SLotH4's Note: Like the Zann Consortium, Xabiar's video game addiction has introduced me to a fascinating piece of Star Wars lore. It's strange to think how new the voss are, only properly appearing for the first time in "Star Wars: The Old Republic." I enjoyed it quite a bit and hope you do as well.

UPDATE: Shout-out to HailToTheKing/Throne_Of_Terror (he goes by both) for the awesome cover-art he made for this. Show him some love, people! He makes cover-art for Xabiar as well.

Xabiar's Note: The voss were one of the most fascinating parts of SWTOR, and it was absolutely criminal that they weren't as utilized and important as they should have been. A society essentially dominated by prophets and seers is one that deserves a proper examination and analysis. Like everything else though, I've taken the basic idea and extrapolated it to a justifiable conclusion.

I would say they are kind of similar to the hanar from LogicalPremise's OSaBC series. Very passive if you leave them alone, but if you mess with them, they will fuck you up bad. A lesson that everyone in this galaxy would do well to pay some heed to.

SotP Addenda - Force-user Sects, the Unorthodox in Practice

THE FELLAN IMPERIUM

IMPERIAL INTELLIGENCE | IMPERIAL KNIGHTS

COMMISSIONED BY SOVEREIGN PELLAEON

AUTHORIZATION COLOR: BLUE-5

ORGANIZATIONAL REPORT: F-O-VM-0012

THE VOSS MYSTICS

DOCUMENTATION INFORMATION

REPORT ID: F-O-VM-0012

REPORT AUTHOR(S):

- Intelligence Compiler Harsa Rawat

- Intelligence Compiler Shamsher

- Technical Reviewer Kavi Malakar

- Knight-Captain Litavis

- Viola Lorentzen, the Emperor's Wrath

- Maw Archaeologist Talavica Namu

- Aegoth Osoad, Keeper of the Maw

- Inquisitor Illomarus [Deceased]

- Grand Inquisitor Losr'avaria'nathas

DOCUMENT TYPE(S):

- Historical

- Organization Overview

- Threat Analysis

DOCUMENT SUBJECT: The Voss Mystics

DETAIL LEVEL: Comprehensive

SUPPLEMENTARY ATTACHMENTS:

- F-O-VM-0012M [Methodology Document]

- F-C-VM-0092 [Compiled visions and interpretations of various Mystics]

- F-C-VM-0031 [Compiled dossiers on the Three]

- F-H-VM-0010 [Voss History]

- I-O-MFD-0010 [Migrant Fleet of Dac]

- F-O-EEZ-0112 [The Eternal Empire of Zakuul Historical Document]

- F-O-QB-0134 [Quabular]

- F-O-QB-0005 [Unidentified Quabular Leader]

EXECUTED BY IMPERIAL INSTITUTIONS:

- Imperial Intelligence

- The Imperial Knights (Inquisitor Division)

- The Imperial Knights (The Maw)

- The Imperial Knights (The Royal Guard)

- The Imperial Knights (Imperial Knight Division)

ITERATION NUMBER: 147

METHODOLOGY DOCUMENT ID: F-O-VM-0012M

APPROVED FOR SUBMISSION:

- Fabian Dromund, Director of Imperial Intelligence [APPROVED]

- Knight-Commander Iyamad Flovan [APPROVED]

- Viola Lorentzen, the Emperor's Wrath [APPROVED]

- Aegoth Osoad, Keeper of the Maw [APPROVED]

- Grand Inquisitor Losr'avaria'nathas [APPROVED]

RECEIVED BY SOVEREIGN PELLAEON: RECEIVED AND READ

THE VOSS MYSTICS : OVERVIEW

Historically, Planet Voss has been ignored by the galaxy at large, interspersed with brief flashes of conflict. A lone planet in the Outer Rim; each time it has entered into the galactic consciousness has been by accident, and follows a distinct pattern. It is a lesson the galaxy does not seem to want to learn. Voss holds power, and where there is power, people want to exploit it.

This is not uncommon in the galaxy. Many times have powers and governments stumbled upon planets of indigenous lifeforms and unique resources and immediately sought to exploit them. Myrkr, Ilum, Dathomir, Kashyyyk, and thousands more. Sometimes this is done through agreement and diplomacy, other times it is done by force.

In almost all instances, those who have the greatest stake or claim in the world lose to the more powerful, wealthy, and numerous. Sometimes there is rebellion; during the age of the First Galactic Empire, the Rebellion grew and found many allies as millions of species were exploited by the brutish ways of the Imperials. This later benefitted the nascent New Republic and was a significant reason why the galactic economy didn't completely crumble as the Empire splintered.

This is not to say that the New Republic, and later the Galactic Alliance were forever benevolent and respectful. It may not be carried out by their government, but they enable corporations and businesses by looking the other way when they find labor and resources. Anything so long as the economy is stable, and the Alliance is supported.

This is not touching on the lawless Outer Rim dominated by the Hutt Cartels, the Zann Consortium, the Migrant Fleet, and many more. All such territory and those within it converted to numbers to be exploited, be they slaves, money, or goods. There is no chance of resistance for those unfortunate enough to live there, they can only hope they are beneath the notice of those more powerful.

This has become apparent to us, and there is a new appreciation for the limits the Imperium once chafed at. We were forced to change who we were to a hostile galaxy. We were reformed by our great Sovereigns, and we have, as a result, become effective in a way the Alliance never discovered. We retain control through firm grip and clear vision tempered by logic.

Ultimately, this is to illustrate a singular point – much of the galaxy is at the mercy of those with power.

Voss is an exception.

Empires, Republics, Jedi, Sith, and many, many more have found Voss and sought to exploit it. The voss have something that every single galactic power desires control over – that of seeing the future.

Or that is what many believe they possess.

I cannot say for certain what prompted His Imperial Majesty to commission this report, but it is easily understood that such power is desirable in the right hands. Those who control the voss will control the galaxy. This belief is a dangerous trap, one many have fallen into over the millennia.

The voss cannot be controlled.

I must stress this now – we cannot believe that we could be the exception, else we will suffer the same fate as many others. The voss must be approached with caution and understanding. Do not make assumptions with these people, as they do not do the same to us.

THE VOSS MYSTICS : HISTORY

EARLY HISTORY: The voss keep remarkably thorough records compared to other species of a similar age, but unfortunately, there has been a significant portion of their history that remains shrouded and uncertain due to Voss only transitioning to digital information storage shortly before discovery by the Sith Empire of Vitiate. Prior to this, they utilized stone tablets and paper – though to this day they use both in addition to modern information storage.

However, there appears to be strong evidence of Voss undergoing significant events during this earlier period. Both the Jedi and Sith are believed to have once meddled on the planet, leading to the split of the voss into two species and the eventual departure of both parties. It's uncertain if the Jedi and Sith were forced off of Voss, or left of their own accord.

Speaking with voss scholars and Mystics, the most common belief is that the Mystics of the time realized that they were being utilized as pawns in the Jedi and Sith's eternal war, and rebelled; killing the Jedi. The oldest gormak tablets portray figures in robes in chains placed on what appear to be sacrificial altars. It's widely believed that when the voss rebelled against the Jedi, the Sith were executed by the gormak for similar reasons. Regardless, the galaxy gradually forgot about them, and Voss entered centuries of civil war.

Gormak history is – ironically – more cohesive due to their skill with electronics, allowing them to develop basic information storage centuries before the voss themselves did, though much of these early texts and logs are lost, and they were not as reliant on physical media as the voss were. It appears that the gormak never violently split, but wandered the planet and eventually separated into tribes which dotted the planet.

There was no civil war that can be found, which was shocking to the first voss scholars who investigated the gormak in detail. Even the King the gormak followed was elected from each of the tribes, each tribe specializing in something related to their area of residence. All the tribes kept in contact through primitive communications networks, which proved instrumental in later invasions.

The voss meanwhile, were in a near-constant state of civil war for nearly a century as factions of voss rose around Mystics, all of whom insisted their path was the only way to voss unity. The resemblance to cults is not unfair, but what is unnerving about the entire civil war is that each Mystic stuck with a clear and consistent theme: follow me and the voss will emerge stronger than ever.

They failed to mention that a majority of their followers – and usually themselves – wouldn't live to see it.

Viewed out of context, some of the acts recorded look nonsensical or mad. Mystics regularly led large groups of followers into ritual suicides and missions of terror. They led them on lethal pilgrimages. Decrees such as every child born into a certain city was to be executed, or all females of a certain age were to be relinquished to another Mystic were given and followed without question.

The Mystics state firmly that if the civil war had not played out exactly as it had, then the voss as a people would not exist. Without knowing more beyond generalities, it's impossible to say for certain if it was justified, though using an excuse which can never be proven one way or another is generally in poor form – but for the voss, it has more weight.

Eventually, the conflict came to a close and the voss people were so indoctrinated to follow any command the Mystics gave that it eventually gave rise to the modern voss dictatorship: 'the Three.' Three of the most powerful and far-seeing Mystics to exist on Voss. Within days of formally joining, a working government structure was established and within a month, voss culture and society became nearly identical to today.

