Ubese/Legends

Ubese were Near-Humans that were often called on as mercenaries or bounty hunters. Normally, they were a very aggressive people. They had a very distinct hatred for Jedi, believing they destroyed their homeworld, thus they trained with cortosis weapons and other items that could resist lightsabers. Shortly after the Jedi Civil War, they were employed by the Quarren crimelord Visquis (the Exchange underboss on Nar Shaddaa) to kill the Jedi Exile. The typical Ubese warrior of this era wore a protective, airtight environment suit, and was armed with a double bladed vibro-sword. The Ubese homeworld was little known to the rest of the Galaxy at this time, as they tended to be very secretive, associating only within their own circles.

In fact, the Ubese came from the planet Uba IV, which was a pleasant, though isolated, world. There, they built a sophisticated society, though their technology lagged the rest of the galaxy. When off-world traders finally made contact, the Ubese became obsessed with expanding their technical base. Initially, this benefited their society, improving industrial productivity and public health. A population boom resulted in the colonization of the rest of the Uba system, including Uba I, II, III, and V. However, the headlong acquisition of technology led to a breakdown in Ubese society. The Ubese leaders also became more aggressive, seeking conquest as a means to acquire more influence and power.

During the New Sith Wars, the Jedi officials in their sector discovered that the Ubese had begun manufacturing banned weapons. They realized they had to act. The Jedi's pre-emptive strike set off the large-scale tactical weapons in the Uba system, destroying the colonies on Uba I, II, and V with atomic fire. Uba III's weapons stockpiles also exploded, turning the planet into an asteroid belt. The Ubese were reduced to a refugee population, wandering the wastes of their original homeworld. The sector authorities were ashamed of the consequences of their actions, but not enough to accept responsibility or offer aid. Instead, they engaged in a massive cover-up, placing the Uba system under quarantine and wiping it from official astrogation charts. Left on Uba IV to die, the Ubese became savage nomads, hoarding technology and eking an existence from their toxic, ruined home.

A handful of Ubese were taken off-planet by those who believed the quarantine was unjust. Their descendants on the planet Ubertica slowly managed to trickle out into the rest of the galaxy. Millennia later, the Ubese of the Uba system found their way offworld as well, capitalizing on their talent for violence. When the "true Ubese" of the Uba system discovered their long-lost relatives, they called them "yrak pootczk Ubese", a phrase implying cowardice and impure parentage.

It is known that a highly-contagious virus commonly referred to as the Intestinal Revenge of Bars Barka emaciated a group of Ubese colonists, causing large amounts of weight loss and other health issues. The illness is thought to have originated with the Neimoidian species, although much else is vague, including the approximate time and extent of the epidemic.

The true Ubese adapted to the harsh conditions on their homeworld over the millennia, becoming especially skilled at surviving extreme conditions. Unfortunately, they were no longer able to breathe properly in standard Type I nitrogen-oxygen atmospheres, requiring breath masks or full environmental suits to operate at full capacity. These breath masks usually included voice modulators which raised their voices from their natural raspy whispers. Yrak pootczk Ubese also adapted to the low oxygen levels on their slightly less harsh homeworld. This allowed them increased stamina in Type I atmospheres.

Centuries later, Leia Organa posed as the Ubese bounty hunter Boushh as she infiltrated the palace of Jabba the Hutt.

Behind the scenes
Conflicting sources lead to a confusing chronology. The destruction of Uba III is placed by RPG sources and The New Essential Chronology c. 2,000 BBY, but Ubese mercenaries wearing environmental suits are already portrayed seeking revenge on the Jedi as early as 3,951 BBY in Knights of the Old Republic II.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Hard Contact
 * Shadows of the Empire (Leia Organa in "Boushh" disguise)
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (Leia Organa in "Boushh" disguise)