Talz/Legends

The Talz were a large furry race with two distinct sets of eyes: one for day vision, and one for night vision. Their homeworld was Alzoc III, a frozen world with much mineral wealth. Talz were rarely seen in the galaxy away from their homeworld.

Biology and culture


Talz were large, bipedal creatures, averaging 2 to 2.5 meters tall. Bulky creatures, they were covered head to toe in thick white fur, which provided exceptional insulation against their frozen world. Talz had four eyes, which were also adaptations to their native environment. The larger set of eyes were shut during the day, when sunlight reflected off the snow with dazzling brightness&mdash;able to blind sensitive optical organs, leaving the smaller set to navigate with. Alternatively, during the deep darkness of their homeworld's moonless night, the larger pair were utilized to provide the Talz with adequate vision.

Talz used a small proboscis to eat and communicate, using a language of high-pitched chirps and buzzes, with variable pitch an essential feature. Their language was known alternatively as Talzzi or Talz.

Talz had extremely large hands, sporting a set of sharp-clawed talons, which tended to make others think twice before getting into a brawl with a Talz. Despite these fierce claws, most Talz were gentle and kind-hearted creatures. They were diligent and tireless workers. As a society, Talz were still a primitive species who had barely evolved sentience by the time the Galactic Empire discovered them. Talz were limited users of tools, constructing primitive shelters to further protect them from the icy cold climate. Their psychology and societal relationships, however, were very complex&mdash;based on clans and extended families&mdash;with sophisticated mechanisms for redistribution of resources to provide the greatest benefit for the species. The Talz had no concept of ownership, and instead "borrowed" objects from neighbors if needed, or gave away objects they did not own. Many non-Talz deemed them to be thieves as a result. For this reason, non-Talz who worked with them kept all objects and tools under lock and key. Many people who worked with Talz thought that trying to teach them the meaning of ownership was a wasted effort.

History


Imperial scouts discovered the Talz around 15 BBY as Emperor Palpatine's New Order was finishing off what remained of the Galactic Republic. The Empire recognized a species well built for manual labor and enslaved the Talz on their homeworld, forcing them to work in their mining operations. The Imperial authorities decided to leave the discovery off the records, since it was easier for them to enslave a species that had no official existence. As a result, very few Talz were seen outside the Alzoc system. Those that were found offworld were considered escaped slaves, with a 5000 credit Imperial bounty payable for their recapture or termination.

Prior to his tour of duty on Bakura, Pter Thanas served as the commanding officer of a mining operation on Alzoc III which utilized the labour of enslaved Talz natives. Thanas gained the gratitude of the Talz workforce when he increased their food rations under the rationale that better nutrition would increase work output. The Talz repaid his kindness when they saved Thanas from falling down a mineshaft. When a less-sympathetic Imperial colonel arrived six months later to replace Thanas, he immediately returned the Talz’s their food rations to their previous levels. A Talz leader protested the change, and the colonel ordered Thanas to destroy the Talz village as a demonstration of Imperial will. Thanas refused the order and was summarily reassigned to Bakura in 1 ABY.

The Imperial conquest was not the first contact between the Talz and the rest of the galaxy, however. A Talz Jedi named Foul Moudama was active during the Clone Wars, long before his species was known to the galaxy at large. Years later, a Talz named Muftak, and his inseparable companion, a Chadra-Fan named Kabe, were seen in the Mos Eisley Cantina when Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker hired Han Solo. Talz were also seen on such diverse planets as Feriae Junction and Phaeda.



Throughout the Galactic Civil War, the Talz hoped in vain that the Empire would leave so life could return to normal. The New Order never officially recognized the Talz as a sentient species, not wanting to be burdened by the Rights of Sentience. The fall of the Empire meant freedom for the Talz. Mining on the planet continued under New Republic supervision, allowing the Talz to trade and mingle with other species.

Even after the fall of the Empire, various warlords (most notably Warlord Zsinj) used Talz captives for scientific experimentation. When Zsinj captured the Alzoc III, his scientists tried to mutate the species into more "Human" beings. Among the projects that Warlord Zsinj may have used Talz for were Project Chubar and Project Minefield, headed by Dr. Edda Gast. When Wraith Squadron was invited aboard Zsinj's Super Star Destroyer Iron Fist, Flight Officer Castin Donn infiltrated a biomedical laboratory and freed a Talz captive. Donn was killed in the process, though the Talz he freed killed several of Zsinj's personnel before finally being killed by a stormtrooper. Wraith Squadron's efforts were able to save the mutated Talz from Imperial experimentation.

In 23 ABY, a young Talz also trained at Luke Skywalker's Jedi Praxeum alongside Jacen and Jaina Solo.

Behind the scenes
In X-wing: Iron Fist, a Talz prisoner is described as "opening its mouth and roaring." According to other sources, however, Talz do not have mouths, and thus, cannot roar.

Notes and references
Телзы