Nix

Nix was a merqaal companion of Kay Vess during the Imperial Era. He grew up on an unknown jungle world and was captured by the Sixth Kin to be sold as an exotic pet. However, he rescued by Kay Vess, becoming loyal partners in crime. Nix joined Vess on her journey across the criminal underworld in 3 ABY to steal from the Zerek Besh syndicate. After escaping from being hunted by Zerek Besh, Nix would continue work with Kay after being recruited by the crime lord Jaylen Vrax, to pull off a heist on Sliro's Mansion. He would help Vess recruit the required crew from across the Outer Rim, eventually foiling Vrax's campaign and be freed from Zerek Besh.
==Biography==
===Early Life===
Nix was a merqaal that lived on an unknown jungle world, until he was captured by the Sixth Kin as an exotic pet to be sold to the rich. While being locked in a cage, Nix was discovered by Kay Vess, who is on a heist mission with her mother Riko Vess. Out of sympathy, Kay unlocked the cage to allow the merqaal run free. However, an alarm was triggered, and they were attacked by Sixth Kin enforcers. Though Riko later scolded Kay for messing up the score by rescuing Nix, Kay insisted on keeping him.Star Wars Outlaws
===Partnership with Kay Vess===
Nix would then work together with Kay as partners in crime in the Worker's District of Canto Bight, performing small crimes such pickpocketing to steal credits. After living with Vess for several years, the two would develop a strong bond, being always seen working together. By 3 ABY, Nix would work with Vess to infiltrate a Sixth Kin club for fake identichips that would help them get off-world. The score failed after Sixth Kin enforcers were alerted by a pressure switch, and the bar owner Bram Shano would provide one last job for Vess and Nix to have enough credits for a ship. Nix would then head with Vess to meet up with the crew, who are secretly affiliated with the Alliance to Restore the Republic. After infiltrating the Westhill Palace owned by the crime lord Sliro Barsha, Kay was stunned by crew after they left her as a decoy to distract Zerek Besh. Nix would find Vess, who woke up to be interrogate by Barsha himself. With a signal from Vess, Nix attacked Barsha, creating an opportunity for Vess to escape and temporarily trap Barsha and his guards in the cell instead. Escaping to the hangar, Nix would work with Vess to head onboard the EML-850 freighter Trailblazer, escaping to Cantonica orbit and jumping into hyperspace.
===Fugitive on Toshara===
After jumping out of hyperspace, Nix arrived along with Vess in the Toshaal system, crash-landing the ship on the moon of Toshara. Nix would wake up Vess after arriving on the surface of the moon, later riding the speeder with Vess to head to Mirogana City in order to collect the parts for the rodian mechanic Waka to repair the ship. Traveling to Makal's Cantina, Nix would sneak into Gorak's suite along with Vess for a job, with the two noticed and inquired by the Pyke Syndicate boss Gorak Palas. Nix would approach Palas to be caressed while Vess holds a conversation, the merqaal stealing Gorak's ring in the process. After Vess met the Mon Calamari broker Danka Orsato, Nix would infiltrate Gorak's base with Vess as a trial by fire for the Crimson Dawn operative Eleera Soi.
Later, he and Vess would be hired once again by Soi, in order to infiltrate an Imperial Station to delete Crimson Dawn records. Nix worked with Vess to access the floorplan and reach the data vault, but was spotted by the Gallusian bookkeeper Bosnok, striking a deal for freedom from the Empire in exchange for working with Vess. With the data deleted and the information extracted, Nix escaped with the others onboard the Trailblazer and escape the Empire's hunt.
In order to collect the remaining parts required to repair the ship, Nix traveled with Vess to steal an accelerator that can boost the speeder's power to allow it to access a nav computer. With the upgrade found and installed, the two were able to make their way through the wind tunnel and arrive at the wreckage of the High Republic-dated ship Castellan. After arriving on the bridge, Nix and Vess was met and betrayed by Waka, who revealed to intend on killing Vess to take the Trailblazer for himself. However, Waka was instead killed by Vail Tormin, the bounty hunter sent to captured Vess alive. Vess, after distracting Tormin, activated controls that causes the ship to tremble violently, creating a window for Nix and Vess to escape. After being chased by Tormin to a sealed door, with Tormin demanding them to comply. The two was rescued then after the BX commando droid ND-5 cranked open the door and rescued the two, allowing them to escape.
Returning to the Trailblazer, the two were met again by ND-5, along with the crime lord Jaylen Vrax. Vrax explained that he has heard of how Vess was able to infiltrate Sliro's mansion, and wishes to recruit her as a slicer for a heist on the mansion, a heist planned for an extraction of 157 million credits worth of unmarked beskar ingots. Vess was eventually convinced, with her and Nix hired as part of the crew for the heist, and ND-5 as their bodyguard and administrator.
===Acquiring the Safecracker===
Based on the recommendation of ND-5, Nix traveled to the frozen world of Kijimi along with the crew to recruit Ank Parako, the chosen safecracker for the heist. Nix, along with Vess, infiltrated the Ashiga District in Kijimi City to find her whereabouts. Though the location was not found, it was discovered that the Crimson Dawn stole a relic from the Ashiga Clan, which ND-5 believed Nix and Vess could recover to convince Queen Ashiga to release Parako. The two then traveled to the Crimson Dawn hotspot known as the Wellspring, being able to infiltrate and recover the Ashiga Relic. Afterwards, Nix and Vess traveled to the Ashiga Clan Stronghold to meet Queen Ashiga and return the relic. Though the queen denied the request to free Ank, she assured that Parako will be freed if they continue to work for the Ashiga. 
Contacted by Krisk Ashiga, Nix and Vess traveled to a cantina to meet her there. At the cantina, they were met by not only by Krisk, but also the Crimson Dawn leader Qi'ra, who was able to convince and hire Vess and Nix to help Krisk take over the hive for the greater good, in return for the safecracker. The two then infiltrated the Ashiga Weapons Factory to rescue Ank Parako. However, Parako revealed that she was hired by Crimson Dawn, and can only work on one job at a time. Together with the crew, Nix infiltrated the Ashiga Stronghold and helped disable the turrets. After securing Parako, the crew would then head off to recruit the remainder of the required crew 
===Recruiting the Droidsmith===
After Vess' suggestion, Nix traveled with the crew to the forest planet of Akiva to recruit the Rodian droidsmith Gedeek Obaz. ND-5 suggested that they look for his location at the cantina known as the Alcazar, owned by the Sullustan gangster Surat Nuat. The two then received information from Nuat that Obaz is trapped in an Imperial Research Base. Nix then infiltrated the Imperial Base along with Vess, able to find and rescue Obaz, while also discovering that he has been working on improved viper probe droids for the Galactic Empire. ND-5 suggested afterwards that they should find out why Obaz is being hunted by the syndicates and then fix it. Obaz advised that they need to improve the speeder in order to eradicate the viper droids, the source of his hardship from the syndicates. Nix then traveled with Vess to rescue Temmin Wexley, who helped install the speeder upgrade.
With the speeder upgrade installed, Vess and Nix is able to travel to meet their contact. Arriving at the location, the two were attacked by viper droids, but was assisted by Rebel soldiers to help take it down. In order to secure Obaz, Vess and Nix would work with the Rebel Alliance once again to hijack the Imperial viper probe droids. Together, Nix and Vess infiltrated the Imperial base and encountered the Imperial Security Bureau, who held a large portion of the base. The two was ultimately able to help Gedeek reprogram the viper droids and secure the base. The crew would then recruit Gedeek, and head off to recruit the remainder of the required crew.
===Mission to Tatooine===
In search of the heavy for the heist, Nix would travel with the crew to the desert world of Tatooine to recruit the Sullustian gunslinger Hoss. In the remote town of Wayfar, the two met the Sheriff Quint Cresadde, who reported to have corned Hoss as a nearby moisture farm. Arriving at the farm, the two found only the dead body of a bounty hunter and a transponder. With the transponder, Nix and Vess followed the trails left by Hoss, discovering that he is captured by a Tusken Raider tribe as a hostage for their stolen krayt dragon pearl. Nix would then search along with Vess and recover the pearl to be able to exchange for Hoss. Though Hoss is secured, he informed that he has a tab at the to pay at Chalmun's Cantina, telling Nix and Vess to wait at the Docking Bay.
After waiting for a long time, Hoss is nowhere to be found, with Vess finding out that he is at the Cantina. Arriving at the cantina, Nix and Vess found Hoss playing Sabacc with an Aqualish gambler, who defeated Hoss in the game, demanding his payment. However, Hoss took Nix from Vess to make up as payment, with the audience knocking down Vess before she can take back Nix. The gambler would then sell Nix as an exotic pet to Jabba the Hutt, taking and trapping him in the menagerie of Jabba's Palace. However, Nix was rescued by Vess, who infiltrated Jabba's Palace to come and rescue him. Reunited, the two attempted to escape the palace, but was confronted by Jabba the Hutt himself, who discovered Vess' intentions after hearing from Hoss and Zerek Besh. Jabba would then activate the trapdoor to make Vess fall inside his rancor pit along with Vail Tormin and Hoss. Nix would also jump in to help Vess. 
Inside the pit, the group was met by two massiffs instead, with Vess and Tormin pushing Hoss to make him get killed and devoured by the massifs. Nix, along with the others, made their way to the hangar of the palace, but was attacked by Jabba's pet rancor, Pateesa. Working together, the three temporarily neutralized the rancor, but was unable to escape after being pinned down by Hutt enforcers. The three was met again by Jabba, but he was able to give them a chance of redemption after being entertained and noticing their skillset. Jabba informed that they need to find the name of a Zerek Besh spy within the palace by infiltrating an Imperial facility, and is grounded on Tatooine until then. Nix would later infiltrate Fort Sunfire with Vess and Tormin to pick up the data, and is later rescued by ND-5 from the Imperial forces. With the data given to Jabba, Nix and Vess would decide the next steps for the heist.
===Aiding ND-5===
With much of the crew recruited, Nix and Vess returned to the Trailblazer, and ND-5 would start looking for a suitable slicer for the heist. Suddenly, ND-5 began experiencing an urgent malfunction, moving uncontrollably due to the damage he has previously sustained on Akiva. Obaz advised that they need to visit Temmin Wexley to repair him. After traveling to Wexley's workshop, the crew traversed through the Ancient Catacombs of Akvia to arrive at the Akiva production plant, an abandoned Confederacy of Independent Systems droid factory. However, the crew encountered Rebel Alliance members, agreeing to a truce by letting Nix and Vess rescue captured Rebel prisoners in return for repairing ND-5. Nix then traveled with Vess to free the prisoners captured by the Hutts, with the Rebels being able to find a compound regulator to successfully repair ND-5. With ND back with the crew, Nix would then return to the Trailblazer. 
===Infiltrating Derosha Six===
In order to carry out the heist, the crew requires Sliro's vault codes to allow access to his vault. Nix traveled aboard an Imperial Lambda shuttle to infiltrate the ISB station known as Derosha Six, along with Kay and her reunited mother, Riko Vess. Nix aided Kay in infiltrating the station and access the vault codes, and escaped the station with the Vesses afterwards. 
===The Heist===
After Nix and the others returned to Canto Bight, the crew would gather up at The Broken Hoof cantina. Nix ate some fruits served in the cantina while the crew began discussing their plan for the heist. 
The heist began as the crew landed on a nearby area of the mansion, securing the area for the newly appointed heavy, Asara Deyn, to open the hatch leading to the ventilation systems. After traversing through to reach the vault, Nix and Kay regrouped with Riko and Obaz at the gates leading up to the vault, and slicing through the security systems to arrive at the safe. The crew were able to extract the goods and escape with Tormin's help, arriving at the Canto sewers and creating a plan to exit through the Canto Casino. However, the casino was already locked down by Zerek Besh forces, with the crew blasting their way out to escape with the Trailblazer. 
===The Showdown===
On the Trailblazer, the Vess was betrayed by Vrax after he revealed that his true goal was to secure a codex that would win the Galactic Empire's favor and allow him to take over Zerek Besh. Nix would find Vess stunned and locked in a pod inside the Trailblazar, who has been rescued by Parako and Obaz. Parako revealed that they are aboard the Imperial star destroyer Revelator, and can now leave with Vess secured. However, Vess suggested that they still need to rescue ND-5, who is unable to walk away due to his restraining bolt. Nix would then keep Vess' blaster and remain hidden to allow her to be disguised as a stormtrooper. After following Vess, Nix would find her trying to trap ND-5 at the power cores of the star destroyer, an attempt which failed an caused her to be grabbed by ND-5. Nix would drop the blaster from above, allowing Vess to fire and destroy the restraining bolt upon ND-5. With the restraining bolt removed, ND-5 is freed and is able to kill Vrax, with the crew successfully escaping the Revelator. 
On Akiva orbit, the star destroyer is moving into orbit-bombardment position to fire on the Rebel base. Vess would stay instead of jumping into hyperspace to help him. Nix, along with the crew, was able to hold out long enough for rebel reinforcements to arrive, with syndicates forces also arriving in search of the codex. Together, the combined forces destroyed the ship's shields and reactor, causing a chain explosion devastating the entire star destroyer. The crew then jumped into hyperspace, returning to Cantonica. 
===Free Merqaal===
Nix would later meet Vess at Trailblazer. With the death of Vrax and Sliro and the collapse of Zerek Besh, Nix and the crew are freed, able to go anywhere they want in the galaxy.
==Personality and traits==
Nix was a merqaal with brown hair, green eyes, skin covered in both blue-gray scales and fur, along with a strong tail and six feelers located on his head. Nix is shown to demonstrate high intelligence, able to receive and perform commands given by Kay Vess. Nix often enjoyed activities such as eating foodstuff with Vess, along with finding and collecting items from different areas.
Nix was close to Vess; she was his motivation, his best friend, his only family, and as such, he protected her fiercely. Where she went, Nix went. While Nix appeared "cute," he could turn feral and vicious when he needed to be. Often, Nix's mood reflected Vess'.
==Powers and abilities==
Nix, as a merqaal, is extremely agile, along with having sticky paws that could climb on to walls. Combined with his small size, Nix can reach places and take shortcuts where people such as Kay Vess cannot, allowing him to become a talented theft. He could also activate switches or buttons, distract guards, and even grab weapons to bring back to Vess.
==Behind the scenes==
Nix is voiced by Dee Bradley Baker in the 2024 video game Star Wars Outlaws. The script for Nix consisted of lines such as "curious squeak" and "relaxed chirp." Baker was allowed to interpret these lines when providing sound effects. Nix was first revealed in the game's trailer. Throughout the game, Nix serves as Kay Vess's companion, joining her on her quest to steal from the Zerek Besh syndicate and survive in the criminal underworld. Due to Outlaws nature as an open world game, the player does not need to experience every interaction possible with Nix to complete the game's story.
==Appearances==
*Star Wars Outlaws 
==Sources==
==Notes and references==
Category:Individuals with he/him pronouns
Category:Cantonicans
Category:Kay Vess' crew
Category:Males
Category:Named pets