Mrlssi The Mrlssi or Mrlssti of Mrlsst in the Tapani sector were a species renowned throughout the sector as scholars and scientists . Biology and appearance . Mrlssi were flightless avian humanoids , less than one meter tall on average . Their bodies were covered in gray feathers , while their head was bare except for a fringe of feathers covering the back of their head . Their head feathers were brown in young Mrlssi , but became more colorful with age . Mrlssi should not be confused with the Mriss of Mrisst , in the GaTir system , who were also a small , scholarly race of flightless birds . Society and culture . When they spoke in their native language , it was considered very musical . However , when they vocalized in Basic , many species found it grating . Mrlssi were not very adventurous and were rarely found off their home planet . When they did travel , they did so with a specific purpose and destination and quickly returned home . They were quick - witted and very curious and valued knowledge more than material possessions . Mrlssi figured themselves as great humorists , as humor was a key part of their societal structure . Despite this , offworlders tended to find Mrlssi humor to be complex and unintelligible . Common names within the Mrlssi culture included Crlisst Herssek , Kepor Dagwa , Krsslbel Waray , Pagda Luwa , and Virssl Jasst . History . When their civilization was first developing , the planet Mrlsst was geologically unstable . Mrlssi found that while possessions and buildings were impermanent , knowledge could not be lost . Millennia later , once their continents had stabilized , this tradition continued . Though the Mrlssi still had not developed space travel when Galactic Republic and Tapani scouts made contact with them around 7308 BBY they quickly caught up to the rest of the galaxy by reverse - engineering hyperdrives and modern computers . By the time of the Galactic Empire , Mrlssi universities were among the finest in the Tapani sector , attracting students of all species . The Mrlsst Trade and Science Academy was one of their leading applied science institutions . Its research led to many findings that eased the shipping of food and livestock between worlds , along with innovations that became standard practice in regards to building structures and vessels on a planet or in space . Mrlssi stayed out of the wars of the galaxy , and their planet was mostly left alone . They did suffer some discrimination under the New Order due to its Humanocentrism views . In 5 ABY , Grand Admiral Thrawn attacked Mrlsst , destroying many of its ancient and beautiful campuses . They quickly rebuilt and continued to be at the forefront of learning and science . Mrlssi in the galaxy . Those Mrlssi found off their homeworld were typically attached to political groups in some way , while adventurers might find employment as tech specialists . Enrollment in the Jedi Order was high before the rise of the Galactic Empire as quite a few were discovered to be Force - sensitive . Behind the scenes . The Mrlssi illustration in " Ultimate Alien Anthology " differs noticeably from previous depictions , most notably in the presence of a beak and pupils . No canonical explanation for this has yet been provided , and all subsequent art of the species has followed with this depiction .