With the Three in command, and the formation of the Voss Commandos, they sought to eliminate the gormak – who they were convinced were beasts born of the Nightmare Lands and posed a threat to all voss. It's unclear just how much the Three had known about the gormak before building their government, but they certainly wasted no time in beginning another conflict the voss willingly joined.

It did not go as planned.

The Gormak-Voss War has incomplete records, but what's fascinating is that while the voss were slowly but surely making headway, they were being sabotaged and outpaced technologically and logistically by the gormak – significantly. The technical disparity between the two factions is a testament to the power of the voss, and the ingenuity of the gormak. Texts describe Commandos wielding swords against gormak who used primitive plasma weapons. It took nearly a century for the voss to achieve technical parity – and by then, the gormak were discovering fission and nuclear technology which drove the voss to push harder against the scourge, as the Mystics were beset with visions showing cities obliterated in nuclear fire.

It's surprising the voss never considered the real reason why they were having trouble with defeating the gormak, but considering their fervent belief in their superiority and visions, perhaps it is not surprising. How the war could have gone will never be known, as Voss was rediscovered, and thrust into a larger conflict they had no stake in.

INVASION BY THE SITH EMPIRE OF VITIATE: Unsurprisingly, the first thing the Sith Empire did when they discovered Voss was invade it.

They were met with Voss Commandos who massacred the landing parties while the Mystics drove many of the Sith mad with visions of their deaths. The invasion fleets were besieged by telepathic attacks from the Three themselves, resulting in the ships turning on each other and the minds of the crew reduced to madness.

The Sith Empire hastily retreated to figure out what exactly had happened, and soon the Republic SIS learned about the planet, and the Republic, eager to acquire such a powerful ally, immediately sent representatives to open negotiations. Not wanting to be outdone, the Empire sent its own representatives, apparently hoping that the voss would forget that they had just tried to conquer their planet.

As it turned out, the voss did not seem to care that much, and only requested that all outsiders follow the will of the Three.

What followed soon after is not something acknowledged as much by (primarily Republic) historians – specifically what the Republic attempted to do after they learned of the gormak and the voss's war with them. Eager to assist the voss and showcase their worth as an ally, the Republic launched a full-scale invasion against the gormak territories throughout the planet.

The Mystics had directly warned against unsanctioned military actions by either party, foreseeing only destruction, and ironically, it was the Sith who paid attention, not wanting to lose any more forces on the planet. The Republic, like the voss, believed the gormak little more than numerous beasts with some limited intelligence, and continued with the military operation.

This went as poorly as when the Sith had tried to attack the voss.

Republic landing parties were ambushed by the gormak Tech-Masters who quickly figured out how to crack Republic frequencies, stripped them of technology, and adapted it into their own weapons and culture. Jedi were affected by severe visions drawing them to the Nightmare Lands – a region of the planet tainted by the dark side of the Force – where the Gormak King waited and slew them all and returned the bodies without the lightsabers.

Again, the voss did not seem to care about what the Republic had done, but they were notably displeased at the Republic unintentionally enhancing the gormak war machine. Both factions were far from gaining an ally, though both were now more motivated than ever to see the voss side with them.

REVELATION OF BARSEN'THOR AILON TOLGAN: Both the Republic and Empire sent two very specific individuals to turn the voss to their side – the nameless Imperial Intelligence agent we only know as 'Cipher Nine,' and Ailon Tolgan, Barsen'thor of the Jedi Order. Given that at the time Tolgan was building the Rift Alliance, it was a reasonable choice to bring her to secure a voss alliance.

Why Emperor Jadus sent Cipher Nine was a mystery at the time, although we now suspect that it was a front to allow Cipher Nine to disrupt the operations of the enigmatic Star Cabal on the planet. What ended up happening is unknown, but it is confirmed that Cipher Nine and the Three spoke at least once.

Tolgan was soon identified as an individual the Mystics had seen who would 'end the gormak threat,' something even the voss were skeptical of. The Barsen'thor later proved her worth, as she passed the Mystic Trials, led multiple successful military operations, and faced the Gormak King before capturing him and bringing him to the voss – after the revelation that he was experiencing visions – something the voss considered heresy of the highest order.

She followed the path of the Gormak King to the Nightmare lands, and eventually found a tomb which held the avatar of an entity the voss only knew as 'Sel-Makor,' who is suspected to be a lingering spirit of one of the original Sith to visit Voss. After defeating it, Tolgan spoke with the spirit of the avatar, who revealed the origins of the voss and gormak –how both of them were of one species.

She took this information back and presented it to the Three who reacted in shock. In response, she took them to the tomb where the spirit confirmed what she had said. The Three took the information in stride and immediately ceased all military operations, much to the surprise of the gormak. They took the captured Gormak King and informed him of the truth, before releasing him back to his people.

