#ooryl gand

[starwarspilotstournament]

As I begin work on making the bracket for the Star Wars Pilots Tournament, there are unfortunately many characters that will not make it into the showdown. These characters were submitted very late in the game and/or only got one submission each, so they are sadly not eligible.

So, ladies, gentlemen, and all other associations of being, I invite you to join me in raising a glass to those pilots who simply did not qualify.

Dak Ralter (The Empire Strikes Back)

Submitted propaganda: Look he's not really piloting and also he dies in his only scene but I love him

2. Col "Fake Wedge" Takbright (A New Hope)

Submitted propaganda: Totally would have kicked ass in the Battle of Yavin if he had been there

3. Thane Kyrell (Lost Stars)

Submitted propaganda: An ex-Imperial who defected and fought in the Rebellion, including the battle of Hoth, Endor and Jakku. He’s also in a very beautiful romance story with his childhood friend and Imperial pilot Ciena Ree 

4. Oddball (Clone Wars/Revenge of the Sith)

Submitted propaganda: none :(

5. Greez Dritus (Jedi Fallen Order/Survivor)

Submitted propaganda: none :(

6. Jarek Yeager (Star Wars Resistance)

Submitted propaganda: Rebellion pilot who fought in the Battle of Jakku! Became a racer after the Empire fell but quit after his brother cheating in a race led to an explosion that killed his family. Moved to an out of the way fueling station and decided to run a mechanic's shop instead of piloting. He's drawn back into flying by Kaz when the First Order rises, and becomes a squadron leader/teacher for the next generation of pilots.

7. Venisa Doza (Star Wars Resistance)

Submitted propaganda: Badass Rebellion pilot who convinced her future husband to defect from the Empire! When the First Order started to rise she immediately joined the Resistance to fight them. Awesome pilot and really good at convincing Imperials/First Order people to defect.

8. Mara Jade Skywalker (Thrawn trilogy)

Submitted propaganda: none :(

9. Ooryl Qrygg (Rogue Squadron)

Submitted propaganda: Ooryl is unique in what his contributions mean to his people. There are very few Gand in the Lore but Ooryl qualifies for Rogue Squadron, the best pilots of the New Republic. He also arcs to earn the right to use "I" pronouns, which is extended only to Gand who are famous enough to be known to literally every Gand that exists. 

10. Garik "Face" Loran (X Wing - Wraith Squadron)

Submitted propaganda: none :(

11. Myn Donos (Wraith Squadron)

Submitted propaganda: Pulled off a nearly impossible rescue (ultimately failed as the other pilot was unconscious and unable to aid) and was the only surviving member of [???]

12. Wes Janson (Rogue Squadron + Wraith Squadron)

Submitted propaganda: none :(

13. Derek "Hobbie" Klivian (Rogue Squadron + Wraith Squadron)

Submitted propaganda: none :(

14. Nawara Ven (Rogue Squadron)

Submitted propaganda: none :(

15. Temmin "Snap" Wexley (Sequel trilogy and Aftermath trilogy)

Submitted propaganda: none :(

16. Kazuda Xiono (Star Wars Resistance)

Submitted propaganda: Resistance pilot who joins the Resistance because he wants to make a difference against the First Order and the New Republic isn't doing anything. Very good combat pilot and much more graceful in the air than he is on the ground. 

17. Torra Doza (Star Wars Resistance)

Submitted propaganda: 15 year old racing pilot! Learned how to fly from her mom. Super good at flying and clearly has a lot of fun flying also.

18. Hype Fazon (Star Wars Resistance)

Submitted propaganda: Super good race pilot who has to adjust to being a combat pilot when the First Order rises. Has a tendency to run from things that frighten him at first (the First Order, added responsibility, growth) but always comes back at the end. Also is delightfully cocky about his piloting skills.

19. Isabella Garcia-Shapiro / "Pilot Isabella" (Phineas and Ferb/Star Wars crossover)

Submitted propaganda: Okay so she’s the Han Solo of the episode despite Han also being in that, but also I just think this is the funniest technically legal submission I could do I’m not a Star Wars fan <3

20. that one ufuck (???)

