User:Chack Jadson/alpha

This is where I will do long-term work on articles.

'''(De)Capitalization! Ndash? Probably get this in my last copy-edit'''

The Yuuzhan Vong were a sentient extra-galactic species native to the planet Yuuzhan'tar. Members of the species had ashen skin, dark hair, sloped foreheads, and often heavily mutilated and tattooed themselves in devotion to their gods. The Yuuzhan Vong were both extremely warlike and religious, and believed it was their duty to convert or kill all beings they termed infidels, those who did not follow the Yuuzhan Vong religion known as the True Way. The species disdained machine technology, instead using organic devices and weapons known as biots. Their society was made up of several distinct castes, which determined a being's place in life.

At some point in their history, the Yuuzhan Vong were attacked by a race of droids. They fought back, and were able to conquer their foes. The increasingly-aggressive then Yuuzhan Vong began to cleanse their galaxy of species they termed foes, using the weapons they believed had been given to them by their gods to eliminate all who opposed them. Following their conquests of other races, the species fought an intra–species war which saw the destruction of much of their galaxy. Their living homeworld of Yuuzhan'tar was damaged in this conflict, and as punishment it stripped the species of their connection to the Force. The Yuuzhan Vong began worshiping pain and became even more aggressive.

They eventually departed their ruined galaxy in search of a new home, and spent millennia traveling the Intergalactic Void before discovering across a new galaxy. Under Supreme Overlord Shimrra Jamaane, they launched an invasion in 25 ABY. The Yuuzhan Vong made many gains in the first two years of the war, greatly weakening the existing galactic government, the New Republic. However, the tide began to turn as the Yuuzhan Vong suffered several losses in battle. In 29 ABY, the Yuuzhan Vong War came to a close with the Battle of Coruscant, with the Yuuzhan Vong surrendering after the death of Shimrra. The defeated species promised the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances&mdash;the New Republic's successor government&mdash;that they would abandon their violent ways. Their weapons were destroyed, and they settled on the planet Zonama Sekot, which had been revealed to be a seed of Yuuzhan'tar produced before the planet's destruction.

Biology and appearance
"The Yuuzhan Vong was tall, muscular, and humanlike, but his face and body were horribly scarred and disfigured. He had no hair, and his nose was practically missing. He was horrible to behold."

- Garqi refugee

The Yuuzhan Vong were a humanoid sentient species. They were taller and heavier than the average Human, with females averaging 1.7 meters, and males 1.9 meters. Females weighed sixty kilograms on average, and males seventy kilograms. Some members of the species had long black hair, though Yuuzhan Vong were often bald. Their noses were short, up-turned, and stub-like, with long nostrils. They had sloped foreheads, ashen skin, and droopy eyes. Underneath their eyes were tiny sacks of a bluish color, which could darken when a Yuuzhan Vong was angry. These eyesacks were considered a mark of beauty among Yuuzhan Vong females. The more pronounced the blue, the more beautiful the eyesacks were considered to be. A Yuuzhan Vong's face was skull-like, and resembled a mass of quivering flesh. The species had black blood, and lacked kidneys. Yuuzhan Vong lived approximately two to three times longer than Humans, who rarely lived to be older than 100 years of age. Members of the species were often very strong, and immune to disease.

Yuuzhan Vong were often heavily tattooed and mutilated, as the species sought to remake themselves in the image of their gods. The Yuuzhan Vong would frequently remove their body parts&mdash;such as their limbs&mdash;and replace them with bio-engineered parts, or parts from another creature, in a process known as organ grafting. The ceremony in which this was done was known as escalation. However, the Yuuzhan Vong were careful that their replacement body parts would never hinder their ability to function. On occasion, a Yuuzhan Vong's implant failed, resulting in the individual being cast out from society. Many individuals considered the Yuuzhan Vong to be fearsome and grotesque-looking due to their ritualistic mutilation. The Yuuzhan Vong themselves considered an unblemished, symmetric face to be repugnant. The species had an extremely high tolerance for pain, and their nervous system was built to amplify suffering. This also prevented them from being stunned.

Following the Cremlevian War around 15,000 BBY, the Yuuzhan Vong's connection to the Force was destroyed. Not only could the species no longer touch the Force, they could not be sensed through it. This confounded the Force-sensitive Jedi for years;  the Force flowed through all living things, and so for an entire species to be seemingly outside it was unheard of. A Yuuzhan Vong's motives or emotions could not be sensed through the Force, and the species appeared as a void in the Force. The Yuuzhan Vong could not be directly affected by the Force either; powerful telekinetic blasts that would have thrown aside other species only caused the Yuuzhan Vong to stumble. The Yuuzhan Vong could be hit by objects thrown telekinetically, however. Some variants of Force lightning were also capable of affecting the Yuuzhan Vong. Eventually, a few the Jedi learned to sense the Yuuzhan Vong through a technique known as Vongsense. Those who had suffered through some sort of ordeal that connected them with the Yuuzhan Vong gained the ability to "turn off" their Force sense and instead feel the Yuuzhan Vong. Anakin Solo&mdash;the first to discover this ability&mdash;attuned himself with a lambent crystal, enabling him to sense the Yuuzhan Vong through his Vongsense. Jedi also could also locate the Yuuzhan Vong through the Force by feeling for holes in it.

"Life turned against other life. It is something unknown to us, because we are symbiotic with all life-our biots, our weapons, our foodstuffs... We don't die of disease, or of starvation. Many of us live three times as long as the human species in this galaxy, and yet we have been felled by another living thing."

Malik Carr on Caluula

language jedi jeedai


 * bioengineering genetic structure? dw?
 * taller and heavier selective breeding? vp
 * brain different from humans tfp

The True Way
"All living creatures serve the Yuuzhan Vong. And we serve the gods."

- Tsavong Lah

For millennia, Yuuzhan Vong society revolved around the True Way, their religion. Following the destruction of their homeworld, the living planet Yuuzhan'tar around 15,000 BBY during the Cremlevian War, the Yuuzhan Vong created the True Way. This religion preached intolerance, violence, and a fanatical devotion to the gods. The True Way had several deities: Yun-Yuuzhan, the Creator; Yun-Harla, the Trickster; Yun-Yammka, the Slayer; Yun-Ne'Shel, the Modeler; Yun-Shuno, the Pardoner; Yun-Txiin and Yun-Q'aah, the Lovers; and Yun-Lingni. These gods were created after the once peaceful Yuuzhan Vong turned violent and damaged their homeworld, which responded by stripping the entire species of their connection to the Force. This action caused the Yuuzhan Vong great pain. In response, they began worshiping pain, imagining that through suffering they could regain their Force-sensitivity. They came to believe that with death came salvation at the hands of Yun-Yuuzhan, and so death became an integral part of Yuuzhan Vong culture.

The species also believed that the gods valued suffering, and so pain was embraced by the Yuuzhan Vong to become an essential part of life. Members of the species were taught to resist incredible amounts of pain. To honor the gods members of the species would lock themselves in the Embrace of Pain, an organism that would torture individuals held in it. The Embrace of Pain was capable of causing those strapped to it to feel tremendous amounts of pain, yet not enough to kill them. The species' nerve system was such that pain was intensified, giving the Yuuzhan Vong a very high tolerance for suffering. Through this torment and devotion to the gods, the species became extremely resistant to pain. Despite the role pain held in Yuuzhan Vong culture, members of the species were not supposed to enjoy pain, but rather regard it as a lesson. Some, however, like Shedao Shai, failed to heed this warning. Shai's addiction to the Embrace of Pain was frowned upon and led to him being remembered as a disgraced individual upon his death.

All of the species' gods but Yun-Yammka were created out of aspects of Yuuzhan'tar. Yun-Yammka was instead created when the species became violent, and served as a way for them to justify their destructive actions. Much knowledge of their primordial homeworld, including how it stripped them from the Force, was lost over time. The Yuuzhan Vong grew believe that they were created by Yun-Yuuzhan, who sacrificed pieces of his body to create the universe and the lesser gods. In the species' mythology, Yun-Yuuzhan promised the lesser gods that they could ascend to his rank if they could find others to take their place. The lesser gods then created the Yuuzhan Vong by merging the best beings created by Yun-Yuuzhan, with the hope that they would eventually rise to god status.

The True Way contained the Great Doctrine, which stated that the Yuuzhan Vong were superior to all other species, and new territory was their god-given right. Per their extremely rigid religion, the Yuuzhan Vong attempted to convert all non-believers, who they termed "infidels." If non-believers refused to be converted, then they were killed. Due to the species' violent nature, many non–Yuuzhan Vong believed that the species did not respect life. However, they did celebrate life&mdash;which was sacred to them&mdash;in their own way. The Yuuzhan Vong believed that death in battle was the highest honor one could achieve. Though most opponents were considered unworthy of even slavery, the Yuuzhan Vong recognized foes who put up a tremendous fight in battle by granting them honorable deaths, such as swiftly killing them in a sacrifice to the gods. The gods&mdash;especially Yun-Yammka&mdash;demanded blood sacrifices, and the Yuuzhan Vong had frequent ceremonies in which they sacrificed honored captives. Those who held some worth were enslaved, such as the Chazrach, a reptilian species native to the Yuuzhan Vong's home galaxy, who where kept as slaves for millennia and bred to be killing machines.

Because of their firm belief in the True Way, and their respect of life, the Yuuzhan Vong&mdash;who utilized organic technology known as biots&mdash;considered all machine technology to be an insult to the gods. They sought to destroy all non-organic things, ranging from buildings to droids. The species even hated saying the word "machine," and believed that calling their biots "technology" was blasphemy. However, Yuuzhan Vong could handle technology for the good of their species, such as when in disguise, or when ordered to study weapons of war to learn how to counter them. Yuuzhan Vong who would handled machines would cleanse themselves with the blood of sacrificial prisoners.

During the Yuuzhan Vong War from 25 to 29 ABY, the Yuuzhan Vong came in contact with the machine-using New Republic. The species believed that the gods had ordained them to conquer the galaxy inhabited by countless aliens, and so they invaded the galaxy. For their deities, the Yuuzhan Vong were determined to kill or enslave all or resisted them, and destroy any machines they came across. The species was relentless in this pursuit, and destroyed both organics and machines. The species also encountered a strange power known as the Force, the mysterious weapon of the Jedi, elite warriors of the New Republic. The majority of the Yuuzhan Vong saw the Force was a lie created by the Jedi. However, some Yuuzhan Vong came to believe that the Force was what remained of Yun-Yuuzhan, and that the Jedi had been sent by the gods.

Despite the True Way's prevalence in Yuuzhan Vong society, not all followed the religion. Some individuals, such as Nen Yim and Nom Anor did not believe in the gods. Those who denied the gods' existence were considered heretics. Heresy was considered a serious offense, and any individuals even suspected of practicing heresy were executed. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, many Shamed Ones, and even some high&mdash;ranking Yuuzhan Vong came to doubt the True Way, and formed a religion named the Jeedai heresy. Despite these individuals' doubt in the gods, old habits died hard; they were still quick to tremble when speaking of the gods. The Supreme Overlord during the Yuuzhan Vong War, Shimrra, espoused unorthodox religious beliefs, preaching that the species was ready to overthrow the gods. Shimrra even employed heretics to develop new weapons against the New Republic, though he kept this secret, and killed anyone who posed a threat to him.

Yun-Yuuzhan
"It is not your galaxy. You have merely infested it for a time. We have come to end the infection, in the name of glorious Yun-Yuuzhan."

- Yuuzhan Vong warrior

"Yun-Yuuzhan created all things, the Jeedai included. They are as much a part of his plan as we are. This will probably seem confusing to some, but you must remember that we should never assume to know Yun-Yuuzhan's plan in its entirety. We are as ghazakl worms before him."

- Yu'shaa

"Yun-Yuuzhan created all things...we should never assume to know Yun-Yuuzhan's plan in its entirety. We are as ghazakl worms before him."

- Yu'shaa

Yun-Yuuzhan, the Creator, also referred to as the Cosmic Lord, was revered as the greatest of the gods by the Yuuzhan Vong. In the species' legends, he created the universe and the lesser gods by sacrificing parts of his body. It was in honor of Yun-Yuuzhan's sacrifice that Yuuzhan Vong for millennia sacrificed parts of their body. The Yuuzhan Vong were also named for him. Only the Supreme Overlord was able to speak to Yun-Yuuzhan, though there were priest sects dedicated to him. Because the Supreme Overlord was the sole link to Yun-Yuuzhan, he or she was accorded the utmost respect and authority. Statues of Yun-Yuuzhan&mdash;which could often be found on starships alongside statues of Yun-Harla, Yun-Yammka, and Yun-Shuno&mdash; were often made to appear incomplete to honor the Creator's sacrifice. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, followers of the Jeedai heresy believed that the Force was what remained of Yun-Yuuzhan's soul. Calling members of the species simply "Vong" was seen as a grievous insult to Yun-Yuuzhan.

Some Yuuzhan Vong believed that following the creation of the universe, a weak Yun-Yuuzhan was tricked by Yun-Harla into surrendering some his knowledge. Others held the opinion that Yun-Yuuzhan had personally granted Yun-Ne'Shel the tools to create life. In actuality, Yun-Yuuzhan had been created out of aspects of Yuuzhan'tar after the Yuuzhan Vong were stripped of their connection to the Force. He, like all of the gods, was a creation of the Yuuzhan Vong's.

Yun-Yammka
"Yun-Yammka, accept those lives. In return for that gift, grant us success."

- Tsavong Lah

Yun-Yammka, the Slayer, was the god of war and one of the most important of the species' deities. Worshiped by the warrior castes and prefects of intendant caste, he was seen as a bloodthirsty soldier. Yun-Yammka demanded unwavering loyalty and dedication to war. He required many blood sacrifices; in fact, any appeal to him any than the regular morning and evening prayers had to be accompanied by a sacrifice. Some Yuuzhan Vong that Yun-Yammka worked against the species at times, though the majority held the opinion that he was a grand deity to be honored for teaching the species the art of war. It was believed that Yun-Yammka could be persuaded to grant the warrior success in battle in exchange for sacrifices to him. Warriors were fanatically devoted to Yun-Yammka, and gladly would die fighting for him. They prayed to him for strength in combat, and were unwilling to go into battle without first praying to the Slayer. Every member of the warrior caste owned a statue of Yun-Yammka, who was believed to resemble a yammosk: he had a large brain, one eye, a furrowed mouth, and many tentacles. Warriors greatly valued figures of Yun-Yammka, and treated them as sacred. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, Warmaster Tsavong Lah modified himself until he resembled the incarnation of Yun-Yammka.

Yun-Yammka was often considered to be the brother of Yun-Harla; paired, the two were known as the "Twin Gods." Some believed the Jedi Jacen Solo to be the incarnation of Yun-Yammka, while his sister Jaina was sometimes associated with Yun-Harla. Tsavong Lah promised Yun-Yammka that he would sacrifice the Solo twins to him, though his plan fell through. Near the end of the war, Supreme Overlord Shimrra ordered the creation of elite soldiers that were a mixture of priest and warrior. The resulting warriors were known as "Slayers", in honor of the god of war. Onimi, Shimrra's Shamed familiar, believed Jedi Master Luke Skywalker to be the incarnation of Yun-Yammka.

Yun-Yammka was actually a creation of the Yuuzhan Vong's, developed after the Cremlevian War. He was an attempt by the species to justify their violence and warmongering. Unlike the other gods, he was not based on Yuuzhan'tar.

greater than yun-yuuzhan?

Yun-Harla
"Yun-Harla is said to reserve her most cunning tricks for those most devoted to her."

- Harrar

"Yun-Harla the Trickster is never visible. Her body is made of borrowed parts, and cloaked in borrowed skin. Over the borrowed skin are garments designed to deceive and deflect. Yun-Harla herself is never seen. Only her spirit is to be found working in the world, laying traps and deceiving the unwary."

- Vergere

Yun-Harla, the Trickster, was the goddess of deception. Portrayed in art as a lithe female whose features were hidden in a cloak&mdash;though her appearance was never directly shown&mdash;Yun-Harla was an enigma to even her most dedicated followers. Her body was believed to be made up of borrowed parts, and canonical texts differed on where these parts originated from. Some speculated that her eyes were villips, while others said said that they were Yun-Yuuzhan's discarded eyes, and another faction believed that her eyes where those of Yo'gand, a Yuuzhan Vong hero from the distant past. All sources, however, stated that her skeleton was made of yorik coral. Her clothing was designed to confuse those who saw her, and only her spirit would appear to followers. She was seen as the champion of deception and secrets, such as spies or con artists.

The Trickster was often seen as the brother of Yun-Yammka, as deception was believed to be equally important as aggression. Yun-Harla's holy day was known as the Festival of the Twin Gods, when Yuuzhan Vong were encouraged to play practical jokes on their friends and even superiors, as there would be no repercussions. Friends&mdash;and even enemies&mdash;often shared secrets during this twenty-four hour period. Yun-Harla was also responsible for overseeing escalations. All Yuuzhan Vong would pray to Yun-Harla before undergoing such a ritual. Appeals occasionally required sacrifices, though not death sacrifices. Instead, the Yuuzhan Vong to be undergo the escalation would reveal his or her darkest secrets before Yun-Harla, or carry out a shapechanging ritual on a captive or an animal. Yun-Harla was disliked by some, particularly the warrior caste. Some individuals viewed her not as a grand deity but simply as a nuisance who had to be placated rather than worshiped. Warriors also disliked the members of the deception sect, the faction of the priest caste dedicated to Yun-Harla. Affiliates of this group were trained from their youth in the art of misleading others. They also spoke a language understood only by members of this cult.

