Tefaun
Tefauns were a species of sentient humanoids distinguished by their blue skin, prominent eyes, and heads featuring distinctive ridges. Kelek, a Tefaun banker, famously acquired the Wheel, a space station dedicated to gambling and entertainment. She subsequently initiated the Big Game, a savage gladiatorial competition. As the Wheel's popularity waned and revenues declined, Kelek sought financial assistance from the InterGalactic Banking Clan to revitalize her business, but ultimately failed to repay her debts, leading to the sale of her shares to Dominic Raynor, a businessman. During the era of the Galactic Civil War, a Tefaun named Soth Petikkin hailing from Tefau played a significant role as a persuasive recruiter for the Rebel Alliance, leveraging his connections within crime lord Jabba the Hutt's Palace on the planet of Tatooine to garner support for the Alliance.
Biological Traits and Physical Appearance
The Tefaun [species](/article/species-legends], possessing sentience, exhibited a humanoid form with a standard arrangement of limbs: two arms, two legs, a central torso, a connecting neck, and a distinct head. A notable characteristic included blue pigmentation of the skin, coupled with large, bulging eyes, and a uniquely ridged, disc-shaped cranial structure.
Historical Overview
Kelek was a Tefaun who lived during the twilight years of the Galactic Republic. She rose to prominence as a banker and subsequently acquired ownership of the Wheel, a renowned space station and gambling destination. A key event under her stewardship was the establishment of the Big Game, a fierce gladiatorial competition hosted within the station's confines. Kelek, also known as Kelek the Blue and Kelek the Insensate, was the Wheel's third owner following the death of her predecessor, the J'feh crime lord Skijid Vrescot. The abundance of scoundrels patronizing the Wheel deterred wealthier individuals, leading to a decline in revenue. Consequently, Kelek sought financial assistance from the InterGalactic Banking Clan in an attempt to attract a more affluent clientele. However, her inability to maintain the repayment schedule resulted in the Banking Clan demanding settlement of the loan, ultimately forcing her to relinquish her ownership stake to the businessman Dominic Raynor.
Later, during the Galactic Civil War that pitted the Galactic Empire against the Alliance to Restore the Republic, Soth Petikkin, a Force-attuned Tefaun with limited precognitive abilities, emerged. Originating from Tefau, he served as an effective recruiter for the Alliance. Petikkin utilized his network of contacts within the organization of Jabba the Hutt, a notorious crime lord whose base of operations was his palace on the desert planet Tatooine, to secure resources and support for the Alliance's cause.
Behind the Scenes Information
The conceptual origins of the Tefaun species can be traced back to the production phase of the 1983 film Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. Several maquettes depicting potential alien characters were designed for inclusion in the scenes set within Jabba's Palace, but these designs were ultimately discarded before the film's final cut. Among these unused designs was a robed, bipedal figure known simply as "Alien 25," who was considered as a possible candidate for one of Jabba's aides. In 1998, the character Soth Petikkin was created for a card featured in the Special Edition Limited set of the Star Wars Customizable Card Game. This card utilized a modified image of the "Alien 25" maquette, effectively introducing the species into canon.
In September 2013, the designation "Tefaun" was officially assigned to the species with the creation of the Kelek character for the Star Wars Blog article "Viva Space Vegas! The History of the Marvelous Wheel" published on StarWars.com. Abel G. Peña, one of the article's co-authors, confirmed via his Facebook page that the Tefauns were indeed the same species as Soth Petikkin.
Primary Information Sources
- Star Wars Chronicles (Initial visual representation) (Maquette only)
- Star Wars Customizable Card Game — Special Edition Limited (Card: Soth Petikkin) (backup link) (Initial textual reference)
- Viva Space Vegas! The History of the Marvelous Wheel, Part 1 on StarWars.com (backup link) (original link is obsolete) (First official identification as Tefaun)
- Back from the Drawing Board: Recycled Star Wars Aliens on StarWars.com (backup link) (original link is obsolete)