Nelvaanian

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Homeworld:
  Nelvaan

• 

From the Expanded Universe

Nelvaanians, also called Nelvaans, are native to the planet Nelvaan in the Koobi system. They are a primitive species of canine-muzzled humanoids that arrange themselves in a simple, tribal society. Authority in Nelvaanian tribes is held by a chieftain and his or her bond-mate, with a wizened shaman serving as a consultant on almost all matters.

In Nelvaanian society, the fittest males become warrior scouts, hunting game for food and protecting the village from encroaching predators. Females are builders and gatherers, and are also tasked with the most important duty: the raising of the children. To Nelvaanian, motherhood is sacred. They consider their planet to be the mother of all things.

It was of great concern to the Nelvaanians of Rokrul village when their Great Mother appeared to fall ill. Though the village shaman, Orvos, had predicted the onset of an ice age in the coming years, the particularly fierce and obstinate winter faced by Rokrul village in the last year of the Clone Wars came without herald. It was as if the Mother's inner flame had guttered, for her tears -- or rivers -- had frozen and the wind carried her anguished cries.

Things grew worse for the Rokrul villagers. The best of their champion warrior scouts embarked on a quest to determine the source of the Mother's ills, never to return. Soon, the village was bereft of male warriors, leaving women and children alone. They carried on, under the leadership of Chieftain Tuzes-Adaz, but answers continued to elude the Nelvaanians.

In truth, the disappearance of the Nelvaan warriors and the freezing of their countryside were both the result of the Techno Union. A secret mutant warrior development program was based in the subterranean caverns near Rokrul, powered by a siphon generator that bled all heat energy from the land. Captive warrior scouts were transformed into horrific mutants with cybernetic weapon implants as Techno Union scientists studied the effectiveness of hybrid droid-organic technology. They were inspired by the processes that made General Grievous so deadly; they had hoped to replace the battle droids with soldiers like this.

When Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker first arrived on Nelvaan following sporadic accounts of General Grievous appearing in the system, the Nelvaanians were at first distrustful. Little did it help that Skywalker interrupted the rite of passage ceremony of Tuzes-Adaz's eldest son. Remembering prophetic words of Shaman Orvos, Tuzes-Adaz brought the Jedi back to Rokrul, where they learned of the Nelvaanian plight.

According to the shaman's prognostications, the strangers would cure the Mother's illness by following the path of her frozen tears to where her inner flame had languished. Skywalker, they believed, had the gift of the "ghost hand," a supernatural strength that gave him the ruthless power needed to slay all enemies of the Great Mother. Shaman Orvos did not divulge the full legend, however. He kept to himself that the ghost hand's power would overcome the stranger, block out the light and strangle life from all his loved ones. With regret, Orvos sent Anakin off; the Great Mother needed his strength, regardless of the dark consequences.

Anakin became a champion of the Nelvaanians. He underwent the initiation rites that saw his skin discolored by the painful tracks of bruise-leech crawlers. He followed the Shaman's directions to the subterranean caverns, and after witnessing a disturbing vision of his future, realized that he had stumbled upon the Techno Union operation.

Skywalker was repulsed to see what the Skakoan scientists had devised. Many proud Nelvaanian warriors had been reduced to bestial monstrosities, their flesh coupled with intrusive technological additions, like targeting arrays, controlling devices, and blaster weaponry.

Skywalker freed the Nelvaan warriors, who regained their compassion when one of the most recent additions to their transformed ranks, Harvos, reminded them of their origins. The warriors turned on the Techno Union scientists. Skywalker destroyed the siphon generator, and in a momentary fit of rage, killed the last of the Skakoan scientists through the power of the Force. The freed Nelvaan mutants recognized Anakin as the warrior of legend: ghost hand.

The warriors returned to Rokrul. It was with initial hesitation that they were met by their families, for they were left difficult to recognize due to the horrible experimentations of the Techno Union. But in time, the villagers saw through their deformities, and welcomed them back to their homes.