Topic: The Pau'an

[Cimter]

INFO: Pau'ans were gaunt near-Humans native to the planet Utapau. Also known as Utapauns and Ancients due to their long lifespans, they co-existed on Utapau with the Utai. The two species got along well, with the Pau'ans assuming leadership roles on the planet. Though some viewed the Pau'ans as frightening, they were friendly, and were more than happy to welcome visitors to their little-known world. Due to Utapau's remoteness in the Outer Rim Territories, the Pau'ans were isolated for most of their history. However, they played a part in galactic events in 19 BBY, when the Confederacy of Independent Systems conquered Utapau. The Pau'ans opposed the Confederacy with the aid of the Republic, and later opposed the Empire, after Imperials took control of their planet following the Declaration of a New Order.


RACE: Pau'an
HEIGHT: 1.9 Meters Tall
SKIN: Gray
DISTINCTION:  Bald, long arms and fingers, Red eye sockets, Pinstriped skin, Long lifespan
LANGUAGE: Utapese

HOMEWORLD:
Utapau (pronounced /'jutepau/) was an arid sinkhole world in the Utapau system of the Tarabba Sector in the Outer Rim Territories. Utapau was the homeworld of the Pau'ans and the Utai, more commonly referred to collectively as Utapauns. These species lived in the many giant sinkholes that dotted the planet's scrub-covered surface.



For further info please see post below.

BIOLOGY AND APPEARANCE:
The average Pau'an, or Utapaun, as they were sometime called, stood taller than a Human, at approximately 1.9 meters. They were bald and their head was striped with furrowed gray skin. Pau'ans weighed seventy kilograms on average. Pau'ans had large, sunken black eyes and jagged, fang-like teeth used for tearing into raw meat, as they were carnivores. The species had pale, wrinkled skin, due to the fact that the species lived in the sinkholes of Utapau, giving them limited access to light. These traits caused some to view them as frightening. However, Pau'ans as a society were generally friendly, and were happy to welcome guests to their often overlooked world. Pau'ans had long lifespans, living up to 700 years, much longer than the Utai, the other species native to Utapau. This earned them the nickname of "Ancients". Members of the species were able to see well in darkness. Pau'ans had four fingers and toes, but were more mobile than they appeared. They often wore elaborate clothes intended to heighten their impressive stature. Most Pau'ans spoke both Utapese and Basic.

CULTURE AND HISTORY:
The Pau'ans fulfilled most of the administrative duties on Utapau, as the Utai did not desire such work, serving as laborers instead. Most Pau'ans served as leaders early in their lives, often managing teams of Utai laborers. This gave them experience that would be used later in their life. Pau'ans were kind leaders, and sympathetic to their subordinates. Despite the many differences between the Pau'ans and the Utai, the two species were able to co-exist peacefully, although inhabitants of the different Utapaun cities often had conflicts due to philosophical differences. Still, these conflicts rarely developed into bloodshed, and it was more common for the cities to ignore each other. Each city had its own culture, and competition was fierce between the groups. However, they were able to cooperate when the situation necessitated it, such as during the Confederate invasion of the planet in 19 BBY.

Pau'an society was a blend of a variety of styles and cultures, borne from the ancient merger with the Utai. Built into the sinkhole walls, Pau'an settlements such as the Pau City spaceport were divided into different areas, each a mix of architectural styles and other-worldly design. They liked art, and enjoyed studying sculptures and finding ways to incorporate different artistic styles into their architecture. Pau'ans developed an industrial society, despite their seemingly primitive and natural image, though the Utai were the ones who actually did the hard work. The Utai did not mind, however, and collectively much preferred labor to positions of leadership. They were able to power their city by wind, harnessing it through massive windmills. Over ninety-nine percent of the planet's power came from these windmills. Most Pau'ans rode living beasts like varactyls and dactillions instead of speeders.

Each city was controlled by whomever held the title of Master of Port Administration in that city. These administrators were assisted by advisory councils. The Utapauan Committee, which was composed of representatives from the different cities, governed the planet. However, it rarely made crucial decisions, as the cities were able to function on their own most of the time, turning to the Utapauan Security Force when necessary.

Pau'an civilization began around 57,000 BBY. It was believed that settlers traveled to Utapau hoping to find a hospitable world to colonize after the destruction of their homeworld. Some created homes in the sinkholes, while others lived on the surface. Over time, the species changed genetically, becoming the Pau'ans and the Utai, two species with many differences but some similarities. Researchers from the University of Sanbra discovered evidence supporting the theory that the two species were related, although exact specifications were not certain.[6] Eventually, a climate change, causing severe winds, forced the Pau'ans underground, into the sinkholes. The Utai welcomed the Pau'ans, and over time, the two societies merged together to live in a mutually beneficial civilization. Timon Medon was the Pau'an responsible for this, and he was held in high esteem by Pau'ans for his actions. Following the merging of the two cultures, they split into several different groups, forming sinkhole cities scattered across Utapau. Tion Medon, Port Administrator in 19 BBY, was named for Timon Medon. Pau'ans represented only about thirty percent of the population on Utapau, though as the administrators and bureaucrats of the sinkhole cities, their influence made up for their lack of numbers.

Due to trade restrictions placed on them by the Trade Federation, Pau'ans were unable to import many goods such as weapons or starships, and were forced to create their own technology. As Utapau was located in the distant Outer Rim Territories, few independent traders ventured to their planet; although many ventured there around 49 BBY after hearing rumors that the waters on the planet had miraculous healing properties. There were even claims that Utapau was the original home of the Jedi, although these reports were not new; they had originated millennia before. Though the Pau'ans did not want to draw attention to themselves for fear of meeting more powerful cultures who might try to conquer them, they eagerly welcomed visitors who wished to experience the healing for themselves. However, once the water was proven to be nothing more than ordinary water, people forgot about Utapau, once again leaving it alone.

The Pau'an culture was disturbed during the Clone Wars by the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Though the neutral Utapauns attempted to fight back with several Rendili Star Dreadnaughts, the CIS succeeded in conquering the planet as a stronghold. Administrator Tion Medon and his aide Lampay Fay were forced to host General Grievous and his allies on Utapau, turning the planet into a Separatist safehouse. The Pau'ans hid their starfighters, Porax-38 fighters, so they would not be used by the Separatist war machine or destroyed.

With the arrival of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, many Pau'ans and Utai fought back against the droid forces, with the Utai flying their starfighters in an effort to help liberate their planet, though Utapau was subjugated once more with the formation of the Galactic Empire. The Empire used the planet's resources with no thought to the native cultures that were affected, and Pau'an captives were shipped as slaves for several Imperial projects, including the colonization of Byss. Some Pau'ans and Utai created resistance movements, and the different cities were able to unify once more in the face of a great threat.

Following the liberation of their planet by the New Republic, they joined the new galactic government, hoping to avoid further enslavement and poor treatment at the hands of the leaders of the galaxy.

IN THE GALAXY:
Pau'ans were rarely found on a world other than Utapau, owing mainly to the remoteness of their planet. However, one individual who did achieve notoriety was the Pau'an Darth Desolous, who served as a Jedi prior to his fall to the dark side, when he became a Sith. Following the rise of the Empire, many Pau'ans were taken as Imperial slaves. Some were shipped to Byss, the location of many of Emperor Palpatine's treasures, as well as his top-secret citadel. As the Pau'ans were skilled leaders, some were recruited by the Corporate Sector Authority to work as managers of corporations. At one point, so many Pau'ans were recruited by companies that the CSA had to intervene and force businesses to take only a limited number of Pau'ans to be managers. By 25 ABY, the Pau'an Lar Le'Ung was a Jedi Master.

They could also be found as aides to nobles and senators. Having Pau'an aides was seen as a status symbol, much like having a Caamasi advisor brought superior prestige. However, following the rise of the Empire, Pau'ans were mistreated, and the assistants who had formerly enjoyed pleasant, successful lives were mocked and used as slaves.

APPEARANCES:
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 17: Nights of Anger, Part 2 (Appears in hologram)
Dining at Dex's (Mentioned only)
Reversal of Fortune
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith novelization (First appearance)
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith junior novelization
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith comic
Evasive Action: Recruitment
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game
Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption (Mentioned only)
Rebel Force: Hostage
Star Wars: Invasion 0
Star Wars Invasion 2: Refugees, Part 2
Star Wars Invasion 3: Refugees, Part 3
Celestia Galactica Photografica

SOURCES:
Revenge of the Sith: The Visual Dictionary
The Art of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Ultimate Missions: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide
Star Wars: Complete Locations
Star Wars Chronicles: The Prequels
Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary
"Aliens of Episode III" - Star Wars Insider 90
The New Essential Guide to Alien Species
Star Wars Miniatures: Bounty Hunters
Star Wars: The Official Figurine Collection 8 (Two Symbiotic Species: Utapaun)
Star Wars: The Official Figurine Collection 24 (Utapaun Administrator: Tion Medon)
The Pau'ans on Wizards.com (article)
Techno Union Starfighter and Utapaun Starfighter on Wizards.com (article)
The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
The Essential Atlas
Boga in the Databank
Tion Medon in the Databank
P-38 starfighter in the Databank
Utapau in the Databank
Utapaun in the Databank

I would like to thank Wookieepedia for this info.

[Cimter]

51,000 light years from the core, Utapau orbited a single sun and was itself orbited by nine moons. It was composed of a small molten metallic core, with a rocky mantle and rocky, calcareous crust. Surface water made up only 0.9% of the planet, although most significantly, a vast subterranean ocean encircled the planet below the crust. Although extensive surface oceans once covered the planet, they leaked away to the subterranean ocean through the readily eroded crust through vast caverns that were once giant magma chambers. In turn, the erosive sea has contributed to the giant sinkholes throughout its windswept and grassy habitable areas. The resulting vast mineral deposits below the ocean are a great source of wealth for the planet.

Sinkholes on Utapau were a common geological feature that appeared in areas where the rock below the surface of the land is made from substances like salt beds, limestone, carbonate rock (which is referred to as a karst landscape) that can be dissolved by ground water flowing through them. This rock can also be weakened by acidic rain. When these rocks dissolve, large spaces develop underneath until it gets too big and the land above the gap collapses. Naturally-occurring sinkholes are also created by long periods of drought, or when caves with underground streams naturally give way.

HISTORY:
Utapau was a peaceful world that attempted to remain neutral in times of galactic conflict. The sinkhole world was shared by two symbiotic near-Human races whose common ancestors settled the planet at some point after 57,000 BBY. The languid, gray-skinned Pau'ans composed only thirty percent of the planetary population but served as the port masters, bureaucrats, and patricians of the world. The stubby, humble Utai composed the Utapaun labor class, which maintained the windmills of their sinkhole cities and served as handlers for the native varactyl and dactillion dragonmounts.

Originally, the Pau'ans and the Utai colonists lived separate lives; the Pau'ans on the unremarkable surface, the Utai deep underground. In the 10,000-year span before the Clone Wars, the planet's climate began to change, causing stronger and stronger hyperwind storms. This forced the Pau'ans to move underground, re-establishing relations with the Utai people and adding their own, unique touch to the Utai cities. The sinkhole communities soon became a mix of Pau'an and Utai architecture, such as the form known as Ossic. These cities were built into the crevasses and rocky ledges that lined the edges of the sinkholes.

The mixed population of Utai and Pau'ans were divided into city states, with occasional border skirmishes and small wars occurring between separate sinkhole communities. However, thanks to the efforts of Utapaun nobles such as Timon Medon the various cities were brought together and Utapau was unified. To fuel the modest energy needs of the sinkhole cities, many large windmill farms were erected on the wind-blasted surface. These farms were responsible for generating over 99% of the energy consumed by the Utapaun communities.

During the Great War, Utapau became one of the many battlegrounds between the Galactic Republic and the resurgent Sith Empire. Around 50 BBY, an offworld water-mining company discovered supposed healing elements in the underground water lakes of Utapau; the export of this water brought Utapau into the galactic community. For millennia, a rumor had persisted that the planet was one of the birthplaces of the Jedi Order. This legend added to the sales pitch, but the water was soon discovered to have no extraordinary powers and the business ended. In the time before the Clone Wars, the planet also served as the headquarters of Buuper Torsckil Abbey Devices.

CLONE WARS:
Utapau never joined the Galactic Republic. During the Clone Wars, Utapau remained neutral, but allegiance was forced upon the current Master of Port Administration, Tion Medon, when General Grievous and the Separatist Council took the world as their own, at the command of Darth Sidious. Grievous threatened to destroy Pau City should Tion attempt to call for help, though luckily, Jaing and Kom'rk located Grievous on the planet. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi went to Pau City to spring a trap on the Separatists and was greeted by Tion Medon, who secretly gave Kenobi the location of Grievous's hideout.

General Kenobi sent his astromech droid away with his starfighter back to the fleet of Republic Ships to make the CIS believe he was leaving. He then attacked Grievous while he was unprepared. During Kenobi's battle with Grievous, Commander Cody's forces arrived, including a detachment of the 501st Legion along with his own soldiers of the 212th Attack Battalion, as well as local Utapaun warriors and pilots. Obi-Wan defeated Grievous and the droids.

GALACTIC CIVIL WAR:
The trouble on Utapau did not end there. The clone troopers, following Order 66 and the Declaration of the New Order, turned on Obi-Wan, nearly killing him and forcing the Jedi Master to flee Utapau. The clone troopers then rounded up members of the resistance movement, including Tion Medon, and deported some to Byss, where they were used as slaves in "recolonization efforts". The Galactic Empire later established a secret storehouse on Utapau, holding artifacts such as the remains of Grievous's body and his starfighter.

In 0 BBY, Utapau was predominantly governed by the Fey family, and there was some rebel influence on the remote world. The Zann Consortium had the option to corrupt this world by sending Silri and a detachment of Defilers, 2 Missile Attack Launchers (MALs), and Mark II droidekas to kidnap Garnak Fey and force the Utapau government to meet the Consortium's demands. Following the Battle of Endor, Utapau was one of the first worlds to become part of the New Republic, a move designed to prevent the likelihood of once again being attacked and occupied by invading forces.

MILITARY:
From before the Clone Wars, Utapau was one of the worlds restricted by a Trade Federation arms embargo on remote galactic regions. Because of this, the local defense fleet was based around downscaled warships only, many of which were designed and built on Utapau itself, including a variant of the Rendili StarDrive Dreadnaught. It was capable of offering some protection against marauding pirates, but as a battleship, it was outclassed by those put out by rich, industrialized sectors. For example, each vessel was only about one-fifth the size of a Lucrehulk-class battleship and they were all destroyed by the invading Separatist forces.

On the other hand, Utapau's primary starfighter, the Porax-38, was a tough, long-range snubfighter, designed for Utai pilots and capable of extended interstellar patrols of up to twenty days. They saw good use when the scattered Utapau Skyforce mustered to oust the Separatists alongside Republic forces at the Battle of Utapau. In addition to mechanical vessels, the Skyforce also made use of native Dactillions, giant, flying reptiles that could carry a rider into battle.