Squib

"Squibs. They'll sell you a bucket of air if you let them, and keep the bucket."

- Han Solo

Squibs were a sentient species from Skor II known for collecting knickknacks and for their love of trading and haggling. Adult Squibs had humanoid bodies averaging a meter in height. They were covered in colorful fur and had rodent-like faces with large eyes. Squibs tasted objects by rubbing them over their fur. They were gregarious, insatiably curious, and obsessed with haggling and deal-making. It was said that the easiest way to lure Squibs into a trap was to offer them a deal of some kind.

Skor II was rich in natural resources, but these were not evenly distributed. Thus, the Squibs developed into nomads and traders. Over time, they developed a complex system of trade and barter. After their discovery by the galaxy at large, the Squibs became successful galactic scavengers and fierce rivals to the Ugors. During the Separatist Crisis, the Squib king, Ebareebaveebeedee, was a vocal supporter of the Galactic Republic. Later, after the rise of the Galactic Empire, Ebareebaveebeedee struck an agreement with the Empire to place Squibs on board Imperial spacecraft as laborers. These Squibs, whom the Imperials considered slaves, provided Squib salvage vessels with the locations of Imperial dumpsites. The Squibs later signed a pact of mutual support with the Rebel Alliance.

Evolution and early civilization
The Squibs evolved on Skor II, a small, dense world in the Squab system. The planet possessed a diverse ecosystem and varied terrain, and its vast resources were spread far across its surface. Early Squibs were thus forced to travel from region to region to find necessities. Accumulating material goods became an ingrained part of the Squib psyche, leading some groups to settle and form small villages. Those Squibs who maintained their nomadic lifestyle took on the added role of merchants, trading foreign goods with their sedentary brethren. Bargaining became a deep-seated part of Squib culture.

Over the millennia, the Squibs advanced to the point of mass production and developed a peaceful, species-wide government. They came into contact with the galaxy at large when a Dorcin trader discovered their world. After a spirited round of negotiations, the Dorcin gained mineral rights to some frigid wastes, while the Squibs learned the intricacies of starship technology.

Into the galaxy
As they became more involved in galactic affairs, the Squibs' natural curiosity and mastery of haggling helped them carve out a niche as interstellar garbage collectors and scavengers. Squibs became common sights anywhere garbage was found. Squib companies signed contracts to haul garbage away from populous worlds while other Squib groups refurbished the junk for resale. Some Squibs opened second-hand shops in spaceport towns. Meanwhile, the Squibs came to be commonly regarded as no more than a race of laborers, an idea that persisted well into the New Jedi Order era. The major exception was a popular series of children's stories that focusing on a roguish Squib Jedi; rumor held that the tales were based on a real individual. This is possible, as another Squib Jedi trained with Jedi Master Luke Skywalker on Coruscant many years later.

Other Squibs took to a life as spacers. Some passively scanned deep space for any interesting junk floating by, while others learned to track vessels to reclaim their garbage dumps. Squib traders traveled to even the most remote and secretive of locations to sell their reconditioned goods, prompting many top-secret installations to completely rethink their security procedures after a surprise visit. Skor II became a prosperous trade world with its capital at Metrobig City.

Meanwhile, the Squibs' activities put them in direct competition with another scavenger species: the Ugors. Over time, the species developed an intense rivalry and animosity toward one another, practically to the point of war. The Squibs came to regard the Ugors as their hereditary foes, and the Squibs were de facto demons in the Ugors' religion of trash worship.

Reign of Ebareebaveebeedee
"Hail, conquerors of heroes! Much good loot has been gifted to us due to thoughtful vandalism by you of Ugorian church marines. Bring now the quest-object to us and we will keep short end of deal."

- King Ebareebaveebeedee

Sometime before 40 BBY, a Squib named Ebareebaveebeedee became king of the Squib government. His reign proved something of a golden age. Ebareebaveebeedee enthusiastically supported the Republic during the Separatist Crisis, famously declaring that his people were "going nowhere" and that the Jedi were "koovy". In Month 15 of 20 BBY, Skor II was seized by the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The Jedi Master Mace Windu led Republican forces to recapture the world in the Battle of Skor II. Ebareebaveebeedee erected a bronzium statue in honor of the Jedi and named him "Big Time Hero of beyond-Squib Eliteness".

Later, under Ebareebaveebeedee's initiative, the Squibs struck a deal with the Galactic Empire whereby Squibs would be placed on Imperial ships as garbage laborers. In Imperial eyes, these Squibs were mere slaves, although it was understood that they would be allowed to keep any baubles that caught their eye. The true purpose of the arrangement, however, was to allow the imbedded Squibs to communicate the coordinates of Imperial garbage dumps to the Squib Reclamation Fleet.

At first, Ebareebaveebeedee largely kept the Squibs out of the Galactic Civil War, and the Squibs traded and dealt with members of both sides. Alliance and Imperial intelligence agents sometimes tried to track Squib vessels to the bases of their enemies, but the Squibs made sure to secure the secrecy of their markets.

However, sometime after the Battle of Yavin, Ebareebaveebeedee saw an opportunity that he could not pass up. Squib intelligence indicated that the Ugors had obtained a powerful gravity-well projector and were using it to bring order to their junk-filled Paradise system. When the king encountered a group of Rebel Alliance operatives who were interested in trading for some information, he agreed to supply it—provided that they fetch the projector in payment. The Rebels, accompanied by a Squib diplomat named Spilferithimus-narlamos, succeeded in their quest, and the removal of the projector threw the Paradise system back into disarray. In a gesture of thanks, Ebareebaveebeedee declared a pact of mutual support between the Squib species and the Rebel Alliance.

Biology
Squibs were small, humanoid mammals who ranged from 0.8 to 1.2 meters in height. Squibs had pink skin covered in fur, the color of which may have been anything from white to gray, bright blue to dark red. This fur served as an important olfactory organ, allowing a Squib to determine much about something simply by rubbing against it. This led to a common Squib greeting, rubbing a person's palm across the Squib's cheek fur. As Squibs often wore gloves, this conveyed more information than a simple handshake. Squibs almost universally wore clothing and footwear, but individuals usually left a great deal of fur exposed to facilitate this olfactory sense.

Squib eyes varied in color from yellow to bright red, with shade variations making some Squibs appear to have eyes of deep brown. The eyes were large in relation to the skull and located on the sides of the head. The Squibs' tufted ears were big and pointed and stuck up from the head; Squibs could move them to change the direction in which they were listening. Squibs had short, pointed muzzles that terminated in black noses. Their mouths were full of sharp teeth, which Squibs used when necessary to defend themselves. The skin of the mouth was flexible, allowing Squibs to store items in their cheeks. The species had nimble, five-fingered hands and five toes on each foot.

A young Squib was called a fuzzling. Sexual maturity occurred at 13 standard years. Squib life expectancy was about 65 standard years.

Culture and behavior
"Alien scavengers, identify selfs or face quick obliteration by awesome Squib weaponry, you bet."

- Squib comm officer on the Thrifty

Squibs were cheerful, gregarious, and overconfident to the point of egotism. They were friendly and unintimidating, making them quite likable—at first. Over time, Squib acquaintances could grow to regard the beings as slightly annoying to downright obnoxious.

Squibs were inherently curious. They handled anything that interested them, usually by rubbing it against their fur with little forethought as to whether doing so might be dangerous or harmful. Squib curiosity and propensity for haggling also made them unabashed pack rats. Their clothing was typically modified to include numerous pockets and pouches, all of which could be stuffed with any odds and ends that caught their eye. A Squib could never tell when one of these items might be useful in making a deal.

Cheerful overconfidence was another defininitive Squib trait. When confronted with a threat, the typical Squib response was not to fight or flee, but to bluff and bluster. This was particularly true when the Squibs were out of sight, as when communicating from a Squib spacecraft.

Another Squib characteristic was a gift for resourcefulness and improvisation. This manifest itself both in Squib technology but also in their art. Squib artists utilized found objects (i.e., garbage), which they organized into intricate and beautiful mosaics. For example, the audience chamber on the Squib Momship Thrifty featured murals of Squib craft, the collapse of the Paradise system, and the Rebel Alliance heroes who brought it about.

Haggling
"Got nice go-go vehicle here, pal, still work good, sorta, but it's a classic. Trade for new talkie-talk shiny man. Good deal. Wanna trade?"

- Unknown Squib

"Us? Sell out a business partner? What do you take us for, Ugors?"

