Yevetha

Yevetha were physically characterized as tall individuals, typically reaching heights of up to 1.9 meters. Their skin possessed a light gray hue, and their overall appearance was described as ghastly, lacking any form of body hair. The height and physique of males and females were generally similar, with adults ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 meters. They were identified as a mammalian species exhibiting a lean, bony, humanoid structure. Their gauntness was so pronounced that they often appeared skeletal, accentuated by their pale gray skin and slender frames. Their alien features closely resembled those of a humanoid, allowing for the interpretation of their body language due to these resemblances. These lanky humanoids possessed widely spaced, large, black-gray eyes. These eyes were often described as being as devoid of expression as stones. Notably, their backs and necks displayed scales, a remnant of the natural body armor their species once possessed. Consequently, their skin incorporated this vestigial armor, extending from their backs to their necks and down their spines.

Among male Yevetha, vibrant scarlet crests adorned their faces, running along their cheeks, jaws, and the tops of their heads. The most prominent crest stretched across the top and down the back of their heads. These facial crests would swell in males when provoked to violence or combat. Furthermore, the primary head crest would become engorged when a male was prepared to mate. Female Yevetha did not exhibit these characteristics. Intriguingly, Yevetha brains were situated within their thoraxes, safeguarded by thick bone structures acting as brain cages. They also possessed delicate hair cells arranged as indentations along their temples, serving as auditory sensors. The species had six-fingered hands, each equipped with retractable dew claws. These were positioned on the inside of the wrist, above their six-fingered hands. These dewclaws could be deployed from a sheath of skin on their cadaverous hands and retracted as needed. When fully extended, these wrist blades matched the length of a vibroblade. These blades, approximately a foot in length, were utilized in close-quarters combat and ritualistic blood sacrifices. Additionally, Yevetha seemed to exhibit a higher tolerance for g-forces compared to Human pilots.

Young Yevetha were born through a unique reproductive process where females laid eggs known as "birth casks". These detachable, external birth casks were referred to by the Yevetha as mara-nas. These external wombs were housed in specialized chambers, where the developing child was nourished by blood absorbed through the egg's shell. If a child remained within the cask beyond the typical birth timeframe, they were termed "nestings". Typically, these unborn children were fed a diet primarily consisting of the mother's blood. However, the blood of any Yevetha could sustain the young, and this biological necessity for blood played a significant role in shaping their society. In rare instances, birth casks could produce twins, generally identical except for their age.

The Yevetha were known to be susceptible to a disease called gray death, although its specific symptoms remain unknown. Moreover, though extremely uncommon, some Yevetha were born without a defined gender. These genetic anomalies appeared white and pale, with no visible or apparent sexual organs. While unsubstantiated, some members of the New Republic speculated a possible connection between the Yevetha and Twi'leks.

At birth, a Yevethan newborn was considered a "child" for roughly the first five years of their life. Around the age of six, they would begin to transition into a subadult phase, a prepubescent stage lasting until approximately age 11. Adulthood was defined as any Yevethan between the ages of 12 and 44, while "middle-aged" individuals were between 45 and 66, and the elderly were 67 years and older. Those who lived beyond 81 years were regarded as venerable figures within Yevethan society.

Yevethan culture was structured around a rigid hierarchical system, with the Darama at its apex. Politically, their society was governed by a Viceroy, who also served as the chief of state for the Duskhan League. The roles of Darama and Viceroy were intrinsically linked, intertwining Yevethan spirituality and political leadership. Various departments and sectors, including governance, commerce, science, and culture, were overseen by Proctors and supported by various guilds. This organizational structure was mirrored within the Yevethan armed forces and shipboard crews, led by Primates. Their remarkable technical prowess enabled them to quickly grasp mechanical information or manuals, allowing them to not only replicate technology but also enhance it. Consequently, their guildsmen were exceptional workers, builders, and highly skilled starship designers. This innate talent for working with advanced technology contributed to the Yevetha's arrogance and inflated self-regard. Nevertheless, the Yevetha were widely recognized as "quick studies" and possessed exceptional intelligence.

Within their society, raw blood held paramount importance, serving as a central element of their religion and belief system. This emphasis on blood led to the Yevetha being a particularly violent species. They did not fear death. Generally, Yevethan were described as dutiful and attentive, albeit somewhat cautious and fatalistic in their worldview. When engaged in combat, Yevetha were known for their ruthlessness, never surrendering, even when facing certain defeat, due to a deeply ingrained personal honor code. Given the brutal nature of their society, the Yevethans did not maintain any prisons, penitentiaries, or stockades, as they believed such "punishments" were unnecessary. In fact, their native language, Yevetha, lacked words for "convict" or "incarcerate".

