Manji picked up Shalla while out buying new armour for Aslan with Renn. While they were at the shop Shalla was there being marketed as a hunting companion. Manji wasn't sure what he saw in the beast, but there was something there, so he had Renn haggle with the shop keep after after a small sum of credits exchanged hands Manji left the shop with not only an upgrade for Aslan but also a new friend.

Originally native to the jungles of Cholganna, Nexu have been transplanted across the galaxy since they were first discovered to be domestically. Sometimes used as guard animals, they are far more commonly trained as arena combatants for use in gladiatorial games and challenges. They demand is driven part by their fearsome appearance with a huge toothy maw, four beady eyes and massive claw-tipped paws, all backed up by a pair of barbed tail spikes. What's more, Nexu are fully as lethal as their natural armament would suggest, and possess a temperament and instinctive cunning that make them even greater threats.

Although naturally stealthy and elusive, Nexu do not lack for ferocity or mettle in a direct fight, and they rarely back down in the face of any threat they encounter. Even then faced with more ferocious predator, Nexu are more likely to attempt to melt away into the underbrush or other cover and attack again using stealth to gain the advantage than to simply flee their hunting grounds. Of course, this means that training such fierce beasts is a dangerous and unforgiving task, but the demand for them means there are always those willing to take the risk.