Afterwards, they officially ceased all diplomatic talks with both the Republic and the Empire, though allowed both to keep representatives on the planet while they charted their future based on the visions of the Mystics and the Three – one which they now knew would include their previous enemy.

To say both sides were displeased with the outcome was an understatement. The Dark Council briefly appeared to consider invading again or forging an alliance with gormak if the voss were uncooperative. Darth Nox was the one who supposedly cast the deciding vote in declining to invade again, though it was largely symbolic, as Emperor Jadus had made it clear that no action was to be taken against the voss.

The Republic came very close to outright arresting Tolgan, and pushed for her expulsion from the Jedi Order for killing the hopes of an alliance; all rejected by the Jedi Order, especially since she still commanded the Rift Alliance. It should be noted that after the Battle of Corellia, where much of the Rift Alliance was destroyed, she was personally invited back to Voss by the Three to assist in mending relations between the voss and gormak.

It was due to this that she survived the invasion of the Eternal Empire, and spent the remainder of her life on Voss – one of the only outsiders the voss ever fully recognized as their own, and the only outsider to have a tomb within the Shrine of Healing.

The Three never made it explicit, but in retrospect, it's clear that they had seen her death if she chose to fight against the Eternal Empire, and acted to prevent it in thanks for what she had done.

ATTACK OF THE ETERNAL EMPIRE OF ZAKUUL: During the years until the invasion of the Eternal Empire, the voss were successfully working towards unification. Together with the gormak, they were cleansing the Nightmare Lands, modernizing the cities of Voss, and unifying the planet permanently.

New institutions and organizations were created; gormak were permitted to undergo the Mystic Trials, and ever since the Complete Unification, at least one member of the Three has been a gormak. For most governments, this would signal a very worrying possibility of a united Voss that could very well be unstoppable if it started to expand.

But for anyone who knew how both the voss and gormak thought, this should never have been a worry. The voss had absolutely zero interest in anything beyond Voss, and the gormak were only interested in technological advancement and unifying their people. They had only fought in self-defense, and are not aggressive, contrary to some sources.

It should be noted that it was shortly after this period that both the voss and gormak all recognized themselves as 'voss' – one people – and recategorized themselves as two different races – voss proper and gormak – of one species.

All of this is to illustrate the point that the voss were reaching a new evolution of their power, one which was capable of fending off even the most dangerous of opponents. The Eternal Empire launched their attack on the galaxy, and Voss had been identified as one of the primary targets to capture – or eradicate.

The Mystics had clearly seen the invasion approaching, and they were prepared.

Like every single invasion thus far, it was a disaster of unmitigated proportions. The armies that had quite easily decimated the Jedi and Sith were utterly annihilated by the combined power of the voss and gormak; a species united at last. Unlike the Sith, the Eternal Empire committed significant amounts of manpower to conquering Voss, and each time was defeated.

The Mystics later learned how to effectively manipulate the Scions, and sent them nightmares and visions showing their Empire in flames and the Eternal Emperor dead. In some cases, it's rumored that the Mystics were forging visions the Scions believed were real, terrifying them to a degree where it is rumored that they begged Valkorian to abandon the invasion.

It is unknown if this is actually what caused the Eternal Empire to withdraw, or if it was something else, but they eventually retreated in a humiliating defeat, and never went near Voss again. When Darth Nox emerged as the leader of the Alliance against the Eternal Empire, she sought the voss out and was immediately rebuffed.

The Three stated that they had no intention in continuing to be involved in affairs that didn't concern the voss, and ordered her to depart. She tried to appeal to the Barsen'thor who resided there now, and was similarly rebuffed. This, for some reason, ended up incising one of Nox's companions – Koth – who attempted to abduct Tolgan's adopted son in a desperate bid to force her cooperation.

He never got close to succeeding and was arrested by the Commandos and brought to Nox and executed in front of her, followed by an order to leave. She did so, and was never heard from again. No outsider would approach Voss for many centuries after that.

THE DARK AGE AND COMPLETE UNIFICATION: The galactic dark age that resulted after the rampage of the Eternal Fleet did not affect the voss significantly. Already confined to their planet by choice, the destruction of the galactic economy did not hinder them in the slightest. It's not entirely clear what they did during this point, but it's also extremely possible that they didn't do anything but live peacefully and under the direction of the Three.

Over the later centuries both races fully integrated, and while there are still significant differences between them, they work together in complete harmony and unity. Each complements the other and both are content for it to remain that way. It does appear that technological advancement reached a limit during this period, and the voss simply decided to stop pursuing it with any degree of fervor, and instead, focused on refining everything they had.