Yevetha society was highly stratified, comprising numerous distinct castes. Individuals of lower rank could never genuinely ascend to higher societal levels, although it was possible for a higher-caste individual to be "demoted" to a lower caste in extreme circumstances. Despite the inferior status of these "subordinate" castes, the extreme arrogance and xenophobia of their race led Yevethans to believe that simply being Yevetha, regardless of caste, was a blessing compared to being born into a different species. Their prejudice against all other beings gave lower-caste Yevetha a sense of dignity, while aliens and off-worlders were considered little more than galactic pests. Among the caste-related policies in Yevethan society were dominance killings, similar to "honor" killings, where a murder charge was only brought against a lower-caste Yevethan for taking the life of a higher-ranking individual. The killing of a low-ranking Yevetha was deemed acceptable by the higher castes, as it reduced the number of mouths to feed and nuisances in society. This rigid caste system permeated Yevethan life, instilling in young Yevetha the knowledge that a superior could justifiably take their lives at any moment, simply for blood.

Sacrifice, especially to provide blood for the birth cask of an important Yevetha, was considered honorable for the sacrificed individual's family. Birth casks were often placed in "breederies," which were regarded as private locations. On occasion, a Yevetha might meet with visitors outside these breederies. To support a high-ranking Yevetha, a breeding-assistant typically managed the arrival of sacrificial Yevetha for the birthing casks to nourish them. The Yevetha considered twins to be auspicious, believing that such offspring passed on their "blessings" to those around them through breathing, touching, and even bleeding. It was common for nitakka (Yevetha males) to engage in sparring, instilling young Yevetha with a unique set of fighting instincts: "the closest threat is the greatest threat—in a fight of unequal numbers, dispatch your weakest opponent first to discourage others from joining a fight against you, charge a newcomer immediately—hold nothing back when you go to kill." These instincts were difficult to suppress, leading to unpredictable battlefield outcomes for inexperienced military crews.

While the lower classes were treated with contempt, the reaction of the race to non-Yevetha was even more severe. The Yevetha were considered among the most xenophobic and bigoted species in the galaxy. They regarded non-Yevetha as little more than vermin. Consequently, the Yevetha tended to dismiss other species as unworthy of their attention. This attitude was partly attributed to the relative youth of their homeworld and its location, where stars of the greater galaxy were obscured by the brightness of the Koornacht Cluster. As a result, the Yevetha initially believed themselves to be the only intelligent beings in existence. Following contact and their initial enslavement, this perspective shifted only slightly, with the race now believing that they were the only worthy species and that all others should be exterminated. This xenophobia extended to the point where they refused to learn alien languages such as Basic, finding it repulsive. To communicate with "vermin", many high-ranking Yevetha compelled lower-caste individuals to learn the language and serve as translators. However, certain cadres of high-ranking Yevetha did deign to learn alien languages, believing that some matters were not meant for the ears of the subordinate castes.

This conceited belief in their status as the sole intelligent life form stemmed from ancient times on their homeworld. It was known that not even their greatest thinkers had considered the possibility of other sentient life on other worlds. Ultimately, while they had rapidly advanced technologically, their culture remained in an adolescent stage of development.

The Yevetha, a relatively young species, evolved on the Core World planet of N'zoth approximately 50,000 years ago. Since then, they had rapidly advanced on their homeworld in isolation from any other sentient life. The location of their planet meant that the race was unaware of other stars in the galaxy. This, combined with their rapid evolution, isolation, and harsh environment, fostered a highly xenophobic culture. This also established an internal concept of superiority. The Yevetha believed themselves to be the only intelligent species in existence. Eventually, they perfected space travel, leading them to colonize eleven other nearby worlds. This occurred shortly after they had developed a planetary-wide governing hierarchical system. This, in turn, led to the establishment of the Yevethan Protectorate, consisting of the original daughter worlds settled by real space ships that operated without hyperdrive and became collectively known as "The Twelve". On these worlds, the Yevetha only encountered animal life forms, reinforcing their belief in being the universe's sole intelligent species.

At this point in their history, the species was well into the information age and on the cusp of the space age technologically. Despite maintaining their isolation, at least one Yevetha was present on Coruscant in 18.8 BBY. This individual seemingly managed his xenophobic impulses and played Shronker in the Zi-Kree Sector. Nick Rostu encountered this individual and engaged in a fight after the Yevetha lost the game. Over the millennia, the Yevetha continued to live in relative peace, their beliefs unchallenged until the arrival of the Galactic Empire. The Koornacht Cluster was swiftly conquered during the early years of Imperial expansion. Under Emperor Palpatine's rule, N'zoth was seized and transformed into an Imperial shipyard. The Imperial government enslaved the Yevethans, assigning them to work in newly constructed shipyards as technical and maintenance personnel. With remarkable speed, they mastered shipbuilding and weapons technology. The Yevethans were known to have embraced the technology with astonishing speed and aptitude.

