Balinaka The Balinaka ( singular , Balinak ) were a species of strong , amphibious mammals native to the arctic planet Garnib . They were covered with thick fur , though they also had a dual lung / gill system which enabled them to breathe both air and water . They also had webbing between each digit and flexible , long tails . Balinaka also had excellent vision , and could see in dark conditions . Their diet consisted mostly of fish . The Balinaka shared Garnib with the Vernol s . Their homeworld was extremely cold , with several continents covered by glaciers dozens of meters thick . The Balinaka carved entire underground cities called Sewfe s . The Balinaka were also skilled at sculpting ice , a skill which won them fame throughout the galaxy . Balinaka were encountered often enough by Rebel SpecOps personnel to acquire the nickname " bears . " In the Senex sector , Balinaka and Ossan s were used as slaves by House Vandron on Karfeddion and other neighboring worlds . Biology and appearance . The Balinaka of Garnib were a species of sentient bipedal mammals who stood about 4 meters at the shoulder . Their height was impressive in comparison to Humans , the most common and populous species in the galaxy , who only grew to an average 1 . 70 meters . They were covered with a thick coat of white fur adapted to the arctic climate of their homeworld . Their bodies were fairly muscular , yet slender and supple . They possessed long limbs , as well as long , flexible tail and neck . They also had four - fingered hands with webbings between each digit , ending in sharp claws . Their feet were also webbed , with three forward - facing toes and a fourth , rear - facing digit . As an amphibious species , the Balinaka were adapted to living both in water and on land . They were able to extract oxygen in both environments thanks to their dual respiratory system , having gills and lungs at the same time . Their faces featured two rounded ears , an elongated muzzle with a black nose . They also had two dark eyes , with a degree of color sensitivity far exceeding that of Humans , and a series of membranes that allowed them to filter light at will . Balinaka could adjust their perception so they could even look at a shiny white ice sculpture directly in front of a blinding light . That characteristic also allowed them to see through darkness as if there was broad daylight . Society and culture . Usually playful and easy - going , the Balinaka often treated serious situations with nonchalance . While often regarded as unsophisticated savages by disdainful strangers , they were in fact smart and very capable of handling a crisis . More than anything , they were extremely proud of their ice sculptures , which many races across the galaxy considered great works of art . Their love for sculpting also allowed them to discover the famed Garnib crystals that ensured prosperity for their planet . History . The Balinaka evolved on the world of Garnib , a planet covered in solid glaciers and frigid oceans , located within the Bozhnee sector of the Outer Rim Territories . Thousands of years before the Galactic Civil War , these ursine sentients were already known for their innate sense of beauty and their tradition of making personalized ice sculptures . However , these amphibious mammals could have remained in the shadow of galactic history , were it not for the famous Garnib Crystals . It was the great sculptor Vornest Dep - thesel Digarsarg who first incorporated small fragments of gemstones and colored pumice in one of his sculptures , creating a masterpiece he called " Crystal of the Stars . " The Human named Abram Zavict , a friend of the Balinak artist , realized that similar works of art could be sold offworld for amazing profits . This led to the birth of Galactic Crystal Creations , an employee - owned corporation that propelled the Balinaka to galactic recognition . By 22 BBY , when the Clone Wars broke out , the Balinaka ' s homeworld was affiliated with the Galactic Republic , a democratic galaxy - spanning government that had been founded some 25 , 000 years before . With the end of the war in 19 BBY , Supreme Chancellor Palpatine named himself Emperor and dismantled democracy . The " Old " Republic had passed away , and the Galactic Empire had replaced it . Wishing to impose his vision of a New Order , the Emperor established military bases on thousands of worlds in order to subjugate as many planetary governments as possible . Garnib , homeworld of the Balinaka , was no exception . An Imperial base known as Garnib Station was built on the icy planet , and Governor Verus Carbinol was designated responsible for law and order on Garnib . However , because the Balinaka paid their taxes with no complaints and retained their friendly behavior against the Imperials , the social and political climate of Garnib remained unchanged . However , despite their docile conduct , the Balinaka were reclassified as a slave species by the Imperial occupying power . Following its defeat at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY , the Galactic Empire fractured into various factions . The fate of the Balinaka fell into the hands of Sander Delvardus , who styled himself as the Superior General of his faction , the Eriadu Authority . Balinaka in the galaxy . In the waning days of the Galactic Republic , a troupe of Balinaka dancers traveled to Tatooine , a sun - scorched planet in the Tatoo system . Shortly before the Boonta Eve Classic of 32 BBY , those artists worked at the podracers ' hovel , where they performed a chorus - line routine for the delight of their audience . The two - headed Troig Fodesinbeed Annodue — a local celebrity on Tatooine — was actually fond of their performances . Around the same time , a group of Balinaka had traveled to the Mid Rim world of Ando Prime , where they attended the podracing tracks . During the height of the Galactic Civil War , a galaxy - wide conflict between Palpatine ' s Empire and the Rebel Alliance , the Balinaka were a sufficiently common sight that members of the Rebel SpecOps had coined the slang term " bear " to designate them . In the Senex sector , a region of space run by an alliance of " Ancient Houses , " Balinaka were captured and bred into slavery by Lady Theala Vandron Jr . , the Head of House Vandron . Because of this , Lady Vandron was charged with inhumanity by the New Republic High Court in 12 ABY . Behind the scenes . The Balinaka were first mentioned in " Planets of the Galaxy , Volume One " , a supplement to " " published by West End Games in 1991 . Four years later , the species received a passing mention in " Children of the Jedi " , a novel written by Barbara Hambly and published in 1995 by Bantam Spectra . In the novel , members of this species were mentioned along with Ossan s , and their name was misspelt as " Bilanaka " . Lucasfilm official Leland Chee , who maintains the Holocron continuity database , has confirmed that " Balinaka " is the correct spelling of this species ' name . In 2000 , the Balinaka were featured in " " , an educational game realeased by Lucas Learning . It was Maryn Roos , the Lead Artist on the project , who chose to include the bear - like beings into the game . Three different worlds had been chosen to host the podraces , and Roos had skimmed through " Star Wars " reference books looking for characters to populate these planets . She discovered the Balinaka in old West End Games RPG material and decided to include them on the Ando Prime track .