Nien Nunb Nien Nunb was a Sullustan male arms dealer and smuggler who joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the Galactic Civil War . Shortly after the Battle of Yavin , Nunb answered the call from his friend , Rebel pilot Evaan Verlaine , to help smuggle a group of Alderaanian s off of Sullust while avoiding detection from the Galactic Empire ; the Empire was searching for surviving Alderaanians after Death Star I blew up its first planet , Alderaan . He went on to further assist Verlaine and Prince ss Leia Organa in their mission to unite the surviving Alderaanians , during which time he helped Organa escape from potential Imperial captivity . Only a few years later , Nunb became part of the Alliance Fleet and flew as the co - pilot for General Lando Calrissian aboard the " Millennium Falcon " during the Battle of Endor . Together , they fought against Imperial forces while attempting to destroy the Death Star II in orbit of the forest moon of Endor . Their battle was a success , and the " Millennium Falcon " fired the shot that destroyed the Death Star and delivered a devastating blow to the Galactic Empire . Three decades later , Nunb was a starfighter pilot with the military rank of Lieutenant Commander in the Resistance and fought in the cold war , including the Battle of Starkiller Base . Biography . Early life . Nien Nunb hailed from the planet Sullust . He would learn his early pilot ing skills flying a freighter for the local Sullustan SoroSuub Corporation , however once the company became friendly with the Empire , he displayed his opposition by stealing from it on the behalf of the Rebellion . He soon thereafter became an independent ace pilot and an able arms dealer and smuggler who owned and operated the starship " Mellcrawler " . He became friends with fellow smuggler Lando Calrissian , as well as Rebel pilot Evaan Verlaine . Galactic Civil War . Organa ' s mission . Shortly after the destruction of Alderaan and the Battle of Yavin , Alderaanian Prince ss Leia Organa set out with Verlaine on a mission to unite the few Alderaanians who remained alive in the galaxy . Their mission brought them to Sullust , where a group of Alderaanians lived in an enclave beneath the world ' s volcanic surface . The Galactic Empire , which used its military might to hunt the surviving Alderaanians across the galaxy , discovered Organa and her united forces on Sullust . Nunb answered Verlaine ' s call for help and smuggled the Alderaanians off of Sullust and into space , without detection from Imperial forces . He also provided the arms in his ship to Organa and her people , so they could be used against the Empire . Organa was grateful for Nunb ' s assistance and presented him with the chalcedony waves necklace that once belonged to her adoptive mother , Queen Breha Organa of Alderaan , as a token of her gratitude . Later in the mission , Organa turned herself over to Imperial Commander Dreed on the desert world of Skaradosh in exchange for the release of Tula , an Imperial officer from Alderaan ; Tula ' s sister , Tace , was part of Organa ' s group of refugee s and Tula secretly manipulated her sister for information about Organa ' s whereabouts . Before Organa could be taken captive , the " Mellcrawler " arrived to rescue her , with Nunb having slipped the ship onto the planet without the orbit ing Imperial forces noticing . Verlaine fired on Dreed and his Imperial stormtrooper s , killing the commander while Organa and Tula were able to make their way on board . Though Organa thanked him for his efforts , Nunb said that the real test would be making it past the Imperial forces alive . The Star Destroyer in orbit detected the " Mellcrawler " once they received word that Dreed had been killed . Nunb launched a decoy to fool the Imperial vessels , leaving them to follow the sensor decoy as the " Mellcrawler " avoided their detection . The trick was successful and the Star Destroyer crew believed the " Mellcrawler " had been destroyed , and Organa with it . It was at that moment that a fleet of Alderaanians from Espirion arrived to assist Organa and her people . The arrival of the fleet allowed the Alderaanians to destroy the Star Destroyer , and the Alderaanian fleet escaped the wrath of the Empire . Nunb later attended a celebration in which Organa , Verlaine , and their people celebrated the success of the mission to unite them . Sullustan resistance . About three years later , Nunb returned to Sullust on a mission for the Rebel Alliance , in which he led the Sullustan resistance as they supplied items to members of the Cobalt Laborers ' Reformation Front at Pinyumb . Shortly after , a battle broke out between Imperial and Alliance ' s Sixty - First Mobile Infantry as they took the factory of Inyusu Tor . As the Sixty - First attempted to leave for the next target in their operation , their CR90 corvette the " Thunderstrike " was shot down and it ' s escort , the Braha ' tok - class gunship " Apailana ' s Promise " , was forced to flee . The Sixty - First was stranded and faced an inevitable attack so it ' s Captain , Hazram Namir , went to Pinyumb to find Nunb and the Sullustan resistance . Namir and his soldiers were attacked and Namir was apprehended by Stormtrooper s , but Nunb came to the rescue and took Namir to the Sullustan resistance safe house to meet the others . He asked Nunb for support but Nunb and the others could not help them . The Imperial II - class Star Destroyer " Herald " soon arrived to finish the Sixty - First and the " Apailana ' s Promise " came back too to fight it off . The battle went on in the sky and on the ground but the " Herald " was forced to retreat due to internal sabotage turning the tide of the battle . Nunb rallied the Sullustan resistance Cobalt Laborers to take Pinyumb as the ground forces began to dwindle at Inyusu Tor . The joint effort caused a planet wide uprising on Sullust , taking it for the alliance . Operation Yellow Moon . Shortly after the Battle of Hoth , Nunb was tasked with transport ing Organa to a meeting on Zastiga . On Zastiga , Nunb met with Wedge Antilles and Luke Skywalker to discuss reconnaissance tactics . Once Operation Yellow Moon was approved , Nunb transported the team to the Corva sector . Upon reaching Basteel , Nunb flew his ship to Eladro City . His casual piloting through the turbulent atmosphere unnerved Kidi Aleri but he was able to safely land his ship . Once on the ground , Nunb was given some credit s by Organa and he headed to a bar to get a drink and some local intel . On the way to the bar , Nunb , Kidi Aleri , and Antrot stopped at a bazaar . While the rest of the team climbed out of the mountain in the tunnels above the city , Nunb returned to his ship so he could pick them up once they were clear . He was detained when the Empire arrived on Basteel and checked out the credentials for all the ships that were present . Once he was cleared , he flew to the top of the mountain and picked up the team . When they were all on - board and safely away from Basteel , Nunb got them hot beverages and blanket s to help them warm up from the exposure to Basteel ' s harsh environment . Nunb then flew the team to Sesid . Once they landed at Thrinaka , he suggested that they purchase tourist clothes to better blend in . After they completed their mission to place a beacon , he warned them not to return to Thrinaka , as stormtroopers were present in the city . He rendezvoused with the team above the planet , and flew them to their next destination . After they arrived at Jaresh , Nunb went to see if he could swing a deal with any local merchant s for a load of the planet ' s main export , fertilizer . As they were leaving the planet , Nunb was ambushed by the " Shieldmaiden " , which snuck up on his ship from the dark side of the planet . He was able to avoid being snared by a tractor beam by skimming under a massive commercial freighter that happened to be passing through the system . Once clear of the tractor beams , he made the jump to hyperspace . When they were safe in hyperspace , Organa had a meeting with the team and left them decide if they wanted to continue with the operation . Nunb found it humorous that if he quit , they wouldn ' t have a ship to finish the mission , but agreed to stay to the end . Nunb flew the team to the rendezvous at Galaan and when other starships arrived , he made sure his ship was in position to transmit the tightbeam encryption code directly to them so Organa could contact them . During Organa ' s speech to the assembled ships , Nunb detected the " Shieldmaiden " incoming . He attempted to flee , but was unable to avoid the Star Destroyer ' s tractor beams and was forced to shut down his engine s to prevent damage to the " Mellcrawler " . As the yacht was drawn into the belly of the Star Destroyer , Organa prepared to destroy the " Mellcrawler " using the volatile fertilizer Nunb had picked up on Jaresh , which he was hoping to sell elsewhere at a profit . However , when Lokmarcha stopped her , Nunb instead purged the logs of his ship to prevent any data from falling into Imperial hands . Nunb was captured and imprisoned onboard the " Shieldmaiden " . He was able to free himself when Lokmarcha set off an electromagnetic pulse that disabled part of the Star Destroyer . He gave directions to Organa so she could lead the surviving members of the team from the detention center to the docking bay . Once in the bay , they were discovered by a squad of stormtroopers and Nunb quickly entered an Imperial shuttle . He powered it up and was able to safely escape the " Shieldmaiden " with the surviving members of the team . Battle of Endor . Shortly thereafter , Nunb was a member of the Alliance Fleet and was selected to fly as co - pilot to General Calrissian aboard the " Millennium Falcon " during the Battle of Endor , where the " Falcon " led the assault to destroy the second Death Star . Before the battle , when the Alliance Fleet was gathered near Sullust , Nunb expressed concern about the plan of attack and whether General Han Solo , Organa , and their team would be able to successfully destroy the Death Star ' s shield generator on the moon of Endor before the fleet arrived . Owing to Lando ' s understanding of the Sullustan language , he personally picked Nunb for the mission , impressed by his exploits aboard the " Mellcrawler " . Worried about the mission , Calrissian assured Nunb that Solo would have the shield down on schedule . The Alliance Fleet arrived over Endor to find that the shield generator was still active , and they realized that the battle was a trap set by Emperor Palpatine , to destroy the Rebel Alliance once and for all . The fleet remained over Endor and engaged Imperial forces in the hopes that Solo and his team would be able to destroy the generator . The fleet kept to fighting TIE / ln space superiority starfighter s and Star Destroyers , particularly once they learned that the Death Star was operational , after previously believing that