Nat Kotas

**Nat Kotas** was a Duros scout who joined a certain group of adventurers in approximately 20BBY. Early in his life, Nat got mixed up with the Espan Syndicate—the same organization that would later enslave his older brother, Hep Kotas. Nat was known for his friendly demeanor and wisdom. He married another Duros named Yarisia Deez, and had several children, including Eli, Kir and Garda. At one time Nat had a pet Fransaurus, nicknamed Fransine, who he befriended on Ryloth.

## History

### Early Life

Nat Kotas grew up in Urrdorrf City, one of the many orbital cities that circulated the polluted world of Duro. His parents, Gedjo and Sondi, where quick to instill high moral standards in Nat which he would carry for the rest of his life. As a young adult, Nat succumbed to his species' natural wanderlust and begin to explore the galaxy.

### Espan Syndicate

Almost a year later Nat secured a job in one of the many firms owned by corporate giant and entrepreneur Morgid Espanix. Unknown to him, Morgid was also the head of a criminal empire called the Espan Syndicate, which eventually dragged Nat into their affairs. He then began to work as a hired thug.

About a year later, the workers of a factory owned by Morgid went on strike. Apathetic to their demands, Morgid sent a group of his lackeys to make an example. They planted a bomb. Unfortunately, Nat learned too late the truth of the plan and watched in horror as the workers of the factory died in the blast, including his older brother Hep Kotas.

Distraught, Nat escaped the Syndicate and fled to Coruscant, capital of the Galactic Republic. For several years Nat struggled to make a living. With nowhere to turn, Nat became indebted to the Syndicate and was continuously hounded by their thugs.

## Republic Privateer

### New Purpose

It wasn't long before Espan Syndicate thugs had cornered Nat and were prepared to kill him. Luckily, Republic-hired adventurers Arbacca, Santo Ardes, and Panzer were able to come to his rescue. Feeling indebted and with nowhere else to turn, Nat joined the group.

### Clone Wars Missions

Nat journeyed with the other group members in various missions across the galaxy, serving at the whims of Chancellor Sheev Palpatine and the Jedi Council. They discovered and defeated the Dark Jedi Gabrian Damodred from such places as Colony V, Nar Shaddaa and Kashislag. They saved the planet Enodion from a rampant crime problem. They participated in the Battle of Kashyyyk, where Nat was rescued by the Jedi hermit Vex. Other missions with the group took Nat to Aelphiious, Bothustine and elsewhere during the extent of the Clone Wars. Nat and Santo worked with a Coruscanti peacekeeping officer, Hano, for one planet-side operation. Nat also faced Zhort Kallyu's swoop gang, the Dendeats, while helping a local Coruscant commoner return home safely.

### Order 66

In the last days of the Clone Wars, the daring rogue known as Tars Alin, who was becoming a frequent addition to the group, discovered Chancellor Palpatine's plot to destroy the Jedi Order and establish his Galactic Empire. After siphoning a large sum of credits from the soon-to-be-Emperor, Tars and the rest of the group fled to warn the Jedi. While en route to the Jedi Temple, however, Separatist forces began their invasion of Coruscant. In the ensuing firefight, the group's airspeeder was shot down.

Four days later, the group awoke under the care of an elderly woman of the under-city who informed them how the Republic had been transformed into the Galactic Empire and the Jedi Order had wiped out. In this post-war galaxy, they were now fugitives. Their only option was to escape Coruscant and find a new home, far away from the Empire.

## The Exile

### Montu Cordu

It wasn't long before Nat and the other members of the group (now including Jedi Knights Zolar Keth and Lana Sunrider) found refuge on the planet Montu Cordu—a lesser-known world, not to be confused with the Codru-Ji homeworld of Munto Codru. They established a base several kilometers outside a small town and slowly began to build up an army and navy in opposition to the Empire.

### Social Life

While on Montu Cordu, Nat began to return to a normal life; acquiring a piloting job for a local company, and also began to look for a prospective mate. He would meet various lady friends for nightly outings, often accompanied by Zolar and his own female companions. The two groups of devoted followers came into conflict several times, once breaking into a fight.

Nat soon began to date a young Duros female named Yarisia Deez, with whom he would date for many months.

### Brothers Reunited

Around this time a mysterious gang began to crop up on Montu Cordu that was disrupting local businesses and terrorizing the citizens. The local police force did their best to combat the actions of the gang, but would prove unsuccessful. As a result, the Codru-Ji police captain Tat Kiulu requested the group's assistance. They would go on to challenge the gang and take out their leader.

After a couple of weeks Nat received a message from Captain Kiulu that an unnamed individual was asking to meet with him at the police station. Accompanied by Arbacca and Sev Gra'tua, Nat went to the station and was completely shocked to meet his brother, Hep, who had long been considered dead.

Hep came to recount how he had survived the factory explosion only to be enslaved by Morgid Espanix, who repaired his damaged body with cybernetic implants and subjected him to experiments which increased his natural strength and stamina, and subduing his free will. As was Morgid's style, he had assigned Hep to head the gang on Montu Cordu in order to send the planet into chaos and allow for a take-over of the natural resources. However, during his time on-planet Hep had begun planning to escape his master's control. He agreed to decrease the gang's activities as long as they gave him space in order to complete his plan.

### Redemption on Bespin

During a trip to the planet Bespin in the Anoat sector, Nat Kotas and Arbacca were traversing the outside of a city in the clouds. An unexpected gust of wind knocked Nat from a walkway, and he nearly plummeted to his death. Fortunately, he was caught through the Force by Candrai Enn'ado, a Jedi hermit who had secluded himself to a remote abode. Thereafter they invited Candrai to join their cause on Montu Cordu.

### The Revenge

Eventually, Hep was able to hunt down the location of Morgid on the planet Serocco. Taking this opportunity to enact their revenge, the two brothers immediately left Montu Cordu - just as Nat was proposing to his girlfriend Yarisia, who agreed to marry as soon as he returned.

Hep and Nat arrived on Serocco and fought their way into Morgid's fortress, but ultimately fell victim to his horde of lackeys. To his amusement Morgid forced the brothers to fight in a combat ring, each defeating their foes one after another. In dramatic conclusion, the crime boss pitted Hep and Nat against one another, activating a mind-controlling implant in the older Duros' mind. Hep defiantly ripped the implant from his head to protect Nat.

It appeared that Morgid had won. The crime boss was no match for what was to follow. A Sithspawn called a Lokos Daemen (which earlier had been purged from Candrai Enn'ado but found refuge with Hep) was then sent flying from the body of Nat's other brother. The daemon--an extension of Hep's will--forced Morgid to take his own life.

His lackeys in disarray at Morgid's death, Nat led Hep's dying body to the first ship he could find: an HWK-290 light starfreighter (which they later renamed *Kotas Hawk)* Nat plotted course back to Montu Cordu. He prepared a message to be sent to the other group members, as he was growing weaker. Exiting hyperspace, the two brothers, at death's door, were rescued by the others who gave them immediate medical care.

### Bloodlust Civil War

While Nat was attempting to return to a normal life, other members of the group were busily engaged in a resistance movement against the Empire. For nearly two years they amassed a large army and naval fleet, engaging the Empire in a number of raids. Unfortunately, the fates were against them: in due time, the group, as well as Montu Cordu, was caught up in a civil war among a pirate cartel called the Bloodlust Pirates. With the inclusion of the Galactic Empire, and a militant alien race called the Cridilisk, the group's movement was crushed in the monumental Battle of Montu Cordu.

## Vagabonds

### The Game

After the group escaped from Montu Cordu, broken and humbled, they were thereafter kidnapped; forced to play in a sadistic game of life-and-death by a number of eccentric billionaires. Transported to a unknown world, and stripped of their belongings, group members were forced to follow clues to escape--and to win back their resources. Along the path they met the sentient being called Ashanuin, who was part of a native tree-like species called Sha'anuin. Upon helping Ashanuin find a new source of life-water, he guided the group in how to beat the game, which they did.

### Atzerri: A New Home

A year after the events of the Bloodlust Civil War, the various group members had parted ways and began to live normal lives once again. Nat and his family (including Yarisia, Hep, and Sondi) came to settle on the commerce world of Atzerri. The brothers got jobs as pilots for a Zeuol named Iphe Pras, an old friend of Hep, and owner of the freight company Pras Transport. It was here on Atzerri that Nat and Yarisia started a family, giving birth to their first child, a boy named Eli. It was during this time that Nat learned that his father, Gedjo, had perished in the early uprisings of the Duros Resistance against the Empire.

## The Gods Calling

### Banished by the Ethereal

Group members were once again forced together when complete strangers began to have strange, and sometimes violent, dreams about them. Nat and his family were rescued from those on Atzerri who wanted their arrest (as a result of the dreams) by the mysterious Kel Dor of House Shiga'run. To solve their problem the group decided to convene on Naboo.

While there, Sev Gra'tua discovered a small unmarked box which contained some incense sticks, and a message in Old Basic that told of "Enoma and the Gods of Dreams." Lighting the incense, group members were transported to the nether-world of the Force, to a realm known as the dream world, where they encountered three Force-apparitions called Black, White, and Grey, whom took the heroes to Enoma—the god of dreams. Enoma explained how Fate and Destiny had told him to bring the group back together, and they would do the rest. Their days of adventuring were not yet done.

### Lords of Reintross

In a brief attempt to reclaim their military powers which had lost at Montu Cordu, the world known as Reintross would become the group's next temporary stronghold. They had just freed Reintross from the rule of a long-forgotten Republic clone unit-turned-regime, relocated them to Aegaea (a planet recently discovered by Arbacca), and set up a triumvirate rule: Tars Alin would rule the capital of Reintross City, Zolar Keth ruled the city of New Theed, and Nat Kotas came to rule the city of Merika.

Nat formed a Provisional Council from local leaders to help develop a new government in Merika. During his time, Nat had an administrative assistant named Beth Saelvees.

### Incident in the Unknown Regions

During a trip out into the Unknown Regions, the group was ambushed by the Empire. Their ship was tractor beamed and fired upon, killing Sev Gra'tua and Tars Alin, and seriously injuring everyone else. Luckily, the last member of the ancient Healer's Guild rescued them and cared for their wounds using an advanced healing process. Nat was the only one who chose to take the long road to complete recovery. As a result, Nat was in therapy for a full year. Hep Kotas did his best to help Nat's family during this difficult time.

After the group's disappearance into the Unknown Regions, Reintross was almost entirely retaken by the natives. The city of Merika, however, was the one exception. While the locals did assume Nat's leadership duties in his absence, they did not reject his authority. During Nat's healing process, he talked with the Provisional Council on a regular basis. Later, in 14BBY, Nat Kotas was named Honorary Advisor to the Governing Council of Reintross.

### Doctors and Dragons

Once his therapy was complete, Nat and Eraz Ord helped the Last of the Healer's Guild collect video feed on native lifeforms on a uncharted world. Narrowly escaping an attack by a local predator, the two individuals found themselves within a large den—the home of a Duinuogwuin Jedi Knight who had hidden himself away from the galaxy after the Jedi Purge. Nat and Eraz helped him fix his broken lightsaber from components aboard the Healer's ship, but soon after parted ways. Thereafter they returned to known space.

### Retirement

The ordeal in the Unknown Regions had put considerable strain on Nat and his family. So, upon returning home he decided to retire from an adventurers lifestyle in order to spend more time with his growing family.

## Legacy

Nat and Yarisia had four children: Eli (16BBY), Kir (13BBY), Garda (11BBY) and Sev (9BBY). Kir married in 7ABY, and later begot Deema (9ABY), Ler (11ABY), Natty (13ABY), Daz (15ABY), and Nola (19ABY). Garda married Mandu Prunka in 12ABY, and later begot Breno (15ABY) and Elys (16ABY). Eli married Kalessa Isara in 14BBY and begot their first child (15BBY) and their second child (18BBY). Between 25-50BBY, Deema had one child, Ler had three children, Natty had two children, Daz had four children, and Nola had five children. Nat Kotas lived until the age of 91 (45ABY), outliving his wife by two years.