During the Yuuzhan Vong War, the Jedi Jaina Solo was often associated with Yun-Harla, much as her twin Jacen was associated with Yun-Yammka. Solo embraced this, and her compatriots began call her "Great One" or "Goddess" to deceive the Yuuzhan Vong. After she captured the Yuuzhan Vong frigate Ksstar, Solo renamed it Trickster, in hopes of mystifying and angering the Yuuzhan Vong. She developed a device that caused the Yuuzhan Vong's yammosks to mistake Yuuzhan Vong vessels for the enemy, and fire on them. Because of her exploits, which also included avoiding capture, some began to believe that she was Yun-Harla. This led to confusion in the Yuuzhan Vong ranks, and many warriors focused solely on killing her. Supreme Overlord Shimrra questioned if Vergere, an alien who had lived among them for fifty years before betraying them and fleeing, could be Yun-Harla, though the priests of Yun-Harla found this idea blasphemous. Onimi believed that Solo was Yun-Harla incarnate, and blamed the Trickster for causing him to become Shamed following a failed experiment. Because he felt that Yun-Harla had betrayed him, he planned to kill Solo, in hopes of eliminating the goddess of deception.

Some believed that Yun-Harla had fooled Yun-Yuuzhan into giving him several of his secrets to creating, which she then supplied to Yun-Ne'Shel. Yun-Harla and Yun-Yammka were also credited with disrupting Yun-Ne'Shel's planned paradise. In truth, Yun-Harla had been created millennia before the Yuuzhan Vong War, after their homeworld was wounded in battle and stripped the species of their Force-sensitivity. Yun-Harla was based on aspects of Yuuzhan'tar.

shimrra nom worship only her tuf

Yun-Ne'Shel
"As warriors take on the outward aspects of Yun-Yammka, so we take on the inner qualities of Yun-Ne'Shel, she-who-shapes."

- Mezhan Kwaad, a member of the shaper caste

Yun-Ne'Shel, the Modeler, was hermaphrodite deity of design, innovation, and life itself. Generally referred to as female, Yun-Ne'Shel was credited with designing the basic appearance and life cycles of all lifeforms. Some believed that she had been supplied with the tools to create life by Yun-Yuuzhan himself, while others held the opinion that Yun-Harla had tricked the Creator into giving up his knowledge, which she gave to Yun-Ne'Shel. Yun-Ne'Shel had hoped to create a beautiful paradise, but the Twins sabotaged it, creating pain and lies. Most legends stated that the intervention of the Twin Gods was necessary, and portrayed Yun-Ne'Shel as a naive fool who would have denied the Yuuzhan Vong the motivation to ascend to god status. If the galaxy were the perfect place like the Modeler had envisioned, then the species would have lacked a reason to rise to the level of the gods. Even the priests of Yun-Ne'Shel agreed with this belief.

All creative ideas, from architecture to weapons building, were governed by the Modeler. She was also the goddess of childbirth, and statues always showed her with children, peaceful animals, or tools for designing and shaping. Pregnant mothers prayed to Yun-Ne'Shel to ensure a safe childbirth, and her priests would assist aYuuzhan Vong giving birth. Yun-Ne'Shel was believed to be a benevolent individual, and thus required no sacrifices. She was the patron saint of the shaper caste, individuals who built weapons, starships, and many other organic devices by following the Shaping protocols. Warriors who designed new strategies occasionally prayed to Yun-Ne'Shel, as did members of the intendant caste stuck in tricky situations. The highest-ranking members of the shaper caste were given the option to have an enhancement known as a Vaa-tumor implanted in their brains. Vaa-tumors were believed to be fragments of Yun-Ne'Shel's own brain, and contained vast amounts of knowledge on the Shaping protocols, thus proving helpful to the select Master Shaper who possessed Vaa-tumor implants.

Yun-Shuno was believed to attempt to convince Yun-Ne'Shel to help a Shame One. The Modeler was also thought to be an ally of Yun-Q'aah and Yun-Txiin. Yu'shaa, the leader of the Jeedai heresy, associated the Jedi Order with the Modeler, as the Jedi valued life, like Yun-Ne'Shel. Onimi believed that the Jedi Tahiri Veila was Yun-Ne'Shel incarnate. Yun-Ne'Shel was a creation of the Yuuzhan Vong's based on certain aspects of Yuuzhan'tar invented after the Cremlevian War.

Yun-Shuno
"One day Yun-Shuno will grant me redemption, and my body will take the scars and implants. I will become true caste&hellip;"

- Uunu

"Pray to the Pardoner Yun-Shuno. Pray that her promises will soon be fulfilled. Pray that the Jeedai soon liberate us from those who oppress us with terror and violence."

- Unidentified Shamed One

Yun-Shuno, the Pardoner, was the goddess of the Shamed Ones. She was believed to be a grotesque, thousand-eyed deity. When a Yuuzhan Vong was demoted to the caste of Shamed Ones because his or her implant failed, the individual&mdash;no matter what rank he or she had held prior to be Shamed&mdash;was scorned, as failed implants were believed to be a sign of displeasure from the gods. Yun-Shuno was thought to be the only individual who could help a Shamed One, by pleading to Yun-Yuuzhan or Yun-Ne'Shel. Thus, Shamed Ones prayed to the Pardoner in hopes of salvation in life, or if not, then in the afterlife. Because she was the patron saint on those who were scorned, Yun-Shuno was looked down on by some Yuuzhan Vong. The Shamed Ones who followed the Jeedai heresy believed that Yun-Shuno created the fabled planet Zonama Sekot. The Shamed One Onimi considered Jacen Solo to be the embodiment of Yun-Shuno, and believed that the Pardoner had repeatedly undermined him. In actuality, Yun-Shuno had been created millennia before the Yuuzhan Vong War, and was based on the species primordial homeworld.

Yun-Q'aah and Yun-Txiin
"More ignorance! Because the gods who govern such things&mdash;the Lovers Yun-Txiin and Yun-Q'aah&mdash;would never weave passions between a warrior and a shaper. Yun-Yuuzhan eternally punishes the twin gods for their own transgressions; they would never dare his wrath again."

- Uunu

The twin lovers Yun-Q'aah and Yun-Txiin were known as the "Lover Gods," demigods who represented love and intimacy. The female Yun-Q'aah and the male Yun-Txiin were worshiped together by young Yuuzhan Vong seeking to gain the love of another and by older individuals seeking help with a pre-existing relationship. The Lover Gods gave their blessings to certain individuals, but were fickle, and the Yuuzhan Vong believed that there was little that could be done to gain the attention of the duo. The Lover Gods were kind, and despite the large number holy days dedicated to them, they did not require blood sacrifices. Though they protected lovers, Yun-Q'aah and Yun-Txiin were believed to disapprove of relationships between Yuuzhan Vong from different castes. The duo was never portrayed in art, but were instead represented by icons in erotic pictures, indicating that they inspired artists or the subjects of the artwork. Yun-Q'aah and Yun-Txiin were thought to be enemies of the Twin Gods, but allies of Yun-Ne'Shel. Those who worshiped the Lovers followed the Undying Flame cult. Some members of this cult mutilated themselves so that one-half of their body was male in honor of Yun-Txiin and female in honor of Yun-Q'aah. Some Yuuzhan Vong associated the twins Jaina and Jacen Solo with Yun-Q'aah and Yun-Txiin.

Relationships between Yuuzhan Vong of different castes were forbidden and believed to be against the will of the Lovers. Yun-Q'aah and Yun-Txiin themselves were said to be eternally punished for Yun-Yuuzhan for their relationship, and were unwilling to risk being punished again by the Creator for endorsing an illicit affair. The Lover Gods were also known as "the twins" at times, and some Yuuzhan Vong associated the twins Jaina and Jacen Solo with Yun-Q'aah and Yun-Txiin. The Yuuzhan Vong attempted to capture the Solos to have them fight each other in a duel to the death in honor of Yun-Yuuzhan and the Lover Gods. Yun-Q'aah and Yun-Txiin were actually creations of the Yuuzhan Vong first imagined after the species lost their connection to the Force. The two held aspects of Yuuzhan'tar, the Yuuzhan Vong's original homeworld.

Yun-Lingni
Yun-Lingni was the lowest god in the Yuuzhan Vong's religion, although the deity was also the one the Yuuzhan Vong feared the most.

Jeedai heresy
"They venerate the Jeedai. The power of the Jeedai has brought into question that the gods favor the Yuuzhan Vong. They believe that Yun-Harla and Yun-Yammka are aligned with the twins Jaina and Jacen Solo. And some of the heretics, here on Yuuzhan'tar, have in the last weeks begun to revere a being they call the Ganner. Ganner, of course, was the name of the Jeedai who gave his life at the battle of the World-Well."

- Jakan

"As with all beings, different ones appeal to different gods. The twin Jeedai, Jaina and Jacen Solo, are often associated with the twin gods Yun-Txiin and Yun-Q'aah. Jaina is also associated with Yun-Harla, the Trickster. All the Jeedai are disciplined warriors, so they fight with the favor of Yun-Yammka, the Slayer. They revere life as does Yun-Ne'Shel, the Modeler. Self-sacrifice for the greater good is part of their teaching, as it is with Yun-Yuuzhan. And yes, they have acted as intercessors for the Shamed Ones in the fashion of Yun-Shuno."

- Yu'shaa

The Jeedai heresy, also known as the heretic movement, developed shortly after the Battle of the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4. The former warrior Vua Rapuung&mdash;who had been Shamed following the failure of one of his implants&mdash;believed that the Master Shaper Mezhan Kwaad, his former lover, had engineered the deterioration of his implant. Desperate to restore his honor, Rapuung partnered with the Jedi Anakin Solo, as be believed had been prophesied in a vision to him by Yun-Yuuzhan. They confronted Kwaad, who admitted that she was to blame for Rapuung being Shamed. Though Rapuung and Kwaad were killed in a brief skirmish, and higher-caste Yuuzhan Vong attempted to stop the tale from spreading, Shamed Ones watching were able to fan out the story. The tale quickly grew among the Shamed Ones to become legend. Those who embraced the newly-created heresy developed the belief that the Jedi were agents of the gods who could redeem the Shamed Ones and save their honor. To them, the Jedi contained elements of all the gods.

In the latter half of the Yuuzhan Vong War, Supreme Overlord Shimrra made a concerted effort to quash the heresy, but to no avail. Though any individual even suspected of practicing the heresy was executed, the Shamed followers were not deterred. However, it remained unorganized, with many different versions of the tale existing prior to 28 ABY, when the prophet Yu'shaa successfully unified a great number of Shamed heretics. Yu'shaa preached that the Jedi were agents of the gods sent to help the Shamed Ones overthrow the "Rainbow-Eyed Enemy", Supreme Overlord Shimrra. According to the Prophet, Shimrra's evil deeds had caused the gods to work against the Yuuzhan Vong. Yu'shaa also spoke of a living world that was the home of the Jedi and would be the doom of Shimrra. The Prophet proved to be a skilled leader before suddenly disappearing. Nonetheless, the Jeedai heresy had taken on a life of its own. Shamed Ones grew more courageous, and met death at the hands of warriors with pride. They also attacked ritual ceremonies, ruining planned sacrifices and infuriating the higher castes. Some higher-caste Yuuzhan Vong, however, began to embrace the heresy in secret. The priestess Ngaaluh acted as a spy for Yu'shaa, and planted evidence that incriminated several other Yuuzhan Vong of heresy. Meanwhile, as his warriors proved unable to prevent the spread of the heresy, Shimrra grew more furious and took drastic measures to crush the heretics.

Unknown to the heretics was that Yu'shaa was not a Shamed One seeking redemption for his people, but an ambitious exiled intendant by the name of Nom Anor. Anor planned to unify the heretics under him, with hopes of overthrowing Shimrra and taking the throne for himself. He cared not for the fate of Shamed Ones who so eagerly embraced his words. Despite Anor's secret ambitions, and his disappearance after he abandoned the role of Yu'shaa to serve in Shimrra's court again, the heresy was not stopped. The unified Shamed Ones became a force determined to bring down their oppressors, and redeem themselves.

Several figures were key in the Jeedai heresy. Vua Rapuung was the first Shamed One to be redeemed by the Jedi, and thus was seen as a monumental figure. The twin Jedi Jaina and Jacen Solo were often associated with the twins, Yun-Q'aah and Yun-Txiin. Jaina was also viewed by some as the incarnation of Yun-Harla, the Trickster. Tahiri Veila was known as the "one-who-was-shaped," due to her undergoing experiments at the hands of Yuuzhan Vong shapers. Ganner Rhysode, a Jedi who had singlehandedly killed thousands of Yuuzhan Vong warriors in the Battle of the World-Well, also held a place in the heresy's pantheon as "the Ganner". Anakin Solo, the Jedi who had helped redeem Vua Rapuung and later gave his life for his Jedi comrades, was heralded as a hero by the heretics. The Jedi Corran Horn received great honor for killing Shedao Shai in single combat, and was known as "the-Slayer-of-Shedao-Shai." Jedi Knight Wurth Skidder was praised for his will: he had resisted the breaking by a yammosk. Though he had died during a New Republic rescue attempt, Skidder had never been overcome by the yammosk.

Vergere's vision about Ganner

Castes
The Yuuzhan Vong were divided into a series of castes. This caste structure was generally very strict, and an individual's caste was typically determined by birth. The castes consisted of the Supreme Overlord, warriors, shapers, priests, intendants, workers, and Shamed Ones.

Supreme Overlord
"The gods have placed me upon this throne as their instrument."

- Shimrra Jamaane, Supreme Overlord during the Yuuzhan Vong War

Because of the focus on religion, the Yuuzhan Vong's government was that of a theocracy, one ruled by a Supreme Overlord. The Supreme Overlord was a god-king, and by the time of the Yuuzhan Vong War, the ruler possessed near-unlimited power. The species' liege was the only Yuuzhan Vong with a connection to Yun-Yuuzhan, the most important deity. As such, the Supreme Overlord's word was law, and the species was dependent on him or her. It was believed that if the Supreme Overlord oversaw many victories and his or her name passed into legend, he or she would became a god. The Supreme Overlord would claim to be occasionally granted visions by Yun-Yuuzhan, which were treated with great respect. However, the gods were a mere fabrication of the species, a fact that the Supreme Overlord kept carefully guarded. The Supreme Overlord was the only individual with access to the eighth cortex, the final level of Shaping protocols, and dispensed the knowledge in it as he or she felt was needed. However, the eighth cortex was mostly empty, and by the time of the Yuuzhan Vong War, all knowledge in it had been revealed. Supreme Overlord Shimrra knew this if this was revealed, his power base would be severely undermined, and so he did everything he could&mdash;even employing heretics to develop new technology&mdash;to keep this knowledge secret.

The species' first Supreme Overlord was Yo'gand, a Warmaster who led unified the Yuuzhan Vong following the Cremlevian War. Though the position was initially hereditary, with the Supreme Overlord appointing an heir from the warrior or shaper castes due to both and politics if he or she had no child, eventually the Supreme Overlord came to be selected by high-ranking priests and shapers. Though the position was still occasionally passed from the reigning Supreme Overlord to his or her child, this was rarely the case by the time of the Yuuzhan Vong War. High officials in the priest and shaper castes were instrumental in choosing the Supreme Overlord from a pool of candidates. Along with members of the warrior caste, they also acted as advisors to the ruler, and the Supreme Overlord was responsible for maintaining favor with them.

In 29 BBY, Shimrra of Domain Jamaane&mdash;a candidate to succeed the current Supreme Overlord, Quoreal&mdash;overthrew Quoreal, killing him and his advisors. Shimrra was secretly under the control of Onimi, a Force-sensitive Shamed One and the Supreme Overlord's familiar. Though Shamed Ones were thought to be hated by the gods, such was Shimrra's power that other Yuuzhan Vong never questioned to his face his decision to take a Shamed One as his familiar. With Onimi's true role carefully kept secret, Shimrra ruled for decades with an iron fist. Those who doubted him were often killed, and even the leaders of the castes were intimidated by him. He used his alleged connection to Yun-Yuuzhan to increase his power, and manipulate other Yuuzhan Vong. Once thought to be favored by the gods, Shimrra's popularity began to wane as the Yuuzhan Vong War dragged on. His decisions were seen by many as questionable, and the number of Yuuzhan Vong who believed that the species should have never invaded the galaxy rapidly grew. Some Yuuzhan even wondered whether the gods were allied against them, on account of punishing them for following Shimrra. When the Supreme Overlord was killed at the conclusion of the Yuuzhan Vong War, the species surrendered, as they believed that without Shimrra, there was no hope for salvation in the afterlife. Having never been without a Supreme Overlord before, the Yuuzhan Vong were lost, and many saw no use in continuing to fight, believing that the gods had abandoned them. The position was left vacant after the war.

Warrior caste
"Do-ro'ik vong pratte."

- Battle cy of the warriors translated as "and woe to our enemies"

The warrior caste was made up of soldiers. The warrior caste was the group most loyal to the gods, as warriors were trained from birth to respect the Supreme Overlord and the gods. They spent nearly all of their life either preparing for combat or fighting in actual battles. Trained to obey orders without question, warriors often suffered from a lack of creativity. The warrior caste was one of the largest castes, was believed by many to be the gods' favorite due to the warriors' bloodthirstiness. Warriors were aggressive, and fought for Yun-Yammka, the god of war. They believed that dying in battle was one of the highest honors possible. Members of the warriors caste almost never surrendered, seeing it as dishonorable, and would fight to the death instead. They would even commit suicide rather than suffer defeat. Failed members of this caste become intendants or workers. Chazrach&mdash;a conquered species that served the Yuuzhan Vong as slaves&mdash;were able to occasionally join this caste if they fought bravely and impressed Yuuzhan Vong warriors.

Honor was paramount to warriors. They would rather face a skilled opponent, as more prestige could be gained by defeating a talented foe than a weak one. Because of their obsession with honor, warriors preferred attacking one at a time, rather than a mass rush, even when fighting just one skilled enemy. Warriors considered cowardice to be extremely ignominious, and a warrior showing fear would be demoted to the Shamed Ones, or killed. Even when retreating was a tactically sound move, warriors were very reluctant to do so. Members of the warrior caste disliked taking orders from intendants, who they believed to be inferior. Warriors were known to employ trickery to avoid breaking pacts yet still gaining what they sought; when the warrior Shedao Shai dueled Corran Horn, he promised to spare the planet Ithor if Horn won. However, he ordered Shai subordinate Deign Lian to attack the planet if he lost, thus avoiding breaking his promise to Horn and tarnishing his honor.

Warriors utilized a variety of tools, such as amphistaffs, snake–like creatures that acted as melee weapons and were capable of spitting venom; vonduun crab armor; nang hul, deadly projectile weapons; blorash jelly, an adhesive used to pin an opponent in place; and coufees, daggers used for close quarters combat. Warriors were skilled fighters, and some of them were even a match for the Jedi, for millennia the elite soldiers of the galaxy. One some occasions, the Yuuzhan Vong used the Chazrach as front-lines troops, not caring however many of them died. Warriors sometimes replaced a body part with a part from a defeated enemy or a vicious predator, such as the vua'sa. Before battle, a warrior would often vent his or her emotions by screaming "do-ro'ik vong pratte," a primal roar that symbolized the warrior's transformation into a ferocious killer on a mission.

The ranks in the warrior caste were warmaster, supreme commander, commander, subcommander, subaltern, and warrior. Warriors and subalterns fought on the frontlines against infidels, while the others commanded the battles. Subalterns led between twelve and 300 warriors, while commanders led four to 250 subalterns. Many commanders did not have troops serving them, and were instead tasked with converting captured foes to the True Way. During the first three years of the Yuuzhan Vong War, Tsavong Lah held the rank of warmaster, and coordinated the species' war plans. Following his death, Nas Choka became warmaster. After the Yuuzhan Vong's surrender, which Choka oversaw, the warrior caste was dissolved, and their weapons of war destroyed.

In addition, there were some unofficial ranks as well
 * Warleader
 * Battle tactician
 * Field Commander
 * Warrior-seer

Shaper caste
"The caste nearest the great god, Yun-Yuuzhan, who shaped the universe from his body. It is they who know the ways of life, who bend it to our needs."

- Vua Rapuung

The shapers were the scientists of the Yuuzhan Vong. They were responsible for creating and maintaining the Yuuzhan Vong's biots, which ranged from yorik-et starfighters to dhuryams. The shaper caste was the most respected caste save for the Supreme Overlord. The highest-ranking shapers had power almost equal to the Supreme Overlord, and acted as his advisors. The shapers were acknowledged as having the goals most similar to that of Yun-Yuuzhan, the Creator. Shapers often worked alongside priests in rituals, such as the transformation ritual&mdash;known as escalation&mdash;that Yuuzhan Vong would undergo to replace body parts. Members of the shaper caste worshiped the Modeler, Yun-Ne'Shel. Shapers generally had fewer scars and replaced body parts than most Yuuzhan Vong. They were prevented from using standard Yuuzhan Vong weapons, and instead utilized unique devices such as huuns and finger-spears. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, inept, aging, and blemished shapers were assigned the task of tending Koros-Strohna ships, while the majority worked to create weapons of war, away from the front lines.

Members of the caste had to pass a number of difficult tests and rituals to remain in the caste. Those who failed were forced out, often becoming intendants or workers instead. A few shapers skilled in battle would also join the warrior caste, and some judged to be particularly close to one god would become part of the priest caste. The lowest rank in the shaper caste was that of Shaper Initiate, or savant. After a number of shaping accomplishments, as well as success in tests, Initiates could be promoted to Shaper Adept. Before being promoted, Initiates were required to meditate in a Grotto of Yun-Ne'Shel and then put a hand in one of the mouth-like nodules in the room. The knot's teeth severed the Initiate's hand, and the Yuuzhan Vong was fitted with a new hand in a basin located in the grotto. This new appendage, known as a "shaper hand," was capable of containing devices to be used to assist the Adept with shaping. The shaper was also given a special cloak known as an oozhith. Adepts were tasked with overseeing slaves in their maintenance of various biots. Successful Adepts were promoted to Master Shaper, and received a new hand in a Grotto of Yun-Ne'Shel. Where Initiates where allowed to let the pain from the ritual overwhelm them, those seeking the rank of Master were forced to bear it and avoid fainting. Master Shapers could also implant a Vaa-tumors their heads, which would provide them with easily accessible data from the qahsas. However, Master Shapers were forbidden from having relationships.

The shapers were governed by the Shaping protocols, the guidelines to creating biots. Shapers were required to follow these instructions to the letter, or be executed as heretics. They were stored in Qang qahsas, organic computers, in levels known as cortextes. There were eight levels; the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth were accessible by any member of the shaper caste, while the sixth and seventh levels could be unlocked only by Master Shapers. The eighth cortex was open only to the Supreme Overlord, and allegedly contained the last vestibule of knowledge the gods had given the Yuuzhan Vong. However, it was nearly empty, and by the time of the Yuuzhan Vong War, the fountain of knowledge had run dry. Knowing that his power would be greatly weakened if this secret became known to the public, Shimrra kept the eighth cortex's emptiness secret.

Though shapers were highly respected, and integral to society, they made mistakes. Although the Yuuzhan Vong attributed a botched ritual to the gods' displeasure with the recipient, in fact such a thing was caused by the shaper carrying out the escalation ceremony. This could be due to either incompetence or deliberate sabotage. Though some Yuuzhan Vong suspected that shapers could influence the transformation rituals, the gods were seen as the usual cause for the ceremony resulting in the recipient being Shamed. The Master Shaper Mezhan Kwaad deliberately failed in an escalation she conducted on her former lover, the warrior Vua Rapuung. Rapuung had broken off their relationship to avoid the wrath of the gods, and a vengeful Kwaad caused him to become Shamed so as to discredit him in case he ever tried to reveal their relationship.

Members of the shaper caste were most likely to see through the True Way, and believe the gods to be fiction. Two notable heretics from this caste were Mezhan Kwaad and Nen Yim. When the Adept Yim&mdash;a former pupil of Mezhan Kwaad&mdash;managed to force the Qang qahsa to show her the final level of the protocols, she realized that it was nearly empty, and the gods were a lie. After Shimrra learned of this, instead of executing the heretic, he tasked Yim with creating knowledge, in the form of new weapons to be used against the infidels in the galaxy. Alongside other disgraced shapers in a damutek, Yim attempted to design new weapons, which the Supreme Overlord could then claim as being revealed to him by the gods. However, Yim failed in this endeavor.

Priest caste
"Up until now your species have faced only Yuuzhan Vong warriors and politicians. As of today know that the true architects of your destiny have arrived."

- Harrar, to a H'Kig priest

The priest caste consisted of the individuals who spoke to the gods. These Yuuzhan Vong were integral to society, as they revealed the will of the gods. Members of this caste were held in very high accord, and by the time of the Yuuzhan Vong War, high–ranking members of this caste were largely responsible for selecting the Supreme Overlord. Those born into the priest caste would begin studying holy texts at an early age. Individuals judged to lack the necessary devotion were demoted to the intendant or worker castes. At age sixteen, prospective priests underwent a challenging ritual, upon completion of which the individual would be granted a vision from one of the gods. This vision determined who the priest would serve. There were cults dedicated to all gods, and the priests spoke for whatever god they served. However, the priests of Yun-Yuuzhan did not have a connection with the Creator, as that was reserved for the Supreme Overlord. Priests were very highly respected, and high-ranking members of the caste generally commanded nearly as much power as the Supreme Overlord. In addition to their duties with other Yuuzhan Vong, members of the priest caste also supervised slaves.

Savants were the lowest rank of the priest caste. They assisted priests, and were promoted to seer after receiving an accurate vision from their god. Being granted such a vision could take anywhere from weeks to years. The majority of Yuuzhan Vong in the priest caste were seers, who acted as intermediaries between the gods and the rest of Yuuzhan Vong society. They also assisted shapers in rituals when no higher-ranking priests were available, and frequently helped high-ranking Yuuzhan Vong prepare themselves for transformation rituals. Seers assisting in such rituals determined if the gods offered support; if the seer was incorrect and the ritual was botched, causing the recipient to be Shamed, the seer was often sacrificed to Yun-Yammka. Seers also aided priests during religious services. Those who were particularly devoted and received several accurate visions became priests.

Priests were given the duty of keeping corruption from infecting their ranks, although servants of Yun-Harla had more leeway than others. Those who failed to prevent dishonesty or participated in illegal activities were sacrificed. Priests were also granted heavenly visions, and acted on them as they saw fit. Among priests, there were two distinct sects, one devoted to holding rituals, and one consisting on individuals who accompanied warriors into battle. High Priest ranked above priest, with individuals holding this rank acting as advisors to the Supreme Overlord and the warmaster. They communicated directly with the gods, and instead of receiving visions, they claimed to be visited by the gods themselves. High Priests could serve as the final judge of a controversial claim made by a lower-ranking priest. The Most High Priest was the leader of the caste. Jakan held this position during the Yuuzhan Vong War.

Each member of the priest caste had duties specific to his or her god. Those who served Yun-Ne'Shel helped mothers during childbirth, while those serving Yun-Harla were often hired as spies. Each god had their own temple; its size was dependent on the god's popularity. In addition, priests of the more respected gods, such as Yun-Yammka, had power than those who served the less-popular gods. Yun-Harla was the most popular god among the priest caste, and the largest sect was dedicated to her.

Despite the trust society placed in the priests, some abused their position. The gods were in fact a creation of the Yuuzhan Vong, a fact known to few. In 27 ABY, the members of the Order of Yun-Yuuzhan conspired with several members of the shaper caste to attempt to blackmail Warmaster Tsavong Lah, by claiming that the gods were against him and only if the priests of Yun-Yuuzhan were given their own world would they grant favor on the Warmaster. However, Lah saw through their claims, realizing that they did not have divine origins, and killed the conspirators.

Intendant caste
"Your specialty is propaganda and lies."

- Tsavong Lah, to intendant Nom Anor

The intendant caste controlled the more mundane aspects of Yuuzhan Vong society, and generally were responsible for the actual governing of the Yuuzhan Vong. The caste oversaw trade, ran supply lines, managed slaves and workers, and kept conquered populaces submissive. In addition, intendants also operated as spies, duties frowned upon by members of the warrior caste as beneath them. Intendants were pragmatic, versatile, and possessed skills from other castes. Members of the intendant caste could claim any god as their own. The Praetorite Vong advance faction was led mostly by intendants, though it included some warriors. These were forced to take orders from intendants, which they found insulting. The warrior caste looked down somewhat on intendants, who did not have to salute warriors. Ranks in this caste consisted of executor, consul, prefect, and High Prefect. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, Yoog Skell held this title until he was killed; he was succeeded by Drathul. Nom Anor, a member of this caste, helped weaken the galaxy in preparation for the Yuuzhan Vong's invasion, and served in various roles during the war, ranging from politician to spy.

Worker caste
"The combined labors of workers and Shamed Ones and slaves arc necessary to advance our objectives."

- Toog Skell

The worker caste was the largest caste among the Yuuzhan Vong, yet ranked above only the Shamed Ones. This caste was made up of workers who had failed in another caste, those who were born into it and had been unable to gain the approval of a priest or warrior to help them rise out of the caste, and captives of another species. Shamed Ones were also part of the worker caste, but were scorned by the workers. Workers performed many duties ranging from garbage collector to personal attendant to a higher-ranking Yuuzhan Vong. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, members of the worker caste in peaceful territory that were supervised by skilled intendants would take duties relating to their skills. Scholarly workers taught the young and technicians worked on technology as needed. On less-peaceful planets, planets that the Yuuzhan Vong believed need to be worldshaped, or planets where the supervising intendants were less-talented diplomats, workers were more likely to perform duties of manual labor. Those Yuuzhan Vong who had served in the worker caste their whole lives rarely had scars or other mutilations.

Shamed Ones
"Shamed Ones are cursed by the gods. They work as slaves. They are not worth speaking of."

- Vua Rapuung

The physically deformed Yuuzhan Vong known as Shamed Ones occupied the lowest level of Yuuzhan Vong society. The species believed that the recipient of a failed implant was looked down upon by Yun-Yammka, Yun-Harla, or Yun-Ne'Shel, and so a Yuuzhan Vong whose escalation ceremony failed was deemed a Shamed One and cast out from civilized circles. In truth, a failed implant resulted not from divine intervention, but from the shaper performing the ceremony, be it through benign neglect or deliberate damage. In some cases, a shaper whose work had failed to impress would be demoted to the rank of Shamed One. A Yuuzhan Vong could also be born into the Shamed Ones caste. When an individual was Shamed, so was their immediate family. Though part of the worker caste, they were shunned by workers, and often abused. Shamed Ones served alongside slaves performing duties that other Yuuzhan Vong considered demeaning&mdash;forms of menial labor. They were not allowed to attend religious ceremonies, as a Shamed One at such a ceremony was seen as an insult to the gods. Shamed Ones worshiped the Pardoner, Yun-Shuno. The majority of Shamed Ones were former workers, though the Shamed came from every caste.

After the warrior Vua Rapuung was Shamed, he partnered with the Jedi Anakin Solo to discover the truth of his implant's failure. When Mezhan Kwaad admitted that she, not the gods, was responsible, Rapuung's honor was restored. Shamed Ones who witnessed the event were quick to spread the story. Despite the upper castes' efforts to limit the expansion of the tale, a belief known as the Jeedai heresy soon developed among the Shamed Ones. This stated that the Jedi were key to the Shamed Ones salvation, and were warriors sent by the gods. Shimrra was seen as evil, and despite his aims of wiping out the heresy, it continued to grow. Eventually, the prophet Yu'shaa unified the Shamed heretics, turning them into a force that was key in bringing down Shimrra. Following the Yuuzhan Vong War, the Shamed Ones were renamed the Extolled, and society attempted to re-integrate them, though the species struggled with abandoning thousands of years of tradition.

Around 29 BBY, Supreme Overlord Shimrra took the Shamed One Onimi as his familiar. In truth, Onimi was Force-sensitive, and used his powers to control Shimrra. For decades, Shimrra sat on the throne, while Onimi ruled from his seemingly innocuous position as nothing more than the Supreme Overlord's jester. Despite being a Shamed One, Onimi attended religious ceremonies, and though many Yuuzhan Vong secretly disapproved of the Supreme Overlord having a Shamed One as a familiar, they were reluctant to question their god-king. Onimi secretly directed the effort to conquer the galaxy and wipe out its inhabitants. He also sought to destroy the gods, who he believed had betrayed him, though his efforts failed and he was revealed as the true Supreme Overlord.

Behavior and customs
"They were brutal, merciless, and unstoppable. They killed for the pleasure of it and seemed fulfilled by it."

- Garqi refugee

For millennia, the Yuuzhan Vong were an extremely violent species. They were known to fight amongst themselves, to the point where they almost wiped themselves out. Violence was a fixture of society, as were death and pain. The Yuuzhan Vong worshiped pain as a teacher and that which connected them to the gods. They were unafraid of death, and believed dying in battle against infidels to be the highest honor possible. They developed a pantheon of gods who preached violence and specieism. Spurred on by the Great Doctrine, the Yuuzhan Vong came to believe that they were superior to all other species, and that it was their destiny to conquer them. The Yuuzhan Vong highly valued honor, and anyone who insulted a Yuuzhan Vong would be met with a challenge to a death duel. Members of the species treated foes with no mercy, killing all who did not bow to them. The species placed tremendous value on authority; superiors were to be obeyed, not questioned. It was forbidden for a Yuuzhan Vong to view his or her superior's naked body except when breeding. Individuals who broke this law were willing to sacrifice their lives in payment. They could also avoid death if the higher-ranking Yuuzhan Vong chose to mate with the violator.

Family
Yuuzhan Vong lived in clans called "Domains," some of which were more powerful than others. Domains could focus on a single aspect of Yuuzhan Vong society, and produce mostly members of one caste; for example, Domain Hool was considered a shaper clan. There were dozens of Domains, and rivalry between them was often intense. Rivalry between the two most powerful Domains millennia before the Yuuzhan Vong War led to the Cremlevian War. At least one Domain, Domain Hul, possessed its own Koros-Strohna.

A survival trait for these children was paranoia and its usefulness in order to live through such a harsh and competitive environment tfp

twin stuff

During such conditions (ceremonies after death), priests were involved in removing various body parts of the dead in order to dedicate them to the various gods tuf

multiple mates sbs dj

Perhaps Lord Shimrra would look favorably on a sacrifice of twin Jedi? You could have them fight each other, as Lord Shimrra fought his brother, just as the gods have ordained that twins must do since the beginning of Yuuzhan Vong history."

nom sbs

Technology
"They've got technology, sweetheart. They just build it in different ways."

