Niles Ferrier was a Human male ship thief who in 9 ABY worked as an agent for Grand Admiral Thrawn during his campaign to conquer the galaxy, helping with efforts to find the Katana fleet and trying to undermine the embryonic Smugglers' Alliance. He was known for his habitual use of cigarras.
Ferrier was noted for his frequent use of cigarras.
Around 1 BBY, Ferrier encountered Lando Calrissian on Phraetiss.
When Grand Admiral Thrawn put out the word among fringe groups that the Galactic Empire would pay well for warships, Ferrier, a competent ship-thief, tried to answer the call by stealing ships from the New Republic Defense Fleet at the Sluis Van shipyard. He was deflected from this course of action by Calrissian who suggested that Ferrier try his luck at the Cavrilhu Pirates' base on Amorris. Ferrier successfully stole three Sienar patrol ships from the pirates and took them to the Empire.
After searching for more warships he succeeded in delivering Captain Hoffner, who knew where the Katana fleet rested, to Thrawn. Nonetheless, his stupidity tried Thrawn's patience on many occasions, most notably when Ferrier bribed an Imperial lieutenant to attack a smuggler's meeting. The assault backfired, resulting in the very Smuggler's Alliance that Thrawn was trying to prevent.
Threatened by Thrawn, Ferrier attended the smuggler's meeting on Hijarna where his wraith held the rest of the smuggling leaders hostage while Ferrier tried to frame Talon Karrde for the Imperial attack on the smugglers at their first meeting. When that failed because of a careless choice of words, Ferrier attempted to escape in his modified Corellian gunship, only to be destroyed in mid-flight by Mazzic's Preybird fighters.
Niles' presence was almost always easily detectable due to his frequent and constant use of cigarras, which gave him a unique, easily-recognizable scent in crowds. This allowed Luke Skywalker to find him using Force smell. Niles Ferrier made one very significant, though unintentional, contribution to the efforts of the New Republic. During the beginning of the Thrawn campaign, the New Republic leadership learned that a tactical genius, possibly a Grand Admiral, had assumed command of the remnants of the Imperial Fleet. Despite access to volumes of Imperial records and contacts such as information brokers, the New Republic was unable to learn the identity of the mystery Grand Admiral. It wasn't until Niles Ferrier confronted Han Solo and Lando Calrissian about the hunt for the Katana Fleet that he let Thrawn's name slip.
- Dark Force Rising Sourcebook
- Wanted by Cracken
- A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded
- The Last Command Sourcebook
- The Essential Guide to Characters
- The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels
- The Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook
- Star Wars: Rebellion: Prima's Official Strategy Guide
- "The Smuggler's Alliance" — Star Wars Gamer 3
- "Ships of the Smuggler's Alliance" — Star Wars Gamer 4
- The Official Star Wars Fact File5
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia