Mon Calamari/Legends

"Make no mistake, the Mon Calamari saved the galaxy."

- Mon Mothma

The Mon Calamari (also known as Calamari, Calamarians, Mon Cal or Mon Calamarians) were one of the sentient species indigenous to the world of Dac.

Biology and appearance
"This ship stinks of fish. Or so I would imagine. The Mon Calamari are such a disgusting species."

- Grievous

On average, a member of the species stood between 1.3 to 1.8 meters tall and also smelled of salt and the sea. Mon Calamari were fish-like amphibious humanoids with domed heads, webbed hands, and large eyes. Male Mon Calamari had protrusions on their chin called "barbels" which grew more numerous with age. Most Mon Calamari had salmon-colored skin, often mottled with light and dark patterns, though examples of other skin colors were known. They could also descend to depths of up to 30 meters below sea level without breathing, though they found it uncomfortable and often used organic gills. Mon Calamari could stay underwater for a long period of time, although a frightened Mon Calamari, particularly a juvenile, could drown underwater. They also did not need to decompress when resurfacing.

Their hands, apart from being webbed, also featured five claw-tipped fingers; one opposable thumb with two more shorter claw-like protrusions, two long middle fingers, and two extremely short outer fingers. As an additional feature, Mon Calamari hands also presented three suction-cup like holes on their palms.

Mon Calamari could swivel their eyes independently from one another, focusing on two areas at once. Mon Calamari saw in different wavelengths than Humans, making it difficult for one species to view visuals designed for the other and vice versa. Their eyes were often used to express emotion; staring with the left eye was a way of showing surprise, while staring with the right eye was either a challenge to fight or an expression of love, depending on the circumstances.



Due to their fish-like appearance, the Mon Calamari were referred to by the somewhat derogatory Deal-slang expression "Mon Cals in a fishbowl", which referred to the act of making several big and easy deals from naïve or less-than-intelligent clients.

Society and culture
"I tell you, it was like blasting Mon Cals in a fishbowl."

- Deal-slang expression

The Mon Calamari had developed a very advanced and civilized culture. Art, music, literature, and science showed a creativity surpassed by few in the galaxy. Mon Calamari literature depicted stars as islands in a galactic sea. This showed a passionate longing to explore space and discover other civilizations. In terms of temperament, they were both soft spoken and gentle. They were extremely tempered to the point that they were slow to anger and had the remarkable ability to maintain their concentration without being distracted by emotional responses. Another notable traits amongst their personality included being inquisitive and creative as well as being quiet. In addition, they were known for a near-legendary quality of being both determined as well as dedicated. This meant that once a Mon Calamari decided on a course of action, they were not easily swayed from that decision. As they are idealistic and daring, they often fixated themselves on causes that seemed hopeless or lost from the start. As such, they had a great deal of enthusiasm and spirit which was often masked by their quiet, orderly exterior. Ultimately, a Mon Calamari often attempted to demonstrate that even dreamers and thinkers were capable of daring and brave when the need arose. This meant that they often thought of the needs of the society and believed in performing the greater good to the point that they placed it above the good of the individual.

They had developed a reputation for being one of the most skilled starship designers in the galaxy. This partly stemmed from the fact that they saw everything as a work of art rather than being a simple tool or weapon. Whilst their technology was notable for being unique yet comparable to that of the other inhabitants of the galaxy. While their starships were significantly different from those of other races, they were in fact somewhat more efficient in design. However, such vessels tended to be extremely difficult to construct. The mathematically-minded Givin could not stand the Mon Calamari spaceships, as they were too organic and not geometric enough.

The Mon Calamari language was shared with the Quarren though many members of the species adopted Basic as their common tongue. In fact, they were able to speak both of these languages with ease though in the case of Basic, their vocal cords often produced a gurgling sound when they spoke in that tongue. Squid Lake, a performance of Mon Calamari dance, played at the Galaxies Opera House on Coruscant in 19 BBY. The audience for the premiere included such influential figures as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker.

Their species had long been recognized for their organizational and analytical skills. In terms of governance, the Mon Calamari made use of a highly efficient representative form of government that was similar to the Senate. Mon Calamari tended to dislike and mistrust smugglers, with the famous Admiral Ackbar being no exception. This facet of Mon Calamari culture led to some tension in the early days of the New Republic. One of the cultural inclinations of the species was that truth of a person's character was capable of being expressed through their eyes. Mon Calamari also possessed a keen love of flying through the stars.

Whilst the Mon Calamari cherished peace, they were not above waging war in causes that they believed in. As such, though they were noted for being peaceful, there were known to possess warrior clans within their society with a long tradition of military service within certain families that extended generations. These clans believed that their skills as warriors were second to none and fiercely believed in their superiority on the battlefield. Conflict with the Galactic Empire would forever change Mon Calamari culture. Once seen as one of the most peaceful species in the galaxy, warfare has come to define the Mon Calamari people. Once their allegiance to the Rebel Alliance had been solidified, the Mon Calamari began a massive military buildup. The shipyards over their home planet of Mon Calamari, began converting their ships for war. These ships, once viewed as some of the most beautiful and luxurious passenger liners in the galaxy, quickly became instruments of death and destruction. Though new to warfare, the Mon Calamari quickly adapted and soon found themselves at home with the concept. Nearly overnight, thousands of Mon Calamari began to fill the ranks of the Alliance.

As soldiers, the Mon Calamari were known to fight with a resolve that rivaled the Wookiees. As pilots, the Mon Calamari would control their ships like an artist would control a paintbrush. Their most notable role in the Rebellion were the officer and tactical positions that the Rebels desperately needed to fill. The Mon Calamari were renowned for their leadership and tactical brilliance both in space and ground combat. After the defeat of the Empire and the establishment of the New Republic, the Mon Calamari found themselves unwilling to return to their pre-Imperial pacifism and military disarmament. Instead the Mon Calamari felt the galaxy was yet to be safe and continued to devote ships, personnel, and resources to the Republic. Even 40 years after the Battle of Yavin the Mon Calamari were still noted for their continued military excellence, with many Mon Calamari serving at the highest ranks of the Galactic Alliance military. By the time of the defeat of the Galactic Alliance in 130 ABY and the rise of the Galactic Empire under Sith rule, the shipyards over Mon Calamari consisted of a massive and heavily armed construction station that ringed the entire planet.

History
"Mon Calamari are not aggressive. They value life too much -- including their own."

- Darth Azard.



Early history
The Mon Calamari shared their planet with the Quarren, the Whaladons, the Moappa, and the Knowledge Bank. The species claimed that their race came of age in the ancient island chain of Mkbuto Islands which was considered sacred as a result. Their primitive ancestors were shore dwellers though had an affinity for water as well as fed largely on crustaceans, fish and fruit. Over the millennia that followed, they developed a rudimentary form of aquaculture which allowed them to farm fish as well as cultivate kelp. Unlike the other species, their civilization was centered in the shallow parts of the ocean and on Dac's few islands. This gave them a technological head start over the planet's other people, especially the Quarren of the ocean depths. Despite this being the case, their technological progress was slower to that of Humans due to the weak metals in their homeworlds crust.

Circa 4,500 BBY, the Mon Calamari were attacked by the Quarren leading to the devastating Quarren War. The Mon Calamari, though less aggressive by nature, had much better technology, and won the war. In order to prevent future wars, the Mon Calamari took hundreds of young Quarren prisoners, taught them the ways of Mon Calamari civilization, then set them free. After the re-educated Quarrens gained control over Quarren civilization, peace between the two peoples continued for centuries (though it was sometimes a tense relationship). After the initial confusion had passed between the two races, the Mon Calamari formed a symbiotic relationship with the Quarren which resulted in a golden age engulfing their world. As the Calamari began to advance technologically, they began to construct floating cities which became the centers for government, learning and their culture.

The Mon Calamari had always been explorers, even from their earliest records, and wanted to explore the stars. As part of their desire to reach the stars, the Mon Calamari along with their Quarren partners created a program for their slow expansion into space. This started with the creation of a ring of habitats as well as science laboratories from which they could further chart their mission. For over a century, they developed their understanding of zero-gravity as well as starship propulsion before they were ready to take the next step of their journey. What followed was early starliners being launched to nearby worlds where they colonized the planets Mantan and Ruisto as well as established an asteroid mining operation that was overseen by the Quarren who refined metals to supplement the construction efforts of the Mon Calamari.

Joining the Republic
It was during this peaceful era of expansion that first contact came with the Galactic Republic in 4,166 BBY, just prior to the Great Sith War. Before this time, the Republic was aware of the existence of the Dac system through probes but deemed it too far from known space for further expansion. As the two civilizations made contact with one another, the Mon Calamari showed their eagerness in learning more of the vast Republic as well as its great knowledge of the galaxy. Their Quarren cousins, however, were more cautious and urged discretion. The Mon Calamari and their homeworld remained a mystery to the Republic over the years due to outsiders being unwilling to interact with the inhabitants as they were constantly on the brink of war. Whilst there was contact between the two, relations were not solid between the two races as the Mon Calamari were reluctant to trust those from off-world. Mon Calamari delight turned to dismay when the corrupt forces that gripped the Galactic Republic devastated their homeworld. Later, Dac joined the Galactic Senate. One Mon Calamari even served as Supreme Chancellor in 3,653 BBY, during the Sacking of Coruscant.

