Ardennian

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"The Ardennian?"
"Ardennian? You got a lot of nerve, pal. I'm an Imperial trooper!"
"Oh, really? A couple of your arms popped out of your butt and hiked up your pants, 'trooper'."
"You've got a very vivd imagination."
―Han Solo and Rio Durant[7]

Ardennians were a sentient, simian-like species that were native to Ardennia. Due to their extra pair of arms and prehensile toes, the species was known for being extremely agile, nimble and quick-thinking under pressure. They were able to move about while operating multiple pieces of machinery simultaneously, thus being well-suited to careers involving the military or aviation, among other choices. Notable Ardennians include Rio Durant, who operated as a pilot and criminal with Beckett's gang, and Chio Fain, who worked as a slicer.

Biology and appearance

"Are all Ardennians good cooks? Their multiple limbs do seem to make tasks easier!"
―Comment from an Unidentified artist's journal[5]

Native to Ardennia,[5] the diminutive[1] but stealthy Ardennians had six[4] dexterous limbs ending in hands with five fingers or toes each, the lowest two limbs were functioned as legs. They had a strangely fluid, steady gait, enhanced by the prehensile toes on their feet,[8] and were extremely agile and quick.[5] Their skin tones ranged from blue to tan[1] and gray,[2] and were covered in fur.[9]

Society and culture

"I don't know, you've never been to a mynock roast on Ardennia. It's nuts!"
―Rio Durant[6]

The Ardennians' prehensile toes and multiple limbs meant that the species was well-suited to military or aviation professions, as they could be extremely quick-thinking and self-sufficient in combat. These features also made other, mundane tasks much simpler, such as preparing food, suggesting that many, if not all, Ardennians were good cooks.[5] Members of the species could be capable pilots, skilled tacticians, and all were lovers of good stories.[1] Ardennians held mynock roasts on their home planet.[6]

History

Ardennians hailed from Ardennia[5], a planet[10] in the Ardennia system of the Fath sector situated within the Outer Rim Territories.[11] Ardennians were already known off-world[12] by 382 BBY.[13]

Sometime after 34 ABY[14], a journal containing an illustration of the Ardennian Rio Durant was displayed at the Graf Archive on Orchis 2.[5] The illustration was presumebly drawn by an unknown artist and was later restored and expanded as part of the Graf Archive restoration effort during the tenure of Xoddam Lothipp as Deputy Director of the archive.[5]

Ardennians in the galaxy

"Some folks with less than perfect pasts are suspicious of their own words, as if they might be traps. But Rio was the opposite, a six-armed Ardennian chatterbox who'd fill a room with words because he was afraid of silence."
―Tivoche Bilure, on Rio Durant in Midnight's book[4]

In 382 BBY[13] the non-binary Ardennian Chal served as a member of the Path of the Open Hand cult cult on Dalna. Chal left the planet in 382 BBY when the cult departed aboard its starship, the Gaze Electric. As part of the Path’s operations, the group’s leader, the leader, later assigned Chal to a sabotaging mission alongside fellow members Fel Ix and Severn. Traveling aboard the shuttle Way of Clarity, the trio disabled communications buoys throughout the Galactic Frontier and briefly crossed paths with the Republic ship Felicitations. Their mission eventually brought them to the Tybal system, where they attempted to seize the prospecting ship Brightbird and its crew. The operation failed when the pilot, Sky Graf, opened fire with a blaster, forcing Chal and Severn to retreat while Fel Ix was left behind.[12]

The Ardennian Mada Vangu was a member of Feb Rozo and the Sap Tap Trio

The Ardennian Mada Vangu was a member of Feb Rozo and the Sap Tap Trio

Mada Vangu was an Ardennian musician during the High Republic Era who performed as a member of Feb Rozo and the Sap Tap Trio on Tenoo, playing a Red ball jett organ. After Hap emerged from the counter of his now-ruined bar, Hap's Sap Tap, he informed Jedi Kai Brightstar, Lys Solay, Wes Vinik, and Nubs that the Ganguls, led by Sellaccc Orryak, had kidnapped the band. The group took a ride aboard Nash Durango's Crimson Firehawk. Circling Yarrum Tower, they found no sign of the Ganguls until Lys Solay spotted their flagship, Rathtar's Revenge, hovering over the desert on Tenoo.[15]

