Anzat (species)

"You knew them all as children, forgot them as adults. Legend is fiction, myth unreal; it is easier to set aside childish things in the false illumination of adulthood, because the fears of childhood are always formed as truths. Some truths are harder than others. Some folktales far more frightening."

- Dannik Jerriko

The Anzati (singular: Anzat) were a dangerous and mysterious Force-sensitive near-Human species with two tentacle-like proboscises that curled out and extended from their cheeks, with which the Anzati were able to feed upon the brains of their prey. With the tentacles retracted into seams along each side of their nose, Anzati were indistinguishable from any other humanoid species in the galaxy.

They were an extremely long-lived race, also possessing regenerative capabilities beyond those of the average humanoid. The Anzati were also telepathic, growing more adept at the talent as they aged, allowing them to dominate someone's mind to give them a chance to feed.

According to the Jedi Master Zao, the soup that Anzati drank was the future, and thus, the Force. Because of this, a Force sensitive Anzati who drank the soup of another Force sensitive would strengthen his connection to the Force.

Biology and appearance


The Anzati were Human in appearance, with bulbous noses, flared nostrils, and grayish-hued skin. Their height ranged from 1.5 to 1.7 meters. Scientists and xenobiologists had little opportunity to study the Anzati, but sketchy medical reports found on the species indicated that they have no natural biorhythm; that is to say, no pulse, and as a result, no body heat. Therefore, it was a total mystery as to how their circulatory system functioned.

The Anzati were natural predators, preferring to hunt sentient races of all shapes and sizes and kinds. To this end, they possessed two long, prehensile proboscises similar in appearance to tentacles. They kept these proboscises coiled in their twin cheek pockets for feeding on unsuspecting victims; when their proboscises were retracted, they were practically visually indistinguishable from Humans. They fed in a unique way that was described as grotesque.

Using a kind of mind control, which Jedi who had encountered them claimed was akin to Force manipulation, they bewitched their victims in a manner similar to a Jedi mind trick. Using this telepathy, the Anzat lured in their unsuspecting targets by mesmerizing them with their telepathic control. This control strengthened at close range and was even further augmented and honed with age and use.

Once a victim was within their power, the Anzati would uncoil their proboscises from their cheek pouches and insert them into the subject's nostrils and into the cranium, where the brain was sucked out of the organism. This action however, required time and could not be rushed. This behavior led to the nickname of "snot vampires." They also have been known to grasp the victim's head to hold it in place close to them as they fed.

They called this meal "soup," "luck," or the "Sea of Memory." In Anzati traditions, the term referred to the life essence, or spiritual power, of the victim. It was reputed that Anzati could keep their victims alive for several feedings, taking great pleasure in the fear and terror their prey felt throughout the ordeal.

Society and culture


The drive to hunt for "soup" seemed to be the central factor of Anzati life; one could almost have considered them an addicted people. Once they began the hunt, they thought of nothing else but to satisfy this hunger, a hunger that grew stronger and more powerful with each passing year. Anzati were reported to view all other peoples as livestock to be harvested to fulfill their needs, although some were known to try and stave off the craving for as long as possible between feedings.

Either way, because the hunger grew as they aged, and they lived for such a long time, they ended up becoming more and more isolated in their need. The older the Anzati, the more unstable and obsessive they became, often to the point of insanity. They would lose focus on the world around them and in many cases would make a crucial mistake, leading to their ultimate destruction.

Some Anzati believed that feeding on live vessels gave them eternal youth and energy. This belief can be traced to the Silent Voices, luminescent bands of gases that glowed in the Anzat atmosphere at night. Ancient Anzati believed that these were the life essences of their ancestors. Although such a possibility was not scientifically viable, it illustrated the level of importance that "soup" played in Anzati culture, morals, and belief structures.

Anzati reproduced infrequently, and usually lived for many centuries. Parents did not typically give their children names, instead allowing them to seek names that best blended in with their chosen prey. Youthful Anzati reached puberty at approximately one hundred standard years of age, and, when that time came, they left Anzat to hunt for "soup" and continue their so-called eternal existence.

They acted as patrons of the arts, but few had actually contributed with works of their own. Because they were a long-lived species, they tended to view mastering an art as a pointless goal, since all of their competitors died before they did. An art that did fuel their interest enough to participate in was the art of stealth. The Anzati were considered masterful hunters, incredibly sly and crafty, as well as being difficult to capture. Because of their secrecy, hunting skills, and training, Anzati were often employed by organized crime factions as assassins.

Their anonymity was frequently used to their advantage, so they rarely, if ever, worked in groups. It was only in the capacity of a bounty hunter that they would abandon their lonely tendencies and band together to form a corporation or guild. On these exceptionally rare occasions, they would sometimes share prey and the financial rewards of their hunts. These corporations were temporary, often existing for only one hunt, as they typically ended up killing each other to eliminate competition for a very "soupy" victim.

History


Because Anzati were roamers, they were often considered mythical and to be nothing but the things of dark legends and folktales. For a long period of time the true location of their homeworld, Anzat, was a mystery. Scientists and explorers who traveled to the world reputed to be Anzat simply disappeared without a trace. There were some reports that placed it the Mid Rim, near the Perlemian Trade Route.

The Anzati were believed to be one of the first spacefaring races. According to anecdotal evidence offered by sentients fortunate enough to survive their encounters with Anzati, the race roamed and wandered the galaxy, returning to Anzat only to find a mate and reproduce and, in some cases, train with Anzati master assassins.

Some folk tales claimed that the Anzati had existed longer than any other species. It was believed that the Anzati encountered the ancient Sith species during the pre-Republic era, and it was from the Anzati that the Sith drew such practices as dining on bloodsoup on their homeworld of Korriban.

Although the Anzati as a species were isolationists, there were several instances in which they were propelled into the galactic spotlight. The earliest known instance was the anomaly of the Jedi Anzat Volfe Karkko. It was rare for an Anzat become a Jedi because it was believed that Anzati were of too violent a nature to be entrusted with such power as the Jedi wielded, and would not be able to resist using their power to drink the "soup" of those around them.

With Karkko, this belief proved true, as he had been so well trained that he believed himself above the instinct shared by his species, having never tasted "soup." Unfortunately, this same arrogance led Karkko to think that he could control his inbred nature, and he fed. This mistake in turn resulted in Karkko succumbing to the dark side.

Karkko was captured and held in a stasis field for a millennium on the prison world of Kiffex. During his imprisonment, however, his mind remained active, originally so he could contemplate his actions. Unfortunately, he used this to his advantage, using it to draw numerous followers.

Over time, his legend grew among the Anzati on Kiffex, who worshiped him as "the Dreamer," converting his resting place into a sacred temple. Karkko fed his follower's baser instincts, turning them feral and causing them to prey on the residents of inmates of Kiffex with a ferocity that was striking even for an Anzati. Karkko was eventually killed by Quinlan Vos, thus ending his reign there.

Nikkos Tyris was another fallen Jedi Anzat who was trained as one of Count Dooku's Dark Acolytes. It was he who founded a competing order of Force-users during the Clone Wars called the Saarai-kaar, later known as the Jensaarai. Fortunately, the Jensaarai did not pose significant harm to others, never rising to influence much beyond their homeworld and only seeking to serve as protectors. Because their initial leaders were not corrupted by the dark side, the Jensaarai actually served the light side of the Force, despite their reverence for Sith traditions.



Saljé Tasha, Akku Seii, and Rath Kelkko were three Anzati assassins who were involved with the Jedi in some way during the Clone Wars. Tasha, a female Anzat, was responsible for the death of Finis Valorum, and she and Kelkko were hired by Sora Bulq to train Morgukai warriors on Saleucami. Tasha was later killed by Oppo Rancisis, who was in turn assassinated with the help of Rath Kelkko.

When Bulq hired the Anzati to train the Morgukai clones, it left a shortage of assassin masters on Anzat, forcing Akku Seii to break tradition and train many Anzati at once. Because Akku was an acquaintance of Jedi Master Tholme, he aided the Jedi in finding the other Anzati masters. These masters were working with Bok, a Morgukai, to train the growing secret faction. Upon learning of them, Tholme sabotaged their efforts, causing them great displeasure before he killed them in the catacombs of Saleucami.

Around 0 BBY, Dannik Jerriko, a male Anzat bounty hunter known as the Eater of Luck, came to prominence. He was paid handsomely for killing murderers thieves and thugs, feeling that they would not be missed. He was irritable, being unable to tolerate clients who did not appreciate the value of his thorough work; as such, it was not uncommon for him to feed on an unhappy client.



While searching for the 'soup' of thieves on Tatooine, he encountered Obi-Wan Kenobi, whose life force he craved. However, he was unable to gain this and instead preyed on the much more valuable Han Solo, in lieu of Jabba Desilijic Tiure's bounty on him. He was again unable to feed on his prey, and was later assigned to protect Tash Arranda, Zak Arranda, and Mammon Hoole.

After that assignment, Dannik returned to Tatooine to spy on Jabba. Still desirous of Solo's soup, the Anzati became excited upon the arrival of a carbonite slab containing Solo. However, Jerriko was deprived of his chance to drink Solo's soup when his Rebel Alliance comrades saved him. Frustrated at the loss of this opportunity, Jerriko accepted the option of feeding on Jabba, only to be foiled by the Hutt's death at the Great Pit of Carkoon. Mad with vampiric hunger and rage, Jerriko killed a number of unfortunate survivors at Jabba's Palace and then fled Tatooine to continue his endless search for beings on which to feed.

Feral Anzati


There appeared to be a feral species of Anzat who were capable of shooting out a ropy webbing out of their torso to trap their prey, though this was only seen among the Anzati drawn to Volfe Karkko. They were believed to have been Anzati who went to Kiffex in reverence to Karkko during his imprisonment. Somehow he leeched their vitality, causing them to become degenerate and feral. They retained the ability to speak, but this was usually limited to single words and small phrases.

Behind the scenes
In The Essential Guide to Characters, it is stated that Anzati only consumed a victim's luck, and that a victim could survive. This is contradicted by most other sources.

Also, Anzati seem to be inspired by Vampires.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Republic: Outlander
 * Star Wars Republic: Darkness
 * Jedi: Aayla Secura
 * Jedi: Count Dooku
 * Star Wars Republic: Trackdown
 * Star Wars Republic: The Siege of Saleucami
 * A Hunter's Fate: Greedo's Tale webstrip
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * Star Wars Missions 19: Bounty on Bonadan
 * Soup's On: The Pipe Smoker's Tale
 * Galaxy of Fear: Ghost of the Jedi
 * Out of the Closet: The Assassin's Tale
 * I, Jedi

Notes and references
Anzati Anzatowie