Gand/Legends

Gands were a sentient species of an insect genus that evolved on the ammonia-gas planet of Gand. Several physical varieties existed, but the race was usually classified into two main sub-species: those with lungs and those without lungs. Gands with lungs were adapted to their homeworld's atmosphere, but like Kel Dors, they required specialized breathing gear if they wanted to leave Gand to manage potentially poisonous offworld gas mixtures. Gands without lungs, however, did not respire and were immune to poisonous gases. Such Gands could venture offworld without worry of suffocation. Both races possessed an exoskeleton and regenerative properties. Gands were considered by galactic society to be a very humble species. This was a result of their culture, which dictated that an individual's identity had to be earned. Accordingly, most Gands were self-deprecating and polite, usually referring to themselves in the third person. First-person pronouns were reserved for the most legendary of Gands, as the usage presumed that one was so renowned that everyone knew one's name.

Within Gand culture was one of the species' more notable professions; the findsmen. Shamanistic bounty hunters, these Gands tracked their quarry by divining omens sent to them via rituals based around the worship of the thick ammonia mists that covered their homeworld. Although their methods were sometimes viewed as arcane, the accuracy of a findsman could be unsettling to the casual observer.

Biology and appearance
"When you come from a planet like Gand, where we've got both ammonia-breathers and oxygen-breathers, you have to be adaptable."

- Zuckuss to Bossk, in regards to species biology



Gands were stocky insectine humanoids covered in a chitinous exoskeleton. This exoskeleton was considered to be rather durable, as Gands were able to shrug off injuries that would cripple most other species. For example, Zuckuss, a Gand bounty hunter, had jumped from third-story windows, been caught in an explosion, and even shot in the shoulder, but was able to continue his duties without so much as a disorienting effect. The Gand exoskeleton provided extra protection in the clavicle region, which prevented most nerve or pressure-point strikes to the neck and shoulders.

The Gands also possessed large, compound eyes with a visual range that included the ultraviolet spectrum and had excellent night vision, however they could not perceive colors in total darkness. The eyes were shielded with a keratinous substance that served to protect them from airborne debris, such as that would be present in a sandstorm. Gands had only three fingers on each hand, though those digits were capable of punching through stormtrooper armor, as evidenced by Ooryl Qrygg, a Gand pilot with Rogue Squadron, on the planet Talasea. This durability was utilized in a Gand martial arts technique known as "Piercing Touch."

There were several different physical varieties documented, however most Gands were classified into two sub-species; lungless and "breathers." The breathers were of an older evolutionary stock and were expected to either die out or further evolve. These Gands possessed lungs, along with the usual assortment of internal organs that were typical in most species. The lungs functioned rather efficiently, able to utilize nearly eighty-five percent of the atmosphere with each breath. These Gands, however, were adapted to breathing only ammonia and required breath masks and similar equipment to survive in the more-common oxygen-rich environments offworld. Oxygen exposure would scour the inside of the lungs like acid, requiring replacements if the Gand did not suffocate. Since the proper bronchial and lung treatments needed to repair the damage were uncommon offworld, Gands stricken with oxygen inhalation were not expected to survive for very long.

A breathing Gand was able to hold his or her breath for a length of time when needed, along with reducing the perceptibility of their bodily functions to a point where it could fool an observer to thinking that the Gand had died. Zuckuss demonstrated this ability while working with Boba Fett, however he made use of compressed ammonia canisters to extend respiration cessation for several days.

The Gand subspecies that did not have lungs did not respire, as they obtained all the metabolic ingredients they needed through the ingestion of their food. The materials would aid in gas exchange and waste would be passed through openings in the exoskeleton. This made lungless Gands immune to poisonous gases and they were not required to wear respirators when venturing off-world. Some lungless Gands would wear such equipment anyway, usually to maintain anonymity.

Usually, Gands spoke their native language, but to speak with other beings, lungless Gands required the aid of a muscular gas bladder that allowed them to, among other things, draw in gases and expel them at a controlled rate through pieces of their exoskeleton that vibrated to approximate speech. These Gands also made use of translator vocoders to compensate for their lack of vocal cords. Some Gands, however, were born with the proper organs and structure to speak other languages such as Basic.

Gands needed only a fraction of the amount of sleep that was normally required by Humans. This trait was common throughout the Gand varieties, so xenobiologists attributed it to culture, rather than breeding. To stay awake and aware was more beneficial to the work of findsmen and was a skill that was honed throughout a lifetime. However, Gands were able to "store" the restorative properties of sleep for use when suspension of consciousness would not be advisable. Gands also possessed regenerative abilities. Ooryl Qrygg was able to regrow a severed arm within months, although he was assisted by a bacta cast. The exoskeleton appeared more pale and chalky in hue than normal until the regeneration process was complete.

Society and culture


The Gands evolved on the planet Gand, an isolated Outer Rim world that boasted a potentially-lethal atmosphere comprised of ammonia. This atmosphere helped deter the galaxy as a whole which allowed the Gands to evolve into a rich, yet peculiar, culture. They were considered by most to be a very humble society, its members soft-spoken and polite.

Gand society placed heavy importance on the achievements of an individual and held that an individual had no name, and thus no worth, until he proved otherwise. Young or unproven Gands were all called "Gand," as they were considered merely aspects of the same whole. Major accomplishments earned the use of a family surname. Mastering a skill, such as becoming a findsman, allowed for the use of the given name, all with third-person self-reference.

A storied Gand could earn the right to use first-person pronouns after many feats and accomplishments and the ritual aptitude test, the Janwuine-jika. To deem if a Gand was worthy enough to become janwuine, the Elders of Gand would send the ruetsavii&mdash;a group of Gands who were renowned through their own accomplishments and therefore considered able to judge the deeds of others. The ruetsavii would observe and chronicle the exploits of the Gand in question, and then make the determination if that Gand was ready to undergo the ceremony.

Use of the first-person self-reference otherwise was considered arrogant, as it implied to those a Gand was speaking to that he was so great that everyone would know his name. Once a Gand became janwuine, however, this was considered a reasonable presumption, as all other Gands would know his name and accomplishments.

However, if a Gand were ashamed of his actions, he felt it reduced his accomplishments, and thus his name. This "name reduction" was done to show penance, and depending on the level of identity earned, the Gand could refer to his or herself by either the surname, or even "this Gand." Some Gands, if they commit unspeakable acts, were exiled. They discarded their culture and could thus refer to themselves in any way they wish. Failure to become a findsman was sometimes a reason for exile.

Trade and commerce were conducted on orbiting space stations due to the poisonous atmosphere of the planet. Gands were also seen as insular and somewhat xenophobic. Outsiders were rarely, if ever, allowed onto the surface of Gand, as the Gands did not want their society to be tainted with ideas of independence and self-worth. The few that were allowed onto the planet were usually under the sponsorship of a janwuine Gand, or considered hinwuine&mdash;a being of standing. However, for a visitor to speak of their time on Gand was considered an insult to their hosts.

Findsman
Within Gand society, a select few felt the call to the path of the findsman. Findsmen belonged to a religious sect that worshiped and interpreted the movements of the gaseous mists on Gand to predict the location of criminals. Part shaman, part law enforcer, a findsman would augur the location of a fugitive, track him and bring him to justice. The findsmen rituals were known to take at least three hours to complete, but were considered to be very reliable. Many attributed their success to the Force, believing that findsmen were actually Force-sensitive.

Individual sects were known to exist within the profession and each held a different belief of their duties and responsibilities. Each sect would also perform their rituals in different ways. Findsmen sects were also known to fight amongst each other, usually stemming from competition over the same target. These skirmishes would sometimes escalate into war until another sect would intervene. Some findsmen sects would subject their pupils to chemical baths and even genetic manipulation to induce the appearance of knob-like growths on specific portions of the exoskeleton. These serrated ridges, which were often located on the arms and legs and could measure four to five centimeters in length, would then be used as weapons in hand-to-hand combat.

The time-honored tradition was established since the planet's totalitarian monarchy formed and it thrived for centuries. However, when the Galactic Empire took over Gand's slave trade, sophisticated scanning equipment was used to locate fugitives hiding in the enshrouding mists, much to the detriment of the findsman. Many of these findsmen retired, or pursued new professions, such as the renegade Vytor Shrike and the Rebel operative Venlyss Pnorr. However, other Gands, notably Zuckuss, took the profession off-world, finding work as bounty hunters, security advisors, or even assassins.

History
"They have strange perspectives on life, on hunting, but they are very effective."

- Vossk

The Gands evolved on the planet Gand, which was discovered sometime prior to 3,951 BBY. An inhospitable and isolated world located just beyond the Centrality, the Gand society developed in "pocket colonies" that dotted the surface. These colonies, separated by seemingly endless kilometers of thick ammonia mists, were each ruled by Gand's totalitarian monarchy. The mists were influential in Gand culture, and the religious findsmen sects worshiped them, divining omens and signs from the currents to pinpoint the location of hidden prey.

The Gands had an active slave trade and penal system and employed the findsmen to locate runaways hiding in the enshrouding fog banks. The poisonous environment deterred galactic interference and the tradition flourished for centuries until the intervention of the Empire. Taking control of the slave trade, the Imperials brought with them their advanced technology, which controlled the number of runaways and rendered the findsmen useless. However, rather than allow the tradition to face extinction, many Gands took the trade off-world.

Since then, the insular Gands maintained a tight control over how much influence outsiders had on their people. Most outsiders only got as close as the orbiting space stations, which were the centers of Gand commerce. If visitors were permitted on the surface of Gand, they were sequestered in the "alien quarters" located in the spaceports. There were a few who were afforded the honor of being allowed into Gand society, but they were under the sponsorship of the janwuine or the ruetsavii. General Airen Cracken, along with several other members of Rogue Squadron, was invited onto Gand to witness the janwuine-jika ceremony for the pilot Ooryl Qrygg. He admitted to finding the ceremony to be unsettling.

Gands in the galaxy
"Ooryl is token Gand."

- Ooryl Qrygg

During the reign of the Galactic Republic, many Gands, primarily a group of bounty hunters who left for Nar Shaddaa, regularly visited Jekk'Jekk Tarr where they could find gas fumes similar to those present on their homeworld. Many of them were killed by the Jedi Exile during her search for the Quarren, Visquis. Another Gand, Ossluk Noslee, was also present on Nar Shaddaa during that same time period. A group of Gands were also present on G0-T0's yacht, the Visionary. Gands were also seen on Taris as early as 3,964 BBY; one was present when Zayne Carrick returned to the planet.

Gands were also present in the Jedi Order in varying capacities. Vaabesh, an orphaned Padawan during the waning years of the Galactic Republic, served as a commander for the Grand Army of the Republic. However, he lost his life during the Second Battle of Jabiim. Another Gand, Jedi Master Tyffix, served as a general. During the Battle of Thustra, he sacrificed his life to save those of his and Master Tyr's Padawans when the command center was struck by a bomb.

Gands were also seen in a cantina on Dorvalla, in the Outer Rim Territories, and on the slave trade planet Orvax IV. A Gand bounty hunter was present on Ord Mantell during the hunt for Quinlan Vos and another Gand hunter was present on The Rig shortly after the Battle of Geonosis. Another unsuccessful Gand bounty hunter attempted to collect a bounty on Connor Freeman. This bounty hunter was killed by a blaster shot from Freeman. After the Clone Wars, many former findsmen took their trade off-world, including Zuckuss, his second-cousin Lu'daal-ud, and Vaskau Farg, who had once tracked a Sakiyan witch to Arkania. Vytor Shrike was an active bounty hunter on Tatooine and Venlyss Pnorr worked under the guise of a hunter and transported Alliance operatives to safehouses.

A Gand was seen in a cantina on Onadax and another served as a crewmember on the Scarlet Vertha. Other Gands worked as smugglers and still others, like R'Kayza, found employment as assassins. Some Gands pursued what most would consider to be nobler professions, such as serving as a pilot for Rogue Squadron, as Ooryl Qrygg had done. A trio of ruetsavii Gands, Syron Aalun, Ussar Vlee, and Vviir Wiamdi, were sent to observe Qrygg and aided in several raids during the Bacta War and the battle of Thyferra. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, many Gands had taken refuge in Refugee Facility 17, located on Ruan.

Behind the scenes
"At least I know you don't snore. Heck, I don't even know if you breathe."

- Corran Horn in regards to rooming with Ooryl Qrygg

Zuckuss's appearance in 1979 for the filming of the infamous bounty hunter scene in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back marked the first appearance of his as-yet unnamed insectoid species. Portrayed by actress Catherine Monroe, the character's features were designed by Ralph McQuarrie and John Mollo, and the resulting mask was crafted by Stuart Freeborn. The compound eyes of the mask were constructed with Bubble Wrap packing material. The costume itself consisted of the full-head mask and attached cylinders that were filled with colored water, and the actress was instructed to blow air into the cylinders in order to create bubbles.

Due to the character's name never being spoken on-screen, when Zuckuss's figure was released by Kenner, his name was swapped with his droid partner, 4-LOM. It was not until 1989 when the names were corrected and Zuckuss's species was given a designation in the first edition of Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back. Since then, however, the species name encountered various misspellings, including "Gann" in Star Wars Missions 11: Bounty Hunters vs. Battle Droids, and "Gund" on the packaging for the Kotobukiya ArtFX Zuckuss statue.

Since Zuckuss's appearance in Empire Strikes Back, the species' first foray into the Expanded Universe was in X-wing: Rogue Squadron, with the introduction of the character of Ooryl Qrygg. This also introduced the previously-undocumented lungless sub-species. Shortly afterward, Tales of the Bounty Hunters was released, which featured the short story Of Possible Futures: The Tale of Zuckuss and 4-LOM. However, the short story utilized sources from West End Games, which at the time did not have material for the lungless Gand sub-species. Many have viewed the lungless sub-species to be a retcon, as Qrygg was portrayed as not needing to breathe, whereas Zuckuss suffered from a respiratory condition.

Most Gands in the Expanded Universe were depicted as being just slightly shorter than an average Human. The height in various sources varied only slightly from this range, with Gands standing as tall as other characters, or just slightly shorter. However, in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, the game models used for the Gand enemy bipeds were much shorter, standing no bigger than a Jawa. An explanation for this height discrepancy has yet to be given by official sources.