Preparing for the future.

By the time they were discovered again, they were ready for anything.

REDISCOVERY AND INVASION: By the time the Republic had reestablished itself as the dominant galactic power, it had completely forgotten about Voss. The defeat of the Sith at Ruusan – seemingly permanently – gave the Republic a significant confidence boost, and they believed there was nothing that would be able to stop them.

Though they promoted peace, it was decades until the point where they reduced their military output and the Ruusan Reformations took full effect. A fact that is covered up by the Republic was that one reason it took so long to demilitarize was because shortly after Ruusan, they stumbled upon Voss. Again.

The realization that there was another group of powerful Force-users did not sit well with the Republic or Jedi. They sent a limited diplomatic team down there with a series of demands as they were now 'a valued member of the Galactic Republic' and they were looking forward to 'successfully integrating them into galactic society.'

This went over as well as you would expect.

The Three declined the 'offer' of the Republic and Jedi, and told them to depart. The Republic refused, and the Jedi were concerned at the power the Mystics held, as well as the fact that they did not view the Force in a binary light. Fearing that they could become Sith, the Jedi instead proposed the establishment of a Jedi Temple on the planet to 'properly' train them.

The Three said they would allow Jedi to reside on the planet and learn, but they would not tolerate a Jedi Temple or have the Jedi teach voss youth. They also would allow an embassy in the Alien Enclave. But they would not recognize the Republic's authority, laws, treaties, or be forced into joining them.

The Republic found it rather arrogant from a single planet, and the Jedi were not satisfied with the proposed compromise at all, and gave a final warning to cooperate before they would be 'forced to take action.' In response, the voss captured all Republic personnel on the planet, killed the majority of the Jedi, drove the rest insane with visions, and sent them back to the Republic.

The Republic responded by sending several thousand teams of special forces to cripple the voss, every single one of which was captured without casualties and sent back to the Republic with a final warning to leave them alone. The Jedi who assisted these missions were not treated with the same 'delicacy,' and were instead executed. Due to their diminished numbers, the Jedi stated they couldn't support further action.

The Republic was not dissuaded so easily, and spent several months planning another operation against the voss, trying to utilize what they knew, and sent their best – smaller teams which landed in remote locations far from voss cities. Their only goals were the assassination of the Three and the Mystics. Republic High Command heard nothing for several weeks, and then each operative who had been deployed returned, mission successful.

They were welcomed back in triumph and the Republic prepared to move down and secure the planet again. Then the returned operatives pulled out their weapons and terminated every single individual of Republic High Command before vanishing to hunt down senators and other government officials.

No one knows how the voss turned these operatives, but there were over one thousand total executions connected to them before they were finally stopped.

Everything related to Voss was classified above top secret and the Old Republic never went near the planet again.

THE CLONE WARS: The voss were content to stay on their planet, but when the Clone Wars broke out, they did something unprecedented – they left the planet. Both the Republic and Separatists were aware of Voss, but the Republic avoided it for obvious reasons, as did the Separatists.

It's rumored that Count Dooku went to the Mystics before war broke out, and when he returned he made it clear that the voss were not to be approached or interfered with in any way. No one knows what happened, nor were the voss forthcoming, but it seemingly affected him greatly.

But to the surprise of everyone, about halfway through the war, voss emissaries approached the Jedi and Sith – and notably, no one else. They were tentatively allowed before the Jedi Council, and gave a warning about a 'false call which will lead to uncontrollable powers unleashed,' and that when this call happened, it was to be ignored.

The Jedi took the warning, and the emissary left. The one sent before Darth Maul and General Grievous was not given so generous a welcome, and after giving the warning, was arrested and placed into an interrogation room where Grievous demanded more specific answers. This resulted in teams of Voss Commandos and Avatars of the Three storming the stronghold the emissary was held in, resulting in a significant blow to the Separatists, and the near-death of Grievous.

As it turns out, it's clear in retrospect the voss were attempting to warn the galaxy about the events preceding the 'Mortis Incident,' and appeared to only partially succeed as both parties investigated the event. Though the entities within the Monolith were slain, there was significant cost to both sides.

This entire event did attract the attention of Chancellor Palpatine, and brought Voss to his attention. A fact which will be important soon.

VISITATION OF EMPEROR PALPATINE: Upon the establishment of the First Galactic Empire, Palpatine turned his attention to the voss nearly a decade later when the war machine of the Empire was fully developed. He, Darth Vader, and a number of Inquisitors and Acolytes made the journey to Voss, and were welcomed in relative peace.

