As a child, she was safely hidden at the Shelter, a Jedi base located in the Maw during the Yuuzhan Vong War, where she became good friends with Jysella Horn. The Bothan proved to be loyal and helpful to Horn, who was having way through a hard time because her brother, Valin Horn, had been recently diagnosed with a Force-related illness that caused him to think everyone around him were imposters. As a result he was encased in carbonite. Saav'etu was part of a close-knit group of friends consisting of Bazel Warv, Valin Horn, and Jysella Horn.
While at a tapcafe across from the New Jedi Temple, Saav'etu and Warv witnessed Jysella Horn tossing civilians across the Processional Way. Rushing out to stop her, the two Jedi were attacked by Horn, who used the Force to predict their movements. After slashing Warv in the chest, Horn escaped, only to be captured by Galactic Alliance Security forces shortly thereafter. Jedi Master Cilghal and several other Jedi rushed onto the scene, escorting Saav'etu and helping Warv to the Temple for healing and debriefing.
Sometime later, Leia Organa Solo attempted to have Saav'etu escort her family to the Coruscant Livestock Exchange and Exhibition, but the Bothan was offworld at the time.
Saav'etu and Warv were wandering back to the Temple by way of Fellowship Plaza when the Bothan developed the psychosis. Warv, attempting to calm her and lead her into the Temple via the southern speeder entrance, was assisted by Han, Leia, and Jaina Solo, along with Imperial Remnant Head of State Jagged Fel. They tranquilized her, but Barv also contracted the psychosis and had to be stunned as well. The two Jedi were then hidden in the Temple as a Security force under the command of Captain Atar arrived with a warrant to arrest them. They managed to evade being forced to hand over Warv and Saav'etu.
Later, a mission to evacuate Saav'etu and the other psychotic Knights from the Jedi Temple was undertaken by Han, Leia, Jaden Korr, and Avinoam Arelis. They were attacked by Mandalorian Supercommandos, and with the help of Warv, managed to fight them off. Saav'etu, Warv, and the other psychotic Knights were then loaded into a FloatVan that took them safety. Soon after, Saav'etu, Warv, Natua Wan, and Seff Hellin were smuggled offworld by the Solos and taken to Shedu Maad in the Hapes Cluster to escape the Galactic Alliance.
In 44 ABY, Saav'etu and the other Jedi suffering from the mysterious Force psychosis snapped out of their delusions in the aftermath of Luke Skywalker's first battle with Abeloth on Abeloth's planet. They were brought from Shedu Maad to the Jedi Temple by Zekk and Tekli. Saav'etu participated in the rescue attempt of Jysella and Valin Horn as the leader of "Team Saav'etu." Disguised as exterminators, the team used foam coating to mask the cam bubbles of the facility and then breached the outer walls with thermal detonators. Inside, the team discovered thousands of prisoners frozen in carbonite alongside the Horn siblings. Despite fierce opposition from Galactic Alliance Security forces, the Horns were successfully rescued.
On Coruscant, Saav'etu and Yantahar Bwua'tu got themselves into trouble when they were discovered by a Sith, Captain Suhale, forcing Warv, Hellin, and Vaala Razelle, to pretend to be spice smugglers in order to save their lives. Both the Bothan Knights were able to escape. Later, Saav'etu encountered a mysterious, tattooed stranger at Fellowship Plaza. She sensed the dark side within this man and tried to apprehend him, but the stranger bested the Bothan in unarmed combat. All he said to her before he left was, "Not yet, Jedi. Abeloth first."
In the excerpt of Fate of the Jedi: Omen included in Fate of the Jedi: Outcast, Yaqeel's family name was given as Saavis. This was changed for Omen, however, in which her last name is given as Saav'etu.