C. 529 BBY, a number of needy Mon Calamari and Quarren locals were approached by recruiters sent by Hugo Bartyn. Bartyn wanted amphibian fishermen to settle a new city in Lamaredd and tempted these poverty-stricken individuals with promises of untouched seas in a new frontier. Once they arrived, however, they became slave laborers. Besides, all the aliens were forced to live in crowded conditions and, as Mon Calamari and Quarrens could never stand each other, this eventually caused inter-species violence &mdash; and the eventual creation of a Quarren colony, The Shoals.

During the last decades of the Galactic Republic, the government of Dac, and its representation in the Galactic Senate, was shared between the Mon Calamari and the Quarren. Whilst many Mon Calamari traveled through the galaxy and individuals from the Republic came to Mon Calamari Space, ultimately Dac and its colonies were visited infrequently. Furthermore, the planet resisted any attempts at formally joining the Republic which led to Mon Calamari and its legendary shipyards being considered rumors by many. Just before the Clone Wars, the corrupt Quarren Senator Tikkes allowed Thalassian Slavers to operate in Calamari Sector, and defected to the Confederacy of Independent Systems as leader of the Quarren Isolation League after being forced out of office. A civil war on Dac ensued, with the Republic loyalist Mon Calamari Knights joining Republic forces against the Quarren Isolation League. After the Republic victory at the Battle of Dac, new accords between the Quarren and Mon Calamari were signed, with pro-Republic Senators Tundra Dowmeia (a Quarren) and Meena Tills (a Mon Calamari) jointly representing Dac in the Senate. At some point in the conflict, Count Dooku unleashed the Force Harvester on Mon Calamari and other worlds during the Dark Reaper Crisis.

The Empire and Beyond
With the dawn of the Galactic Empire, the Mon Calamari initially welcomed the Imperial forces when they entered their system. However, the Imperials saw the people of Dac&mdash;the Mon Calamari in particular&mdash;as natural slaves whose industries and resources could be used to power the Imperial war machine. The Imperial leadership may also have been suspicious because both of Dac's senators signed the Petition of 2000. Aided by the sabotage of the planetary shields by Quarren saboteurs such as Seggor Tels, the Empire swiftly conquered Mon Calamari. The Mon Calamari led a passive resistance movement following Imperial forces forcibly taking governance of their world and treating them with contempt. Whilst they were largely unsuccessful and enslaved, the Mon Calamari did not yield their desire for freedom. Emperor Palpatine did not tolerate any form of defiance to his rule and thus ordered three Mon Calamari cities to be destroyed in reprisal which killed thousands. Regardless, the Imperial attack did not succeed in breaking the Mon Calamari spirit. Eventually, the Mon Calamari, joined by the Quarren, rose up against their oppressors, driving them off their planet.

Later, an Imperial sentientologist named Obo Rin, working under the direction of Darth Vader, wrote the Catalog of Intelligent Life in the Galaxy. In an attempt to discredit the Mon Calamari, this work included falsified claims that the first contact between the Mon Calamari and galactic civilization occurred during the reign of the Galactic Empire. This was accepted as truth by many citizens of the Empire, further angering the Mon Calamari.

The Mon Calamari eventually joined the Rebel Alliance, proving an invaluable asset in the Galactic Civil War. This was primarily due to the Mon Calamari being masters of starship construction and supplying the Alliance with badly needed Mon Calamari Star Cruisers, the capital ships that could take on the Galactic Empire's ships of the line. Prior to joining the Alliance, the Mon Calamari had only built passenger liners because of their peaceful ethos. During the Battle of Endor, Mon Calamari vessels were used by the Alliance and played a major role in the battle. The Mon Cals would continue to serve its successor governments: the New Republic and the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances. Due to their ideals and contributions, they were given the moniker "the soul of the Alliance."



During the reborn Emperor Palpatine's insurrection in 10 ABY, the Mon Calamari were targeted by the Imperial Remnant in retaliation for supporting the Rebel Alliance. Many Mon Calamari floating cities were destroyed by the massive World Devastators. However, the Empire's efforts were repulsed during the First Battle of Dac. Dac came under assault again by the forces of Admiral Daala in the Second Battle of Mon Calamari, but her forces were also repelled. During the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, Dac was used as the temporary capital of the newly formed Galactic Federation of Free Alliances after the loss of Coruscant.

