First I must acknowledge the source of inspiration behind my idea:

What's your definition of a shadow port? - Star Wars: Edge of the Empire RPG - FFG Community http://community.fantasyflightgames.com/index.php?/topic/128887-whats-your-definition-of-a-shadow-port/ [From ZTE mobile browser]

After posting a joke, I made a comment about possible bases. One such base was a giant space whale. Though it was a bit of fun, a lightbulb went off in my head and I found myself wondering " why not?"

I like using models, and I found a good toy whale. Would look odd, but imposing on an Armada-scale board.

To find a moving creature with a whole galaxy to migrate across would require the whale was tagged. Only those who shelter there know the frequency to find it. I'll need to think of some food source, so that a droid on the ship can spray it with the scent. Otherwise the ship might have to find an alternative way in.

I'm not entirely sure where the port would be located. Perhaps in the large mouth, or near the blowhole. I imagine a base above an ocean of stomach acid but that might get smelly. Another idea was that it could have lungs, where a base could be, though what it would breath in space I haven't the foggiest.

That is what I have so far.

What about built on top of or around the whale ?

Controlling the whale might not be too far out there. There's a precedence in the EU.

There are also the Oswaft . They're sentient, though, so maybe the Oswaft are in on it.

There are also the Oswaft . They're sentient, though, so maybe the Oswaft are in on it.

Just place the port on the back of the Oswaft.

Or make it shaped like a whale.

Personally, if you want a moving shadowport I would place it on a comet. One that moves about the galaxy. Perhaps any information on its path is well hidden or just hard to find.

Personally, if you want a moving shadowport I would place it on a comet. One that moves about the galaxy. Perhaps any information on its path is well hidden or just hard to find.

Wouldn't be hard to find it once it was known as a port since they don't move all that fast, especially for a civilization with FTL systems. So, once you know where it was, even going to that spot years later would still put you in easy sight of its new location.

I like the idea of building a shadowport aboard a ship, like was done in the EU with an old Star Destroyer. Keeps the whole thing mobile and able to actually jump clear.

Personally, if you want a moving shadowport I would place it on a comet. One that moves about the galaxy. Perhaps any information on its path is well hidden or just hard to find.

Wouldn't be hard to find it once it was known as a port since they don't move all that fast, especially for a civilization with FTL systems. So, once you know where it was, even going to that spot years later would still put you in easy sight of its new location.

No more harder than a stationary shadowport on some asteroid or planet. These things tend to depend on secrecy. It's more about it being interesting anyways. There are a variety of shadowports in the Star Wars galaxy, including on a comet , a ship (as you suggested), and on many different planets.

Personally, if you want a moving shadowport I would place it on a comet. One that moves about the galaxy. Perhaps any information on its path is well hidden or just hard to find.

Wouldn't be hard to find it once it was known as a port since they don't move all that fast, especially for a civilization with FTL systems. So, once you know where it was, even going to that spot years later would still put you in easy sight of its new location.

No more harder than a stationary shadowport on some asteroid or planet. These things tend to depend on secrecy. It's more about it being interesting anyways. There are a variety of shadowports in the Star Wars galaxy, including on a comet , a ship (as you suggested), and on many different planets.

Right, but I was just pointing out how slow a comet is if you want a mobile base. In the scheme of Star Wars, comets, asteroids, moons, planets, space stations, etc... are not mobile bases.

Right, but I was just pointing out how slow a comet is if you want a mobile base. In the scheme of Star Wars, comets, asteroids, moons, planets, space stations, etc... are not mobile bases.

Space stations are mobile … enough. They can be easily blown up by a kid shooting a tiny missile up your garbage chute, but they’re definitely mobile.

What about built on top of or around the whale ? Controlling the whale might not be too far out there. There's a precedence in the EU.

I thought of on a whale, but wanted to be odd. Not difficult for me... being odd.

I would like a more instinct driven whale, but common sense suggests a bigger whale has a bigger brain. While the size of a brain doesn't always indicate size of intelligence, it would certainly have some measure of sentience.

Personally, if you want a moving shadowport I would place it on a comet. One that moves about the galaxy. Perhaps any information on its path is well hidden or just hard to find.

The moving base was just an added bonus. But comet movements can be predicted even with our technology, I want something more random. That's where a bit of intelligence will be useful.

But I did once plan a 40K space marine chapter with their fortress monastery on a three-tailed comet. Might still use your suggestion because it's a cool idea.

Besides, who in their right mind would ever build a base inside a humongous smelly space whale?

That's why I like the idea of inside a whale. It's so ludicrous nobody would think to look for anyone there.

Who would be that stupid?

Me!

Okay, I have to say...

I don't hate this idea. It reminds me of Discworld's turtle and elephants [image reference provided].

Guess that would make a good "shell"ter.

That's a cool image. Thanks for sharing.

Okay, I have to say...

I don't hate this idea. It reminds me of Discworld's turtle and elephants [image reference provided].

Reminds me of this recent video:

What about built on top of or around the whale ? Controlling the whale might not be too far out there. There's a precedence in the EU.

I thought of on a whale, but wanted to be odd. Not difficult for me... being odd.

I would like a more instinct driven whale, but common sense suggests a bigger whale has a bigger brain. While the size of a brain doesn't always indicate size of intelligence, it would certainly have some measure of sentience.

A bigger brain doesn't equate to more intelligence as it takes more grey matter just to deal with the larger body. That's why we've noticed that the actually more intelligent animals come up off the graph of brain size vs body mass. Humans do, Corvids (ravens and their ilk do), etc... And I can't of any living thing that isn't sentient. They may not be sapient, but they do all appear to feel and react to the world around them.

Dude, just reinvent the internal anatomy of your whale. Maybe it eats photons like krill, so there's no stomach, just light receptive energy producing organs. It's your space animal, nobody is going to tell you that you got it wrong, haha.

What about built on top of or around the whale ? Controlling the whale might not be too far out there. There's a precedence in the EU.

I thought of on a whale, but wanted to be odd. Not difficult for me... being odd.I would like a more instinct driven whale, but common sense suggests a bigger whale has a bigger brain. While the size of a brain doesn't always indicate size of intelligence, it would certainly have some measure of sentience.

A bigger brain doesn't equate to more intelligence as it takes more grey matter just to deal with the larger body. That's why we've noticed that the actually more intelligent animals come up off the graph of brain size vs body mass. Humans do, Corvids (ravens and their ilk do), etc... And I can't of any living thing that isn't sentient. They may not be sapient, but they do all appear to feel and react to the world around them.

You said what I meant. Really it's a very big whale, most likely with dolphin-level intelligence.

Dude, just reinvent the internal anatomy of your whale. Maybe it eats photons like krill, so there's no stomach, just light receptive energy producing organs. It's your space animal, nobody is going to tell you that you got it wrong, haha.

Indeed.

So far it breaths Nebula gases, though it can hold it's breath a really long time. It feeds on giant squid, who can only survive inside certain nebula. The squid dine on man-sized crabs that live on the planets, moons and asteroids inside the nebula.

Now we need Sir Elton John to sing circle of life...

The crabs feed on the little critters who live inside the whale's bowels. The whales tend to do their excretions near celestial body, the gravity of which pulls in the poo. Some of the bowel-dwelling critters get ejected onboard the poo, and these critters are like cat-sized bacteria.

Many chemicals produced by the whale's digestive process include properties similar to the gases in the nebula. By the time the food chain reaches the squids, the squids belch out the same gases as the nebula instead of ink. Thus the"air" supply remains reasonably constant.

That's all I've got so far.

Oh, and the internal biology won't be exactly the same as our ocean dwelling friends. Externally it is a massive blue whale, though it sings like a humpback whale.

A bigger brain doesn't equate to more intelligence as it takes more grey matter just to deal with the larger body. That's why we've noticed that the actually more intelligent animals come up off the graph of brain size vs body mass. Humans do, Corvids (ravens and their ilk do), etc... And I can't of any living thing that isn't sentient. They may not be sapient, but they do all appear to feel and react to the world around them.

The Star Wars IP has a long history or misusing the term sentient to mean sapient . I'm hoping that one result of the Disney EU nuke will be to fix this.

Eclipse Phase has whalelike morphs in the corona of the sun. In Star Wars larger versions of the same could be able to naturally traverse hyperspace to move from star to star.

Eclipse Phase has whalelike morphs in the corona of the sun. In Star Wars larger versions of the same could be able to naturally traverse hyperspace to move from star to star.

Good idea to consider. I'd like to have the whale in systems, basking in some warm sun. I'm imagining the nebula is from dead stars, hence the planets and moons inside. Burning star would be much more nourishing. I've thought about using a form of photosynthesis rather than eating to feed

A bigger brain doesn't equate to more intelligence as it takes more grey matter just to deal with the larger body. That's why we've noticed that the actually more intelligent animals come up off the graph of brain size vs body mass. Humans do, Corvids (ravens and their ilk do), etc... And I can't of any living thing that isn't sentient. They may not be sapient, but they do all appear to feel and react to the world around them.

The Star Wars IP has a long history or misusing the term sentient to mean sapient . I'm hoping that one result of the Disney EU nuke will be to fix this.

Not just Star Wars, but most Hollywood writers and the general population misuse words and even ideas. Like the 10% myth that keeps showing up in media (Lucy with Scarlett Johansson is the latest in the line), where the real statement is that we only use 10% of our brain at any one moment in time.

I used sentient because it is used, to my knowledge, when referring to a creature which can use free will to determine actions, not just act on instinct or follow commands.

I've seen video of a Crow solving a problem with no prior training. It simply figured out what to do on it's own with no help. That proves me wrong in differentiating between humans and animals by using the word sentient and how I understood it.

To be clear:

The whale is governed by instinct with limited problem solving intelligence. It will work out how to evade danger when threatened, but doesn't appreciate art or study mathematics. Can figure out how to get to difficult prey, but will open wide it's mouth and move forward rather than learn manners and what flavors go best together.

Good idea to consider. I'd like to have the whale in systems, basking in some warm sun. I'm imagining the nebula is from dead stars, hence the planets and moons inside. Burning star would be much more nourishing. I've thought about using a form of photosynthesis rather than eating to feed

Nebulas are actually the birthplaces of stars. They’re a primary source of dense gas that gets gravitationally collected into what ultimately becomes a star system. When the star reaches the critical point where it has enough mass to actually ignite the material, the resulting stellar-scale nuclear fusion explosion drives away the excess gas.

So, for a creature that consumes the gas (or maybe consumes smaller creatures that consume the gas), a nebula would be a perfectly normal place to exist. But all that gas would block the transmission and absorption of light, so they might choose to “swim” closer to stars in or near the nebula in order to “bask” (and perhaps mate), and then might swim back out into the stellar “soup” in order to feed (and perhaps give birth).

In other words, they might very well do a stellar migration pattern, perhaps measured over millennia of time.