Acklay/Legends

"Acklay! Don't provoke it!"

- Anonymous Republic clone trooper

The acklay was a large, nonsentient creaure native to Vendaxa. They were built to be fearsome predators, with six sharp claws and an aggressive attitude. As such, they were 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 were able to survive in the desert environment, despite the fact that they lived in the oceans of their native planet. During the Clone Wars, a group of acklays on Felucia attacked the 501st Legion, but was defeated by the 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 crustaceous 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.

Acklays had small stomachs, but were capable of expanding them when necessary. They had a high metabolism, which gave them a lot of energy, but also caused acklays to starve quickly. Acklays were aggressive creatures, making them common in battles between beasts or executions where creatures where used.

An 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 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.

History


Acklays initially lived on Vendaxa, namely in that planet's oceans. However, they were transported to other planets, most notably Geonosis to fight other beasts. The Geonosians traded for 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 they had only one predator on Geonosis: the massive merdeth. Due to chemical contamination in the water, a population of amphibious mutant acklays developed in the Golbah Pit.

Acklays were also exported to the world of Felucia, where they flourished. During the Clone Wars, the 501st Legion encountered acklays during the Battle of Felucia. The clone troopers were initially overcome by the creatures, but were able kill all of them. At least one acklay was believed to be present in the rumored Geonosian Bio-Lab on Yavin 4.

One of these creatures was kept at the Petranaki Arena on Geonosis and used in gladiator matches. Prior to the onset of the Clone Wars, the acklay 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 resourceful Jedi Master escaped, timing the creature's attack so its claws broke the chain holding him to a pillar, allowing him to flee from the beast. 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.

Wild acklays on Felucia attacked the 501st Legion during the Battle of Felucia. The clone troopers were initially overcome by the fearsome creatures, but were able to recover and kill all of them.

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 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.

An acklay first appeared in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.

Appearances



 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones comic
 * The Lesson
 * Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns
 * Star Wars: Battlefront II
 * Changing Seasons
 * Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
 * Survivor's Quest
 * Star Wars Legacy: Broken