Using Macrobinoculars, Kai Brightstar, Wes Vinik, and Hap spotted a sail barge with Feb Rozo’s band, Hutt crime lord Bulcha, and security droids. Hap distracted a guard, allowing the band to play and please Bulcha, who agreed to trade the droids for the captives. When Vinik ignited his lightsaber, Bulcha deployed three vibroblade-armed droids, forcing the Jedi to deactivate their sabers and be escorted to the brig. Brightstar called Nash Durango via holoprojector, and the Firehawk arrived to extract the Jedi, Hap, and the band, leaving Bulcha behind.[15]

The Ardennian delegate Retar attended the Valo Republic Fair (pictured)

The Ardennian delegate Retar attended the Valo Republic Fair (pictured)

Several Ardennians were among twenty settlers of various ages and species aboard the Legacy Run when it was caught in the hyperspace accident known as the Great Hyperspace Disaster[9] in 232 BBY.[16] In 231 BBY[17] the Ardennian delegate Retar attended the Valo Republic Fair alongside other members of the Ardennian Guild of Technicians.

He spent half an hour engaged in a detailed discussion with the Jedi Stellan Gios on the nuances of carbon score removal, while Stellan offered only nods and brief encouragements. When asked about touring the exhibition, Retar shook his head, steering the conversation back to ship maintenance. Stellan then suggested that Retar accompany archivist OrbaLin to the "Secrets of the Jedi" exhibition, where he showed particular interest in the Cassadrean Matrix, before moving toward the ornate double doors leading to the exhibit.[18]

Prior to the destruction of Starlight Beacon, An Ardennian cargo pilot was among those Bell Zettifar gathered to help seal off the cargo bay airlocks. Stationed near the back of the group, she listened warily as he outlined his plan to evacuate passengers by forcing open the cargo bay doors and allowing the ships inside to escape. Folding all four of her arms across her chest, she asked whether carrying out the plan would require dumping cargo. When Zettifar confirmed that it would, she gave a resigned nod, accepting the loss as the price of saving lives.[19]

Prap dressed as a member of the Scarlet Skull Cult

Prap dressed as a member of the Scarlet Skull Cult

The Ardennian Prap was a resident of the planet Valo during the High Republic Era. Following the raid on the Innovator, which weakened the Nihil occupation of Valo, Prap joined a local resistance led by the Jedi Padawan Gavi Takitaken. The group posed as members of the Scarlet Skull Cult, painting their faces red to support the ruse. When the Warden, a Nihil pirate, sought to conscript Valo’s population for his campaign against Eriadu, Prap took part in the ensuing uprising and led a charge of Valons against the marauders.[20]

During the Mission to Begamor an Ardennian pilot supervised two maintenance droids as they carried out routine work on the President of Begamor, Jamie Brasson’s Droplet-class airspeeder in the manor courtyard. He acknowledged that he was responsible for the craft and had stepped away briefly, only to be left stunned as Sean stole the speeder and launched it at tremendous speed, its engines flaring with multicolored light. In the aftermath, the pilot reacted first by leaping and gesturing wildly in disbelief as the airship vanished, while guards fired ineffectively after it while the President’s furious shouting voice echoed over the comms. The stolen vessel possessed a complex cockpit built for the pilot, a reinforced bridge tailored to Ardennian physiology, a lightweight but durable alloy hull, and an engine far more powerful than comparable craft, demanding exceptional precision to operate.[21]

Rio Durant was an Ardennian criminal who served with Tobias Beckett

Rio Durant was an Ardennian criminal who served with Tobias Beckett

Rio Durant, a fighter with Freedom's Sons in his youth, operated as a criminal in Tobias Beckett's gang.[8] He posed as an Imperial Army mudtrooper on Mimban during the Mimban Campaign, as part of a heist to commandeer a Y-45 armored transport hauler. Though Rio attempted to blend in as a humanoid, his strange gait and surprising number of arms were noticeable, and fellow mudtrooper Corporal Han Solo correctly identified him as an Ardennian after watching him use his lower arms to hike up his pants. [6]

