Neti

The Neti are a rare species of sentient plants first encountered on the planet Ryyk. (Some call them Ryyk because of the planet's name.)

Roughly four thousand years before the Battle of Yavin, a supernova destroyed the Neti's home planet. As a result, Neti have never been a common sight across the galaxy. They have tough gray skin similar to plant bark, multiple thin branching arms, and thick body trunks. Neti foliage tends to be brownish or black and grows on the upper parts of a Neti's body. As plants, Neti survive through photosynthesis, though they also need some water to survive. Neti are extremely long-lived, with an average life span of several thousand years. A Neti reproduction only occurs once every few centuries. Seeds often remain dormant for more than a thousand years before germinating. Neti are capable of changing their size and shape, apparantley at will. A skilled Neti can morph its shape into a roughly humanoid solied treelike mass anywhere from 2 to 9.5 meters tall. When resting, Neti generally appear as 5-meter tall treelike objects, but they are capable of maintaining other shapes and sizes, even when asleep or knocked unconscious. As a resuly of the Neti's infrequent procreation and long lives, their population has always remained small and quite close to their homeworld.

When Ryyk was destroyed, only one Neti (Jedi Master Ood Bnar) was known to have been offworld. However, given the species' long life span and germination period, some Neti might have survived the destruction of their world and now await discovery in remote locations. In fact, Ryyk might not even be the original homeworld of the Neti. Several scientists suggest that the planet Myrkr - the homeworld of the Force-sensitive Vornskrs and Force-negating Ysalamiri - is the true world of origin of the Neti. Although Master Ood Bnar himself was native to Ryyk, it is possible that the Neti moved from Myrkr to Ryyk at some point in the ancient past. Despite the best efforts of Jedi scholars, the galaxy at large might never determine the true origin of the Neti species. As plants, Neti have no need for food. They have a greatly reduced need for water as long as they have regular access to broad-spectrum light. A Neti needs only one-tenth the water of most other species, but if deprivedc of sunlight, it starves, much as other races fo when lacking food. A Neti who has studied the Control aspect of the Force can enter a Force trance and survive almost indefinately in an area with natural sunlight and rain. All Neti are Force-sensitive and learn both the Neti language and Basic from youth.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Dark Empire