- Han Solo, to Leia Organa Solo

"Life turned against other life. It is something unknown to us, because we are symbiotic with all life–our biots, our weapons, our foodstuffs&hellip;"

- Malik Carr

Everything the Yuuzhan Vong used was bio-engineered. This ranged from their food to their starships.

Shapers worshiped Yun-Ne'Shel in organic caves known as Grottoes of Yun-Ne'Shel which shared similarities to yammosks. In the organism, a Yuuzhan Vong's mental abilities were increased. A grotto contained mouth-like knots with eight sharp teeth.

syn heartstriker

vaa-tumor

njo sb has stuff on coralskippers and probably others

worldships are 10 km

As the ship came closer to Zonama Sekot, it began die. Horn theorized that this was due to the Yuuzhan Vong technology grafted to it&mdash;technology, that, unlike the ship, could not be felt in the Force.

Language
The Yuuzhan Vong spoke a language of the same name, considered to be awkward and yet eerie. Few of the species learned to speak Galactic Basic Standard, instead using a tizowyrm to translate for them. The Yuuzhan Vong language did not contain a word for "peace"; rather, the word "peace" translated as "willing to submit." This led to several instances where species surrendered and agreed to live in peace with the Yuuzhan Vong, only for the Yuuzhan Vong to conquer them. Members of the species had difficulty saying the word "Jedi," said pronouncing it as "Jeedai." Nom Anor was the only Yuuzhan Vong able to correctly articulate the word due to his years spent in the galaxy, where he learned Basic.

According to the protocol droid C-3PO, the Yuuzhan Vong's language resembled the dead Janguine language.

page 34 has some phrases in language njo sb

Early history
"The ancient texts are unclear. It appears we were invaded by a race that was more technological than animate. We called on the gods for protection, and they came to our aid, providing us with the knowledge we needed to convert our living resources to weapons. We defeated the threat, and, empowered by our victory, we gradually became conquerors of other species and civilizations."

- Harrar

Members of the Ur-Yuuzhan Vong, the Yuuzhan Vong's ancestors, lived in symbiosis with each other and their homeworld, Yuuzhan'tar, a living planet in a far-away galaxy. The species relished the close bond they had with their homeworld, which they treated as a deity that watched over them. They used organic biots given to them by an alien species. Record of this gift was eventually wiped from the Yuuzhan Vong's history. At some point, the peaceful Yuuzhan Vong were attacked by a race of droids. The alien invaders threatened to destroy the Yuuzhan Vong, but the organics fought back. With the help of Yuuzhan'tar, the Yuuzhan Vong defeated the droids, their biots proving superior to their artificial enemies. This victory, however, made the Yuuzhan Vong into an aggressive, warmongering species. Following their triumph, the Yuuzhan Vong began conquering a number of other worlds in the galaxy. They subjugated many species, and eventually began warring amongst themselves, with domains and castes competing to be favored.

This conflict lasted&mdash;on and off&mdash;for thousands of years before the struggle that would become known as the Cremlevian War began. This war pitted the two most powerful domains, one led by Warmaster Yo'gand and one led by Warmaster Steng, against each other. The conflict was devastating, and much of the Yuuzhan Vong's galaxy was destroyed in the fighting. It came to a close around 15,000 BBY when Yo'gand used a technique that was later named after him to drop a moon on the planet Ygziir, which was allied with Steng. Many leaders of Steng's faction were stationed on Ygziir, and as such, they were killed in the battle. Steng also died in the battle, bringing an end to the Cremlevian War. Yo'gand unified the Yuuzhan Vong and became the species' first Supreme Overlord. The Battle of Ygziir was considered the Yuuzhan Vong's finest moment, and Yo'gand was remembered as a hero.

However, the war had left the galaxy in ruin. Many planets had been destroyed or greatly damaged in the hostilities. Yuuzhan'tar was one of the worlds that had been damaged in the struggle, and the planet stripped the Yuuzhan Vong of their connection to the Force as punishment for their violence, and the damage they had caused. The species experienced great pain when their link to the Force was destroyed, and as a result, they began worshiping pain, in hopes of restoring their bond to the Force. The Yuuzhan Vong increased production of their biots, grievously wounding Yuuzhan'tar as retribution for severing them from the Force. Before it died, the planet released a seed, which grew into the living planet Zonama Sekot. Zonama Sekot left the galaxy, eventually anchoring itself in another galaxy. Knowledge of Yuuzhan'tar, meanwhile, was eventually lost.

Now worshiping a rigid and destructive religion, the Yuuzhan Vong created a series of gods to take the place of Yuuzhan'tar. These gods&mdash;Yun-Yuuzhan, the Creator; Yun-Harla, the Trickster; Yun-Ne'Shel, the Modeler; Yun-Shuno, the Pardoner; and Yun-Txiin and Yun-Q'aah, the Lovers&mdash;were intended to act as justification for the species' violent tendencies, with each representing a different aspect of Yuuzhan'tar, knowledge of which was eventually lost. At some point, the Yuuzhan Vong also created the god Yun-Yammka, the Slayer, and the patron saint of warriors. The newly-created warrior caste became very respected, as war had become ingrained in Yuuzhan Vong society, and so warriors were a necessity. The god Yun-Lingni was also invented at some point in time.

The priest caste began to develop several subgroups, each worshiping a different god. The Supreme Overlord was the only Yuuzhan Vong with a connection to the most important god, the creator Yun-Yuuzhan. Because of this, the Supreme Overlord was revered by the Yuuzhan Vong, with his connection to Yun-Yuuzhan seen as sacred. Meanwhile, without the aid of their homeworld, the Yuuzhan Vong were unable to advance technologically. The Shaping protocols&mdash;the guidelines for Yuuzhan Vong shapers believed to have been handed down by the gods&mdash;remained empty beyond the seventh level. Unknown to all but the Supreme Overlord, the final degree of knowledge contained only a bit of new technology. This secret possessed the power to destabilize Yuuzhan Vong society by revealing that the gods were a lie, and thus the Supreme Overlords never informed the rest of the species that the eighth cortex was empty, claiming instead that knowledge from it would be dispensed when the time was right.

With their homeworld destroyed, the Yuuzhan Vong began looking for a new home. However, after traversing their galaxy, they determined that not a single habitable system remained. The species believed that the gods showed them how to build Koros-Strohna, and then revealed to them that they would one day find a new home. With this knowledge, the Yuuzhan Vong from their galaxy in a massive fleet consisting of Koros-Strohna and many other vessels. They took with them their Chazrach slaves.

Across the cosmic night
"We are from another galaxy, Jedi Horn. We crossed the starless night for age upon age."

- Yu'shaa

For millennia, the species traveled through the Intergalactic Void, unable to travel through darkspace because their dovin basals could not lock on to any point. During this voyage, the species threatened to destroy itself. Domain and caste competition was taken to the extreme, with many groups battling for the approval of the Supreme Overlord. Furthermore, many Yuuzhan Vong vessels died during the long journey. The Yuuzhan Vong's faith in the gods began to falter after millennia of searching for a new home still yielded no results. The species was forced to adapt by allowing individuals to leave their birth-caste if their talents fit another field.

After many long years of traveling through the Void, some advance Yuuzhan Vong scout ships discovered a new galaxy with countless planets and species already present. In approximately 3,998 BBY, residents of the galaxy recorded an encounter with a Yuuzhan Vong scouts beast known as a slivilith. Knowledge of the creatures was eventually lost by the galaxy's inhabitants. Around 3,670 BBY, a Yuuzhan Vong ship was discovered near the Argazdan Redoubt. The ship had been testing a new hyperdrive centuries ago when it malfunctioned and went into stasis. It and its pilot, a female Shaper, had sat in stasis for hundreds of years before being discovered by the Argazdans. They revived the pilot, and she became the de facto ruler of the Argazdan Redoubt.

Around 32 BBY, Supreme Commander Zho Krazhmir discovered the planet Zonama Sekot in the galaxy. Krazhmir had been dispatched to locate worlds for the Yuuzhan Vong to settle in, as many of their worldships were dying. Unknown to the Yuuzhan Vong, Zonama Sekot was a seed of their homeworld, and Krazhmir's task force was unconsciously drawn to it. After carefully scouting the planet, the Yuuzhan Vong attempted to settle it; however, their biots died. The Yuuzhan Vong sought the secrets of the planet's shipbuilders, but they refused, and so in retaliation, the Yuuzhan Vong attacked the planet. Soon after this attack, the Jedi Knight Vergere, who had been sent by the Jedi Council to find Zonama Sekot and learn of the mysterious "Far-Outsiders," arrived at the planet. In the midst of the attack, she realized that Zonama Sekot was a sentientworld, and offered to give herself to the Yuuzhan Vong if they would spare the planet. Krazhmir's forces agreed and retreated with Vergere as their captive, leaving behind a wounded Zonama Sekot.

Vergere&mdash;who soon became the Priestess Falung's familiar&mdash;was interrogated by the Yuuzhan Vong, and revealed that Zonama Sekot was a living world. As Krazhmir's task force did not have the strength to subjugate the planet, he took the knowledge back to the main fleet, informing Supreme Overlord Quoreal of his discovery. When he learned of this, in 29 BBY, Quoreal decided that the Yuuzhan Vong would not invade the galaxy due to a prophecy which spoke of the Yuuzhan Vong's doom at the hands of a living planet. Many members of the species were infuriated by this news. Already a species with little patience, the Yuuzhan Vong dreaded another trip through the Void in search of a home, with many fearing that the species would die out before they could find another galaxy. In response, Shimrra of Domain Jamaane&mdash;one of the domains most critical of Quoreal's decision&mdash;launched a coup. After killing Quoreal, Shimrra then executed many of the former Supreme Overlord's advisors and most ardent supporters, plus all other candidates for Supreme Overlord. In addition, he suppressed knowledge of Zonama Sekot, doing all he could to keep the Yuuzhan Vong from learning of the prophesied world. However, a faction of individuals who supported Quoreal remained, though they were wise enough not to challenge Shimrra. Warmaster Czulkang Lah opposed the invasion, and his son Tsavong eventually took up his mantle, with Czulkang becoming a teacher, educating young warriors in the art of war.

Unknown to all was that Shimrra was under the control of Onimi&mdash;a former shaper who had unknowingly restored his connection to the Force after grafting yammosk tissue to his brain. However, the experiment had left him deformed, and thus he was Shamed. A bitter Onimi blamed the gods, and believed that they were taunting the Yuuzhan Vong by denying them entrance to the newly-discovered galaxy. He used his powers to take control of Shimrra and compel him to overthrow Quoreal, and ready an invasion. In the ensuing decades, the Yuuzhan Vong began to prepare for the day when they would attack the galaxy en masse. Scouts used ooglith masquers to disguise themselves as Humans, and began stirring up dissidence. As of 27 BBY, the Chiss, a species that lived near the galaxy's borders, were aware of the Yuuzhan Vong, having engaged a small task force in combat. They found the "Far-Outsiders" to be ferocious fighters with strange technology. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine of the Galactic Republic was also aware of the existence of the Yuuzhan Vong, and sought to strengthen the galaxy to prepare for the forthcoming invasion.

Yuuzhan Vong scouts first entered the galaxy around 30 BBY, and found its inhabitants to be deserving of destruction. A group of Yuuzhan Vong including Mongei Shai landed on the Outer Rim world Bimmiel in 25 BBY to provide intelligence for the Yuuzhan Vong. Shai was eventually killed by slashrats. Initially, Yuuzhan Vong scouts stayed in the Outer Rim before eventually spreading out to other regions of the galaxy. During the reign of the Galactic Empire, the Yuuzhan Vong began to take careful note of potential foes, such as the Empire and the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Once the New Republic took power in 5 ABY, Yuuzhan Vong spies inventoried its military, and worked to sabotage it in various ways, spreading chaos and lies all the time. One of the leaders among the Yuuzhan Vong in the galaxy was Executor Nom Anor, a firebrand who worked to subtly bring down the Empire, which he believed posed a serious threat to the Yuuzhan Vong.

After the collapse of the unified Empire, Anor successfully weakened the Interim Imperial Ruling Council, a governing body in the Imperial Remnant. He assassinated several members of the council, convinced them that Imperial Kir Kanos was behind the attacks, and manipulated the politician Xandel Carivus&mdash;who he saw as incompetent and polarizing&mdash;into taking control. After Carivus seized power, conflict broke out among the the council members, and soon the organization was essentially dissolved. As of 19 ABY, the Empire of the Hand, a small remnant of the Galactic Empire based at the edge of the galaxy, was aware of many threats at the galaxy's border, and worked to repel these dangers. Yuuzhan Vong agents continued to prepare for the invasion, weakening the New Republic in subtle yet significant ways. One such agent, Ocka Dwei, was stationed on Coruscant, the galactic capital. He was killed three years before the invasion began. Around 23 ABY, the Yuuzhan Vong allied with the Vagaari, a xenophobic species that lived in the Unknown Regions at the edge of the galaxy. Sometime between 4 ABY and the start of the invasion, a Yuuzhan Vong scout ship encountered the Dark Jedi A'Sharad Het. He was taken prisoner and tortured in the Embrace of Pain before he managed to escape, destroying the ship.

In 24 ABY, Nom Anor hired the Mandalorian warrior Goran Beviin to assassinate a politician on Ter Abbes, knowing that his death would spark a civil war amongst the populace. Beviin was successful, and just as Anor expected, conflict broke out on the planet. Anor later met with the leader of the Mandalorians, Boba Fett, and made an alliance with him, though in truth the Yuuzhan Vong planned to betray the Mandalorians when it was convenient for them. Anor noted that the Mandalorians were dangerous, and would likely be hard to subdue if they attacked Mandalore. Around this time, Anor also stirred up tensions between the planets Osarian and Rhommamool. He founded a violent, droid-hating cult named the Red Knights of Life, and helped instigate a war between the two planets.

The invasion begins
"The Yuuzhan Vong are coming. I do not give you this warning so that you can prepare to face them. You cannot fight the Yuuzhan Vong. I tell you simply&mdash;run."

- Arbeloa

As Yuuzhan Vong agents created trouble for the New Republic, the species made their final preparations for their offensive. In 25 ABY, they launched an invasion, believing that the time was right to bring down the New Republic and cleanse the galaxy of the infidels. The species planned to enter at Vector Prime, a point at the edge of the galaxy where the hyperspace disturbance around the galaxy was broken. After entering the galaxy, the Yuuzhan Vong intended to capture undefended worlds in the Outer Rim, sweep through the New Territories&mdash;severing trade routes all the while&mdash;identify a weak spot in the defenses of the Core, and then turn and attack the capital and surrounding planets. To accomplish this, the Praetorite Vong entered the galaxy first at Vector Prime.

The Praetorite Vong&mdash;which had deployed a number of advance scouts&mdash;sought to create confusion, and subtly weaken the New Republic. They planned to establish a foothold on the icy world of Helska IV, located at the edge of the Outer Rim, and prepare for the main fleet. Upon receiving word of the Praetorite Vong's advance, the warrior Yomin Carr, who was stationed on Belkadan's Extragalactic Society listening post and disguised with an ooglith masquer, killed the other scientists on Belkadan and used a number of dweebits to transform the planet's atmosphere. Belkadan was the first of many worlds to be conquered by the Yuuzhan Vong. Meanwhile, the Praetorite Vong established a base on Helska IV, located at the edge of the Outer Rim.

The Praetorite Vong were able to capture and mentally break the Jedi Miko Reglia with a yammosk Nom Anor had acquired for them. Reglia was the first casualty from the New Jedi Order, an organization which would become the bane of the Yuuzhan Vong. They attacked the world Sernpidal, located in the same sector as Belkadan and Helska IV. There, they used the Yo'gand's Core tactic to pull one of Sernpidal's moons, Dobido, down into the planet, destroying Sernpidal and killing millions. Soon after this, a Jedi/New Republic response team was able to defeat the Praetorite Vong and kill their yammosk in the Battle of Helska IV. The leader of the Praetorite Vong, Prefect Da'Gara, who had secretly harbored plans of his own to control the invasion and gain power, was killed in this battle. The defeat caused the Praetorite Vong to lose a great deal of prestige, and angered the Yuuzhan Vong leaders.

Despite the fact that the Yuuzhan Vong had killed several Jedi, millions of citizens, destroyed one world and terraformed another in a very short period of time, New Republic leadership dismissed them as a threat. Some believed that there were merely a gang of smugglers who had happened upon new technology, and posed little danger to the New Republic. The Jedi Order, however, did feel that the Yuuzhan Vong were menacing, and attempted to learn more about the species and track them in the Outer Rim.

Soon after the defeat of the Praetorite Vong, the Yuuzhan Vong attacked the planet Dubrillion in the midst of evacuation efforts by the New Republic. They were able to prevent the New Republic from evacuating many civilians, and used dovin basals to prevent the New Republic to jump to a safe planet. Instead, their warships headed for nearby Dantooine, along with several vessels carrying refugees. The Yuuzhan Vong followed them there, and began attacking refugees. When several Jedi on the planet sprung to their defense, the Yuuzhan Vong utilized Chazrach slaves to swarm their foes. Nonetheless, the Jedi were able to kill the Yuuzhan Vong thrall herder, a beast that controlled the Yorik–Kul–implanted Chazrach, causing the slaves to lose their direction, and mindlessly attack anything that moved. Despite this, and the arrival of New Republic ships, the Yuuzhan Vong were able to conquer the planet and force their foes to retreat. They then exterminated Dantooine's native Dantari species. The Yuuzhan Vong also conquered Birgis and New Holgha within three months after the start of the invasion.

