Flakax

Flakax were insectoid bipeds with a height of 1.8 to 2.3 meters. They possessed a black carapace. Their thoraxes had two arms with three pincers on each hand, and they had two legs with two long digits each. Their heads featured large compound eyes, two short antennae, and four mandibles. Within their mandibles lay a small beak that was used for piercing and sucking. Their abdomens had the ability to glow or flash light signals, as well as the ability to emit a noxious gas, which irritated the eyes and lungs of humanoid attackers.

Most Flakax were sexless drones, while each hive possessed only one female, who ruled as queen. Males were very rare, as their only purpose was to mate with—and then be eaten by—the females.

Drones and males were completely dependent on their queen for all direction. Lone Flakax—usually males who escaped being eaten, or drones left hiveless due to a queen's sudden death—were dangerous. Devoid of a queen's guidance, they would become unstable and psychopathic.

Flakax were native to the mountainous desert world of Flax. Most of the surface's land masses were desert due to the high coastal mountain ranges which prevented atmospheric transference of moisture from the seas. Despite the danger of frequent tectonic activity, the Flakax lived in underground hives across the planet, making their colonies beneath the dunes.

Flakax society revolved around the hive and the queen, and all Flakax served the hive dutifully and almost without a will of their own. Unlike the Bilars and the Fefze, however, they were not a true group mind—each Flakax was independently sentient. When confronted with a threat, a Flakax would first make sure that the queen and hive were secure and only then worry about its own safety. The sexless drones completed all the physical labor of the hive, while the males existed only to reproduce and then be summarily executed, and eaten.

The Flakax drones were without personalities or emotions as other species understood them—they felt neither fear, joy, love, nor hate. They were amoral and inherently practical and pragmatic. Each hive had only one female, who ruled it as queen, and only the hive queens had true emotions. She would provide all motivation and creativity to her hive, and had no interest in activities or beings outside. Separate hives never had lasting alliances, and would work together or fight according to the whims of their queens. Flakax were intensely single-minded, and could never be swayed from their present course of action.

Due to their biology and ability to coordinate actions among many of their own kind, Flakax were terrifying opponents in battle. They were always willing to fight to the death.

Though Flakax had little technology of their own, they were capable of designing and building complicated structures, using only their natural abilities to complete their projects. This was their world's only export, as entire Flakax hives were thus found working in design and construction on the less developed planets in the galaxy.

The Flakax homeworld of Flax lay in the Ptera system, part of the Sumitra sector. Early in the galaxy-spanning conflict of the Clone Wars, the Sephi made moves to secede from the Galactic Republic. The Flakax were among several other species in the Sumitra sector whose secession was feared as a result of the Sephi's decision. A series of events on Thustra led to the Battle of Thustra, which culminated with the death of King Alaric, who with his dying breath predicted that the sector would indeed leave the Republic.

When Supreme Chancellor Palpatine dissolved the Republic and created the Galactic Empire, Flax was one of the many worlds to be subjugated by the New Order. The Flakax willingly submitted to the Empire, and the queens signed agreements which sold vast tracts of land to the Imperials. The drones were then set to mining the immense mineral deposits trapped in the bedrock beneath the Flakax hives; in return, the queens asked for Imperial protection and support from their military. In truth, the Flakax had become slaves of the Empire, yet due to their inherent sense of duty toward a larger goal, they had no complaints about the arrangement.

In 36 ABY, they were among the many insectoid species to be coerced into siding with the Killiks in the Swarm War. Han and Leia Organa Solo discovered and thwarted the Killik plot to take over the planet Flax.

Gamemasters playing Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game were instructed to not allow players to choose Flakax as their character's species.

• Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races
• Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races, Second Edition
• Alien Encounters
• The Essential Guide to Droids
• The New Essential Guide to Droids
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia