Nathas I

Nathas I was a cold and airless rocky planet located in the Core Worlds' Questal sector. It was the homeworld of the silicon-based species of shape-shifters known as Proteans. Although seemingly primitive, they noted key historical events by carving stone pillars and placing them in prominent locations on their home planet. The Proteans were eventually discovered and briefly studied by scientists of the Galactic Empire.

Description

Nathas I was a planet located in the Nathas system, a part of the Questal sector of the Core Worlds. A terrestrial world, it occupied the first orbital position in its star system.

Nathas I was a cold and airless planet with rocks on its surface, albeit without any valuable ore deposits. There were no predatory creatures on Nathas I, and the fossil record did not suggest the presence of predators at any point in the world's past.

History

When Nathas I was first surveyed, scientists of the Galactic Empire discovered the planet's native species and tentatively named them "Proteans." The scientists proceeded to briefly study the species, but the planet was soon passed over due to the lack of any strategic or economic importance. One Protean, Lonchant, had found its way offworld onto the planet Questal by the time of the Galactic Civil War, where it served Imperial Moff Bandor as a hunter and killer.

Inhabitants

The Proteans were native to Nathas I.

The only sizable life form on Nathas I were the Proteans, a species of amorphous, silicon-based shape-shifters. Due to the airless nature of their homeworld, the Proteans communicated with each other via chemical and tactile signals exchanged when in direct contact. In addition, they had evolved a skin lined with tympanic nerves that were most likely used to sense vibrations along the ground of Nathas I. A notably unusual feature of the Proteans, given their airless natural environment, was their ability to funnel air through their bodies and modulate it, creating tonal variations in what was a form of wordless "songs."

The seemingly-primitive Proteans themselves were not aware of the purpose for which they had evolved their shape-changing ability, and the species did not maintain written records. However, they did commemorate key historical events by carving unusual stone pillars that were placed in prominent locations on Nathas I.

Behind the scenes

The homeworld of the Proteans was first mentioned by Pablo Hidalgo in his February 1997 article "Shape-shifters," included in Star Wars Adventure Journal 12. It was first identified as Nathas I in Alien Encounters, a 1998 West End Games sourcebook published for use with Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game. The 2009 reference book The Essential Atlas placed the Nathas system, and therefore Nathas I, in grid square J-12.

Sources

• "Shape-shifters" – Star Wars Adventure Journal 12 (First mentioned) (Indirect mention only)
• Alien Encounters (First identified as Nathas I)
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III ("Protean")
• Hiding in Plain Sight: Star Wars Shapeshifters on StarWars.com (backup link not verified!)

Notes and references

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