Around this time, the Yuuzhan Vong's main fleet entered the galaxy. One of the first worlds they hit was one settled by a species of warrior humanoids. The Yuuzhan Vong killed them all, save for one warrior who they took as a slave. Soon after, they attacked the planet Artorias. Many civilians were killed or captured in the battle, and though a few managed to escape thanks to the aid of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, the planet fell. Soon after, the Yuuzhan Vong began the process of worldshaping Artorias. However, some citizens hid in a safe haven, and fought back with guerilla tactics. This resistance was unexpected, and some Yuuzhan Vong secretly enjoyed being challenged. With many Yuuzhan Vong stationed on the surface, away from the naval strike team stationed above the planet, the slaves onboard the vessel Tsam P'ah rebelled. They killed Commander Sha'kel and took control of the ship.

Following the Battle of Artorias, the Yuuzhan Vong attacked the planet Rychel. They enslaved a number of civilians, and killed Jedi Master Lar Le'Ung before the New Republic forces retreated. The Battle of Garqi came soon after, with three Jedi&mdash;Jacen Solo, Corran Horn, and Ganner Rhysode&mdash;several Noghri warriors, and a group of resistance fighters ambushing a Yuuzhan Vong force corralling slaves on Garqi. A joint force of New Republic and Imperial Remnant vessels soon arrived to combat Yuuzhan Vong ships in space. Meanwhile, on-planet, several Yuuzhan Vong warriors who had followed the Jedi into the Pesktda Xenobotanical Garden suddenly died when their Vonduun armor swelled, choking them. The Vonduun crab was allergic to the pollen produced by bafforr trees. The New Republic tried to keep this discovery secret, but it was not long before the Yuuzhan Vong learned of the bafforr tree's quality. image shai vs horn maybe

The Yuuzhan Vong planned to destroy the bafforr trees, and so prepared to attack Ithor, the planet that the trees were native to. When the Yuuzhan Vong, led by Commander Shedao Shai and the Legacy of Torment, began their assault of the planet, they found it defended by unified forces from the Imperial Remnant, New Republic, and New Jedi Order. After a heated conflict both in space and on-planet, the Jedi Corran Horn contacted Shai&mdash;who had killed his friend, Senator Elegos A'Kla&mdash;and offered a one-on-one duel for the fate of Ithor. Shai agreed, and the two sides entered into a week-long truce. After the week ended, the two dueled, with Horn emerging the victor. Though Shai had pledged that the Yuuzhan Vong would leave Ithor alone if Horn was victorious, the species did not keep to the agreement.

Shai's second-in-command, Deign Lian&mdash;secretly an agent of Tsavong Lah's, who sought to weaken the ambitious Shedao Shai and his domain&mdash;unleashed a bioweapon on the planet. Ithor was devastated, and the bafforr trees killed. Though the Legacy of Torment was trapped in an interdiction field by the Immobilizer 418 cruiser Corusca Rainbow, enabling the New Republic to destroy it, the battle was a huge blow to the New Republic. The loss was demoralizing, and the Jedi, especially Corran Horn, were vilified, while the Imperial Remnant's fleet retreated back to Imperial Space. To many, the battle was an indicator of the strength and determination of the Yuuzhan Vong&mdash;they would stop at nothing in their efforts at conquest.

Continued advance
Following the Battle of Ithor, the Yuuzhan Vong captured Obroa-skai, a planet containing a massive library containing vast quantities of information. Supreme Commander Nas Choka, who had led the Battle of Obroa-skai, also helped create riots on worlds such as Atzerri. Frightened by the Yuuzhan Vong's brutality, several groups made peace overtures towards the Yuuzhan Vong. The Hutts allied with them, promising to provide the species with information if they would leave Hutt Space alone. The Peace Brigade, an organization of beings who believed the Yuuzhan Vong were unstoppable and wished to be on the winning side in hopes of being spared, was created with the aid of Nom Anor. The Yuuzhan Vong's alliance with the Hutts was one in name only, however, as the species distrusted each other.

As the Yuuzhan Vong advanced, Executor Nom Anor, alongside the priest Harrar, devised a scheme to kill many of the troublesome Jedi. The two planned to infect them with bo'tous spores; to fulfill this mission, Priestess Elan, who had "inherited" Vergere after Faluung's death, was selected. Elan planned to store the spores in her lungs, and after meeting with her targets, release them by exhaling. Upon coming into contact with oxygen, the spores would produce small insect-like creatures called bo'tous, which were capable of entering a person's body and devouring them from the inside. In order to meet the Jedi, Elan pretended to be a defector from the Yuuzhan Vong. Above Exodo II, the Yuuzhan Vong staged a skirmish, in which Elan and Vergere deserted by fleeing onboard an escape pod. The New Republic ship Soothfast recovered the two, and Elan informed them that she had grown disillusioned with Yuuzhan Vong ideals, and wished to meet with the Jedi. However, the New Republic was suspicious of the defectors, and carefully interrogated the two. Meanwhile, the Yuuzhan Vong attacked Ord Mantell and used the dread weapon beast to capture a number of beings to use as slaves. Following the engagement at Ord Mantell, a Peace Brigade force attempted to re-capture Elan for the Yuuzhan Vong, unaware of the true nature of her defection.

Near the Bilbringi system, they attacked the starship Queen of Empire, which held Elan, Vergere, and a New Republic guard. Upon learning of the Peace Brigade's attack, the Yuuzhan Vong dispatched a force led by Nom Anor to stall and allow the New Republic to escape with the defectors. Captain Han Solo attempted to recover the two, but grew wary of Elan upon realizing that the Yuuzhan Vong seemed unconcerned with actually recovering the Priestess and her familiar. A suspicious Solo tried to send her back to the Yuuzhan Vong in an escape pod, and so Elan attacked by releasing the bo'tous spores. However, Solo was saved by his son Anakin, while Elan died from the deadly spores. Meanwhile, Vergere, who survived, fled.

Soon after the Battle of Bilbringi, the Yuuzhan Vong attacked Gyndine, a planet that many refugees had fled to. The Yuuzhan Vong utilized Fire Breathers in this battle, destroying the planet's forests and oceans. New Republic forces attempted to defend Gyndine and the refugees, but were forced to retreat after a two day battle, leaving the planet to the Yuuzhan Vong. Following their victory, the species began to worldshape Gyndine, and killed many refugees stuck on-planet. The Yuuzhan Vong then attacked Tynna as part of a smokescreen designed to trick the New Republic into thinking that the species was after Corellia or Bothawui, when in fact they planned to assault Fondor. After capturing Tynna, the species began terraforming it.

By this point, the species had reached the Expansion Region, making a great deal of progress in less than a year and greatly threatening the New Republic. The Yuuzhan Vong subtly leaked information to the Hutts about their alleged battle plans, in hopes of providing misdirection. Soon after the capture of Tynna, the species attacked the ship-building world of Fondor. The New Republic left it largely undefended, believing that the Yuuzhan Vong intended to attack Corellia or Bothawui. Upon learning of the assault on Fondor, the New Republic sent reinforcements. During the battle, Thrackan Sal-Solo&mdash; a rogue Corellian politician&mdash;set off Centerpoint Station. The superweapon released a powerful blast that destroyed half of the Yuuzhan Vong force, but also wiped out a majority of the New Republic fleet present.

The brutality of the New Republic in firing the weapon surprised the Yuuzhan Vong, although it had in fact been done without the authorization of the government. Shortly after the battle, Senator Viqi Shesh of Kuat contacted the Yuuzhan Vong. Shesh, who held no loyalties to anyone but herself, believed that the Yuuzhan Vong were going to win the war, and wanted to position herself to benefit. She was soon contacted by Pedric Cuf, who was actually Nom Anor disguised with an ooglith masquer. Shesh began assisting the invaders, providing intelligence to them in hopes of possessing influence in a galaxy ruled by the Yuuzhan Vong.

Enter the Warmaster
"But Warmaster Tsavong Lah, second only to Supreme Overlord Shimrra in the Yuuzhan Vong hierarchy, had at last settled in the galaxy. With his arrival, the war had assumed a more belligerent face. The invasion corridor took a sharp right turn toward the galactic center, with Duro squarely in its sights."

- Text of historian Voren Na'al's The New Essential Chronology

In the next four months, the Yuuzhan Vong continued to make gains. They destroyed Kalarba through use of Yo'gand's Core, and captured Druckenwell, Rodia, and Falleen in an effort to cut off the Corellian Run. The species also turned on the Hutts upon learning that they had been selling intelligence about Yuuzhan Vong movements. Led by a vengeful Nas Choka, the Yuuzhan Vong began their invasion of Hutt Space with the Battle of Nal Hutta. After capturing the Hutt homeworld, they began worldshaping it. As the Yuuzhan Vong continued to press through Hutt Space, the Hutt underground formed to resist the invaders.

Warmaster Tsavong Lah also settled in the galaxy during this time, and the Yuuzhan Vong began their journey to take the Core, with both the Corellian Run and the Perlemian Trade Route cut off. Nom Anor posed as a scientist working to render the polluted planet Duro habitable for refugees, while secretly sabotaging the New Republic's efforts on the planet. A fleet led by Tsavong Lah arrived at the planet soon after Anor's cover was blown. The Yuuzhan Vong destroyed many of Duro's floating cities, despite an offer that some Duros had made to hand over the refugees if their planet was spared. On the surface, Leia Organa Solo&mdash;an influential former senator, and the mother of three Jedi Knights&mdash;was captured and brought before Tsavong Lah. The Warmaster tortured her, but was interrupted by Organa Solo's son Jacen, who used the Force to throw Lah out a window. Despite the escape of Organa Solo, the battle was a success for the Yuuzhan Vong&mdash;they had penetrated the Core, formerly a fortress that many citizens of the New Republic believed would remain safe. The brutality of the extra-galactic invaders continued to frighten the galaxy, and Tsavong Lah played on this fear. He broadcast a message stating that if the New Republic surrendered its Jedi, the species would stop their advance. Bounties were also placed on Jedi to entice individuals to turn Jedi over to the Yuuzhan Vong. In the wake of the announcement, many New Republic planets became hostile to Jedi, and freelance mercenaries roamed the stars trying to capture Force-sensitives.

At this point, the Yuuzhan Vong had gained the majority of the territory they would hold during the invasion. The galaxy was in turmoil, having been ravaged in just a year. The first year had focused on gaining a foothold and weakening the New Republic; Tsavong Lah wanted now to halt the advance and focus on removing the Jedi while the New Republic destroyed itself. With Duro securely in their control, the Yuuzhan Vong attacked New Plympto, located in the Corellian sector. However, the inhabitants&mdash;led by two Twi'lek Jedi&mdash;put up a strong resistance, leading to the Yuuzhan Vong choosing to simply wipe out nearly seven million of the natives in one action. Meanwhile, the species made plans to attack the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4, in hopes of capturing or killing the Jedi there.

The Peace Brigade arrived first. However, by the time the Yuuzhan Vong forces appeared, nearly all the Jedi had been evacuated. The species destroyed the buildings on the moon, and erected damuteks to serve as laboratories for shapers, who soon took up residence on Yavin 4. Master Shaper Mezhan Kwaad was assigned the duty of testing the Jedi Tahiri Veila, who the Yuuzhan Vong had captured. Instead of this, however, Kwaad and her apprentice Nen Yim began the process of transforming Veila. Kwaad and Yim were secret heretics, and aimed to prove that the Yuuzhan Vong did not need the gods. Through brainwashing and torture, the two attempted to convince her that she was a Yuuzhan Vong named Riina Kwaad, an identity whose memories were based on Yim's. As a result of this experiment, Veila developed a split personality. Kept secret from others was that Kwaad and Yim were heretics&mdash;they doubted the gods, and used non-traditional methods in the shaping of Veila.

Before Veila was fully transformed into Kwaad, she was rescued by Anakin Solo and the Shamed One Vua Rapuung, formerly been a proud warrior and the secret lover of Mezhan Kwaad. He had been Shamed when one of his new implants failed. Though the True Way held that the gods were responsible, Rapuung believed that Kwaad had purposefully sabotaged his implant, so that knowledge of their affair would remain secret. He sought confirmation of his belief and, revenge on Kwaad, and was even willing to partner with a hated Jedi to get his vengeance. The two saved Veila, and Kwaad was revealed as the one who had ruined her lover's implant so as to keep their forbidden affair secret. Though Rapuung died in a skirmish after the reveal, his death inspired the Shamed Ones who witnessed the event. From this, a movement known as the Jeedai heresy began, stating that the Jedi were the key to salvation for the Shamed Ones, who were reviled by Yuuzhan Vong society.

Meanwhile, a New Republic force was able to defeat the Yuuzhan Vong and Peace Brigade ships in-system, while Solo and Vapuung had destroyed the shaper damuteks. Only one Jedi had died in the battle, and the heresy would begin to spread throughout all of Yuuzhan Vong society, with Shamed Ones turning against the invasion, and the higher castes that they believed to be manipulating them.

Soon after the battle at Yavin, the Yuuzhan Vong plotted to contaminate the galaxy's bacta supply. After discovering the planet Wayland&mdash;home to a former Imperial stronhold, they learned of the healing substance's chemical formula, and shapers led by Viith Yalu devised a virus to contaminate the galaxy's bacta. Such a plague would weaken the New Republic, allowing the Yuuzhan Vong to press their advance. However, the Jedi Klin-Fa Gi learned of the plot, and along with the pilot Uldir Lochett, was able to foil the plan on Thyferra.

Penetrating the Core
"For years the New Republic and the Empire had fought over Coruscant as a way to give their reigns legitimacy. This latest conquest was more than another tally in the enemy's column. It meant that the Yuuzhan Vong were not just a nightmare that would disappear with the dawn."

- Text of historian Voren Na'al's The New Essential Chronology

The Yuuzhan Vong continued to solidify their holdings in the galaxy's inner regions while also working on their designs in the Outer Rim. In the ruins of Sernpidal, a new Koros-Strohna was being grown to replace the dying Baanu Miir. As the process neared its conclusion, the Yuuzhan Vong attacked the planet Yag'Dhul, essentially ending the uneasy truce between the two sides. However, the Yuuzhan Vong forces were called back to Sernpidal, where a New Republic task force had attacked the growing ship. The Koros-Strohna was destroyed, condemning the inhabitants of the decaying Baanu Miir to death. Nen Yim, who had been sentenced to work on the Baanu Mir as punishment, was outraged at the New Republic's actions in stranding civilians. Desperate to save the Baanu Mir, she violated the Shaping protocols. Much to her consternation, she was soon visited by Master Shaper Kae Kwaad. Kwaad was unconcerned with the efforts to restore the Baanu Mir and proved to be exceedingly strange, even mad.

Nen Yim, who had endured weeks of insults and sexual suggestions from Kae Kwaad, used him to gain access to the Qang Qahsa, which stored the levels of Shaping protocols. She forced it to reveal the eighth cortex, normally forbidden to all but the Supreme Overlord, and was greeted with a horrifying revelation: the eighth cortex was nearly empty. Yim concluded that the gods were a lie, and the species was doomed. She was soon visited by Kwaad, who ordered her to follow him to Shimrra's Citadel. There, the Master Shaper revealed that he was in fact the Shamed One Onimi, Shimrra's familiar and jester. Shimrra declared that among the Shaper caste, only Yim was aware of the eighth cortex's emptiness. He then promoted her to Master Shaper, stating that she would be placed in charge of a secret project to create knowledge that would enable the Yuuzhan Vong to conquer the galaxy. Other Yuuzhan Vong who had violated the protocols were also assigned to the project, instead of being put to death, as was normally the punishment for heresy. These Yuuzhan Vong were carefully shielded from society, as Shimrra knew that were their existence to become public, the eighth cortex, and thus the gods, would be revealed as lies, making him a fraud.

The Yuuzhan Vong issued an ultimatum to the New Republic around this time. They had recently taken hostage many refugees from Talfaglio, and Nom Anor declared that unless the New Republic revealed the location of the secret Jedi base, the hostages would be slaughtered. Anor went in front of the New Republic Senate in an effort to convince the New Republic to hand over the Jedi. However, the New Republic, led by Chief of State Borsk Fey'lya, had recently taken a decisive stance against the Yuuzhan Vong. A unified senate booed Anor off the floor. When Anor delivered his report to Tsavong Lah, he informed the Warmaster that he had learned that Jacen and Jaina Solo were twins. The Apostle Kol Yabu told Lah that Jacen Solo, who the Warmaster had been obsessed with since the Battle of Duro, could not be sacrificed alone. Lah demanded that both siblings be brought to him, to be killed in hopes that the gods would then bless his plan to take Coruscant.

The Yuuzhan Vong also prepared to unleash a new weapon. During the Battle of the Jedi Praxeum, the Peace Brigade had learned of the creatures known as vornskr, predators able to hunt by using the Force. Through Viqi Shesh, they informed the Yuuzhan Vong of this information. Thanks to Shesh, they also learned that the creatures were native to the planet Myrkr. Believing that the voxyn could proven useful in the efforts to eliminate the Jedi, the Yuuzhan Vong captured several of the creatures. Under the command of Yal Phaath, a group of Shapers used genetic engineering to produce a crossbreed of the vornskr and the fero xyn, a predator native to the Yuuzhan Vong's galaxy. The resulting species was named the voxyn, and the first creation the voxyn queen. All other voxyn were simply cloned from the queen. The voxyn were created to be the ultimate Jedi-killers, possessing razor-sharp claws and teeth as well as a barbed tail containing a powerful neurotoxin. The species could also spit acid, and release a paralyzing screech. As they required a certain nutrient found only on Myrkr, the cloning facility Baanu Rass remained in the planet's orbit.

