Acklay/Legends

"Acklay! Don't provoke it!"

- Anonymous Republic clone trooper

The acklay was a large, non-sentient creature native to the oceans of Vendaxa. Its physical appearance made it a natural predator, with six sharp claws and an aggressive attitude. As such, it was commonly found in gladiatorial arenas on different worlds in the Outer Rim Territories. One world where acklays were present was Geonosis, where they fought in the Petranaki Arena. However, some escaped and managed to survive in the Geonosian deserts despite their native aquatic environment. An acklay was used in the attempted execution of the then Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi in 22 BBY, but was killed by Kenobi. Acklays were also present on Felucia, where they attacked the 501st Legion during the Battle of Felucia, only to be wiped out by the clone troopers.

Biology and appearance
The acklay was a three-eyed amphibious crustacean native to Vendaxa. Though acklays lived underwater, they could go on land to hunt, which they frequently did, as the lemnai, a creature that lived on the plains of Vendaxa, was their main source of food. As they resided in the oceans of Vendaxa, their eyes enabled them to see in darkness, although they were near-sighted. Despite their crustacean-like nature, acklays also had characteristics possessed by reptiles, such as their powerful jaws filled with sharp teeth. The acklay had a tough, leathery green skin, another trait from its reptilian heritage. The acklay's belly was more vulnerable than other parts of its body, as the flesh covering it was not as tough as it was elsewhere. Acklays had a bony crest around their neck, used for both intimidation and protection.

These creatures had small stomachs, but were capable of expanding them when necessary. They had a high metabolism, which gave them substantial amounts of energy, but also caused them to starve quickly. Acklays were aggressive creatures, making them favorites in gladiatorial combat.

Each acklay had six deadly claws, used for both pinning an opponent in combat or slicing them. Their limbs were long, allowing them to strike at enemies from a distance. While their claws&mdash;actually fingertips covered by hardened skin&mdash;themselves had no feeling, hairs on their bodies allowed the creatures the sensation of feeling. These cilia also enabled an acklay to sense the body electricity of other creatures.

The acklay's exoskeleton was strong enough to be used by some cultures as chitinous personal body armor. Although not high tech, it was occasionally used as a trophy item.

Acklays could be Force-sensitive, although this was extremely rare. Such creatures could teach themselves to use the Force and could fire Force lightning from their mouths.

History


Acklays initially lived on Vendaxa, specifically in the planet's plains and oceans. However, they were transported to other planets, most notably Geonosis, to fight other beasts. The Geonosians traded droids and machinery for them. The Geonosians also took to breeding them, and the acklays soon found their way into the ecosystem of the barren planet, quickly carving out a niche for themselves. In some instances, acklays even destroyed entire hives by sneaking in through the lower tunnels and feasting on worker drones. The acklay also became the dominant predator of the stagnant Ebon Sea area, as it had only one predator on Geonosis: the massive merdeth. Due to chemical contamination in the water, a population of amphibious mutant acklays developed in Golbah's Pit. They had glossy black skin and were larger than their cousins. They could also breathe underwater when they hunted in the Ebon Sea.

The slaver Phylus Mon, who favored huge, monstruous beasts, was known to deal with acklays before the Clone Wars.

Two acklays were held in the Petranaki Arena on Geonosis and used in gladiator matches. The Geonosian gladiator Acklay Chopper became fight manager of the arena after he fought and killed an acklay in it. Prior to the onset of the Clone Wars, one of the acklays was unleashed upon Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, who had been convicted of espionage and sentenced for execution. The acklay attempted to kill Kenobi, though the Jedi was able to free himself by timing the creature's attack so its claws broke the chain holding him to a pillar. After a Jedi task force intervened to rescue the trio, Kenobi was able to obtain a lightsaber and use it to cut away the beast's front claws and stab it in the back, killing it. The fallen acklay's mate survived in their holding pen.

During the conflict, an acklay on Burnout, a space station in the Thaereian system. It made appearances in an arena there, where prisoners of the Thaereian military would be fed to it, while spectators watched from viewscreens. The Trandoshan Nim'Ri was one such prisoner and he was given a vibro-axe to fight the creature with. However, it pushed the axe out of his hands and killed him, much to the delight of the crowd. A short time later, a group of prisoners from the Cularin system were put in the arena with it. However, some agents working for the Cularin Militia entered the arena and fought the creature, whilst rescuing the prisoners.



Acklays were also exported to the world of Felucia, where they flourished. During the Clone Wars, the 501st Legion encountered acklays trying to destroy an All Terrain Tactical Enforcer during the Battle of Felucia. The clone troopers were initially overcome by the creatures, but were able to kill all of them. At least one acklay was believed to be present in the rumored Geonosian Bio-Lab on Yavin 4. The Hutt Borvo also kept one in the dungeon beneath his hidden base in Moenia, on Naboo. The Imperial officer Ozzik Sturn, who enjoyed hunting, kept an acklay head as a trophy by 2 BBY.

During the Second Imperial Civil War, a type of aquatic vehicle called the Acklay Battle Fortress was used by Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire. In 137 ABY, Cade Skywalker and his companions encountered an acklay on Vendaxa, following Marasiah Fel's escape from Socorro. The acklay pursued its prey through a crash site, but was ultimately killed when Jedi Wolf Sazen and Shado Vao joined the fight, plunging their lightsabers through the acklay's chest.

Behind the scenes
The acklay first appeared in the novelization of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, which was released a month prior to its theatrical debut.

The design of the acklay originated when George Lucas requested the creation of an arena creature sharing the characteristics of praying mantises and Velociraptors. Later refinements added lobster features to the creature.

The acklay's fight with Obi-Wan Kenobi in the arena on Geonosis was inspired in part by the Ray Harryhausen movie Mysterious Island, particularly the scene where a marooned sailor fights a giant crab with a spear.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: The Old Republic
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones comic
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones novel
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones junior novel
 * Boba Fett: The Fight to Survive
 * The Lesson
 * Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns
 * Star Wars: Battlefront II
 * Boba Fett: Hunted
 * Changing Seasons
 * Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight
 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed game
 * Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
 * Survivor's Quest
 * Millennium Falcon
 * Star Wars Legacy: Broken
 * Star Wars Legacy 32: Fight Another Day, Part 1