Selkath/Legends

"Many people speak highly of the integrity of the Selkath people, but from what little I have seen of them, they are disgusting little fish people. But I suppose I just have too high standards."

- Juhani

The Selkath were an aquatic sentient species, native to the ocean-covered planet of Manaan. Since Manaan was the only natural occuring source of kolto, the Selkath had great diplomatic sway during the Jedi Civil War. At that time, they generally held tightly to their neutrality; however, a few farsighted Selkath would occationally break their neutrality in secret, and arrange deals to help their prefered side. Eventually the kolto market disappeared and the galaxy abandoned the Selkath. It was not until the rise of the Galactic Empire that the Selkath would have interaction with the galaxy again. After the fall of the Empire, the Selkath abandoned their neutrality and joined the New Republic.

Appearance and physiology
"Those Selkath went insane! Then they started to eat anything that moved!"

- Unknown Republic scientist that shut himself in a locker.

As an aquatic species, the Selkath were very good swimmers. While their young needed water to survive, once they matured they were able to breathe air. They resembled anthropomorphic sting rays and had blue- or green-colored skin, which was patterned for underwater camouflage. Their mouths were bracketed by cephalic lobes which presumably directed plankton into their mouths. They tended to stroke these during conversation, something similar to what humans sometimes did with facial hair, such as moustaches.



All members of the Selkath race had retractable venom-tipped claws. Similar to the Wookiees, the use of these claws in any form of combat or attack was considered dishonorable and a sign of madness; to do this was to give in to animal instincts unbecoming of a sentient species. When the Progenitor drove the Selkath at the Hrakert rift station insane, they used their claws to strike down Republic technicians.

A large female firaxan shark known as the Progenitor was seen as something of a deity to the Selkath, and she was believed to be their evolutionary ancestor. If that is true, than the smaller firaxa sharks are a non-sentient species related to the Selkath. The Progenitor somehow had the ability to let out a sonic wailing, causing both firaxan sharks and Selkath to go insane. She used this ability to turn Selkath scientists against Republic forces at the Hrakert Rift. This was an attempt to disable the kolto Harvester used by the Republic to get an upper hand on the Sith. A Republic scientist later commented that, the Selkath "were like children, coming to protect their mother."

History and culture
"I've had it with these damn Selkath and their neutrality!"

- Republic officer

In ancient times, the Selkath's ancestors were slaves to the Rakata. When the Infinite Empire collapsed however, the Selkath were freed. With the formation of the Republic, the Selkath presumably did not join, but adopted a policy of constant neutrality. Many millennia later, their planet was allowed to keep this neutrality intact due to the advantageous position granted to them by their kolto, a healing juice. Manaan was the only source of kolto in the known galaxy. As such, during periods of war, the Selkath demanded all sides of a conflict to respect their neutrality, or they would destroy their kolto, leaving both sides with nothing to heal their wounded troops with. The Selkath were extremely serious about their neutrality and would go to great lengths to preserve it.



The Jedi Civil War was no different. The Selkath treated to the needs of the Republic and the Sith, throughout the war. They used strict security laws, enforced by the Ahto City Civil Authority, to keep the peace. If either side were to break even the least of their laws, the consequences would be extremely harsh, often resulting in kolto sanctions, or huge fines to the offending side. Individuals who disturbed the peace would often be executed or jailed. As such, the Sith would often goad Republic soldiers into street fights, causing the Selkath to fine the Republic.

Although outwardly impartial to the conflict, many Selkath were sympathetic towards the Republic. Some officials, such as Shelkar, set up a deal for the Republic to secretly mine extra kolto from the Hrakert rift. The plan went horribly wrong when the station disturbed the Progenitor, a giant firaxan shark, that, once disturbed, drove the Selkath insane, causing them to kill anything that moved. The Jedi Revan investigated the station and destroyed the kolto harvester to calm the Progenitor. The Selkath officials did their best to prevent the Sith from finding out about the deal. At the same time though, the Sith kidnapped several Selkath youths and trained them in the ways of the Force, to bind them to the Sith and enable them to take over the government one day. A Selkath named Shaelas asked Revan to investigate. Revan investigated this, and during his raid on the Sith enclave and found Shaelas' daughter Shasa, who was being trained as a Sith apprentice. Revan informed Shaelas of this, who brought the information to the Ahto High Court. The Selkath banned the Sith from Manaan shortly before the war's end.



After the end of the Jedi Civil War, a Force organization known as the Order of Shasa arose among the Selkath. It was most likely started by Shasa who was trained by the Sith during the Jedi Civil War, but was saved by Revan. She and the other force-sensitive Selkath children, having no one else to guide them, would have had to guide themselves. The population of the Selkath had always been low, even in times of prosperity, but there was a greater proportion of Force-sensitives compared to other species. The members of the Order acted as seers, advisors, and elite military leaders in times of war. Their main weapon was a fira, a curved sword, similar to a scimitar, constructed of cortosis as part of initiation in the Order of Shasa. Roughly a century after the Battle of Rakata Prime, the use of kolto dried up for reasons unknown, and foreign groups abandoned Manaan and the Selkath. As such, the Selkath gradually reverted back to primitive ways, and abandoned Ahto City.



During the New Sith Wars, several Selkath Padawans fought in the First Battle of Ruusan, and at least one Selkath fought in the Seventh Battle of Ruusan. In 22 BBY, a Selkath was later spotted in the Gree Enclave with Count Dooku, indicating that at least one Selkath was a Separatist.

When the Galactic Empire came to Manaan, they attacked the Selkath and used aquatic stormtroopers to raid underwater cities. Having fallen into a much more primitive society, the Selkath were frighted by the advanced weapons and many surrendered. Ahto City was then revived for Imperial use as a resort complex. The Empire enslaved the Selkath, and used them to clean Ahto City and serve food to pampered guests. The Empire drew all Selkath from the depths, and forced them to live in floating villages around Ahto City. As in many other instances of planetary exploitation, the Empire polluted the oceans of Manaan and wrecked the environment. Darth Vader himself came to the planet, disguised, and started a "shadow revolt" of the Selkath. He told several Force-sensitive Selkath warriors and Shasan Adepts of when and where to strike the Imperial stormtrooper patrols. They struck Ahto City with two hundred warriors, slaying stormtroopers everywhere. Because the Empire thought of Manaan as safe and did not need much protection the stormtroopers were fresh recruits. Once the Selkath drove the Empire off-planet, a rage gripped the Selkath, and they killed all the tourists. When they calmed down and realized what they had done, Darth Vader came out and explained that revenge would guide them, and that they served the same master, Palpatine.

Manaan and the Selkath were eventually liberated by the New Republic in 5 ABY, via Admiral Ackbar. With the loss of kolto, the Selkath worked hard to reestablish themselves in the galactic arena. The Selkath voted to join the New Republic in 9 ABY, and Mon Mothma welcomed their application.

The underwater settlements where the Selkath dwelt were called 'pods'. The closest pod to the city of Ahto was the Umber pod, but not much was known about it because offworlders were restricted from ever going there. The pods were filled with air, not water.

Notable Selkath

 * Qual
 * Shelkar
 * Jhosa
 * Naleshekan
 * Kota
 * Duula
 * Bwa'lass

Appearances

 * Shadows and Light
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
 * Star Wars: Empire at War

Notes and references
Selkath