Norath Kev was a Duros male who operated as a Resistance spy on the Outer Rim planet Varkana alongside his astromech droid, 2BR-NTB. Kev worked to track First Order activity by monitoring the black market material shipments on the world and gathered a list of First Order sympathizers and collaborators. However, the vendor Lechee turned the spy in to the First Order in 34 ABY, forcing him and his droid to flee and activate a distress call. The bounty hunter Ax Tagrin destroyed 2BR-NTB and captured Kev, keeping him aboard his ship, the Dalkor Dagger. Resistance operatives Kazuda Xiono and Jarek Yeager, the pirate Synara San, and the astromech droid CB-23 traveled to Varkana after receiving Kev's distress signal, finding the spy's datapad and data rod containing his First Order black market work and keeping a copy of it.

Though briefly trapped on the Dalkor Dagger, Kev and his rescuers managed to crash the vessel, with him and Xiono fleeing the scene via speeder bike while the rest of the group fought Tagrin. The Varkana spy and his newfound colleague worked together to save Yeager, San, and CB-23—whom the bounty hunter had captured—by stealing the armor of two stormtroopers as disguises and freeing them from First Order custody. After another brief skirmish with Tagrin and later with First Order TIE fighters, the group's shuttle successfully fled the Varkana system and boarded the supertanker fuel depot Colossus. In the time afterward, Kev continued working for the Resistance by accepting a blaster shipment on the Outer Rim planet Mon Cala and scheduling a rendezvous with Xiono near the Outer Rim planet Batuu, though the latter had to abandon the meetup when a First Order probe droid attacked his ship.

As part of the Resistance's Jade Squadron under the command of Resistance pilot Venisa Doza, Kev traveled to the Colossus with her and the pilot Hugh Sion. The squadron and three of the Colossus's ace pilots—Xiono, Torra Doza, and Hype Fazon—traveled to the Outer Rim planet Dantooine and attempted to escort three shuttles of Resistance recruits off the world. One of the shuttles was destroyed despite Kev and Torra's best efforts to protect it, forcing Jade Squadron, the ace pilots, and the two remaining vessels to leave the ship behind and jump to hyperspace. Not long afterward, Kev flew alongside his squadron during a battle in the Barabesh system and made attack passes on the Resurgent-class Star Destroyer Thunderer's engines. With the assistance of the Colossus and its Ace Squadron, Jade Squadron defeated the Star Destroyer and celebrated in the cantina Aunt Z's Tavern afterward as part of Team Colossus.

Biography[]

Spying on Varkana[]

Caught in Vargo Spaceport[]

The Duros male^[1] Norath Kev lived by the time of the war between the First Order and the Resistance. He operated as a Resistance spy on^[2] the Outer Rim^[5] planet Varkana alongside his astromech droid, 2BR-NTB. The pair became familiar with the world they were stationed on and worked in a building within Vargo Spaceport at one point, in which Kev kept a secret compartment for his datapad. For some time, the spy worked to track the First Order by monitoring the world's black market material shipments. He eventually gathered a list of individuals on Varkana working for the First Order as dealers or collaborators.^[2]

In 34 ABY,^[6] the operator of Leechee's Junk Emporium—the vendor Lechee—discovered the spy's ties to the Resistance and decided to report him to the First Order, as he was one of their collaborators. The First Order sent the bounty hunter Ax Tagrin after Kev, forcing him and 2BR-NTB to flee through a marketplace to avoid capture. After the pair ascended a set of stairs, they entered a building within the Vargo Spaceport while the spy activated an open distress call using his data rod and datapad. Kev explained to his droid that the signal could be picked up on any Resistance frequency but acknowledged the droid's concerns that it was risky. The Resistance operative quickly put his datapad and data rod in their hiding spot as the sound of steps approached their building, indicating that he and 2BR-NTB should remain quiet.^[2]

Using his vibro-ax, Tagrin easily broke open the room's door and held Kev and 2BR-NTB at blaster-point. Kev claimed he had already activated a distress signal, prompting the bounty hunter to shoot at 2BR-NTB and destroy the droid nonchalantly. Kev was saddened by the droid's loss and called out for them before turning to Tagrin and bluffing that many Resistance fighters were on their way to save him. However, the bounty hunter indicated that such an occurrence would be welcome, as each prisoner would bring him more money and took the spy into custody aboard his ship,^[2] the Dalkor Dagger.^[7] Afterward, Lechee was paid a large sum of credits for turning in Kev to the First Order.^[2]

