Sic-Six/Legends

The Sic-Six were intelligent arachnid aliens who could produce webbings and use them to detect nearby presences by means of their great hearing. They also generated a natural poison that, while dangerous to the fauna of their native planet of Sisk, was only an intoxicating drug for alien organisms. Several Sic-Six had a chance to leave their planet and earn a living as "fangers," inoculating their poison to voluntary customers. They were grateful for this chance, as the Sic-Six disliked the company of other Sic-Six.

Biology and appearance
The Sic-Six were sentient arachnoids who could reach more than two meters of lenght. Each individual had three body segments: Head, thorax and abdomen, all of them covered by a hard, chitinous carapace.

The head of a Sic-Six had four pairs of red eyes divided among the front and sides of the head. Each pair of eyes on a Sic-Six sensed a different part of the electromagnetic spectrum, from infrared to ultraviolet; however, they could not see in total darkness.

The mouths had two pairs of mandibular pedipalps which gave them an advanced sense of smell. The pedipalps were also used to analyze the environment.

The mouth also showed two fangs, which were used to inject a poison into their prey. This naturally-produced poison killed animals from Sisk, but only had a paralyzing and mildly intoxicating effect on a wide variety of offworld species. The Sic-Six could also insert the poison using a sting.

The thorax was the bigger segment. It had eight legs attached, each of them with six joints. This allowed the Sic-Six to move at a higher speed than other creatures of its size; however, this also meant that the species lacked any manipulative appendixes.

The short, fat abdomen is connected to the thorax through very strong muscles and tendons, even if it seems to be almost floating. It included four spinnerets used to create fine webs. Sic-six commonly laid webs among trees or in closed spaces to detect any intruder: Anyone stepping on the web would probably break it, but by doing so, that trespasser would make enough noise for the Sic-Six to notice. Sic-Six webs were also seen in docking bays through the galaxy, where they were apparently a nuisance or a danger to pilots.

Sic-Six also had highly sensitive hearing, with their whole bodies acting as tympanic membranes; thus they could notice slight sounds that had started hundreds of meters ago. Unfortunately for the Sic-Six, this made them highly vulnerable to sonic weapons&mdash;even loud noises could seriously injure them, and the sound of a explosion at 20 meters could kill a Sic-Six.

Society and culture
Sic-Six were solitary by nature, particularly with others of the same species: They only spent time with other Sic-Six to mate, and even then they were uncomfortable. Since they could barely stand to be in one another's company, their native planet Sisk had almost nothing in the way of a central government. Sic-Six nevertheless could enjoy the company of sentients from other species.

While they had developed industrial technology thanks to some gifted Sic-Six engineers, lack of cooperation made mass production or the large-scale exploitation of Sisk's natural resources impossible. Sic-Six were proud of their own technological achievements, considering themselves superior to other species.

Sic-Six were also insecure and afraid of anything that could fall beyond their control. This trait had been caused because of the quick climatic changes of their planet that forced them to evolve quickly and uncomfortably.

The Sic-Six were a quite wealthy people, because the venom they produced was exported as an addictive stimulant. However, certain entrepreneurs of the drug industry kidnapped and enslaved individual Sic-Six to make use of their skills.

Sic-Six were known for the cultural likes, including music, theater and other forms of art. They commonly learned humanities, becoming scholars in the subject.

Unlike several other arachnoids, Sic-Six were known to use clothes.

History
The Sic-Six homeworld of Sisk was once a warm, lush world orbiting the orange dwarf star Sisk. At that point of history, the Sic-Six were patient beings who simply waited for prey to fall into their webs. Relatively a little time ago, its sun underwent partial collapse and became a red dwarf. Sisk in turn became a cold, inhospitable world. This turned the passive Sic-Six into active, cunning hunters who began to rely on technology and to evolve perception advantages. It also affected their personality, making them frightened and insecure when faced with circumstances they could not control.



Later, the galactic community discovered Sisk and the Sic-Six found that they liked aliens more than they liked other Sic-Six. The galaxy then observed the intoxicant properties of the Sic-Six poison. Several communities of aliens enjoyed the stimulating effect the drug caused on them, and were eager to pay generously for each dose&mdash;the Sic-Six venom became more well-known and expensive than the Corellian spice.

Several Sic-Six made their fortunes in a business that was known as "fanging," that is to say, injecting their venom to voluntary subjects who were willing to pay for that. Although "fanging" was outlawed in several worlds, many a Sic-Six made a fortune as a "fanger." Others, however, were enslaved for the same reason.

Certain outworld corporations wanted to mine Sisk but, as the Sic-Six had no planetary government, no-one was authorised to make that kind of deal&mdash;to the tycoons's chagrin.

During the Imperial era, Sic-Six were well integrated into the galactic community. The species had prestige and wealth.

The Verpine business Roche Hive Mechanical Apparatus Design and Construction Activity for Those Who Need the Hive's Machines, who failed in their attempt to market an insect-looking protocol droid to mammals, attempted later to re-direct the units of J9 "worker" drones to insectoid and arachnoid species, including the Sic-Six, the Flakax and the Xi'Dec; however, they found no success in Sisk.

Sic-Six in the galaxy
When travelling the galaxy, Sic-Six enjoyed the company of wealthy artists and dilettantes who had little responsabilities. Sic-Six were almost never found with other Sic-Six, as they got along much better with people of other species.

Sic-Six often found their way in the galactic community by providing their venom to willing customers. Some Sic-Six were enslaved by crimelords, or even murdered and dissected for their venom glands; other, more lucky Sic-Six wer esimply drained of their venom and released; or hired in a voluntary agreement. Less scrupulous "fangers" intoxicated their clients for a competitive price mostly to have a chance to steal their possessions. Jabba Desilijic Tiure, the well-known Hutt kingpin of crime, had one Sic-Six in his Tatooine headquarters as of 4 ABY. Another Sic-Six "fanger" was Trix-sor, who worked for a noble of the Galactic Empire.

Behind the scenes
The Sic-Six were created for the scene of Jabba's Palace in the movie Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983). Then known as the "6-Eye", the doll was manufactured by the team of makeup and creature designer Stuart Freeborn, and was to be operated by a puppetteer under the false floor, who used his hand to move the creature's head.

In 1989, West End Games published two supplements to Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game introducing the word "Sic-Six" for the first time (in  Yavin and Bespin) and a few months later, giving detailed background for the species (in  Alien Races); however, the image used in the role-playing game was different from the "6-Eye" of the movie. The Star Wars Customizable Card Game, in its 1998 expansion Jabba's Palace Limited, first identified the "6-Eye" from Jabba's Palace as a Sic-Six. After that, the Sic-Six were only mentioned in passing in The Essential Guide to Droids (1999).

The Star Wars Customizable Card Game suggests, but does not confirm, that pilots Nabrun Leids and Elis Helrot were familiar with the Sic-Six and/or their webs.

In the real world, arachnids have only two body segments (cephalothorax and abdomen); however, in the Star Wars universe, several arachnid sentient species (eg. Charon) do not share this trait.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi