Yuuzhan Vong

The Yuuzhan Vong are a race of sentient beings from the fictional Star Wars Expanded Universe that rise as a threat to the New Republic in the New Jedi Order series of novels.

The Yuuzhan Vong and their Chazrach slaves are the one of the few known alien species in the Star Wars universe to have originated outside the Star Wars galaxy. They are a race of religious zealot masochists. They genetically engineer and grow all of their organic technology and view mechanical technology as blasphemy. The Yuuzhan Vong endeavor to improve their physical capabilities through organ grafting. Notably, the Yuuzhan Vong are not able to touch the Force or seemingly be felt through it, something the Jedi have found very mysterious, since all living things are supposed to have, in some way or another, a unique Force energy signature distinct from other species (Later in the New Jedi Order Series it is explained why they cannot be felt by most Jedi).

Society Structure

The Yuuzhan Vong function in a caste system. They range from the powerful two-person Supreme Overlord caste to the lowly oppressed worker caste. Below is a list of the major castes. Their economic system isn't really mentioned, but appears to be a command economy, and their political system is obviously a form of theocracy or autocracy.

The Supreme Overlord Caste

The highest caste is led by the Supreme Overlord, who commands all of the other castes. At the time of the Yuuzhan Vong War, the Supreme Overlord is believed to be Shimrra, although his familiar, the Shamed One Onimi was manipulating Shimrra, and was the de facto Supreme Overlord. The Supreme Overlord's worldship, which responded only to the current Supreme Overlord, was piloted by Onimi right before his death. Only the Supreme Overlord has direct communication with Yun-Yuuzhan, the Creator and Supreme God of the Yuuzhan Vong. The Supreme Overlord caste consists of the following ranks, in descending order:

Supreme Overlord
Heir

The Supreme Overlord has complete control over the entire Yuuzhan Vong Empire.

The Shaper Caste

The shapers are the scientists/breeders (calling them scientists is blasphemy as it implies a use of technology) who supervise (and create) the biotechonology of the Yuuzhan Vong. The shaper caste consists of the following ranks, in descending order:

Master
Adept
Savant (known as Initiate at times)

The Priest Caste

The priests are the servants of the many lesser deities of the Empire. The priest caste consists of the following ranks, in descending order:

High Priest, High Priestess
Priest, Priestess
Seer
Novice

The Warrior Caste

The warrior caste serve as the army of the Yuuzhan Vong Empire and is one of the largest castes. They are well trained, deadly, and are more aggressive than the other castes of the Yuuzhan Vong. The caste's most famous warrior is Tsavong Lah, the warmaster at the beginning of the Yuuzhan Vong War. Their chief weapon is the amphistaff, which resembles a deadly serpent capable of becoming as stiff and straight as a sword, spitting venom, or coiling around foes or lightsabers, which it is capable of fending off. The warriors are devotees of the Slayer, Yun-Yammka, and seek honor in combat. They wear the living vonduun crab armor which is capable of resisting blaster fire and lightsabers. The warrior caste consists of the following ranks, in descending order:

Warmaster
Supreme Commander
Commander
Subaltern
Warrior

Warriors of high rank are eligible to carry the Tsaisi, a similar weapon to the amphistaff, but more refined and smaller. The Warrior Caste battle cry is "Do-ro'ik vong pratte!".

The Intendant Caste

The intendant caste is responsible for the Yuuzhan Vong economy, and are, essentially, the Yuuzhan Vong version of bureaucrats. The most famous intendant is the executor Nom Anor, the most infamous enemy of the Jedi. Despite the fact that Nom Anor is frequently engaged in direct espionage and command actions, the usual duties of the Intendant Caste are bureaucratic. The Intendant Caste (unlike the priest and warrior castes) do not have a battle cry, but as observed by Nom Anor, if they did it would probably be along the lines of: "Have you triple checked your orders with your superiors?" The intendant caste consists of the following ranks, in descending order:

High Prefect
Prefect
Executor
Consul

The Worker Caste

The worker caste is the largest, yet lowest, caste, and serves mainly as servants and laborers. The worker caste includes Shamed Ones (Yuuzhan Vong whose bodies have rejected implants and modifications). The Shamed Ones are very similar to the Untouchables in Indian societies on Earth in terms of status), Chazrach (a low intelligence reptillian race enslaved by the Yuuzhan Vong), and shaped slave races from the Star Wars galaxy. The worker caste consists of the following ranks, in descending order:

Workers
Slaves
Shamed Ones

History

The Yuuzhan Vong are refugees from a distant galaxy. Their homeworld was a sentient planet, and almost all of their technology was organic. They have a sloped forehead, unlike the flat ones that humans have, and their blueish lower eyelids droop down slightly. They were a peaceful species living as symbionts with their homeworld until they were subjugated by a technologically advanced species. Eventually the Yuuzhan Vong struck back fiercely, conquering the invaders and in the process becoming more warlike.

The Yuuzhan Vong then began to subjugate other civilizations in a crusade to rid their galaxy of technology, including the reptillian Chazrach, who became slave soldiers. After that, they fought among themselves in several civil wars that destroyed their homeworld and ruined their entire galaxy. Because of this, their homeworld stripped them of the ability to touch the Force. The Yuuzhan Vong then left their galaxy in massive Koros-strohna worldships and travelled to the Star Wars galaxy in a journey that would take about a thousand standard years.

There is evidence that the Yuuzhan Vong had scouted the galaxy since before the Mandalorian War; four thousand years before their initial invasion, Canderous Ordo encountered a "living asteroid that spat fire" that escaped towards the edge of the galaxy. However, the Yuuzhan Vong only began probing in force 4,000 years later, several years after the Battle of Naboo. They attacked Zonama Sekot in an attempt to steal its advanced biological technology, but the living world defeated them and Old Republic Jedi Vergere offered herself in exchange that Zonama Sekot be left undamaged. The Yuuzhan Vong accepted her, and Vergere lived with them for 50 years. During this time, she revealed information about her galaxy while learning their secrets. Also during those years, the Yuuzhan Vong remained hidden from the galaxy, sending a number of Intendants to scout the galaxy. A notable Intendant assigned to this task was Nom Anor. After the Galactic Civil War which saw the New Republic defeat the Imperial Remnants, the Yuuzhan Vong saw their chance to invade the weakened galaxy.

On the distant world Rhommamool, the invaders, through Nom Anor disguised as the leader of the Red Knights of Life, stirred up a rebellion between Rhommamool and its neighbor Osarian. As a result, the Praetorite Vong took over Helska IV and brought down Sernpidal's moon upon the planet, killing millions, including the famous Wookiee, Chewbacca. The Yuuzhan Vong then encountered the Jedi, whom they considered the worst of a galaxy of infidels. Nom Anor then infected hundreds of beings with a fatal disease, including Mara Jade Skywalker

Next, the Yuuzhan Vong began attacking more worlds in their path with much ease. Bimmiel, Tatooine, Dubrillion, and Obroa-Skai were among the many worlds captured, while Ithor (whose plants gave off pollen toxic to the Yuzhan Vong armour) was turned into a fireball and rendered uninhabitable. Then arose the problem of refugees from shattered planets that the government could not ignore. The New Republic began to blame the Jedi for starting the conflict with the aliens. Knowing that the Jedi were their worst enemies, the Warmaster Tsavong Lah, offered the galaxy a ceasefire in exchange that all of the Jedi be handed over to them. Many members of the embittered galactic government fell for this ploy, even despite the invaders' attack on the other side of the galaxy at Fondor which was close to the capital Coruscant itself. During the Battle of Fondor, the Yuuzhan Vong suffered heavy losses when Centerpoint Station was fired by Han Solo's cousin Thrackan Sal-Solo.

The Yuuzhan Vong struck a deal with the Hutts that allowed them to pass through Hutt Space uncontested. Knowing they would give information to the New Republic, The Vong gave the Hutts false information, which aided in the attack at Fondor. After that, the Vong attacked the Hutts' worlds. The Peace Brigade, an organization which supported the Yuuzhan Vong, was formed through Yuuzhan Vong agents. This organization helped the Yuuzhan Vong capture Jedi. Then, on Yavin 4, Yuuzhan Vong of the oppressed Shamed caste came to admire the Jedi after a wrongly shamed Yuuzhan Vong named Vua Rapuung helped Anakin Solo rescue fellow Jedi Tahiri Veila, and as a result, a heresy was formed that infiltrated all levels of Yuuzhan Vong society, particularly the Shamed caste.

Meanwhile, in the Corellian system, Han and Leia Solo started to re-create their battered relationship, caused by Han's retreat into alcoholism and grief after Chewbacca's death. While doing so, they set up Luke Skywalker's Great River, a series of safe passages through which the Jedi could attack Yuuzhan Vong, assist refugees, and otherwise help in the defeat the Vong. Lifted by Kyp Durron's manipulation of facts in the Sernpidal system, which lead to a solid victory, and the birth of Mara Jade's son Ben, spirits began to rise.

With Coruscant rapidly becoming surrounded, the Yuuzhan Vong created fearsome Voxyn beasts that hunt Force-sensitive individuals. A Jedi strike team lead by Anakin Solo soon destroyed the Voxyn breeding facility over Myrkr, though most of the team was slain, including Anakin. At Coruscant, the Yuuzhan Vong captured the planet after a long battle and transformed it into Yuuzhan'tar, the Yuuzhan Vong homeworld.

Following the fall of Coruscant, General Wedge Antilles lead remnants of the New Republic's Coruscant fleet to hold at Borleias, where the basis for the Yuuzhan Vong's eventual defeat was formed. Jaina Solo, greatly assisted by a humbled Kyp Durron and Chiss-raised Colonel Jagged Fel, misled the Yuuzhan Vong by pretending to be the Vong goddess Yun-Harla, leading to many rash battle maneuvers by their enemies, including Czulkang Lah, father of Warmaster Tsavong Lah. This compounded the Anakin Solo-founded heresy in the ranks of the Shamed Ones, which would eventually lead to vulnerability in the Vong ranks.

Beyond the Borleias system, Han and Leia Organa Solo started a series of rebel bases across the galaxy, to both resist Vong attacks and treachery by New Republic officials. Added to scientist Danni Quee's and Jedi Master Cilghal's yammosk-blocking machine, which disrupted the battle-coordinating creature's abilities, Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker's alliance with Wraith Squadron on captured Coruscant, and Lando Calrissian's Yuuzhan-Vong Hunter droids being produced, the elder Lah was overwhelmed and killed, along with one of the Vong's new and improved worldships, crucial to their conquest of the Star Wars galaxy.

The transforming of Coruscant was sabotaged by the Jedi Knight Jacen Solo, who was captured on Myrkr by Vergere and transformed from an uncertain boy to a powerful and potent Jedi Knight. The New Republic was officially disbanded, reforming into the Galactic Alliance, with its capital on Mon Calamari. The new government prepared to attack the weary Yuuzhan Vong. However, NRI head Dif Scaur had created the Alpha Red Project, which would destroy the Yuuzhan Vong and their organic technology. In order to prevent this monstrous and evil attack from being used, it was destroyed by Vergere. The Yuuzhan Vong were then lured into the Deep Core moon Ebaq 9, under the carefully planned assault by retired and ailing Admiral Ackbar. A full third of the task force is destroyed. There, Tsavong Lah was slain by Jaina Solo, and Vergere sacrificed herself to eliminate ten thousand other invaders in order to save Jacen Solo's life.

In the Force Heretic series of the New Jedi Order novels, the Galactic Alliance heroes Han Solo, Leia and Twin Suns Squadron head out to find powerful allies while the Jedi Luke Skywalker begins a mission to find the legendary living planet Zonama Sekot. The Jedi stumble upon a Yuuzhan Vong attack against the Imperial Remnant and help fight the invaders off, thus gaining a powerful ally. Meanwhile, the Yuuzhan Vong Nom Anor disguised as the prophet Yu'Shaa begins stirring up the heresy on Yuuzhan'tar formerly Coruscant posing as a Shamed One after fleeing the wrath of Supreme Overlord Shimrra for suggesting the disastrous Ebaq 9 mission and gains many followers among the worker caste.

