Kindalo

"I believe this tree is talking to us."

―C-3PO to R2-D2^[1]

Kindalo were a tall, tree-like species who dwelled in the underworld of the Mid Rim planet of Aleen. The Kindalo were phosphorescent beings who guarded the passages leading to the surface of Aleen, knowing the surface air was toxic to those who dwelt beneath the planet's surface. Around 21 BBY, a group of four Kindalo found the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO when they fell into the underworld, and directed them to Orphne.

Biology and appearance

Close-up shot showing a Kindalo's upper body

The Kindalo were a species of sentient plants^[1] who stood much taller than the average Human,^[3] at 3.1 meters.^[2] While most vegetal lifeforms grew in a permanent site,^[4] Kindalo were among those who could move about, using their lower outgrowth as legs,^[1] in the same fashion as their semi-sapient cousins the fftssfft,^[5] which gave them a laborious, somewhat jerky gait. They also used creaky shoots as arms ending in four finger-like appendages.^[1] Like some species of primates such as the Mluki^[6] or the Hanadaks,^[7] a Kindalo had arms longer than their legs.^[1]

Like many other plants in the Aleen underworld, they were bio-luminescent, producing a dim white light that illuminated the underworld cavern groves they dwelled in.^[2] Their faces had stern expressions, with lipless, pouting mouths and glowing white eyes, and horn-like branches jutted from the top of their heads. They had dark skin similar to plant bark, covered with light gray phosphorescent stripes. On the whole, Kindalo appeared as towering, menacing stick figures with glowing sad eyes to unaccustomed visitors. They also possessed organs that rendered them capable of speech, and they spoke in deep echoing voices.^[1]

Like all underground lifeforms on Aleen, Kindalo were extremely allergic to surface air, which they considered "foul" and was indeed poisonous to their bodies. They only survived because the very ground of Aleen kept them apart from the surface, putting the air through a natural filtering process that made it harmless to those who lived below. When the integrity of their biotope was threatened by a hole in the planet's ground, the Kindalo were capable of provoking groundquakes to try and seal it.^[1]

Society and culture

"Why have the surface dwellers destroyed the peace?"

―A Kindalo to C-3PO^[1]

When there was no need for movement, the Kindalo would normally remain stationary, in which case they were perfectly indistinguishable from more common non-walking trees. Since unfiltered surface air represented a biological hazard to them, the Kindalo had very few dealings with those who lived above. However, there existed a covenant between the tree-like sentients and the Aleena, a species of small, wide-mouthed reptiles who dwelled on the planet's surface; their two worlds were meant to be kept separated for greater good.^[1] Despite this, the Kindalo harvested the various forms of crystals produced by the arbozoic trees, which were considered holy in the religions of both species.^[8]

The Kindalo were obsessed with their own privacy and practited of a form of government unknown elsewhere in the galaxy: they took no action at the societal level unless every single Kindalo agreed, essentially an anarchical consensus. This insistence on absolute consensus not only resulted in very few actions being taken by the notional Kindalo government, but also has led political theorists and xenologists to speculate that the total number of Kindalo must had been quite small.^[8]

Although they were open to discussions, the Kindalo were still highly distrustful of strangers to their realm and did not hesitate to put the upworlders' life in danger because of an unwitting breach of the covenant. At least some individuals were able to speak Galactic Basic Standard, the most prevalent and most used language in the galaxy.^[1] It was unknown whether the Kindalo were even aware of the existence of the Aleen's moon Trohlu.^[8]

History

Early history

"There is a covenant between the Aleena of old and our subterranean world. We survive because the ground keeps us apart."

―Orphne to C-3PO^[1]

The tree-like Kindalo evolved in the underwold of Aleen, a rocky and temperate planet with a hollow interior^[1] located in the Mid Rim region of the galaxy.^[9] They shared their homeworld with the Aleena, with whom they had little to no interaction.^[1] During the times of the Empire it was suggested that possibly the Kindalo were client species of the Rakatan Infinite Empire, though little evidence of any such occupation remained above or below ground by that time.^[1]

In the early days of the Republic the two species clashed in a devastating war that saw the deployment of terrible technological weapons. The battles that raged on and below the surface decimated both populations, with as many casualties attributable to the intermixing of the dual atmospheres as to blasters and blades. While the reasons for this ancient conflict were later forgotten, the ultimate result has not. A compact, still reverently spoken of by both peoples, was forged. The aim of this covenant was to forever separate the Aleena and Kindalo, and it took physical form in the Great Seal,^[8] which prevented the two worlds from meeting.^[1]

While the Aleena had joined the Galactic Republic during the Great Manifest Period, which lasted from 20,000 to 17,018 BBY,^[10] the underground dwellers of Aleen remained independent of the wider galactic community, which gave them an almost mythological status.^[11] However, they did have enough contact with the outside world to learn Galactic Basic. Long before the outbreak of the Clone Wars, the Kindalo made a covenant with the Aleena, obtaining a promise that the passages between the two worlds would remain sealed, thus ensuring that surface air would not enter the subterranean caverns.^[1]

The Clone Wars

"The ground shakes to keep out their foul air, which poisons and destroys us."

―A Kindalo, to C-3PO and R2-D2^[1]

In 20 BBY^[12] the ancient seal that blocked a hole leading to the underworld was accidentally removed, which prevented the surface air from going through its natural filtering process. Several Kindalo died because of that, and, in retaliation, they caused groundquakes in hopes of sealing the breach and keep out the "foul air" from above. Due to the multiple tremors, many Aleena lost their lives too, which prompted the Galactic Republic to launch a relief mission on Aleen. The Wolfpack clone trooper squad was dispatched on the spot, along with the droid counterparts C-3PO and R2-D2. Due to another quake, the two droids fell into the Aleen underworld, where they found themselves suddenly surrounded as a group of Kindalo came alive. The sentient trees were displeased that the surface dwellers had disturbed the tranquillity of their cavern groves, and they demanded them to leave. After C-3PO managed to convince them of their good intentions, the Kindalo told the droids that, if they were to help, they had to find Orphne, a reptilian humanoid with mystical powers. Eventually, the droids managed put the unsettled seal back into place, thus ensuring the Kindalo's survival and bringing the seisms to an end.^[1]

Behind the scenes

The Kindalo were created for Mercy Mission, the fifth episode of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series' fourth season, which aired on October 7, 2011. Concept art for this species indicate that they were originally called "Kindaloo." The artists responsible for the Kindalo design advised the animators to "think about an old man" when animating them.^[13]