Stennes were a Near-Human sentient species from the planet Stennaros. A Force-sensitive offshoot of their species, the Stennes Shifters, were subject to millennia of persecution that led to many Stennes also being killed. As a result, the Stennes also persecuted the Shifters, and were a xenophobic species that avoided outside contact, but were socially and culturally advanced within their native Stennaros system.
A Stennes Shifter, which the Stennes looked physically identical to
The Stennes were a species of sentient, mammalian, Near-Humans hailing from the planet Stennaros. To some Humans, the Stennes looked sad, sullen, and ghostly. A genetic offshoot for the Stennes, the Stennes Shifters, were a Force-sensitive race of shape-shifters. The Stennes were not known to have any physiologic developments suggesting they had the Shifters' abilities.
The Stennes Shifters looked similar enough to the Stennes that the former was capable of blending in with the latter. Shifters were slight Humanoids who stood between 1.3 and 1.7 meters, had skull-like faces—eyes recessed into the skull and rimmed by dark circles, and grayish skin. Otherwise, the Shifters had similar appearances to Humans. At least one Shifter had black eyes, yellowish blotches and dark, purplish veins marbling the skin. Among the Stennes and Shifters, another had tan skin and brown hair, including a mustache.
The Stennes species was xenophobic and avoided contact with the outside world, although they were socially and culturally advanced within their native Stennaros system. They further persecuted and hunted down the Shifters, and by a certain time, the Shifter Trinto Duaba mentioned there were millions of Stennes, and a rare few Shifters. The remaining Stennes Shifters were a homeless species not even welcome on their homeworld, who would attempt to blend in with the normal Stennes.
Many Stennes were killed as a result of millennia of persecution against the Stennes Shifters. Such incidents led to the Stennes being xenophobic to the outside world, and also persecuting the Shifters. During the Galactic Civil War, Trinto Duaba discussed his species, along with the baseline Stennes and their homeworld, with Shi'ido Senior Anthropologist Vandolae. During the Galactic Civil War, the Galactic Empire's sentientologist Obo Rin obtained the information about Stennaros and its Stennes and Stennes Shifter species from Vandolae, which Rin published in his Catalog of Intelligent Life in the Galaxy.
The Stennes species was introduced in the roleplaying game source article "Shape-shifters," written by Pablo Hidalgo for February 1997's twelfth issue of West End Games' Star Wars Adventure Journal magazine.