Liak A male Wookiee from Kashyyyk , Liak joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic when his friend and hunting partner Zherriak was killed during an Imperial slave raid of their homeworld . Small for his species , he became a member of Koris Haslam ' s commando team and participated in several missions for the Alliance . Because of his intricate knowledge of jungles and his instinctive sense of direction , which could be applied to space stations and other compounds , he was selected to participate in the rescue of Rebel leader Gebnerret Vibrion from an Imperial prison on Selnesh . During the mission , he acted as a prisoner accused of smuggling and of Rebel sympathies , and he helped his team escape through the prison ' s underground tunnels . Biography . The male Wookiee Liak grew up on the forest planet of Kashyyyk , where he lived in the jungle ' s upper levels . He became good friends with the Wookiee Zherriak , with whom he swore an honor bond , and the two frequently hunted together . When Liak was about middle - aged — between 301 and 350 standard years by his species ' s standards — the Galactic Empire , the dominant galactic government at the time , came to Kashyyyk on a slave raid . Zherriak was killed , and Liak and several other Wookiees were taken captive . However , before they could be forced into slavery , the surviving Wookiees overpowered the Imperials and captured their starship . Most of the survivors returned to Kashyyyk to resume their lives , but Liak , determined to take revenge on those who had killed his friend , turned to the Alliance to Restore the Republic . Liak became a commando and undertook several undercover missions during the Galactic Civil War in a team commanded by the Human Lieutenant Koris Haslam . Along with other commandos — the Humans Melenna Seltrayne , Barsoulentinial Enkhet , Gowan Ch ' lessan , and Doctor Aurin Leith — Liak was later selected to take part in a mission to rescue Rebel leader Gebnerret Vibrion from Imperial custody on the planet Selnesh . Vibrion , an elderly Human with Zithrom ' s syndrome — a kidney disorder that was treated through consistent doses of the medicine Clondex — had knowledge of critical information that could mean disaster for the Alliance should it be extracted by the Imperials . To infiltrate the Selnesh Imperial Detention Center , in which Vibrion was being held , Ch ' lessan and Enkhet disguised themselves as Imperial stormtroopers , while Liak and Seltrayne played the part of captured smugglers with suspected ties to the Rebellion . Doctor Leith was to assume the role of an ignorant passenger taking transit to the planet Sestooine with the two smugglers . Liak ' s sense of direction was called upon for the mission , as his instinctive ability to navigate through the jungles of his homeworld also applied to the complex corridors of space stations and other structures , a trait that his comrades found mysterious . After four days in hyperspace , the group reached Selnesh , and Liak , Seltrayne , and Leith were put in binder cuffs before their ship landed in a docking bay in the Imperial prison . Once the group was inside the prison ' s central computer bank , Halsam , impersonating an Imperial officer , ushered out the Imperials on duty under the pretense that he needed to interrogate the smugglers . When the Imperials left , the binders were removed , and the team located Vibrion ' s cell . Liak , prepared to help in any way necessary , stayed at Leith ' s side while she gave Vibrion several doses of revitalizing drugs and Clondex . However , when Haslam grew worried that the Imperials were beginning to suspect that something was amiss , he ordered Liak to open the door to the access tunnel through which the group planned to escape . Once the door was open and Vibrion was able to walk , Liak led the team toward the docking bay . Before they could make it into the bay , however , a firefight broke out with a group of Imperial stormtroopers that had followed the Rebels into the tunnel . While his companions defended against the Imperials behind them , Liak threw a concussion grenade into the bay , killing several Imperial troopers . The team ran to the ship and subsequently escaped the planet with no casualties . Personality and traits . Liak , whose name meant " autumn , " " blood , " or " red " in Shyriiwook , was slightly smaller than most Wookiees , who were between two and 2 . 3 meters as adults . However , Liak was not short enough to stand fully upright in the Selnesh detention center ' s underground tunnels . He had pale blue eyes and a long coat of golden - brown fur , and , like most Wookiees , Liak had a strong code of honor and justice ; he swore vengeance on the Galactic Empire after they killed his friend Zherriak and enslaved his people . Despite this , Liak was calm and rational , and he became an invaluable member of Koris Haslam ' s commando team as the voice of reason . Frequently , Halsam and Seltrayne squabbled amongst themselves , and Liak had to gently but firmly remind the two of the task at hand . He was able to discern the anxiety of others , and he attempted to calm his teammates when they became emotional . When Doctor Leith became nervous during the rescue operation , which was her first mission , Liak offered her calming words , and , although the doctor could not comprehend Liak ' s Wookiee language , she understood that he was trying to reassure her . Skills and abilities . Though gentle by nature , Liak was a cunning warrior with a mind honed for perception and survival . He was skilled in many areas of war , including hand - to - hand combat , though by Wookiee honor he was forbidden to use his climbing claws in battle . He was also very knowledgeable , having an an understanding of the operation and repair of many vehicles , including repulsorlift vehicles and starships . Raised on the upper levels of Kashyyyk , Liak developed an intimate understanding of the planet ' s complex jungles and honed his instinctive sense of direction , which he put to use many times in the service of the Rebellion . He was skilled in the use of bowcasters and grenades , both of which he carried , along with a comlink , medpac , and ammo bandolier , during his mission to the Selnesh Detention Center for the Rebellion . Behind the scenes . Liak ' s only appearance to date is in the short story " Do No Harm , " written by Erin Endom and illustrated by Christopher Trevas . " Do No Harm " was originally published in May of 1996 in " Star Wars Adventure Journal 10 " , which included statistics on several characters , including Liak , for " " . The story was later reprinted in the short story anthology " Tales from the Empire " in 1997 and archived online on in 2006 .