Palpatine appeared to inquire as to the source of their power, which the voss presumably gave an unsatisfactory answer to. Palpatine spoke to the Three directly, an honor rarely bestowed upon outsiders, and the voss say that he first offered them an opportunity to assist him in the Empire, and when they refused, he threatened to take their power by force.

The voss were hesitant to share details as to what exactly happened, but it ended with Palpatine and Vader fighting their way out of the Shrine of Healing, killing dozens of voss, while losing his most powerful Inquisitors and Acolytes, along with nearly dying himself. What is curious is that as the voss tell it, both Vader and Palpatine were allowed to escape.

Implying they could have killed both of them, but didn't.

Either way, after that, the Empire adopted a similar stance to the Old Republic and gave Voss a wide berth.

THE YUUZHAN VONG WAR: The voss remained neutral and kept to themselves during the rise of the New Republic, but like everyone else, when the yuuzhan vong invaded, they had no choice but to defend themselves. But unlike previous invasions, this was one which was almost successful.

The voss found out very quickly that the Force and visions were less reliable when their enemy existed outside the Force itself. Visions still manifested and provided insight, but initially, it was so different the Interpreters had little idea as to what it meant. This led to the loss of multiple cities on Voss and hundreds of thousands dead.

For perhaps the first time, the voss were in danger. Fighting an enemy outside of the Force was not something they could have prepared for. Ultimately, they were not saved by the Mystics, but by the skill and tenacity of the Army of the Voss as well as the gormak Tech-Savants and Beastmasters who captured and turned the creatures the vong unleashed against them.

The vong abandoned the assault on the planet after nearly a year of fighting, which had severely reduced voss numbers, though extracted a heavy toll from the vong at the same time. By the end, the Mystics had adapted to the previously confusing visions, and had regained their former effectiveness, which likely led to the vong deciding to withdraw permanently.

After that, the voss set about rebuilding – and cleansing the planet of several attempts at vongforming.

DIPLOMATIC EXPANSION: Several decades after the Yuuzhan Vong War, the voss again did something unexpected. They sent emissaries to governments and organizations across the galaxy, and merely announced that they would be permitting embassies on Voss and were interested in potential cooperation.

The vast majority of people had no idea who the voss were or why they should care, but a few decided to take the voss up on their offer. Most of the interest died when they saw how restrictive and rigid the voss were, and the Galactic Alliance refused to deal with them at all due to their reputation, a stance also adopted by the Imperium until recently.

At the same time, there have been several businesses who have trade agreements with the voss; providing them with some raw materials in exchange for resources only available on Voss. It's of arguably limited worth, but the voss treat their partners very well, and every single business associated with the Mystics has found themselves extremely successful.

In addition to this outreach, it became not uncommon to hear of a Voss Mystic traveling the galaxy, occasionally providing wisdom and advice to those who listen. No one knows what path these voss take, but they are watched closely by anyone who even has a faint idea of what they are.

THE ASSAULT OF THE MIGRANT FLEET: As we reach near the end, we would be remiss to not mention the extremely ill-thought-out attempt by the Migrant Fleet to attack Voss and render them the first victims of their pointless crusade against the Force. At a certain point, it should become apparent that one does not simply attack the voss unless they're looking for a beating.

The Migrant Fleet did not understand this, it seems.

What follows is a similar story of everyone else who was idiotic enough to attack the voss. They invaded, they got slaughtered, and after wasting thousands of lives and resources, they pulled back and realized it was a bad idea. Please refer to document I-O-MFD-0010 for more details on the attempted attack on the voss.

CURRENT STATUS: The voss are in a curious position of being marginally known to the galaxy, but still significantly isolated. They receive a notable number of immigrants thanks to their increased presence in the galaxy, enough to the point where the 'Alien Army' was established, and there are no shortage of pilgrims and Jedi who come to seek something, be it knowledge or visions.

No major power has made any attempt to approach them due to their reputation, and they are viewed with suspicion by many. It also should be noted that the majority of the galaxy still doesn't know they exist, or what their significance is. The voss seem to not want to make any more efforts at outreach than they have already done.

But it begs the question of why they are allowing this at all. They have clearly developed some interest in the wider galaxy, else they would be confined to their planet, and no one who knows what they are is just accepting that there just so happen to be Mystics wandering the galaxy. The voss are moving toward something – or at least taking a more proactive stance on observation.

It is important to state that they are not a malicious people – and that I firmly believe some kind of agreement can be reached – but to do that, we have to understand them.

And never, ever make them angry.

