Aril Nunb

Aril Nunb was born on the planet of Sullust, where she and her brother Nien were raised in the subterranean cities of the Sullustans, built for protection from the volcanic surface of their homeworld. From a young age, Aril demonstrated a natural talent for piloting starships, a skill she honed while working as a smuggler with her brother. Together, they flew an old freighter called the Sublight Queen, building a solid reputation in their field, although Nien became more famous than Aril. The two worked extensively during the reign of Emperor Palpatine, transporting raw materials to distant systems for the SoroSuub Corporation, a major mineral processing company based on Sullust.

When SoroSuub allied itself with the Galactic Empire and implemented sweeping reforms that essentially enslaved the Sullustan people, Aril and Nien decided they could no longer work for them and resigned. The corporation responded by attempting to have the siblings killed, but the Nunbs' superior piloting skills allowed them to evade the starfighters SoroSuub sent after them. Aril and her brother began raiding SoroSuub shipments, handing them over to the Alliance to Restore the Republic to protest SoroSuub's allegiance with the Empire. Many other Sullustans, already angry at SoroSuub for dissolving the planetary government, followed the Nunbs' lead, forming a pirate group that severely disrupted SoroSuub's operations with constant raids. Aril became a valuable asset to the Rebel Alliance, although both she and her brother declined offers to formally join the Rebellion.

A newly established SoroSuub home guard proved ineffective against the Sullustans' superior piloting abilities, frustrating the corporation. They resorted to overwhelming force, calling in favors with the Empire, which promptly sent a full complement 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. While the Nunbs survived unharmed, many of their comrades died. The Empire then established a blockade, preventing the remaining pirates from leaving the system. The Sullustans attempted to break through the blockade. Although more of their number perished, Aril and Nien survived, but the Sublight Queen was destroyed. It was then that Nunb and her brother decided to formally join the Rebel Alliance.

Nien Nunb contacted an old friend named Sian Tevv, a prominent member of the Rebellion, who arranged for him and Aril to join the Alliance Navy. For the next several years, Nunb served the Rebellion as a pilot. While she was most comfortable in an X-wing starfighter, her experience piloting freighters allowed her to contribute to the Alliance's war effort by flying larger vessels as well. Several standard years after joining the Alliance, Nunb became a captain and 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. However, Commander Antilles was not entirely satisfied with her selection. He recognized her talent as a pilot but felt that her purely intuitive skills would make her a substandard teacher. He believed that keeping Aril as Executive Officer would be detrimental to the squadron and would frustrate both her and the young recruits. Tycho Celchu was controversially chosen in Nunb's place, although the Sullustan continued to serve the New Republic.

Six months later, Nunb was presented with an opportunity to join the squadron as a pilot. The Rogues had suffered heavy losses at Borleias, and Antilles was searching for suitable pilots who 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 the few who expressed 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, explained 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 she would lead the Rogues in Antilles' absence. Aril acquainted herself with Celchu, although he did not 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, whose 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 wee hours, Admiral Ackbar dispatched Nunb and Rogue Squadron on an emergency assignment. Their objective: provide air support for ground forces striving to thwart the Palpatine Counter-Insurgency Front's attempts to sabotage bacta reserves on Coruscant. Despite the high risk of civilian casualties, Antilles emphasized that failure would result in a much greater loss of life. The squadron successfully eliminated several AT-ST walkers, which turned out to be mere distractions. Meanwhile, a landspeeder laden with explosives hurtled towards the bacta warehouse. Commander Antilles successfully disabled the landspeeder, while Nunb and her wingman engaged in combat with a multitude of TIE fighters emerging from Coruscant's surface. As they struggled to evade the overwhelming number of TIEs, the Super Star Destroyer, named the Lusankya, dramatically surfaced from beneath the planet's buildings, causing widespread destruction. Once the Lusankya was fully exposed, the remaining TIE fighters altered course to dock with it. However, Nunb and her squadron significantly reduced their numbers from behind. The Lusankya then jumped to hyperspace, carrying away Erisi Dlarit—the true Imperial spy—and causing the deaths of thousands of innocents. Corran Horn's survival led to Tycho Celchu's exoneration. Each member of Rogue Squadron received the Coruscant Star of Valor, but the situation remained far from resolved. Ysanne Isard had orchestrated a political takeover of Thyferra, effectively seizing control of the entire bacta market. Despite their desire to pursue Isard, the Rogues were prohibited from doing so, as the Provisional Council refused to interfere with Isard's legitimate appointment as head of government. Consequently, the Rogues, including Aril Nunb, resigned from the squadron to independently pursue Isard.

The squadron lacked essential resources, most notably their X-wings. Funds deposited into Tycho Celchu's accounts by the Empire—as part of the scheme to frame him as an Imperial agent—proved invaluable in acquiring snubfighters. Each Rogue then had their fighters painted in personalized colors. To remove Isard from power on Thyferra, a team of insurgents, led by Iella Wessiri and Elscol Loro, was deployed to the planet's surface. Simultaneously, the squadron harassed Isard's bacta shipments, hoping to provoke her into pursuing them. They established a base of operations at a space station previously raided near Yag'Dhul, with smuggler Booster Terrik serving as the station's commander. Their initial raid was a success, with the Rogues seizing a large quantity of bacta and distributing it, free of charge, to the citizens of Halanit, who were in desperate need. They continued to launch successful raids, much to Isard's frustration.

While a significant portion of the stolen bacta was distributed to impoverished worlds, the Rogues allocated some of it to cover the cost of spare parts and to enlist the services of numerous freighters. These freighters transported more stolen bacta back to Coruscant to treat those infected with the Krytos virus. The Rogues made every effort to recruit as many smugglers as possible. Aril, along with fellow squadron member Inyri Forge, personally convinced two freighters to join their convoy. Nunb's skill as a gambler proved useful, as several of her opponents accumulated such substantial debts that joining Antilles' crew became their only means of repayment. Rogue Squadron persisted in harassing Isard's bacta supplies. They also gained support from a squadron of Twi'leks, piloting Death Seeds, led by Tal'dira, a warrior they had encountered during their mission to Ryloth during the Krytos crisis.

The group suffered their first losses during a failed raid attempt, after coercing three of Isard's freighters into defecting. The Star Destroyer Corrupter detached from the main bacta convoy to intercept the Rogues and the traitorous freighters. Upon arriving in the system, it bombarded the squadron, resulting in the death of one Rogue and several Twi'lek pilots. Nunb and the others retreated, marking Isard's first significant victory against them. The Rogues received a boost with the arrival of three Gands dispatched to observe Ooryl Qrygg to determine his eligibility for Janwuine-jika. They flew heavily modified TIE/sa bombers. Subsequently, Commander Antilles directed the Rogues to commence attacks on Isard's bacta production facilities, including one located at Qretu 5.

The Rogues' following mission took them to the Graveyard of Alderaan, where they were scheduled to transfer a large quantity of bacta to smuggling kingpin Talon Karrde in exchange for additional munitions. Upon arrival, Tycho Celchu detected communications from an Alderaanian frequency originating in the area. However, before they could investigate further, they were ambushed by the Corrupter and an Interdictor Cruiser named the Aggregator. The Rogues immediately launched numerous proton torpedos at the Star Destroyer, but their chances of defeating both ships alone were slim. Suddenly, an Alderaanian war cruiser appeared, engaging the Corrupter. With the assistance of the Rogues, Isard's vessel was destroyed, while the Aggregator fled into hyperspace. The Alderaanian ship, named the Valiant, was an antiquated vessel operated entirely by droids, which had been slave-rigged to another ship, Another Chance.

Rogue Squadron successfully persuaded the Valiant to accompany them to Yag'Dhul, where they convened to discuss its future. Recognizing her prior experience working on larger ships, Wedge offered Nunb the captaincy of the Valiant. Along with the squadron's droid, M-3PO, Nunb accepted the responsibility of overseeing and commanding the vessel's droid crews in the war against Isard, providing the Rogues with a significant advantage.

The Valiant, under Aril Nunb's command, participated in the Battle of Thyferra and targeted the engines of the Executor-class Star Dreadnought Lusankya. Following the Rogues' invitation to rejoin active duty in the New Republic, Numb opted to remain in command of the Valiant and departed from the squadron upon its reformation.

By 25 ABY, Nunb had risen to the rank of New Republic Admiral and commanded the Victory-class Star Destroyer Protector. She escorted Leia Organa Solo and Danni Quee to Bastion for a diplomatic meeting with Admiral Gilad Pellaeon to request military assistance from the Imperial Remnant against the Yuuzhan Vong, who had invaded the galaxy. Their mission proved successful.

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