The crawlers were 134 species of nearly two-dimensional life-forms that lived under high atmospheric pressures in the boundary between the atmosphere and core of the Outer Rim Territories gas giant Yavin Prime. Reaching sizes of several hundred kilometers across and no more than two decimeters in height, they constantly moved across the layer of frozen liquids that they inhabited, feeding on trace elements and reproducing by fission. Such activity led to the dislodgement of the valuable Corusca gems from Yavin Prime's core, followed by their rise to the higher levels of the planet's atmosphere. Although the crawlers were eventually discovered via long-range observations, no contact with the organisms had been made by 3 ABY.

Biology and appearance[]

The crawlers were a group of 134 species of organisms that lived on the gas giant–type planet Yavin Prime^[1] of the Outer Rim Territories' Gordian Reach sector.^[2] They resided in the thick^[3] yet indistinct, slushy^[1] layer of frozen liquids^[3] that served as the boundary between the lowest level of Yavin Prime's atmosphere, consisting of frozen water and frozen liquid hydrogen crystals, and the planet's hydrogen-helium core. The atmospheric pressure on Yavin Prime ranged from five Standard Atmospheres at the top of its cloud layer to more than a million Standard Atmospheres at the center of its core, and the core-atmosphere boundary inhabited by crawlers was also subject to tremendous pressure^[1] that would crush most other life-forms.^[3]

As a result, the crawlers were nearly two-dimensional, with their length and width dimensions exceeding many times the height they could attain—the organisms ranged in size from centimeters across and approximately a millimeter high to several hundred kilometers across and up to two decimeters high. The smallest and largest crawlers were rag-shaped and blanket-shaped, respectively.^[1] Although the twelve species^[4] of floater that lived in the upper levels of Yavin Prime's atmosphere were still very resilient compared to the technology of sentients originating off-world, they were fragile compared to the crawlers and would be torn to shreds by any contact with the latter.^[1]

Behavior[]

The crawlers fed on trace elements and reproduced by fission, and crawlers of all sizes constantly moved across the boundary layer that they inhabited. There, giant crawlers in their search for food dislodged Corusca gems—highly valuable gemstones produced in Yavin Prime's core^[1] and mined on the planet beginning with approximately fifteen centuries after the Great Sith War^[5] of 3996 BBY^[2]—sending them hurtling to the higher levels of the planet's atmosphere by its high-speed winds.^[1]

History[]

At some point by the time between 0 ABY and 3 ABY,^[6] the 134 species of crawlers were discovered via long-distance observations from high in Yavin Prime's atmosphere. They were assumed to be non-sentient despite no contact having been made—and the possibility that such contact may not be made for hundreds of years to come.^[1]

Behind the scenes[]

The crawlers—spelled as "Crawlers"—were introduced in Galaxy Guide 2: Yavin and Bespin, a 1989 sourcebook published by West End Games for use with Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game.^[7] The organisms' name was subsequently spelled in lowercase form in Jonatha Ariadne Caspian's 1995 Second Edition to the book,^[1] a practice that then carried over to later sources as well.^[3][8]

Sources[]

• Galaxy Guide 2: Yavin and Bespin (First mentioned)
• Galaxy Guide 2: Yavin and Bespin, Second Edition
• Star Wars Encyclopedia
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III ("Yavin")

Notes and references[]