Mairan

Last Updated: 11/30/2023

Name: Mairan or Bor

Humanoid: No

Classification: Alternative

Homeworld: Maires

Coloration: Brown, Tan, Pink, or Purple

Biology: Mairan were an octopus-like sentient (or potentially semi-sentient) species found throughout the galaxy. Their bodies were large and gelatinous, usually towering at 6 to 7 feet tall but sometimes even larger. They had four tentacles protruding from their bodies, two appearing to be larger than the others. Sometimes their bodies were covered in wart-like bumps, while others had completely smooth skin, but both variants they were covered in a very thick slime that helped them with locomotion. The back of their body is not usually visible, and could either end in a tail, blob, or other tentacle-like protrusion, but they seem to prefer to always attach some form of apparatus to it to either hide their rear or simply help with mobility. This synthetic shell almost made them resemble more of a nautilus than an octopus.

The Mairan’s head is barely visible, but there are two large lumps present. The one in the front is normally where the nose would be located, although Mairans possess no visible nostrils. This frontal mound varies in size from Mairan to Mairan. The back bulb is what could be considered the main “head,” and is where the brain is actually located. On the sides of the front-most bulb, or sometimes directly between, are their two small, beady eyes. They are often an opaque gray, blue, or yellow color, and while they do possess pupils, they are often clouded and equally as coated in slime. The placement of these eyes leave a massive blind spot in the Mairan’s field of view. Along with lacking nostrils, the Mairan’s possess no visible openings that would serve as a mouth(s) or ear(s).

The most unique aspect about the Mairan species is their ability to read minds. It is unclear if every Mairan possesses this ability, but the ones who do are referred to specifically as “Bors.” Their tentacles don’t seem to reveal any form of external sensory organs, however, when the Bors touch and/or wrap their tentacles around another sentient species, they can somehow peer into their mind. So far this telepathic ability is not directly related to the Force or even a high midichlorian count, although this link has not been outright denied either. The process of extracting memories is regarded as incredibly excruciating, and is generally seen as invasive, leaving the subject/victim with side effects ranging from memory loss to PTSD to mental trauma, temporary insanity, or even irreversible brain damage.

How the Bors transferred these extracted memory or pieces of information to others is currently unclear, as they did not seem to have the capability to verbally speak. It it thought that they might have used a separate form of telepathy, one much less painful, that reversed the process they had just enacted to implant thoughts instead of extract them, although this is still just a running theory. More recently it was revealed that they could produce musical-like notes amplified by some sort of cultural flute that could then be translated via protocol droids, which is now believed to be their primary form of communication. This language was very hard to grasp by any non-Mairan, even after long hours of study. Still, their lifespan and largest possible size are still unknown. Even their true level of sentience and how they reproduce are a mystery, seemingly both in-universe and out. One thing that is known, however, is that their entire body goes into a state of hibernation when exposed to extreme colds, which is the easiest way to keep them contained or prevent them from painfully probing your mind.

Lore: Because of the nature of their semi or pseudo-sentience, they do not seem to be capable of possessing their own structured society, and instead are simply assimilated into societies of others. Many other humanoid sentient species treat them as animals and disregard any sentience that they do possess, although they do all still have names. The nature in which they acquire these names, or how they might name themselves, is still shrouded in mystery. The highest regarded of the Mairans are the Bors, as they possess the ability to read minds, and it is entirely possible that any Mairan that is not a Bor is also not actually sentient. Whether they join willingly, or are more or less enslaved, almost every Mairan/Bor we’ve seen so far throughout the galaxy “belongs” to a certain large organization or faction where their only role is to interrogate and/or torture prisoners before being placed back into hybernation.

One Mairan worked for the Rebel cell known as the Partisans, while the Empire kept a number of Bors frozen, only using them with the most important of prisoners or situations. These Bors were usually compliant, although they could prove to be slightly unruly or even malicious. The Hutt Clan were even revealed to have been in possession of a Mairan at one point in their history. It was mentioned that there was, in fact, a Mairan ambassador at one point, although it is unclear whether this was for their homeworld of Maires or for simply a stand-in for another race or faction. Their only real value to most of the galaxy seemed to stem from their unique abilities. Interestingly enough, all known Mairan required three objects to function properly: what appeared to be a sitting/mobility apparatus, a “shell flute,” and a competent translator droid.

All known Mairan have titles that follow a similar naming convention. If they are a mind reader, their name will always begin with Bor, before being followed with their true name (generally one word). For example: Bor Gullet or Bor Ifriem.

Legends/Canon: The Mairan actually originated in Star Wars Legends in the Young Jedi Knights series, where their description as tentacled creatures were very closely the same (though they were said to have over forty tentacles, far more than we’ve seen canonically), although they did have a few distinct traits not featured in their Canon iteration, such as their ability to speak Galactic Basic, their dislike of any Mairans who turned out to be Force Sensitive, and their rivalry with the Hapan species of Vergill. Canonically they were introduced in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, where they were first pictured 20 years after their initial debut, although this seems to have been a retroactive decision. From then on we got more lore regarding their ties to the Empire and Rebellion, as well as the whole “Bor” concept.

Unexplored: The Mairan are incredibly unique, and pose some really bizarre and unconventional questions. For starters, what did they evolve from? Was it aquatic or some form of zero-gravity, longtime space fairing creature? What is their true level of sentience, understanding, and social awareness? Are only some sentient, and some not, or do all possess at least some level of conventional sapience? How mobile are they naturally, and do they need their back attachments to move or do those serve some other unknown purpose? Where is the opening located that they use to blow into the shell flutes? And what sounds do they actually make with or without the presence of the flute?

What is their homeworld like, and why do they go into an automatic stasis when frozen instead of freezing and/or dying like many other species? Do their mind reading capabilities relate to the Force, or is it just some sort of biological anomaly? How does that process work, why is it so painful, and how do they sort through and process their prey’s memories? How did they first interact with the outside galaxy, who first discovered their abilities, and how many of the Mairan actually have said ability? Do they willingly associate themselves with other factions, or are they essentially slaves? What do they think about being utilized only for their abilities, if they can even really think at all, and what do they think about being regarded as animals by most other species? Also, did any other bits of their EU lore remain, and did they still have any association/rivalry with the Hapans anymore? There are so many bizarre things, outside of the basic foundational questions, that can be looked into from a storytelling or world building perspective.

Additional Notes: So the Mairans are kind of confusing, but not for the reason you might think. Every source I go to for my Star Wars alien info has something different or even slightly contradictory to say about them. Some said that it was unknown how they communicated, while others went in-depth about their canonical musical flute language. Some said that they were generally purple, while others said brown or green. Some said that all Mairans were also known as Bors, while others said it was an exclusive title associated with their titular mind reading abilities. Some said that they were sentient, some said that they were pseudo or semi-sentient, and some said that they are a completely non-sentient animal within the Star Wars universe. This could be chocked up to the EU/Canon differences, which it took me longer than I would like to admit to uncover, but it’s still just hard to say.

Regardless, this is a very interesting and unique species, and has proved useful in certain situations throughout Canon, as well as within storytelling in general. It doesn’t seem like they would make very compelling main characters, as they seem to be too simple-minded or even almost unthinking for that, but they can definitely serve as unique plot devices. Do with the Mairans what you will, and I hope they better establish and solidify exactly what makes a Bor a Bor in the future.

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