Aril Nunb

Aril Nunb was born on the planet Sullust, and grew up alongside her brother Nien in the subterranean cities of the Sullustans, built to keep shelter from the volcanic surface of her homeworld. From an early age, Aril showed an instinctual ability to pilot starships—a talent which she refined during her time working as a smuggler with her brother. Together, they flew an old stock freighter named the Sublight Queen, building a sturdy reputation among others in their profession, though Nien achieved more notoriety than Aril. The two worked together extensively during the reign of Emperor Palpatine, transporting raw materials to outlying systems on behalf of SoroSuub Corporation, a leading mineral processing corporation originating from Sullust.

When SoroSuub allied itself with the Galactic Empire and introduced sweeping reforms which practically enslaved the Sullustan people, Aril and Nien decided they could no longer work for them, and left their jobs. The corporation responded by trying to have the two siblings killed, but the Nunbs' superior flying skills allowed them to evade the SoroSuub starfighters sent to pursue them. Aril and her brother began to raid outgoing SoroSuub shipments, and handed them over to the Alliance to Restore the Republic in protest over SoroSuub's allegiance with the Empire. Many other Sullustans, already angry at SoroSuub for dissolving the planetary government, followed the Nunbs' lead; they became a band of pirates, and before long they had managed to severely disrupt SoroSuub's operations with constant raids. Aril became a valued contributor to the Rebel Alliance, though both she and her brother declined any offers to formally join the Rebellion.

A newly established SoroSuub home guard proved ineffectual against the superior piloting abilities of the Sullustans, leaving the corporation extremely frustrated. They resorted to respond with sheer force, and called in favors with the Empire, which promptly sent a full consortment of Star Destroyers to the system to deal with the Nunbs and their comrades. The Star Destroyers engaged Aril and her fellow Sullustans immediately upon entering the system; although the Nunbs survived unharmed, many of their comrades lost their lives. The Empire then established a blockade, barring the remaining pirates from exiting the system. The Sullustans attempted to fly through the blockade; although more of their number perished, Aril and Nien survived. The Sublight Queen, however, had been destroyed. It was then that Nunb and her brother decided to formally join the Rebel Alliance.

Nien Nunb called in favors from an old friend named Sian Tevv, a prominent member of the Rebellion, who arranged for the admittance of both he and Aril into the Alliance Navy. For the next several years, Nunb served the Rebellion as a pilot; although at home in an X-wing starfighter, her experience piloting freighters meant she was able to contribute to the Alliance's war effort by flying larger vessels, also. Several standard years after she joined the Alliance, Nunb became a captain, and was a respected member of the New Republic Defense Fleet.

Two and a half years after her brother helped destroy the second Death Star over Endor, Nunb was provisionally selected as the Executive officer of Wedge Antilles' reformed Rogue Squadron. Commander Antilles, however, was not entirely satisfied with her selection—he recognized that she was a talented pilot, but felt that the fact that her skills were purely intuitive would make her a substandard teacher. It was his belief that keeping Aril as Executive Officer would be detrimental to the squadron, and would leave both her and the young recruits frustrated. Tycho Celchu was controversially chosen in Nunb's place, though the Sullustan continued to serve the New Republic.

Six months later, however, Nunb was presented with an opportunity to join the squadron as a pilot. The Rogues had incurred heavy losses at Borleias, and Antilles was searching for suitable pilots—ones that would not require months of training—to fill the gaps left by the deaths of Andoorni Hui and Peshk Vri'syk. Nunb was one of few who expressed an interest in the offer, and along with Pash Cracken, she officially joined the squadron in 7 ABY. Antilles, who had been unable to inform her of the reason she had been dropped as Executive Officer, told her the reasoning behind his decision when she first reported for duty in his office on Borleias. Nunb impressed the Corellian, who immediately warmed to her frank, practical manner. Due to suspicions of Tycho Celchu's trustworthiness, Nunb was told that in Antilles' absence, she would lead the Rogues. Aril acquainted herself with Celchu, though he did like her brusque nature as Wedge Antilles had, before being shown to her personal quarters.

As Rogue Twelve, Nunb was soon sent out with the others to Mrisst, where they were to ambush two Imperial ships—the Vengeance Derra IV and Contruum's Pride. After making a two-legged hyperspace jump from Borleias, Rogue Squadron launched their attack on the two vessels, who scanners read their X-wings as harmless snubfighters. Captain Nunb, acting as Corran Horn's wingmate, engaged the two squadrons of TIE fighters launched by the Vengeance in defense, destroying several before the enemy could strike. After rendering the Vengeance non-operational, the Squadron persuaded Contruum's Pride to surrender. Successful, they returned to their base; Nunb was welcomed to the squadron and commended on her flying by her squad mates.

While Captain Nunb and the others neutralized the Imperial ships, Wedge Antilles attended a meeting of the New Republic Provisional Council to discuss potential plans to liberate Coruscant from Ysanne Isard's control. Councilor Borsk Fey'lya had formulated a plan, which, despite Antilles' reservations, Rogue Squadron was ordered to carry out: the rescue of key members of the Black Sun organization from prison on Kessel. The criminals would be transported to Coruscant, where the New Republic hoped they would cause enough distraction for Isard that the Rogues would be able to perform preliminary groundwork in advance of a full-scale attack by Admiral Ackbar and his fleet. Nunb flew cover on Kessel while the releases of many high profile inmates were negotiated, though the operation passed without incident.

Nunb and several other Rogues secretly departed the New Republic base on Noquivzor in the Pulsar Skate, and arrived safely in Invisec, a crime-ridden sector of the world largely populated by non-Humans. The six squadron members in Invisec was split into three teams of two—Aril was paired with the Gand Ooryl Qrygg—and each given a specific role in gathering information which would be useful to the New Republic in the wake of their attack. Nunb and her partner were tasked with making an estimate for the length of time Coruscant would be able to sustain itself were it blockaded, as well as to provide the Provisional Council with data on trading in and out of Coruscant; especially the Empire's control and involvement over it. After a week spent surveying the sector, Nunb estimated that provisions would last for approximately one standard month. She was also able to provide data on the tariffs paid by traders to both the Empire and other criminal organizations.

The three teams used the Azure Dianoga, a seedy cantina located in the heart of Invisec, as a rendezvous point, meeting there each evening to discuss the day's progress; they never made contact with the other half of the squadron. Approximately one week into their mission, Aril and the others were faced with a squad of stormtroopers performing a search of the cantina, though, with the false identities they had been granted, they were easily able to dissuade the Imperials. Not long after the Imperial threat had been stopped, members of the Alien Combine took Gavin Darklighter, the youngest member of Rogue Squadron, hostage, claiming he was an anti-alien bigot. Nunb and her fellows were dragged along with him, surrounded by many alien denizens of the Azure Dianoga, to a nearby hovel, where they intended to execute Darklighter as an example to supporters of the Empire.

Before they could murder Gavin, a garrison of Imperial stormtroopers arrived, by chance, citing that an unlawful gathering was taking place: they informed the congregation that they were authorized to kill. When the Alien Combine refused to surrender, an Imperial flying fortress plowed into the building, causing considerable damage to it, while stormtroopers rushed forward to raid the debris. Nunb attempted to escape with the other Rogues, but, en route to the exit, a stray blaster bolt from the flying fortress hit the wall immediately beside her. The blast knocked her to the ground, while the falling debris landed on her and broke several of the Sullustan pilot's ribs. Despite her injuries, Nunb went to the aid of a screaming Sullustan child in her midst, though immediately after she reached him, the remainder of the building collapsed, knocking her unconscious.

Even after she awoke, Nunb feigned unconsciousness, so as to hide from the Imperial stormtroopers sifting through the wreckage of the building. Her ruse did not last long, however; the stormtroopers found her and left her with approximately a dozen other Sullustans, most of whom also sported grievous wounds. Nunb searched for the toddler she had assisted previously, though she was unable to locate him—she convinced herself that the child closest to her was the toddler, though, still concussed, she knew this to be untrue. Nunb was examined by an Imperial general named Evir Derricote, who decided that her wounds were not life threatening. She was carted off with the other Sullustans to an Imperial facility located deep within the Imperial Palace on Coruscant; there, she was immediately injected with a strain of the Krytos virus. Nunb's health slowly deteriorated, though Diric Wessiri, one of Derricote's unwilling laboratory assistants, was kind and helpful to her, making her time in captivity more bearable. The Krytos virus was a plan of Ysanne Isard's—knowing Coruscant would eventually fall to the New Republic, the former Director of Imperial Intelligence wished for the New Republic to inherit a dying world. The virus only affected non-Humans, and could easily be cured by bacta; the cost of which would bankrupt the New Republic. Nunb was one of just two captive Sullustans to be chosen by Kirtan Loor to be used to test if the bacta cured Sullustans—it did, though Aril was kept in Derricote's laboratory. Diric Wessiri helped her through her recovery and ensured she remained healthy, though the rest of the Sullustans did not survive.

