#barabels

[magnetarbeam]

Barabelisms

[forcesung]

Saba Sebatyne had been living among humans for well over a standard decade, and still there was so much she did not know about them. She didn’t understand why Master Skywalker seemed so lost right now, why he had stopped talking to his friends and turned all his attention inward. Surely he knew Mara wouldn’t want that? That she would expect him to stay focused and guide the Jedi through this time of crisis?

But he just stood staring at the funeral pyre, as though he couldn’t quite believe it was his mate up there, as though he expected her to awaken at any moment and climb down to stand beside him. Perhaps he was only trying to understand why Mara had failed to return her body to the Force, wondering—like so many other Masters—whether it still held some clue to the killer’s identity that had been missed during the autopsy. Or he could be worried that something in Mara’s past had interfered, that she had done something as the Emperor’s Hand so terrible that the Force could not take her back.

Saba only knew that she did not know; that Master Skywalker had been wounded in some way she could never understand and had lost himself. And she feared that if he did not return to himself soon, something terrible would happen. She could feel that much in the Force.

—Legacy of the Force: Inferno, Troy Denning

[mortallyclearwonderland]

Star Wars Alien Species - Barabel

Barabels hail from Barab I, a dark and murky planet located in The Outer Rim. The Barabel are relative newcomers to the galactic community. Having evolved from nocturnal predators, Barabels are well-suited to cope with prolonged period of darkness, and they retain much of their ancestor's ferocity.

Living in low tech communities ranging from a few dozen individuals to no more than ten thousand, the Barabel community would be built around a warren where the group thrived and hunted from. The Barabel species was noted for its hunting and tracking prowess. This was because many of their actions were fueled by their hunting instincts, leading to the general feeling that Barabel were always angry, or in the very least, ornery. They were well known for their aggression but were also extremely loyal to their mates and parents. They also had a great deal of respect for the Jedi, because of their first experiences with a Jedi Master who settled a dangerous clan dispute. Apologies, whether for a misdeed or in sympathy, were an unknown concept to Barabel. It was considered mildly insulting to a Barabel to be apologized to and apologizing tended to actually make a situation worse. This sometimes was disconcerting for members of other species, especially Humans, who were more ruled by emotions such as guilt or sympathy. Barabels also found the term "shorttail" a grievous insult, and the response was usually a violent one. Had Saba Sebatyne not been a Jedi Master, she would have slashed off the arm of a Yaka who called her shorttail and beaten him in the head with it.

Barabel had a native language, though they also expressed emotion—such as amusement or grief—by "sissing." They were a communal race, with separate tribes on their homeworld numbering up to 10,000 individuals under the guidance of a pack leader. Unlike Humans, Barabel were much closer to the subconscious parts of their brains than other species. Lone Barabel tended to refer to themselves as "this one" instead of typical first person pronouns such as me or I.

The Barabel had a rich mythology which revolved around a historic landing of a group of Jedi Knights early in their history. Worshiping the Jedi as gods, the Barabel mythology revered these 'warriors from beyond the clouds.' Among Barabel beliefs were a group of demons called the Blight of Barabel. Their names were often used as curses.

According to Barabel legend, a small group of Jedi, led by the Ithorian Noga-ta, came to Barab I some centuries before the rise of the Galactic Empire. In Barabel culture, they called these Jedi great warriors from the sky. Noga-ta helped settle the Barabel War which had threatened to engulf their world in warfare. Consequently, the Barabel held Jedi in high esteem and would accept a Jedi's judgment in any dispute.

After this contact with the Jedi, the Barabel had little contact with other species for centuries, though some had made their way off-world and had created a settlement on Abraxin circa 67 BBY. It wasn't until the rise of the Galactic Empire that Barab I received renewed attention. Planetary Safaris Inc. began organizing hunting trips to the Barabel homeworld, with the quarry being the Barabel themselves. After a few Barabel were killed, a Barabel leader named Shaka-ka organized groups of her fellow hunters into armies which overwhelmed the safari ships. When an Imperial investigation led by Captain Osted Alater revealed that the Barabel were indeed sentient, the safaris were ended. Shaka-ka formed an alliance with Imperial Governor Paro Lanto and had the spaceport city of Alater-ka built in Alater's honor. Some Barabel began to travel offworld, working as mercenaries and bounty hunters. Some Barabel were captured by slavers, but more often than not, those who purchased and used Barabel would find themselves at the mercy of their new slave's claws.

Later, during the days of the New Republic, several Barabel became part of the Jedi Order. The most prominent of these was Saba Sebatyne, who went on to earn a seat on the Jedi High Council and later served as interim Grand Master. The Barabel were nearly wiped out when Barab I was ravaged by the Yuuzhan Vong during their invasion of the galaxy. However, some Barabel escaped the widespread fires by retreating into Barab I's vast network of caverns.

Offworld, Barabels take up professions that make use of their predatory nature, the most common being bounty hunting. Surprisingly, Barabels willingly follow orders once a Chain of Command is clearly established, making them prized members of mercenary units. Thy carry out orders efficiently and quickly, but they are not hesitant to challenge a leader if their survival is threatened. Barabels are also frequent and popular participants in the sport of Shockboxing. The monstrous brute Tull Raine holds The Outer Rim title for years, developing a reputation for killing opponents in the ring.

Barabels are ruthlessly pragmatic and independent. They express a wide range of emotions with a simple "Sissing" sound, causing other Species to view them as mean spirited, or at least constantly angry. Barabels' aggressive nature and predatory instincts frequently lead them to solve problems with the direct approach, and they have no qualms about killing.

Barabel were a bipedal race of reptilians who were covered in very tough, dark-colored scales. The Barabel evolved from nocturnal lizards and adapted a thick layer of fat which allowed them to retain their body temperature when temperatures dropped. A blaster set on stun would not damage them at all or slow them down, as it would merely bounce off their scales. Barabel were able to shed their tails if necessary, an ability that proved the undoing of many startled foes. They also possessed heavy retractable claws along with needle sharp teeth which could grow to be 5 centimeters in length. A carnivorous species, Barabel possessed two stomachs in order to process the massive amount of food they required to survive.

For breeding, Barabel devised a system in which the nest eggs of two females were fertilized by two males. Subsequently, the four individuals protected the nest. As fathers would end up not knowing which of the offspring were their own, Barabel younglings took the surname of their mothers.

Barabels are between 1.9 and 2.3 meters or 6.2 and 7.5 feet in height,and weighs 110 kilograms or 243 pounds adding to their fearsome reputation.

Barabels age at the following stages:

1 - 8 Child

9 - 15 Young Adult

16 - 40 Adult

41 - 59 Middle Age

60 - 79 Old

Examples of Names: Baraduk, Ragath, Saba, Shaka-ka, Tesar, Tibor, Vangar.

Languages: Barabels speak Barabel, an expressive language consisting primarily of "sissing," with short words expressing entire ideas and conversations.

[magnetarbeam]

I think part of why I love Saba and the Barabels is how routinely we're told that their thought processes and emotional expressions are completely incomprehensible to the humans around them.

And how Saba in particular still gets plenty of respect and appreciation, from the narrative and the other characters, even though she can't communicate with those around her in a way that makes sense to them.

Like. If my headcanon Alema Rar is my hot girl power fantasy, I guess Saba Sebatyne is my neurodivergent power fantasy.

[magnetarbeam]

Instead of whatever Denning probably wanted us to think about Alema being a slut, I think my reading of this is that Tesar was uncomfortable sensing that in the battle meld because Barabel neurochemistry is so different from humanoids that he just couldn't properly process the emotions involved.

[magnetarbeam]

Can you imagine how fucking unsettling the Barabels would be if they ever got put to screen?

Reading about usually Saba's expressions and mannerisms, and especially how much less expressive their faces are than humans, I can't help but picture it. Also how they process emotions like grief in different ways, and their weird accents and speech patterns...

Ugh. It's like, they're not actually heartless monsters, but especially without the narration to remind you of some of this, they'd read as far enough from human for it to be seriously disturbing coming from someone in a Jedi robe. I lowkey love it.

(Denningverse Barabels, anyway. I'm not sure how much they were like that before. I know Dark Force Rising shows us at least one Barabel who doesn't refer to himself in third person.)