Nem Bees was a male Jedi Knight of the Ortolan species, a Galactic Republic member during the vast Clone Wars that spanned the galaxy. As the war progressed, the Jedi Council sent Bees to Orto, his homeworld, when the Confederacy of Independent Systems threatened it. His mission was to sabotage Separatist operations and safeguard Orto for the Republic. Bees adopted the identity of Ydde, an Ortolan trader who had passed away, and began his search for a reported traitor of influence who planned to betray the Ortolan people to the Confederates.
Despite his best efforts, the Confederacy successfully invaded Orto just three days after Bees arrived. Belo Tusus was exposed as the traitor. Despite this setback, Bees continued his mission, disrupting the schemes of Tusus's new Orto government, which ultimately paved the way for a successful Republic counterattack. However, during the campaign to eliminate the last pockets of Confederate resistance, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine initiated Order 66, leading to Commander Deviss killing Bees.
In 19 BBY, during the final year of the Clone Wars', the Galactic Republic suffered losses in the Sluis sector. Eriadu was the only stable planet nearby, and secession talks arose at the Sluis end of the Rimma Trade Route. Recognizing the critical importance of Orto in this situation, the Republic dispatched Jedi Knight Nem Bees, who was native to the homeworld, to investigate. Intelligence indicated that a high-ranking official within Orto's neutral government was plotting a coup. If successful, this coup would place Orto under the official's control, who would then undoubtedly align with the Confederacy of Independent Systems.
Encouraged by fellow Knight Ki-Adi-Mundi, Bees took on the disguise of Ydde, a trader who had been murdered over a decade prior. He lived with Ydde's relatives while operating undercover in Orto's capital, searching for the traitor poised to betray his planet and people. Despite Bees's efforts, Financial Minister Belo Tusus launched his coup just days after Bees's arrival. Tusus seized control of the government, declared his allegiance to the Confederacy, and locked down all of Orto's spaceports. Soon after, the Confederacy's droid armies arrived to occupy the planet. Recognizing the importance of maintaining his cover, Bees played the part of a frightened citizen as the battle droids marched through the city.
Despite initially appearing passive towards the Confederate occupation, Bees quickly took action. As Tusus began establishing his new government, Bees effectively sabotaged it through military and logistical disruptions. He targeted several areas, preventing droid deployments and severing shuttle guidance systems. Fortunately, Bees had an inside contact in Tusus's government: the traitor's own Twi'lek servant. Tusus never discovered the leak, but he became increasingly paranoid and suspicious of his staff and the Neimoidian attachés on his council.
Planning a final act of sabotage, Bees gained access to a HoloNet transceiver, thanks to his Twi'lek ally. He contacted the Republic for the first time since Orto's annexation, arranging for a strike force to arrive at a specific time. Working swiftly, Bees infiltrated the capital's palace and disabled Orto's shield generator just as the Republic strike force emerged from hyperspace.
Tusus panicked, abandoned his holdings, and fled Orto. Bees met with his allies upon their arrival. Led by Commander Deviss, the clones linked up with Bees and advanced towards Orto's capital to liberate it from the Confederacy. However, the Battle of Orto was prolonged, as the droid armies were firmly entrenched. A week into the campaign, Order 66 was issued. Unbeknownst to Bees, he was now considered an enemy of the Republic, and his death became the top priority for his own troops. Acting on his orders, Commander Deviss fatally shot Bees as the diminutive Jedi led an assault on the Confederate position.
Nem Bees, a male Ortolan, possessed black eyes and stood at one and a half meters tall. During the difficult Clone Wars period, Bees was thrust into his home planet and forced to live as a commoner to fulfill his duty to the Republic. When Belo Tusus betrayed Orto to the Confederacy, Bees had to act with detachment, passively watching as troops marched into the planet's capital. This choice later enabled Bees to liberate his people with less bloodshed.
Nem Bees excelled in subterfuge and infiltration, as demonstrated during the Orto situation in 19 BBY. He convincingly adopted the persona of Ydde and maintained his cover throughout his mission. Bees identified and exploited the weaknesses in Belo Tusus's defenses, effectively undermining the former Financial Minister's new Orto government. Collaborating with his mole in Tusus's government, Bees disrupted many auxiliary operations and assisted his people in doing so. In a matter of hours, Bees transitioned from saboteur to general, commanding his troops in the Battle of Orto. Despite his abilities, he could not defend himself from the unexpected attack by his clone commander.
The character Nem Bees made an appearance in "Chapter 22" of the second season of Star Wars: Clone Wars, a television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky. At that time, the character was an unnamed Ortolan briefly featured in two shots of a montage. In 2006, Kyle Jewhurst, a member of Hyperspace with the screen name "Lord Hydronium," provided the character with a name and backstory through the "What's The Story?" feature on StarWars.com. Jewhurst retroactively established the character as a Jedi Knight, noting that no Ortolan had previously been a Jedi in canon. Jewhurst also mentioned Bees's master as Shon Kon Ray, but this reference was removed during the editing process.
The specific Ortolan in the wide shot displayed in the Databank entry is unclear. However, the small preview boxes on StarWars.com identify Bees as the Ortolan on the far left of the image. This image was later used in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, where Bees received his own entry.