By 27 ABY, the voxyn had been judged ready to hunt Jedi. Operating under handlers, they were first used in an attack on the Nebula Chaser a refugee ship that also held two Jedi, the Rar sisters. The voxyn were able to kill Numa Rar, and wound Alema Rar, although she escaped. Realizing the threat the voxyn posed, the Jedi dispatched a team to infiltrate the Baanu Rass and kill the queen. An apparent Yuuzhan Vong-sympathizer named Fitzgibbon Lane turned the Jedi over to the Exquisite Death. The Jedi overthrew the vessel's crew, and headed for Myrkr. Once in-system, they were able to crash-land on the Baanu Rass, and enter the Koros-Strohna. The Jedi were able to kill the voxyn queen, but the mission saw the death of six of the seventeen Jedi on the team, including Anakin Solo. Jacen Solo, who had become the most-wanted being in the galaxy after the Battle of Duro, was also taken prisoner. The loss of the voxyn queen meant that the Yuuzhan Vong could clone no more voxyn, and soon the remaining creatures would die. The Baanu Rass had also been irreparably damaged.

During a testing session for Tendrando Arms Yuuzhan Vong Hunter droids, several Yuuzhan Vong agents disguised themselves as Human, and attempted to assassinate the New Republi leaders attending the meeting. However, they failed, thanks to the droids and the Jedi present. The Yuuzhan Vong suffered another blow when the New Republic recaptured Talfaglio and rescued the refugees. In response, Tsavong Lah put into motion Battle Plan Coruscant, his scheme to capture the galactic capital. The Yuuzhan Vong main fleet divided into two groups, with the fleets making simultaneous attacks on Borleias and Battle of Reecee. Although the species suffered a loss in the Black Bantha Nebula, they moved on Coruscant. After meeting at the OboRin Comet Cluster, the two fleets entered the Coruscant system trailing refugee ships from Ralltiir and Rhinnal that they had captured. The Yuuzhan Vong found Coruscant to be heavily shielded, and forced the refugee ships into the planetary shield. Just as the Yuuzhan Vong had expected, many of the New Republic commanders refused to fire on refugees. This, coupled with the fear of seeing the invaders attack Coruscant itself, created chaos on the planet, especially among the military leadership.

Eventually, the planetary shield broke. As many New Republic citizens fled the capital, the Yuuzhan Vong released their troops. The Chazrach did most of the fighting, saving many Yuuzhan Vong lives. Disorder reigned supreme among the New Republic leadership, with many senators taking parts of the military to cover their escape. After Chief of State Fey'lya detonated proton bomb in a last-gasp suicide action, killing 25,000 Yuuzhan Vong, the species began bombing the planet with thousands of starships. Soldiers subdued many who had been unable to escape, and the Yuuzhan Vong began worldshaping the planet. They aimed to transform Coruscant into their ancient homeworld Yuuzhan'tar. Dovin basals pulled the planet closer to its sun, while the Yuuzhan Vong also increased the temperature and began growing vegetation. Coruscant, which was rechristened Yuuzhan'tar, soon developed into a humid forested world, although the metal skeleton of the planet's numerous artificial constructs remained in many places.

The battle was a tremendous victory for the Yuuzhan Vong. They had captured Coruscant, the symbol of victory. For 25,000 years, the government that had possessed Coruscant had ruled the galaxy, and its capture was seen by many New Republic citizens as a death omen. The defeat also was viewed by some New Republic leaders as a finishing blow. Nonetheless, the Jedi Order, as well as some individuals in the New Republic, remained determined to fight, and reclaim their territory.

Holding their territory
"Do not assume that I am a fool! You have won your victories by sending your troops over a rampart of our own dead! How do you intend to replace these casualties?"

- Shimrra Jamaane, to Tsavong Lah

Though several Jedi had been killed, and Jacen Solo captured during the Mission to Myrkr, the majority of the Jedi had escaped. Led by Jaina Solo, they had stolen the ro'ik chuun m'arh Ksstar, and fled. The priest Harrar and Khalee Lah, the Warmaster's son, tracked the vessel to the Hapes system, and prepared a fleet. However, Jaina Solo, who many Yuuzhan Vong had begun comparing to Yun-Harla for her ability to escape from and deceive them, again fooled the invaders. She manipulated the gravitic signatures of numerous vessels, confusing the Yuuzhan Vong into firing on their own ships. Eventually, Khalee Lah declared a retreat. He then committed suicide to avoid shaming his domain.

After the Battle of Coruscant, a faction of the reeling New Republic was able to regroup and recapture Borleias. Domain Kraal, which had been tasked with defending the planet, was discredited as a result. Tsavong Lah sent a fleet led by Wyrpuuk Cha to retake the planet, only for it to be destroyed by the New Republic force at Borleias. Lah then called upon his father, Czulkang Lah, to recapture Borleais. However, the mission did not go as envisioned by the Warmaster. The Yuuzhan Vong fleet above Borleais was distracted by the New Republic's Starlancer Project, an apparent superweapon that was in reality a mere light show intended to mislead the Yuuzhan Vong. The species focused many of their resources on destroying the weapon, instead of taking Borleias.

The Yuuzhan Vong were also intent on capturing Jaina Solo, who they believed to be the incarnation of Yun-Harla. When the species finally moved on Borleias, landing troops on the planet, the Super Star Destroyer Lusankya bombarded Borleias, wiping out the Yuuzhan Vong's soldiers. The Yuuzhan Vong then attacked again with a larger force, leading to the New Republic finally abandoning the planet. However, during the evacuation, they crashed the Lusankya into Lah's flagship, killing the former Warmaster. Though the Yuuzhan Vong had recaptured Borleias, they had failed to capture Jaina Solo and the victory was a mere Pyrrhic one. Despite the death of his father and the escape of Solo, Tsavong Lah had managed to end a plot by a group of priests and shapers who planned to manipulate him by controlling his arm implant. With the help of Nen Yim, he discovered that the rotting arm was a result not of the gods' displeasure, but of the Shapers' manipulations. A furious Lah had the conspirators killed.

Onboard a Sh'rip Sh'pa containing many materials necessary for the worldshaping of Yuuzhan'tar, Vergere, under the directive of Tsavong Lah, had begun the process of indoctrinating Jacen Solo into the True Way. Solo was placed in the Embrace of Pain and tortured. During the weeks that he spent in the Embrace of Pain, Vergere revealed to him tenets of the Yuuzhan Vong religion, particularly the emphasis on pain. Eventually, the Jedi was allowed to roam the Nursery, the room where the dhuryams resided. Each dhuryam controlled a number of slaves, and was trained for the Tizo'pil Yun'tchilat, when one dhuryam would be selected to be the World Brain in charge of the worldshaping process on Yuuzhan'tar. When the day of the Tizo'pil Yun'tchilat arrived, however, the process did not go as expected. Jacen Solo, who had forged a mental bond with one dhuryam, murdered the other twelve, killing the Yuuzhan Vong who tried to stop him. Though he tried to kill the last dhuryam, Vergere stopped him.

Panicked, the Shapers onboard gave control to the last dhuryam, which, by default, had become the World Brain. Once on Yuuzhan'tar, the World Brain was installed in the damaged Senate Building. It was protected by a mass of yorik coral and a large maze made out of extremely resilient trees. Meanwhile, many individuals who had been unable to escape when the Yuuzhan Vong captured the world remained on-planet, subsisting in the depths.

After being brought to the surface of Yuuzhan'tar, Solo was confronted by Nom Anor, who had witnessed part of his torture. Anor suggested that Solo was the incarnation of Yun-Yammka, like his sister was the incarnation of Yun-Harla. Solo agreed to join the Yuuzhan Vong, claiming to have embraced the True Way. The Yuuzhan Vong continued to try and capture Jaina Solo, in hopes of pitting the twins against each other in a duel. When the Jedi Ganner Rhysode attempted to rescue him, Solo knocked him unconscious and took him to the Well of the World Brain, claiming that he was going to sacrifice the Jedi to the gods. However, Solo's supposed conversion had been an act, and he began to speak to the World Brain, convincing it to cause the worldshaping of Yuuzhan'tar to fail. The World Brain agreed to help sabotage Yuuzhan'tar, which Solo knew would frustrate the Yuuzhan Vong to no end. Solo then escaped the planet, taking Vergere with him while Rhysode sacrificed himself in an epic battle after killing thousands of Yuuzhan Vong warriors.

Komm Karsh&mdash;leader of the Yuuzhan Vong strategic reserves&mdash;and the reserve fleet New Republic later visited Obroa-skai, planning to study the libraries on the world and gain knowledge about the New Republic. However, the New Republic ambushed the fleet, believing that Shimrra was present. Karsh was killed, and the Yuuzhan Vong's reserve fleet was destroyed, dealing a significant blow to the species. A short time later, Shimrra's Koros-Strohna landed on Yuuzhan'tar in front of thousands of assembled worshipers. The vessel buried itself on Yuuzhan'tar, becoming the Supreme Overlord's palace. Containing the Hall of Confluence, it was where Shimrra would meet with his advisors, the Yuuzhan Vong Great Council, on the state of the newly-formed Yuuzhan Vong Empire.

The World Brain, meanwhile, had acted on Solo's directive, and the worldshaping of Yuuzhan'tar was not going as planned. As a result, the Shaper in charge of the process, Ch'Gang Hool, was killed on Shimrra's orders. Despite Tsavong Lah's victories, the Supreme Overlord also criticized him for sacrificing so many of his troops, and ordered the Warmaster to hold back for the time being. Seeing that the Yuuzhan Vong were losting warriors fast, Shimrra issued a decree stating that all warriors age sixteen or older were to mate, and those who produced children would be rewarded. The Supreme Overlord met frequently with the Elite, the leaders of the four main castes, and continued to rule with an iron fist. He politically crippled the Corellian Thrackan Sal-Solo when he attempted to benefit his own standing at the expense of the Yuuzhan Vong. He also ordered that Nom Anor have his agents assassinate Cal Omas, who stood to become the next ruler of the New Republic. Anor's operatives failed, much to Shimrra's displeasure. Onimi was careful to keep his true role as the puppetmaster secret, and so continued the facade of being Shimrra's familiar and jester; the other Yuuzhan Vong saw him as nothing more than the Supreme Overlord's annoying pet.

Nom Anor made a ground-breaking discovery during this time: the eighth cortex was a lie, and the gods non-existent. He kept this secret, though it caused him to lose faith in the war effort. Soon after his discernment, Anor received news of a New Republic force massing near Ebaq 9, and reported to Shimrra, who dispatched Tsavong Lah to destroy the fleet, with five battle groups: the Battle Group of Yun-Yuuzhan; the Battle Group of Yun-Yammka; the Battle Group of Yun-Harla; the Battle Group of Yun-Txiin; and the Battle Group of Yun-Q'aah. However, it was a trap, and the Battle of Ebaq 9 saw the death of Tsavong Lah and the destruction of many Yuuzhan Vong vessels. Following the decisive victory, the New Republic was reformed into the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances. Anor, whose information had led to the battle, was forced to flee after Shimrra placed a death mark on his head. Due to Lah's death, Naas Choka was promoted to Warmaster. He felt that Tsavong Lah had let the war become too personal, and his desire to kill the Jedi, particularly the Solo twins, became an obsession that ultimately ruined him. The Yuuzhan Vong had captured many planets; now they had to hold them.

The tide turns
"Military campaigns seemed to be unraveling for the Yuuzhan Vong, and their internal problems were even more severe."

- Text of historian Voren Na'al's The New Essential Chronology

However, the Yuuzhan Vong&mdash;sufficiently weaker than they were at the start of the war&mdash;continued to struggle to vanquish their foes. Nen Yim's efforts to produce new technology proved fruitless, while the Jeedai heresy continued to grow. The prophet Yu'shaa had recently appeared in the underworld of Yuuzhan'tar, stirring up the Shamed Ones and converting others to the belief that the Jedi could redeem them. Yu'shaa was actually a disguised Nom Anor, who had fled from a furious Shimrra following the defeat at Ebaq 9. Furious at the Galactic Alliance's opposition, the Yuuzhan Vong refused to hold back, unleashing their forces against numerous worlds, such as Barab I.

They also attacked the Imperial Remnant, smashing Imperial forces at Bastion. However, the Remnant rebounded with victories in the Battle of Borosk and Battle of Yaga Minor, causing Commander B'shith Vorrik to withdraw his forces from Remnant space. The Yuuzhan Vong also attacked the warlike Yevetha species, native to the Koornacht Cluster, after learning of them from the Fia. The Yuuzhan Vong believed that the Yevetha could pose a threat to them, and so they eliminated the entire species. In exchange for the information, the Fia hoped that the Yuuzhan Vong would spare them. The Yuuzhan Vong invaded their planet, however, and the Fia were only saved when the Galactic Alliance intervened.

While the Yuuzhan Vong fleet battled the Galactic Alliance in various theaters, the Empire faced trouble from within. Nom Anor had fled to Yuuzhan'tar's underlevels, where, going by the alias Ammorn, he joined a group of Shamed Ones promoting the Jeedai heresy. When most of the members were killed by warriors on the prowl for heretics, Anor fled, alongside Kunra and Shoon-mi Esh, both Shamed heretics. Realizing that he could use the heresy to benefit personally, the ever ambitious Nom Anor took up the identity of Yu'shaa. The word "Yu'shaa" meant prophet in the Yuuzhan Vong language, and in his guise as Yu'shaa, Anor became the leader of the Shamed heretics. He preached to the Shamed Ones that the Jedi were their salvation, and that he believed the Force to be what remained of Yun-Yuuzhan.

The former Executor also encouraged the Shamed Ones to prepare for the day when they would overthrow Shimrra, their archenemy and slavemaster. Because he spoke of equality and freedom, which Shamed Ones did not receive, his message inspired many of them. Anor himself did not believed what he preached; he merely planned to rally the Shamed Ones in hopes of forcibly seizing power for himself. The heresy quickly began to grow, and continued to spread beyond Yuuzhan'tar. Anor, whose identity as Yu'shaa he kept carefully guarded, was soon approached by Ngaaluh, a high-ranking priestess. She had grown disillusioned with the Supreme Overlord, finding his promises to be empty, and so turned to the Jeedai heresy, believing that she should serve the Force. Anor used Ngaaluh as his spy; as a member of Shimrra's court, she witnessed the numerous meetings the Supreme Overlord held with his advisors, and was able to report back to Anor.

While Anor plotted to bring down Shimrra, Yuuzhan Vong agents stirred up unrest. On the edge of the galaxy's southwest quadrant, the Yuuzhan Vong infiltrated the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium, the government of the ruthless Ssi-ruuk. Disguised as a Ssi-ruu, E'thinaa became a general, and help manipulate the Ssi-ruu's attack on the planet Bakura for the Yuuzhan Vong's benefit. The Yuuzhan Vong planned to cut the Unknown Regions off from the rest of the galaxy by destroying the HoloNet relays providing communications to the region. They destroyed the Outer Rim Communications Center on Generis, and then attacked the communications facility on Esfandia. The Yuuzhan Vong's attack on Esfandia proved unsuccessful, thanks to Galactic Alliance and Imperial Remnant forces.

However, this defeat did not trouble Shimrra nearly as much as another one: the Battle of Zonama Sekot. In the Klasse Ephemora system, a fleet led by Ekh'm Val encountered a strange world. The Yuuzhan Vong realized that the inhabitants seemed to live in symbiosis with the world. When they attacked, seeking to conquer the planet, it released ships of its own, destroying most the Yuuzhan Vong vessels. Val fled back to Yuuzhan'tar, bringing a mysterious vessel with similarities to the Yuuzhan Vong's own yorik-et. Shimrra realized that this planet was Zonama Sekot, and after impounding the Sekotan fighter, killed Val and his crew. He also claimed that the living planet had been destroyed. Through suppression he aimed to solidify his power and keep Zonama Sekot's existence secret.

During this time, Nom Anor, in his guise as Yu'shaa, continued to spread the heresy. The Supreme Overlord appeared helpless to stop it, with more and more Shamed Ones embracing Yu'shaa's words. He had Nglaauh plant heretics in the households of Drosh Khalii and Ash'ett, two of his former rivals in the Intendant caste. When the evidence was discovered in their homes, the two were executed, much to Anor's satisfaction. After Ngaaluh accused a third Intendant of heresy, Shimrra turned on her, revealing that he suspected her to be guilty of heresy. Ngaaluh committed suicide, cutting Anor off from Shimrra's court and weakening his chances of overthrowing the Supreme Overlord.

As Shimrra faced dissidents on Yuuzhan'tar, the Galactic Alliance launched three attacks within a short period of time, one on Duro, one on Fondor, and one on Bilbringi. The Yuuzhan Vong fended off their foes at Duro and Bilbringi, but lost Fondor. The species attacked the planet Mandalore, killing almost a third of the planet's population, though they were forced to retreat.

