The following are, what I belive to be, races suitable to be used as factions/races, particularly the final race, the Yuuzhan Vong (which seem similiar to Muslim extremists), which are from the expanded universe.

*Homeworld:
Geonosis

Height:
1.68 - 1.78 meters

Weapon:
sonic blaster

Vehicle:
orrays; Geonosian starfighters

Associations:Count Dooku
Poggle the Lesser

An insectoid species divided into castes, the Geonosians are native to the harsh rocky world of Geonosis. Geonosians construct immense, organic-looking spires within which reside their hive colonies.
There are two main types of Geonosians: the wingless drones that mostly work as laborers, and the winged aristocrat, which includes royal warriors serving as scouts and providing security to the hive. All Geonosians have a hard, chitinous exoskeleton, elongated faces, multi-jointed limbs, and speak in a strange clicking language.

Though labeled "warriors," Geonosians do not have a standing military. They instead use their droid foundries to build armies for corporate interests wealthy enough to afford them -- entities such as the Trade Federation and the Techno Union. Despite relatively simple minds, the Geonosians are adept at mechanical construction, and are contractors to many of the galaxy's biggest manufacturing concerns. They are responsible for the construction of some of the largest feats of engineering ever witnessed.

The hardships of the native environment coupled with rigid structure codified in their caste society has fostered a barbaric side to the Geonosians. Their simple minds view brutal violence as entertainment, and Geonosians congregate in massive execution arenas to watch victims doomed to die by being subjected to savage creatures.

*Homeworld:
Naboo

Height:
1.9 meters

Diet:
omnivorous

Weapon:
cesta, electropole, atlatl, boomer,

Vehicle:
bongo sub, kaadu

Associations:
Been, Rep
Binks, Jar Jar
Nass, Boss
Otoh Gunga
Tarpals, Captain
Teers, Rep

The Gungans are the native inhabitants of the planet Naboo. They are an amphibious species with hardy lungs capable of holding breath for extended periods. As such, Gungans are as comfortable in water as they are on land.
While there are a number of different races, most Gungans exhibit the same physical traits. They tend to be tall and lanky humanoids.Their skeletal structure is extremely flexible, as it is made of cartilaginous material rather than hard bone. This makes their faces rather expressive, and makes their bodies more resistant to damage.

Gungans have strong leg muscles for swimming, and are aided by their long fin-like ears. Gungan arms end in four-fingered hands, and their feet have three stubby toes each. There isn't much visible physical difference between female and male Gungans. Females tend to be slightly smaller, with sleeker faces. They often tie their long ears back.

The long Gungan face has a tough yet flexible bill for burrowing and rooting out food. They have long muscular tongues with which they scoop mollusks and lesser amphibians from the Naboo swamps. Their teeth are large and blunt, capable of cracking through shellfish. Their large nostrils completely seal for underwater travel.

While most spacefarers would dismiss Gungans as primitives, they have developed an advanced, albeit unique, technology.They grow the basic structures of buildings, vehicles and technology and adorn them with artistic flourishes and organic lines. This gives Gungan technology a very fluid, non-rectilinear look.

The power source for Gungan technology is a mysterious blue-white energy "goo" that is mined in the depths of Naboo's oceans. The viscious plasmic material forms the basis of Gungan weaponry as well.

The Gungans have mastered energy field technology for a number of uses. Their underwater citites employ hydrostatic fields to create large bubbles of atmosphere within which they dwell. Similarly, Gungan ground troops carry portable frames which generate a protective energy field capable of deflecting blaster fire. In large-scale combat, giant Gungan shield generators can create an immense umbrella of protective shield energy that can stop laser bolts and physical objects with great kinetic energy.

Despite mastering this bizarre technology, Gungans still employ beasts of burden for transportation. Their most common mount is the kaadu, a wingless reptilian avian which Gungans adorn with feathers and ride into combat. Other favored Gungan mounts include the large, stubborn falumpaset. For truly heavy loads, the Gungans have domesticated the fambaa, a nine-meter tall four-legged swamp lizard.

The Gungans maintain a large standing armed force, called the Gungan Grand Army. This huge collection of foot soldiers carry cestas, electropoles, and atlatls capable of hurling plasmic energy spheres (or boomers, as Gungans call them). Gungan catapults hurl even larger boomers great distances.

*Homeworld:
Kashyyyk

Height:
2.1 meters

Diet:
omnivorous

Weapon:
bowcaster

Vehicle:
Wookiee flying catamaran, Wookiee ornithopter

Associations:
Chewbacca
Merumeru
Salporin
Tarfful
Zaalbar

Shaggy giants from an arboreal world, the tall and commanding Wookiee species is an impressive sight to even the most jaded spacer. Despite their fearsome and savage countenance, Wookiees are intelligent, sophisticated, loyal and trusting. Loyalty and bravery are near-sacred tenets in Wookiee society. When peaceful, Wookiees are tender and gentle. Their tempers, however, are short; when angered, Wookiees can fly into a berserker rage and will not stop until the object of their distemper is sufficiently destroyed.
During the time of the Galactic Republic, the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk was represented in the Galactic Senate by a number of Wookiee potentates. Loyal to the Republic, Kashyyyk was of prime strategic importance, serving as a major navigational point for the entire southwestern quadrant of the galaxy. This made it a target of the Confederacy, who invaded Kashyyyk during the Clone Wars. Republic forces, under the command of Yoda, were dispatched to protect the Wookiee homeworld. Yoda had fostered a good relationship with the Wookiees over his many years, and they trusted his leadership. Jedi, clones and Wookiee forces fought fiercely to protect the tree cities of Kashyyyk.

Kashyyyk's loyalty meant little to the unscrupulous Empire that arose to replace the Republic. Despite their proven intelligence, Wookiees were enslaved by the Empire and exploited for their brute strength. Their homeworld was blockaded, and a free Wookiee was a rare sight in the galaxy.

*Homeworld:
Gamorr

Height:
1.7 meters

Weapon:
vibro-ax
 

The porcine Gamorreans tend to be heavy-set and stocky, standing about 1.8 meters tall and weighing in excess of 100 kilograms. Most tend to have green skin. Underneath their pig-like snouts, protruding from jowled cheeks are yellowed tusks. These complement the small, yellow horns the Gamorreans have growing from the top of their heads. Jabba the Hutt was known to use dim-witted Gamorreans as enforcers and bodyguards.

*Homeworld:
Tatooine

Height:
1 meter

Diet:
omnivorous

Weapon:
Jawa ionization blaster

Vehicle:
sandcrawler

Associations:
none

Maker defend the droid that has wandered away from its masters on the desert world of Tatooine. Of the many dangers that travel the dunes and crags of the arid world, few can send a droid's behavioral matrix circuitry into a tizzy like the Jawas.
They are hardly monstrous, appearing as meter-tall humanoids completely hidden behind rough, hand-woven robes. Their faces are concealed within the dark folds of a cowl, from which peer their sickly glowing yellow eyes.

The Jawas are a scavenger species. They comb the deserts of Tatooine in search of discarded scrap and wayward mechanicals. Using their cobbled-together weaponry, they can incapacitate droids and drag them to their treaded fortress-homes, immense sand-scarred vehicles known as sandcrawlers.

Jawas form an important link in the circle of trade that connects the distant Tatooine communities. They sell their hastily refurbished junk to moisture farmers who are hard-pressed to find a better selection elsewhere. For their shoddy work and vagabond ways, they have a well-earned reputation as hucksters out to hoodwink the outlander colonists on Tatooine.

*Homeworld:
Mon Calamari

Height:
1.7 meters

Weapons:
non-specific

Diet:
omnivorous

Vehicle:
Mon Calamari star cruiser

Associations:
Ackbar, Admiral
Dowmeia, Tundra
Tessek
Tikkes

The Mon Calamari are said to be the soul of the Rebel Alliance. The Empire pressed these gentle, amphibious people into war by subjugating their watery world. In retaliation, the Mon Calamari became one of the key species of the Rebellion, supplying badly needed warships to the outnumbered Alliance fleet.
The most respected of the Alliance Mon Calamari is Admiral Ackbar, leader of the fleet. The stern gravelly-voiced tacticians led the fleet as it engaged the Empire at the critical Battle of Endor.