Rescue attempt[]

On the supertanker fuel depot Colossus, which was fleeing from the First Order, the Resistance operative Kazuda Xiono received Kev's distress signal and implored for permission to investigate. Though the Colossus's captain, Imanuel Doza, felt wary of it being a trap, Xiono;^[2] his^[8] astromech droid, CB-23;^[2] the pirate^[9] Synara San, and his fellow Resistance operative Jarek Yeager opted to investigate and see if they could help, as the Varkana system was near their location. After landing on Varkana, the group made their way to the signal beacon activated by Kev, unaware Tagrin had captured him.^[2]

With CB-23's help, Xiono recovered Kev's datapad and data rod, learning the spy's identity and that he had been sent to Varkana on the Resistance's behalf to track First Order black market activity. Xiono conversed with Yeager about Kev's work on the planet while CB-23 downloaded the data, with the group intending to depart shortly afterward after realizing that Lechee—whom their group had encountered upon their arrival to the planet—was likely working for the First Order and may have reported their presence on Varkana.^[2]

However, Tagrin confronted Xiono and his colleagues before they could leave, resulting in a brief skirmish in which Kev's datapad was destroyed. The bounty hunter left and went to his ship, planning to trap the group when they inevitably came to rescue Kev. After discussing, Yeager, San, and Xiono decided that as long as there was a chance Tagrin had captured the Varkana spy alive, they would try to rescue him. Suspecting Lechee had turned the spy in, the group confronted the vendor by threatening to rob him until he admitted to having reported Kev to the First Order, indicating that he may have been brought to Tagrin's ship if still alive.^[2]

Aboard Tagrin's ship[]

Xiono, Yeager, and CB-23 found a dazed Kev in a sealed compartment aboard the bounty hunter's ship and broke his restraints. Though the spy attempted to warn them of the impending trap, Tagrin swiftly locked the group aboard his vessel. Kev apologized for the group getting involved in such a messy situation, explaining the parameters of his original mission and dejectedly reflecting that losing his First Order contacts list meant his endeavor was a failure. However, the spy was thrilled when Xiono informed him that CB-23 had downloaded a copy of the list.^[2]

Tagrin arranged for the First Order's Commander Pyre to pay for the capture of Kev, Xiono, Yeager, and CB-23 and flew to meet at a rendezvous point. Kev insisted they needed to get off the bounty hunter's ship before they met with the First Order, helping Xiono pry open a panel. CB-23 then overloaded the ship's systems, but when Tagrin activated a countermeasure against their tampering, Xiono and Kev were briefly electrocuted and thrown backward. CB-23's efforts resulted in the ship roughly crashing into Varkana's surface, bouncing its passengers around inside on impact. Kev injured his head and leg upon landing, flopping onto the ground after attempting to walk. The spy slowly departed the vessel supported by Xiono, alongside CB-23 and Yeager, walking for a short distance.^[2]

However, Tagrin spotted the group leaving and fired on them, resulting in Yeager firing back while Xiono and Kev took cover. San—who had followed the group to the crash site on a speeder bike—arrived and joined the firefight, instructing Xiono to call Doza for an evacuation. Xiono and Kev boarded the pirate's speeder bike and fled the scene as the bounty hunter threw his vibro-ax at them, with the latter driving.^[2] The bounty hunter captured San, Yeager, and CB-23 shortly afterward^[9] by activating a powerful ability of his vibro-ax that filled the night sky with light, leaving Kev and Xiono to wonder what had caused it as they noticed and were unable to contact their colleagues. Xiono called Doza via comm for an evacuation but was informed that the First Order had already arrived in the system, causing Kev to agree with Xiono that their day kept getting worse.^[2]

Hiding from pursuers[]

