Troxan The Troxans were a sentient species native to the planet Troxar in the Expansion Region . They had gills on their necks that fluttered and vibrated to convey emotion . Gill patterns varied from individual to individual , so much so that those olfactory organs were used as identity markers by Troxan security devices , such as incendiary packet s . At least part of the Troxan government was known as the Benevolence of Troxar , itself a bureaucratic organization that featured departments such as the Bureau of Patriotic Defense and posts such as the under - palatine for patriotic liaisons and the first diplomatic legatee . During the Clone Wars , the Troxans sided with the Confederacy of Independent Systems . However , as the Grand Army of the Republic gained the upper hand against the Troxans and inflicted severe damage on the species ' homeworld , the Troxans considered suing for peace . The species sent a delegation to the Republic , but their appeals were rebuffed . They then hatched a new plan : to pretend to surrender only to mount an insurrection once the Republic recalled most of the troops it had sent to subdue the world . However , at a summit on the planet Vjun with the Separatist Head of State Count Dooku — actually the Sith Darth Tyranus — the Count planted suggestions in the Troxans ' minds to keep them fighting — little did they know that Darth Sidious , the mastermind behind the war and Dooku ' s Sith Master , wanted their world to continue fighting so as to drain the resources of the Republic army . Biology and appearance . Troxans were a sentient species who breathed through gills in their throats . Those respiratory organs came in patterns unique to each Troxan , much as fingerprints were unique to individual Humans . When a Troxan was calm , the gills were moist , with a pinkish hue . However , when the individual was flustered or excited , the gills changed to a purplish color . The Troxan countenance was otherwise characterized by a nose — large and pronounced in some members of the species — cheeks , and purple skin . Troxans had hands with which to manipulate their environment . Some members of the species could grow quite fat , causing their hands to take on a swollen appearance . They were divided into male and female sexes . Society and culture . The Troxan homeworld was the planet Troxar , located in the Expansion Region of the galaxy . By the time of the Clone Wars , the species had access to the level of technology that was standard on most galactically integrated worlds . Their society boasted experts in demolitions , poisons , surveillance , and other high - tech professions . Troxan security systems worked by identifying gill patterns and retinal scans to distinguish between individuals . One device that relied on that technology was the incendiary packet , a container that plasmated should anyone try to open it other than its intended recipient . The Troxan government was bureaucratic , with at least part of the government known as the Benevolence of Troxar , and with diplomacy carried out by the Bureau of Diplomatic Liaison . One official employed by that department was the under - palatine for patriotic liaisons , and individual delegations were headed by the first diplomatic legatee . The Troxan armed forces were supported by the Bureau of Patriotic Defense , which had an under - palatine . The Troxans spoke a language , also called Troxan , for which they also had a written form . Members of the species could also speak Basic . Troxans supplemented their speech with movements of their gills , which were useful in conveying emotions and states of mind . For example , flapping of the gills conveyed befuddlement , while rippling them indicated derision . Fast , violent gill vibrations indicated anger , while unmoving gills showed calmness . Gill color , too , signified emotion : pink showed a peaceful state of mind , while purple conveyed agitation . Troxans also used their cheeks to convey emotion ; sucking them in when flustered , for instance . History . Years before the Clone Wars , the Troxans developed advanced technology and established relations with the Galactic Republic . Sometime after , the Battle of Geonosis sparked the Clone Wars in 22 BBY , however , the Troxans allied with the Republic ' s rival in the war , the Confederacy of Independent Systems . Troops from the Grand Army of the Republic invaded Troxar in response . Although Troxan forces resisted them to the extent of their ability , their world was severely damaged , and the tide of the hostilities turned against them . In the face of what they considered inevitable defeat , the Troxans engaged the Republic in two rounds of diplomatic talks . In the end , the Republic ' s legislative body , the Galactic Senate , rejected a diplomatic resolution to hostilities with Troxar , which the Troxans took as evidence that the Republic was only interested in using force or threats so far into the war . However , during the latter conference , Senator Padmé Amidala presented the Troxan first diplomatic legatee with a black box to deliver to Count Dooku , leader of the Separatists . Troxan experts checked the supposed gift for evidence of explosives , listening devices , or poison , but it seemed clean . The Troxans considered surrendering to the Republic under the assumption that the bulk of Republic clone troopers would be called away , at which time the Troxans could mount an asymmetrical insurgency to continue the fight . The species sent a delegation to meet with Dooku at Château Malreaux on the planet Vjun to discuss the ploy and to ask for Separatist reinforcements . The members included the under - palatine for patriotic liaisons — the same individual who had served as the first diplomatic legatee in talks with the Republic — his assistant , and the under - palatine for the Bureau of Patriotic Defense . Unbeknownst to the Troxan envoys , Darth Sidious , master of Dooku , who was himself secretly a Sith Lord , considered Troxar an expendable world due to the damage it had sustained ; yet he still felt that it had use to the Separatist cause as a location for the Republic to sink resources and personnel by fighting the Troxans . Sidious accordingly instructed Dooku to persuade the Troxans to continue their conflict by assuring them that Separatist reinforcements would arrive within the month — an empty promise . Dooku did as he was told : he merely mentioned that new battle droids were coming from Separatist factories , and then he used the persuasive ability of the Force to plant ideas that the droids would be sent to the Troxar system . Via the Force , Dooku thus suppressed the realizations that continuing to fight would result in the untold slaughter of Troxan lives , instead emphasizing ideas of egotism and heroism in the Troxar delegation . Before the Troxan envoys parted , they presented Dooku with Amidala ' s gift . Inside , Dooku found a black , wax candle , a reminder of his former home at the Jedi Temple , where he trained under the Jedi Grand Master Yoda . On Coruscant , a Troxan diplomat visited the Jedi Temple to deliver an incendiary packet , addressed to Yoda , which contained a holoprojector with a message inviting Yoda to visit the Count . The Troxan was greeted at the door by a mere youngling , which he took as a slight — he wanted to speak only to a full - fledged Jedi . The boy , a Padawan named Whie Malreaux , was soon joined by his superior , Jedi Master Maks Leem , who used the Force to calm the Troxan envoy . She swore to deliver the package directly to Yoda , and the Troxan handed it over . He then boarded a flier and flew away . More than a century later , in 137 ABY , the Troxan homeworld fell within territory controlled by Darth Krayt as part of his Sith Empire . Behind the scenes . Author Sean Stewart introduced the Troxans in his novel " " , which was first published by Del Rey in 2004 . Although the species plays only a small part in the story , theirs is a significant role , since the packages the Troxans convey between Republic and Separatist operatives set the stage for the book ' s main plot , an encounter between Jedi Master Yoda and his former apprentice , Dooku . The incendiary package the Troxans deliver to the Jedi Temple scans for its recipient ' s gills , fingerprints , and retinal pattern ; however , as is intended for Yoda , a member of another species , the book leaves it unclear whether Troxans too have fingerprints and retinas .