Verpine/Legends
- "They're supposed to be geniuses at fixing and reassembling high-tech devices."
- ―Luke Skywalker
The Verpine were a sentient insectoid species from the Roche asteroid field. Best known for their technological aptitude, the Verpine were considered to be among the finest starship engineers in the galaxy.
Biology and appearance
- "We are a literal people, Fett."
- ―Sass Sikili to Boba Fett
Verpine were thin bipedal insectoids, standing 1.9 meters tall on average.[2] Unlike many insectoids, including the Kibnon to which they were distantly related,[6] the Verpine had only four limbs (two arms and two legs), though there were instances of Verpine growing vestigial wings.[4] Their heads were dominated by large compound eyes. They also had two antennae, one located behind each eye. Their hardened carapace, composed of a green chitinous substance called carahide, was as flexible as the skin of other creatures, yet tough enough to deflect a blade or even absorb a glancing blaster bolt.[2] The Verpine circulatory system did not contain a heart — at least, not an organ which Human physiologists would identify as a heart.[7]
Verpine eyes were keen enough to pick out microscopic details. Their antennae contained tympanic nerves which picked up sound. Their antennae were also sensitive to radio waves, giving Verpine the natural ability to sense and transmit radio waves to communicate with another Verpine in their language over distances on the order of one hundred kilometers. Some observers mistook this nearly instant, silent communication for true telepathy. Thanks to their natural radio communication network, their colonies were run as a consensus democracy, with all Verpine instantly consulted on questions affecting the hive.[2]
Given their reliance on radio communication, Verpine frequently suffered negative consequences when their antenna were damaged. While researching the Verpine, Leia Organa noticed that virtually all Verpine criminals suffered from a set of damaged antenna.[8]
Verpine came in two types—intelligent, hermaphroditic Verpine and unintelligent worker drones. At the time of their entrance into Galactic society, only five percent of Verpine were intelligent, but the demands of technological civilization required the Verpine to restructure their society. After the change, egg-laying Verpine used a special enzyme to ensure all eggs laid developed into intelligent Verpine. Any drones needed by a Verpine hive were produced via cloning.[2]
When a Verpine hive needed more members, some of the fertile Verpine would be asked to lay eggs, while others would be assigned to fertilize them. The eggs were cared for in colony incubators, and hatchlings were cared for by the entire hive.[2]
Some individual Verpine had genders, either throughout their lifespan or at some point of their existences. General Airen Cracken referred to Moegid as "he" in his reports.[9]
The fungus Magenge, which grew inside the asteroid colonies of the Verpine, formed the basis of the Verpine diet.[10]
Society and culture
Verpine had variable naming customs. Some had single names such as Fxz'et, Zix, Ss's,[5] or Moegid.[11] Others had first and last names such as Kuli Ned'lx[5] and Kyli Ned'Ix[12]. Many, though not all, Verpine names contained sibilant consonants and glottal stops.[5]
Verpines were also known to make highly sought after weapons such as the Verpine shatter gun, the Verpine headband, and the Verpine prototype shield.
Verpines normally counted in base six unlike humans who used base ten. The number twelve was known to a Verpine as "four fists".[13]
History
The Verpine people did not evolve in the asteroids of the Roche system. Each inhabited asteroid was only made livable through the creation of artificial, self-sustaining environments in the interior. Some observers thought that the Roche asteroids were the remains of a Verpine homeworld which had broken up either slowly through natural forces, or suddenly as a result of a catastrophic civil war. Others theorized that the Verpine were descended from extra-galactic nomads who settled in the Roche asteroid field. The Verpine simply told outsiders that they did not know of the location of their original homeworld.[2]
Whether it was due to the after-effects of this ancient civil war, or because of the political uniformity and egalitarianism of their civilization, the Verpine were a peaceful people, expert arbitrators who preferred compromise to conflict.[2] The large insects had long been a spacefaring race and had colonized the Roche asteroid belts before the Old Republic was born.[8]
In later years, Verpine engineering was exemplified by the starship manufacturer Slayn & Korpil, which built the famous V-19 Torrent starfighter for the Galactic Republic and the B-wing starfighter for the Rebel Alliance.[14] Their shipbuilding skills were attributed to the need to produce vessels which could safely navigate the Roche asteroids.[2] The Roche Hive Mechanical Apparatus Design and Construction Activity for Those Who Need the Hive's Machines, more commonly known simply as "Roche", was a Verpine-owned droid manufacturer which met with limited success with models like the 8D smelter droid and the J9 worker drone.[15]
During the Galactic Civil War, the Verpine were openly sympathetic towards the Rebel Alliance. However, they did not officially join the Rebellion as a whole, partly due to their natural pacifistic idealism,[2] and partly due to the Imperial "advisors" posted in their system.[16] After the Empire fell, however, the Verpine became supporters of the New Republic, with a close relationship with its military.[16]
In 8 ABY, the Verpines broke a number of contracts with the Barabels to produce starships. They claimed that a "mad" hive mother had taken the ships, and given the nature of their society they were under no obligation to retrieve the ships. The Barabels did not see it in the same light, and began negotiating with Kubaz chefs for the sale of Verpine body parts to use in their cuisine. In response to this, the New Republic planned to send Leia Organa Solo to mediate the situation. The situation deteriorated rapidly when a Barabel ship was discovered with frozen Verpine parts. A fleet was sent to avert a war between the species, and Mon Mothma herself traveled to mediate.[8]
Verpine in the galaxy
Many of the Verpine who left their home system found work as starship technicians. Most of them met with success, though some of them would get in trouble for continually making unauthorized, sometimes dangerous, "improvements" to the equipment they maintained. Others used their experience with Verpine communal decision making to act as professional arbitrators and negotiators.[2] A population of Verpine was present on the planet Essowyn, where they were thought to be weak-willed by the native Saurtons.[17]
Han Solo and Chewbacca befriended a Verpine priest of the Sacred Way on Aduba-3 after rescuing the clergyman from an angry mob.[18] Years later, Solo, Lando Calrissian, and Lobot worked with a Verpine slicer named Moegid on an ill-fated mission to recover a copy of the Caamas Document from Bastion.[11] Zraii, Rogue Squadron's mechanic, was also a Verpine.[13] Suskafoo, a member of the first hive contacted by the Alliance,[10] actively joined the Rebels by helping to develop the B-Wing and serving in Dagger Squadron.[19]
Behind the scenes
The insectoid priest Han Solo met in Star Wars (1977) 7 was not identified by species, though Solo referred to him as an "Insect-guy" and a "Buggie," with the latter nickname also being used by another character. The retcon identifying the priest as a Verpine was established in Star Wars Gamer 4. This character has a yellow-green exoskeleton and large green eyes, but no visible antennae. The priest was also addressed as "Pera", meaning "Father" in High Galactic.
It is possible that "Buggie" is a common nickname for Verpines—possibly a derogatory one, since Solo used the more respectful "Pera" when addressing the priest directly. According to Leia Organa Solo in Dark Nest I: The Joiner King, Solo had been uncomfortable with insectoid species since his encounter with Kamarians (as seen in Han Solo's Revenge).
Appearances
Sources
Notes and references
- ↑ The Essential Guide to Alien Species
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races
- ↑ The Unknown Regions
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Dark Times 16
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Ultimate Alien Anthology
- ↑ Galaxy Guide 7: Mos Eisley, 55.
- ↑ Star Wars (1977) 7
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 The Courtship of Princess Leia
- ↑ Cracken's Rebel Operatives
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Strike Force: Shantipole
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Vision of the Future
- ↑ The DarkStryder Campaign
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 X-Wing: Rogue Squadron
- ↑ The New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels
- ↑ The New Essential Guide to Droids
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Alien Anthology
- ↑ Planets of the Galaxy, Volume One, pp. 33, 35
- ↑
"The Starhoppers of Aduba-3"—Star Wars Gamer 4"
- ↑ Rebellion 13