While on the outskirts of Vargo Spaceport, Xiono and Kev began to plan to help their captured colleagues after spotting them in Tagrin's custody. Kev felt remorseful about having endangered them by sending out his initial distress call, though his companion assured him that the bounty hunter had likely wanted the signal to be issued to lure in more Resistance members. The pair continued to make their way through the spaceport, with Xiono contacting Doza to explain their colleagues' capture and insist they had a plan to get them back. However, after ending the call, he admitted to Kev that he had no plan to free their friends. Kev was frustrated with Xiono's lack of ideas, and as they continued to evade detection in the spaceport, insisted they could not continue sneaking around indefinitely. Nearby in the spaceport, stormtroopers showed wanted posters for the Resistance operatives to the fruit vendor Darrb.^[9]

Xiono suggested that stormtroopers should be their plan, though Kev did not initially understand what he meant until the former explained that they could ambush two troopers and steal their armor to rescue their friends, who had by then been transferred into the First Order's custody. The spy was skeptical, assuming he would have to devise a plan for them. As Xiono hastily departed, he tripped over a container that landed on Kev, causing the latter to yell out in pain. Two stormtroopers noticed the sound and began firing stun blasts at the pair, forcing them to flee through Varkana's streets. The pair decided to hide in Darrb's residence, picking up the alien and carrying^[9] him^[10] into the building before he could protest.^[9]

While Kev held his hands over the vendor's mouth to prevent him from speaking, Xiono promised they would leave shortly and handed him a piece of produce. Darrb struggled to break free in his panic and briefly shouted, causing both Resistance operatives to continue trying to keep him quiet. After the stormtroopers passed by the building's door, Darrb stomped on Kev's foot, causing him to lose his grip and let the vendor run away from them. Following the noise of their scuffle, the pair of stormtroopers demanded to enter the room and broke open the door shortly afterward. The two Resistance operatives quickly positioned Darrb in front of the door and moved out of sight of the door. Upon entering, the troopers found a terrified Darrb standing in front of them, but before they could search the premises, Kev and Xiono used bowls to knock them out.^[9]

A disguised infiltration[]

Though the Varkana spy still had misgivings about the idea, the pair dragged the two troopers out of Darrb's residence and stole their armor. As Kev struggled to fit in the armor properly and complained about its fit, Tagrin tapped into their helmet comms and listened to their plans to rescue Yeager, San, and CB-23. After learning that Xiono intended to return to their shuttle with Kev after freeing their other friends, the bounty hunter went to lie in wait for them there. Meanwhile, the two Resistance operatives then slowly traveled through Varkana's streets toward a hangar, with Xiono reassuring Kev that their plan would work, even though he had only used a trooper disguise once successfully before. They eventually joined another group of stormtroopers when ordered to fall in with them. As the group traveled, Kev struggled to keep pace with the others due to the awkward fit of his too-small stolen armor.^[9]

Upon reaching the hangar, the pair broke off from the group of stormtroopers and stopped in front of a doorway to discuss their next plans. However, Pyre opened the door behind them and noticed their startled reactions to his presence, asking the pair for their call numbers. Xiono began to reply but quickly stunned the First Order commander and closed the door, much to Kev's surprise. Kev then told the next group of troopers approaching that the entry behind them was malfunctioning, grateful when they walked away.^[9]

The duo then made their way to the shuttle where Yeager and San were being held and set them free from their interrogation chairs. Xiono introduced Kev to his colleagues, and the latter briefly struggled to remove his helmet before returning the salutations. CB-23—who had escaped on^[9] her^[11] own—joined them, and Xiono called Doza for an evacuation. However, when there was no reply, Kev questioned if they had left. The group went to their shuttle but quickly fled the vessel after Tagrin ambushed them there, locking the bounty hunter inside.^[9]

Escaping Varkana[]

Tagrin used his vibro-ax to escape from the ship and tossed a flash device at the group, who were regrouping not far outside the shuttle, and used their momentary confusion to close the distance between them. However, CB-23 began operating the vessel remotely and used it to knock out Tagrin, allowing Kev and the others to escape Varkana's surface aboard the shuttle. Now safely aboard, he congratulated Xiono on the trooper disguise plan's success, having been skeptical initially. Kev remained by Xiono's side as the ship gained altitude and evaded First Order TIE fighters with the help of the Colossus's Ace Squadron pilots, who had come to assist them.^[9]

