Exogorth/Legends

The exogorth, known colloquially as the space slug, was a large species of toothed gastropod. They were silicon-based lifeforms that survived in the vacuum of space by making their homes in the caverns and craters of asteroids. They fed on the minerals of asteroids, various stellar energy fields, and mynocks (another silicon-based lifeform). The average adult space slug grew to about 10 meters in length, but some slugs were known to continuously grow to sizes that rivaled capital ships in sheer bulk, with some weighing over a million kilograms.



Space slugs reproduced asexually by fission. Once an adult space slug reached a certain size, a chemical trigger would cause them to split apart into two identical space slugs. Whether through a genetic trait or by retaining the memory of their "parent", the two new slugs would immediately become self-reliant. Space slugs would travel through the asteroid fields they inhabited by pushing off the surface of one asteroid and floating through space to land on another. Through highly evolved sense of spatial awareness the space slug is capable of calculating the speed, trajectory, and distance of perilous moving bodies around them. This sense of spatial acuity also aided them in hunting food. They appear to have been able to anchor themselves into a cave in an asteroid with tendrils, which also drew nutrition directly from the asteroid itself. As a space slug did not remain in one asteroid for its entire life, it can be assumed that they could break free from their point of anchorage.

Characteristics


On occasion the naturally occurring chemical trigger would cause the slugs to kill whatever occurred near them. These oddities were known to reach sizes of nearly one kilometer in length. These colossal space slugs were known to take sizable bites out of capital ships that passed too close to the slug's current dwelling, and even swallow smaller vessels whole. They have been known to bite through a star destroyer's hull. At these sizes the mynocks they ate would often become internal parasites rather than nourishment. They lived inside the cave-like esophagus of the slug that ate them.

History


In one recorded occurrence a space slug living in the asteroid field around the planet Hoth grew to a size of about 900 meters in length. It was found and officially recorded by Gamgalon the Krish who made a living by capturing these massive specimens. It is most likely this was the same space slug that Han Solo unwittingly hid the Millennium Falcon in when running from the Galactic Empire after the Battle of Hoth. Since space slugs insulate themselves deep inside asteroids and their own heat-generating waste Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Chewbacca were able to survive inside the space slug with only breath masks to provide oxygen. Solo had heard stories for years of the titan space slugs, and had been warned of their dangers, but he dismissed them as mere "ghost-stories". His run-in with that particular slug, however, changed his opinion.

Certain facilities that resided in space would often keep a space slug living close by to help keep the pesky mynock population down. To keep these specially used slugs from reproducing and growing to uncontrollable sizes, katrium was introduced into the space slug's system on a regular basis.

Giant space slug


Giant space slugs were larger than average space slugs. It remains unclear if they were a separate species from the common space slug, or just individuals larger than normally reported. The space slug that for a short time around 3 ABY carried the Millennium Falcon in its gullet may have been a giant space slug.

Crimson slugs


Crimson slugs were a species of space slug native to the asteroids of Tapani Sector. They were distinguished by a red stripe down either side of the body.

Behind the scenes
The name and early history of the exogorths was based on those of the ancient alien creatures present in the works of H.P. Lovecraft.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 18: Nights of Anger, Part 3
 * Star Wars: Episode I Racer
 * Boba Fett: Pursuit
 * Ringers
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back novel
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Han Solo's Rescue Mission
 * Dark Force Rising
 * Young Jedi Knights: Shards of Alderaan
 * Force Heretic II: Refugee
 * Force Heretic II: Refugee

Notes and references
Weltraumschnecke Babosa Espacial