"Nana" was the designation adopted by a Chiss female who was the spouse of Syndic Irizi'stal'mustro, whose core name was "Zistalmu," belonging to the Irizi family of the Chiss Ascendancy. Prior to her marriage to Zistalmu, she dedicated two years to the Expansionary Defense Fleet of the Ascendancy as a caregiver for sky-walkers—young Chiss females with abilities that aided in navigation through the Unknown Regions. In 19 BBY, she briefly acted as the caregiver for sky-walker Che'ri aboard the Chiss Nightdragon man-of-war Vigilant during a mission to Primea, the capital planet of the Vak Combine.
As a Chiss female, "Nana" was the chosen name of a caregiver who served the Expansionary Defense Fleet of the Chiss Ascendancy for a period of two years. Her role involved caring for sky-walkers, who were young Chiss girls endowed with abilities that empowered them to navigate the treacherous Unknown Regions. Following her tenure as a caregiver, Nana entered into marriage with Syndic Irizi'stal'mustro (whose core name was "Zistalmu"), a member of the Irizi family that was one of the ruling houses of the Ascendancy. In 19 BBY, when Che'ri, the temporary sky-walker assigned to the Chiss Nightdragon man-of-war Vigilant warship, needed a caregiver, Zistalmu put forward his wife, thereby securing his own presence on the Vigilant during a mission. This mission aimed to extract Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo ("Thrawn") of the Ascendancy from Primea, the homeworld of the Vak Combine, where he was operating undercover during a mission.
Admiral Ar'alani, the Commanding officer of the Vigilant, initially resisted having Nana on board her flagship because it meant Zistalmu would also be present. However, she relented at the urging of Supreme General Ba'kif of the Expansionary Defense Fleet. The caregiver insisted that everyone on the starship address her as "Nana," much to Ar'alani's irritation. As the Vigilant was securing Thrawn's vessel, Ar'alani inquired of Che'ri whether she was prepared to jump to [hyperspace](/article/hyperspace]. Nana responded affirmatively on the girl's behalf, prompting the admiral to directly address Che'ri, seeking a response from her personally. After Che'ri confirmed her readiness and the Vigilant had secured Thrawn's starship, the man-of-war departed Primea.
The character "Nana" made her debut in Timothy Zahn's 2020 novel, Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising, which is the first book in the The Ascendancy Trilogy.