Kev was surprised by their arrival, not recognizing the pilots, and shocked when the Colossus arrived to rescue them. After Xiono and Ace Squadron landed aboard the supertanker fuel depot, the Varkana spy thanked Doza for the rescue on the Resistance's behalf. Afterward, Kev helped Xiono explain that their stormtrooper armor was part of a disguise tactic to the latter's friend,^[9] the mechanic^[8] Neeku Vozo. Kev also offered for Xiono to depart the Colossus to join the wider Resistance, but he declined, not ready to leave his friends.^[9]

Further Resistance work[]

Not long after,^[13] Doza chose to settle the Colossus on the Outer Rim planet Aeos Prime, hoping to find peace after fleeing the First Order for several months. However, Xiono became restless and contacted Kev to leave the Colossus and rejoin the Resistance in its fight against the First Order. The pair discussed their plans over hologram, with the latter noting that he should leave as quickly as possible. Kev then used a secure channel to transmit coordinates for Xiono to meet near^[12] the Outer Rim planet^[14] Batuu, relaying his excitement for him to join the wider Resistance after they rendezvoused.^[12]

Xiono departed the Colossus in his team's namesake racer, the Fireball, but was attacked by a First Order probe droid not far off Aeos Prime. Though he voiced his regrets about not being able to meet Kev at the rendezvous point in time, Xiono turned back to the planet to warn the Colossus that the First Order was likely coming. Not long after his warning to Doza, the Colossus was forced to flee Aeos Prime when the First Order attacked the world, sending the station on the run again.^[12] At some point,^[4] the Resistance pilot^[8] Poe Dameron met Kev and told the spy about his and Xiono's first meeting, in which the pilot saved the latter in a dogfight against the First Order.^[4]

After departing from^[15] the Core Worlds planet^[14] Chandrila^[15] later the same year,^[16] the Chandrila Star Line's MPO-1400 Purgill-class star cruiser Halcyon made an unscheduled detour to Varkana to pick up a shipment of blasters for Kev, to be delivered to him on^[15] the Outer Rim planet^[14] Mon Cala. The cruiser's port of call schedule, including the Varkana pickup and the delivery on Mon Cala for Kev, was detailed in the voyage's datapad crew notes and indicated that a spaceport attendant would have useful intelligence on the endeavor.^[15]

Jade Squadron[]

Meeting with the aces[]

Kev joined the Resistance's Jade Squadron under the command of Resistance pilot Venisa Doza, but after the squadron took losses, he, the pilot Hugh Sion, and Venisa were all that remained of the group. With her^[4] husband^[8] Imanuel's agreement, Venisa arranged for Jade Squadron—including Kev—to travel to the Colossus to prepare for their next mission, which was to escort three shuttles of Resistance recruits off of the blockaded^[4] Outer Rim^[5] planet Dantooine. Kev and Sion met with Xiono aboard the station, with the latter Resistance pilot indicating that^[4] he^[17] and Xiono had flown together previously in the New Republic's service. Though Xiono bluffed that he had been faring well in a previous skirmish against the First Order, Kev jokingly remarked that Dameron reported a different version of the tale.^[4]

Upon inquiry, Kev informed Xiono of why Jade Squadron had come to the Colossus, indicating that the Resistance was having difficulty finding recruits to fight the First Order. In the station's Aces' Lounge, Venisa hosted a briefing outlining their mission objectives, aided by her astromech droid Torch's holographic depiction of Dantooine. The squadron then traveled to the planet for their endeavor alongside the Colossus ace pilots Xiono, Torra Doza, and Hype Fazon. Fazon and Kev were amused when Sion informed them that Xiono had almost gotten kicked out of the New Republic Academy despite the latter's protests to drop the topic.^[4]

Firefight over Dantooine[]

As they approached Dantooine, Kev informed Venisa of an incoming First Order TIE fighter squadron converging on their location. In the ensuing firefight, Kev and Sion paired off and destroyed several TIE fighters together, while the others in the escort group split into groups of two and did the same. However, one TIE fighter pilot informed Pyre of the attack on the blockade before their death. As Jade Squadron and the ace pilots began escorting three Resistance shuttles of recruits off Dantooine, the First Order's Resurgent-class Star Destroyer^[4] Thunderer^[8] arrived over the planet, and Lieutenant Galek's squadron was deployed to prevent the Resistance recruits from escaping.^[4]

