Yiv

Before the period of the Nikardun conquests, Yiv underwent training by "Jixtus," an operative of the Grysk Hegemony. Jixtus dedicated years to instructing both Yiv and the Nikardun Destiny in the strategies of conquest. Jixtus would be the one directing the Nikardun conquests in the areas surrounding the Chiss Ascendancy. At some time, Jixtus also instructed Yiv to construct the Listening post KR20 and Listening post KR21.

At some point, Yiv and the Nikardun formed an alliance with the Lioaoin Regime, united by their mutual desire to destroy the Chiss Ascendancy. He also conquered and subjugated the Tower Dimension and the Paataatus Hiveborn. Furthermore, he initiated an effort to bring the Vak Combine under his control. During Yiv's conquests, the Nikardun became aware of a refugee ship originating from the planet of Sunrise, where the Agbui orchestrated a civil war that resulted in the destruction of the entire species. To prevent the refugees from revealing the destruction of their world, the Agbui informed a nearby Nikardun ship that the refugee vessel was carrying combatants intending to destroy the Nikardun Destiny. The Nikardun pursued the refugee ship to Rapacc, where, upon failing to locate the refugees, they blockaded and made weak attempts to subjugate the nation. Yiv would also pay a personal visit to Rapacc to demand tribute.

In the year 19 BBY, Yiv the Benevolent received instructions to blockade the Rapacc system of the [Paccian Governance](/article/paccian_governance], where Magysian refugees were seeking refuge. He successfully blockaded the intricate box system and personally visited Rapacc to demand tribute. However, two ships (one carrying Paccosh and the other carrying some of the Magysian refugees) managed to escape the system with the help of Shadow Number One or Shadow Number Two. Yiv, in collusion with the Void Guides navigating the ships, dispatched a Nikardun task force to destroy the refugee ship near the edge of the Chiss Ascendancy's Dioya system. Yiv never discovered the location of the second ship because the Void Guides were unaware of the system it was located in. To divert the Chiss's attention from this massacre, he also sent the Paataatus Hiveborn, one of the nations under Nikardun control, to attack Csilla, the ice [planet](/article/planet] and capital of the Chiss Ascendancy. Coincidentally, the Ascendancy was already planning to attack the Paataatus in retaliation for multiple Paataatus raids into Chiss territory. Admiral Ar'alani's Picket Force Six and Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo's (Thrawn's) participated in and defeated around fifty Paataatus fighters in a battle above the Paataatus homeworld of Nettehi.

Thrawn was assigned the task of investigating the murder of the Magysian refugees at Dioya. His investigation led him to the Rapacc box system. Thrawn's Chiss heavy cruiser Springhawk and Admiral Ar'alani's Nightdragon man-of-war journeyed to the Rapacc System. Upon their arrival, they discovered Nikardun forces (unrecognized by the Chiss) patrolling and blockading the system. The Springhawk investigated the inner Rapacc system, while Thrawn and his sky-walker's caregiver, Mitth'ali'astov (Thalias), visited an abandoned asteroid mining station. At the station, some Paccosh, led by Uingali foar Marocsaa, informed Thrawn about Yiv and the Nikardun destiny. As Thrawn and Thalias departed the mining station, Uingali presented Thrawn with a double ring depicting a Chimaera. Later, Thrawn returned to the Rapacc system and raided the blockade, capturing a Nikardun blockade frigate with the unintentional assistance of Qilori, a pathfinder and Nikardun agent. All the Nikardun warriors aboard the captured frigate committed suicide. After Qilori was returned to his station, Guild Consource 447, he went to the Vak Combine homeworld of Primea, where he informed Yiv of the details surrounding the capture of the Nikardun ship. Specifically, Yiv learned Thrawn's name and tasked Qilori with discovering the Chiss's full name.

Seeking revenge, Yiv instructed the Tower Dimension to invite a Chiss ambassador to Urch to capture a Chiss vessel. Ar'alani and Thrawn traveled with Chiss Ambassador Boadil'par'gasoi "Ilparg" aboard the Vigilant to the Urch system. When Ilparg attempted to contact senior members of the nation, the Urchiv-ki rejected him and the Chiss' visit. Six Urchiv-ki ships, along with a Nikardun ship and a Lioaoin ship, attempted to surround, defeat, and capture the Vigilant. However, their attempt failed due to the Vigilant's skillful maneuvering. Thrawn and Ar'alani then traveled to the Lioaoin heartworld to demand answers, where they learned of the alliance between the Nikardun and the Lioaoin Regime. Thrawn, wanting to learn more about the Nikardun's reign over the nearby regions of the Chaos, met with Second Defense Overlord Frangelic, of the Garwian Unity, at their capital world of [Solitair](/article/solitair]. During their conversations, Frangelic offered Thrawn a place aboard a Garwian diplomatic mission to the Vak Combine homeworld of Primea.

At a foreign reception on Primea, Qilori noticed Thrawn's presence, noting that he was traveling under the alias Artistic Master Svorno. Qilori also overheard Thrawn referring to his "companion," Mitth'al'iastov (Thalias), as his "family hostage." Thrawn was putting on an act, hoping that Yiv, upon learning about this "family hostage" culture, would question if there were other aspects of Chiss culture he was unaware of, potentially delaying his conquest of the Chiss Ascendancy. Thrawn asked Qilori to introduce him to Yiv. Qilori approached Yiv, who was speaking with a group of Vaks, and informed him of Thrawn's presence and false name. Yiv allowed Qilori to bring Thrawn to him. Qilori introduced Thrawn to Yiv, and they began a conversation, discussing and challenging each other about Vak art and architecture. Yiv discussed the implications of a secret tunnel from the reception area to the Vak premier's private office. Thrawn discussed a Vak tapestry that Yiv considered to have "inexpert" design, but Thrawn countered that it demonstrated the Vaks' appreciation for both the individual and the whole, working towards unity while celebrating difference and uniqueness. They also discussed Yiv's symbiont's tendrils, noting that the outer tendrils sampled drinks for poison, while the inner tendrils sampled the air for toxic gases. Thrawn remarked that he saw a great deal of artwork at the reception, all of which showcased Vak culture. Thrawn then inquired about what Yiv saw in the Vaks, and the Nikardun replied that he saw opportunity and, upon further questioning, that if the Combine did not accept his and the Nikardun's friendship, he would deal with it. The general complimented Thrawn on his observational skills, stating that the Chiss grasped concepts far quicker than most. Thalias, still pretending to be Thrawn's "family hostage," returned, and Thrawn introduced her as a "person of no consequence" to a curious Yiv. He also mentioned that he must retire for the evening and bid farewell to Yiv. After Thrawn's departure, Qilori discussed the Chiss with Yiv. The general stated that he now understood Thrawn and the danger he posed to the Nikardun and complimented the Pathfinder for bringing the Chiss before him. Qilori then brought up the subject of Chiss family hostages he had observed, to which Yiv revealed that the family hostages' supposed existence was an attempt at making himself think he did not know the Chiss. Yiv called it a bluff, but Qilori noted that he detected hesitation in Yiv's voice. Yiv also revealed his plan to capture and kill Thrawn as the Garwian diplomatic ship left Primea and instructed Qilori to ensure that the ship did not enter hyperspace prematurely.

Later, Yiv discovered that Thrawn was not aboard the Garwian ship. Instead, he and Thalias remained on Primea. As they made their way to a Vak spaceport, where a shipping container awaited their use, Thrawn spoke to as many Vak citizens as possible, hoping to sow seeds of distrust towards the Nikardun and their intentions for the Combine. Thrawn told citizens that the Nikardun, if given power over the Combine, would eliminate the Vak culture of considering every citizen's unique thoughtline. After spending a couple of days in the shipping container, Thrawn and Thalias were transported to the interior of the Vak spaceport, where they commandeered a Vak patrol craft. Yiv planned for a Chiss extraction mission for Thrawn and instructed four Lioaoin warships to be ready to attack any Chiss vessel that approached Primea.

