Selkath

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Selkath were the native species of the planet Manaan that spoke Selkatha. An aquatic species, they were very good swimmers and had the ability to breathe out of water. They resembled anthropomorphic rays and had blue- or green-colored skin. Their mouths were bracketed by cephalic lobes that assumedly directed plankton into their mouths. In ancient times, their ancestors were slaves to the Rakata. Their planet had only one city above water, the capital, Ahto City, and it was the position of the Selkath to remain neutral in times intergalactic conflict. Their laws were very harsh, and it was not uncommon for violence or attempts to compromise Manaan's neutrality to be punished by death. All members of the Selkath race had venom-tipped, retractable claws. Similar to the Wookiees, the use of these claws in any form of combat was considered dishonorable and a sign of madness. A large female firaxan shark, known as the Progenitor, was seen as either a deity, or even an early evolutionary step in the Selkath chain. After the events of the Jedi Civil War, a Force tradition known as the Order of Shasa arose among the Selkath.

The population of the Selkath had always been low, even in times of prosperity, but there was a greater proportion of Force-sensitives compared to other species. The members of the Order acted as seers, advisors, and elite military leaders in times of war. Their main weapon was a fira, a curved sword, similar to a scimitar, constructed of cortosis as part of initiation in the Order of Shasa. Some time after the Battle of Rakata Prime, the source of kolto dried up for reasons unknown, and foreign groups abandoned Ahto City and the Selkath. As such, the Selkath gradually reverted back to primitive ways, and abandoned Ahto City.

During the New Sith Wars, several Selkath Padawans fought in the First Battle of Ruusan, and at least one Selkath fought in the Seventh Battle of Ruusan. In 22 BBY, a Selkath was spotted in the Gree Enclave.

When the Galactic Empire came to Manaan, Ahto City was revived, but the Selkath were enslaved. As in many other instances of planetary exploitation, the Empire polluted the oceans of Manaan and wrecked the environment. Darth Vader himself came to the planet, and soon started a "shadow revolt" of the Selkath. However, he told several Force-sensitive Selkath warriors and Shasan Adepts of when and where to strike the Imperial stormtrooper patrols. Whether the Empire put down this revolt, left the planet, or even didn't care, is yet to be discovered.

Manaan and the Selkath were eventually liberated by the New Republic in 5 ABY by Admiral Ackbar. With the loss of kolto, the Selkath worked hard to reestablish themselves in the galactic arena. The Selkath voted to join the New Republic in 9 ABY, and Mon Mothma willingly accepted their application.

The underwater settlements where the Selkath dwell were called 'pods'. The closest pod to the city of Ahto was the Umber pod, but not much is known about it because offworlders are restricted from ever going there. The Umber pod was not filled with water: the Selkath are amphibious, and while their young must exist in water, once they mature they are able to breathe air.