As the Thunderer continued to deploy numerous TIE fighters, Venisa ordered Torra, Fazon, and Kev to protect the Resistance shuttles while she, Xiono, and Sion attacked their enemy's ships. Though the group eventually successfully jumped to hyperspace with two of the shuttles, shuttle two was destroyed despite Torra and Kev's efforts to protect it. Afterward, Jade Squadron and the ace pilots rendezvoused with the Colossus, landing with the two remaining shuttles. Imanuel agreed to allow the squadron and recruits to stay on the Colossus as long as needed, despite^[4] his^[8] initial agreement only to host them for a few days.^[4] The Colossus then traveled to the Barabesh system to continue evading the First Order.^[8]

Showdown with the Thunderer[]

Not long afterward, Xiono and Yeager attempted to rescue the First Order TIE pilot Tamara Ryvora—who had formerly been the pair's colleague on the Colossus—when she wanted to leave the organization and return home. However, the rescue went awry, resulting in the trio being brought aboard Thunderer, which then headed to the Barabesh system to destroy the Colossus.^[8] When Imanuel gathered the station's residents in the cantina Aunt Z's Tavern, Kev listened to the captain's plea for them to band together to help their friends and fight the First Order.^[11]

After Xiono and Ryvora sent a holographic transmission broadcasted to those in the cantina begging them to flee before the First Order arrived, Kev and the others on the Colossus felt moved by their loyalty and decided to help them. When the Thunderer arrived in the Barabesh system, Jade Squadron and the Colossus's Ace Squadron began making an attack run on the Star Destroyer. Kev followed Venisa's lead in dropping ion bombs on the panels near the Thunderer's thrusters, hoping to damage their engines. Though their initial runs had little effect, Jade Squadron managed to land several successful hits after CB-23 turned off the Star Destroyer's shields.^[11]

The chaos caused by the attack allowed Yeager, Xiono, and Ryvora to steal a shuttle and flee from one of Thunderer's hangar bays. Meanwhile, Kev and his colleagues made one final attack run on the Star Destroyer's engines, causing them to explode and cause a fiery chain reaction throughout the ship, resulting in the Thunderer imploding from the inside. With the Star Destroyer defeated Kev boarded the Colossus and celebrated with the station's residents in Aunt Z's, dubbing themselves Team Colossus.^[11] Within the year, the Resistance defeated the First Order at the Battle of Exegol, ending the galaxy-wide war.^[8]

Personality and traits[]

Norath Kev was a man with green skin and gold eyes^[2] who stood around 1.83 meters tall and spoke Galactic Basic.^[3] Kev strongly believed in the Resistance's principles and encouraged others to fight to save the galaxy from the First Order.^[12] He was willing to put his life at risk to escort Resistance recruits off Dantooine^[4] and fight against the Thunderer.^[11] The First Order considered Kev dangerous and assigned a high threat level to him on a wanted poster.^[18] He was able to share camaraderie and work well with others to complete shared objectives,^[4] but he also proved capable of working as a solo operative on Varkana. When in dangerous situations, Kev attempted to push himself past his limits after being injured when Tagrin's ship crashed by claiming he could walk when he was unable to.^[2]

The spy was a brave individual, standing his ground against Dragen after the bounty hunter destroyed his droid and believing other members of the Resistance would come to save him. However, when Xiono and his colleagues were captured by Tagrin trying to save him, he felt bad about calling for help and getting others entangled in the situation. Despite Tagrin's capture of him putting him in danger, Kev still cared about the parameters of his original mission to track black market contacts, thrilled upon learning CB-23 had saved his work. Xiono, Yeager, San, and CB-23 were willing to rescue the spy despite the risks of being captured themselves, unwilling to leave a fellow member of the Resistance behind if there was a chance he was still alive.^[2]

Kev exchanged several rounds of banter with Xiono on Varkana, not believing in the latter's ability to formulate a rescue plan for San and Yeager.^[9] Xiono meanwhile respected that Kev was a fellow Resistance spy^[2] but was briefly annoyed when the latter thought his stormtrooper disguise plan would not work. As they evaded First Order forces, Kev heavily relied on humor to make light of their dire situation but eventually expressed his gratitude to Xiono when they successfully escaped Varkana.^[9] He enjoyed Sion's teasing of Xiono while on the mission to Dantooine regarding the latter almost getting kicked out of the New Republic Academy.^[4] Kev—and the rest of those on the Colossus—were willing to help Yeager, Ryvora, and Xiono escape from the Thunderer instead of fleeing the Barabesh system.^[11]

Skills and abilities[]

The spy was a skilled operative who successfully gathered a list of black market First Order contacts and collaborators on Varkana. He was able to avoid First Order detection for some time^[2] and proved capable of eventually escaping from capture. Kev possessed technical skills and was able to send out an encrypted distress signal despite having limited time.^[9] Kev was a capable pilot while flying with Jade Squadron for an escort run^[4] and also while making attack runs on the Thunderer.^[11]

Equipment[]

Kev wore a dusty orange jumpsuit featuring knee patches, pockets, brown side panels, and a light gray strip across the waist. He completed his outfit with a yellow-and-brown jacket with mud-brown colored sleeves, a pocketed gray-brown vest with lighter gray accenting, and a dark red scarf. He also donned a pair of gray-and-black goggles and a set of brown and light gray shoes. While on Varkana, Kev completed his duties for the Resistance using 2BR-NTB, a datapad, and a data rod.^[2] Alongside Xiono, Kev stole a set of stormtrooper armor and an F-11D blaster rifle, using them to rescue Yeager and San from the First Order.^[9]

Though his Varkana datapad was destroyed,^[2] the Resistance operative acquired another one capable of transmitting encrypted coordinates, which he used to arrange a rendezvous with Xiono.^[12] As part of Jade Squadron, Kev wore an orange flight suit, a cream-colored flak vest bearing the Resistance's emblem. He completed his outfit with a gray belt, cylinders strapped to his uniform in a gray band below the knee, and dark gray gloves and shoes. While on a mission to Dantooine, Kev flew a T-70 X-wing starfighter and donned a white flight helmet with an orange-tinted visor, which featured green stylistic accenting and a Resistance emblem on the side.^[4]

Behind the scenes[]

Norath Kev first appeared in "The Missing Agent,"^[2] the twelfth episode of the second season of the animated television series Star Wars Resistance. Prior to the episode's release on December 22, 2019,^[20] Kev's starfighter appeared in a trailer for Star Wars Resistance's second season released on August 14 of the same year.^[21] He was first identified in a StarWars.com post announcing the trailer's release, which was posted the same day. The post also revealed the character was voiced by Daveed Diggs, an actor^[22] who would later go on to voice the human Crux in the Star Wars: Visions animated series.^[23] Diggs posted about his character on Twitter before the episode's airing, including that he liked Kev.^[24] In an earlier version of the script for "Breakout,"^[10] the thirteenth episode of Star Wars Resistance's second season that aired on December 29, 2019,^[20] Kev and Xiono met another spy—the Elomin Amleto—instead of encountering Darrb.^[10]

Lucasfilm Animation artist Jim Moore made a concept illustration of the character on May 4, 2018.^[25] Concept artwork pieces of Kev featuring in a wanted poster^[18] and wearing First Order stormtrooper armor^[26] were done by the Lucasfilm Animation artist Jason Pichon on June 7 and June 8, respectively, of the same year.^[18][26] Moore also created an illustration of Kev in a Resistance flight suit September 8, 2018, respectively.^[27] Star Wars Resistance's art director, Amy Beth Christenson, indicated that Kev and Lechee's designs originated from left over sketches done for the show's pre-production work.^[19]

Appearances[]

• Star Wars Resistance — "The Missing Agent" (First appearance)
• Star Wars Resistance — "Breakout"
• Star Wars Resistance — "No Place Safe" (Appears in hologram)
• Star Wars: Datapad (Galactic Starcruiser) (Mentioned only)
• Star Wars Resistance — "Rebuilding the Resistance"
• Star Wars Resistance — "The Escape"

Sources[]

Notes and references[]