Exogorth

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"The cave is collapsing!"
"This is no cave!"

―Leia Organa and Han Solo^[src]

Exogorths,^[4] also known as space slugs, were members of a silicon-based sentient species that resided in the hollows of asteroids and who prided themselves on maintaining a pleasant ecosystem within their bodies. At least one such being lived in the Hoth asteroid belt named Sy-O.

Biology and appearance[edit | edit source]

Space slugs reached full maturity at ten meters and reproduced by splitting into two smaller, separate bodies. If a space slug was incapable of this process, its growth continued uninterrupted, potentially reaching lengths of 900 meters. Slugs of this size were known to swallow starships whole and house entire ecosystems.^[2]

Often living in asteroid fields, space slugs would burrow into an asteroid until completely hidden. From there, they fed on stellar energy emissions, mineral-rich deposits from the asteroid, floating space debris, and other silicon-based creatures, such as mynocks.^[2] Largely dormant, the opportunistic feeder could lunge upon passing ships. However, doing so used up all of its energy, exhausting it.^[3] The creatures could live extremely long lives. Sy-O, the creature that resided within the Hoth asteroid field was known to have lived for over a billion years and yet was considered young for its age.^[1]

Society and culture[edit | edit source]

Exogorths were a patient and relatively peaceful species that prided themselves on their ability to have their bodies become stable ecosystems that were home to countless species that peacefully co-existed. Exogorths with incredibly diverse ecosystems in their bodies were considered highly respectable, however those with limited lifeforms such as Sy-O were looked down upon even by their parents for only being able to host mynocks.^[1]

History[edit | edit source]

The species has existed for more than billions of years, as even Sy-O who was billions of years old himself was still considered young by others of his kind.^[1]

After the Battle of Hoth, the Millennium Falcon, unable to jump to lightspeed, due to its damaged hyperdrive, fled pursuing TIE fighters by hiding inside what they believed to be the crater of a large asteroid;^[5] in reality, the maw was a giant space slug named Sy-O,^[1] where they also tried to repair the Falcon's hyperdrive. While sitting in the cockpit, Leia Organa was disturbed by a mynock, and she stepped outside with Han Solo and Chewbacca to investigate. When shots were fired, Sy-O lurched: Solo, realizing where they actually were, ordered everyone back in and flew the Falcon out before the space slug closed its mouth. The space slug emerged and snapped its jaws at the Falcon in hopes of keeping the crew inside it and expanding its ecosystem, but the freighter was too fast for it, and so receded back into the crater.^[5] After the Falcon's departure, one of the pursuing Tie fighters was attacked by Sy-O, forcing the pilot to eject into space. The accompanying members of the Tie Squadron concentrated their attack on it, managing to chip its tooth and eventually forcing it to recede once more into its hideout.^[6]