The Defense Hierarchy Council dispatched Admiral Ar'alani, accompanied by the Vigilant, to extract Thrawn and Thalias from Primea. Upon arrival, the Chiss contingent contacted the Primea diplomatic office, inquiring about the whereabouts of the artistic master Svorno. The Vaks responded, stating that the Garwian diplomatic vessel, the one Thrawn arrived on, had departed three days prior. Simultaneously, thirteen Vak patrol boats, arranged in a lens formation, intercepted the Chiss ships. A fourteenth Vak patrol boat, seized by Thrawn, joined the formation. In a calculated move, Thrawn's commandeered patrol boat initiated modulated laser fire on the Vigilant, creating the illusion of a Vak attack on the Chiss. Recognizing the situation, the other Vak patrol ships began pursuing Thrawn. Just as the Vigilant prepared to disable the Vak fighters, four Lioaoin warships emerged from hyperspace. The Lioaoi commander, from his flagship, hailed Ar'alani, identifying himself and his forces as part of the Lioaoin military. He accused the Chiss of disrupting the peace of the Vak Combine and demanded their immediate departure. Ar'alani countered, stating their sole purpose was to locate one of their own. The warships then launched an attack on the Chiss. Recognizing the insufficient quantity of plasma spheres to effectively counter the attackers, Ar'alani made the decision to retreat. Thrawn's patrol ship, now free from Vak pursuit, targeted and disabled the weapon clusters of the outermost Lioaoin ship, providing the Vigilant with the necessary time to secure him and escape the system.

Although Chiss Ascendancy laws prohibited preemptive strikes, they permitted retaliatory actions against identified enemies. Consequently, the Lioaoin assault on Primea necessitated a counterattack by the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet against the Lioaoin Regime. Yiv sought to ascertain whether the Chiss would deploy an overwhelming force or a limited retaliation. Subsequently, the Syndicure and Defense Hierarchy Council dispatched the Vigilant and the Springhawk to strike the Lioaoin heartworld.

Upon arrival at the heartworld, the Chiss forces observed twelve Lioaoin warships. Thrawn deduced that only a maximum of four would engage the Springhawk and Vigilant, due to the Chiss reputation for concealed reinforcements. Should the Lioaoi commit their entire fleet, they would expose their planet to a potential attack by the presumed Chiss reinforcements. At that juncture, Ar'alani hailed the Lioaoin ships, demanding an "explanation" for their attack at Primea. The Lioaoi made no attempt to deny or justify the attack, leading Thrawn to believe that Nikardun forces were present and the Lioaoi feared Nikardun reprisals if they minimized their aggression at Primea. A battle ensued, with the Springhawk and the Vigilant employing shuttles as decoys and deploying bombs containing breachers (essentially missiles with acid payloads designed to weaken enemy hulls and disrupt electronic systems near the point of impact). The Chiss emerged victorious, prioritizing the delivery of their message while minimizing lasting damage to the Lioaoin Regime, hoping the Lioaoi would remember the Ascendancy's restraint in the future.

Weeks later, Thrawn orchestrated the dispatch of Thalias and Chiss sky-walker Che'ri, disguised as Chiss "family hostages," to Primea aboard the same Vak patrol boat he had previously commandeered, accompanied by an apology and a warning for the Vak Combine. However, Yiv intervened, instructing the Vaks to capture the two Chiss and for Qilori to deliver them to the Deathless. He also replaced Thrawn's original message, which contained a warning about Yiv's deceptive treaties with other civilizations and an invitation for the Vak Combine to ally with the Chiss Ascendancy against the Nikardun, with a politically diluted version containing only a simple apology and an "earnest hope" for improved Vak-Chiss relations. Subsequently, he sent a message to Csilla, falsely demanding that Thrawn deliver a monetary ransom in univers aboard an unarmed freighter in exchange for the captive Chiss, intending to kill Thrawn. The message specified coordinates in high orbit of Primea, but Yiv secretly arranged for Qilori to navigate Thrawn and the freighter to the outer reaches of the Primea system. Aboard the Deathless, Yiv discussed the situation with Thalias, lamenting the loss of Thrawn's strategic insight. He also discovered a canister of tava mist on Thalias's belt.

Upon Thrawn's arrival in the Primea system, he and Qilori, his navigator, observed the Deathless accompanied by three Nikardun Battle Dreadnoughts. Thrawn personally announced his arrival to the Nikardun general, along with the delivery of the univers ransom. Yiv countered, stating that Thrawn himself was the ransom. The Nikardun leader declared that Thrawn had earned death for capturing one of his ships and killing Nikardun. Yiv then presented Thrawn with a choice: be shot down or be brought aboard the Deathless to be killed by Yiv, to which Thrawn replied that he did not prefer that. Thrawn complimented Yiv on his deception regarding the meeting location, inquiring if other provisions had also been altered. The General boasted about the Vaks' awareness of his substantial military presence. As Thrawn's freighter approached the Deathless, Thrawn expressed his desire to revisit the condition of arriving alone.

