Heerlaf

"You know the stories about Wookiees ripping the arms from Stormtroopers? "Yeah?" "Well I think Heerlaf could do that to the wings on a TIE fighter. Not saying I've seen it, but I wouldn't rule it out of possibility."

- Luka Heeren and Rolos Severan of Vin Squadron talking about Heerlaf.

Heerlaf was a Wookiee pilot and A-wing ace who became famous as one of the members of the presitigious Vin Squadron, an elite squadron of dogfighters led by Order 66-survivor and Jedi Knight Koses Lik-Har. After joining an anti-Trandoshan Wookiee pirate gang known as the 'Kyrrkas', Heerlaf put his past behind him, joining the Republic Navy as the co-pilot of an attack cruiser.

Just before the Clone Wars began, Heerlaf received a message from his parents on Kashyyyk, warning him that Trandoshans had attacked their village. Despite the warnings, Heerlaf stole a ship and flew back to Kashyyyk, though was attacked and abducted by Trandoshan Wookiee-hunters before he could find his parents.

In Trandoshan captivity for the duration for the Clone Wars and the Rise of the Empire, Heerlaf remained a prisoner, tortured and scarred on a space-station orbiting Trandosha, developing a frightening lack of emotion and increasing levels of anger at his captors. Outside of his prison, the Galactic Empire took over, the Jedi Order were nearly exterminated through Order 66, and the galaxy seemed to crumble. However, those that tried to restore the galaxy would also rescue Heerlaf.

Heerlaf was rescued in 2 BBY by a strike team of members of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, led by Jedi Knight Koses Lik-Har, who survived Order 66. The Rebels watched as Heerlaf bit the head from one Trandoshan and mauled another, before Koses spoke with Heerlaf, telling him of the situation. While the Wookiee almost attacked the Rebels, he soon came to his senses, and agreed to join the Rebel Alliance in return for his rescue, and due to his former service in the Republic Navy.

Koses soon discovered that Heerlaf was not only a skilled commander, but also a talented pilot, and so asked the Wookiee to join a starfighter squadron Koses wished to form to fly the new, fast A-wing. Heerlaf agreed, knowing he had nothing better to do, and for the rest of the Galactic Civil War, served in the squadron, becoming one of the Alliance's greatest aces behind Koses, Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles, and the greatest Wookiee ace in galactic history.