INFO: The Aqualish were tusked bipeds from the planet Ando whose appearance combined aspects of arachnids and pinniped aquatic mammals. Aqualish had a reputation for being nasty, crude and aggressive, and generally pursued off-world careers as mercenaries, bounty hunters, and pirates. One of the most infamous Aqualish was the smuggler Ponda Baba.
RACE: Aqualish (Aquala, Ualaq, Quara)
HEIGHT: 1.7 - 2.0 Meters Tall
SKIN: Greens, Blues and Browns
DISTINCTIONS: Tusks, belligerent personalities
LANGUAGE: Aqualish
HOMEWORLD:Located in the Ando system of the Mid Rim, the ocean world Ando was home to the Aqualish. Ando had a diameter of 14,885 kilometers and was orbited by two moons.
With 95 percent of the surface covered in water, the Aqualish used what little land remained and supplemented it with sailing ships that doubled as mobile homes. Quantill City, the planetary capital city, was one of the few established urban areas. The majority of the islands were sustained by a decaying swamp ecosystem and covered in steamy mist.
The Aqualish people consisted of three subspecies, constantly at war with each other: the Quara of the wetlands, the Aquala (the baseline race) of the oceans, and the Ualaq of the caves and dark rainforests. Each race believed they were the dominant branch, leading to constant warfare.
This soon sparked the Aqualish Civil War, started by the Aquala who blamed the other two races for the declining harvests of fish. The war ultimately ended in the unification of all three races, however, when a group of explorers, believed to be from either Corellia or Duro, landed on Ando. The races destroyed the "invaders", seeking to learn the secrets of space travel from their exploratory craft. The three races then set forth on a campaign of conquest to a neighboring sister planet, which they blasted uninhabitable.
When the Galactic Republic attempted to make contact with the inhabitants of Ando, they were rebuked with hostile fire. This quickly led to the Aqualish-Republic War that, while bloody, quickly ended in the defeat of the Aqualish. Ando then joined the Republic in 15,000 BBY. Decades before the Clone Wars, the Republic grew concerned over the perpetual violence on the world and dispatched the Ando Demilitarization Observation Group to ensure the de-escalation of violence; Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth served as one of the group's observers. In 102 BBY, the Aqualish colonized Andosha II and the other Andoan Free Colonies. The Ando separation occurred somewhere during this time.
The planet was represented in the Galactic Senate by Po Nudo until 23 BBY, when Ando and Sy Myrth became the first of many worlds to secede from the Republic. Under the leadership of Ualaq Senator Po Nudo and First Minister Daragi Hoba, Ando touched off a string of secessionist worlds that would later form the Confederacy of Independent Systems in 22 BBY. Nudo became a prominent Separatist leader. It should be noted that the Andoan Free Colonies did not support the political decisions of Ando and sided with the Republic during the Clone Wars, being represented separately in the Senate by Gorothin Vagger. The Battle of Ando was fought 21 BBY.
The establishment of the Galactic Empire brought a heavy clamp on Ando. Nudo was succeeded by an Aquala Senator, who served until the Senate was disbanded by Emperor Palpatine. Fueled by the New Order's pro-Human policies, Ando's Separatist position in the Clone Wars, and the Aqualish reputation for violence, the Imperial military established a heavy garrison on Ando and kept the planet under careful observation. Several Imperial and corporate interests were permitted to ravage Ando's natural resources.
By 9 ABY, Ando was a member of the New Republic and was the target of a feint attack by Grand Admiral Thrawn's Star Destroyer Bellicose before his assault on Ukio.
Sixteen years later, during the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion, Ando was offered to be spared by Warmaster Tsavong Lah if the Aqualish destroyed all droid units and killed any Jedi on the planet. Thus, the Aqualish killed Dorsk 82, only to be invaded and crushed regardless. After the war's end, the Yuuzhan Vong abandoned the planet, thus freeing the Aqualish from foreign occupation. The world however, remained independent and disunited, there fore was not part of the Galactic Alliance.
