The Nartians were a sentient species of diminutive beings with four arms. Originating from the planet Nars within the Senex sector, they frequently found employment as domestic staff for the region's aristocracy, sometimes remaining in service to the same family for multiple generations. A Nartian named Nackhar was employed at Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina on Tatooine and was present during the visit of Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi to the cantina as they sought transportation off-world.
The Nartians observed numerous age-old celebrations and rituals, notably those held during Nars Week. These observances held such importance that many nobles within the Senex-Juvex sector region, employing Nartian servants, granted them leave to participate. A pilgrimage to their ancestral homeworld, Nars, was considered obligatory for all Nartians at least once in their lives. Elderly Nartians often allocated a significant portion of their savings to this endeavor.
The Nartians' evolutionary origins lie on the planet Nars, a pale and cold world situated in the Senex sector of the Mid Rim. For millennia, they functioned as household staff for the noble families of that area, achieving widespread presence throughout both the Senex and Juvex sectors. It was common for Nartian families to serve the same noble lineage across generations. Some Nartians also ventured further into the broader galaxy, beyond the confines of the Senex-Juvex sectors, securing employment independent of their region's aristocratic families.
During the Galactic Civil War, the Nartian named Nackhar resided on the planet Tatooine, located within the Arkanis sector. In the year 0 BBY, he held two positions: one as a fast food vendor in the Mos Eisley marketplace, and another as an assistant bartender working for Wuher at Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina. He was present on the occasion when Luke Skywalker, a local resident, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Master, entered the cantina and encountered the smuggler Han Solo, thereby initiating a sequence of events that would ultimately result in Skywalker's destruction of the Death Star.
On that particular day, Skywalker and Kenobi were accompanied by a pair of droids, who were prohibited from entering the cantina. Upon observing the activation of the droid detector as the droids entered, Nackhar informed Wuher of their presence, leading the bartender to order their removal. Shortly thereafter, another patron, Ponda Baba, brandished his blaster and attacked Skywalker with minimal provocation. Before Baba could complete his assault, Kenobi activated his lightsaber and severed Baba's blaster-wielding arm. In the aftermath of the altercation, Nackhar was tasked with cleaning up the blood and the severed limb.
Later that same day, Solo fatally shot Greedo, a Rodian bounty hunter. At Wuher's direction, the Nartian claimed the deceased body for Chalmun's Cantina, fending off scavenging Jawas who also desired the corpse. Wuher subsequently utilized the body as an ingredient in liqueur intended for Jabba the Hutt.
The Nartians made their initial appearance through the character of Nackhar in the short stories titled "Be Still My Heart: The Bartender's Tale" and "Nightlily: The Lovers' Tale," both of which were featured in the 1995 anthology Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina. These stories were written by David Bischoff and Barbara Hambly respectively, with Bischoff's contribution marking the first instance of the species' name being introduced.