it did not yet have the use of its primary , planet - destroying superlaser . Once Solo ' s team destroyed the shield generator , the " Millennium Falcon " entered the Death Star ' s superstructure and fired the shot that began a chain reaction that led to the battle station ' s destruction . Calrissian and Nunb were in a race against time as they outran the fireball that their attack created , and they escaped the Death Star just before it was consumed in a massive explosion . The Alliance was victorious , the Emperor was dead , and the Empire was shattered . On the surface of Endor the Rebels held a celebration along with the native Ewok s , who helped Solo ' s team destroy the shield . Following the battle , Nunb was awarded a medal by the Alliance known as the Kalidor Crescent for his bravery . New Republic . Twenty days after the Battle of Endor , Imperial Captain Lerr Duvat began , a contingency plan issued posthumously by the late Emperor . Operation : Cinder called for the scouring of Palpatine ' s homeworld , Naboo , with the use of a climate disruption array . The Rebel Alliance , currently transitioning into the New Republic , quickly deployed a portion of their fleet to defend the planet . Nunb accompanied the fleet aboard his new yacht , the " Mellcrawler II " . The fleet soon destroyed the Imperial forces , succeeding in the planet ' s defense . Following the revelations of Senator Organa ' s parent age as the daughter of Darth Vader in the New Republic ' s Galactic Senate , Nunb sent a message expressing support for his former rebel colleague . Later , he along with several former rebel veterans and New Republic personnel were present at a meeting in the New Republic senatorial complex ' s hangar bay where Leia established the Resistance , a paramilitary organization to protect the Republic . Service under the Resistance . After joining the Resistance , Nunb offered his support and provided his skills by piloting a T - 70 X - wing fighter in the Resistance Starfighter Corps having the naval rank of Lieutenant Commander . He wore flight gauntlets , a pressurized interstellar orange g - suit and a gear harness , along with a specialized flight helmet to fit his unique head . His helmet also featured older Coalstreak Squadron stripes on the upper right - hand side of his helmet , appearing as two , parallel black lines . Nunb attended the funeral of fellow Resistance pilot L ' ulo L ' ampar at the Resistance base on D ' Qar after the Duros was killed during a battle with the First Order over a desert planet . Battle of Starkiller Base . When the First Order destroyed the Hosnian system with the use of the Starkiller , the Resistance base became the next target . Quickly establishing a plan to destroy Starkiller Base , Nunb , along with the rest of the Starfighter Corps , flew to the planet in an attempt to destroy its thermal oscillator and disable the weapon . During the assault , many Resistance pilots were lost before the oscillator was destroyed by Poe Dameron . Nunb was one of seven surviving X - wing pilots , and he celebrated with the rest of the Resistance upon returning to D ' Qar . Funeral of Han Solo . Following the victory at Starkiller Base , Nunb attended the funeral of Han Solo , who died at Starkiller at the hands of his son Kylo Ren . Evacuation of D ' Qar . With the Resistance base ' s location revealed to the First Order , the Resistance evacuated their base and during the ensuing battle above D ' Qar , Nunb spent his time on the flagship " Raddus " . Escape from Crait . Shortly after the arrival of the Resistance on the old rebel base on Crait , an evacuation of the whole of the Resistance took place . After taking heavy losses , Nunb was one of the few remaining Resistance members to escape , on board the " Millennium Falcon " . Personality and traits . Nien Nunb was a Sullustan male . He had large black eye s , as well as large ear s and jowl , and had light skin . He spoke in the liquid - like tongue of the Sullustan language but was able to speak Galactic Basic with difficulty . He was considered upbeat and optimistic , and frequently cracked sarcastic , if not anti - climactic jokes . Known for celebrating little victories , his comrades were always upbeat with Nunb ' s laugh and jokes . Despite his outward appearance of wisecracking jollity , he was extremely dedicated to whatever mission or cause he served , and displayed a loyalty and courage heralded by many of his closest friends . Caring deeply about others , he would go out of his way to provide for those less fortunate than him , and would help his people during the Imperial occupation of his planet as a resistance fighter . Skills and abilities . Nunb was an able pilot and smuggler , one who had the skills necessary to often avoid Imperial detection . His piloting abilities led to Calrissian personally selecting him to co - pilot the " Millennium Falcon " during the Battle of Endor . Behind the scenes . Nien Nunb made his first appearance in the 1983 film . He was brought to life as both a puppet and as a costumed - actor during the film . For scenes in the " Millennium Falcon " , Nunb was puppeteered by Mike Quinn . He was portrayed by Richard Bonehill in wide shots . Nunb ' s name originated from the fact that he was referred to as " Number Nine " on creature packaging . The character was voiced by Kipsang Rotich , a student who spoke in his native Kalenjin language , as well as in . Quinn and Rotich returned to the role for the 2015 film .