THE VOSS MYSTICS : RACES AND BIOLOGY

There are two races on Voss, the voss proper, and the gormak. This tends to cause confusion to outsiders as the voss proper refer to themselves as 'voss,' while gormak will acknowledge they are gormak, and both races consider themselves voss. Generally, a rule to follow is that if a non-voss refers to the voss, they are likely referring to the voss proper, and if either of the races refers to the voss, it could refer to either a voss proper or gormak, depending on context.

Regardless, it is understandably difficult to see how the two races could be related at all. Both the voss and gormak say they are the same species, but to date, they have not allowed any third party to confirm this one way or another, leading to voss bodies being worth significant amounts on medical black markets – though notably, not one has actually appeared to be sold, as those that handle voss corpses (usually acquired from violent means) tend to disappear or meet violent ends.

As far as the voss are concerned, this is settled and no one will convince them otherwise. It would be unreasonable to assume that they didn't do any kind of confirmation, but given that genetics are not their forte, we question the thoroughness of an examination. This isn't a situation where it would be solved through a voss being curious, because voss aren't curious. Not in the same way most others are.

Perhaps 'curious' is the wrong word. Voss do not question.

If the Three or a Mystic says it, it is final. End of story. Doing so would imply that the Three or Mystics are wrong, which is one of the most insulting things one can do on Voss. The only ones who can get away with that are Interpreters, and they never question either of those groups publicly – or make any public statements at all for that matter.

As a gesture of goodwill, we did carefully request if we could assist them with official confirmation, framing it in the context of diplomatic relational improvement and positive recognition, and not actively questioning the words of the Three. The offer was rejected. Politely, but firmly. As such, do not consider the actual classification of the voss proper and gormak as one species as completely settled or proven. For the sake of this report we will continue to make that assumption, but keep this other fact in mind.

Both races are very different. Specifics are below.

THE VOSS PROPER

The voss proper are unnerving to aliens of all types. Eventually this uneasiness fades as they interact more with the race, but it is a phenomenon that each and every individual experiences to some degree. According to the Institute of Xenopsychology, there is a prevailing theory as to why this is the case.

It is based on the fact that the voss look and sound similar to droids.

Voss are humanoids, and are assumed to be some kind of near-human species, as they share an uncanny number of similarities including two arms, legs, five digits on each hand and foot, and an overall anatomy that could be placed over a human or near-human without much difficulty. This is another reason it is difficult to reconcile the voss proper and gormak being the same species, as something simply does not add up.

The voss firmly believe that they are not related to aliens, and the question of which race of voss came 'first' is one that has not been answered, and the voss do not care enough to answer. Barsen'thor Tolgan, when she described the spirit that spoke to her, implied that it looked much closer to a gormak than a voss proper.

The implications only add to the confusion. Were it not for the well-documented spirit confirming a voss-gormak heritage, it would be reasonable to assume that the voss proper are not native to the planet, and were perhaps brought in by another party. What isn't up for debate is that the voss proper are definitely not natural, even if they don't want to admit it.

All voss proper are tall for traditional humanoids, each easily over two meters, with males standing a full head taller than females – without exception. Their heights do not change either. Each voss proper will grow to exactly the same height – without exception. The disparity between genders is also notably pronounced.

Males have blue skin with white and orange accents arranged in patterns and small ridges that line their jaws and the center of their heads. Females have red skin with blue and black accents, and whose facial patterns are less complex than males. The facial patterns are one of the few ways voss proper differ in appearance, and portions of their skin appear to be metallic, and are usually colored darker than the rest of their face. Aliens notably find female voss proper easier to be around than males, and this is because males have more portions of their skin that appear to be metallic.

Males have orange eyes that glow, reminiscent of the chiss, though if one looks closely, the eyes themselves appear to be in a honeycomb pattern, creating an optical illusion that there is a mesh of some kind placed over the glowing eyeball. Female eye anatomy is the same, though the eyes glow blue instead of orange. Again, individuals prefer females, as the glow of their eyes is slightly softer, and the orange light of males is seen as more intense and intimidating.

Their voices are accompanied by an artificial-sounding tinge, something that one would expect to come out of a droid, and not a presumed organic. There are many xenobiologists who would dream about performing an autopsy to see how the voss proper work, though unfortunately, the mysteries of voss biology will likely remain so indefinitely.

Voss females have a pregnancy cycle of six months, and voss adolescence appears to last exactly twenty years before they fully develop physically and cognitively. The exact voss proper lifespan is difficult to confirm, as there are instances of voss living millennia, while others have died of old age after only a few centuries.

