Groshik

"Don't count on others for help. In the end each of us is in this alone. The survivors are those who know how to look out for themselves."

- Groshik to Dessel

Groshik was a male Neimoidian cantina owner on the mining world of Apatros in the decades leading up to the Battle of Ruusan. Groshik operated the cantina on Apatros' only colony. In 1,003 BBY, Groshik helped one of his friends, a miner named Dessel, escape justice after killing a Galactic Republic ensign in self-defense over a game of sabacc. Groshik used one of his contacts affiliated with the Sith to get him smuggled offworld, and Dessel would eventually become the important Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Bane.

Biography
"Thank you old friend. I won't forget this.' 'I know you won't, Des."

- Dessel and Groshik after Groshik arranged to smuggle him offworld

Groshik, a male Neimoidian bartender, owned and operated a cantina on the only colony in the mining world of Apatros. The planet and colony were controlled by the Outer Rim Oreworks Company mining corporation. Groshik made his cantina's interior look ostentatious and tacky, and proclaimed that he did so to offend the ORO powers-that-be. This sentiment made him very popular with the cortosis miners that frequented his cantina, as many of them were stuck working for ORO because of debts and resented the company. To maximize profit at his cantina, Groshik spread his cantina's operating hours to cover both mining shifts, so he could serve the night-crew workers before they started and the day-crew workers after their shift was over. His routine was regular and never varied, and was well-known to all the miners on Apatros.

In 1,003 BBY, Groshik's cantina was visited by members of the crew of a Galactic Republic cargo ship who had visited Apatros to collect cortosis from the mines. Afterwards one of the miners, Dessel, a friend of Groshik visited the cantina after being suspended from the mines after biting the thumb off a miner named Gerd during a fight. Dessel played a game of sabacc with some of the Republic officers in the ORO-operate gaming room of the establishment, and after winning a seemingly impossible hand was accused a cheating by an angry Republic ensign. A commotion ensued, and Groshik quickly ended it by firing his BlasTech CS-33 Firespray stun rifle into the ceiling, and ordering everyone to leave the cantina. However, he told Dessel to stay, and the two cleaned up the cantina. Groshik told Dessel that he was projecting waves of anger and hate while he was playing sabacc, helping to incite the riot.

After Dessel left the cantina, he was attacked by three Republic soldiers including the ensign who had accused him of cheating, but fought back and killed the ensign in self-defense. Dessel raced back to the cantina, where Groshik let him in. Dessel told Groshik how he had killed the ensign, and that the authorities would surely arrest him shortly. Since Dessel would serve in a penal colony if he was found by the ORO, Groshik made arrangements with some of his contacts in the Sith to smuggle him offworld. Dessel was extremely grateful that Groshik had helped him, and would subsequently fight in the Sith army in the New Sith Wars after escaping Apatros. He served with distinction and his Force-sensitivity was discovered, and would eventually become Darth Bane, one of the most important and influential Dark Lords of the Sith in galactic history.

Personality and traits
"Be careful, Groshik. Neimoidians aren't known for relying on their feelings. It's not good for business."

- Dessel

Groshik was a very hard-working being, one who never varied his daily routine. He was business-savvy, and was able to configure his cantina's hours to serve the most people and maximize profits. He was good friends with Dessel, and liked him because he had seen him grow from a young boy into a man. Groshik kept his political opinions to himself, and while he allowed political discussions in his cantina he always refused to take sides. Groshik was known for firing his stun rifle whenever things got out of hand at his cantina, such as during the near-riot after Dessel's sabacc game. Groshik held some resentment towards ORO; he intentionally made his cantina look as garish as possible to irritate them and broke their rules by helping Dessel escape Apatros.

Behind the scenes
Groshik made his first appearance in Drew Karpyshyn's novel Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, and so far it is his only appearance in Star Wars canon. Groshik later got an entry in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.

Appearances

 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction