Vagaari theory (OBF spoilers)

I just finished reading Outbound Flight, and I came up with an Ewokian theorem: the Vagaari are the Yuuzhan Vong. Now, this is all predicated on the following:

• I based this on a speed reading I did of OBF, so I might have missed things that could disprove this


• I?m somewhat sick so I have no idea if any of this makes sense


• I haven?t read Survivor?s Quest or any NJO so I don?t know if anything in them might make this beyond the realm of retconning (if anyone has relevant info from them, please do post)

Now, onto my evidence:

Timeline:
-Thrawn on the Vagaari: Pg 65: ?They were not only slavers, but pirates and raiders as well?[we know of them] only by reputation. At least, up until now.? Pg. 66: ?The Vagaari have made no move against the Chiss Ascendancy. We therefore have no reason to hunt them?As I said, I know their reputation. They?ve been moving through this space for at least the past ten years?.

This would mean that the Vong have been snooping around Chiss space since at least 37 BBY. From Rogue Planet we know that the Vong attack on Zonama Sekot began in 32 BBY, and was due to their plants not growing on Zonama; they?d presumably been there for a year or so, at least. So nothing off with the timeline there.

-Even more telling on Pg. 446, with Thrawn saying: ?Admiral Ar?alani was in command of the force that ultimately drove [the Vong scouts] away. That?s why she came personally to investigate Car?das and his companions. We wondered if the Republic they spoke of might be allied with the invaders.? To which Doriana replies: ?And that?s why she was willing to look the other way while you dealt with the Vagaari. A two-front war would be exceptionally nasty.?

Now, maybe this was just me, but: they think a distant Republic that they have never heard of before and have no idea about might be allied with the Far-Outsiders, but when the Vagaari ? after hanging around Chiss space for over a decade ? suddenly launch massive attacks near the Chiss border, they don?t think that there might be a connection there?

Ar?alani?s arrival and activities also tie in. The Vong attack was on ?the far side of the Chiss Ascendancy? and it?s implied that the battle occurred very shortly before Car?das arrived. It seems strange for her to rush across the Unknown Regions to interview an officer conducting an interrogation, especially when it?s made clear that A) she?s the Chiss? foremost ?expert? on the Vong and B) the Vong are still considered a threat.

But if a report came in that more Far Outsiders were massing?And not also that she was an orthodox Chiss who, despite their law of non-aggression, was complicit to Thrawn?s Vagaari attack. Perhaps because they actually had attacked the Chiss before? And wouldn?t Chiss vs. Vong + Republic + Vagaari be a three-front war?

One final note: at first Thrawn doesn?t seem to believe Doriana?s tale of the Vong. It is only after the large battle with the Vagaari, recovery of Vagaari technology, and several meetings with Ar?alani, that he admits to Doriana that the Chiss have seen these Far Outsiders.

Society and culture:
-Thrawn on the Vagaari: Pg. 66: ?They?ve been moving through this space for at least the past ten years, preying mostly on the weak and technologically primitive.?

We know from CEII and from early books in NJO that that is exactly what the Vong have been doing. But as for corollary evidence, on pg. 318 Doriana tells Thrawn that Palpatine knows ?these Far Outsiders?already have a foothold on the edge of the galaxy, and even now have scouting parties seeking information on worlds and peoples to conquer.?

-Additionally, when Thrawn?s force encounters the Geroon world, he discovers that the Vagaari are completely nomadic; and when Car?das goes before them, they are aggressive, combative, and warlike. Sound familiar? And yet, we never actually get a physical description of the Vagaari; all we know is that they are short humanoids with stubby legs and big hands, and that they are completely

 

Sounds interesting. However, there's a little problem. I remember in "OBF" how the Vagaari's leader want to get his hands on war droids and was happy to play around with his new "toy" droids, executing the slaves with them.

Somehow, I don't think the Vong would like to do that.

Also, you talked about the gravity machine the Vagaari had. Well, if it was a Dovin Basi, then how the Chiss was able to put that on their own ship?

 

You know what? I like this!

We know that a Yuuzhan Vong can squeeze into a Ssi-ruuk shaped masquer... so I see no reason why they shouldn't be able to fit into Geroon-shaped ones as well... it makes things a lot weirder, and at the same time, superbly plausible, if the "Geroons" look like Geroons...

Of course, there's the question of why/how these YV could have come to use machine technology as comfortably/confidently as the Vagaari do, and maybe there's some questions to be asked about the "small with big hands" thing... but given their disregard for technology, their use of slaves, and their nomadic deep-space lifestyle, they could happily acquire machine technology without it being their own; and the language definately sounds like it sounds like Yuuzhan Vong, too!

Good work! You get yourself a Golden Ewok?, Legs!

- The Imperial Ewok

 

This would mean that the Vong have been snooping around Chiss space since at least 37 BBY. From Rogue Planet we know that the Vong attack on Zonama Sekot began in 32 BBY, and was due to their plants not growing on Zonama; they?d presumably been there for a year or so, at least. So nothing off with the timeline there.

How would the quote mean that the Vong have been there since then. Just because the Vagaari are moving towards the Chiss doesnt mean that it is because of the Vong. Plus I dont think Rogue Planet says anything about a Vong occupation of Zonama Sekot. Merely that there biological weapons (by which I mean bacteria and virus') were repelled by the planet so they then used conventional tactics such as bombardment.

Now, maybe this was just me, but: they think a distant Republic that they have never heard of before and have no idea about might be allied with the Far-Outsiders, but when the Vagaari ? after hanging around Chiss space for over a decade ? suddenly launch massive attacks near the Chiss border, they don?t think that there might be a connection there?

Ar?alani?s arrival and activities also tie in. The Vong attack was on ?the far side of the Chiss Ascendancy? and it?s implied that the battle occurred very shortly before Car?das arrived. It seems strange for her to rush across the Unknown Regions to interview an officer conducting an interrogation, especially when it?s made clear that A) she?s the Chiss? foremost ?expert? on the Vong and B) the Vong are still considered a threat.

But if a report came in that more Far Outsiders were massing?And not also that she was an orthodox Chiss who, despite their law of non-aggression, was complicit to Thrawn?s Vagaari attack. Perhaps because they actually had attacked the Chiss before? And wouldn?t Chiss vs. Vong + Republic + Vagaari be a three-front war?

Personally I didnt get the impression that the Vong attack just happened. Because remember the NJO mentioned (In TFP or TUF) that when the Yuuzhan Vong faced the living planet it created a lot of upheaval in Vong society and this is when Shimmra takes over as Supreme Overlord IIRC. This is why I was under the impression the Vong attack had taken place earlier than RP. And I agree that it would seem strange that Ar'alani would rush across chiss space. I dont think that the Vaagari were allied with the Vong. I think the chiss saw the Vaagari as a minor threat but one that could cause a lot of damage should the Chiss be distracted. Which is what fighting the Vong would do. They have already fought the Vong and I think Thrawn made a point of saying that it was a difficult battle. They see the Vong stronger than the Vaagari and because of Chiss foreign policy being diametrically opposite of the USA where they have to wait for the opponent to attack first they couldnt do anything about it when they werent attacking there border so they had to be patient.


EDIT: After reading McEwok's post

Are you saying that the Vong are the Vaagari or merely allied with them?

 

Another thing I want to add:

In "Survivor's Quest", Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade encountered the Vagaari. But if the Vagaari is like the Vongs, then why they wouldn't recongized them again in NJO? Of course, you could say that the Vagaari in "OBF" and in "SQ" are two different races.

 

There are too many problems with the Vaagari=Vong theory (most importantly, IMHO, is that Luke and Mara didn't recognize them and felt them with the Force).

However, I like the idea; what if the Vaagari was one of those races enslaved by the Vong, like the Chazrach? They got sent ahead by the Vong to be a threat and mess with the Galaxy to soften them up before the Vong themselves arrived. That would answer a lot of the problems with the theory while keeping the main points intact.

 

I'm saying the Vong are the Vagaari, Quad. Although with what's been added, perhaps the "Vagaari" from OBF are Vong that have, for some reason, disguised themselves as/infiltrated Vagaari.

And thanks, McEwok. I was particularly interested in your take on this.

 

Hmmm... I see. Well the theory makes much more sense to me now. And I kind of like it.

 

The only problem with this theory is that I dont see the Vong using that much technology

In addition to this theory, they were described as "humanoid"

 

As a practical theory, it won't work. As a McEwokian crazy theory -- why not?

 

Vong are willing to work with technology if necessary, they just hate it. Look at Nom Anor, Yomin Carr, and the shapers who were playing with lightsabers for Shmirra...

Vong are humanoid...

 

Close, Ive, but not quite.

The Vagaarians are actually Mrachani from his Conquerors' trilogy. They acted and spoke just like them in SQ. It was an instant tipoff to me, only confirmed by their blatant presence aboard the expedition ship. Armpits of Lord Ragnos, I mean, what else were those yankees doing in an ENTIRE BOOK? Just there by accident, as they said?

Which essentially makes them french-accented furry mice . . .

 

As I said in addition not against.

Nom, Yomin, and some others were a very small minority.
A whole battle fleet is kinda ridiculous and that leader was kinda having a little too much fun with the droids. maybe its a vong splinter group who was ok with technology?

 

I've argued that Granta Omega is a Yuuzhan Vong, either a spurned outcast and heretic seeking a way to gain power to destroy his former brethren or a deep-cover executor trying to uncover information on the mysterious Sith for the "Far Outsiders" advance group in the Unknown Regions (judging by Tsavong Lah's reaction to Viqi Shesh's mention of the Sith in the Enemy Lines duology, none of his information ever made it back to the other Vong if this would be the case).