The living world
"Last night I sat here, beneath the stars, waiting for I knew not what. And in the darkest hours, a great light fell about me, a cleansing light, the light of redemption. I looked up and there, where the stars gaze down upon us, was an orb&mdash;a world, a planet in the skies above us. Its beauty made me tremble, and its power pressed down on me. I felt love and terror at once. And then those emotions subsided, and I felt&mdash;belonging. I knew that the planet itself was alive, welcoming me. It is the planet of the source, the planet of the Jeedai, their secret temple and fount of their knowledge and wisdom&mdash;and I saw us, the Shamed, walking with the Jeedai upon its surface, one with them, one with the planet. And in the distance, I heard Shimrra's wail of despair, for he knows this planet&mdash;this living planet&mdash;is our salvation and his doom. And he knows it will come for him, one day, because it will come for us."

- Yu'shaa

On Yuuzhan'tar, Nom Anor revealed to his followers the existence of a living world feared by Shimrra that he had learned of from Ngaaluh. Anor claimed that it was the planet of the Jedi, and would bring about the doom of the Supreme Overlord. As the Shamed Ones welcomed this idea, Shimrra was doing everything he could to prevent such a scenario from happening. Onimi tasked Nen Yim with studying the Sekotan fighter brought back by Val. Yim discovered it to be similar to the Yuuzhan Vong's own fighters; almost as if it were a mix between machine and organic technology. She revealed these findings to Shimrra, who ordered Yim to develop weapons against the fighter. However, Yim had no faith in the Supreme Overlord, and believed that discovering the fighter's origins could reveal key information about the Yuuzhan Vong, including what she believed Shimrra to be hiding from her.

She was able to contact a faction of Shimrra's political enemies, the Quorealists, and was in turn contacted by Harrar, who also had doubts in the Supreme Overlord. The two made plans to meet with Yu'shaa, and after carefully offering an allegiance with him, the Prophet helped arrange for the three Yuuzhan Vong to travel with Jedi to the fabled living world feared by Shimrra. Harrar, Yim, and Anor&mdash;careful to keep his true identity secret&mdash;fled Yuuzhan'tar in the Sekotan ship with the Jedi Tahiri Veila and Corran Horn, and headed to locate Zonama Sekot. As a group of Jedi had already landed on the world in the belief that the mysterious planet could prove crucial in ending the war, Horn had the coordinates, enabling the five to travel to Zonama Sekot.

Once the group landed on Zonama Sekot, the Yuuzhan Vong immediately felt a connection to the planet. Nen Yim began conducting research, and was stunned to see flora resembling plants native to the Yuuzhan Vong's ancient homeworld. Her tests confirmed that Zonama Sekot's vegetation had a very similar genetic structure to that of many Yuuzhan Vong plants. After many hours, Yim concluded that the entire planet was a living organism, something more than the sum of its parts. Veila believed that the Force bound the planet's lifeforms together. She also revealed that she thought Zonama Sekot to be the Yuuzhan Vong's original homeworld. Yim decried her theory, claiming that there were numerous records indicating that the species had originated in a foreign galaxy, though their homeworld had apparently been a living planet as well.

Nom Anor, meanwhile, did not care for speculation that Zonama Sekot was their long-lost homeworld, and only saw the planet as a way to gain power. Keeping his alter ego a secret, he contacted Shimrra claiming that he had important information, and revealed that he was aware of the fabled planet and could help destroy it. The Supreme Overlord pledged to grant Anor forgiveness if he destroyed Zonama Sekot, and sent a vessel to bring the former Executor back to Yuuzhan'tar. As Anor plotted to extinguish Zonama Sekot, Yim came to the conclusion that the planet was a seed of the original Yuuzhan'tar&mdash;not their homeworld itself, but a remnant of it. Before she could reveal this knowledge, Anor attacked her. After revealing his identity to her, he killed the Shaper, and attempted to sabotage the planet by damaging its massive hyperdrive field guides. He then fled onboard the ship from Yuuzhan'tar shortly before Zonama Sekot jumped to hyperspace. Anor was promoted to Prefect upon his return to Yuuzhan'tar, though in truth Zonama Sekot not only remained alive, but had been convinced by the Jedi to enter the war, and sue for peace. Harrar had also decided to help the Galactic Alliance end the war, as he believed that the gods were no longer with Shimrra.

War's end
"All Supreme Commanders. The war is ended. We are defeated by the gods and by their allies. Though they have abandoned us, we will suffer our defeat with honor, because it is what the gods would expect. But any of you who wish to follow the Supreme Overlord's example and die as warriors may do so; just as any of you who wish to commit ritual death may do so. Those who choose neither will join me in accepting the shame of surrender, and finding what nobility we can in capture and graceless execution."

- Nas Choka

Shimrra continued to hold direct the war effort while frequently holding meetings with the Elite. Many Yuuzhan Vong had lost faith in the Supreme Overlord as the war's tide had turned, and Shimrra had made questionable decisions. By this point, however, Shimrra was completely insane. He believed that the Yuuzhan Vong had grown stronger than the gods, and thus no longer needed them. Because of this, the gods had turned against the species. The Supreme Overlord planned to lead the war against the gods, who he saw as the Yuuzhan Vong's true enemy, rather than the Galactic Alliance. At some point, he convinced the World Brain to follow orders, allowing the worldshaping of Yuuzhan'tar to finally proceed. He also had Shapers create elite soldiers called "Slayers", a fusion of warriors and priests. The Supreme Overlord planned for them to serve as his answer to Galactic Alliance's Jedi, although the Elite viewed the creation of the hybrid warriors as heresy.

On the front lines, the Yuuzhan Vong lost battles on Tholatin, Gyndine, and Selvaris. A pathogen wiped out Yuuzhan Vong forces on Caluula, with one infected Yuuzhan Vong ship returning to Yuuzhan'tar, where it was kept in the planet's atmosphere to avoid spreading the microorganism. Seeking a crushing victory against the Galactic Alliance, Shimrra dispatched a massive fleet led by Nas Choka to Mon Calamari, despite the Warmaster's objections. Mid-way through the ensuing battle, Zonama Sekot dropped out of hyperspace above Yuuzhan'tar. Its arrival was heralded by the Shamed heretics, while many other Yuuzhan Vong were dismayed and afraid, believing that doom was upon them.

Upon learning of Zonama Sekot's appearance, Choka retreated back to Yuuzhan'tar. Shimrra claimed that Zonama Sekot was a mere test from the gods, and that if the species could destroy it, they would ascend to god status. He planned to crash-land the infected ship on Zonama Sekot, killing the planet and granting the Yuuzhan Vong the glory due them. After several days of waiting, the species attacked Zonama Sekot, which was defended by a Galactic Alliance fleet that had followed the Yuuzhan Vong back to Yuuzhan'tar. As the Yuuzhan Vong attempted to break through the Galactic Alliance screen around Zonama Sekot, the Alliance was able to land several teams on Yuuzhan'tar. Realizing that the Yuuzhan Vong could lose, Shimrra ordered the World Brain to set the planet on fire, in hopes of preventing it from being habitable ever again if the Galactic Alliance conquered it.

On Yuuzhan'tar, chaos reigned supreme. Galactic Alliance soldiers fought alongside Shamed Ones, and some Yuuzhan Vong warriors even defected. Nom Anor took up his role as Yu'shaa, attempting to lead the Shamed Ones to victory. Three Jedi&mdash;Luke Skywalker, Jacen Solo, and Jaina Solo&mdash;entered Shimrra's Citadel and made their way to his private quarters, where the Supreme Overlord waited with fifteen Slayers and Onimi. In the ensuing duel, the Jedi not only killed the Slayers, but Skywalker decapitated Shimrra. Onimi took Jaina Solo&mdash;who he believed to be Yun-Harla&mdash;captive and attempted to flee in the Supreme Overlord's private yorik-trema. There, he revealed his true role as the power behind the throne, and his plans to exterminate all lifeforms in the galaxy, as well as the gods. However, Jacen Solo boarded the vessel, and, after realizing that Onimi was Force-sensitive, was able to defeat the Shamed One.

As Onimi died, the yoirk-trema broke apart, causing the Yuuzhan Vong to realize that the Supreme Overlord&mdash;their conduit to the gods&mdash;was dead. Without Shimrra, the Yuuzhan Vong believed that they had no hope for redemption in the afterlife, and thus, continuing to fight was pointless. Nas Choka believed that the gods had abandoned the Yuuzhan Vong, and suggested that the species surrender, but stated that Yuuzhan Vong who wished to die of their choosing rather than face dishonor commit suicide. Some decided to die honorably by crashing their ships into Galactic Alliance vessels, while Choka transmitted his surrender to the Galactic Alliance. Zonama Sekot, meanwhile, was able to survive the Yuuzhan Vong's assault on it.

Later, Nas Choka and several Supreme Commanders met with Galactic Alliance representatives onboard the Aliiance flagship, Ralroost. Choka believed that the Galactic Alliance intended to kill the entire species, and was met with surprise when the Alliance explained their terms. The Yuuzhan Vong's weapons would be destroyed, and the species would be relocated to Zonama Sekot, a seed of their ancestral homeworld, which had decided to accept them to end the war and spare the galaxy of further suffering. The Galactic Alliance had learned from Zonama Sekot of the Yuuzhan Vong's origins, and their loss of Force-sensitivity at the hands of Yuuzhan'tar. This information was shared with the Yuuzhan Vong, and the species realized that Yun-Yammka was a mere creation of theirs. On Zonama Sekot, the Yuuzhan Vong would redefine their society minus their warlike tendencies and their fanatical devotion to the True Way.

The Yuuzhan Vong helped reverse the worldshaping of Yuuzhan'tar, while Choka dispatched fleets to hunt down any Yuuzhan Vong that refused to surrender. The Sekot Accords were signed, officially ending the Yuuzhan Vong War. With this, the species abandoned their weapons and settled on Zonama Sekot, which then headed for the Unknown Regions. The war had taken a devastating toll on the galaxy, and the Yuuzhan Vong; the Galactic Alliance estimated that 365 trillion had died, as well as over one-third of the entire warrior caste.

Post-war
"Jeedai Master Skywalker had a vision&mdash;to use Yuuzhan Vong biotech to transform and restore ailing worlds&mdash;and to so transform the galaxy's perception of the Yuuzhan Vong. What was conceived as a dream quickly became a nightmare. The coral seeds I had Shaped, the villips and biots so carefully tended, went rampant with unspeakable mutations. Soon, the plague affected being from all the terraformed worlds."

- Nei Rin

The Jedi Tahiri Veila, Tekli, and Danni Quee remained on Zonama Sekot with the Yuuzhan Vong, helping the species adjust and abandon their millennia-old traditions. The Shamed Ones were renamed the Extolled, and the warrior caste was abolished. The species hit speed bumps on the road to reconstruction, however. Some former warriors were reluctant to live alongside former Shamed Ones. In contrast, a number of those who had formerly been shunned by society were determined to prove their superiority by bullying others. These conflicts were often solved through physical confrontation.

Though the majority of Yuuzhan Vong had settled on Zonama Sekot after the war, some chose not to. These individuals instead made their living elsewhere in the galaxy as they wished, which included implanting illegal biots to individuals who wished for "upgrades." The species as a whole became more introspective after the war, and though they still worshiped their gods, they were not as fanatical. Heresy was no longer punished as harshly, and the species made a concerted effort to abandon their war-like ways. Many felt that the Yuuzhan Vong would be pariahs forever, never accepted by the galaxy, and some regretted the war they had caused.

Approximately a century after the Yuuzhan Vong War, around 127 ABY, Jedi Master Kol Skywalker proposed that the Yuuzhan Vong used their biots to restore planets ravaged by the Yuuzhan Vong War. More than 100 worlds were chosen, with Ossus to be the site of the first test. Master Shaper Nei Rin led the project, which initially went well. However, unknown to all, the Sith sabotaged the project by introducing a disease, with the help of a renegade Yuuzhan Vong by the name of Zenoc Quah. Wayland was the first planet to suffer the effects, as the Yuuzhan Vong's biots began to mutate, and other lifeforms on followed. Soon, the worldshaping on other planets began to fail, causing the galaxy to accuse the Yuuzhan Vong of deliberating failing. The Jedi suspected sabotage, but couldn't prove it, while the Galactic Empire was outraged at the failure of the project. Spurred by the Sith, the Empire declared war on the Galactic Alliance, which remained supportive of the Yuuzhan Vong. When the war began, Zonama Sekot&mdash;which had returned to the known galaxy&mdash;fled to hide in the Unknown Regions, stranding a number of Yuuzhan Vong. Several Yuuzhan Vong, including Nei Rin, remained on Ossus, and attempted to find the cause of the project's failure.

When the Sith sacked the Jedi Temple on Ossus in the third year of the war, many Yuuzhan Vong were killed, though Rin survived. After the battle, pirates attacked the planet, much to the fury of the surviving Yuuzhan Vong. The survivors also developed a hatred for the Sith, who they had learned were responsible for the sabotage. In 137 ABY, the Jedi Wolf Sazen, K'Kruhk, and Cade Skywalker visited the temple on Ossus, where they encountered Rin and her bodyguards. Rin explained that she had been trying to reverse the sabotage while guarding the Jedi artifacts on Ossus, which she handed over to K'Kruhk. Later that year, Skywalker, Sazen, and the pirates Deliah Blue and Jariah Syn visited Wayland in an effort to reverse the mutations. They confronted the hold-out Quah, and killed him before fleeing Wayland.

Yuuzhan Vong in the galaxy
The Yuuzhan Vong were from another galaxy; the first recorded instance of a Yuuzhan Vong in the galaxy was a female Shaper whose ship was found near the Argazdan Redoubt around 3,670 BBY. After her vessel had malfunctioned while testing a new hyperdrive centuries earlier, she sat in stasis until discovered. The Argazdans, who regarded her as a "demon," took her to their ruler Torphceris. She became fluent in the Argazdan language, and Torphceris soon fell under her influence. On her orders, he began constructing a series of massive slave pits on Lorrd dug by hand, without any sort of machine technology. A monster was placed in the pits upon their completion. Following the Liberation of Lorrd, the Shaper disappeared.

Yuuzhan Vong agents began entering the galaxy shortly before the beginning of the Clone Wars. Nom Anor was one of the leaders of the Yuuzhan Vong agents in the decades leading up to the Yuuzhan Vong War, and was in fact credited with being responsible for half the invasion. He helped manipulate the fall of the Empire and its remnants, and even created philosophical schools of thought designed to fracture the galaxy. On Coruscant, Ocka Dwei discovered that vonduun crab armor was allergic to bafforr tree pollen and so he began killing employees of a company that handed out free samples of bafforr trees. After he was fingered for the killings, he killed himself to keep his true identity and motives secret. The warrior Yomin Carr was stationed on Belkadan when the Praetorite Vong entered the galaxy, and killed the scientific scout team on-planet. He then transformed the planet's atmosphere, before being killed by two Jedi Masters. A Yuuzhan Vong disguised as a Human named Dulac took up the role as a saboteur on Artorias. Landing on the planet several years before 25 ABY, the disguised Yuuzhan Vong became a confidant of the planet's king. Dulac sabotaged the planet's communication center, preventing Artorias from receiving a message warning them of the advance of the Yuuzhan Vong's fleet.

The species entered the galaxy en masse in 25 ABY after the failure of the Praetorite Vong, and conquered a vast number of planets. After gaining a foothold in the Outer Rim, they plowed into the Core, leaving destruction and death in their wake. A number of of planets were worldshaped by the Yuuzhan Vong, who also worked to spread their religion and destroy all machines. While the species made war on the galaxy's natives, they also tried to destroy their foes from within, with spies continuing to stir up tensions. The galaxy was stunned at the Yuuzhan Vong's brutality, and a number of worlds surrendered without a fight in hopes that they would be spared. During this time, members of the warrior caste were the Yuuzhan Vong individuals were most likely to encounter.

Nom Anor continued his role as a saboteur, spy, and diplomat during the war. Agents under his command attempted to assassinate the politician Cal Omas, though they were unsuccessful. At the edge of known space, a number of Yuuzhan Vong, including E'thinaa, helped engineer the rise of the Keeramak in the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium. The Yuuzhan Vong knew that it would lead to war, and that such a conflict would serve as a distraction to the Galactic Alliance while also weakening the Ssi-ruuk. E'thinaa also manipulated Molierre Cundertol, Prime Minister of Bakura, and eventually killed him. Sometime near the end of the war, the Jedi Knight Daye Azur-Jamin was captured by a rogue Yuuzhan Vong who had a connection to the Force and had turned to the dark side. This Yuuzhan Vong had a cybernetic eye. After he was rescued, Azur-Jamin posited that the Yuuzhan Vong had possibly had a master.

The Yuuzhan Vong found the New Republic to be vastly different from their government. Members of the galactic government followed a concept known as democracy, in which nearly all citizens had equal rights. Even stranger, those individuals who questioned their leader were not punished, as freedom of expression was allowed under the New Republic. Unlike the New Republic's Chief of State Borsk Fey'lya, Supreme Overlord Shimrra ruled with an iron fist, killing all dissidents. The Yuuzhan Vong believed that the species of the galaxy were sorely mistaken in their tolerance for doubts, and planned to teach them otherwise once they had conquered the galaxy. The Yuuzhan Vong also believed that it was their god-given right to conquer the galaxy, and oppress all infidels. They hated the Jedi, and thought that their obsession with saving everyone would doom them.