The voss proper are not what one would describe as sexually active either, though they take mating and love very seriously. At the same time, they are extremely exclusive about who they will take. There has never been an instance of a voss proper not taking a voss proper mate of the opposite sex. Even after the unification, there have not been any recorded voss proper and gormak relationships. When asked on the topic, they seemed mildly confused at best, and seem to regard the idea of interspecies relationships as an odd aberration, though they likely don't have strong feelings on it either way so long as it does not affect them.

Physically, voss proper are very athletic and fast, though due to their physical conformity, each one has a hard limit on what they can and cannot do. They are not especially strong, and they appear to be on-par with athletic humans with perhaps an advantage in endurance. Despite the metallic appearance, the skin of voss proper does not appear to be much harder than that of a human.

In terms of their Force capabilities, this is difficult to say without acquiring samples – which the voss would not provide. There does appear to be some variation in the strength of each voss, as every single one of them is Force-sensitive to some degree, but there isn't the same conformity the rest of the race has in terms of physicality.

The voss proper are generally seen as the more reserved and aloof of the races, and for good reason. Voss proper are not outwardly emotional, and they can't be goaded or forced into an emotional reaction. This is likely more due to their unshakable belief in the Three than an outright suppression of emotions, though again, like with much of the voss proper, this will remain a mystery until the voss decide to answer it.

THE GORMAK

The second race of Voss, the gormak are oddly enough perceived as more 'normal' by outsiders, as they are clearly alien. They do not look, act, and sound like something that was designed, but appear to be like many other species that dominate the galaxy. They maintain a few similarities with their other brethren, but in most aspects, differ drastically.

Gormak do not have the same genetic conformity that exists in the voss proper. They are of varying heights, weights, and other physical characteristics. On average, males are taller and stronger than females, but the disparity is not overly significant. The same applies to children who mature at different times, though typically they complete development between eighteen and twenty-three years.

Their anatomy is bipedal like the voss proper, but that is where many of the similarities end. Their hands and feet possess three clawed digits, their skin is thick and has patterns of even stronger skin running throughout their bodies. Their skin is varying shades of green, with females tending to have lighter shades than males.

Their faces also do not resemble the voss proper in most ways. They lack noses and breathe through four orifices on their face. Their mouths are lipless and arranged in such a way as they look to be perpetually frowning. Frills frame the side of their heads, with those of males being larger and more pronounced – color-wise – than females. The skin of males also appears rougher than females.

Unlike the voss proper, their eye colors are not determined by gender, and orange, blue, and red are all colors which have been observed. These eyes do not glow, though are a singular solid color and have a dull sheen to them. Gormak can also presumably see better in the dark than voss proper, according to several voss we spoke to. They did not explain why this was the case.

The gormak as a whole are more expressive, emotional, and passionate compared to the voss proper. They still adhere to the Three and Mystics as much as any voss, but they are more willing to confront those they disagree with (unless it happens to be against the Three or a Mystic) or make an effort to be friendly to others compared to the voss proper. It should be noted that this does not apply to gormak Mystics, who adopt attitudes identical to the voss proper, and it is not known why this is the case.

Gormak families also differ significantly to the voss proper. Instead of only having and raising one child at a time, the gormak usually raise no fewer than three younglings at once, one reason why the gormak outnumber the voss proper almost five-to-one. Families are also not permanent, as it isn't uncommon for parents to separate after raising kids and move on to someone else. Long-term relationships are rare within the gormak, and this is not necessarily seen as a negative.

Also unlike the voss proper, the gormak are seemingly more open to relationships outside their own species. It is difficult to understand how widespread this is, given their isolation, but there have been several descriptions on the HoloNet describing sexual interactions with the species. We could only confirm several of these, one of which was Tolgan who famously took a gormak as her mate (though notably his name is hidden by the voss, likely because his descendants still live). It is something of an interesting, and oddly chivalrous tale, but that is outside the scope of this current report.

It would be questionable if we also didn't include the affinity gormak have with technology. They have an innate curiosity in things they do not understand, and their brains seem to be wired towards grounded and logical patterns, making them very good at math, computation, and engineering. The voss proper once made the mistake of assuming that the gormak were savages, and it would be prudent if we could avoid making the same mistakes.

The one notable disadvantage the gormak have is that they are not inherently Force-sensitive, and only around twenty percent of their race ever manifests some kind of sensitivity. The upside to this is that every gormak Force-user is among the most powerful of the voss. Most usually become Mystics and as noted before, ever since the Complete Unification, a gormak has been among the Three.

With all these differences, it is again difficult to believe that both races are the same species, but perhaps biology doesn't matter at this point. Regardless of the truth one way or another, both species consider themselves voss, and until the Three say otherwise, they will continue to believe this.

We might as well play along until that happens, and covertly try and figure this out for ourselves.