Durant doubted about letting Solo join them, but Beckett gave the boy a chance by having him locked up for insubordination. Solo eventually escaped with the Wookiee Chewbacca, who had initially been meant to eat him. Beckett then ordered Rio to lower the ship, surprising him with Chewbacca aboard. Once they reached Vandor, Beckett's crew spotted the 20-T Railcrawler conveyex transport transport they planned to steal its coaxium from to settle Beckett's debt to crime lord Dryden Vos. They hoped Enfys Nest and the Cloud-Riders wouldn’t appear the next day. That night, beside their campfire, Durant teased Solo about the girl he mentioned. Durant participated in the heist on Vandor, but was fatally shot in the shoulder by Baroosh Pawk, one of Enfys Nest's Cloud-Riders. In his final moments, Durant told the young Han Solo that Val was right in saying it was no good to die alone. He was later buried by Beckett, with his goggles hung on the stick marking his grave.[6]

Chio Fain was an Ardennian Slicer who tried to assassinate Darth Vader

Chio Fain was an Ardennian Slicer who tried to assassinate Darth Vader

During the era of the Galactic Empire, the Ardennian Chio Fain worked as a slicer alongside his partner Rone until Rone’s death in a skirmish with TIE fighters[22], after which Fain joined Beilert Valance’s team to hunt Darth Vader[2]. In 1 BBY[23], Fain worked with Valance, Dengar, the Gamorrean tracker Honnah, the droid Arr-Nine-Nineteen, and sniper Urrr'k under a plan to kill Vader. Fain sliced into databases, piloted bot-drones, and coordinated attacks, including merging drones to destroy the Star Destroyer Formidable during a battle above Heva[24]. When Vader landed on Heva, Fain attempted to confront him, firing blasters while dodging attacks[22]. Overpowered, Fain had three arms sliced off before Honnah attacked Vader to aid him. Vader used the Force to push Fain into Honnah’s ax, fatally wounding him. Fain fell, whispering Rone’s name before dying.[22]

Around 3 ABY[25] an Ardennian DJ performed at a dance club on the Accretion Disco when the space station was hired out by the Pyke Syndicate gangster Omel Sampak so he could celebrate a victory over their enemies. When a group of Kanjiklub assassins attempted to kill the Pyke at the party, chaos ensued, which resulted in Sampak's death and also the destruction of the Disco, which fell into the black hole around which the station was situated.[26]

An Ardennian prisoner in a cell on the Bothan-5

An Ardennian prisoner in a cell on the Bothan-5

In the New Republic era, an Ardennian was imprisoned on the New Republic Correctional Transport[27] Bothan-5[28] when Ranzar Malk's crew launched a rescue of the Twi'lek prisoner Qin. The prisoner looked out of their cell, clutched the bars, and emitted a low moan as Din Djarin, Migs Mayfeld, Xi'an, and Burg passed by.[27]

Around 9 ABY[29] during the New Republic Era, two Ardennians were present on Lanupa, bathing in the Mud Pits at the Skull Ridge Mountain Hotel & Spa when the Skeleton Crew, on a mission to Tak Rennod's lair, visited the resort during the Economic summit on Lanupa hosted by the InterGalactic Banking Clan.[30]

Behind the scenes

Early concept of Rio Durant by Tyler Scarlet

Early concept of Rio Durant by Tyler Scarlet

Ardennians were first created for the 2018 film Solo: A Star Wars Story, directed by Ron Howard as the species of the character Rio Durant.[6] The final Ardennian design emerged from combining two characters, Rio and Zapf. Rio was conceived as a gruff humanoid alien, while Zapf was described as a “squid-monkey.” Multiple directions were explored, including a grub-like concept by Luke Fisher, squid-like designs by Luis Carrasco and Ivan Manzella, and a turtle-like head design by Manzella. Manzella also produced concepts depicting a pudgier Ardennian with a trunk-like nose.[31]

