Ranat / Legends Ranats , known as Con Queecon in their own language , were a species of meter - tall rodents with long , tusk - like incisors jutting from their lower jaws . Though originally from Rydar II , the Ranats there were nearly wiped out by Human colonists in 200 BBY . Three Ranats stowed away on a spice freighter and crash landed on Aralia , where they re - established their species . Ranat tribes lived in large , maze - like tunnel networks , where they raised their young communally and lured intruders into dead ends to be killed . Ranats had simple personalities , showing little evidence of emotion beyond the desire for food . Though almost always hostile toward one another , tribes did cooperate to kill pest - control teams after entrepreneurs arrived on Aralia to turn it into a planetary amusement park . The government of the Antemeridian sector declared the Ranats semi - sentient , permitting sentient beings to kill the rodents in self - defense and forbidding them to arm members of the species . The governor restricted the movement of well - armed groups to Aralia to cover up the species ' existence and its questionable level of sentience . Few Ranats were seen away from Aralia , and those that left the world occupied the lowest levels of society . Ranats established themselves on Tatooine , where they lived in the more populated areas as scroungers and traders . One group overran crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure ' s Palace after his death , and the Vriichon brothers once owned the Mos Eisley Cantina . During the Galactic Civil War , the Imperial military tested Ranat mercenary bands for possible use against Rebel Alliance forces . Ranats were also found in the employ of the mage Orloc , who attempted to start his own Jedi Order . The Ranat Rik - tak was a member of the Justice Action Network who operated in the Tapani sector . Ranats were omnivores and strongly preferred meat , especially that of Aralia ' s native roba s . Their sharp incisors and claws were useful as both weapons and tunneling tools . Burrowing wore down their teeth but also released hormones that stimulated tooth growth ; unchecked , the incisors could reach prodigious lengths , so most Ranats gnawed constantly to keep them filed back . Biology and appearance . Ranats were a species of small rodents . They shared many features in common with sentient species such as their distant cousins , the Tintinna , and with other sentient mammals of similar physiology , including Chadra - Fan and Squib s . Nevertheless , the status of Ranats as fully sentient or merely semi - sentient was the subject of galactic debate for centuries . With few exceptions , Ranats stood about a meter high . This small size made them seem innocuous to many who encountered them and belied their power . They had short , well - muscled limbs with four digits on each forepaw and three per hindpaw . All four paws were nimble and capable of fine manipulation . Ranats had short , heavy - duty , retractable claws that , while of limited use in hunting or self - defense , allowed a Ranat to dig through as much as one meter of soil and loose rock in a mere 15 seconds . The Ranat body was tough , wiry , and partially flattened . Exceptional flexibility allowed Ranats to squeeze through small openings that would prove impenetrable to other beings of similar size ; the Shi ' ido shapeshifter Mammon Hoole often assumed the form of a Ranat to take advantage of this very ability . Although a typical Ranat had a long , scaly , hairless tail , the rodents were almost entirely covered in fur that ranged from dirty blond to dark red dish or grayish brown . Some Ranats groomed themselves , but for most , the coat was filthy and foul - smelling . Understandably , many non - Ranats considered the species to be visually unappealing . Ranats stooped when they stood and scampered and scurried when they ran . They tended to wear little more clothing than cloth hoods , leather belts , and ornamental tooth bands . However , those Ranats who integrated into galactic society often wore full - length tunics and footwear . The Ranats ' eyes , located at the sides of the head , varied in color from beady and black , to red . Their hairless , pink ears were small and round and typically lay flat against the head . A Ranat ' s long , pointed snout was full of sharp teeth and terminated in a yellowish - white nose surrounded by long , black whiskers . Their senses were acute : they could see in the dark and detect others ' moods by scent . Ranats spoke in a voice of squeaks and screeches . A Ranat ' s bottom two incisors were sharp , pointed , and discolored yellow or brown from tartar and dirt . Gnawing stimulated glands in the Ranat ' s jaw to produce growth hormones . Unchecked , this caused the incisors to grow up to a centimeter in a standard hour . The only way to counter the growth was to gnaw even more and wear the teeth down . Some