Topic: The Kubaz

[Cimter]

INFO: The Kubaz or Kubazian were an insectivorous species native to the planet Kubindi in the Outer Rim Territories. Although Kubaz are not common sights in galactic spaceports, they are steadily becoming ubiquitous throughout the Galaxy.


RACE: Kubaz
HEIGHT: 1.8 Meters Tall
SKIN: Greenish-black
DISTINCTION: Snouts
LANGUAGE: Kubazan

HOMEWORLD:
Kubindi, home to the Kubaz, was a planet that orbited a blue giant star that emitted powerful solar flares. Kubindi was regularly hit with this radiation, causing erratic weather patterns and making the world dry and arid. A day on Kubindi lasted 48 standard hours and a year lasted 420 local days.   See below post for further info on the planet.



BIOLOGY AND APPEARANCE:
Their physiology included long snouts for sucking insects out of hives, green-black skin, pointed heads growing with black bristles, and two-toed feet. Additionally, their sensitive eyes had to be covered when on other worlds with yellow or red suns. Kubaz had hand gestures that indicated their intentions. For example, a palm down indicated agreement. During the Galactic Civil War they shared these and other signals with military commanders on both sides. Touching the nose, head, or shoulders could indicate intent, direction, and number.

Many Kubaz abroad were spies sent to other worlds by their respective hives to learn about other worlds' politics, cultures, and cuisine (to the Kubaz, this would be native insects). Their taste for insects sometimes caused problems. Not recognizing insectoid beings as anything other than a food source, Kubaz would sometimes illegally purchase the bodies and body parts of sentient insectoid species. Spying, however, was not the only path Kubaz took, but rather they were a highly educated species that appreciated art, music, and literature. They were social beings that focused on mannerism and refinement and embraced traditions and history of their kind, so placing them under one occupation would not be representative of the species.

The homeworld of Kubindi was plagued by radiation bombardment in the form of solar flares by its blue giant sun, and many wealthy hives moved offworld to Ku'Bakai 6, 8, and 11.

On Kubindi, the Kubaz hives dwelt in underground nests. Each hive was ruled by a queen, after whom the hive is named. All Kubaz within a hive were descendants of the queen.

CULTURE AND HISTORY:
Before the discovery of space travel, the Kubaz suffered the intense radiation storms from Ku'Bakai. Living in hives, they maintained a supply of insects to eat. However, shortages and clan raids led to all-out war between the clans. Known as the Hive Wars, the species would have gone extinct except for the discovery of insecticulture, a science which allowed for the insects to be color-coded, identifying which hive they belonged to.

One Kubaz, by the name of Garindan, a member of Hive Zabin, led stormtroopers to C-3PO and R2-D2 while Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker tried to smuggle them off Tatooine. His close relative, Udin, was a bounty hunter, who later captured Luke Skywalker for the Empire, but accidentally turned him over to the Rebel Alliance.

Sadly, Kubindi was amongst the many worlds taken over by the Yuuzhan Vong, although many Kubaz were able to evacuate thanks to the heroic efforts of the Jedi Kyp Durron and his Dozen. They returned to Kubindi after the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War.

APPEARANCES:
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 47: Demon, Part 1
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (Mentioned only)
Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter
Star Wars: Obi-Wan
Star Wars Republic: Darkness
Star Wars Republic: The Devaronian Version
Star Wars: Zam Wesell
Shatterpoint
Star Wars Republic 62: No Man's Land
"Force Contention"
"Twi'light Storm"
MedStar I: Battle Surgeons
"MedStar: Intermezzo" - Star Wars Insider 83
MedStar II: Jedi Healer
It Takes a Thief
Star Wars Republic: Into the Unknown
Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight
Coruscant Nights II: Street of Shadows
Being Boba Fett
Star Wars Dark Times: Blue Harvest, Part 1
Deader than a Triton Moon (Mentioned only)
Underworld: The Yavin Vassilika
Dark Forces: Soldier for the Empire (Mentioned only) (First identified as Kubazian)
Dark Forces: Soldier for the Empire audio drama
X-wing Rogue Squadron ½
Interlude at Darkknell
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (First appearance)
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope junior novel
We Don't Do Weddings: The Band's Tale
Rookies: Rendezvous
Star Wars Missions 2: Escape from Thyferra
Star Wars Missions 5: The Hunt for Han Solo
Star Wars Missions 6: The Search for Grubba the Hutt
Star Wars Missions 7: Ithorian Invasion
Star Wars Missions 8: Togorian Trap
Star Wars Missions 19: Bounty on Bonadan
Star Wars: Rebellion
Star Wars 27: Return of the Hunter
The Star Wars Holiday Special
Gambler's World
Shadow Stalker
Galaxy of Fear: The Brain Spiders
Galaxy of Fear: The Doomsday Ship
Stop That Jawa!
"Tales from Mos Eisley: Light Duty" - Star Wars Galaxy 4
Shadows of the Empire: Evolution
A Boy and His Monster: The Rancor Keeper's Tale
X-wing Rogue Squadron: Battleground: Tatooine
X-wing Rogue Squadron 25: The Making of Baron Fel
X-wing: Wedge's Gamble
Corphelion Interlude
The Courtship of Princess Leia
The Last Command
Dark Empire II
Crimson Empire
Crimson Empire II: Council of Blood
I, Jedi
Planet of Twilight (Mentioned only)
Specter of the Past
Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial
Balance Point
Star Wars Legacy 38: Tatooine, Part 2

SOURCES:
Star Wars: The Power of the Force (1995)
Star Wars: Power of the Jedi
Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races
Alien Anthology
The Essential Guide to Alien Species
Star Wars: The Action Figure Archive
The Official Star Wars Fact File 89 (KUB1-2, Kubindi)
The New Essential Guide to Alien Species
Star Wars Adventure Journal 10
Star Wars Miniatures: Bounty Hunters

I would like to thank Wookieepedia for this info.

[Cimter]

HOMEWORLD:
One solar flare was so powerful that it burned all plant life on Kubindi, forcing the Kubaz to eat what was left: the insects. As such, the Kubaz became renowned throughout the galaxy as expert cooks of unusual insectoid cuisine.

The business of Kubindi was now entirely from the sale and production of insects, which financed other projects in technology and space travel. Kubazi clothing was one export, introduced by the Techno Union to the Mustafarians.

The planet had many insect farms and was famous for its Force nexus, the Silver Forest of Dreams. The natives lived in hive-mounds ruled by matriarchal queens. All Kubaz in a hive were descendants of the queen. Many richer hives escaped the irradiated world, settling more fertile planets in the Ku'Bakai system. The Kubaz eventually discovered space travel, and migrated to the sixth, eighth and eleventh worlds of their home system, leaving only the outcast and poor Kubaz on Kubindi.

After these new worlds were populated, the Kubaz discovered their neighbors: the insectoid Verpine which also inhabited the same system. As a result, the Kubaz began hunting them down as a new food source.

Eventually both the species joined the New Republic, and the New Republic prevented the Kubaz from hunting Verpines for food. As a result of New Republic intervention, both species lived in peace until the Yuuzhan Vong War.

Ten months into the Yuuzhan Vong War, the Ku'Bakai system was conquered, the Yuuzhan Vong having been attracted by the Kubaz history of insectile genetic engineering. The battle for the planet was long and fierce. Kyp Durron's Dozen and Two Avengers squadron was able to keep the alien invaders at bay long enough for the Verpine and Kubaz to evacuate the system. The planet was eventually conquered and was used as an outpost by Yuuzhan Vong. However, the planet was later liberated by the Galactic Alliance, with the intent of using it as a fallback point in case Mon Calamari was attacked. The Kubaz had begun returning to their homeworld by the end of the Swarm War.

Fauna
Creatures that lived on Kubindi included, but are not limited to, sun beetles, decalegs, fieldhoppers, ghost spiders, greenflies, kurets, micromites, and scarpyen.