BIOLOGY AND APPEARANCE:The three types of Aqualish, the Aquala, the Ualaq (who were the result of genetic mutation), and the Quara, were distinguished by their hands and eyes. Aquala had finned hands, while the Ualaq and Quara had clawed, fingered hands. The fingered Aqualish also varied in the number of eyes—while the Quara, like the Aquala, had two eyes, the less-common Ualaq had four. While most Ualaq and Quara had claw-like hands with five fingers, some Ualaq had three-fingered hands with very thick digits. Though Ualaq and Quara only made up about ten percent of the Aqualish population, their fingered hands made them more comfortable with technology. Thus, they were the subspecies more commonly found off-world. Because the Aquala saw the Quara as responsible for the image the Aqualish had on the galaxy as thugs, the latter subspecies were considered pariahs on Ando, which had a lower population of Aqualish than the galaxy itself.
CULTURE AND HISTORY:All three Aqualish subspecies spoke mutually intelligible dialects of the same language. Despite this, the unity between the three groups was shaky, with all three subspecies considering themselves the superior breed. One of the largest and most destructive of the resulting conflicts was the Aqualish Civil War. This war was initially started by the Aquala, who blamed the Quara and Ualaq for the declining harvests of fish.
The war did not end until explorers, believed to be from either Corellia or Duro, arrived on Ando. The races of Ando united to destroy the "invaders", and learned the secret of space travel from the exploratory craft that they destroyed. The Aqualish forces set forth, beginning a series of bloody conflicts with a nearby sister world. They continued on a campaign of conquest, sparking the Aqualish-Republic War. After they were defeated—mainly because of the inferior Aqualish weaponry, limited to what they could scavenge from defeated enemies—their armies were carefully dismantled. As Ando joined the Galactic Republic, the violence became a black mark on the species's reputation, and the Republic initiated several attempts to demilitarize the Aqualish, each ending in conflicts like the Battle of Raquish and the Horos Spine Incident.
By 95 BBY, the Aqualish had colonized fifteen Mid Rim worlds that later formed the Andoan Free Colonies. During the Clone Wars, the Andoan Senator Po Nudo seceded from the Republic, aligning much of the Aqualish species and their homeworld with Count Dooku's Confederacy of Independent Systems. However, the Andoan Free Colonies, represented by Senator Gorothin Vagger, remained loyal to the Republic. Another Aqualish who remained loyal to the Republic during the Clone Wars was a Jedi Padawan Windo Nend, who died fighting the CIS.
Under Palpatine's Galactic Empire, the Empire took over Ando and turned it into a police state to control the violent Aqualish. Several Imperial and corporate interests were also permitted to ravage Ando's natural resources. Though the Aqualish resented the Empire, they showed no interest in joining the Rebel Alliance. Still, by 9 ABY, Ando had joined the New Republic. This made the Aqualish homeworld the target of a feint attack by Grand Admiral Thrawn's Bellicose before his assault on Ukio.
During the Yuuzhan Vong invasion in 25 ABY, Ando was offered to be spared by Warmaster Tsavong Lah if they destroyed all droid units and killed any Jedi on the planet. Thus, the Aqualish killed the Jedi Knight Dorsk 82, only to be invaded and crushed regardless.
APPEARANCES:Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2: Commencement, Part 2
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 9: Flashpoint Interlude: Homecoming
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Nights of Anger
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
Star Wars: The Life and Legend of Obi-Wan Kenobi
Jedi Council: Acts of War
Darth Maul: Saboteur
Star Wars: Darth Maul 3
"Marked" - Star Wars Tales 24
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter
Star Wars Republic: Darkness
Star Wars Republic: The Devaronian Version
Star Wars Republic: Rite of Passage (Appears in flashback(s))
Star Wars: Jango Fett
Star Wars: Zam Wesell
Outbound Flight
Star Wars Republic 46: Honor and Duty, Part 1
Ando, Sy Myrth Secede—HoloNet News Vol. 531 45
Mass Aqualish Exodus Expected—HoloNet News Vol. 531 45
Andoan Free Colonies Criticize Aqualish Separatists—HoloNet News Vol. 531 49
Alderaan Opens to Refugee Relief Movement—HoloNet News Vol. 531 49
Shots Fired in Andoan Space—HoloNet News Vol. 531 50 (Mentioned only)
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones comic
Boba Fett: Hunted (Mentioned only)
Republic Commando: Hard Contact
