Aril Nunb

"She's good enough she could fly through a nova and her ship would stay dark."

- Corran Horn

Aril Nunb was a Sullustan pilot and military officer. The sister of Nien Nunb, Nunb was ostensibly an officer in the Rebel Alliance prior to 6 ABY, when she was passed over as XO of the reformed Rogue Squadron. Commander Wedge Antilles feared that Nunb would be unable to teach her innate piloting skill and controversially selected Tycho Celchu instead.



After a number of pilot losses leading up to the Rebel attack on Coruscant, Nunb was invited into the elite unit in time for the raid. During the mission to Coruscant, Nunb was captured by Imperial forces near the border to Invisec and was one of many Sullustans to be infected with the Krytos virus. Fortunately for Nunb, she was one of only two Sullustans selected by Kirtan Loor to be treated with bacta to ensure the cure worked.

She continued her service with Rogue Squadron through the Bacta War, resigning with the rest of the squadron after they were forbidden to chase Ysanne Isard from Thyferra.

Nunb continued to serve the New Republic Defense Force, eventually rising to the rank of admiral by 25 ABY. In that year, Nunb's flagship Protector escorted Leia Organa Solo from Coruscant to Bastion.

Early life
Aril Nunb was born on the planet Sullust, and grew up alongide her brother Nien in the subterranean cities of the Sullustans, built to keep shelter from the volcanic surface of her homeworld. From an early age, Aril showed an instinctual ability to pilot starships&mdash;a talent which she refined during her time working as a smuggler with her brother. Together, they flew a old stock frieghter named the Sublight Queen, building a sturdy reputation among others in their profession, though Nien achieved more notorierty than Aril. The two worked together extensively during the reign of Emperor Palpatine, transporting raw materials to outlying systems on behalf of SoroSuub, a leading mineral processing corporation originating from Sullust.

When SoroSuub allied itself with the Galactic Empire and introduced sweeping reforms which practicaly enslaved the Sullustan people, Aril and Nien decided they could no longer work for them, and left their jobs. The corporation responded by trying to have the two siblings killed, but the Nunbs' superior flying skils allowed them to evade the SoroSuub starfighters sent to pursue them. Aril and her brother began to raid outgoing SoroSuub shipments, and handed them over to the Alliance to Restore the Republic in protest over SoroSuub's allegiance with the Empire. Many other Sullustans, already angry at SoroSuub for dissolving the planetary government, followed the Nunbs' lead; they became a band of pirates, and before long they had managed to severly disrupt SoroSuub's operations with constant raids. Aril became a valuaded contributor to the Rebel Alliance, though both she and her brother declined any offers to formally join the Rebellion.

A newly established SoroSuub home guard proved innefectual against the superior piloting abilties of the Sullustans, leaving the corporation extremely frustrated. They resorted to respond with sheer force, and called in favours with the Empire, which promptly sent a full consortment of Star Destroyers to the system to deal with the Nunbs and their comrades. The Star Destroyers engaged Aril and her fellow Sullustans immediately upon entering the system; although the Nunbs survived unharmed, many of their comrades lost their lives. The Empire then established a blockade, barring the remaining pirates from exiting the system. The Sullustans attempted to fly through the blockade; although more of their number perished, Aril and Nien survived, although the Sublight Queen had been destroyed. It was then that Nunb and her brother decided to formally join the Rebel Alliance.

Rogue
Nien Nunb called in favours from an old friend named Sian Tevv, a prominent member of the Rebellion, who arranged for the admittance of both he and Aril into the Alliance Navy. For the next several years, Nunb served the Rebellion as a pilot; although at home in an X-wing starfighter, her experience piloting freighters meant she was able to contribute to the Alliance’s war effort by flying larger vessels, also. Several standard years after she joined the Alliance, Nunb became a captain, and was a respected member of the New Republic navy. Two and a half years after her brother helped the destroy the second Death Star over Endor, Nunb was provisionally selected as the Executive Officer of Wedge Antilles’ reformed Rogue Squadron. Commander Antilles, however, was not entirely satisfied with her selection – he recognised that she was a talented pilot, but felt that the fact that her skills were purely intuitive would make her a substandard teacher. It was his belief that keeping Aril as Executive Officer would be detrimental to the squadron, and would leave both her and the young recruits frustrated. Tycho Celchu was controversially chosen in Nunb’s place, though the Sullustan continued to serve the New Republic.