members of the species managed to keep these teeth small enough to fit inside the mouth , but others had incisors that poked out and overlapped the upper lip like tusks . Coupled with their sharp teeth and powerful jaws , these incisors gave Ranats a dangerous bite . Ranats were fecund . Females went into heat at least twice each standard year , during which period they mated with as many males as possible . After fertilization , the fetuses gestated for about 120 standard days . The mother then gave birth to a litter of three to six young . The species ' signature incisors began to grow in at adolescence . Members of the species were considered adults at three standard years of age , and the average Ranat could expect to live to be 20 standard years old . Society and culture . Although they were not intelligent by most metrics , Ranats were resourceful and crafty . They lacked the higher emotions associated with other species , consumed instead by the simple desires to eat and fight . This made them preeminent survivors and experts at scrounging , foraging , and getting into places that they did not belong . However , it made them come off as belligerent , temperamental , self - centered , and stubborn to outsiders . Notions of honor and keeping one ' s word were only good as long as they did not interfere with the search for food . Ranats insisted on their superiority to other lifeforms , calling themselves " Con Queecon " ( " the conquerors " ) in their own language — " Ranat " was an appellation from others that referred to their rodent - like appearance . A few Ranats did develop more individual personality quirks , often coming off as paranoid . They gnawed incessantly to keep the growth of their incisors in check . Ranat culture was otherwise uncomplicated . Although Ranats used simple tools , such as rocks to stone intruders , they created no goods of their own , and only one Ranat in a hundred ever learned any advanced technological skills . Nevertheless , they readily adopted technology from without . They especially valued shiny knickknacks that they could hang from their clothing or stash with their personal belongings . Unlike most other sentient species , Ranats had no art , diplomacy , poetry , philosophy , or technology and had a difficult time mastering complex devices or fields that required abstract reasoning . Nevertheless , relatively simple tasks were within their reach , such as firing a blaster . For example , Ranats enjoyed a game wherein they threw dice at one another and tried to snap them up in their jaws . Ranats familiar with the concept of credits were willing to work for little compensation . Diet and hunting . For Ranats , life revolved around obtaining food ; all other impulses took a back seat . Ranats were omnivores capable of eating almost anything . In fact , their concept of food encompassed everything from carpet s and tapestries to sentient beings . They were particularly notorious for eating the young of species such as Humans . They preferred meat to other foods and spent much of their time pursuing prey . The species hunted in packs of at least five members . Their preferred prey were mammals , especially the roba , a porcine behemoth native to Aralia . Upon locating their quarry , Ranat hunters surrounded it and then went in for the kill . One by one , the hunters ran up to their prey , bit it , and tore off pieces of flesh , retreating before the quarry had a chance to retaliate . Once the prey finally succumbed to its injuries , the hunters descended upon it , gorging themselves and carrying the remains back to the town to feed the rest of the tribe . The entire process was so efficient that soon after arriving on Aralia , the Ranats had depressed the populations of several game species . Combat and war . The only other drive for a Ranat aside from that of food was that of the fight . Limited resources on Aralia , exacerbated by the Ranats ' high fertility rate and overhunting , frequently placed Ranat tribes in conflict with one another . Ranats showed loyalty to only their own tribe ; members of other groups were always rivals and enemies . Nevertheless , by the time of the Galactic Empire , some Ranat tribes showed signs of cooperation to oust offworlders from their planet . One favored tactic was to stalk a hunting party from a rival tribe . After the enemy had tired themselves out making a kill , their stalkers attacked . Ranats were unflappable opponents and unrepentant killers . They preferred to fight with their sharp teeth , getting in a bite and then shaking their target furiously . Ranats who felt trapped by an enemy became even more savage as they tried to escape from a corner . They had no concept of surrender ; a fight lasted until one side had been wiped out or forced to flee . If under blaster fire , for example , Ranats scattered and fled . Prisoners of war were killed and eaten . Ranats held grudges . Any surviving Ranats from the losing side of a fight rallied their tribemates to mount a retaliatory strike known as a vengeance party . Preparations for such tit - for - tat offensives took on an air of festival , as the whole tribe prepared the warriors for their mission . The concept of revenge was so compelling that some tribes hatched even suicidal schemes to get back at a rival . Social structure and habitat . Ranats originally hailed from Rydar II , but after being driven from that world , they adopted Aralia as their new homeworld . Aralia was a planet of tropical and semi - tropical climes . The Ranats ' communities preferred the tropical forests found along the coasts of Aralia ' s landmasses , but the rodents could be found across the world . The species was divided into tribes of about 100 members . These groups dug out and inhabited subterranean tunnel complexes known as towns , cities , or warrens . These labyrinthine habitations had many levels that could sprawl to three square kilometers in area with more than 50 km of tunnels . The convoluted passageways acted as a natural defensive mechanism , since intruders were unlikely to know the paths as well as their inhabitants . For additional safety , Ranat engineers dug out several dead ends in which interlopers might be trapped and killed . They also built several exits per warren and camouflaged them with branches , foliage , and twigs . The tunnels widened into large chambers in places , each of which was devoted to a single task , such as sleep , meals , storage , refuse disposal , or caring for the young . Defective newborns were eaten , but healthy infants were placed in their tribe ' s nursery . There , the adult females took turns tending to and suckling them while the other mothers continued to fight and hunt . Accordingly , Ranats rarely knew the identity of their biological mother . These caretakers were rarely doting parents , and some were known to kill a particularly troublesome infant rather than put up with it . Once a young Ranat managed to grasp objects with both fore - and hindpaws , he or she began to venture out into the larger warren and onto the surface . Ranat children enjoyed roughhousing , although some youths were accidentally killed in such tussles . Still , the adults largely left them be . Language . Ranats spoke a simple language named for them . Spoken Ranat sounded like a string of short , high - pitched chitters and shrieks . Ranats squealed when in distress or having fun and shrieked when in pain . Still , Ranat communication relied on non - verbal cues as well . Members of the species smiled to show contentment , blinked rapidly to show desperation , and grabbed their tails to express intense fear . The Ranat ' s whiskers twitched to express satisfaction and trembled to show happiness . Most Ranats could write their language . Members of the species were capable of learning other languages , including Basic . Ranats tended to take simple names , such as Kleef , Marbor , Reegesk , Targan , and Veerz . Others , however , took two - part names , such as Engal Jeers , Nestra Pallik , and Nevar Yalnal . While at least one Ranat , Nitram Con Queecon , had a three - part name , " Con Queecon " was the name of his species . History . Evolution and exodus . The Ranats evolved on Rydar II , a planet in the Outer Rim Territories ' Rydar system . There , the species developed tool use , language , and complex social structures . The world had been reached by outsiders by 4000 BBY , even falling nominally under the control of Darth Revan during the Jedi Civil War . Sometime during the days of the Galactic Republic , the Ranats were joined on Rydar by Human colonists . The rodent - like natives soon discovered that these strangers brought with them a delicious new source of food : their children . As the Ranats kidnapped and ate their fill of Human young , the settlers , who called themselves Rydarian s , grew increasingly agitated . In 200 BBY , the Ranats soon found themselves beset by an orchestrated campaign to wipe them from the face of Rydar II . The campaign very nearly succeeded in killing every last Ranat on the world . Only three Ranats survived — two males and one female , who had stowed away on a spice smuggler ' s vessel . The ship soon left Rydar II with the stowaways aboard and headed for the Andron system , nearby in the same sector . Before long , the Ranats ate the ship ' s crew , and the ship crash landed on the Andron system planet of Aralia . There , the Ranats reproduced , eating any defective young and starting a new colony . Within a few decades , they had a thriving group in the coastal jungles of the world . The population eventually reached the millions . This pressured the Ranats to expand beyond the coastal forests . By the time of Galactic Civil War , Ranats could be found from the prairies to the mountains , even in colder climes that received regular snowfall . This population boom and the Ranats ' natural inclinations toward hunting put undue pressure on Aralia ' s native fauna . As prey species became rarer and rarer , conflicts between rival tribes became inevitable . Amusement park boom . Despite their previous encounters with outsiders , Ranats remained largely unknown on the galactic stage . Eventually , new strangers arrived , the developers of an amusement park , drawn by Aralia ' s location near the Perlemian Trade Route . Ignorant of the rodent - like species ' presence , the entrepreneurs began constructing a large facility . Unbeknownst to the Ranats , the endeavor was headed by an entrepreneur named Hayzo Trebors , who had obtained permission to build on Aralia from Governor Targan of Rydar II , and from the government of Antemeridian sector . The park was called Project Aralia . At first , the Ranats ignored the newcomers , tunneling out their warrens as they had for centuries . The construction crews soon noticed when these warrens made their site unstable , and the construction manager reported the problem to Trebors . The businessman hired pest control specialists , and the Ranats took notice : they responded to this affront by hunting down and killing their exterminators . News of the massacre spread , and , with it , news of the Ranats ' intelligence . If the Ranats were deemed sentient , the project would have to show them to be " useless and undesirable " to obtain an Imperial permit to continue to kill them . Nevertheless , Trebors took a different course . He argued to the Imperial government that the Ranats were only semi - sentient and thus unprotected by such laws . For its part , the sector government feared that ruling the Ranats fully sentient and then still allowing them to be exterminated would not play well with environmentalists and high - ranking Imperial officials . They agreed with Trebors ' assessment ; the Ranats were heretofore labeled " semi - sentient . " Trebors ' people , continually fighting the rodents off , managed to complete Project Aralia . Word of the development ' s legal wranglings spread throughout the sector . By 0 BBY , fearing the rodents might come to other planets , the sector government passed a law that forbade the selling of arms to a Ranat . The government also took action to prevent armed groups from traveling to Aralia , ostensibly to protect the native ecosystem , but in reality to avoid further knowledge of the way the Ranats were treated from becoming more widely known . After another amusement park , known as Galaxy Ways , was completed , much of the world ' s landmass was given over to resorts . Aralia grew more and more popular as a tourist destination , famed for its unique rides and attractions , shops , and dining , all at affordable prices . The Ranats continued to expand with abandon , paying no heed to who officially owned each parcel of land . Nevertheless , Ranat predations drove their forest prey extinct . Ranat tribes searched for a new food source , and they found one : Aralia ' s burgeoning tourist population . The problem got particularly bad at Galaxy Ways . The park ' s management hired exterminators , but just like with Project Aralia , the Ranats simply killed them . The owners eventually resorted to tracking Ranat populations under the park and , should an attack occur , quickly quarantining the area until it could be contained . During one particularly gruesome off - season , several Ranat tribes decided to raid Galaxy Ways simultaneously . They carefully planned the assault . First , they gnawed through the park ' s power supplies , leaving it dead and dark . Next , they disabled any starships on the premises , stranding their prey there . They knew they easily outnumbered the guests ten to one . Then they struck . They carried away any tourists they could find , leaving nothing but bloodied strips of clothing , tell - tale claw marks , and shrieks of horror to warn the rest of the park ' s guests . For their part , the park visitors had no weapons with which to defend themselves . Escaping their grisly fate became the order of the day . Galactic spread . Despite the government quarantine on Aralia , Ranats spread across the galaxy to worlds as far afield as Tatooine . By 0 ABY , " son of a Ranat " had entered galactic parlance as a pejorative . That same year , the Empire had taken an interest in the Ranats that went beyond Aralia ' s local troubles . Military scientists took Ranats from Aralia to investigate whether the rodents might be trained as weapons against the Alliance to Restore the Republic and then used as mercenaries . The project proved a success , and the Empire fielded Ranat spies , happy with the low wages expected by members of the species . After the defeat of the Emperor in 4 ABY and the subsequent rise of the New Republic , the galactic government initially ignored the Imperial precedent and labeled Ranats as non - sentient animals . However , as evidence gathered that the species had language , the government reapplied the Imperial " semi - sentient " label . The matter was appealed and remained under consideration for a time . On Aralia , at least for a time , the point was moot , as the planet became part of the contested Borderland Regions during the Thrawn campaign of 9 ABY . During the New Republic ' s rule , Mammon Hoole included an entry on the Ranats in his publication " The Essential Guide to Alien Species " . During the Yuuzhan Vong War , Ranats became one of the many species to flee the chaos . In 25 ABY , a group of them from Gyndine were placed with a group of Ryn aboard a refugee vessel called the " Wanderhome , " which joined the New Republic refugee convoy . Their ship ' s navigation computer developed problems , however , and the " Wanderhome " failed to make a rendezvous at the Ralltiir system . Leia Organa Solo convinced the captain of the convoy to send a rescue team , but most of the pilots were reluctant to risk themselves for members of two species that were generally disliked . Nevertheless , a group of spacers eventually decided to follow through . They escorted the ship back to the convoy , sparing it from members of the Yuuzhan Vong – sympathizing Peace Brigade . Ranats were among the enslaved beings held aboard a Yuuzhan Vong worldship orbiting the planet Myrkr in 27 ABY . Tenel Ka Djo , Anakin Solo , and other Jedi formed a strike team and hit the moon to destroy a cloning lab . More than a century later , the planet Aralia was part of Darth Krayt ' s Sith Empire . Ranats in the galaxy . Prior to their exodus from Rydar II , Ranats were uncommon in the greater galaxy ; after their move to Aralia , they were still little - known . Those who did manage to leave Rydar II faced intense discrimination in the galaxy at large . To beings who were unfamiliar with the species and their culture , Ranats were considered regular animals at best , pests or vermin at worst . Those who were familiar with Ranat behavior often reacted even more negatively toward them ; the Ranats ' taste for sentient flesh — particularly that of infants — placed them squarely in the company of the most hated beings in the galaxy . The Imperial designation of " semi - sentient , " which was brought back and persisted well into the New Republic period , meant that Ranats could not legally own property and had no recourse against being killed in self - defense . In reality , other sentient beings could kill Ranats without consequence , as exemplified by Doctor Cornelius Evazan ' s use of Ranats in his medical experiments . For their part , very few Ranats were able to overcome the solipsistic behaviors that others found reprehensible in their species , and those who could found it hard to keep on good terms with non - Ranats . Over time , the very name " Ranat " took on a pejorative tone , and other rodent - like sentients took umbrage to being mistaken for a member of the species . Being compared to a Ranat indicated an undesirable demeanor , and calling someone a Ranat was a grave insult . In 3 ABY , the pirate Az - Iban flew a freighter called the " Rampaging Ranat , " a name that pointed out the species ' reputation as mindless killers . Similarly , the Aqualish smuggler Ponda Baba owned a freighter named the " Angry Ranat " during the Galactic Civil War . In the early days of the New Republic , the musical group the Palpatones made light of anti - Ranat sentiment in their hit song " Kick the Ranat . " To " not give a Ranat ' s whisker " or a " Ranat ' s sneeze " were galactic curses . Still , some Ranats did manage to eke out a living in galactic society , often settling in large , populated areas . A sizable number made their way from Aralia to the planets Gyndine and Tatooine . On the latter , they attained some modicum of acceptance , taking on the role of scavengers and merchants . They were often compared to Tatooine ' s native Jawas and came into competition with them , although the Ranats stayed mostly within the confines of Mos Eisley , while the Jawas roamed the deserts . Members of the two species traded with one another following a strict protocol . Still , people on Tatooine had little respect for the rodents , giving them the disparaging nickname " womp s , " after the native womp rat . One small tribe of Ranats inhabited Mos Eisley on Tatooine , where they had grown more accustomed to using technology than others of their kind . In 0 BBY , they were building themselves a moisture vaporator and other items to ease their life on the desert world . Members of this tribe were present in the Mos Eisley Cantina in 0 BBY on the day Luke Skywalker and Obi - Wan Kenobi chartered the " Millennium Falcon . " One of these was the thief and scavenger Reegesk , who sat with a group of Jawas and traded a Tusken battle talisman to the Jawa Het Nkik . Meanwhile , he palmed the power pack from the Jawa ' s blaster to run his tribe ' s moisture vaporator . Nevar Yalnal , an outcast from the other Ranats on Tatooine , lived as a spy and laborer in Mos Eisley . He took odd jobs spying for clients and doing manual labor for the Saurin droid trader Hrchek Kal Fas . The Ranat Vriichon brothers owned the Mos Eisley Cantina , where they had set up an illegal spice den . They eventually sold the place to the Wookiee Chalmun , after which they made themselves scarce in fear of retribution should the corpses they had buried in the cantina basement be discovered . Despite this relative acceptance on the planet , Ranats still met with prejudice ; seven months ABY , Mammon Hoole and his charges encountered a Ranat being tortured in Jabba the Hutt ' s desert palace . After the crime lord ' s death in 4 ABY , a group of Ranats overtook the abandoned palace . There , they ran about chewing on everything . Although Jabba ' s father , Zorba the Hutt , reclaimed his son ' s property in 5 ABY , memories of its Ranat infestation haunted his dreams . Nitram Con Queecon was a Ranat who lived in the ruins of Nub Saar on Genarius . He hated other beings and tried to scare them away with signs and traps . Nevertheless , in 21 BBY , a group known as the Heroes of Cularin arrived in the city and convinced Nitram to help them track down Togorians hiding out nearby . Silver Station also had a colony of Ranats living on it . The Rebel Alliance operative Una Poot tried but failed to exterminate them when she arrived there . In retaliation , they threatened to blow the station up with JL - 12 - F explosives in 0 ABY . The arms heiress Tinian I ' att disarmed their device and prevented their plan from coming to fruition . During the Galactic Civil War , the Empire abducted Ranats from Aralia — as well as other species deemed semi - sentient , such as aga , Avogwi , cidwen , and Zelosian s — and trained them as soldiers . The program was administered by Palpatine and Darth Vader themselves , using drugs and mind control to mold their Ranat subjects into obedient guards . The procedure began with the delivery of a hallucinogenic drug , such as brain - jagger or Black Hole , to affect the Ranats ' fear centers . The Emperor and his apprentice then used the dark side of the Force to render the drugs ' effects permanent . The fear - crazed Ranats came to be even more aggressive than normal , attacking any being who came within their range . The Ranats served in capacities where stormtroopers were needed for other tasks , heeding the personal telepathic whims of the Emperor . The experiments continued even after the defeat of the Empire at the Battle of Endor . In 7 ABY , Ranats were among the beings undergoing intelligence enhancement in a program authorized by the warlord Zsinj aboard his Star Destroyer , the " Iron Fist " . The Ranats were later freed by Lara Notsil and helped her to escape the ship . The Empire simply paid other Ranats to do their bidding ; the beings were willing to work for very little compensation . Around 15 BBY , a female Ranat acting on Imperial orders approached Mechis III in a ship searching for rogue IG - 88 assassin droid models . When the droid 3D - 4X sent back doctored footage of Hekis Durumm Perdo Kolokk Baldikarr Thun , the Ranat continued to the next system on its itinerary . Later , private interests , such as security companies , tried similar experiments . In 22 ABY , the self - proclaimed mage Orloc retained the services of a cadre of Ranat enforcers on Exis Station . He used a " voice of command " to order them to do his bidding , but in reality , this was only a technological gimmick . The Ranats salvaged components from the station ' s ruins when off - duty . They captured the Jedi trainee Uldir Lochett and delivered him to their master . When Lochett ' s companions from Luke Skywalker ' s Jedi Praxeum came to rescue him , the Ranats stood in their way but were defeated . A small number of extraordinary Ranats managed to adjust to galactic society and use galactic - standard technology . Some of these found work as assassins and bounty hunters . Due to the preconceptions about their species being primitive and mindless , such Ranats often gained the advantage in combat due to their opponents ' underestimation of their capabilities . Others worked as fringer s or scoundrel s . No Ranat was ever known to be able to use the Force . One member of the species served in the retinue of Decca the Hutt on Mawan in 26 BBY . Later , during the Galactic Civil War , the Ranat Rik - tak worked as an air taxi driver and Justice Action Network operative in the Tapani sector ; he defied stereotypes as an amiable and helpful guide to his clients , although he did listen for interesting chatter from his passengers so he could pass anything useful along to the JAN cell operating in Tapani . The smuggler Han Solo encountered a well - groomed member of the species who was a patron at the Yarith Bespin lounge in 11 ABY , while another Ranat served as an