X ' Ting The X ' Ting were an insectoid species , native to the planet Cestus . The X ' Ting were also called Cestian s , although the term also came to embody anyone of any species native to the world . They were governed by the Hive Council . The X ' Ting were all part of a single colony , but had many hives around the world . Biology and appearance . The X ' Ting were six limbed insectoids . They walked on two lower feet and had four arms . Each digit had a nail at the tip . Although they had hard chitinous exoskeletons , their faces were malleable and wrinkled with age . Their flesh ranged from gold to blue to red . Lower castes had red fur on the upper chest . The tufts of hair would turn gray with age . The lower castes also tended to speak Basic less eloquently . X ' Ting also had three stomachs , and quarter - meter - long stingers concealed in their abdomens . The stingers were typically used in honor duels . Around every three years they changed gender , which often led to imbalances in their chemical makeup , making them difficult to read . They were only fertile in the months at the beginning and end of their three year cycle . Viptiel , an expensive extraterrestrial plant , could help accelerate the uncomfortable transition . Male X ' Ting secreted pheromones that were unpleasant to many off - worlders . Fertile females ' thoraxes turned red and expanded as eggs developed . Females would produce multiple offspring in one brood . Society and culture . Brood siblings usually maintained somewhat close relationships . Individuals from different broods , but the same broodmother would only have loose relationships at best . At least some had continuous emotional relationships with their mates . Hives usually had no problems working with each other since they were actually all part of the same colony . The Colony was ruled by a Hive Council . Some positions were hereditary . Some appointments were for life . Members of the council could be challenged to an honor duel . The duels would typically be to the death ; however , one could concede defeat as well . Most of their habitats were underground in large tunnels , both natural and constructed . Their main diet consisted of fungi , which they could make taste like many different things . They also used fungi for other purposes , such as healing . The fungus was given to the X ' Ting by mature Dashta eel s . X ' Ting had expressive faces and used non - verbal hand gestures to accentuate their verbal communication , much the same as humans and other non - insectoid races . They were fond of an art style called " chewed duracrete . " History . After defeating the Spider People in a great war , the X ' ting eventually came to rule Ord Cestus , and the Galactic Republic bought land from them to build a prison colony . The prison colony , using skills of the inmates , created a successful droid development company , Cestus Cybernetics . Eventually , Cestus Cybernetics became the main economic factor on the planet . Its power over both the immigrants and the X ' ting increased over time , especially after the X ' Ting were decimated by the Great Plague . By 21 BBY , 300 years after joining the Galactic Republic , their population had declined by 90 % , leaving only around 50 , 000 of them remaining . Their Hive Council eventually started unofficially taking orders from the Cestus Cybernetics ' five ruling families , one of which was was represented by the X ' Ting Caiza Quill . After a deal with the Republic went sour , they began selling their JK - 13 security droid s to the Confederacy of Independent Systems . Asajj Ventress and Count Dooku demanded their loyalty , and as a demonstration , Ventress vaporized an X ' Ting with the Force . After Jangotat — an ARC clone " brother " of Jango Fett — sacrificed himself to kill the Five Families during the Mission to Ord Cestus , the regent G ' Mai Duris ( female ) declared her planet to the Republic .