By the end of the Sith-Imperial War, the Mon Calamari were reduced from their equal status under the One Sith. Since then, the Mon Calamari assisted Alliance Admiral Gar Stazi, by supplying recruits, parts, supplies, and bacta. When Stazi stole the Imperious-class Star Destroyer Imperious, Darth Krayt took his frustration out on all of Dac's population. He ordered the immediate extermination of ten percent of the Mon Calamari population and internment of the rest in work camps to provide an example of the consequences of betraying the Sith to the rest of the galaxy. The first act in the genocide ordered by the Emperor was the massacre of the Mon Calamari Council. However, in order to oppose the extermination of their people, the Mon Calamari Rangers were formed. During the evacuation of Dac twentey percent of the Calamari were saved. after that they were relocated to various safe spots in the galaxy.

Notable Mon Calamari
Mon Calamari achieved a certain degree of influence in the planet Lamaredd; the new boat designs had a clear Calamarian influence, and several Mon Calamari were locally well-known &mdash; particularly the constable and later Administrator Mix Liddell, but also the pretty casino owner Nyubuna Bulul and the dockmaster Howe Walwahd.
 * Admiral Ackbar - Supreme Commander of the Alliance Fleet and Supreme Commander of the New Republic Defense Force
 * Jesmin Ackbar - niece of Ackbar, founding member of, and communications expert for, Wraith Squadron
 * Ackdool - Commanding Officer of the Star Cruiser Mediator.
 * Cilghal - niece of Ackbar, Senator for Dac and Jedi Master in the New Jedi Order
 * Bant Eerin - Rise of the Empire era Jedi Knight
 * Gumbrak Hoxz - Rise of the Empire era Padawan
 * Gial Gahan - Member of the Galactic Alliance Triumvirate
 * Ibtisam - Pilot of Rogue Squadron
 * Monia Gahan - Pilot of Rogue Squadron and member of the Galactic Alliance Remnant
 * Meena Tills - Joint representative of Dac in the Galactic Senate
 * Timi Rotramel - Last representative of Dac in the Imperial Senate, early member of the Rebel Alliance.
 * Thaneespi - Deck officer/tactical analyst on Home One at the Battle of Endor
 * Merai - Separatist Naval Commander during the Clone Wars
 * Pashna Starkiller - Seasoned officer in the Rebel Alliance and New Republic
 * Arikakon Baraka - Admiral and Supercruiser Commander
 * Terpfen - Unwilling Imperial spy
 * Cha Niathal - Supreme Commander of the Galactic Alliance Defense Force
 * Sissalik - second and final Captain of Nanda's Luck
 * Genkal - Captain of the Naritus
 * Halabar - Respected professor on Calamari.
 * Nahdar Vebb - Jedi Knight and second former Padawan of Kit Fisto
 * Pakmillu - Captain of the Outbound Flight
 * Unidentified Mon Calamari chancellor - The Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic during the Great War in 3,653 BBY.
 * Eekar Oki- Jedi Knight during the Clone Wars.
 * Tanquar-leader of the Mon Calamari Rangers.

Behind the scenes
Before the release of the prequel trilogy, when West End Games was responsible for generating most of the backstory for the various alien species in the Star Wars galaxy, the Mon Calamari and the Quarren were said to have had their first contact with offworlders when the Galactic Empire discovered their world. This generated continuity problems when Quarren appeared as background aliens in The Phantom Menace, and when the Mon Calamari Padawan Bant Eerin appeared in the Jedi Apprentice series. The idea that the Mon Calamari's conflict with the Empire was their first experience with offworlders was retconned away when they appeared as loyal members of the Galactic Republic in Star Wars: Clone Wars. Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds explained these previous references as Imperial propaganda.

When Return of the Jedi was in pre-production, George Lucas took one look at a nameless alien design laid out by the production creature designers. He decided at that moment that it was going to be Admiral Ackbar. Creature designer Phil Tippet named the species after his lunch of calamari salad one day as a joke. Eight creature masks were constructed for Mon Calamari background characters, though only Ackbar's was fully detailed and articulated.

In Star Wars: Legacy 32: Fight Another Day, Part 1, it is stated that Mon Calamari can breathe underwater. However, according to other sources Mon Calamari have to use an Organic gill if they wish to stay underwater for an extended period of time. This is accepted as canon.

Mon Calamari are sometimes portrayed with very fin-like legs and feet, yet they are usually shown wearing pants and boots that would fit more Human-like legs and feet. Apparently the cartilaginous tissue of their feet is flexible enough to conform to footwear made for humans.

'Calamari' means 'squid' in many European languages. Many names of Mon Calamari characters are actually Arabic words and names, such as Ackbar, Ibtisam, Ragab, Jesmin, Cheb, and so on.

Non-canon appearances

 * Tag & Bink: Revenge of the Clone Menace
 * A Death Star Is Born
 * Tag & Bink Are Dead
 * The Princess Leia Diaries
 * Star Wars Infinities: Return of the Jedi
 * LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga