Shashay

[Marcus Starkiller]

The Shashay were sapient avians indigenous to Crytal Nest. They were reknowned for their natural skills as singers and astrogators, giving them the common nickname of Space Singers. They also had a reputation for fiery tempers and strong loyalty to their species.

Shashay had thick, colorful plumage, sharp beaks and talons, and arms which also served as vestigial wings. Though their ancestors were fully capable of flight, they began to rely less and less on their wings as they evolved into an intelligent species. Eventually, as their wings became arms, their retractable "wing feathers" became useful only for gliding. Shashay could easily glide roughly ten meters for every five meters of vertical fall (under standard gravitational and atmospheric conditions), though they could glide farther with physical extertion. Their brains were still adapted for flight, however, giving them an intuitive understanding of three-dimensional space, and graceful and elegant movement. This served them well as astrogators and pilots.

While most Shashay remained with their "Nestclans" on Crytal Nest, Shashay navigators quietly roamed the hyperlanes of the Galactic Republic for many years, exploring and doing small-scale trading, but not drawing attention to themselves. This changed when a Shashay scout vessel crash-landed on Kashyyyk. The scout repaid the Wookiees who fixed her ship by entertaining them with an evening of song. The Wookiees were very impressed by her music, and the news of the Shashay's talent spread through the Galaxy.

Shashay over the next few years, Shashay singers developed a reputation for intricate, beautiful singing. (It should be noted that despite their vocal talents, they were unable to speak Galactic Basic Standard.) Some Shashay left their homeworld, either as entertainers or as spacers. A small community was found on Coruscant by 22 BBY, though they were prone to various diseases due to pollution on the city-planet.

Shashay were very secretive about the location of their homeworld. Its hyperspace coordinates were never written down or recorded in any way. Though each Shashay astrogator memorized the co-ordinates, they were willing to die rather than reveal them to outsiders. During the Galactic Civil War, the Shashay became even more secretive. Several Shashay joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic as navigators, becoming a vital part of the Rebellion's efforts in the Rayter Sector. Agents of the Galactic Empire tried to turn the Shashay against the Rebellion, and possibly learn the location of Crytal Nest, by abducting the popular entertainer Crying Dawn Singer and blaming his kidnapping on the Rebellion. However, once the entertainer was rescued and the plot exposed by Rebel operatives, the Shashay put their full support behind the Rebellion.