Tiss'shar

The Tiss'shar were a species of bipedal therapods that originated from predatory reptiles inhabiting the humid jungle continents of Tiss'sharl. They displayed relative strength and agility, characterized by extended necks, slender torsos, broader hips, and a short yet robust tail. Their mouths contained an array of short, pointed teeth, and their sizable tongues were pink and constantly in motion. Their large eyes were black and had a glassy appearance due to a transparent, resilient membrane that protected them. Many Tiss'shar possessed prominent, sickle-shaped claws on their feet's first toe; some also exhibited a crest of feathers on their heads.

Six subspecies of Tiss'shar existed, most easily distinguishable by the patterns on their scales. The sil-ar were the most prevalent, exhibiting diamond-shaped markings on their heads, torsos, and limbs. The kal-ar were another common subspecies, characterized by narrow, concentric bands that started at the base of their jaws and extended to their feet. Other subspecies included the ask-ar, which had red, mask-like markings on their faces; the orl-ar, which had green scales with yellow-orange stripes; the nil-ar, which had thin red bands around their eyes, wrists, ankles, and tails; and the isk-ar, which were albino Tiss'shar with translucent white scales and no other discernible markings.

Tiss'shar societal structure was deeply intertwined with commerce. Virtually every Tiss'shar family was affiliated with a patron corporation, which provided for their material needs in exchange for the dedicated labor of the family members. These corporations routinely supplied sustenance, shelter, healthcare, education, and security services. While most companies originating from Tiss'sharl specialized in enviro-technology and advanced weaponry, they also manufactured various other high-end products such as hyperdrives and droids. Tiss'sharl welcomed off-world companies, and several prominent corporations from across the galaxy established offices there; however, their less generous compensation packages often limited their ability to attract the most skilled Tiss'shar employees.

The predatory instincts inherent in the Tiss'shar, when channeled into the business world, proved advantageous. While generalizations are never absolute, they were often perceived as aggressive, resourceful, and calculating business professionals. These attributes also made them exceptional assassins and gunfighters, renowned throughout the galaxy for their efficiency. Most Tiss'shar valued the art of negotiation and conducted their business ethically; even those who chose the path of the assassin remembered that they were engaged in a business transaction and honored their contractual obligations. Tiss'shar tended to prioritize success above all else, approaching problems with a detached and analytical mindset. They often favored subtle tactics over direct physical confrontation when resolving disputes.

Governance among the Tiss'shar was also closely linked to commerce. Tiss'sharl was governed by the Tiss'sharl League, a council composed of business professionals whose companies had achieved the highest profits over the preceding five local years, with each local year lasting approximately eleven standard months. Membership in the League was not limited to Tiss'shar; foreign nationals were also eligible, and the League was led by a President and Vice President, supported by officers and league councilors. By the time of the Galactic Civil War, Tiss'shar politics had become exceedingly cutthroat, with advancement often achieved through assassination.

The Tiss'shar language consisted of hisses, shrieks, and sibilant vocalizations. The written form of Tiss'shar was characterized by sharp lines and curves arranged in sequences, and it was described as having a visually aggressive aesthetic.

Tiss'shar typically wore minimal clothing, often only a simple tool harness, though this was not a strict rule. In the capital city, citizens could be seen wearing various garments that covered their upper bodies. Members of the Tiss'sharl League and their guards often wore elaborate attire around their necks and shoulders, and guards also wore wide-brimmed helmets. Assassins sometimes wore face-concealing cowls.

Tiss'shar cuisine, reflecting their predatory nature, was served uncooked. Meat was presented still attached to the bones of the animal it came from, with no attempt to conceal its origin; small animals were served whole.

Tiss'sharl was a planet situated in the Xappyh sector, within the Outer Rim Territories. Sometime before 3976 BBY, Mandalore the Ultimate commanded the Mandalorians to expand their reach. Among the populations they encountered were the Tiss'shar, many of whom joined the ranks of the Mandalorians, who had begun to accept members from races other than the Taung.

In 3704 BBY, the hyperspace explorer Freia Kallea connected the nearby Morellian Trail to the Spurs of Celanon as part of the super-hyperlane that became known as the Hydian Way. This opened the region to the rest of the galaxy, and the space encompassing Tiss'sharl was explored between 3000 and 1000 BBY. The Tiss'shar came under the undisputed rule of the Tiss'sharl League around 1000 BBY; the League's rule brought stability and prosperity to the Tiss'shar, but it also eventually fostered the cutthroat politics that characterized it during the Imperial era. During the Clone Wars, Tiss'sharl fell within territory controlled by the Galactic Republic.

By the time of the Galactic Civil War, the Tiss'shar had become well-integrated into galactic society. They were significant players in the galactic economy, with Tiss'sharl serving as a hub for extensive import and export activities, often generating a trade surplus. Many galactic corporations, including TaggeCo, had established offices on the planet. The world remained loyal to the Empire, with Moff Giiedt acting as the Imperial liaison to Tiss'sharl.

The election preceding the Battle of Yavin resulted in Si-Di-Ri assuming the Presidency of the Tiss'sharl League, with his friend Astre-De-Kay as Vice President, and Geor-Dan-Thi appointed to the League Council. Geor-Dan-Thi quickly gained power, as Mayor Antha-Kres, Secretary Lai-O-Sid, and Astre-De-Kay all died under suspicious circumstances. Many, including Si-Di-Ri himself, suspected that Geor-Dan-Thi, who had by then become Vice President, intended to continue ascending the League's hierarchy through assassination.

The Galactic Civil War presented new challenges. Lord Darth Vader visited the world three times in a single year, each time demanding a reduction in the selling price of TaggeCo blaster cartridges. Vader's third visit occurred eight months after the Battle of Yavin, following the death of Moff Giiedt. Vader brought Giiedt's replacement, Commander Demmings, and relieved him of the duty of demanding yet another price cut, setting it at 1,000 credits per 5,000-cartridge container.

Si-Di-Ri secretly met with former Senator Timi Rotramel of Mon Calamari, who had been dispatched by the Rebel Alliance to offer Tiss'sharl protection from the Empire, including the establishment of an Alliance base. Despite the economic strain caused by Imperial demands, Si-Di-Ri rejected Rotramel's offer, as he considered the Rebellion to be on the run and in hiding from the Empire, making it an unviable alternative. His refusal occurred precisely as Vader arrived at the meeting. The price increases had been a ruse orchestrated by Vader to lure a Rebel emissary to Tiss'sharl, although he had anticipated Princess Leia Organa instead of Rotramel. Vader killed the Senator and, in recognition of the President's loyalty and unwitting assistance in the scheme, allowed TaggeCo to maintain its current prices. Si-Di-Ri, realizing that he was ultimately a pawn despite his position and that the position was not worth the constant threat of assassination, chose to resign his post, becoming the first President of the Tiss'sharl League in recent memory to do so.

The Tiss'shar were known throughout the galaxy as astute and resourceful business professionals. Tiss'shar merchants could be found along all the major hyperlanes, and Tiss'shar corporations aggressively sought new markets and business opportunities across the galaxy. Tiss'shar who lacked interest in more legitimate means of acquiring wealth often became corporate or freelance killers, such as the bounty hunter Xufal D'uat.

A significant number of Tiss'shar found their way into the Corporate Sector. Eleven percent of the population of Bonadan, one of the Sector's busiest ports, was Tiss'shar, and a considerable population resided on the urban planet Media along the Sector's Lucaya Cross hyperlane. Some Tiss'shar in the sector found employment in legitimate businesses, while others worked as "protection agents" and corporate assassins. Uul-Rha-Shan, a former gunrunner turned gunslinger, was hired by Corporate Sector Authority Viceprex Mirkovig Hirken to serve as his bodyguard.

Still other Tiss'shar turned to piracy. One of the most notorious was Abin-Ral-Xufush, the infamous leader of the Shadow Wing pirate fleet. Another Tiss'shar pirate was Pao-Neh-Lo, an experienced and ruthless member of the crew of the privateering vessel Far Orbit.

The Tiss'shar Tra-Skan-Lor held the position of Director of the Special Acquisitions Branch within the Library of the Republic and was responsible for deeply embedding the Sayings of Emperor Uueg Tching of Atrisia into the Branch's culture.

The droid manufacturer Uhr-Vah-Vo TechWorks was operated by Tiss'shar and was acquired by the InterGalactic Banking Clan several years before the Clone Wars began.

As non-humans, Tiss'shar faced some prejudice during the Galactic Empire's reign. Like many non-human species, they were not welcome on Coruscant. Non-Tiss'shar sometimes referred to them pejoratively as "snakes."

The Tiss'shar made their initial appearance as the reptilian thug Uul-Rha-Shan in Brian Daley's novel Han Solo at Stars' End, published in 1979, although the species remained unnamed until Uul-Rha-Shan's profile in the Han Solo and the Corporate Sector Sourcebook, which was released in 1993. The species itself was first explored in Galaxy Guide 12: Aliens — Enemies and Allies two years later.

The appearance of the Tiss'shar has evolved over time. In the comic adaptation of Han Solo at Stars' End, Uul-Rha-Shan was depicted as a robust, almost amphibian-like alien with a protruding snout. This portrayal was seemingly forgotten years later, when Mike Vilardi created a more slender, lizard-like illustration of him for Han Solo and the Corporate Sector Sourcebook. This interpretation of the Tiss'shar served as inspiration for subsequent images in West End Games's publications, as well as the image in Wizards of the Coast's Ultimate Alien Anthology. In Empire 31, the Tiss'shar took on an appearance more closely resembling what dinosaurs like Velociraptor were widely believed to look like at the time of the issue's illustration, complete with the signature sickle-shaped claw on the foot's second digit.

Star Wars: Empire 31 artist Joe Corroney initially struggled to draw the reptilian protagonists of the issue but eventually adapted and came to enjoy the task. The depictions of various Tiss'shar in that comic suggest a greater degree of outward variety than the six subspecies described in the Ultimate Alien Anthology.