Shashay The Shashay were sentient avians indigenous to Crytal Nest . They were renowned for their natural skills as singers and astrogators , giving them the common nickname of Space Singers . They had a reputation for fiery tempers and a strong loyalty to their species . In an attempt to prevent the Galactic Empire from plundering their home planet , the Shashay kept the planet ' s galactic coordinates secret — to the point of not trusting that information to navigation computers and instead relying only on a Shashay navigator ' s memory for astrogation . The Alliance to Restore the Republic , noticing that the Shashay disliked the Empire as much as they did , approached the Shashay and tried to convince them to join their faction , with partial success : The governing Nestmothers of the Shashay did not want a Rebel base in Crytal Nest until the Rebellion could demonstrate its might , but several Shashay navigators and pilots were assigned to Rebel starships . Despite their dislike for the Empire , the Shashay still sent artists to perform in Imperial space . One of these was the cultural hero Crying Dawn Singer , who was kidnapped by Yearo Seville , a pirate who , following orders from the Empire , pretended to be a leader of the Alliance . The Empire hoped that the Shashay would reject the Alliance from that point on . The Alliance then sent a team to track Seville and rescue Crying Dawn Singer , only to discover a conspiracy among Imperial commanders . Biology and appearance . The Shashay were sentient beings that had evolved from airborne birds . Although the Shashay kept the brightly colored , thick feathers and wings of their ancestors , they lost the ability to fly . Shashay could easily use the retractable feathers on their forewings to glide roughly ten meters for every five meters of vertical fall under standard gravitational and atmospheric conditions , although they could glide farther with physical exertion . Shashay had a feathered , five - fingered hand at the end of each wing , and three - toed talons that served as feet . While some Shashay had avian legs , each of them with a joint in its back , other Shashay had Human - like legs with a knee to the front . With short legs and a height between 1 . 3 and 1 . 6 meters at adulthood , a Shashay walked slower than a Human and commonly was physically weaker . Like other avian species , Shashay were particularly susceptible to the high levels of pollution present on many civilized planets . The movements of a Shashay were considered graceful , and they had beaks and talons that they could use in melee combat . Shashay had bird - like heads , with an eye on each side , a curved beak with nostrils , and a crest of feathers crowning their heads . Shashay vocal cords were complex when compared to those of other species . This allowed the Shashay to sing elaborate songs that were considered particularly beautiful and valued . At the same time , this same feature prevented the Shashay from speaking Galactic Basic Standard . They could understand that language , but could only speak their own tongue . Despite their terrestrial nature , the Shashay brain was still adapted for flight , giving them an intuitive understanding of three - dimensional space and of the complexity of hyperspace . This served them well as astrogators and pilots , as they had no need to use advanced technology to calculate routes . Society and culture . The Shashay were famous across the galaxy for their singing skills , their harmonious movements , and their fiery tempers . The Shashay were also known to distill Idlewil liquor . Most Shashay lived on their native planet of Crytal Nest , in social units known as Nestclan s . The planet was governed by a Shashay body known as the Nestmothers of the Shashay , which authorized individual Shashay requesting to go off - planet . However , the Nestmothers rarely allowed an individual Shashay to visit other planets , but nevertheless , most Shashay felt no need to leave Crytal Nest . The Shashay had a strong community identity and loyalty to their own . They were known to protect , with their lives if needed , any information that the Shashay community considered secret , including the exact location of Crytal Nest . History . The Old Republic era . The Shashay were the sentient descendants of an airborne , non - sentient species . Even though their ancestors were fully capable of flight , the Shashay began to rely less and less on their wings as they evolved into an intelligent species . Eventually , as their wings became arms , their retractable " wing feathers " became useful only for gliding . Although most Shashay had little interest in leaving their native planet , they nevertheless developed a space program and discovered space flight . While most species relied on astromech droids and navigation computers to calculate the coordinates for a hyperjump , the Shashay had a natural ability to do so and thus never needed that technology . While most Shashay remained with their Nestclans on Crytal Nest , Shashay navigators quietly roamed the hyperlane s of the Galactic Republic for many years , exploring and doing small - scale trading , but not drawing attention to themselves . They obtained certain natural resources , though not in large amounts , and carried out commerce with small colonies . A small community of Shashay was found on Coruscant by 22 BBY , living in middle - class districts near industrial or public transit areas . These , like many other avian communities in the planetary capital , were prone to diseases due to pollution on the city - planet , as found by a study by Rhire Medical Academy . At the end of the Clone Wars in 19 BBY , octuptarra droids carrying a pathogen that targeted clone troopers were part of a Confederate attack on Coruscant . After the battle , traces of the virus from destroyed droids mutated into a form that infected the Shashay and other avian species , leading to an outbreak of molting . The Galactic Civil War . The Shashay saw the Galactic Empire replace the Galactic Republic and disliked the measures and policies adopted by the New Order . Believing that the Empire would want to exploit Crytal Nest should they discover the planetary location , the Shashay became a secretive people , refusing to ever reveal the exact coordinates of Crytal Nest even when their lives were threatened . Shashay navigators memorized the hyperspace route to their planet and manually routed any ship , but they never inserted that information in any kind of computer . With these measures , the Shashay prevented the Imperial Survey Corps from discovering Crytal Nest . Things changed when a damaged Shashay scout vessel crash - landed on Kashyyyk circa 8 BBY . The female scout pilot was aided by the native Wookiees , who helped her repair the ship . Even though the Wookiees requested no payment , she repaid them with an evening of song . The Wookiees , who commonly did not appreciate arts , were impressed by her music , and the news of the Shashay ' s talent spread through the galaxy . This led to the discovery of the Shashays ' natural astrogation skills , and the resulting moniker of " Space Singers . " Their singing talent put Shashay performers in great demand throughout Imperial space . However , the Nestmothers were afraid of that the Empire would discover the location of Crytal Nest , so they restricted most of the Shashay from leaving their planet . A very popular artist considered the most talented among the Shashay , the cultural hero Crying Dawn Singer , received a special dispensation to perform off - planet , as the Nestmothers understood that he would send useful money back to Crytal Nest , profiting the whole species . After the Battle of Yavin , the Shashay were contacted by the Alliance to Restore the Republic , a faction that opposed the Empire and wanted the Shashay to join them . Initially , the Shashay politely refused . As time went by , however , the Shashay reconsidered their situation because the Empire was becoming more and more heinous in their eyes . The Alliance managed to sign some agreements with the Shashay . First , several Shashay began working for the Alliance as navigators and in other roles , including courier and reconnaissance duties , which increased the Alliance ' s efficiency . As a part of their accord , the Alliance placed a secret agent , the droid KL - 6TLF7V / T , among the entourage traveling with Crying Dawn Singer . The Alliance desired a secret base on Crytal Nest , but the Nestmothers were reluctant to accept ; the Shashay required proof of the real potential the Alliance had of winning the ongoing Galactic Civil War . The Empire suspected that the Alliance was making deals with the Shashay and that they had a secret agent traveling with Crying Dawn Singer , although the Empire could not ascertain the agent ' s identity . Moff Nile Owen , Imperial ruler of the Rayter sector , was approached by his special assistant Nak Farool , who had an idea to create a rift among the Shashay and the Alliance : The Empire would hire an independent criminal to kidnap Crying Dawn Singer and to broadcast an exorbitant ransom demand to the Shashay , pretending to be a leader of the Alliance . The Empire would then " rescue " Crying Dawn Singer in an elaborate charade , winning the Shashay over and increasing the Empire ' s popularity . Although Owen approved the operation , Farool was in actuality conspiring to replace Owen with his own brother , Braig Farool , the planetary governor of Narg . After the abduction , Nak Farool would present a public press release , making Owen look apathetic and unworried about Crying Dawn Singer ; this would damage Owen ' s reputation . Nak Farool also arranged to have the kidnapper , sectorial pirate Yearo Seville , deliver the hostage to Narg , not to Owen ' s headquarters ; thus , Farool would get the credit for the rescue . Owen would then be forced to resign and would be replaced by Braig Farool . Crying Dawn Singer and his entourage were all either kidnapped or killed by Seville in Capital City , just moments before a scheduled performance for Owen . Seville took his hostages to an abandoned Imperial base on the world of Najarka , where he killed the remaining members of the entourage . The Nestmothers then asked the Alliance for help . The Alliance got a signal from the transponder in KL - 6TLF7V / T and located the droid on Najarka . Alliance commander Zeke Rondel of the Berrol ' s Donn base ordered the crew of the CRX - Tug " Worthless Fool " to reach Najarka and rescue both the secret agent and the Shashay . The pirate then took the avian to the Laim system , where he would record the holotransmissions blaming the Alliance , threatening the Shashay and other aliens , as well as requesting twenty billion credits and a base on Crytal Nest as payment . During the recording , Seville shot and stunned Crying Dawn Singer . The pirate then took Crying Dawn Singer to Narg . Farool recorded a staged rescue with Crying Dawn Singer , and then caged the avian alien in his own private zoo in his office . Many Shashay believed Seville ' s words , leading them to abduct all the Rebel ships on which they were working . They threatened the Alliance to ask Owen for help , offering Owen the ships — something that could mean the end of the Alliance ' s presence in the sector . The Shashay agreed to turn back the ships to the Alliance if Crying Dawn Singer was rescued . The " Worthless Fool " followed Seville ' s track from Najarka to the Laim system and then to Narg . At the same time , Owen discovered Farool ' s treachery and his press release . The Moff executed his assistant and took his flagship , the " Imperial " - class Star Destroyer " Impending Doom " , to Narg : Owen wanted to rescue Crying Dawn Singer himself to regain his lost prestige . The members of the Alliance reached Narg and rescued a very angry Crying Dawn Singer from the clutches of a deranged Farool . They had to dodge a battalion of stormtroopers and TIE fighters sent by Owen , but they managed to leave the planet with Crying Dawn Singer . From that moment on , the Alliance to Restore the Republic had the full respect of the Shashay people . Shashay in the galaxy . The Shashay were not prone to leave Crytal Nest and visit other places of the galaxy . Only a minority of thrill - seekers did so , commonly to work as traders . During the last years of the Old Republic , a number of Shashay lived on the planet Coruscant . During the reign of the Empire , the Nestmothers forbade any Shashay from leaving Crytal Nest , as it could lead to their planet being discovered by the Empire . They made an exception with some navigators and pilots wanting to work for the Alliance to Restore the Republic , and with the artist Crying Dawn Singer . This was to Crying Dawn Singer ' s enjoyment , as he , in an un - Shashay - like way , disliked his life in Crytal Nest and considered it too strictly controlled . Behind the scenes . The species first appeared in " The Abduction " , a role - playing adventure for West End Games ' " " published in 1992 , written by Chuck Truett and with illustrations of Allen Nunis to depict Shashay . In their first description in " The Abduction " , the Shashay ' s first contact with the Wookiees is said to have occurred circa 8 ABY . Further sources show that they had a well - established population on Coruscant at least between 22 BBY and 19 BBY . " The Abduction " itself explains that the Shashay retired to their planet , apparently breaking contact with the galaxy , when the Empire rose to power . The Shashay native planet is alternatively known as " Crytal Nest " and " Crystal Nest . " A detailed image in " Alien Encounters " shows a five - fingered , three - toed Shashay having bird - like legs , but images of Crying Dawn Singer in " The Abduction " seem to depict Shashay as having human - like legs with an unclear number of toes ; this article assumes that none of the images are wrong . Alternate ending . In " The Abduction " , the player characters are crew members of the " Worthless Fool " . Should they fail in their mission , Moff Owen grasps Crying Dawn Singer and tortures him to death in an unsuccessful attempt to make him reveal the coordinates of Crytal Nest . After the death of their hero , the Shashay break diplomatic relations with the Alliance and , without their support , the Alliance in the Rayter sector fragments into dozens of independent groups , none able to achieve any major goals .