The Tiss'shar were a species of carnivorous, sentient reptilian theropods originating from the planet of Tiss'sharl. These beings were known for their considerable strength, impressive dexterity, and notable intelligence. They possessed lithe bodies characterized by elongated necks and abbreviated tails. Within their mouths, a formidable array of sharp teeth could be found, and their eyes were dark with a glassy appearance.
The Tiss'shar were widely recognized for their exceptional acumen in matters of commerce. Tiss'shar business professionals were a common sight throughout the galaxy. In addition, they gained notoriety for their skilled and ruthless assassins, who were highly sought after due to their efficiency and professional approach. The politics of Tiss'shar were largely controlled by the Tiss'sharl League, an organization comprising successful business magnates who governed Tiss'sharl. Tiss'shar politicians were infamous for their ruthless methods, which occasionally included the assassination of rivals.
This species became entangled in an Imperial plot a mere eight months following the Battle of Yavin. Darth Vader commanded the President of the Tiss'sharl League to reduce the prices of a specific product from their world. Subsequently, an agent from the Rebel Alliance contacted the President, revealing that Vader's true objective was to lure out members of the Rebellion.
The Tiss'shar were two-legged theropods that evolved from predatory reptiles that inhabited the moist, jungle-like continents of Tiss'sharl. They exhibited notable strength and agility, characterized by elongated necks, slender bodies, broader hips, and a short, yet robust tail. Their mouths contained an array of small, sharp teeth, and their large, pink tongues were in constant motion. The Tiss'shar possessed large eyes that appeared black and glassy due to a clear, resilient membrane that protected them. Many Tiss'shar displayed prominent, sickle-shaped claws on the first toe of their feet, and some also had a crest of feathers atop their heads.
There existed six distinct subspecies of Tiss'shar, primarily distinguished by the patterns on their scales. The sil-ar were the most prevalent, exhibiting diamond-shaped markings on their heads, torsos, and limbs. Another common subspecies, the kal-ar, displayed thin, concentric bands that originated at the base of their jaws and extended down to their feet. Additional subspecies included the ask-ar, characterized by red markings resembling masks on their faces; the orl-ar, with green scales adorned with yellow-orange stripes; the nil-ar, which had thin red bands encircling their eyes, wrists, ankles, and tails; and the isk-ar, albino Tiss'shar with translucent white scales devoid of any other visible markings.
Tiss'shar society was intricately linked to the world of business. Nearly all Tiss'shar families were affiliated with a patron corporation, which provided for their material needs in return for the dedicated labor of its members. These corporations routinely supplied necessities such as food, housing, healthcare, education, and security services. While most companies originating from Tiss'sharl specialized in enviro-technology and advanced weaponry, they also produced a wide array of other high-end products, including hyperdrives and droids. Tiss'sharl welcomed companies from offworld, and numerous prominent corporations from across the galaxy established branches there. However, the less generous benefits packages offered by these companies often limited their ability to attract highly skilled Tiss'shar employees.
The Tiss'shar's inherent predatory instincts, channeled into the realm of business, proved advantageous. While no single stereotype fully captured the species, they were often regarded as aggressive, resourceful, and calculating business professionals. These qualities also made them formidable assassins and gunfighters, renowned throughout the galaxy for their efficiency. Most Tiss'shar valued the art of negotiation and conducted business legitimately. Even those who chose the path of the assassin recognized that they were engaged in a business transaction and honored their contracts. Tiss'shar typically prioritized success above all else, addressing challenges with a detached and analytical approach. They often favored subterfuge over overt physical confrontation when resolving disputes.
Governance among the Tiss'shar was also closely tied to business. Tiss'sharl was governed by the Tiss'sharl League, a body composed of business professionals whose companies had generated the highest profits over the preceding five local years, with each local year lasting approximately eleven standard months. Membership in the League was not exclusive to Tiss'shar; foreign nationals were also eligible. The League was led by a President and Vice President, with officers and league councilors fulfilling other roles. By the time of the Galactic Civil War, Tiss'shar politics had become exceedingly ruthless, with advancement often achieved through assassination.
The Tiss'shar language consisted of hisses, shrieks, and lisping vocalizations. The written form of Tiss'shar comprised sharp lines and curves arranged in series, and was described as possessing a visually aggressive aesthetic.
Tiss'shar typically wore minimal clothing, often limited to a simple tool harness, though this was not a strict rule. In the capital city, citizens could be observed wearing various garments covering their upper torsos. Members of the Tiss'sharl League and their guards often wore elaborate attire around their necks and shoulders, and guards also wore wide-brimmed helmets. Assassins sometimes wore face-concealing cowls.
Tiss'shar cuisine, befitting their predatory nature, was served uncooked. Meat was presented still attached to the bones of the animal from which it originated, with no attempt to conceal the source; small animals were served whole.
Tiss'sharl was a planet situated in the Xappyh sector, located within the Outer Rim Territories. Sometime before 3976 BBY, Mandalore the Ultimate commanded the Mandalorians to expand their reach. Among the species they encountered were the Tiss'shar, many of whom were recruited into the Mandalorian ranks, who had begun accepting members of non-Taung races.
In 3704 BBY, the hyperspace explorer Freia Kallea connected the nearby Morellian Trail to the Spurs of Celanon as part of the super-hyperlane that became known as the Hydian Way. This opened up the region to the wider galaxy, and the space encompassing Tiss'sharl was explored between 3000 and 1000 BBY. The Tiss'shar came under the undisputed authority of the Tiss'sharl League around 1000 BBY. The League's rule brought stability and prosperity to the Tiss'shar, but also fostered the ruthless politics that characterized it during the Imperial era. During the Clone Wars, Tiss'sharl fell within the territory controlled by the Galactic Republic.
