M'shinn

The M'shinni are a strange race of humanoids characterized by their outer coating of plant material. They are often referred to as Mossies. The M'shinni people (an individual is called a M'shinn) are skilled botanists and traders, and live in close-knit families. The M'shinni plant-like skin covers all but the palms of their hands and the soles of their feet. It ranges in color from pale yellows through vibrant greens to dark emeralds, depending on the type of star they live near. The plant covering begins to wither when natural sunlight is not available, and will die completely after ten sunless days. This plant material lives in a symbiotic relationships with the M'shinni flesh, feeding upon sweat and dead skin cells while supplying nutrients and moisture. M'shinni give birth by cloning cells of the female's body. This parthenogenic reproduction has instilled a strong sense of family ties in the M'shinni, who show an unassailable allegiance to their own familial Rootline. The M'shinni evolved on the planet Genassa, but have spread throughout the galaxy with the discovery of the hyperdrive. They have long been members of the Old Republic, providing their unique terraforming practices to the Republic in return for technologies they do not possess. However, the M'shinni were also opportunistic, and were known to have driven the Skirlling off their homeworld in order to turn it into an agricultural planet. They tried to remain neutral during the Galactic Civil War, dealing with the Empire at arm's length while secretly aiding the Alliance.