The Empire duly noted the Yevetha's rapid ability to acquire new skills. After subjugating N'zoth and its nearby star systems, Imperial forces built the Black Fifteen shipyards and employed the Yevetha as skilled slave labor for building, repairing, and modifying vessels of the Imperial Starfleet. Despite their enslavement, the Yevetha made nominal attempts at resistance, resulting in several sabotage attempts at the shipyards. Even so, the Black Fleet shipyards were renowned for their excellence, with the facility's reputation leading to its prestige as the finest conscript facility within the Empire. The Imperial Governor of the Cluster took several females as pleasure slaves for his staff and gave the males to his stormtroopers for target practice. The mutilated bodies were then displayed at schools and sacred sites, and broadcast on public information channels that all Yevetha were forced to watch twice a day. When subjugation proved ineffective, children were taken from their parents. Initially, the Yevetha chose to submit to Imperial rule, biding their time until the Empire became lax in its control.

Approximately eight months after the Battle of Endor, Ysanne Isard recalled numerous Star Destroyers to defend the Core Worlds. Among the Imperial armadas receiving this order was the Black Sword Command. Upon receiving the order, the Command prepared to depart the central shipbuilding facilities at N'zoth. Before the Imperial garrison could destroy the shipyards, an uprising erupted among the Yevethan dockworkers, preventing the Imperials from initiating the mass killing of the slaves and the destruction of the repair yards. This uprising was led by ground commando Nil Spaar, who moved to counter the mass slave executions. He exploited the Empire's perception of the Yevetha as a brainwashed, mindless species and seized control of the yards. Spaar murdered thousands of Imperials, captured hundreds more, and overtook every Star Destroyer in the Black Fleet. When the Imperial garrison finally reached the shipyards, they discovered seven thousand freed Yevethan prisoners, as well as the remains of over fifteen thousand dead Imperial soldiers. Fearing the same fate, the Imperial garrison never returned. Among the Yevetha's conquests was the capture of the Super Star Destroyer Intimidator, which the Yevetha concealed. This led to the New Republic never learning of the incident, and Isard believing that the fleet was destroyed on Cal-Seti based on inaccurate intelligence. Afterwards, the Koornacht Cluster remained a closed-border curiosity to the rest of the galaxy.

Over the next decade and a half, the Yevetha advanced their technical capabilities, creating new starship shielding, gravity bombs, Aramadia-class thrustships, and D-type fighters. They also established the Duskhan League, which grew to encompass thirteen worlds. The Yevethan fleet was dubbed the Black Fleet, a twisted version of its predecessor, the Galactic Empire Black Sword Command.

In 16 ABY, the Dushkan League emerged from isolation and engaged the New Republic. A delegation, led by Viceroy Nil Spaar, arrived at Coruscant to seek peaceful co-existence. Nil Spaar exploited the New Republic's lack of intelligence on the Duskhan League and their senatorial political conflict to his advantage. Spaar extended his negotiations with Chief of State Leia Organa Solo over a period of weeks, playing on her empathy for a species subjugated by the Empire. This allowed him to cultivate assets on Coruscant and instigate a series of political machinations, sowing confusion among the members of the New Republic.

Nil Spaar returned to his people, and with the New Republic in disarray, the Yevetha launched a campaign of brutal expansion and colonization. The Yevethan Purge saw the elimination of entire species, such as the Corasgh, and communities like the Norat Sovereignty, and the Yevetha subsequently colonized many nearby star systems in the Koornacht Cluster. In the following weeks, foiled reconnaissance efforts by the New Republic prompted an armed conflict between the Duskhan League, its hidden Black Fleet, and the New Republic Defense Force's new Fifth Battle Group.

The conflict concluded with a Yevethan loss at the Battle of N'zoth, as well as the reported death of Nil Spaar at the hands of Imperial officer Sil Sorannan. The victorious New Republic disarmed the Yevetha and kept them under close watch. Active Republic patrols were eventually removed by at least 25 ABY. Following their defeat, the Viceroy's palace remained as the late Nil Spaar had left it, with many Yevetha fruitlessly hoping for their leader's return.

Since no being had entered the N'zoth system since the Battle of N'zoth, the Yevetha were able to build an even larger force than before. It consisted of more than ten thousand Aramadia-class thrustships. Once the new Yevethan fleet had been built, the Galantos Guard encountered the Yuuzhan Vong. In exchange for what the Fia believed to be protection from the extragalactic invaders, they informed the Yuuzhan Vong of the brutal Yevetha and their eminent threat. Taking heed, the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the N'zoth system. In the subsequent battle, the Yuuzhan Vong emerged victorious. The Yuuzhan Vong proceeded to orbitally bombard N'zoth, turning the planet into a molten wasteland.

The besieged Yevetha continued to refuse outside help and were eventually rendered nearly extinct. While many believed the species had been destroyed, some speculated that their expansionist tendencies might have resulted in some colonies that escaped the Yuuzhan Vong's notice. After the fall of N'zoth, it was estimated that fewer than ten thousand Yevetha were still alive in the galaxy.