By the time of the Galactic Civil War, the Tiss'shar were well-integrated into the galaxy. They were significant players in the galactic economy, with Tiss'sharl serving as a hub for extensive import and export activities, often generating a trade surplus. Many galactic corporations, including TaggeCo, had established offices on the planet. The world remained loyal to the Empire, with Moff Giiedt serving as the Imperial liaison to Tiss'sharl.
The election preceding the Battle of Yavin resulted in Si-Di-Ri assuming the Presidency of the Tiss'sharl League, with his friend Astre-De-Kay as Vice President, and Geor-Dan-Thi appointed to the League Council. Geor-Dan-Thi quickly gained influence, as Mayor Antha-Kres, Secretary Lai-O-Sid, and Astre-De-Kay all perished under suspicious circumstances. Many, including Si-Di-Ri himself, suspected that Geor-Dan-Thi, by then Vice President, intended to continue his ascent through the League's hierarchy via assassination.
The Galactic Civil War presented new challenges. Lord Darth Vader visited the world three times in a single year, each time demanding a reduction in the selling price of TaggeCo blaster cartridges. Vader's third visit occurred eight months after the Battle of Yavin, following the death of Moff Giiedt. Vader brought Giiedt's replacement, Commander Demmings, and spared him the task of requesting yet another price cut, this time to 1,000 credits per 5,000-cartridge container.
Si-Di-Ri secretly met with former Senator Timi Rotramel of Mon Calamari, who was dispatched by the Rebel Alliance to offer Tiss'sharl protection from the Empire, including the establishment of an Alliance base. Despite the economic strain imposed by Imperial demands, Si-Di-Ri declined Rotramel's offer, deeming the Rebellion a fugitive force with limited prospects. His refusal coincided with Vader's arrival at the meeting. The price increase had been a ruse orchestrated by Vader to lure a Rebel emissary to Tiss'sharl, although he had anticipated Princess Leia Organa rather than Rotramel. Vader killed the Senator, and, in recognition of the President's loyalty and unwitting assistance, allowed TaggeCo to maintain its current prices. Si-Di-Ri, realizing his status as a mere pawn and the inherent risks of his position, chose to resign, becoming the first President of the Tiss'sharl League in recent memory to do so.
The Tiss'shar were renowned throughout the galaxy for their shrewdness and resourcefulness in business. Tiss'shar merchants could be found on all major hyperlanes, and Tiss'shar corporations aggressively pursued new markets and business ventures across the galaxy. Those Tiss'shar who eschewed legitimate means of acquiring wealth often became corporate or freelance killers, such as the bounty hunter Xufal D'uat.
A significant number of Tiss'shar migrated to the Corporate Sector. Eleven percent of the population of Bonadan, one of the Sector's busiest ports, was Tiss'shar, and a substantial community resided on the urban planet Media along the Sector's Lucaya Cross hyperlane. While some Tiss'shar in the sector engaged in legitimate business, others served as "protection agents" and corporate assassins. Uul-Rha-Shan, a former gunrunner turned gunslinger, was hired by Corporate Sector Authority Viceprex Mirkovig Hirken to serve as his bodyguard.
Still other Tiss'shar turned to piracy. One of the most notorious was Abin-Ral-Xufush, the infamous leader of the Shadow Wing pirate fleet. Another Tiss'shar pirate was Pao-Neh-Lo, an experienced and ruthless member of the crew of the privateering vessel Far Orbit.
The Tiss'shar Tra-Skan-Lor served as the Director of the Special Acquisitions Branch of the Library of the Republic and caused the Sayings of Emperor Uueg Tching of Atrisia to become deeply embeded within the culture of the Branch.
The droid manufacturer Uhr-Vah-Vo TechWorks was operated by Tiss'shar and was acquired by the InterGalactic Banking Clan several years before the Clone Wars began.
As non-humans, Tiss'shar faced discrimination during the Galactic Empire's reign. Like many non-human races, they were unwelcome on Coruscant. Non-Tiss'shar sometimes referred to them pejoratively as "snakes."
The Tiss'shar made their debut in the form of the reptilian thug Uul-Rha-Shan in Brian Daley's novel Han Solo at Stars' End in 1979, though the species remained unnamed until Uul-Rha-Shan's profile appeared in the Han Solo and the Corporate Sector Sourcebook, published in 1993. The species itself was first explored in Galaxy Guide 12: Aliens — Enemies and Allies two years later.
The appearance of the Tiss'shar has evolved over time. In the comic adaptation of Han Solo at Stars' End, Uul-Rha-Shan was depicted as a robust, almost amphibian alien with a protruding snout. This depiction was seemingly disregarded years later when Mike Vilardi illustrated a more slender, lizard-like version of him for Han Solo and the Corporate Sector Sourcebook. This rendition of the Tiss'shar served as inspiration for subsequent images in West End Games's publications, as well as the image in Wizards of the Coast's Ultimate Alien Anthology. In Empire 31, the Tiss'shar adopted an appearance more akin to the widely accepted image of dinosaurs like Velociraptor at the time of the issue's publication, complete with the characteristic sickle-shaped claw on the foot's second digit.
Star Wars: Empire 31 artist Joe Corroney initially struggled with drawing the reptilian protagonists of the issue but eventually adapted and enjoyed the task. The depictions of various Tiss'shar in that comic suggest a far greater range of outward variety than the six subspecies described in the Ultimate Alien Anthology.