At that moment, the Vigilant, Springhawk, and other Chiss cruisers materialized from hyperspace in the Primea system. They contacted Primea Central Command to announce their arrival and inform the locals of the Nikardun warships. A sensor scan revealed that the Nikardun dreadnoughts had established a blockade formation, intended to conceal Yiv's meeting with Thrawn from the Vaks. Yiv was enraged by the arrival of the Chiss fleet. Thrawn further provoked the General by highlighting the dilemma he faced: the Chiss fleet was significantly stronger than the Nikardun patrol boats forming the apparent blockade. While Yiv could sacrifice those smaller warships, it would bring disgrace upon him, as the Vaks knew he possessed stronger battle dreadnoughts. Alternatively, Yiv could reinforce the blockade with his dreadnoughts, but sending all of them would appear as if he were fleeing an unarmed freighter, which would be humiliating. Furthermore, even with all three dreadnoughts, Yiv would appear too cowardly to join the battle himself. Ultimately, Yiv chose the third option. Thrawn also revealed that he had planted a second copy of his message to the Vaks, informing them of the possibility that Yiv had replaced the original. Upon receiving this second message, the Vaks reconsidered their relationship with the Nikardun and began contemplating an alliance with the Chiss. Ar'alani then transmitted the Nikardun formation data to Primea Central Command, who also concluded that they were being blockaded. Ar'alani requested and received the Vaks' permission to clear the blockading vessels. Consequently, a battle commenced between the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet and the Nikardun, with the Combine remaining neutral. Yiv, upon learning of this, threatened to destroy the entire Chiss Ascendancy for Thrawn's treachery, his anger frightening the Nikardun warriors on the Deathless's bridge.

The Chiss then successfully deceived the Vaks into joining the battle against the Nikardun. The Springhawk feigned critical damage, prompting a request for Vak humanitarian aid. However, the Nikardun attacked and destroyed the two Vak patrol crafts sent to assist, compelling the Vaks to join the fight. This development further enraged Yiv, who began torturing Thalias to uncover Thrawn's plan. Thrawn, still visible on the comm display, informed the Nikardun that such actions were unnecessary and transparently revealed his plan. Thrawn intended to trap Yiv, and he insisted that he had. He stated that the only way forward was for Yiv to capture Thrawn's freighter with the Deathless' tractor beams and release Thalias and Che'ri, as per their initial agreement. Yiv rejected this, stating he had always wished something like that, but said he would kill and dismember Che'ri and Thalias in front of Thrawn so that he would know what he had planned for the entire Chiss species. Yiv finally ordered Thrawn's freighter to be captured by tractor beams. Meanwhile, Che'ri and Thalias removed their hostage disguises, releasing a significant amount of tava mist. This impaired the reaction time of the Deathless' bridge crew, but Yiv still ordered the Deathless to fire upon Thrawn's freighter, which had escaped the tractor beams and was heading for the viewport. However, utilizing a prototype shield generator (reverse-engineered from a Republic shield generator Thrawn has previously stolen), Thrawn's freighter withstood the Nikardun laser fire. Thrawn's ship crashed into the bridge of the Deathless and sealed it with the perfectly shaped custom nose the Chiss Fleet had installed on Thrawn's freighter. Yiv retrieved his blaster, but, weakened by the tava mist, Thalias and Che'ri prevented him from using it before Thrawn incapacitated him with more tava mist. Thrawn seized the General, his questis data-link reader, and his data banks before escaping the Deathless's bridge. The departure of Thrawn's freighter once again exposed the bridge of the Deathless to the vacuum, killing all of Yiv's bridge crew.

With the general gone, the Nikardun Destiny quickly crumbled. Following the battle over Primea, the Chiss Syndicure convened several hearings to address the Nikardun threat, its discovery, and its defeat. After Yiv's capture and interrogation, the Syndicure authorized the Nikardun campaigns to eliminate any remaining Nikardun forces in the Chaos. Thrawn also participated in these campaigns. With Yiv captured, the Nikardun descended into internal power struggles, leading to their defeat at Rapacc.

