Fosh

"My people, Nom Anor, have a proverb about counting glitterflies when all one has is maggots."

- Vergere to Nom Anor

The Fosh were a sentient avian species from an unknown world, possibly hailing from the Corporate Sector.

Biology and appearance
The Fosh were bird-like creatures with slim torsos and delicate arms tipped with four-fingered, talon-like hands that evolved over tens of thousands of years from wings. Due to the frail nature of their bodies, Fosh tended to shy away from conflict and confrontation. Their necks in particular were most vulnerable, and were reflexively guarded during combat. They were, however, agile creatures with a typically avian digitigrade stance and flay-toed feet useful for jumping.

The Fosh had a convex face ending in a beak-like mouth, around which were tufts of soft whiskers. The head of the Fosh was capped with two twisting antennae, the use of which remains unknown, and a feather-lined ridge protruding from the skull. These feathers shifted color depending on the Fosh's mood: Green indicated inquisitiveness, thoughtfulness or amusement; orange was a sign of happiness; and gray was anger, disgust, irritation or seriousness.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the species was the chemical makeup of its tears. Female Fosh especially had lacrimal glands that enabled them to alter their tears to produce a variety of pheromonal substances that affected males during mating. The Sith apprentice Vergere had such a control over her tears that they could, with the aid of the Force, be engineered to produce any number of chemical substances ranging from poisons to healing fluids more powerful than bacta.

Society and culture
The Fosh as a people were very private, preferring to remain unnoticed by the larger galaxy. They commonly spoke only on matters of great importance, content to simply listen at other times. It was believed that the Fosh population was small, although this may simply have been an effect of their ability to conceal themselves from other species. The Fosh were, however, adept at political intrigue, and culturally, they were a manipulative species similar to the Bothans, but much more devious&mdash;many Fosh were bigots, looking upon other races as inferior, sometimes even as toys for their own amusement. They would create plots within plots to achieve either highly complex or at times very simple goals. They spoke indirectly to others, rarely revealing their true desires, and were fond of riddles and analogies designed to confuse and confound. Because of this, the Fosh were a highly self-serving, self-interested species that was only generous when their actions hid an ulterior motive. The Fosh were, however, wise enough to spot the dangers inherent in other species, and were vigilant in their dealings with outside races.

History
"We Fosh were never at home among them. We were too few in number. Humankind had filled all the evolutionary gaps, bringing about the extinction of species like mine, which were merely holding a place, a niche in the continuum."

- Vergere to Elan.

Due to their secretive, private nature, Fosh were little seen in the galaxy at any point in its history. It was possible that the species was one of those targeted for extinction by Emperor Palpatine, though even as of the decade prior to the Clone Wars, the species was considered to be largely extinct.

The only notable Fosh to have an impact outside of the species' homeworld was the Jedi Knight Vergere, active during the final decades of the Galactic Republic. After the Yuuzhan Vong attacked Zonama Sekot, Vergere traveled with the alien invaders for many years, ultimately returning to the civilized galaxy with Jacen Solo. Up until this time, even New Republic Intelligence was not aware of the species' existence. However, Droma once saw a Fosh in the Corporate Sector.

Behind the scenes
An unidentified Jedi Master's bronzium statue can be seen in the Jedi Archives in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Based on its appearance, the Jedi Master might have been a Fosh.

The Fosh pictured in The New Essential Guide to Alien Species has knees that bend like a humanoid's, however it is stated that they bend backwards like a crane's.

Appearances

 * Cloak of Deception
 * Rogue Planet
 * ''Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial
 * ''Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse
 * Edge of Victory II: Rebirth
 * Star by Star
 * Traitor
 * Destiny's Way
 * Star Wars: Legacy 18: Claws of the Dragon, Part 5