Yahk-Tosh

Yahk-Tosh
Biological classification
Designation	Sentient
Physical characteristics
Skin color	Green
Distinctions	Slug-like Six thick arms telepathic Four horns
Sociocultural characteristics
Homeworld	Xolu
Language	Yahk-Tosh

The Yahk-Tosh were a slug-like sentient species from the planet Xolu in Hutt Space and were believed to be distantly related to the Hutts. Their bodies were slug like in appearance, with six thick arms, which they used for moving around, and their scaled skin had a dirty green color. Four thin horns sprouted from the tops of their heads and their pointed snouts were filled with rows of serrated teeth.

Like the Hutts, the Yahk-Tosh were also immune to Force mind tricks. As well as their homeworld the species controlled the planet Far Pando also in Hutt Space, but pledged their loyalty to the Hutt Grand Council. One Yahk-Tosh Lord named Gar-Oth subjugated Princess Lourdes' homeworld, until he was killed by the Princess with the help of Jedi Knight Yoshi Raph-Elan.

Biology and appearance

The Yahk-Tosh were a slug like sentient species similar in appearance to the Hutt species which they were believed to be distantly related to. Like the Hutts they had tough, green hides, a single foot upon which they moved about as well as a similar facial structure consisting of two eyes and a mouth containing a tongue, unlike the Hutts though they had six arms each ending in three digits, which they used to move about, scaly skin, teeth within their mouth and four horns growing from the top of their heads. The species had red colored blood, but also produced slime and at least one member had yellow colored eyes. Also like Hutts members of the species were able to resist mind tricks by Force-sensitive beings and had some telepathic abilities of their own which were strong enough to control some droids. The species were also surprisingly fast for their large size, capable of keeping up with a human, and they were also shockingly strong.

History

The Yahk-Tosh lived on the planet Xolu within the region of the galaxy that became known as Hutt Space, which was controlled by the Hutt species and lead by their Hutt Grand Council, which the Yahk-Tosh pledged loyalty to. The region was first explored between 15,000 BBY and 8000 BBY and Hutt space had expanded to include Xolu by the time of the Great Sith War between 4000 BBY and 3996 BBY. Within Hutt space they also controlled the planet Far Pando which was a pleasant agrarian world. Both Xolu and Far Pando were on the Pando Spur hyperlane which connected them to Hollastin and Near Pando, two other worlds within Hutt Space.

One Yahk-Tosh warlord named Gar-Oth had come to control an empire by 31 BBY but in that year he was killed after successfully invading a small planetoid with a droid army and attempting to marry it's ruler, Princess Lourdes, who stabbed him with the aid of a Jedi named Yoshi Raph-Elan. Xolu and the Yahk-Tosh were still considered part of Hutt space by 137 ABY.

Yahk-Tosh in the galaxy

One Yahk-Tosh, named Gar-Oth, became a crime lord and controlled a small empire, which he ruled using an army of droids. Gar-Oth and his army invaded a small planetoid in a star system near to his empire, meaning to expand the empire, and when the local population resisted the droids killed many of them including the planetoid's king. Once his forces had control of the planetoid Gar-Oth decreed a number of laws which his GX1-series battle droid enforced on the local population. This included a curfew, which if citizens broke they would be punished with death, which the battle droids designated punishment code number 62719. Attempting to rescue a citizen from such punishment violated another decree Gar-Oth had made named decree code number 352719 which was also punishable by death. Gar-Oth however craved legitimacy in his control of the planetoid and so arranged to marry the daughter of the deceased king, Princess Lourdes. His droids continued to kill civilians until the princess agreed to his proposal. Whilst preparations for the marriage were made Lourdes was kept guarded by battle droids in a castle, which the Yahk-Tosh also had probe droids monitor.

Whilst Lourdes was held captive in the tower Gar-Oth grew rapidly angrier with the delay and when mystics he employed envisioned a Foreseen who would attempt to stop the marriage he moved the date forward to that of his engagement ball. Upon arriving at the ball with a pair of Jilruan servants and his wedding gift to Lourdes', a droid named Goliath, he informed the princess that to avoid the Foreseen they would be married immediately. To ensure her acceptance he sent battle droids to a number of villages which were prepared to killed the inhabitants should Lourdes refuse. After Gar-Oth's insistence on marrying on the spot however, Lourdes servant declared that he was in fact her husband. In reality the Human was a Jedi Knight named Yoshi Raph-Elan, whose starfighter had been shot down above the planetoid by droid starfighters belonging to the Yahk-Tosh. Enraged, Gar-Oth attacked Yoshi with his bare hands attempting to kill him as combat to the death between wedding suitors was legal by the planetoids royal law. Gar-Oth's droids were able to help him but none of his living servants as the law stated no living being could interfere. When the Jedi attempted unsuccessfully to use a mind trick on him, Gar-Oth realized that he was Force-sensitive and became even angrier, summoning Goliath, which he controlled telepathically, to kill Yoshi and Lourdes. Yoshi attacked the droid whilst Lourdes attacked her fiancé with a sword stolen from one of the Jilruans. Gar-Oth however overpowered Lourdes and began throttling her at which point a Jilruan offered to finish her off with his dagger but was stopped by a servant of Lourdes named Skeeter. Much to Gar-Oth's surprise Lourdes stabbed him with a second sword she had hidden beneath her robes and killed him, shortly after which Yoshi destroyed Goliath who toppled and crushed most of Gar-Oths attendants and droids. After the Yahk-Tosh's death Lourdes people reclaimed the planetoid from Gar-Oth's forces and Yoshi returned to the Jedi Order.

Behind the scenes

The Yahk-Tosh first appeared in 2001 in the comic book Star Wars (1998) 27, an issue of the Star Wars: Republic series of comics produced by Dark Horse Comics. Written by Doug Petrie, the comic featured Gar-Oth as its antagonist. While it did not identify Gar-Oth's species, it referred to the language he spoke as Yahk-Tosh. The species was first officially named as part of an entry on Princess Lourdes in De Agostini's 128th issue of the The Official Star Wars Fact File which was written by Andrew Darling, Matthew Harvey, Liz Holliday and Iain Lowson in 2004. The species and Gar-Oth himself then both received an entry in the The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia written by Pablo Hidalgo and Stephen J. Sansweet in 2008 which established their possible relation to the Hutts. Their homeworld and control of Far Pando were both included in The Essential Atlas which was written by Daniel Wallace and Jason Fry in 2009 and published by Del Rey. Wallace also mentioned Gar-Oth in two blog posts he made concerning the Atlas where he identified the Yahk-Tosh's attendants as Jilruans, as it hadn't been directly stated in the atlas.

Appearances

• Star Wars (1998) 27 (First appearance)

Sources

• The Official Star Wars Fact File 128 (LOU1-2, Princess Lourdes)
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
• The Essential Atlas
• Lords of Nal Hutta