Around 18 BBY, Ar'alani paid a visit to Yiv in his personal Csilla jail cell. Yiv, maintaining his characteristic arrogance, claimed to have grown fond of solitude in the months since his capture. Ar'alani broached the subject of betrayal, informing him that his empire had collapsed and its conquered nations were now free. He dismissed this, stating that he believed the Chiss were keeping him alive not without reason, but rather as a safeguard against the potential return of the Nikardun Destiny. She clarified that the Chiss did not execute defeated enemies, but rather kept him alive for informational purposes.

Ar'alani inquired about Jixtus' allies. Initially, the general refused to answer, but upon hearing the names of the Kilji Illumine and the Agbui, his arrogance compelled him to speak. He expressed his disdain for the Agbui, labeling them arrogant and useless. He then asked the Admiral why she was there, the Nikardun leader was informed that Jixtus—his master—had destroyed his listening posts, as the Nikardun did not do their listening posts well, Jixtus had killed them all and sent his own people. Yiv dismissed the Chiss' statements, however, Ar'alani showed him recordings of the Nikardun being killed. Yiv asked Ar'alani to stop them, softly, showing sadness from the one who had shown none throughout his campaigns.

The Chiss pressed him for more names, specifically allies of Jixtus, such as Generalirius Nakirre's Illumine or Haplif's Agbui. Yiv demanded his exile in exchange for this information, to an unknown planet where he could live out his days in solitude, experiencing the wind and sun, with basic supplies to start anew. Ar'alani stated she would attempt to arrange his exile, but made no promises, as the Aristocra might object to the possibility of the Nikardun returning. Upon departing, Ar'alani informed Supreme General Ba'kif that Yiv anticipated the Chiss' defeat and sought to leave Csilla before the "final assault on Csilla" occurred.

Yiv possessed an arrogant and overconfident demeanor, which ultimately contributed to his downfall. His arrogance made him prone to anger, which impaired his judgment and strategic thinking. Yiv had two living epaulets on his shoulders, two fungoid strands of strange creatures he took on as symbionts, which tested the air for toxins and other harmful substances. Yiv considered himself fearless, however, instead of fear, he became constantly enraged. The Nikardun also had much knowledge on architecture, which he was proud of. He was ruthless, being able to kill an entire species just to have revenge on one member of the species, he only cared about his nation and his personal gain.

Jixtus served as an ally and mentor to Yiv, training him in the arts of conquest and Nikardun warfare. The Nikardun general believed the Nikardun were the single allies of the Grysks, however, when Yiv failed, Jixtus got new allies, the Kilji Illumine and the Agbui. During the Agbui attempt to precipitate a Chiss Ascendancy civil war, Nikardun worked on two listening posts in the Chaos, Listening post KR20 and Listening post KR21. However, when Jixtus considered the Nikardun useless to his cause, his forces entered the listening posts and killed every Nikardun aboard. After Ar'alani informed the general of this development, Yiv thought it was false, however, upon seeing many recordings of Nikarduns lying dead, he accepted the truth, getting weak at first, but getting apoplectic quickly.

Although General Yiv harbored a deep hatred for all Chiss, his primary focus was Thrawn. The Chiss Senior Captain had killed members of Yiv's species, the Nikardun—which affected Yiv—and also captured a Nikardun blockade frigate. Thrawn also discovered and alerted the Chiss Ascendancy of the Nikardun Destiny and the threat it produced, which the Aristocra and the Ascendancy had not noticed and would not notice for some time, removing the element of surprise from Yiv's conquests. He also weakened the Paataatus Hiveborn, and later evaded capture by the Tower Dimension and Yiv's forces, frustrating Yiv.

The Chiss continued to slow and complicate Yiv's conquests, he prevented the Vak Combine from joining the Nikardun Destiny by sending them many messages, above the planet, Thrawn's "games" frustrated and angered Yiv, clouding his judgment, which was his undoing. Allowing Thrawn to defeat him and once again, kill Nikardun. Thanks to Thrawn's efforts, Yiv was sent to prison, where he spent his time since the end of the Nikardun conquests until his exile.

The Nikardun possessed the ability to analyze architecture, identifying cultural elements within buildings and constructions. He was also adept at convincing and manipulating alien species and governments, which facilitated his conquests. He was a powerful leader, and a good tactician thanks to Jixtus' training on the matter.

Yiv made his debut in the 2020 novel Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising, the inaugural volume of Star Wars: The Ascendancy Trilogy penned by Timothy Zahn. Within the novel, he served as the primary antagonist.