assistant to the Hutt information broker who operated from Shanko ' s Hive on Borgo Prime in 23 ABY and 24 ABY . Behind the scenes . During production of , first released in 1977 , artist John Mollo included a rat - like alien among his costume sketches for the patrons of the film ' s cantina sequence . The production team dubbed the character " Rodent " and " Rat Face . " Although Mollo ' s drawing gave the cloaked and hooded figure a breath mask , the design team eliminated this detail in the final production . The character was later given the proper name Aceatta . Someone wearing the rat - faced mask appears as a background extra in outdoor scenes set in Mos Eisley spaceport and in the Mos Eisley Cantina . The scenes were filmed as part of principal photography in , ; in at least the cantina scenes , the mask was worn by actress Sadie Eddon and was featured more prominently in an early cut of the cantina sequence . This character appears as an audience member in " The Emperor ' s Court , " a non - canon ical story from " Star Wars Tales , " first published in December 2002 . In 1989 , Troy Denning included the rat - like Ranats in his book " , " a supplement for the " " from West End Games . The statistics for the species make Ranats comparable to other species in their agility but deficient in their alertness , intelligence , mechanical aptitude , strength , and technical aptitude . The game also makes Ranat characters work twice as hard as members of other species to learn technological skills . Still , the rodents receive a bonus to attacks using their sharp teeth . The " Star Wars Roleplaying Game " from Wizards of the Coast also offers Ranats as a playable species . Its statistics give them a bonus to dexterity but penalties to intelligence and likeability . Ranat characters enjoy special abilities to bite in combat , see in the dark , and slip through small holes . Nevertheless , this version of the game also makes Ranats learn technology - based skills at a slower rate than other species . In 1995 and 1996 , Decipher , Inc . , established that two different rat - like aliens appear in " A New Hope " and identified them both as Ranats . Decipher named the one from the cantina Reegesk and the one from the streets Nevar Yalnal . The cards ' game mechanics reflect their Ranat namesakes . For example , the Reegesk card allows a player to " scavenge " through lost cards to recover devices , droids , and weapons . The Nevar Yalnal card , on the other hand , gives its player a chance to remove an opponent ' s spy from the game . Ranats have since appeared in various roleplaying adventures , some of which offer multiple versions of the same scenario . For example , the adventure seed " Trouble at Galaxy Ways , " published in the 1992 book the " Star Wars Gamemaster Screen , " is designed to emulate a , with Ranats standing in for . However , the book offers a lighter variant that has the Ranats searching not for sentient prey but for merchandise featuring the park ' s mascot , Ronnie the Rocketpack Rodent . The Ranats have become enamored of the plucky rodent and have even taken to worshipping him as a god . Accordingly , the only visitors who have to worry about being kidnapped , according to this variant , are those dressed in Rocketpack Rodent costumes . The later adventure " The Refugee Trail , " published in the 2002 " The New Jedi Order Sourcebook " , is designed to test the player characters ' morality . If they opt not to mount a rescue mission to save a shipful of Ranats and Ryn , the Yuuzhan Vong – allied Peace Brigade takes them instead . The 2009 article " Dining at Dex ' s " lists " Ranat ' s cheese soup " as a food item for sale at Dex ' s Diner on Coruscant . The article does not reveal whether this dish was simply named for the Ranat species or if it was an item of their own cuisine . The book " Ultimate Alien Anthology " contradicts other sources with regard to the average Ranat lifespan . According to the book , Ranats entered adolescence at four or five , were considered adults at nine , and could expect to live to 55 . Several sources contradict this , so this article therefore assumes that " Ultimate Alien Anthology " is in error . Several rodent - like aliens of unidentified species appear in " Star Wars " comic books . For example , a is seen in a cantina on Diado in " It Takes a Thief , " a story set in 19 BBY . Similarly , the bosun of the pirate Krayn ' s ship in " Jedi Quest " is rodent - like . Finally , a is pictured aboard a space station run by a Black Sun Vigo in " Darth Maul " 2 , set in 33 BBY . However , without explicit species identifications , it is impossible to tell whether these characters are Ranats or members of other species , such as Squibs or Tintinna . The article " Action Figure Archive , " in " Star Wars Insider " 75 , mislabels the Chadra - Fan character Kabe as a Ranat , a misidentification the character suffered in - universe , as well .