Laigrek

"I locked the door in here. I thought I was gonna be laigrek compost."

- Jorran

Laigreks were a species of predatory insectoids that were native to the grassy Outer Rim world of Dantooine, where they infested the dark and dank subterranean regions of the planet. Possessing six legs and two multifaceted red eyes, they bore black exoskeletons with red mottling on their undersides. Their heads also sported a pair of horn-like protrusions, with beak-like, spiked mouths. Laigreks were not seen around Dantooine's Jedi Enclave prior to 3,956 BBY, and only glimpsed five years after the Enclave had been bombarded by forces of the Sith Empire under Darth Malak during the height of the Jedi Civil War, suggesting that they were not common to the area. During the time that the Khoonda outpost attempted to assert control of Dantooine, laigreks terrorized the salvagers who tried to raid the enclave, often killing would-be treasure hunters. They never ventured out of the sublevel, however, and left the ruined upper floors and surrounding territory open to the kinrath.

Biology and appearance
"Yes. It was redder than a laigrek's eye."

- The Jedi Exile describes a red lightsaber

Native to the remote Outer Rim planet of Dantooine, the laigrek was insectoid in appearance, with a layered and armored exoskeleton and six scythe-shaped legs. Laigreks' height while standing on their hind legs was approximately double their size when moving on all six limbs, making them approximately half the size of most Humans. The back of their layered armor was composed of shiny black chitin, with a fiery red spattered over their bellies. Two small black cerci jutted from the top of a laigrek's back end, and thorn-like projections adorned the side of its body. Its legs had two joints, with the inner edge of its knife-like lower limbs bearing a serrated edge. The creature's head sported two large black lumps, bearing the appearance of compound eyes, in which were embedded smaller, blood red eyes. Typical laigreks possessed two thorn-like antennae extending from the crown of their heads, and had an animal-like mouth that hinged on a jaw rather than having a set of mandibles like most insectoids. It was highly ridged and lumped, with the top jaw similar to a sharp beak. There was a much more dangerous subspecies of the laigrek as well. It was larger, and more aggressive. This variant had the capacity to breathe fire over short distances and ability to endure high temperatures, adding an additional level of danger to the already formidable creatures.

Behavior and intelligence


Laigreks were fast and deadly predators, and quite capable of hunting down and killing a Human or other, larger prey, making them fierce opponents to all but the most well-equipped of travelers. Normally, these nonsentient creatures would wander about randomly, however they were constantly attentive for intruders. When they spotted trespassers within their territory, laigreks responded quickly and swarmed their prey, often with overwhelming numbers. Their preferred method of attack was to utilize their forelegs as large claws, slashing at their victims repeatedly, as well as biting with their sharp mouths. They were usually found in small swarms, and only rarely encountered in solitary numbers. When they ran or walked, laigreks moved hunched low and parallel to the surface, allowing them to move faster by letting their front two legs touch the ground. They communicated by means of a chirping shriek.

History
Though native to the subterranean areas of Dantooine, laigreks were only found in great numbers within the bombed-out ruins of the Jedi Enclave&mdash;the area around which would later host the Khoonda outpost in the wake of the Jedi Civil War. However, their sudden swarming only within the sublevel of the Enclave, which had been subjected to an orbital bombardment by Sith forces under Darth Malak, proved to be a serious threat to those attempting to salvage Jedi artifacts from within the ruins.

As salvagers saw a golden opportunity to raid the ruins of the Jedi Enclave, more and more flooded into Khoonda in order to loot the place of valuables, which were plentiful at first. However, because of the laigreks, to dare to journey into the sublevel was extremely dangerous. In order to limit the danger from laigrek attacks, as well as to tax and regulate the trade in artifacts that Khoonda depended on for income, special permission was needed to access the sublevel. When a group of salvagers attempted to access areas that had not yet been plundered, they were met by a swarm of laigreks; though most got away, a salvager named Jorran was left in the sublevel, where he managed to seal himself within a room to keep the laigreks at bay. He was later found by the Jedi Exile during her hunt for the Jedi Master Vrook Lamar, as Jorran had learned of the Lamar's last known location after talking with Administrator Terena Adare. During her search, she and her companions eliminated all of the laigreks within the sublevel; on her way out, she informed the salvager, who promptly left the area.

Behind the scenes
Laigreks first appeared in the computer and video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. If the player takes the dark path throughout the game, then the Exile has the possibility of lying to Jorran, convincing him that the way was clear despite the fact that laigreks still infested the area. This results in the salvager's death as he is swarmed by the insectoids.

According to content discovered by Team Gizka, it was to have been the Jedi Padawan Kaevee, accidentally abandoned during the Jedi Order's evacuation from Dantooine, who had sent for the insectoids. She was to have done this in order to aid her in keeping the treasures and secrets buried within the ruined enclave secure. The character of Kaevee was to have been only in training when the attack on Dantooine began, and not knowledgeable enough to discern between the dark and light sides of the Force. When the Sith assaulted the Jedi Enclave, seeking&mdash;and asking questions only about&mdash;Revan, Kaevee was to have fled to the Matale estate, only to see Shen Matale and the rest of his family die and their house put to the torch. Thus deprived of her hiding place, she was to have taken refuge within the Enclave sublevel, where she would set about guarding the place, summoning the laigreks to aid her. She became attached to the creatures, referring to them her "pets".. The Exile was to have had a number of choices with regards to the Padawan, including turning her to the dark side, but they were cut out along with Kaevee herself.

The ambiguous parts of the article were originally to be in the game, but were cut due to time constraints, leaving several loose ends within the game, including the origin of the laigreks. However, optional dialogue choices between the Exile and companion Atton Rand after the escape from the Peragus Mining Facility indicate that the creatures were not unheard of.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

Notes and references
Laigrek