- «I greet you, Captain Roscu, and welcome you aboard the Whetstone. This is Generalirius Nakirre, ruler of the Kilji Illumine and master of this vessel. We appreciate your promptness. Allow us to show you to a place of comfort and refreshment where we may speak together at ease»
- ―Jixtus introduces himself and Generalirius Nakirre to Captain Clarr'os'culry
Nakirre was a Kilji who held the title of generalirius, and ruled the Unknown Regions Kilji Illumine, the nation of the Kilji species. A follower of the Illumine's religion, the Kilji way of order and enlightenment, Nakirre commanded the Kilji war cruiser Whetstone and the Illumine's battle fleet, the Illumine Kilhorde. In 18 BBY, the generalirius allied himself with a Grysk operative known as "Jixtus," who promised to guide the Kilhorde's conquests of enlightenment in the Unknown Regions. In exchange, Nakirre allowed the Grysk to travel aboard the Whetstone as they visited several planets in the Unknown Regions.
One of these worlds was Zyzek, where the generalirius confronted the Chiss Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo, core name "Thrawn," and pledged to enlighten the Chiss Ascendancy nation to the Kilji religion after Thrawn denigrated the Illumine's beliefs. After leaving the Zyzek system, Nakirre and Jixtus visited the Ascendancy to sow discord among its families to instigate a civil war. After they left the Chiss world of Avidich before the generalirius could enlighten Mitth family Patriel Thistrian to the Kilji way, Jixtus revealed that his flagship, the FateSpinner, could destroy the Kilhorde as a threat, instructing Nakirre to follow his every command.
Shortly after, the Kilji and the Gyrsk visited several Chiss worlds, including Ornfra and Rhigar, the latter being where they met Captain Clarr'os'culry ("Roscu") of the Clarr family. Following the Kilhorde's conquest of the small nations to the south and southeast of the Chiss nation, which positioned them to the north and northwest of the Paataatus Hiveborn, a Paataatus attack fleet destroyed the battle fleet. After the generalirius traveled to the Unknown Regions' "Sunrise" system, Thrawn informed Nakirre that the Paataatus had destroyed the Kilhorde, rendering Nakirre useless to Jixtus, who killed the Kilji after he snapped at him.
Biography[]
An enlightened generalirius[]
- «Senior Captain Thrawn, you may keep your prisoners. I will see you again when I arrive among your people to change the ancient paths of the Chiss to the fuller enlightenment of the Kiljis.»
- ―Generalirius Nakirre, to Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo
Nakirre was a Kilji who served the Kilji Illumine, the nation of his species, as its ruler, holding the title of generalirius. He commanded the Illumine Kilhorde, the Illumine's battle fleet, and his flagship, the Kilji war cruiser Whetstone. He followed the Kilji way of order and enlightenment, the Illumine's religious beliefs, and enlightened several Kiljis—including Vassal Four, a pilot, a weapons operator, and a another Kilji—to the Kilji way, turning them into his vassals, who served him aboard the Whetstone.[2] In 18 BBY,[1] Nakirre allied himself with the coordinator of the Grysk species, an operative known as "Jixtus," who promised to teach the Illumine the concept of conquest and guide the Kilhorde's religious conquests in the Unknown Regions. In exchange, Nakirre allowed Jixtus to travel aboard the Whetstone during their travels in the Unknown Regions.[2]
Generalirius Nakirre encountered Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo (pictured) at Zyzek, vowing to enlighten the senior captain's nation to the Kilji way.
The pair traveled to the Unknown Regions' Zyzek system with the approval of the Illumine's Kilji Overlords in an attempt to contact the four nations that Jixtus believed could be conquered quickly and easily. While the Whetstone orbited the planet Zyzek, the Chiss heavy cruiser Springhawk arrived, and its commander, the Chiss Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo, core name "Thrawn," broadcast a message. Thrawn told those present that he possessed Watith prisoners and that he sought to give them to their people—a fact that Jixtus believed to be untrue. Although his Grysk ally advised against it, Nakirre spoke with Thrawn, telling the Chiss about the Kilji way and requested the prisoners so that the generalirius could return them to their home, as the Kilji enlightenment dictated that he should help others. The senior captain refused, prompting the generalirius to command his vassals to prepare his flagship for battle.[2]
Zyzek System Defense, an organization that protected the Zyzek system, sent patrol ships to confront the Springhawk and Whetstone while requesting for them to stand down. Nakirre contemplated the possibility of destroying the newcomers but decided against it, as killing those aboard the vessels would prevent their enlightenment to the Kilji way. The generalirius subsequently complied with Zyzek System Defense's request and vowed to bring the "fuller" enlightenment of the Kiljis to the Chiss Ascendancy nation.[2]
The unenlightened strike[]
- «Then hear and understand. You serve the Grysks. The Illumine serves the Grysks. You and your people live or die at the pleasure of the Grysks. I do not travel aboard the Whetstone at your pleasure; rather, you and the Whetstone survive at mine. I will travel aboard this ship wherever I wish, for as long as I wish, and you will obey every command I choose to give. Do you understand?»