Submitted propaganda: hhrrhhhghgngnhghghggngnghg i hve no fucking clue what any of this means im delirious right now im not even a star wars fan either

Believe me, y'all, I am as upset as you are over some of these not making it in. However, I made the rules and I would just be a hypocrite if I didn't follow them.

BUT stay tuned for the actual bracket with the 32 characters who DID make it in!

[iron-cretin]

love how the gands show up to give ooryl his pronouns and he's just like "hey we're on our way to go do some terrorism, wanna come with" and they're like "hell yeag"

[wantonwinnie]

The Bacta War Review

7/10. About halfway through I was feeling “eh,” and while it got better toward the back half, I think it still warrants a lower score than I have usually given for Star Wars books so far. I have a lot to say on this one because I'll be covering the first three books in the series a bit, as well.

To preface, I generally like canon better than a lot of the older legends stuff, but I still enjoy much what I’ve read so far (I also loved playing the KOTOR games). My main experience, albeit limited, is the first four novels of the X Wing series, and overall they were great! I really like the first three (Rogue Squadron, Wedge’s Gamble, The Krytos Trap). However, I think this one kinda suffers when compared to those.

Since they’re all a part of the same series, I’ll talk about what I liked in the first three. Rogue Squadron had excellent starfighter combat and engaging tactical discussion; Wedge's Gamble had interesting military strategy and related controversy, as well as espionage; The Krytos Trap, perhaps my favorite in the series, had questions about judicial policy, mysteries related to Isard and Corran, and Imperial subterfuge.

This begets a problem for The Bacta War – it has to wrap up whatever was left after The Krytos Trap, which wasn't much, without starting much new stuff. Most of the important mysteries were already resolved, including Corran's past, the main betrayal, and Isard's plans. And it’s totally okay to just want to continue the story with another fun adventure! Not every book will keep the same mysteries going, and the payoffs in Krytos made that a stalwart favorite of mine. People will read for the characters they came to know and love, which is totally cool.

__________________________________________________

Spoiler from here on

However, that leaves me in a weird position. I like the characters just fine, but I don't have the same attachments to them as maybe others do, nor do I find them especially compelling. Corran is courageous, cunning, talented, and charming, but is also just an ex-cop who half the time is lamenting Booster Terrik as a hardened criminal or whatever. Booster himself is fun but straight-foward. Mirax is fun but ultimately felt like Corran's love interest more than her own character in this installment. Wedge is Wedge – hardened fighter who always gets the job done. I liked Ooryl and exploring the Gand culture.

That brings me to the main problem – while it didn't need to start anything new, I think it lost a lot of the political dimensions that made Wedge's Gamble and Krytos so awesome. Maybe it wanted to return to Rogue Squadron's focus on space combat or something, I don't know. But I was pretty disappointed in the lack of attention in the 12-hour (audiobook) read to interesting political questions that got asked and were left unanswered by the story (other than to say that they're irrelevant). I mean, they mention the New Republic can't get directly involved because that would be a violation of Thyferra's sovereignty, thus leading to other worlds leaving the NR. This is stated as fact without the perspectives of the Provisional Council or Thyferran people, and even less, barely weighs on any of the characters (and why would they care when they already decided it was a worthwhile venture?). Of course, the in-universe angle justifies itself; Isard is definitely evil, and making sure she doesn't control the Bacta cartel (+ liberating the Vratix from human oppression) is undoubtably good. But Rogue Squadron doesn't have to worry about sovereignty, and they honestly barely care about liberating enslaved workers (it’s more about Isard = evil). And that makes sense. But since we are only given their perspective, we never develop the political issues involved here.

Moreover, after defeating Isard, the establishment of a new government is an afterthought in the story and pretty fucking simple somehow. It’s literally turn the page and now Thyferra has a provisional government joining the New Republic. Blink and you'll miss it.

I think the most dimension The Bacta War gets is from the economic disruption of Isard's bacta supply, which is interesting, and definitely necessary to make the book a more worthwhile read.

I don't feel like the major characters had much development in their story arcs here. Corran is slightly more aware of his force abilities, though highly limited. He and Mirax grow closer. Corran gets over Booster a bit. Wedge gets more tired. Tycho tries to let go of his past trauma for a bit. That said, I don't think the characters are the strong-suit.

