Dornean

Last Updated: 2/28/2024

Name: Dornean

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Beast/Alternative

Homeworld: Dornea

Coloration: Purple and Black

Biology: Dorneans were an almost seal-like bipedal humanoid species with two arms and two legs who had the same approximate height, weight, build, and frame as the average Human. Where they differed started with the fact that Dorneans were covered in a thin layer of slick light purple fur which grew thicker and pointier, almost like quills, around areas like their shoulders and necks. Dornean heads were rounded, with smoothed hair as well as mottled dark spots extending from their forehead up and over their cranium. They had little in the way of chins, mouths full of white teeth and pointed canines, and segmented, protruding upper lips. They also had flat, wide noses, no visible aural cavities, and large, bulging eyes with solid, light colored pupils and a seeming lack of iris, as well as a fan-like growth extending from the back portion of their eye, with five long eyelash-like hairs extending out and back from each. Dorneans had elongated lifespans, often living upwards of 300 standard years. They also had the capacity to speak both Galactic Basic, as well as their native tongue of “Bornean.”

Lore: The Dorneans were a powerful species hailing from Dornea, a fortified watery world located within the Outer Rim. For an indeterminate number of years leading up to the rise of the Empire, the Dorneans had built up a fairly impressive navy meant to serve as a planetary defense force. Supported by their influential government, the “Dornean Braha’ket Fleetworks Conglomerate” churned out impressive warships, including the galaxy-famous Braha’tok-Class Gunships, which were tide-turning gunboats utilized by freedom fighters throughout the following eras. Due to Dornea being located along the “Prously’s Rim Run” trade route which connected the world with Dac (aka Mon Cala), the Dorneans and their Fleetworks also had periodic interactions and partnerships with the Mon Calamari people, trading vessels and other methods of support.

The origins of the Dornean Navy actually date back to the early days of their existence, long before they had even conceptualized spacefaring technology, when they navigated Dornea’s various oceans in boats and engaged in naval battles among their various factions. Fortunately, these factions would one day unify, leading to the naval effort seen in the modern day, which still held many of their proud, militant traditions at the core of their establishment and tenants. They had many traditional militaristic ranks, though it’s worth noting that they did not have “Admirals,” instead referring to the equivalent rank as “Generals,” a naming convention that confused some. In the final days of the Galactic Republic, the entire navy was led by a General named Etahn A’baht, a man considered by many to be one of the species’ most prolific officers throughout their entire history.

Declaring the Dorneans a threat due to their refusal to demilitarize, the Empire set out to lay waste to Dornea and use them as an example of what happened to dissidents. Instead, they faced an incredible resistance by a much smaller but more competent naval force, with the Dorneans able to repel multiple Imperial invasion attempts throughout the course of the Galactic Civil War. This development baffled the Empire, who consistently underestimated the Dorneans fervor, and eventually, the Dorneans pledged their allegiance to the like-minded Rebel Alliance, even sending two of their Gunships to aid in the Battle of Endor. Not long after, the Dorneans became one of the founding members of the New Republic, lending much support to the New Republic Defense Force. General A’baht specifically was touted as one of the greatest assets to the New Republic’s navy, and was instrumental in the ultimate defeat of the resurgent Empire and Grand Admiral Thrawn’s fleet.

A’baht and the mon Calamari Admiral Aftab Ackbar’s relationship would ensure a continually affable partnership between the two species, and the Dornean General would be promoted to the leader of the New Republic’s Fifth Fleet. He would be a deciding factor during the Black Fleet Crisis, only heightening the influence of his species further, though he would resign from this position and return to his homeworld when the Yuuzhan Vong’s invasion of the galaxy began. Surprisingly, or maybe not so much, even the Vong were no match for the Dornean’s naval might, and they were driven back from Dornea when they attempted to invade it, eventually bypassing the world entirely as to not expend any more resources in a losing battle. Though a historic victory, this event would actually cause the Dornean’s relationship with the New Republic to wane, as the galaxy pitted them against each other, asking why the Dornean Navy could accomplish what the rest of the New Republic Defense Force could not. Unfortunately, there is no indication that A’baht returned to their service, or that the Dorneans became members of the Galactic Alliance.

Aside from their reputation as naval superstars, the Dorneans were also known across the galaxy for being prideful, having strategic minds, and prioritizing defense over all else. Though not with malicious intent, they seemed to commonly look down on others, holding their accomplishments among the heads of others. They were also fairly shrewd, and were generally seen as a reserved species, meaning it was fairly rare to see them offworld and out among the rest of the galaxy. They were difficult to scam, as well as beat in games of cleverness or strategy. They took the idea of protecting their own kind seriously, placing their own wellbeing above the needs of others. They also required unique clothing as opposed to the rest of the galaxy, with open shoulders that allowed their trapezius spines to lay bare. It has been stated that when assigning familial roles, Dornean men were in charge of child-rearing, apparently the product of a patriarchal societal system.

Continuity: Despite most of the lore above obviously coming from the EU, the Dorneans are Canon, although this is almost entirely in name. We have no Canon illustration/depiction at the moment, and outside of their name and the name of their homeworld being Canon, the only things we know about them is that they had some level of connection with the Mon Calamari, they developed the Braha’tok-Class Gunship via the Dornean Braha’ket Fleetworks Conglomerate, and they were members of the Rebel Alliance. The latter fact is interesting because, according to the EU, the Dorneans refused to ally themselves with the Rebellion (outside of lending two vessels for the Battle of Endor), only getting involved of the war outside of their home System AFTER the New Republic was established, leading to a minor discrepancy between continuities. (It was also revealed that canonically, what we can assume was the Dornean Navy was still active during the First Order-Resistance Conflict.)

Unexplored: We know a surprising amount about the Dorneans, moreso within Legends than Canon, but a fair bit nonetheless. Still, most of what’s been established is relegated to their military/naval presence, so there’s a lot regarding the rest of the species’ worldbuilding that is in dire need of expansion! The following are a handful of questions I selected that, if answered, would help us better understand the species as a whole, and thus better characterize and write about Dornean characters in the future. So, for our usual starting question, when did the Dorneans develop sentience, did they evolve from some sort of aquatic, seal-like species, or possibly some other type of creature, and how long was it before they were discovered? Were they first discovered by the Galactic Republic, or was it possible they developed their own spacefaring vessels and reached out to others? Regardless, were they ever members of the Republic, or had they remained independent up until the Galactic Civil War?

What was life like for the average citizen of Dornea? What did their civilization look like, and did they primarily dwell within coastal cities, possibly platform structures over the oceanic surface, or maybe even in underwater metropolises? How ingrained in their culture was the Fleetworks and Navy, and was it possibly required for citizens to join at some point? Additionally, were the regular citizens affected by the Empire’s continual attempt to break through their planetary blockade, or was the defense so solid that the surface remained completely unaffected? What did the average citizen think of the Rebel Alliance and New Republic? And what exactly was their planetary government like? Also, how could the discrepancies between the Dorneans’ Legends and Canon lore be further expanded upon and differentiated? Exploring the answers to these questions, as well as additional worldbuilding traits like their politics, economy, philosophies, religions, traditions, diets, etc. would do wonders for this surprisingly important species. (Also they’re long overdue for an updated visual depiction!)

Additional Notes: I am so surprised by the fact that we haven’t seen more Dorneans among visual mediums. I’m glad they’re remained such a key component of the Rebellion/New Republic (and even possibly Resistance) in Canon, and I truly hope it’s only a matter of time before we eventually see these purple seal people lumber onto screen, or at least onto the pages of a comic book. They’re such a fascinating aspect of established lore, and I had a blast digging into their story as it currently stands within the Star Wars universe!

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