Six months later, however, Nunb was presented with an opportunity to join the squadron as a pilot. The Rogues had incurred heavy losses at Borleais, and Antilles was searching for suitable pilots – ones that would not require months of training – to fill the gaps left by the deaths of Andoorni Hui and Peshu Vri’syk. Aril was one of few who expressed an interest in the offer, and along with Pash Cracken, she officially joined the squadron in 7 ABY. Antilles had been unable to inform her of the reason she had been dropped as Executive Officer, told her the reasoning behind his decision when she first reported for duty in his office on Borleias. Nunb impressed the Correlian, who immediately warmed to her frank, practical manner. Due to suspicions of Tycho Celchu’s trustworthiness, Nunb was told that in Antilles’ absence, she would lead the Rogues. Aril acquainted herself with Celchu, though he did like her brusque nature as Wedge Antilles had, before being shown to her quarters, where she lived without a partner, due to the squadron’s low numbers.

As Rogue Twelve, Nunb was soon sent out with the others to Mrisst, where they were to ambush two Imperial ships – the Vengeance and Contruum’s Pride. After making a two-legged hyperspace jump from Borleias, Rogue Squadron launched their attack on the two vessels, who scanners read their X-wings as harmless snubfighters. Captain Nunb, acting as Corran Horn’s wingman, engaged the two squadrons of TIE fighters launched by the Vengeance in defence, destroying several before the enemy could strike. After rendering the Vengeance unoperational, the Squadron persuaded Contruum’s Pride to surrender. Successful, they returned to their base; Aril was welcomed to the squadron and commended on her flying by her squad mates.

While Captain Nunb and the others neutralised the Imperial ships, Wedge Antilles attended a meeting of the Provisional Council to discuss potential plans to liberate Coruscant from Ysanne Isard’s control. Councilor Borsk Fey’yla had formulated a plan, which, despite Antilles’ reservations, Rogue Squadron was ordered to carry out: the rescue of key members of the Black Sun organisation from Kessel. The criminals would be transported to Coruscant, where the New Republic hoped they would cause enough distraction for Isard that the Rogues would be able to perform preliminary groundwork in advance of a full-scale attack by Admiral Ackbar and his fleet. Nunb flew cover on Kessel while the releases of many high profile inmates was negotiated, though the operation passed without incident.

Imperial captive
Nunb and several other Rogues departed the New Republic base on Noquivzor in the Pulstar Skate, and arrived safely in Invisec, a crime-ridden sector of the world largely populated by non-Humans. The six squadron members in Invisec was split into three teams of two—Aril was paired with the Gand Ooryl Qrygg—and each given a specific role in gathering information which would be useful to the New Republic in the wake of their attack. Nunb and her partner were tasked with making an estimate for the length of time Coruscant would be able to sustain itself were it blockaded, as well as to provide the Provisional Council with data on trading in and out of Coruscant, and the Empire’s control and involvement over it. After a week spent surveying the sector, Nunb estimated that provisions would last for approximately one standard month. She was also able to provide data on the tariffs paid by traders to both the Empire and other criminal organisations.

The three teams used the Azure Diagona, a seedy cantina located in the heart of Invisec, as a rendezvous point, meeting there each evening to discuss the day’s progress; they never made contact with the other half of the squadron. Approximately one week into their mission, Aril and the others were faced with a squad of stormtroopers performing a search of the cantina, though, with the false identities they had been granted, they were easily able to dissuade the Imperials. Not long after the Imperial threat had been stopped, members of the Alien Combine took Gavin Darklighter, the youngest member of Rogue Squadron, hostage, claiming he was an anti-alien bigot. Aril and her fellows were dragged along with him, surrounded by many alien denizens of the Azure Dianoga, to a nearby hovel, where they intended to execute Darklighter as an example to supporters of the Empire.

Appearances

 * X-wing: Rogue Squadron
 * X-wing: Wedge's Gamble
 * X-wing: The Krytos Trap
 * X-wing: The Bacta War
 * X-wing: Wraith Squadron
 * Dark Tide II: Ruin