The Clone Wars: Prelude
CIS Shadowfeed Dispatch 14:2:14 Edition (Mentioned only)
CIS Shadowfeed Dispatch 14:4:12 Edition
The Cestus Deception
Star Wars Republic: The Battle of Jabiim
CIS Shadowfeed Dispatch 14:9:08 Edition (Mentioned only)
Star Wars Republic 61: Dead Ends
Star Wars Republic: Show of Force
Deep Forest
CIS Shadowfeed Year's Start Fete Day Edition (Picture only)
CIS Shadowfeed Dispatch 15:01:15 Edition
MedStar II: Jedi Healer
Star Wars: Clone Wars – "Chapter 21"
Star Wars: The Clone Wars film
Star Wars The Clone Wars Volume 2: Crash Course
Star Wars The Clone Wars 4: Slaves of the Republic - Chapter 4: Auction of a Million Souls
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Duel of the Droids"
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Defenders of Peace"
Star Wars The Clone Wars 8: In Service of the Republic, Part 2
Star Wars The Clone Wars 11: Hero of the Confederacy, Part 2
Star Wars Republic: Trackdown
Boba Fett: A New Threat
Means and Ends
Reversal of Fortune
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith / comic
Evasive Action: Recruitment
Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight (Mentioned only)
Star Wars Republic: Into the Unknown
Star Wars Republic 78: Loyalties
Star Wars Dark Times: The Path to Nowhere
Star Wars Dark Times: Blue Harvest, Part 1
In His Image
A Hunter's Fate: Greedo's Tale
First Impressions
Star Wars Adventures Volume 1: Han Solo and the Hollow Moon of Khorya
Star Wars Empire: Darklighter
The Hovel on Terk Street
Star Wars Journal: The Fight for Justice (Indirect mention only)
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope novel
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (First appearance)
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope junior novel
One Last Night in the Mos Eisley Cantina: The Tale of the Wolfman and the Lamproid (Appears in flashback(s))
Star Wars 2: Six Against the Galaxy
Perfect Evil
The Rebel Thief
Hammertong: The Tale of the "Tonnika Sisters"
Doctor Death: The Tale of Dr. Evazan and Ponda Baba
Rebel Force: Renegade (Mentioned only)
The Star Wars Holiday Special
Splinter of the Mind's Eye comic
Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
"Tales from Mos Eisley: Light Duty" - Star Wars Galaxy 4
"Riders of the Maelstrom" - Riders of the Maelstrom (WEG)
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
The Glove of Darth Vader
Zorba the Hutt's Revenge
Tatooine Ghost
The Last Command
Darksaber
Planet of Twilight
Young Jedi Knights: Crisis at Crystal Reef
Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial
Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse
Edge of Victory I: Conquest
Recovery
Star by Star
Dark Nest I: The Joiner King
Tempest (Mentioned only)
Star Wars Legacy: Broken
Star Wars Legacy: Ghosts
Star Wars Legacy: Claws of the Dragon
Star Wars Legacy 35: Storms, Part 2
SOURCES:Star Wars toy line
Star Wars: The Power of the Force (1995)
Star Wars: Power of the Jedi
Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races (First identified as Aqualish, Aquala, and Quara)
The Essential Guide to Characters
The Essential Guide to Alien Species
The New Essential Guide to Alien Species
Alien Anthology
Star Wars: The Action Figure Archive
Ultimate Alien Anthology
Who's Who in the New Jedi Order
Star Wars Miniatures: Clone Strike
Star Wars Miniatures: Bounty Hunters
Ando: Planet of the Walrus Men on Wizards.com (article)
The New Essential Chronology
A Night at Tosche Station on Wizards.com (article)
Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Jabba's Palace Limited (Card: Aqualish)
"Race for the Tessent" - Star Wars Gamer 9
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Praji
The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game – Champions of the Force (Card: Bring Terror to the Terrorists) (Picture only)
Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game – Champions of the Force (Card: Lost Aqualish Marksman)
Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game – Champions of the Force (Card: Lost Aqualish Scout)
Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game – Squadrons Over Corellia (Card: Distraction) (Picture only)
Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game – Squadrons Over Corellia (Card: Lost Aqualish Captain)
Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game – Squadrons Over Corellia (Card: Lost Aqualish Commando)
Aqualish in the Databank
Ponda Baba in the Databank
Joruus C'baoth in the Databank
Tian Chyler in the Databank
Doctor Evazan in the Databank
Ottegu Grey in the Databank
Po Nudo in the Databank
Tannon Praji in the Databank
I would like to thank Wookieepedia for this info.
