Tava, alternatively known as the sleepwalking drug, was a non-lethal aerosol substance originating from within the borders of the Chiss Ascendancy. Inhaling this substance resulted in confusion and disorientation in those affected. Notably, Mitth'raw'nuruodo, a Chiss Senior Captain whose core name was "Thrawn," employed this drug to subdue members of both the Vak Combine and Nikardun Destiny factions, both on and above the planet Primea located within the Unknown Regions.
This aerosol, also known as the sleepwalking drug, caused confusion and disorientation upon inhalation. The effects of tava, however, were temporary, lasting less than an hour, and could be countered with the use of nostril filters. Its scent profile evolved after release, beginning with honey, transitioning to burnt-sugar, and finally settling on a fresh leather aroma.
Despite not being deadly, tava functioned effectively as an armament, capable of incapacitating individuals by impairing their senses and disrupting their thought processes. A relatively small container of the drug held sufficient volume to saturate the entire cockpit of a Vak patrol boat.
During his time as a student at one of the schools attended by Mitth'ali'astov (whose core name was "Thalias"), fellow students would occasionally disrupt classes by releasing tava. Later, around 19 BBY, Mid Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo ("Thrawn") referenced tava mist while investigating a hijacked freighter alongside his colleagues, contemplating the methods the hijackers might have used to seize control of the vessel. In that same year, Thrawn, then holding the rank of Senior Captain, utilized the sleepwalking drug to incapacitate the crew of a patrol boat that he intended to commandeer from a spaceport located on Primea, a planet controlled by the Vak Combine within the Unknown Regions.
Several weeks afterward, Nikardun General Yiv captured both Thalias and Che'ri, a sky-walker navigator, taking them aboard his flagship, the Nikardun Battle Dreadnought named Deathless. Although Yiv had discovered and confiscated a canister of tava that Thalias carried in her belt buckle, Thrawn had secretly modified the two women's makeup to contain the sleepwalking drug. This allowed them to deploy it at a critical moment, causing Yiv and the bridge officers to become disoriented, which in turn enabled Thrawn to successfully rescue them.
Tava was initially introduced in Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising, a 2020 novel and the inaugural book in Timothy Zahn's Star Wars: The Ascendancy Trilogy.