The Mon Calamari people are humanoid, about 1.7 meters tall. They have salmon-colored skin, high-domed heads, webbed hands and large, goggle-like eyes.

Homeworld:
Mon Calamari

Height:
1.7 meters

Weapon:
non-specific 

Vehicle:
non-specific

Associations:
Dowmeia, Tundra
Tessek
Tikkes

Quarren, or "Squid Heads" as they are sometimes rudely called, are an alien species characterized by the four tentacles that protrude from their jaws. They have deep turquoise eyes, and each hand is capped with finned or suction-cup tipped fingers.
Quarren hail from the planet Mon Calamari, a world they share with the native species that gives the world its name. In the waning days of the Republic, their watery world was represented in the Galactic Senate by Senator Tikkes, whose corruption eventually led him to leave Republic politics for more lucrative ventures. In his stead were such Quarren dignitaries as Tundra Dowmeia, Zil Topur and Nor Wedd.

*Homeworld:
Rodia

Height:
1.6 meters

Weapon:
non-specific

Vehicle:
non-specific

Diet:
Omnivore

Associations:
Bodonawieedo, Doda
Farr, Onaconda
Greeata
Greedo
Wald

The Rodians of planet Rodia are a species of green-skinned humanoids found throughout the galaxy. They have large, black eyes, tapir-like snouts, long flexible fingers terminating in suction cups, twin saucer-like sensory organs atop their heads, and a ridge of spines cresting their skulls. Rodians can be found among the Core World elite -- like Senator Onaconda Farr or Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's aide, Dar Wac -- to the lowest of the Outer Rim fringe -- like the bounty hunter Greedo.

*Homeworld:
Sanyassa

Weapon:
blaster rifle, blaster pistol
, sword, knife, spear

Vehicles:
blurrg

Associations:
Charal
Terak

Originally from the world Sanyassa, the Marauders are a species of barbaric, two-meter-plus tall humanoids that prey upon the more peaceful inhabitants of Endor's forest moon. These beings have scaly, Simian-like faces, gray-green skin, and four-fingered hands. They wore ragged clothing adorned with scavenged items.
The Marauders were stranded on Endor when their starship crashed on the forest moon. The long-lived species have been stranded on Endor for almost a century. The Marauders believed themselves to be pirates, but the last vessel they commandeered was too advanced, too alien for them to pilot. The Marauders have since constructed their gloomy castle in the plains of Endor, where they were ruled by King Terak, and Charal his lieutenant.

Many years ago when the Marauders captured the stranded scout named Salak, he spoke of his starship hidden in the forests. Salak told of how the vessel traveled through the stars, capable of doing so by the "power." While what Salak spoke of was everyday technology in much of the galaxy, the Marauders were primitive, and were desperate to leave Endor. The sought the "power" of the stars that Salak spoke of. In their quest, King Terak and his Marauders mistook the stranded star cruiser of the Towani family for Salak's ship, and killed its crew for the "power."

*Homeworld:
Tatooine

Height:
1.8 meters

Diet:
omnivorous

Weapon:
gaderffii

Vehicle:
bantha

Associations:
none

Fearsome desert savages inhabiting the rocky Jundland Wastes, Tusken Raiders are the foremost reason Tatooine colonists do not wander far from their isolated communities. Extremely territorial and xenophobic, Tusken Raiders will attack with very little provocation. They show no allegiance to even their native world-mates, as these nomads have attacked Jawa scouting parties on occasion. They have even gathered numbers large enough to attack the outskirts of smaller towns like Anchorhead.
Covered from head-to-foot in tattered rags and robes, Tusken Raiders -- or Sand People as they are also known -- brandish a deadly bladed club known as a gaderffii. They also carry projectile rifles with which to shoot at passing vehicles. The male of the species tend to be the aggressors. Females can be distinguished by their elaborate jeweled masks with eyeslits and torso-covering sand-shrouds. Tusken children wear unisex cowls and simple cloaks.

For transportation, Sand People have domesticated the hardy bantha -- a longhaired spiral-horned quadruped also found on Tatooine. These nomads purposely travel in single file, to conceal their numbers.

