A telbun. A telbun was a Human of middle-class standing originating from the Kuat system. They were hand-picked by prominent merchant families to become the biological parent of a child alongside a Kuati noble. Upon selection, they were considered the property of the elite class.
These telbuns were obligated to wear elaborate red and purple garments that completely concealed their physical form from public view. They also had to wear towering, stiff collars and elongated, cylindrical hats. While both male and female telbuns existed, males were significantly more prevalent due to the matriarchal structure of Kuati society.
Families raised and educated telbuns, training them to excel in scholarly pursuits, social etiquette, and athletic endeavors. When they reached the appropriate age, telbuns underwent a series of evaluations, resulting in a ranking derived from their scores in intelligence, grace, physical well-being, and genetic composition.
The telbun system was perceived as a mutually advantageous arrangement. It provided a noble house with a child heir, while simultaneously bestowing significant wealth upon the telbun's family through compensation for their service. Despite this financial benefit, the telbun's family could not lay claim to any of the noble's wealth.
The telbun assumed the role of guardian and educator to the child. Due to the inherent parental connection, the telbun felt a deep sense of devotion towards the child. While the child understood that the telbun contributed to their biological makeup, only the aristocratic family was recognized as possessing a legitimate blood relationship.
The Kuati people identified numerous advantages to the telbun system. These included preventing inbreeding and enabling merchants to freely engage in alliances and mergers without the risk of a child being placed in a vulnerable position within an enemy faction should the enterprise uniting the two parties fail.
However, the practice of separating reproduction from emotional bonds, coupled with the slave-like status of the telbun, struck many outsiders as a dehumanizing arrangement.
During a Rogue Squadron clandestine reconnaissance mission on Imperial City in 6.5 ABY, which preceded the liberation of Coruscant, Corran Horn adopted the guise of a telbun named Darsk Ristel. This allowed him to infiltrate the planet alongside fellow pilot Erisi Dlarit, who was disguised as Ris Darsk, his Kuati noble master.
Viqi Shesh, the senator representing the Kuat sector in 25 ABY, maintained at least two telbuns in her residence on Coruscant. At least one of these telbuns functioned as her senatorial aide.