Luke's team then heads into Chiss space to obtain information on the Unknown Regions and hopefully Zonama Sekot. Meanwhile, Han and Leia's team heads to Bakura, where they thwart a Ssi-Ruuk invasion. The Jedi search the Chiss libraries for their missing planet. Later, the Jedi locate Zonama Sekot, but so too have the Yuuzhan Vong. Sekot drives off the attackers as the Jedi land on its surface. Meanwhile Han Solo and Leia attempt to bring a communication station to the Unknown Regions back online while the Jedi negotiate with the living world to help them in the war.

In The Final Prophecy, Yuuzhan Vong operatives steal one of Zonama Sekot's organic starships and the Shaper Nen Yim discovers that Sekotan technology is similar to Yuuzhan Vong technology and that her people have gone terribly astray. Nom Anor disguised as Yu'Shaa along with Nen Yim and the priest Harrar arrive on Zonama Sekot, where they find out that many of the species from their galaxy are found on the planet. A plot by Nom Anor to destroy the living world is foiled. In The Unifying Force, Han and Leia rescue hundreds of high-ranking Alliance prisoners facing sacrifice to the enemy's gods. The Galactic Alliance prepares a fleet to defend Mon Calamari from the invaders while another Alliance fleet engages the Yuuzhan Vong at Coruscant. In the end, Supreme Overlord Shimrra is slain and the Yuuzhan Vong lose the war. They surrender and are placed under the living planet Zonama Sekot's jurisdiction.

Zonama Sekot is revealed to be the seed of the long-dead original Yuuzhan Vong homeworld. One of the surrender terms the Galactic Alliance placed before the Yuuzhan Vong was that they were to help rebuild Coruscant. The Galactic Alliance moves its capital to Denon though it would be moved to Coruscant again after the rebuilding is complete. The Yuuzhan Vong invasion was the most devastating crisis the galaxy had faced. The actions of the Yuuzhan Vong were even more costly to the Star Wars galaxy than the Galactic Civil War. The death toll over the known galaxy that resulted from the invasion was estimated at about 365 trillion sentients. That would be equal to 60,800 Earth-type worlds with a population of 6 billion each.

Technology

Deities

The Yuuzhan Vong are devoutly religious and have many gods, citing their gods' desires as the reasons for their merciless conquering.

Yun-Yuuzhan

Yun-Yuuzhan, the Creator, is the most powerful deity of the Yuuzhan Vong religion. He sacrificed most of his body parts to create the lesser deities and the Yuuzhan Vong galaxy. Only the Supreme Overlord has direct contact with him.

Yun-Harla

Worshiped by Nom Anor and impersonated by Jaina Solo Yun-Harla is the Trickster, the deceiver is one of the most important deities among the Yuuzhan Vong and prized by spies of the priestly deception sect. It is said that she stole knowledge from the Cosmic Lord and gave it to Yun-Ni'shel. She is considered a dangerous goddess as she can easily bring ruin as fortune to her worshippers.

Yun-Yammka

Yun-Yammka is the Slayer and the god of war. He is worshipped by the warrior caste.

His image is that of a bulbous-headed, octopus-jellyfish hybrid, the inspiration for the Yammosk biot. Appealing to him often requires death sacrifices.

It was later learned from High Priest Harrar after the Yuuzhan Vong defeat that Yun-Yammka was a deity that the priest caste concocted as the Yuuzhan Vong became increasingly warlike early in their history.

Yun-Ne'Shel

Yun-Ne'Shel is the Modeller and oversees natural life cycles and is worshipped by the shaper caste.

The Lover Gods

Yun-Q'aah and Yun-Txiin are the Lover Gods and are twins, Q'aah female, Txiin male. They are the patrons of love and relationships, and are also the most capricious of Gods, requiring no sacrifice. The Yuuzhan Vong have a particular fear for twins, revealed when they discover Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo are twins, as well as Jacen and Jaina Solo, Leia's older son and only daughter.

Yun-Shuno

Yun-Shuno has a thousand eyes and watches over and speaks for the Shamed Ones, who are shunned by every other Yuuzhan Vong caste and deity in the Empire.

External links

http://starwars.com/databank/species/yuuzhanvong/eu.html
http://www.njoe.com/ New Jedi Order Encyclopedia

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