The X'Ting, also referred to as Cestians, were an insectoid species originating from the planet of Ord Cestus. It is important to note that the term "Cestian" could also refer to any individual, regardless of species, who was native to that world. Their governance was structured around the Hive Council. Despite having multiple hives scattered across their home planet, the X'Ting functioned as a unified colony.
Possessing six limbs, the X'Ting were insect-like in form. Their locomotion was achieved via two lower limbs, while the remaining four limbs functioned as arms. Each digit terminated in a nail. Despite their tough, chitinous exoskeletons, their faces were flexible and developed wrinkles as they aged. Their skin tones varied, ranging from gold and blue to red. Members of the lower castes exhibited red fur on their upper chests, which would turn gray as they grew older. Furthermore, the lower castes were known for their less refined use of Basic. The X'Ting also possessed a unique digestive system consisting of three stomachs, and they had stingers, measuring a quarter of a meter in length, concealed within their abdomens, which were typically employed in ritualistic honor duels.
Approximately every three years, they underwent a change in gender, accompanied by significant biochemical shifts within their bodies. These transitions involved imbalances in their chemical makeup and physical alterations to their organs, which could be perplexing to those unfamiliar with the X'Ting. The process was arduous and lasted for several months. For example, the X'Ting Trillot's eye color shifted from rust-red to emerald during her transition, and her thoraxes reddened and expanded as her eggs developed. She utilized viptiel, a costly plant from another world, to expedite the transition and took supplementary medications to mitigate side effects of viptiel, such as mood fluctuations. After her body completed the changes, Trillot identified as female and was addressed with female pronouns like "she" and gendered terms such as "mistress" and "sister." X'Ting were only able to reproduce during the initial and final months of their three-year cycle, and male X'Ting produced pheromones that were even more offensive to other species than those produced by females. Females typically produced multiple offspring in a single brood.
Broodmates generally maintained relatively close bonds. However, individuals from different broods, even if they shared the same broodmother, typically had only superficial relationships. At least some X'Ting developed lasting emotional connections with their mates. Hives typically collaborated effectively due to their shared membership in a single colony. The colony was governed by the Hive Council. Some positions within the council were hereditary, while others were lifetime appointments. Council members could be challenged to honor duels, which typically continued until death, although yielding was also an option. Their primary habitats were located underground in extensive networks of tunnels, both naturally occurring and artificially constructed. Their primary food source was fungi, which they could manipulate to taste like a variety of different foods. They also utilized fungi for medicinal purposes. The Dashta eels provided the fungi to the X'Ting once they were fully grown. X'Ting possessed expressive facial features and used non-verbal gestures with their hands to emphasize their spoken words, similar to humans and other non-insectoid species. They were particularly fond of an artistic style known as "chewed duracrete."
Following their victory over the Spider People in a major conflict, the X'Ting established their dominance over Ord Cestus. Subsequently, the Galactic Republic acquired land from them to establish a penal colony. Leveraging the skills of its inmates, the penal colony developed into a thriving droid manufacturing enterprise known as Cestus Cybernetics. Over time, Cestus Cybernetics became the dominant economic force on the planet. Its influence over both the immigrant population and the X'Ting grew steadily, particularly after the X'Ting suffered significant losses due to the Great Plague. By 21 BBY, 300 years after joining the Galactic Republic, their population had dwindled by 90%, leaving only approximately 50,000 individuals. Eventually, their Hive Council began to take unofficial directives from the five ruling families of Cestus Cybernetics, one of whom was represented by the X'Ting Caiza Quill.
After a deal with the Republic soured, they started selling their JK-13 security droids to the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Asajj Ventress and Count Dooku demanded their allegiance, and Ventress demonstrated this by vaporizing an X'Ting using the Force. Following Jangotat's sacrifice—an ARC clone "brother" of Jango Fett—to eliminate the Five Families during the Mission to Ord Cestus, the regent G'Mai Duris (female) declared her planet's allegiance to the Republic.