The Ru were a small, furry, and primitive mammalian sentient species native to the planet Phorose. Despite the fact that the locals considered them rodents, scientists believed that the Ru were, in fact, sentient beings, due to the fact that they worshiped in temples that they built.
During the battle of Phorose around 20 BBY, Padawans Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee accidentally found a group of Ru that had been living in a temple under the Phorosian capital. Their temple was destroyed by a patrol of battle droids sent to eliminate the two Jedi, and while the survivors were being evacuated via a LAAT/i, the gunship was attacked by two Vulture droids, killing the Ru onboard, except for two survivors.