Several weeks after her capture, Aril was able to escape the Imperial compound. Her fellow Rogues had managed to disable Coruscant's shields, and the New Republic fleet had managed to liberate it from Isard's control. After being found by New Republic personnel in Invisec, Nunb was able to provide General Airen Cracken with information pertaining to the virus. She was debriefed by Cracken, before rejoining her squadron on the New Republic's capital planet. Aril, however, had joined a fragmented and broken squadron; Corran Horn had been killed, and Executive Officer Tycho Celchu had been charged with his murder, though Wedge Antilles protested Celchu's innocence.

Nunb spent a lot of time of Coruscant from that point on, due to the ongoing Celchu trial, which many members of the squadron were involved in. Along with the rest of the squadron, Aril testified at least once in the case, though her testimony was of little significance. Mere days after being diagnosed as entirely healthy, Nunb was flying with Rogues again, on a mission to recover stolen bacta from a Zsinj-controlled space station over Yag'Dhul. She led Defender Wing, whose objective was to draw Zsinj's forces away from the Rogues. After the Y-wings of Defender Wing helped the Rogues defeat the majority of the enemies, a squadron of B-wings arrived from hyperspace to take out any survivors. After Antilles negotiated the surrender of the personnel on-station, the squadron escorted transports—filled with the bacta captured—back to Coruscant, where it helped to counteract the Krytos epidemic.

Midway through the Celchu trail, the Rogues were sent on another mission, to the Twi'lek homeworld Ryloth. The expedition was made with the aim of negotiating the transfer of a large quantity of valuable ryll, which Vratix chemists reckoned could cure the Krytos disease. The mission went extremely smoothly, although a clash of factions among the Twi'leks threatened to boil over into something far more dangerous. It did not, however, and the Rogues were greeted by a full-scale celebratory; Aril found companionship with another Sullustan, Liat Tsayv, and the two danced long into the night. Antilles was able to negotiate a deal with the Twi'leks which provided them with enough quantity of ryll to begin work on a cure for the Krytos virus.

The desperate need the Provisional Council had for bacta meant that the Rogues continued to be sent out on minor missions; during one of them, the Rogues were to escort a convoy of freighters laden down with bacta from the graveyard at Alderaan to Coruscant. When Aril exited hyperspace and arrived in the system, the convoy had been decimated by Imperial forces; she entered the system just as a Super Star Destroyer left via hyperspace. Although the Iron Fist had left, there were still a full complement of TIE fighters to deal with, as well as several other smaller vessels. Nunb was tasked with scouting and surveying the system while her squad mates fended them off, though her report was dismal: not one of the freighters had survived. Though Rogue Squadron had incurred no casualties, the attack—which warlord Zsinj claimed responsibility for—had left the New Republic short of much needed bacta.

In the early hours of morning, Nunb and Rogue Squadron were sent on an urgent mission by Admiral Ackbar, flying cover for ground troops attempting to fend off efforts by the Palpatine Counter-Insurgency Front to sabotage deposits of bacta on Coruscant. The mission was risky, in that any number of civilian casualties could be incurred, though Antilles pointed out that if they were unsuccessful, thousands more lives would be lost. The squadron downed several AT-ST walkers, though these were simply decoys, while a landspeeder stocked with explosives sped towards the bacta warehouse. While Commander Antilles neutralized the landspeeder, Nunb and her wingman fought off dozens of TIE fighters emerging from Coruscant's surface. While they struggled to evade the swarms of TIEs, a Super Star Destroyer, the Lusankya, burst up from beneath hoards of buildings on the planet, laying waste to the area around it. With the Lusankya fully emerged from the ground, the TIE fighters left on a course to dock with it, though Nunb and her squadmates culled their considerable numbers from behind. The Lusankya entered hyperspace and fled, taking with it Erisi Dlarit—the real Imperial spy—and killing many thousands of innocents. Corran Horn turned out to be alive, and his presence absolved Tycho Celchu of all charges. Each member of Rogue Squadron was awarded the Coruscant Star of Valor, although matters were far from fully resolved: Ysanne Isard had supported a political coup of the world of Thyferra, and was effectively in control of the entire bacta market. Although they wished to, the Rogues were not permitted to go after Isard, as the Provisional Council refused to interfere in the legitimate appointment of Isard as head of government. In response, each of the Rogues, including Aril Nunb, retired from the squadron in order to go after Isard on their own.