Several early concepts differed markedly from the final look, one by Manzella and two by Jake Lunt Davies gave Rio four eyes instead of two, with one of Davies’s designs later evolving into the Dyplotid species. Designs by both Manzella and Davies featured an orange beard or mustache. At various points, Rio was envisioned as slimmer or smaller, with such designs drawn by James Clyne, Tyler Scarlet, Davies, and Manzella.[31]

Appearances

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Sources

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 StarWars-DatabankII Rio Durant in the Databank (backup link)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Target Vader 1
  3. ↑ Star Wars Young Jedi Adventures template logo Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures — "Yoda's Mission"
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Solo: A Star Wars Story: Tales from Vandor
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 Star Wars: Alien Archive
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Solo: A Star Wars Story
  7. ↑ Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Solo: A Star Wars Story The Official Guide
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 The High Republic: Light of the Jedi
  10. ↑ Star Wars Bestiary, Vol. 1: Creatures of the Galaxy
  11. ↑ StarWars.com Star Systems of the Galaxy on StarWars.com (current version) (backup link) (previous version) — Based on corresponding data for the Ardennia system
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 The High Republic: Quest for Planet X
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia dates the events of The High Republic: Quest for Planet X to 382 BBY.
  14. ↑ Star Wars: Alien Archive, which is presented as a restored in-universe journal, mentions Poe Dameron's mutiny against Amilyn Holdo, which Star Wars: Timelines dates to 34 ABY, meaning the document must have been published at some point no earlier than that year.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Star Wars Young Jedi Adventures template logo Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures — "Battle for the Band"
  16. ↑ Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia
  17. ↑ Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of The High Republic: The Rising Storm to 231 BBY.
  18. ↑ The High Republic: The Rising Storm
  19. ↑ The High Republic: The Fallen Star
  20. ↑ The High Republic Adventures (2023) 11
  21. ↑ The Vow of Silver Dawn
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Target Vader 4
  23. ↑ Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of Target Vader 1 to 1 BBY.
  24. ↑ Target Vader 3
  25. ↑ The flashbacks of Star Wars (2020) 50 take place approximately twenty-two years after Sheev Palpatine's ascension to Emperor, which Star Wars: Timelines dates to 19 BBY, meaning they must occur around 3 ABY. The flashbacks also take place after the events of Star Wars (2020) 43, which occur after the Star Wars: Dark Droids crossover event, an event StarWars.com Charles Soule Unleashes Dark Droids on StarWars.com (backup link) places after Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters, which is dated to 3 ABY by Timelines. As Bounty Hunters 27 takes place between War of the Bounty Hunters and Dark Droids, its events must take place around 3 ABY.
  26. ↑ Bounty Hunters 27
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 The-Mandalorian-logo Star Wars: The Mandalorian — "Chapter 6: The Prisoner"
  28. ↑ The-Mandalorian-logo Star Wars: The Mandalorian — "Chapter 10: The Passenger"
  29. ↑ Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of "Chapter 1: The Mandalorian" of The Mandalorian Season One to 9 ABY. In addition, SWInsider "A Certain Point of View" — Star Wars Insider 228 also dates "Part Seven: Dreams and Madness" to nine years after the events of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, which corresponds to 9 ABY per Timelines. "Part Seven: Dreams and Madness" takes place after the conflict on Mandalore, which is the main event depicted in "Chapter 23: The Spies" and "Chapter 24: The Return," the final two episodes of The Mandalorian Season Three. Therefore, Seasons One through Three of Star Wars: The Mandalorian must all be set in 9 ABY as well. StarWars.com SWCA 2022: 20 Highlights from Lucasfilm's Studio Showcase on StarWars.com (backup link) states that Star Wars: Skeleton Crew takes place in the same timeframe as Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Star Wars: Ahsoka—the latter of which can also be dated to 9 ABY following the reasoning here. As such, Skeleton Crew must take place around 9 ABY as well.
  30. ↑ SkeletonCrew-FinalLogo Star Wars: Skeleton Crew — "You Have a Lot to Learn About Pirates"
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 The Art of Solo: A Star Wars Story