- Sligh

To Squibs, bargaining was an art form. Some Squibs took up special training in the Mystic Martial Arts of Squib Combats and Transactions. The highest compliment one could pay a Squib was that he or she bargained well. In short, haggling was superior to all other impulses, and the Squibs were experts at it.

Squib bargaining followed three major rules: 1) If something was free, it was a good deal. 2) Bargaining was the highest form of communication. 3) When dealing with Ugors, all bets were off. In addition, Squibs followed a few basic principles when trading. First, Squibs preferred to bargain face-to-face. This allowed them to play up their small, unassuming appearance to best effect and to make the opponent feel overconfident. Next, by tradition, the party who wanted something (usually the Squib) had to make the first offer. If Squibs smelled a potential deal, they could be insistent on this, refusing to talk or answer questions until the person needing the information made an offer for it. Persistence—to the point of pestering—was another favored tactic. Squibs continually asked for things that the owner had expressed no interest in parting with, hoping that the owner would eventually give in out of sheer annoyance.

The haggling process itself was more highly valued to the Squibs than any spoils obtained. In Squib reckoning, a good bout of bargaining would let both sides think they were getting the better deal at least once during the negotiations. One key to Squib success at trading was to involve as much complexity and as many individuals as possible. Squibs preferred to trade for things whose values were are not easily comparable, thus preventing anyone from really knowing who got the best deal. Anything could be brought to the bargaining table, including a Squib's own offspring. By involving several partners, any losses were spread out among all involved (except the Squibs), thus decreasing the chances that any one party felt anything more than mildly ripped off.

Squib ideas of value differed from those of most other beings. Worth was determined by something called kRR value, a concept not easily translatable. In general terms, the more intricate a deal was, the better, and a confused customer was a good customer. Although the negotiations themselves could be quite intricate, the terms of the deal could preferably be completed quickly and without needing lengthy payments or interest (considered more the Ugors' style). Gaining a great quantity of something or obtaining something novel was highly desirable.

Finally, to a Squib, a deal was a binding oath. Squibs went to great lengths to ensure their deals went through, and they were incredibly loyal to their business partners. Squibs were known to accompany partners for extended periods, helping them complete their end of the bargain and even saving their lives if need be. Nevertheless, Squib interpretations of business arrangements could be quite fluid and subjective. Many partners in Squib deals later found themselves wondering whether the Squibs were still adhering to the terms of the agreement at all. Squibs genuinely shunned deception and theft, however, so any apparent reneging on their part was often perfectly justified in the Squibs' mind. For example, Squibs believed that cheating was perfectly acceptable as long as they did not lie outright. Despite this flightiness, many beings knew Squibs to be mostly honest beings; in fact, Morseerians often preferred dealing with Squibs to other species.

Language
Squibs spoke a language called Squibbian, for which they had developed a script. The language developed from Old High Squibbian, a tongue that remained in use as a means for Squib spies to convey the coordinates of trash dumps. The Squib Trade Language was another secret tongue, used to make deals without others knowing what the Squibs were saying. Squib names tended to be rather long, although the beings usually adopted a shorter form of the name for use with offworlders.

In addition, most Squibs spoke Galactic Basic, although their command of the language was usually less than perfect, and few Squibs could read and write the language. Squibs often had thick accents, and their knowledge of idiom could be quite limited. This means that when Squibs spoke it was often difficult to determine what information they were trying to convey. When bargaining, however, Squibs were very careful to explain terms clearly. Trading with Squibs was a sure method of getting information out of them.

Institutions
"So, dealers with abridged decks, we of lofty Squib greet you in name of universal buddy-buddyness, irrespectful of differences in station, no less."

- King Ebareebaveebeedee

The Squibs were ruled by the Squib Polyanarchy and the Squib Merchandising Consortium (SMC)—both terms may in fact refer to the same organization. The government was a species-wide company that held important contracts with galactic and planetary governments to collect, refurbish, and resell refuse. Every Squib was by birth an SMC employee, although the degree of involvement varied. At one extreme were individuals such as Squib diplomats (recognizable by the ceremonial Fizz-Pop Cap (with foil cluster)); at the other were independent traders. The Squib leader and head of the SMC was known as the Illustrious Chieftain of Junkyards and the Squib king. Beginning c. 40 BBY, this individual was a blue-furred Squib named Ebareebaveebeedee. The Polyanarchy was historically apolitical, although it did support the Republic during the Separatist Crisis and sign a pact of mutual support with the Rebel Alliance sometime after the Battle of Yavin.

One major arm of the SMC and a major Squib employer was the Squib Reclamation Fleet (SRF). This consisted of tapered, needle-like, 50-meter spacecraft of Squib design known as needle ships, each crewed by 20 individuals. These vessels followed capital ships from one jump point to the next, collecting garbage dumps along the way. During the Imperial era, this involved a crafty intelligence network consisting of Squibs working on Imperial ships as garbage collectors. Simple slaves in the eyes of the Imperials, these individuals were spies to the SRF, as they conveyed the coordinates of each dump and let them know about any trade opportunities in the area. The Reclamation Fleet was itself often shadowed by Ugor vessels, which would swoop in, attack any Squib craft, and try to steal as much salvage as possible.

The fleet flagship was for many years the Wholesale. Another important vessel was the Momship, the personal vessel of the Squib king. Under Ebareebaveebeedee, this was the Thrifty. Other Squibs traveled in tramp freighters or Squib scout ships, small craft armed with only a single tractor beam.

Technology
"Dibs on the big pieces! Eat hot trash, Ugorian slime! Death to all single-minded fanatics of Ugor!"

- Squib crew of the Thrifty

Squib companies, such as Fegegrish Heavy Industrials, sold personal gear across the galaxy. The garbage grabber was one such device, a sort of pole with a claw at the end used for gathering refuse from hard-to-reach places. The item was very popular among Squibs, and many of them wore one strapped across their back as a matter of habit. The Squib battering ram was another product; the shoulder-mounted device weakened obstructions at the molecular level.

Squibs excelled at tractor beam technology. Their tractor beams rivaled the best in the galaxy, and Squib spacers became experts at using the devices. Squib needle ships, for example, had no weaponry or shields, instead relying on 10 tractor beams for defense. If attacked, the crew simply erected a wall of garbage around the ship with quick and precise tractor-beam manipulation. To fight back, the crew hurled pieces of refuse using the same beams. Squib engineers developed whole weapons based on the technology. These tensor weapons attacked with invisible (but loud) compressed waves of tractor energy, thus disrupting the target's cells—highly useful against the unicellular Ugors. Amberlandrax Armaments marketed a rifle of this design. Still, Squibs were not warlike beings and preferred to flee when bluffing failed to get them out of a potentially dangerous situation.

Behind the scenes
The Squibs were introduced by Brad Freeman in his West End Games adventure Scavenger Hunt, published in 1989. The adventure sends a group of Rebel characters after the Imperial ship Elusive, the location of which is known only to Ebareebaveebeedee and his Squibs. Later that year, Troy Denning gave the species a more complete write-up in Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races. The book indicates that they were intended as a sort of comic-relief species that, unlike Ewoks, could be encountered anywhere in the galaxy and could be expected to interact with characters on a more technologically level playing field. West End's Squibs are more dexterous than the average species, but they are slightly restricted in intelligence, strength, and technical aptitude. The Wizards of the Coast version of the species, detailed in both Alien Anthology (2001) and Ultimate Alien Anthology (2003), also gives them high agility, now coupled with lower-than-average common sense and perceptive abilities.

The species seems to be a favorite of Denning's, who has featured Squib characters in three novels and one short story. Pablo Hidalgo, another Star Wars author, has also expressed an affection for the Squibs. He played a Squib character named Smileredon-Verdont in a personal campaign of Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game. This character now features as a regular in his Rookies: Rendezvous webstrip. Hidalgo also chronicled the Battle of Skor II, which explains the odd name choice of "Mace Windu" for a Squib character in Galaxy Guide 7: Mos Eisley. Now, it seems, the Squib (whose full name is Macemillian-winduarté), was simply named for the Jedi hero who saved his home planet.

Appearances

 * HoloNet News Core Edition - Star Wars Insider 69.
 * Star Wars Adventure Journal 11
 * "Spare Parts"
 * Rookies: Rendezvous
 * Scavenger Hunt
 * Tatooine Ghost
 * "The Trouble with Squibs" - Star Wars Magazine UK 47/Hyperspace
 * The Joiner King
 * The Unseen Queen
 * The Swarm War