Novitz, a member of the human species, held the lieutenant rank within the Imperial Navy, a military branch of the Galactic Empire. Around the time of 18 BBY, this officer served as the commanding officer of a science vessel stationed at Imperial Station 003. This vessel was scheduled to make a voyage to the clandestine Tantiss Base, located on the planet Wayland. Once the starship departed from the space_station, reports surfaced regarding unusual droid activity within the cargo area. Consequently, he dispatched a TK stormtrooper to investigate the situation.
Subsequently, Echo, a clone who had secretly boarded the ship, used a stun weapon on the stormtrooper. He then skillfully imitated the trooper's voice over the comlink, convincing Novitz that the disturbance was merely a malfunction. Following this deception, the lieutenant issued the command for a jump to hyperspace, remaining unaware that Echo had disabled the vessel's proximity sensors, thereby enabling his allies in Clone Force 99 to attach a shuttle to Novitz's ship.
Reaching Wayland, the shuttle disconnected from Novitz's science vessel just prior to its landing at Tantiss. Novitz and his crew then had their security credentials verified at the base. However, Echo successfully infiltrated the base undetected. Eventually, Clone Force 99 rescued the prisoners held at Tantiss Base, leading to the facility's indefinite closure.
As a member of the human species, Novitz served the Galactic Empire as an officer in the Imperial Navy. Around 18 BBY, holding the military_rank of lieutenant, he was in command of an Imperial science vessel positioned in Bay 8 of Imperial Station 003 in orbit around the planet Coruscant. Shortly before the starship was scheduled to head toward Tantiss Base, a secret Imperial facility inside Mount Tantiss on Wayland, Novitz was on the turbolift in Bay 8, examining a line of TK stormtroopers boarding the science vessel.
Novitz then boarded the vessel, entered the cockpit, and ordered the crew to begin the launch sequence, which was confirmed by the pilot. After the ship left the space_station, it received Tantiss's coordinates via a direct uplink. The pilot then told Novitz about unusual droid activity in the vessel's cargo hold. This was actually Echo, the rogue clone, who had hidden on board to disable the proximity sensors and allow Clone Force 99 to attach the Rho-class transport shuttle Alpha-44 to the science vessel to reach Tantiss.
Novitz ordered an investigation of the cargo hold, and a TK stormtrooper entered alone, only to be stunned by Echo. Lacking time for further delays, the lieutenant contacted the trooper via comms for an update. Echo took the stunned trooper's comlink, responded to Novitz, impersonated the trooper, and gave the all-clear, attributing the activity to a malfunction.
Satisfied, Novitz ordered the science vessel to jump to hyperspace. Echo then disabled the sensors, giving Hunter enough time to attach Alpha-44 to Novitz's vessel before it left the Coruscant system. Once the science vessel entered Wayland's atmosphere, Alpha-44 detached, allowing Novitz's shuttle to reach Tantiss with Echo still aboard. Upon landing at the base, the lieutenant and his crew were lowered into a hangar on the vessel's cargo lift with the ship's cargo. On the floor, they were met by a group of the base's TK troopers led by clone commando Scorch, who blocked their path. When Novitz ordered Scorch's men out of the way, the commando refused, explaining that they were to search the vessel and check the clearance of Novitz and the rest of the crew.
The lieutenant protested, saying that the checks had been done at Imperial Station 003, but relented upon learning that Scorch's orders came from Doctor Royce Hemlock, who led Tantiss Base and had learned that Clone Force 99 had infiltrated the orbital station. Novitz and his men then presented themselves for inspection, but Echo was not among them and managed to slip off the science vessel in disguise and infiltrate the base.
After Omega, Clone Force 99's sister, who was captive inside Tantiss Base, freed a Zillo Beast that destroyed the facility, the rogue clones were caught trying to infiltrate the base. As Hemlock oversaw their torture in the base's training room, Novitz told the doctor about an incoming transmission from Governor Wilhuff Tarkin, who knew about the Zillo Beast's escape.
Hemlock answered the call but was killed soon after, along with other base personnel, while Clone Force 99 escaped with Omega and the other prisoners. Tarkin arrived soon after their escape and decided to close the Tantiss facility indefinitely.
Novitz wore a gray Imperial officer's uniform with two officer's disks, one on the buckle of a black belt and the other on a gray Imperial kepi. He used a datapad while commanding the science vessel and had a rank insignia plaque showing two blue pips and one red.
Jeff Boehm voiced Novitz in "Into the Breach," the thirteenth episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch's third season, which premiered on April 17, 2024. While the character's name was in the episode's credits, it was unclear which Imperial lieutenant the name belonged to until a StarWars.com Databank entry for the other lieutenant, Holmes, was released the next day.