecting the Shashay and other avian species, leading to an outbreak of molting.

The Galactic Empire replaced the Republic at the war's conclusion, and the Shashay grew increasingly isolated in response to the oppressive New Order. Fearing that the Empire would exploit Crytal Nest if its location was discovered, they never entered the coordinates into any computer system. These measures successfully prevented the Imperial Survey Corps from finding Crytal Nest. Approximately a decade before the Battle of Yavin, the years of Shashay starships quietly traversing Republic and Imperial trade routes came to an end when the galaxy became aware of the species' musical talent. This shift was triggered by an event on Kashyyyk, the Wookiee homeworld within Imperial territory.

A Shashay scout ship was forced to land on Kashyyyk due to mechanical failure, where Wookiee volunteers provided repairs. The Shashay representative insisted on repaying their kindness. Despite the Wookiees' lack of reputation for appreciating art, the Shashay spent the evening performing captivating music. The beauty of her species' music was widely recognized, leading to a surge in demand for Shashay performers throughout the Empire. Concerned that the Empire would exploit the Shashay homeworld if its location became known, the Nestmothers restricted most Shashay from leaving the planet. However, Crying Dawn Singer, a highly popular and talented artist, received special permission to perform off-world, as the Nestmothers believed he would send valuable money back to Crytal Nest, benefiting the entire species.

Following the Alliance to Restore the Republic's destruction of the Empire's Death Star superweapon at the Battle of Yavin, the Rebellion sought the Shashay's assistance. Initially, the Shashay politely declined. However, as time passed, the Shashay reconsidered their position as the Empire's actions became increasingly abhorrent. The Alliance managed to forge agreements with the Shashay. First, several Shashay began serving the Alliance as navigators and in other capacities, including courier and reconnaissance roles, enhancing the Alliance's effectiveness. As part of their agreement, the Alliance placed a secret agent, the droid KL-6TLF7V/T, within Crying Dawn Singer's entourage. The Alliance desired a secret base on Crytal Nest, but the Nestmothers were hesitant, requiring proof of the Alliance's potential to win the ongoing Galactic Civil War.

The Empire suspected that the Alliance was negotiating with the Shashay and that a secret agent was traveling with Crying Dawn Singer, but they were unable to identify the agent. Moff Nile Owen, the Imperial ruler of the Rayter sector, was approached by his special assistant Nak Farool, who proposed a plan to sow discord between the Shashay and the Alliance. The Empire would hire an independent criminal to abduct Crying Dawn Singer and issue an exorbitant ransom demand to the Shashay, posing as an Alliance leader. The Empire would then stage a "rescue" of Crying Dawn Singer, winning the Shashay's favor and boosting the Empire's popularity. While Owen approved the operation, Farool was secretly plotting to replace Owen with his brother, Braig Farool, the planetary governor of Narg. After the abduction, Nak Farool would issue a public statement, portraying Owen as indifferent and unconcerned about Crying Dawn Singer, damaging Owen's reputation. Nak Farool also arranged for the kidnapper, sectorial pirate Yearo Seville, to deliver the hostage to Narg, rather than Owen's headquarters, allowing Farool to take credit for the rescue. Owen would then be forced to resign and be replaced by Braig Farool.

Moments before a scheduled performance for Owen in Capital City, Crying Dawn Singer and his entire entourage were either kidnapped or killed by Seville. Seville transported his hostages to an abandoned Imperial base on the planet of Najarka, where he killed the remaining members of the entourage. The Nestmothers then requested the Alliance's help. The Alliance received a signal from the transponder in KL-6TLF7V/T and located the droid on Najarka. Zeke Rondel, an Alliance commander stationed at Berrol's Donn base, ordered the crew of the CRX-Tug Worthless Fool to travel to Najarka and rescue both the secret agent and the Shashay.

The pirate subsequently transported the avian to the Laim system, where he recorded holotransmissions blaming the Alliance, threatening the Shashay and other aliens, and demanding twenty billion credits and a base on Crytal Nest as ransom. During the recording, Seville shot and stunned Crying Dawn Singer. The pirate then took Crying Dawn Singer to Narg. Farool recorded a staged rescue with Crying Dawn Singer, and then caged the avian alien in his own private zoo in his office. Many Shashay believed Seville's words, leading them to seize all Rebel ships on which they were serving. They threatened to hand the ships over to Owen, potentially ending the Alliance's presence in the sector, unless the Alliance sought Owen's help. The Shashay agreed to return the ships to the Alliance if Crying Dawn Singer was rescued.

The Worthless Fool followed Seville's trail from Najarka to the Laim system and then to Narg. Simultaneously, Owen discovered Farool's treachery and his press release. The Moff executed his assistant and took his flagship, the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Impending Doom, to Narg, determined to rescue Crying Dawn Singer himself and regain his lost prestige. The Alliance members reached Narg and rescued a furious Crying Dawn Singer from Farool's clutches. Despite facing a battalion of stormtroopers and TIE fighters sent by Owen, they successfully escaped the planet with Crying Dawn Singer. From that point forward, the Alliance to Restore the Republic earned the full respect of the Shashay people.

The Shashay made their debut in The Abduction, a roleplaying adventure written by Chuck Truett for West End Games' Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game. Published in 1992, the story includes two illustrations of the Shashay by Allen Nunis, including Crying Dawn Singer with human-like legs. A more detailed illustration of a Shashay by Brian Schomburg in the 1998 The Roleplaying Game supplement Alien Encounters depicts bird-like leg talons. This article interprets the different depictions as variations within the species.

In The Abduction, the player characters are crew members of the Worthless Fool. If they fail their mission, Moff Owen captures Crying Dawn Singer and tortures him to death in a futile attempt to extract the coordinates of Crytal Nest. Following their hero's death, the Shashay sever diplomatic ties with the Alliance, leading to the fragmentation of the Alliance in the Rayter sector into numerous independent factions, none of which are able to achieve significant goals.