*Homeworld:
Utapau

Height:
1.9 meters tall (Pau'an), 1.22 meters tall (Utai)

Vehicle:
P-38 starfighter, dactillion, varactyls, scoop speeders

Weapon:
non-specific

Associations:
Medon, Tion

The native inhabitants of Utapau are divided into two distinct species. The taller, stately Utapauns are more highly evolved, and present the public face of the planet to travelers from abroad. They have deeply lined ashen faces, dark eyes, gaunt builds and wrap themselves in thick yet tightly-bound clothing that covers all but their faces and hands. These Utapauns control the planetary government and administer the port facilities in the sinkhole cities. When the Confederacy of Independent Systems subjugated Utapau during the Clone Wars, it was these Utapauns who peacefully capitulated to preserve their world, living a life in servitude to their Separatist rulers.
Conversely, little changed for the smaller natives of Utapau. The stubby working class aliens have short, stocky builds and rounded faces with distended eyes. Since they have little involvement in the management of the planet, sticking mainly to such menial chores as tending to the dragon corrals and working as ground crew on the various landing platforms, these Utapauns saw little change in their day-to-day life.

When Obi-Wan Kenobi arrived on Utapau to search out General Grievous, he made contact with Port Administrator Tion Medon. Despite being watched by Separatists overseers, Medon surreptitiously informed Kenobi that the planet was under siege and that Grievous was indeed hiding there. Kenobi returned the covert favor by tipping Medon off about the incoming Republic task force that would liberate the planet.

Medon spread the word to the Utapaun resistance, so that when the Republic clone troopers did storm Utapau, they were bolstered by native Utapaun forces. In a cruel reversal, however, Chancellor Palpatine secured his position of Emperor and immediately subjugated Utapau under martial law. His loyal clone troopers defeated the Separatist battle droid units, but almost immediately began placing Utapaun resistance fighters under arrest to further control the planet.

 
*Homeworld:
unknown   

Height:
1.8 meters

Weapon:
amphistaff

Vehicle:
coralskipper

Associations:
Anor, Nom
Lah, Warmaster Tsavong

Fearsome invaders from another galaxy, the Yuuzhan Vong are the greatest threat faced by the New Republic since the collapse of the Empire. The Yuuzhan Vong are singular in their goal of conquering this galaxy filled with infidels, and transforming it into the new Yuuzhan Vong home, as dictated by their gods. They will sacrifice anything for their religious beliefs, and many worlds have been sundered in their crusade.
The Yuuzhan Vong have a physical appearance quite similar to baseline humanity. They have thicker builds, and less hair atop their heads, and their custom of ritual mutilation helps obscure all but the most superficial resemblances to humans.

The Yuuzhan Vong glorify pain not only as a motive for action, but as a state of living. In much the same way as the Yuuzhan Vong gods resculpted themselves to create their galaxy, the Yuuzhan Vong too alter their bodies for greater purpose. The higher a social rank a Yuuzhan Vong achieves, the more his body is modified. Yuuzhan Vong skin is a mottling of scarring and sweeping tattoos, and those of lofty elevation even graft creature or bioengineered body parts onto themselves.

Yuuzhan Vong organize themselves into castes, strictly defined segments of society complete with distinct religious and social mandates. One of the most populous castes is that of the warrior. The brutal aliens greatly revere combat and pain, thus the warrior caste is believed by many to be the most favored of the gods. The vast military forces of the Yuuzhan Vong consist of frontline warriors led by subalterns, who ultimately are commanded by the warmaster.

The intendant caste works to keep Yuuzhan Vong society functioning. It handles matters of commerce, bureaucracy, trade and the management of the sizable slave work force employed by the Yuuzhan Vong. Intendent ranks include executor, consul, prefect and high prefect.

The priest caste wields considerable power in this rigidly theocratic society. The members of the priest caste are said to have direct communication with the pantheon of gods that rule the Yuuzhan Vong. There exists several sects, each for the worship of a Yuuzhan Vong deity. Ranks within the priest caste include savants, seers, and high priests and priestesses.

The shaper castes are the keepers of the intricate biotechnology employed by the Yuuzhan Vong. Together with the priests, the shapers observe arcane rituals in the development and implementation of organic technology. The shapers rank very highly in Yuuzhan Vong society, and their ranks include adepts and master shapers.

The largest yet lowliest of the Yuuzhan Vong castes are the workers. They consists of three types: those who have have failed to succeed in another caste; those born into the worker caste; those who have been conquered. Slaves and the so-called Shamed Ones (fallen members of society) are technically part of the worker castes, but even they are looked upon disdainfully by their fellow workers. It is the worker caste who performs the menial yet essential tasks of Yuuzhan Vong society, from garbage collectors to personal attendants.

The most exclusive of Yuuzhan Vong castes has only a membership of one: the Supreme Overlord. This is the ruler of the Yuuzhan Vong, and he has supreme religious and secular authority over the invading people. Though the priests may commune with the various Yuuzhan Vong deities, only the Supreme Overlord has a direct connection to the Creator, Yun-Yuuzhan. The current rank-holder is Supreme Overlord Shimrra.

Yuuzhan Vong technology is bizarre and perverse, though it is nonetheless effective. The aliens grow their technology organically. All their devices are bioengineered lifeforms, grown and shaped to fit their needs. The Yuuzhan Vong view inorganic technology -- machinery, devices and especially droids -- as an abomination and affront to their gods.

Among the devices used by the Yuuzhan Vong are amphistaffs, serpentine whips which can harden into rock-hard staves, or flatten to razor-sharp edges. Also used in combat are thudbugs, small thrown insects that detonate on impact. The Yuuzhan Vong wear vonduun crab armor, a living carapace that protects a warrior in combat that can even temporarily withstand blaster strikes and lightsaber blows. As the war against the Republic and the Jedi escalated, the Yuuzhan Vong began engineering new weaponry specific to their hated foes: such as the vicious voxyn creature that can relentlessly hunt down Jedi Knights.

Yuuzhan Vong starships are also living entities. Built of strong yorik coral, these vessels employ creatures called dovin basals for propulsion and defense. The dovin basals can manipulate gravity, and can project miniature black holes that deflect or absorb incoming enemy fire.

The Yuuzhan Vong invasion began insidiously, with secret agents sent to gather information about the galaxy. Sheathed in ooglith masquers, a body-wide outer skin that disguises the Yuuzhan Vong's true identity, these spies infiltrated key New Republic installations and political hotspots. The Yuuzhan Vong executor, Nom Anor, was a political firebrand, stirring up trouble in the Outer Rim and sowing discord in the New Republic. His inflammatory actions precipitated a full-scale invasion that began on the distant world of Belkaden and in the Helska system. From these points, their path of destruction has spread, even targeting the very heart of the galaxy.

Luke Skywalker's order of Jedi Knights have clashed with the Yuuzhan Vong time and again. Inexplicably, the Yuuzhan Vong are not part of the Force. Their presences do not register in the ubiquitous energy field, and they are immune to Force attacks. Furthermore, the Yuuzhan Vong refuse to acknowledge its existence, attributing Jedi feats to some perverse mechanism embraced by the Jedi infidels.

The course of action to take with the Yuuzhan Vong has split the Jedi ranks. Some, like the hotheaded Kyp Durron, believe it is the Jedi mandate to vanquish the would-be conquerors. Luke Skywalker and others feel that such aggressive actions are against Jedi principles. Nonetheless, several key Jedi -- including Corran Horn and Jacen Solo -- have scored important wins against the Yuuzhan Vong. In retaliation, the aliens have asked the battle-weary Republic to capture and deliver as many Jedi as possible, in return for a cease of hostility.

Despite heavy losses, the Yuuzhan Vong managed to conquer Coruscant, striking a deathblow to the New Republic. Now, Supreme Overlord Shimrra counts Coruscant, renamed Yuuzhan'tar, as his throne world and plots to continue his conquest of the galaxy.

The outcome of this terrible conflict is still unknown, and many valiant Republic heroes have fallen to the Yuuzhan Vong violence. A key to victory has yet to appear, but the Jedi and the remnants of New Republic -- now the Galactic Alliance -- are working tirelessly to find a way to defeat this foe.

*Courtesy of Starwars.com