The squadron was without supplies and technology, however, most notably their X-wings. Funds sent to Tycho Celchu's bank accounts by the Empire—part of the attempt to frame him as an Imperial agent—helped greatly in the procurement of snubfighters, and each of the Rogues had their fighters painted in custom colors. In order to unseat Isard on Thyferra, they had a team of insurgents, led by Iella Wessiri and Elscol Loro, placed on the planet's surface, while the squadron harassed Isard's bacta shipments in the hopes she would come after them. They set up a base of operations at a space station they'd previously raided over Yag'Dhul, with smuggler Booster Terrik acting as commander of the space station. The first raid proved successful: the Rogues stole a plethora of bacta, and handed it over, free of charge, to the citizens of Halanit, who were in dire need of it. They continued to mount successful raids, to Isard's fury.

While the majority of the bacta was handed over to poor worlds, the Rogues used some of it to pay for spare parts, and to acquire the services of dozens of freighters, which brought more stolen bacta back to Coruscant to treat those infected with the Krytos virus. The Rogues did what they could to hire as many smugglers as they could, and Aril, along with fellow squadron member Inyri Forge, managed to get two freighters to join their convoy personally. Nunb was a talented gambler, and several of her opponents racked up such large debts that there only way of repaying them were to throw their lot in with Antilles' crew. Rogue Squadron continued its harassment of Isard's bacta supplies; they were also boosted by the allegiance of a squadron of Twi'leks, piloting Death Seeds, led by Tal'dira, a warrior whom they had met on their mission to Ryloth during the Krytos crisis.

The group received their first losses on a botched raid attempt, after forcing three of Isard's freighters into defecting. The Star Destroyer Corrupter had left the rest of the bacta convoy to try to intercept the Rogues and the treacherous freighters; it arrived in system and bombarded the squadron, killing one Rogue and several of the Twi'lek pilots. Nunb and the others fled, though Isard had struck her first real blow against them. The Rogues were boosted by the arrival of a trio of Gands sent to monitor Ooryl Qrygg to see if he qualified for Janwuine-jika, who flew heavily modified TIE/sa bombers. Commander Antilles then had the Rogues begin attacking Isard's bacta production facilities, including one at Qretu 5.

The Rogues' next outing was to the Graveyard of Alderaan, where they were due to transfer a large amount of bacta to smuggling kingpin Talon Karrde in exchange for more munitions. Upon arrival, Tycho Celchu registered comm messages from an Alderaanian frequency, originating in the area, though before they had a chance to investigate it further, they were ambushed by the Corrupter, as well as an Interdictor Cruiser named the Aggregator. The Rogues immediately fired off dozens of proton torpedos at the Star Destroyer, though they had little chance of defeating the two ships on their own. Suddenly, however, an Alderaanian war cruiser appeared, firing on the Corrupter. With the help of the Rogues, Isard's vessel was destroyed, while the Aggregator fled to hyperspace. The Alderaanian craft, named the Valiant, was an old ship run entirely by droids, which had been slave-rigged up to another ship, Another Chance.

Rogue Squadron managed to persuade the Valiant to accompany them to Yag'Dhul, where they met and discussed what to do with it. Knowing of her past experience working on larger ships, Wedge offered Nunb the captaincy of the Valaint. Along with the squadron's droid, M-3PO, Nunb agreed to oversee and command the vessel's droid crews in the war against Isard, giving the Rogues a massive advantage.

The Valiant, under the command of Aril Nunb, participated in the Battle of Thyferra and attacked the engines of the Executor-class Star Dreadnought Lusankya. After the Rogues were invited to return to active duty in the New Republic, Numb decided she would prefer to remain in command of the Valiant and left the squadron upon its revival.

By 25 ABY Nunb had become a full New Republic Admiral and commanded the Victory-class Star Destroyer Protector. She brought Leia Organa Solo and Danni Quee to Bastion for a diplomatic meeting between them and Admiral Gilad Pellaeon to ask for Imperial Remnant military support against the Yuuzhan Vong who had invaded the galaxy. Their mission was successful.

In the Dramatis Personae page of the 1996 novel X-Wing: The Krytos Trap, Nunb is accidentally listed as a human male instead of a Sullustan female.

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