Beck-tori were aquatic parasites from Nam Priax's warm seas that grew to extreme sizes. Because the movement of a potential host through the water attracted Beck-tori, they sometimes would mistakenly attack boats and submersible craft. They were known to have fought frequently with the Gungans. The beck-tori had a strong connection to the Force, which they could use to heal themselves.
Biology and appearance
Gungans battling a beck-tori
The creature resembled a flat, elongated leech. It had rows of scraping spines along the underside of its head that led to a gaping maw. After using its spines to attach to a living victim, a Beck-tori would flex its body to grind, dislodge, and consume flesh. The creature usually attached to a large aquatic predator before swallowing parts of it. Eventually, the Beck-tori would grind its way into the victim's body cavity, exposing its host to other invasive organisms. The host's body provided a medium in which the Beck-tori could lay its eggs before moving on to new prey.
Beck-tori larvae were translucent creatures only a few centimeters long; they typically posed little danger to anything larger than a normal fish. At their average length, their main weapons were their abrasive spikes, although full-grown specimen were capable of swallowing their prey whole. Adult Beck-tori could breathe both air and water.
The Galactic Republic took steps to ensure that the beck-tori were never transplanted to other worlds, but were unable to prevent several infestations. Most notably, an outbreak on Mon Calamari took more than fifty years to eradicate.[2] The creatures have also been spotted on Naboo.
Sources
- Power of the Jedi Sourcebook
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Jedi Academy Training Manual
- The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force