Speaking of, diversity is a big issue in this book (as with the first three, where most of the characters started). It’s human-centric, which isn't a big deal (Andor was probably the best show Star Wars has made yet, and that had an extreme lack of non-humans). However, this installment was even more human-centric than the others in terms of the characters given sufficient time, though non-humans were still relevant (Vratix, Ooryl). But more important – I was BEGGING for some non-white humans. I mean, holy shit. Corran? White. Wedge? White. Mirax? Booster? White. Isard? White. Tycho? White. Iella Wessiri? White. Gavin Darklighter? White. Pash Cracken? White. Elscol Loro? White. I just named almost all the major characters in this novel (and many are major to the first three).

There are exceptions (Wookiepedia doesn't say the skin tones of humans Erisi Dlarit or Fliry Vorru, who are both major characters, and Winter is described as "tan," though she's a minor character). I don't want to belabor this point, but I think it’s an important one. The author could have stood to make a few more non-white characters in the first place, especially considering how many non-legacy character options there were. And I've always thought it was so weird that, with Luke Skywalker being a white man, and Wedge Antilles being a white man, the author decided to make the titular character of the series (Corran Horn)... another white man? Not to mention the second new and important character, Tycho, another white man? I think we have enough of those in Rogue Squadron alone to cover our bases here lol. I can only speak for myself (another white man), but I have to imagine it’s difficult for non-white readers to see themselves in this series and especially this installment.

Of course, any relationship or potential relationship in this series is depicted as heterosexual, and all the characters have binary pronouns, though I never had any expectations in that regard. I'm really spoiled by The High Republic and other modern canon books, because those do a much better job than 1990s legends, which is both hopeful and unsurprising.

So, ultimately, how did I feel about this novel? I think the most important question for any novel is: did I have fun while reading it? Yes, I did. The space combat was exhilarating, tense, and surprising; the tactical questions were interesting; and the story had its moments. I don't feel like I wasted my time reading it. However, at the end of the day, I think it’s pretty, erm, skippable. It’s another story with the same characters, and I totally jive with that, but I think the missing elements made it a bit of a letdown compared to the first three books, which got better with each successive one.

I think next on my list is either the Doctor Aphra audiobook or Shatterpoint.

[moonlayl]

Okay so basically

Corran: I quit Rogue Squadron

Borsk Fey'lya: you can't do that! Wedge, say something!

Wedge: I quit too

Borsk Fey'lya: Tycho, Rogue Squadron is yours now

Tycho: yeah...I'm out

Ooryl: Ooryl quits as well

Borsk Fey'lya: WHAT!

Rhysati and Nawara: we're out too!

Gavin: same here!

Aril, Inyri, and Riv: sorry, but we're calling it quits also!

Asyr: I as well

Borsk Fey'lya: Now wait just a damn minute! You're a Bothan, you can't do this

Asyr: i can and I am

Borsk Fey'lya: this is absurd! utter insanity! Jedi Skywalker, you must make them see sense!

Luke: I mean...I'm literally the guy who invented 'quitting rogue squadron' so...good on you guys!

[incorrectstarwarslegendsquotes]

Corran Horn: Standing up too quickly gives me temporary access to Gand colors.

Ooryl Qyrgg: It shouldn't! Go to a medic!

[mortallyclearwonderland]

Star Wars Alien Species - Gand

The Gands evolved on the planet Gand. There, they spread across the surface, founded pocket colonies, and developed a planetary monarchy.Their homeworld was discovered by outsiders sometime prior to 3951 BBY, during the Kanz Disorders. An inhospitable and isolated world located in the Shadola sector, just beyond the Centrality and near the border of Wild Space, the planet was not located on any major hyperlanes. This isolation allowed the Gand society to develop without the influence of the Galactic Republic. During the Clone Wars, aside from the participation of individual members, Gand society remained independent of the Republic.

The findsman tradition was established by the planet's monarchy and thrived for centuries until the intervention of the Galactic Empire. The Imperials took control of the slave trade and brought with them their advanced technology, which kept the number of runaways down and rendered the findsmen useless. Many Gand findsmen retired or tried to find new professions. Two such Gands were the renegade Vytor Shrike and the Rebel operative Venlyss Pnorr. However, rather than allow the tradition to face extinction, many other Gands, notably Zuckuss, took the profession offworld, finding work as bounty hunters, security advisors, and even assassins.

During the Galactic Civil War, the Gand homeworld once again had no involvement in the war, aside from the activities of various individuals. Aside from the Empire's involvement in the planet's slave trade, the Gands were largely overlooked by the Imperials. The planet managed to avoid invasion during the Yuuzhan Vong War, as well. Although many Gand refugees sought asylum on Ruan, the planet itself was overlooked by the galactic invaders. The Gands also remained removed from affairs during the Second Galactic Civil War.

Since the coming of the Empire, the insular Gands maintained tight control over how much influence outsiders had on their people. Most visitors to the planet Gand only got as close as the orbiting space stations. There were five of these structures, which were the centers of Gand commerce. Any visitors permitted on the surface of the world were sequestered in the alien quarters located in the spaceports. A few non-Gands were afforded the honor of admission into Gand society but only under the sponsorship of the janwuine or the ruetsavii. After the changeover from Galactic Empire to New Republic, the Shi'ido anthropologist Mammon Hoole included an entry on the Gands in his publication The Essential Guide to Alien Species.

The Gands evolved on the planet of Gand, an isolated Outer Rim world that boasted an atmosphere comprised of ammonia, which made it potentially lethal to oxygen-breathers. This atmosphere resulted in very little galactic influence on the planet, a state of affairs that allowed the Gands to develop a rich, yet peculiar, culture. They were considered by most other species to be a very humble society, its members soft-spoken and polite.

Gand society placed heavy importance on the achievements of an individual and held that an individual had no name, and thus no worth, until he or she proved otherwise. The speech patterns of Gands utilized third-person self-reference within each level of identity earned. Young or unproven Gands were all called "Gand," as they were considered merely aspects of the same whole. Major accomplishments earned the use of a family surname. Mastering a skill, such as becoming a findsman, allowed for the use of the given name, all with third-person self-reference. This manner of speaking was common within the spoken and written Gand language but was more predominant when a Gand spoke Basic; it was often a source of amusement to outsiders. At least one Gand, Ooryl Qrygg, expressed confusion as to what a pronoun was.

A storied Gand could earn the right to use first-person pronouns after many feats and accomplishments and the ritual aptitude test, the Janwuine-jika. In order for the Elders of Gand—the leaders of Gand society—to deem a Gand worthy to become janwuine, the highest honor a Gand could receive, they sent the ruetsavii—a group of Gands who were renowned for their own accomplishments and therefore considered able to judge the deeds of others - to observe and chronicle the exploits of the Gand in question. The ruetsavii then made the determination whether that Gand was ready to undergo the ceremony. Use of the first-person self-reference otherwise was considered arrogant, as it implied to those to whom a Gand spoke that he or she was so great that everyone knew his or her name. Once a Gand became janwuine, however, this presumption was considered a reasonable one, as all other Gands were expected to know the individual's name and accomplishments. However, even an accomplished Gand warrior often downplayed his or her achievements, and feelings of shame at one's actions made a Gand assume a reduction of accomplishments, and thus in his or her name. Such name reduction was a show of penance, and depending on the level of identity previously earned, the Gand might take to referring to him- or herself by just the surname or even as "this Gand." Some Gands who committed unspeakable acts were exiled from their society and planet. They were assumed to have discarded their culture and thus could refer to themselves in any way they wished. Failure to become a findsman was sometimes grounds for exile.

The Gands lived in pocket colonies that dotted the surface of their homeworld. These colonies, separated by seemingly endless kilometers of thick ammonia mists, were each ruled by Gand's central government. While some historians believed that the government of the Gand was a totalitarian monarchy, Gands did not possess a world for king or queen in their language, and no royal houses existed in their society. Scholars debated whether monarchies were isolated to colony worlds, if the species had moved away from this form of government, or if the original research into the government was confusing the insect-like characteristics for monarchy. During the Galactic Civil War, sociologists speculated that the Gand might govern themselves in a type of meritocratic democracy. Others theorized that the cultural and political shifts in Gand society were so frequent that the confusion derived from a rapidly changing environment. The Gands, while a primitive society, made use of galactic technology, and were proficient with the usage of advanced weaponry. However, they either outsourced their starship manufacturing to other companies, such as Byblos Drive Yards, or heavily modified captured ships, such as was done with the vehicles that were utilized by the ruetsavii. The Gand discharger was a weapon that was considered the pinnacle of Gand technology; dischargers could both paralyze or kill enemies, and they were very rare because few Gand earned them.

The planet's mists were influential in Gand culture, and the religious findsmen sects worshiped them, divining omens and signs from the currents to pinpoint the location of hidden prey. Gands had an active slave trade and penal system, and they employed the findsmen to locate runaway slaves and prisoners hiding in the enshrouding fog banks.

The Gands conducted trade and commerce on orbiting space stations that allowed visitors to avoid the poisonous atmosphere of the planet itself. Despite such contact with offworlders, Gands were seen as insular and somewhat xenophobic. Outsiders were rarely, if ever, allowed on the surface of Gand, as the insectoid species did not want their society to be tainted with the ideas of independence and self-worth that offworlders might bring. The few non-Gand allowed onto the planet were usually under the sponsorship of a janwuine Gand, or were considered hinwuine—beings of standing. Nevertheless, Gand protocol mandated that visitors tell no one of their time on Gand; to talk of such visits was considered an insult to their Gand hosts. In 7 ABY, General Airen Cracken and several other members of Rogue Squadron were invited onto Gand to witness the janwuine-jika ceremony for the pilot Ooryl Qrygg. Cracken admitted to finding the ceremony to be unsettling.

Gands or Gand, sentient, stocky humanoids whose insectoid bodies were covered in a chitinous exoskeleton. The natural, durable armor allowed the Gand to shrug off injuries that would cripple most other species. Zuckuss, a Gand bounty hunter, jumped from a third-story window, was caught in an explosion, and was even shot in the shoulder, yet he was able to continue his duties without so much as a disorienting effect. The Gand exoskeleton provided extra protection in the clavicle region, which prevented most nerve or pressure-point strikes to the neck and shoulders. In addition, Gands had the remarkable ability to regrow lost limbs. If a Gand was dismembered, it could regrow a lost limb in a few days.

The Gands possessed earholes, and large, compound eyes with a visual range that included the ultraviolet spectrum and afforded excellent night vision; however, they could not perceive colors in total darkness. The eyes were shielded with a keratin substance that served to protect them from airborne debris, such as that present in a sandstorm. Most Gands had three fingers on each hand; the digits were capable of punching through stormtrooper armor, as evidenced by Ooryl Qrygg, a Gand pilot with Rogue Squadron, on the planet Talasea. Their durability was utilized in a Gand martial arts technique known as "Piercing Touch."

The Gand species had two sexes: male and female. Despite the species' refusal to be studied, xenobiologists managed to document several of their physical variations, which included differences in exoskeleton color from brown to green, and purple. Even the shape of the head differed among individuals; some were rounded, while others, like Vaabesh, a Clone Wars–generation Gand Padawan, possessed elongated craniums. The head in some specimens divided into sections, while others had pronounced cranial ridges. Although most Gands possessed three fingers, there were a few, like the assassin R'Kayza, who had five. The surface of the exoskeleton varied, as some Gands exhibited pronounced plating, while others had a smoother texture. The eye color also varied from silver to gray, black, yellow, and turquoise.

Despite the widespread diversity, however, most Gands were classified into two subspecies: lungless and "breathers." Scientists were unsure if the breathers were of an older evolutionary stock destined to die out or further evolve, or if they were another viable race. Such Gands possessed lungs, along with the usual assortment of internal organs that were typical in most species.The lungs functioned rather efficiently, able to utilize nearly eighty–five percent of the atmosphere with each breath. Gands with lungs nevertheless were adapted to breathing only ammonia and required breath masks or similar equipment to survive in the more common oxygen–rich environments found on many planets. Oxygen exposure scoured the inside of the lungs like acid and required organ transplants if the Gand did not suffocate. If a Gand survived the initial exposure, that individual could display various respiratory symptoms, which included chest pain, shortness of breath, and coughing, which sometimes brought up blood. Since the proper bronchial and lung treatments necessary to repair the damage were uncommon off the species' homeworld, Gands stricken with oxygen inhalation were characterized by a high rate of mortality.

A breathing Gand was able to hold its breath when needed and induce a comatose state, which would reduce the perceptibility of bodily functions to a point where an observer might mistake them for dead. Zuckuss demonstrated the ability while working with another bounty hunter named Boba Fett; however, he made use of compressed ammonia canisters to extend respiration cessation for several days. The lungless Gand sub-species did not respire, as they obtained all the metabolic sustenance they needed through the ingestion of their food. Ingested materials aided in gas exchange, and waste passed through openings in the exoskeleton. This made lungless Gands immune to poisonous gases and allowed them to forgo respirators when they ventured offworld. Nevertheless, some lungless Gands wore such equipment anyway, usually to maintain anonymity.

Usually, Gands spoke their native language, also known as Gand, which to offworlders sounded like a jumble of drones and clicks. For communication with members of other species, however, lungless Gands required the aid of a muscular gas bladder. This organ, among its other uses, allowed the Gand to draw in gases and expel them at a controlled rate through pieces of the exoskeleton that vibrated to approximate speech. Such Gands also made use of translator vocoders to compensate for their lack of vocal cords. Although most Gands were incapable of speaking Basic, some Gand varieties were born with the proper organs and structure to speak other languages, Zuckuss being an example.

Gands needed only a fraction of the sleep normally required by Humans. This trait was common throughout the Gand varieties, so scientists attributed it to culture, rather than breeding. To stay awake and aware was more beneficial to the work of findsmen—a Force-sensitive religious tradition of bounty hunters that was unique to the Gand—and was a skill that was honed throughout a lifetime. Some of these findsman could communicate telepathically to all races within 60 meters of them. However, Gands were able to "store" the restorative properties of sleep for use when suspension of consciousness was inadvisable. Gands possessed regenerative abilities; for example, Ooryl Qrygg was able to regrow a severed arm within months, although he was assisted by a bacta cast. The exoskeleton appeared more pale and chalky in hue than normal until the regeneration process was complete. The consumption of alcohol often provoked a depressed mood in the species, and at least one Gand, Zuckuss, was known to suffer from schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder. Gands could also be afflicted with asthma.

A typical Gand male stands at 1.6 meters or 5.2 feet tall and weighs 80 kilograms or 176 pounds, while a typical Gand female stands at 1.4 meters or 4.6 feet tall and weighs 70 kilograms or 154 pounds.

Gands age at the following stages:

1 - 9 Child

10 - 14 Young Adult

15 - 29 Adult

30 - 45 Middle Age

46 - 60 Old

Examples of Names: Muulish, Ooryl, Shoolush, Vaabesh, Zaabahn, Zuckuss.

Languages: Gand lack the organs to speak any language other than Gand and, therefore, rely on Transliterators to communicate in other tongues.

[captaingondolin]

OORYL, BABY, YOU'RE AMAZING, I LOVE YOU and I love your friendship with Corran ("Ooryl wanted you to be the first to hear"!!), you guys are ADORABLE, I'm making cooing sounds at my e-reader, I'm fucking ridiculous, but I'm just so fond of these guys. Ooryl was super badass in the battle against the Lusankya and he deserves all the pronouns! "They have returned to Gand to tell Ooryl's, ah, my story." awwww, yes!

[captaingondolin]

ooryl qrygg walks around base eating from a container that says “GLUE” on the side and when asked about it he says something like “yes, glue is a delicacy for the gand” but really it’s just normal space soup (spoup?) and he’s messing with everyone

people (corran) think he doesn’t have a sense of humour, but really he is the captain holt of the situation. one time they meet his gand friends and they find him HILARIOUS, they laugh hysterically for hours