Following the end of the war, the traditional castes were changed. Though most Yuuzhan Vong surrendered and settled on Zonama Sekot, some refused to give up. Nas Choka's warriors hunted down some of these hold-outs. The Yuuzhan Vong Zenoc Quah refused to submit to the Galactic Alliance, and took up residence on Wayland, where by himself he developed new creatures. Later, he partnered with the Sith to ruin the worldshaping project and create new, deadly forms of life that obeyed him. Some members of the species also opted not to live on Zonama Sekot, and instead operated as they wished. A few began operating businesses providing illegal biot implants to other individuals. One Yuuzhan Vong named Chonyo served alongside the pirate Jariah Syn for a time. Syn later reflected that he had learned a lot from the Yuuzhan Vong, including the language.

The Jedi Tahiri Veila, who had been partly-Shaped into a Yuuzhan Vong named Riina Kwaad, struggled to adjust to her dual personalities. Kwaad's "memories" were in fact Nen Yim's, which Mezhan Kwaad had secretly used for her creation. Eventually, Veila was able to come to terms with her Yuuuzhan Vong half, keeping it under check.

He used his Force-sensitivity to read other Yuuzhan Vong; as this was attributed to Shimrra, it increased his reputation and caused him to become feared as a seemingly omniscient ruler.

Behind the scenes
"When Chewie died, people sat up and took notice that the NJO was going to be different from what had come before, and that the Star Wars galaxy was not necessarily a safe place anymore."

- Lucy Wilson

The Yuuzhan Vong were created for The New Jedi Order series. Through the perspective of characters such as Nom Anor, Nen Yim, and Nas Choka, the reader is given more information about the Yuuzhan Vong, revealing that they are not just war&mdash;mongering, merciless creatures with no problems of their own; rather, they have internal conflicts just like the traditional heroes of the Star Wars universe. In a retcon, the species first appeared in Crimson Empire II: Council of Blood, a comic book featuring Nom Anor, then a member of an unidentified species. The Yuuzhan Vong's first actual appearance is in The New Jedi Order ' s inaugural novel Vector Prime, by R. A. Salvatore. The Yuuzhan Vong immediately made a statement by killing off Chewbacca, the first major character from the films to die in the Expanded Universe.

The next two novels, Dark Tide I: Onslaught, and Dark Tide II: Ruin, by Michael A. Stackpole, expanded on the species, and introduced the concept of the Yuuzhan Vong loving pain. Though originally meant to apply only to Domain Shai, later authors incorporated it into the entire species, despite the team behind the series trying to dial it down. Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial, and Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse, by James Luceno, introduced Harrar, who would feature in several novels later. Warmaster Tsavong Lah played a major role in the next installment, Balance Point, by Kathy Tyers, which featured the Yuuzhan Vong continuing to advance. In this novel, they capture Duro, a Core planet that helped found the Galactic Republic. In the next two books, Edge of Victory I: Conquest and Edge of Victory II: Rebirth, by Greg Keyes, the characters of Nen Yim and Onimi were introduced, as was the Jeedai heresy. All these would go on to play large roles later in the series. Troy Denning's Star by Star features the fall of Coruscant, and the death of Anakin Solo. The Yuuzhan Vong appear poised to capture the galaxy; in the eyes of many, they are unstoppable.

The immediate novel, Dark Journey, by Elaine Cunningham, expands on the Yuuzhan Vong, particularly Harrar. Aaron Allston's succeeding Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream and Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand elaborate on Tsavong Lah, and feature victories for the New Republic. The subsequent novel in the series, Traitor, by Matthew Stover, reveals more about the Yuuzhan Vong's religion, and their worldshaping of Coruscant. Walter Jon Williams' Destiny's Way follows Traitor. The novel features the death of Tsavong Lah, and a major victory for the New Republic at Ebaq 9. In addition, it hints at Onimi's true role as the power behind the throne. The next three books, Force Heretic I: Remnant, Force Heretic II: Refugee, and Force Heretic III: Reunion, by Sean Williams and Shane Dix, expand on the Jeedai heresy, and give Nom Anor a large role. The penultimate novel of the series, Greg Keyes' The Final Prophecy, stars Anor, Harrar, and Nen Yim. Zonama Sekot also plays a role. The Unifying Force, by James Luceno, concludes The New Jedi Order. Several Yuuzhan Vong play a large role in the book, which explains much about the species' backstory. It also reveals that Onimi was in control of Shimrra, who, despite his terrifying nature, was a puppet the entire series. Following the end of the war, the Yuuzhan Vong agree to depart on Zonama Sekot, with hopes of becoming a more peaceful species.

The Yuuzhan Vong are mentioned in many later novels and sourcebooks,     and re-appeared in the the Star Wars: Legacy comic series. The species appears in the Ghosts, Claws of the Dragon and Monster arcs while being mentioned in several other story arcs. Legacy reveals that they have become more introspective and peaceful, and are working to erase the shame some feel for causing the Yuuzhan Vong War.

The concept of a large, multi-book series came during a 1998 meeting held between several authors and employees of Lucas Licensing, as they sought to create one unified story. Originally planned to consist of thirty books, The New Jedi Order eventually ended with nineteen novels, from 1999 to 2003. Bantam Spectra and Dark Horse Comics had previously been planning a storyline involving an alien invasion. Del Rey picked up this idea, and those planning the series began to develop the Yuuzhan Vong, a species which Nom Anor, a character from Crimson Empire II: Council of Blood, would belong to. Shelly Shapiro suggested using the name "Vong", from a restaurant of the same name in New York City. Upon suggestions for a more exotic name, Shapiro added the prefix "Yunan." The name was then changed to "Yunnan Vong," and after the creative team planning the series decided they wanted it to sound less Asian, it became "Yuzzan Vong," then "Yuzhan Vong," before the decision-makers decided on "Yuuzhan Vong."

As decreed by George Lucas, the invaders could not be Force-users. When the team behind the series wanted to kill a major character, Lucas proclaimed that Luke Skywalker could not be killed, and that Anakin Solo had to be killed instead of Jacen. Still seeking to kill a major character to respond to those who thought that Star Wars had become too predictable and boring, the creative team decided to kill Chewbacca, on the suggestion of Randy Stradley. Because they are responsible for the deaths of Chewbacca and Anakin Solo&mdash;and to a lesser extent, many minor characters&mdash;the Yuuzhan Vong are controversial among fans. still may need another source Some members of the creative teams have stated that they regret the grimmer facets of the Yuuzhan Vong, and the darkness of the war.

Though some aspects of the species were created ahead of time, many others developed throughout series. R. A. Salvatore suggested that they utilize unique biotechnology, an idea the creative team liked and expanded on by coming up with the Yuuzhan Vong's hatred for machinery. The Azec and Mayan cultures served as models for the Yuuzhan Vong, which the two ancient cultures inspiring the Yuuzhan Vong's rigid caste system, numerous gods, and rituals of mutilation. Salvatore first came up with the idea of what the Yuuzhan Vong looked like, while Mike Stackpole created the ranks among the species, and drew on Central American mythology to develop their gods. Gregory Keyes and Kathy Tyers were responsible for expanding the shaper and warrior castes and conceiving of many of the Yuuzhan Vong creatures. The Yuuzhan Vong language, meanwhile, grew as the series continued. The idea of Shimrra being a "puppet ruler" came from author James Luceno.

The New Essential Guide to Droids implies that the Silentium and the Abominor were the droid species responsible for attacking the Yuuzhan Vong, and threatening to wipe them out. Author Daniel Wallace later confirmed on his blog that the connection was deliberate; however, because it has not been confirmed by any canon source, it remains mere speculation.

In Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the Mandalorian Canderous Ordo describes an encounter with a strange ship that resembled an asteroid. When he used a thermal generator to melt the frozen methane covering the object, it activated, and fired several shots at the Mandalorians before fleeing. The Mandalorians were able to track the probe's hyperspace wake to the edge of the galaxy, and then gave up the chase. Though his description of this asteroid sounds like a Yuuzhan Vong ship, it has not been confirmed by any source.

Although the Yuuzhan Vong's gods were described in detail in The New Jedi Order series, the 2008 reference book created the deity Yun-Lingni, who has since not been reference elsewhere. This article incorporates all information known about Yun-Lingni while avoiding speculating on the deity.

A contradiction arises between the Ultimate Alien Anthology and The Unifying Force; the former (as well as the Legacy Era Campaign Guide states that Yuuzhan Vong are children between ages one and eleven, young adults from ages twelve to seventeen, adults from eighteen to forty, middle aged from forty-one to sixty, old from sixty-one to seventy-five, and venerable beyond that point. The Unifying Force, in contrast, says that the species can live to be two to three times older than Humans, who have been established as living to the age of 100. Based on Leland Chee's statement that "a book is going to overrule a stat if there is a contradiction," this article assumes The Unifying Force to give the correct number. One can also find an apparent continuity error in Star by Star, which states that Yun-Q'aah and Yun-Txiin are gods not of love, but "of love and hate and all things opposite." This is contradicted by several sources, and so this article treats the statement in Star by Star as an error.

Another contradiction exists between The New Jedi Order Sourcebook and the last two books in The New Jedi Order, The Final Prophecy and The Unifying Force. The New Jedi Order Sourcebook makes no mention of a coup involving the Supreme Overlord. Rather, it says that the Yuuzhan Vong had lost faith in the gods and their Supreme Overlord, and that it was only after the discovery of a legendary planet that the species regained faith in their deities and the Supreme Overlord. Some aspects of this Supreme Overlord apply to Shimrra, though others seem to relate to Quoreal. As The New Jedi Order Sourcebook was published before the series had reached its conclusion, the description in the sourcebook seems to be an error.

the reader gets to know them through nom tsavong harrar nen

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Images

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More ships and weapons

Quotes
"We are the Yuuzhan Vong. We have been entrusted with the true way, the true knowledge of the gods. Our duty is to bring every infidel in this galaxy to heel and either send them screaming to the gods or bring them to the true path. There is no middle ground, there is no faltering. And there can be no failure."

- Nas Choka

"We will take your whole galaxy. We will destroy your machines. They are an abomination. We will share our ways. We will share our beliefs. We will share pain."

- Sha'kel

"For all the evil the enemy do, they aren't dark, exactly&mdash;the enemy are entirely outside the Force."

- Jacen Solo

"We are the Yuuzhan Vong. Our cause is right and just."

- Shedao Shai

"We do not live side by side with impurity. Your civilization is built on abominations. Your galaxy is polluted. We have come to cleanse it, so that others besides our warrior caste may occupy it and live cleanly here. It is our destiny, according to Supreme Overlord Shimrra and the priests."

- Warmaster Tsavong Lah, to Leia Organa Solo

"Supreme One, the citizens of the New Republic lack a proper understanding of hierarchies and the duties due to one's superior. They believe that a certain amount of independence of mind is permissible. Borsk Fey'lya's attitude was not unusual among their leaders." "One of our great missions, then, shall be to teach these creatures the proper meaning of submission."

- Nom Anor and Shimrra Jamaane

"Knowledge cannot be created; that is the stuff of heresy."

- Yal Phaath

"It is as if the Yuuzhan Vong want to inflict pain and suffering just to see how long it takes for their slaves to break and run. If that is true, this invasion is going to be worse than any war of political or economic gain. Victory for the Yuuzhan Vong demands that every sentient creature live in pain."

- Corran Horn

"We shall teach the New Republic the glory of the gods."

- Shimrra Jamaane

"There's an invasion coming. A massive assault force of dark ships, shadowy figures, and weapons of great power, based on organic technology of a sort we've never seen before. We believe these Far Outsiders, as we call them, already have a foothold at the far edge of the galaxy, and even now have scouting parties seeking information on worlds and peoples to conquer."

- Kinman Doriana

"Our mission is more important than you or me, Commander, and it is more important than your honor or mine. Lord Shimrra himself has said it. And so, feel no stain. To win this war, we must set aside what we cherish. The gods ordain the sacrifice. We are blameless. We are those who do what must be done."

- Nas Choka, to Zhat Lah

"And the casualties we took for the capture of Yuuzhan'tar were enormous. The first two waves were wiped out, and the third wave, though victorious, was decimated. After that, Borleias was a very expensive victory-more, in my judgment, than the planet was worth. Your own father died. Plus Komm Karsh's defeat was expensive in both lives and materiel. I am not as lenient as my predecessor."

- Shimrra Jamaane

"I made an alliance with the reborn Empire at Bastion. We manufactured a cause for war, making the Vong seem responsible. Split, the Galactic Alliance began to fight itself. And so died."

- Darth Krayt

"And may Yun-Yammka devour your bodies as well as your souls."

- B'shith Vorrik

"Things must change. The infidels have adapted. They have undermined many of our strengths, but we have undermined ourselves even more. The pride of our warriors weakens us."

- Nas Choka

"Don't make the mistake of underestimating the Yuuzhan Vong. Too many of us have already paid a terrible price for doing just that."

- Danni Quee

"You ask to follow the enemy. I have read our strength reports. We do not have sufficient forces both to maintain the offensive and to hold what we have already taken." "My Lord. With all respect-we pursue a broken foe. We may expect nothing but a glorious slaughter that adds great glory to your name." "The enemy that wiped out Komm Karsh was hardly broken. And may I remind the warmaster that Komm Karsh's fleet was our sole strategic reserve? From this point, moving any warrior to strengthen one force will weaken another."

- Shimrra Jamaane and Tsavong Lah

"Some have interpreted the ancient texts to imply that we were&hellip;banished&hellip;for our infatuation with war and conquest."

- Harrar

"I fight for the honor of the Yuuzhan Vong and Domain Shai."

- Shedao Shai

"At the world they call Dantooine they did not recover their dead. These people have no sense of what is proper or honorable."

- Shedao Shai

"We have destroyed the machine that made you and purified the hands that touched it with the blood of a thousand captives. We would never deign to deal with dead stuff such as you are now made of. Life is tissue; it is soil; it is blood."

- E'thinaa

"We need to show them that we will crush them no matter their preparations. So far we have not launched a solid military operation against any of their worlds. Yes, we took Garqi, but the opposition was minimal. The subsequent infiltration and exfiltration of agents taints that victory. As you point out, they must fortify Ithor. When we take it we will send a message out to the rest of the New Republic with the survivors. That message is that we are implacable and invincible. That is the message our enemies need to hear."

- Shedao Shai, speaking to Deign Lian of his plans for Ithor

"Execute him as soon as you get him out of our sight! Make him pay for his incompetence!"

- Shimrra Jamaane, ordering the death of Ch'Gang Hool for his failure to control the worldshaping of Yuuzhan'tar

"A commitment to the mission above the preservation of self&mdash;this I understand. This I respect."

- Shedao Shai

"We have learned much of your vile machines since coming to your galaxy. We know how to encourage your filthy technologists to perform for us, to build restraining bolts that activate on hearing a particular phrase. We are perfectly capable of stealing that which we require to reach our goals-goals you helped us attain. You sowed chaos; now we shall reap the rewards."

- E'thinaa

NEC quotes

tuf 494 early history

Also removed scrollboxes

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Rogue Planet
 * Outbound Flight
 * Shatterpoint
 * Death in the Slave Pits of Lorrd
 * Crimson Empire II: Council of Blood
 * Vision of the Future
 * Survivor's Quest
 * Boba Fett: A Practical Man
 * Vector Prime
 * Star Wars: Invasion: Refugees
 * Star Wars: Invasion: Rescues
 * Star Wars: Chewbacca
 * Dark Tide I: Onslaught
 * Dark Tide II: Ruin
 * Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial
 * Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse
 * Balance Point
 * Recovery
 * Edge of Victory I: Conquest
 * Edge of Victory II: Rebirth
 * Emissary of the Void
 * Star by Star
 * Dark Journey
 * Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream
 * Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand
 * Traitor
 * Destiny's Way
 * Ylesia
 * Force Heretic I: Remnant
 * Force Heretic II: Refugee
 * Force Heretic III: Reunion
 * The Final Prophecy
 * The Unifying Force
 * Dark Nest I: The Joiner King
 * Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen
 * Dark Nest III: The Swarm War
 * Betrayal
 * Bloodlines
 * Tempest
 * Exile
 * Sacrifice
 * Inferno
 * Fury
 * Revelation
 * Invincible
 * Crosscurrent
 * Millennium Falcon
 * Outcast
 * Omen
 * Abyss
 * Backlash
 * Allies
 * Star Wars: Legacy 8: Allies
 * Star Wars: Legacy 1: Broken, Part 1
 * Star Wars: Legacy 4: Noob
 * Star Wars: Legacy 5: Broken, Part 4
 * Star Wars: Legacy 9: Trust Issues, Part 1
 * Star Wars: Legacy: Ghosts
 * Star Wars: Legacy: Claws of the Dragon
 * Star Wars: Legacy 27: Into the Core
 * Star Wars: Legacy 29: Vector, Part 10
 * Star Wars: Legacy 30: Vector, Part 11
 * Star Wars: Legacy 37: Tatooine, Part 1
 * Star Wars: Legacy 39: Tatooine, Part 3
 * Star Wars: Legacy 41: Rogue's End
 * Star Wars: Legacy: Monster
 * Star Wars: Legacy 29: Vector, Part 10
 * Star Wars: Legacy 30: Vector, Part 11
 * Star Wars: Legacy 37: Tatooine, Part 1
 * Star Wars: Legacy 39: Tatooine, Part 3
 * Star Wars: Legacy 41: Rogue's End
 * Star Wars: Legacy: Monster

Notes and references
Category:Extragalactic species Category:Force-sensitive species Category:Sentient species (Y) Category:Unknown Regions species Category:Slaver organizations  

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