«And what of our agreement?»
«It still stands. We'll assist you in bringing enlightenment to the peoples of this region. But it will be the peoples of our choice, and on our schedule.» - ―"Jixtus" and Generalirius Nakirre
The Whetstone left the Zyzek system, traveling to the Ascendancy planet Avidich, where Nakirre attempted to meet Patriel Thistrian of the Ascendancy's ruling Mitth family and speak of the Kilji way to him; however, the Patriel ordered the Kilji's war cruiser away. The generalirius believed Jixtus had lied to him and asked the Grysk why they had not enlightened the Chiss at Avidich, prompting Jixtus to instruct the generalirius to bring his flagship to a nearby star system, where he claimed he would answer all of the Kilji's questions. Nakirre, unwilling to give Jixtus enough time to prepare an explanation or an apology, had Vassal One bring the war cruiser to the system in ten minutes instead of the thirty-five minutes the journey would have taken.[2]
Generalirius Nakirre was unable to speak of the Kilji way to Patriel Thistrian of the Mitth family (emblem pictured).
After they arrived at the system, the Grysk operative summoned the FateSpinner, his Shatter-class WarMaster flagship, threatening to use it to destroy the Kilhorde. Revealing that Nakirre's people lived at the Grysks' pleasure, Jixtus commanded his Kilji ally to follow his every order, although he insisted that he would still help the generalirius enlighten the Unknown Regions' peoples. The pair then traveled to the Ascendancy's planet of Rhigar and met with Captain Clarr'os'culry ("Roscu") of the Clarr family aboard the Whetstone. Jixtus presented a recording of a battle between the Chiss Dasklo and Xodlak families in an attempt to sow discord among the Ascendancy's families. Nakirre offered to defend the Clarr from other families with Kilji warships; however, Roscu refused the offer and exited the war cruiser.[2]
After Jixtus told the generalirius that the Chiss had attacked a Grysk shipyard, Nakirre suggested that he could task some of the Illumine's vessels with defending the facility; however, the Grysk scorned the Kilji's offer and reminded his ally that his only purpose was to conquer nations bordering the Ascendancy so that when the Grysks instigated a Chiss civil war, Chiss refugees could not retreat to those nations.[2]
The mocking path[]
- «You said when the Chiss have been forced into combat, the Ascendancy would fall. Would not the correct term be if?»
«Do you question my words and my skill, Kilji? Or do you mock me? Because you should think long and deep before you step onto that path. You have no concept of the true power of the Grysks. We can crush the Illumine like boulders that can be turned to fine sand, or we can twist your culture, your lives, and your very souls to do our bidding. Do not force me to choose which of those fates would be the more satisfying.» - ―Nakirre and "Jixtus"
While the pair visited several Chiss worlds and met with many Chiss officials, Jixtus dispatched Illumine General Crofyp's task force to the Unknown Regions' Rapacc system. The task force, consisting of Crofyp's war cruiser Anvil and Colonel Tildnis's Kilji picket cruiser Hammer, attempted to capture a group of refugees that had taken refuge on the planet of Rapacc; however, the Springhawk destroyed the Anvil, and the Hammer fled to the Unknown Regions' "Sunrise" system". There, the Paccosh-commandeered Nikardun blockade frigate Aelos's crew, including Thrawn, boarded the picket cruiser, stealing data on the Kilhorde.[2]
Generalirius Nakirre sought to turn the Chiss (pictured) into one of the Grysks' allies.
Shortly afterward, Nakirre and Jixtus journeyed to the Chiss planet of Ornfra. While on their way there, the generalirius mocked his ally, implying that Jixtus could not destroy the Ascendancy; in response, the Grysk threatened to crush the Illumine like boulders and twist the Kilji culture, which Nakirre believed to be impossible, as the unenlightened could not twist the enlightened. The generalirius subsequently expressed that he wanted to turn the Chiss into one of the Grysks' allies; however, Jixtus did not, promising to end the Ascendancy at Ornfra by killing Roscu. However, the captain survived the Grysk attempt on her life.[2]
While the Kilhorde moved to conquer the nations Jixtus sought to close off as havens to which Chiss could retreat, the senior captain shared the data he retrieved from the Hammer with the Paataatus Hiveborn nation. As the Kilji conquests took place to the southeast of the Ascendancy, they also took place to the north and northwest of the Hiveborn's territory, which the nation deemed unacceptable. The nation sent a Paataatus attack fleet to destroy the Kilhorde, obliterating it and liberating the worlds and peoples it had conquered.[2]
Kilji boulders and fine sand[]
- «Your path is simplistic, self-contradictory, and self-defeating. The only ones who accept it are those the Kiljis are able to force it upon.»
«You lie.»
«No, for once I'm telling the truth. Look at your own servants. Did you choose them for skill, initiative, or even enthusiasm? Of course not. You chose them because they were willing to trade their last scraps of freedom to you in the hope that you would take care of them for the remainder of their lives.» - ―"Jixtus" and Nakirre
When he heard that all the Patriarchs would be on Csilla (pictured; center) at the same time, Generalirius Nakirre contemplated the possibility of enlightening them to the Kilji way.
As his field commanders had mapped the progress of their conquests in glowing reports of victory, which they sent to Nakirre, before the Paataatus attack, the generalirius was alarmed when the reports stopped. He speculated that his generals had "foolishly" extended their conquests to the Ascendancy planet Colonial Station Chaf, as the world's conquest would disrupt the operation of the long-range triad transmitter there, the only link between Nakirre and his forces. After Jixtus spoke with Clarr Patriarch Clarr'ivl'exow ("Rivlex") and learned that all of the families' Patriarchs were going to be on the Ascendancy's capital planet of Csilla, Nakirre suggested that he could travel to Csilla and enlighten the Chiss leaders so that the Grysks could subjugate the Chiss nation without firing a single blaster. That suggestion prompted Jixtus to denigrate the Kilji way and reveal that he did not care about the Illumine, as its only purpose was to serve the Grysks.[2]
The mocking of the Illumine's religion prompted Nakirre to contemplate the possibility of killing his ally but decided against it, as the Grysk's fleet knew where the Kilhorde was and—even more critically in the generalirius's opinion—where the Kilji homeland was, allowing them to bring an end to the Kiljis.[2]
Death[]
- «You did this! Your arrogance—your refusal to accept the Kilji Illumine as true allies—your failure to provide adequate support for our conquests of enlightenment—!»
- ―Generalirius Nakirre, to "Jixtus"
Generalirius Nakirre's vassals and a group of vessels of the Chiss Ascendancy's (emblem pictured) Expansionary Defense Fleet defeated "Jixtus" at "Sunrise."
Shortly afterward, the Whetstone and Jixtus's fleet traveled to the Sunrise system, in hopes of crushing Thrawn and the Chiss once and for all. However, they were met with a deactivated fleet of Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet vessels under Chiss' command. Nakirre briefly spoke with the senior captain, who revealed that the Paataatus had destroyed the Kilhorde, which the generalirius believed to be untrue. However, after Thrawn told him that the data he shared with the Paataatus featured several weaknesses in the Kilji fleet's design and combat doctrine, Nakirre accepted that the Hiveborn had destroyed his fleet, snapping at Jixtus. After the Kilji cried that the Grysk had failed to provide adequate support for the Illumine's conquests, Jixtus shot the Kilji generalirius with his blaster, as the Kilhorde's destruction rendered Nakirre useless to him. Nakirre's vassals went catatonic after their master's death, mourning him.[2]
While Thrawn's fleet reactivated itself and began to destroy Jixtus' fleet, three of the Kiljis Nakirre enlightened, accepted the Whetstone's navigator, Pathfinder Qilori, as their leader until he returned them to their home. Under Qilori's directive, they fired all of the Whetstone's weaponry at the FateSpinner, inducing Jixtus to use a self-destruct mechanism to destroy his WarMaster and kill himself. After Thrawn's fleet destroyed Jixtus's fleet, Qilori reported to the senior captain, telling him that Jixtus had murdered Nakirre.[2]
Personality and traits[]
- «Would you have preferred I ordered the Whetstone to bombard the planet from space?»
«Why not? They have nothing that holds terror for us. We've seen the insignificant defenders that guard their worlds. We've seen the larger but still pitiful warship they use to travel outside their nest of ignorance and darkness. Why not bring them enlightenment right here and now?» - ―"Jixtus" and Generalirius Nakirre
Nakirre had wrinkly, rubbery-looking, dark-orange skin, which stretched and formed patterns that reflected the Kilji's emotions, and dark-brown hair. He was much taller than Jixtus and slightly taller than Captain Roscu. After Jixtus revealed that he viewed the generalirius's Illumine as a tool, Nakirre's skin stretched with humiliation, dread, and anger. As the Grysk possessed a massive warship, the FateSpinner, the generalirius feared his ally; however, he mocked him throughout their journey. Nakirre sought to get rid of Jixtus's veil and cloak to see the alien he had allied himself with; however, after realizing that removing the Grysk's coverings could be perceived as fear of the unknown, he decided against it, as the generalirius was not allowed to fear. Nakirre believed that he and Jixtus could have bombarded Avidich instead of leaving the world, as he believed that the Ascendancy's warships were insignificant, viewing the Chiss nation as a nest of ignorance and darkness; however, the Chiss did not view Nakirre's Whetstone and the Kiljis as a real threat because they believed that their warships were not powerful enough to face one of the ruling families.[2]
Initially, Nakirre believed he was a vital part of his ally's plan; however, as he learned that his only purpose was to conquer nations bordering the Ascendancy and ferry Jixtus around the Ascendancy, he was humiliated and frustrated with his place, which Qilori noticed, noting that the generalirius had a level of self-importance. As he believed that the Illumine was mighty and the Kilhorde was mighty and unshakable, he initially did not accept that the Paataatus had destroyed the battle fleet. When Nakirre snapped at Jixtus, the Kilji's skin roiled across his body like an agitated sea.[2]
After the Kilhorde began its conquests, Nakirre was frustrated and sought to finish his part of Jixtus's scheme and bring the Grysk to the FateSpinner and join his people in their "glorious" conquests to lead and inspire them. The Kilji's voice was far less melodious than that of Jixtus, but there was an intensity behind the voice that sent a chill up Roscu's back.[2]
Equipment[]
Nakirre wore an outfit made of a dozen shades of blue.[2]
Skills and abilities[]
- «You enjoy being master of your ship and your servants. Perhaps you enjoy it too much.»
«I enjoy it purely because it was through my efforts that these vassals became enlightened.» - ―Jixtus and Generalirius Nakirre
The generalirius was able to enlighten beings to the Kilji way.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
- "Like all of them, he is a tool of Jixtus, he just doesn't realize it or thinks he is more important to Jixtus than he really is. And it's Nakirre realizing slowly what his real place is in Jixtus's universe that provides a lot of internal tension in his point of view and worldview."
- ―Timothy Zahn
Nakirre appeared in the 2021 novel Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil, the final volume in Timothy Zahn's Ascendancy Trilogy.[2] Before[3] Lesser Evil's release on November 16, 2021,[4] Tom Hoeler,[3] a senior editor at Del Rey,[5] Lesser Evil's publisher, interviewed Zahn. The author stated that in Lesser Evil, Nakirre slowly realized that he was less important to Jixtus than he thought he was.[3]
Appearances[]
- Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil (First appearance, simultaneous with audiobook)
- Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil audiobook
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Star Wars: Timelines dates the main events of Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil, which include Nakirre's death aboard the Whetstone in the "Sunrise" system, to 18 BBY.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 2.32 2.33 2.34 2.35 2.36 2.37 2.38 Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3
Mysterious Galaxy Virtual Event: Author Timothy Zahn in conversation with Tom Hoeler on the Mysterious Galaxy YouTube channel (backup link)
- ↑
Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy (Book III: Lesser Evil) on Penguin Random House's official website (backup link)
- ↑
@DarthInternous (@DarthInternous) on Twitter (backup link)
