Chironian The Chironians were a sentient species distinguished by their centauriform anatomy ; while their torso , arms and head resembled those of a humanoid , their lower body was that of a four - legged equine . Another distinctive Chironian feature was the two transparent , smooth horns grown each year from the forehead . These horns started as small velvet - covered knobs , which eventually broke through as fully - fledged horns . If the velvet was cut prematurely , the wound could prove fatal . At least some juvenile Chironians were red - gold in color with white spots on their flanks and back ; this color darkened with age and the spots faded . Chironians could grow long manes and tails . The Chironian species was native to the planet Chiron . This world was located in a portion of the Outer Rim Territories known as the Ash Worlds following the sacking and bombardment of many of its star systems by forces of the Hutt species , circa 24 , 500 BBY . Thousands of years later , many of the Ash Worlds were interdicted for weapons testing by the Galactic Empire . After the collapse of the Empire , at least one Chironian , Lusa , was kidnapped by the Empire Reborn movement , which sought to revive the Empire under the leadership of Lord Hethrir . Lusa was eventually rescued and reunited with her family . For a time , she joined the radical , anti - Human , Diversity Alliance , until she quit after being exposed to the Alliance ' s violent tendencies . Lusa sought help from Jedi Master Luke Skywalker , and aided the New Republic in suppressing the Alliance . She later became a Jedi Knight in the New Jedi Order , and was killed while on her homeworld during the brutal Yuuzhan Vong War of 25 ABY to 29 ABY . Biology and appearance . The Chironians were a warm - blooded , sentient species with centauriform anatomy ; that is , they had the head and torso of a humanoid and the lower body of an equine animal . The Chironian lower body had four legs , similar to that of a horse , and each ended in a dainty , cloven hoof . A Chironian could sit down by folding his or her horse - like legs underneath the body . Chironians were tall , and even while sitting in this manner , they could reach the height of a Human adult . A Chironian could also kick backward with both hind legs ; this strong kick was sufficient to knock over other beings . A Chironian ' s pace could vary between a walk , a canter , and a gallop . At least some young Chironian had red - gold colored bodies , with white spots on the flanks and back . As Chironians aged , the body color darkened to a rich reddish - brown , like polished cinnamon , and the dappled markings on the flanks faded away . Chironians grew long tails , which they often flicked . The Chironian torso had two arms , which ended in dexterous hands capable of skipping stones across water , administering field medicine , and wielding weapons such as stun sticks . The Chironian head had two wide , round eyes , which could be red - gold in color , and could weep . The eyes were lidded and had eyebrows . The Chironian head had a nose with two nostrils , and a mouth with full lips . Chironians grew long , curly manes on their heads , hair which was sometimes grown to nearly waist - length and flowed down their backs . Chironian manes darkened with age to a rich reddish - brown color . Each year , the Chironian head grew two horns above the temples . These horns started as small knobs covered by red - furred velvet ; a vascular tissue . Once the knobs had grown sufficiently , they broke through the velvet naturally , emerging as transparent horns , as bright as diamond , cool to the touch and with smooth ridges . However , if the velvet was cut artificially , Chironians could die from the injury . Over time , the horns grew long and sharp enough that adolescent Chironians could use them to gore opponents . Chironians were strong enough to carry a Human on their backs . Chironians produced a scent that , to Humans at least , smelled of woods and spices . The species had at least one sex , females , and at least some Chironians had the capacity to use the Force . Society and culture . Chironians expressed emotions through the mannerisms of their hooves : when impatient , they stamped them ; when excited , they tapped them in a quick dance , or cantered in a spot . The centauriforms frequently shook their heads and manes , and when angry , their faces flushed a deeper shade . Young Chironians , when frightened , were known to rub or press their velvet - covered horns against the foreheads of other beings to whom they were emotionally close . Chironians could swim , and shook themselves dry after such an exertion . Chironians had expressive , husky voices , and could speak Galactic Basic Standard , although some spoke the language with a heavy accent . At least some young Chironians , such as Lusa , a Force - sensitive member of the species , wore no clothing on their bodies , shoulders , torsos or midriffs . In her adulthood , however , Lusa wore a robe on her torso . History . The Chironian species was native to the planet Chiron . Chiron was located in the galactic east of the Outer Rim Territories , and fell within the borders of the Kiirium Reaches , a portion of the space that was incorporated into Xim the Despot ' s empire as early as 25 , 127 BBY . Legends related that , at the order of Kossak the Hutt , many worlds in the region surrounding the Chironians ' homeworld were bombarded and poisoned several hundred years later so as to create a desolate buffer between the remains of Xim ' s empire and Hutt Space to the galactic south . From this destruction , the Chironians ' home sector , which they shared with the Abyssins and the Nyny natives , came to be known as the Ash Worlds . It was not until 5000 BBY that Chiron fell within territory widely explored by the Galactic Republic , the next major galactic power , although during the Jedi Civil War of 3959 BBY to 3956 BBY , the Chironians ' planet fell within Darth Revan ' s Sith Empire . Chiron was in unaligned territory during the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems ; however , after the Republic transitioned into the Galactic Empire , many of the Ash Worlds were interdicted and used for weapons testing and other shadowy activities . Following the rise of the New Republic in 4 ABY , Chiron fell under its polity . During this time , at least one Chironian was kidnapped as a slave by the Empire Reborn , a secretive movement that sought to recreate the Empire following its defeat by the New Republic . Many years later , during the Yuuzhan Vong War , a conflict between the New Republic and the Yuuzhan Vong , a species of extra - galactic invaders , Chiron was thought to be beyond the reach of the aggressors . However , the Yuuzhan Vong succeeded in sending to their world a pack of voxyn — creatures shaped by the Yuuzhan Vong to be naturally inclined to hunt and kill Jedi . The voxyn beset the Chironian Jedi Knight Lusa while she was running through a meadow and killed the woman . By 137 ABY , following the ascendency of Darth Krayt ' s Galactic Empire against the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances — the New Republic ' s successor state — the Chironians ' homeworld fell within one of only a few areas of the galaxy still under the influence of the Galactic Alliance . Chironians in the galaxy . In 14 ABY , the Chironian Lusa was kidnapped from her family on Chiron at a young age and pressed into service by the Empire Reborn . Lusa and many other children of diverse species were taken to a worldcraft , the " Rebirth " , owned by the leader of the Empire Reborn , Lord Hethrir . There , Hethrir ostensibly tested Lusa and the other children for Force - sensitivity ; however , Hethrir only selected Human children as Force - sensitives in order to reflect the Humanocentric vision of the Empire . The rest of the children were to be sold as slaves to his loyal supporters . While on the worldcraft , the Chironian became friends with Jaina Solo , the kidnapped child of the New Republic Chief of State , Leia Organa Solo , before Lusa was eventually sold to a wealthy backer of the movement . Lusa was taken by her new owner to the Crseih space station to witness a decisive ritual to advance the Empire Reborn . However , this plot was foiled and the Chironian girl freed through the intervention of Organa Solo , her husband Han Solo , and the Jedi Master Luke Skywalker . Lusa was returned to her family on Chiron ; however , the anger and trauma from her experience never passed , and , in 22 ABY , she joined the Diversity Alliance , a fervent anti - Human organization . Over the course of two years , she became radicalized , and carried out various missions for the Alliance , until asked to kill the crew of a scout vessel . Backing out of the mission , Lusa sought help from Master Skywalker on Coruscant in 24 ABY . He invited her to spend some time at his Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4 , where the Chironian reunited with her childhood friend Jaina . Lusa ' s experience with the Diversity Alliance ultimately contributed to its defeat : she reported to the New Republic Senate on its activities and accompanied a fact - finding mission to its headquarters on Ryloth . Lusa went on to train at the Jedi Praxeum , and attained the rank of Jedi Knight . She became closely involved with fellow Jedi Knight Raynar Thul , but in 27 ABY , during the course of the Yuuzhan Vong War , she visited her homeworld , where she was killed by a pack of voxyn . Behind the scenes . Vonda N . McIntyre created the Chironian species along with the Chironian character Lusa for " The Crystal Star " , a novel published by Bantam Spectra in 1994 . She left the species unnamed , describing Lusa alternatively as a centauriform and a , after the creature from Greek mythology . Lusa was later used by Kevin J . Anderson and Rebecca Moesta in six books of their young adult series , the " Young Jedi Knights " , published between 1997 and 1998 . Lusa ' s involvement in the Diversity Alliance was a key driver of the plot in that , but she only made cameo appearances in the succeeding Black Sun . Anderson and Moesta similarly left the species unnamed . Lusa received an entry in 1998 ' s " Star Wars Encyclopedia " , authored by Stephen J . Sansweet , who added that Lusa was from the planet Chiron . In Greek mythology , was the oldest and wisest of the centaurs . In 2001 , Lusa ' s death was mentioned in Troy Denning ' s " " , part of " " series , and Denning was the first to identify the species as Chironians . This name has been reiterated in both the article " Who ' s Who in the New Jedi Order , " published in " Star Wars Insider 53 " — which also included the first , partial image of a Chironian , by Dan Veesenmeyer — and in " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " .