Yevetha

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The Yevetha (pronounced /jɛ'viθɑ/) were a lithe, skeletal species indigenous to N'zoth in the Koornacht Cluster, known for their xenophobia and death-centered culture.

Contents 1 Biology and appearance 2 Society and culture 3 History 4 Appearances 5 Sources 6 Notes and references

[edit] Biology and appearance

Physically, the Yevetha stood almost two meters tall, and had large black eyes and light gray skin, ghoulish in appearance and bereft of body hair. The males possessed two pairs of crests, one on the upper face, one on the lower, that swelled red during mating or combat.

Each hand possessed six fingers, but the most notable feature of Yevethan physiology was their dew claws, housed in sheathes on the underside of each wrist. These blades extended to about a foot in length, and were used in close combat and blood sacrifices.

Young Yevetha were gestated in the female's detachable birth cask, known as mara-nas, which were fed with the blood of sacrificed males. The developing Yevetha's need for blood was an essential part of their harsh culture.

Yevetha were known to suffer from a disease called gray death, but the symptoms were unknown.

Though it was extremely rare, some Yevetha were born genderless.

[edit] Society and culture

Yevethan culture was organized into a strict hierarchical system headed by the Darama. Politically, Yevethan society was led by a Viceroy, who also operated as the chief of state for the Duskhan League. The Darama and Viceroy were linked positions, connecting Yevethan spirituality and politics. Departments of governance, commerce, science, and culture were led by Proctors, and supported by various guilds. This structure was mirrored in the Yevethan military and shipboard staffs led by Primates.

For the Yevetha, death was not to be feared. Under Yevethan law, murder only occurred when an inferior male killed one superior in their hierarchy, while slayings in the other direction were considered an acceptable occurrence. Sacrifice, particularly to provide blood for a birth cask of an important Yevetha, was considered an honor to the family of the sacrificed Yevetha.

The Yevetha considered twins lucky.^[1]

It was common for nitakka to spar, embedding young Yevetha with a unique set of fighting instincts: "the closest threat is the greatest threat—in a fight of unequal numbers, dispatch your weakest opponent first to discourage others from joining a fight against you, charge a newcomer immediately—hold nothing back when you go to kill."^[2] These instincts were difficult to suppress, producing erratic battlefield results for inexperienced military crews.

[edit] History

A relatively recent species, the Yevetha advanced quickly and in isolation from other sentients. The combination of their rapid evolution, isolation, and the harsh environment of N'zoth, produced a culture of xenophobia. This also established an internal concept of superiority.

When the Galactic Empire expanded into the Koornacht Cluster, they noted that the Yevetha species had a rapid ability to learn new skills. The Galactic Empire subjugated N'zoth and its nearby star systems. It also built the Black 15 shipyards, and put the Yevetha to work as skilled slave labor for building, repairing, and modifying vessels of the Imperial Starfleet.

The Imperial Governor of the Cluster took several females as pleasure slaves for his staff, and gave the males to his stormtroopers for target practice. The mutilated bodies were then put on display at schools and sacred sites. They were also broadcasted on public information channels that all Yevetha were forced to watch twice a day. When subjugation was not working as well, children were taken from their parents.

One year after the Battle of Endor, an Imperial garrison at N'zoth was ordered to destroy the repair yard. Before they could initiate the mass killing of all slaves as well as the destruction of the shipyard itself, an assault was led by Nil Spaar to counter the mass slave executions. He took advantage of the Empire's view of the Yevetha as a brainwashed, mindless species and seized control of the yards and killed or enslaved any surviving Imperials. When the Imperial garrison finally reached the the shipyards, they found seven thousand freed Yevethan prisoners, as well as the remains of over fifteen thousand dead Imperial officers. Fearing the same fate, the Imperial Garrison never returned.

Over the next decade and a half, the Yevetha developed their technical capabilities. They created new starship shielding, gravity bombs, an Aramadia-class thrustships, and D-type fighters. They also established the Duskhan League, which grew to encompass thirteen worlds. The Yevethan fleet was dubbed the Black Fleet, in a twisted version of its predecessor; the Galactic Empire Black Sword Command.

In 16 ABY, the Dushkan League came out of isolation and engaged the New Republic. A delegation, led by Viceroy Nil Spaar, arrived at Coruscant to seek a peaceful co-existence. Nil Spaar used the New Republic's lack of intelligence on the Dushkan League as well as their senatorial political conlfict to his advantage. Nil extended his negotiations with Chief of State Leia Organa Solo over a period of weeks and played into her empathy towards a species subjugated by the Empire. This allowed him to cultivate assets on Coruscant, and set off a series of political machinations, sewing confusion amongst the New Republic.

Nil Spaar returned to his people, and with the New Republic in disarray, the Yevetha launched a campaign of brutal expansion and colonization. The Yevethan Purge saw the elimination of entire species, such as the Corasgh. They also destroyed communities like the Norat Sovereignty, and colonized many nearby star systems in the Koornacht Cluster. In the following weeks, foiled reconnaissance efforts by the New Republic prompted an armed conflict between the Dushkan League, its hidden Black Fleet, and the New Republic Defense Force's new Fifth Battle Group. For more details on the political and military conflict, see Black Fleet Crisis.

The conflict concluded with a Yevethan loss at the Battle of N'zoth as well as the death of Nil Spaar at the hands of Sil Sorannan. The victorious New Republic disarmed the Yevetha and kept them under close watch. Active Republic patrols were eventually removed by at least 25 ABY.

Since no one had entered the N'zoth system since the Battle of N'zoth, this allowed the Yevetha to build an even larger force than before. It consisted of more than ten thousand Aramadia-class thrustships.

Once the new Yevetha fleet had been built, the Galantos Guard encountered the Yuuzhan Vong. In exchange for what the Galantos believed to be protection from the extragalactic invaders, they informed the Yuuzhan Vong of the brutal Yevetha and their eminent threat. Taking heed, the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the N'zoth system.

In the subsequent battle, the Yuuzhan Vong emerged victorious. Although no records exist of the actual battle, it was inferred that every single Yevethan ship in the system was destroyed due to the nature of the combatants. The Yuuzhan Vong proceeded to orbitally bombard N'zoth, rendering the planet a molten wasteland.

The besieged Yevetha continued to refuse outside help, and were eventually rendered completely extinct. They had been wiped out by a conquering species as brutal as their own.

[edit] Appearances

• Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight
• Before the Storm (First appearance)
• Shield of Lies
• Tyrant's Test
• The New Rebellion (Mentioned only)
• Dark Tide I: Onslaught (Mentioned only)
• Dark Tide II: Ruin (Mentioned only)
• Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial (Mentioned only)
• Force Heretic I: Remnant
• Force Heretic II: Refugee (Mentioned only)
• The Unifying Force (Mentioned only)

[edit] Sources

• Alien Anthology
• Alien Encounters
• The Essential Guide to Alien Species
• The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons
• Ultimate Alien Anthology
• The New Essential Guide to Alien Species

[edit] Notes and references