Lowbacca

"You're the one I've never doubted, your path has never veered from the light, and you've shown that it never will."

- Luke Skywalker

Lowbacca or "Lowie" was a Wookiee Jedi Knight during the Yuuzhan Vong War. He was the nephew of Chewbacca, the son of Kallabow, and the brother of Sirrakuk. He studied at Luke Skywalker's Jedi Praxeum and was a companion of Jaina Solo, Jacen Solo and Tenel Ka.

Early life
Since most of the people Lowbacca would have to interact with were not fluent in Shyriiwook, the Wookiee trade language, he used a small translator droid that he carried at his waist named Em Teedee. Later it was modified to hover, and followed him around flying. Being a Wookiee, Lowbacca was a rarity among Jedi, as Force-sensitives were even less common among Wookiees than among other species, one being born only every century or so. Before coming to the Jedi academy, he had had two passions; computer science and the study of Kashyyyk's complex plant life. The latter had prompted him to go alone into the dangerous lower levels of his homeworld's forests during his rite of passage to young adulthood, and to pit himself against the deadly syren plant. The combination of computer skills and biological knowledge, and his desire to take on the impossible would make him an invaluable asset to the Jedi. He wielded a bronze-bladed lightsaber.

Second Imperium Crisis
Lowbacca unknowingly set a chain of events in motion when he discovered what eventually turned out to be derelict TIE Fighter in the jungles of Yavin 4. His new friend Jaina Solo, somewhat envious of Lowbacca's T-23 Skyhopper, wanted to repair the TIE Fighter. With the help of Lowbacca, Jacen, and Tenel Ka, she did, but the friends didn't know that they were being watched by the TIE Fighter's pilot, Qorl. Eventually he was forced to reveal himself and the took the twins hostage forcing them to repair the fighter for him.

Lowbacca ran away to his skyhopper, and returned with it in an attempt to intimidate Qorl into running away. However, Qorl called his bluff and critically damaged the airspeeder, forcing Lowbacca to abandon it in the jungle. Lowbacca tore through the jungle on foot for the Praxeum, losing Em Teedee in the process. Once he got there, he couldn't communicate with anyone there, but he remembered that his uncle was nearby, checking out Lando Calrissian's GemDiver Station. A rescue mission was mounted and the twins were recovered.



Shortly thereafter, Lowbacca was kidnapped along with his friends Jacen and Jaina, as well as Em Teedee while on a field trip to GemDiver Station. The little droid was taken away from him and they were brought to the Shadow Academy. There, Tamith Kai tried to exploit his anger in an attempt to turn him to the dark side. She went to such lengths as reprogramming Em Teedee to spout pro-Imperial propaganda or subjecting him to arduous torture.

Lowbacca gave into his anger twice, the first time when Brakiss attacked Jaina with Force lightning, and the other when he smashed a screeching sonic generator beyond all repair. However, Lowbacca was able to keep himself from being indoctrinated. When Jacen freed himself using a Corusca gem that he had acquired during their field trip. Lowbacca used his excellent programming skills to help his friends in an escape attempt aboard the station just in time for Luke and Tenel Ka to show up to rescue them.

Later, Lowbacca went to Kashyyyk with Jacen Solo, Jaina Solo, and Tenel Ka in response to his sister, Sirrakuk's, coming of age and going deep in the underlevels of Kashyyyk to harvest strands of the deadly syren plant. Lowbacca had done this under unwise counsel alone, and Sirrakuk wished to repeat this, as did her best friend and Lowbacca's admirer, Raaba. When Raaba did, though, she disappeared and was presumed dead. Shortly after their arrival, the Second Imperium, headed by Zekk, came to raid a factory for computer supplies for the new fleet. The two parties soon met, and started a skirmish that killed the Nightsister Garowyn, tumbling into the underlevels of the Kashyyyk forest. There, Lowbacca and the others headed off Tamith Kai and eleven stormtroopers. Shortly following, they encountered a syren plant. There, Nightsister Vonnda Ra and Sirrakuk were swallowed by the carnivorous plant, with Vonnda Ra being eaten and Sirrakuk pulling out the strands of the plant and then being pulled out by Lowbacca.

Diversity Alliance


On one occasion, Lowbacca was tricked into joining the Diversity Alliance&mdash;an anti-Human terrorist organization&mdash;by Raaba, a fellow Wookiee. However, Lowbacca turned against the Diversity Alliance after learning of their true purposes and rejoined his fellow Jedi Knights. Lowie continued to have many adventures with his fellow Young Jedi Knights.

Yuuzhan Vong War
When Chewie died at the start of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, Lowbacca and Chewbacca's son Lumpawaroo vowed to take up his life debt to Han Solo, but Han insisted that he was still mourning Chewie. Instead, Luke assigned him to accompany Jedi Knight Daye Azur-Jamin and his wife Tinian I'att, a Wookiee-trained bounty hunter, as scouts in Hutt Space. When Daye was captured on Nal Hutta, and the Yuuzhan Vong tightened their grip on Hutt territory, however, Lowie and Tinian had to flee back into the New Republic.

Unable to fulfill the debt to Han himself, Lowbacca subsequently stuck close to the Solo children, particularly Jaina. He took part in the Myrkr strike team's assault on the voxyn cloning facility onboard the Worldship Baanu Rass, and subsequently served as Jaina's first mate aboard Trickster. He subsequently became a member of Twin Suns Squadron under Jaina's command, where he earned the nickname Streak. At the Battle of Ebaq 9, Lowbacca was stabbed by Tsavong Lah, but the wound was not fatal. He flew a Zonama Sekotan Fighter in defense of the planet. After the War, Lowbacca told Han he and Waroo were assuming Chewbacca's life debt.

Dark Nest Crisis
However, five years later, he was with Jaina and Tesar Sebatyne when they received Raynar Thul's Force-cry. Lowbacca was captured by the Chiss, though he was released after the signing of the Qoribu Truce. After the Truce Lowie and Tesar hunted pirates who were hijacking Abaarian water shipments. Later with help from Lowie and Tahiri Veila, he endangered the security of the Jedi Order by telling Aryn Thul that the Jedi were planning to kill Raynar. Luke Skywalker found out and ordered the three to remain on Dagobah for the remainder of the Swarm War. He would later return from exile with Tahiri and Tesar.

Second Corellian Insurrection
By 40 ABY, Lowbacca and Tesar were operating under Admiral Nek Bwua'tu's command. They were specifically tasked with monitoring the secret Corellian shipyards in the Kiris asteroid fields.

Behind the scenes
After the release of the Dark Nest Trilogy, George Lucas declared that no more Wookiee Jedi could be made in the EU. It has been speculated that because Lowbacca ended the trilogy exiled on Dagobah, and because so far he has not been announced to be in the Legacy of the Force series, that he will join the ranks of other such 'forgotten' EU characters as Callista and Daala. However, Troy Denning recently stated that Lowie, Tahiri, and Tesar's exile on Dagobah was not permanent. When asked about Lowie's sudden dissapearance, Sue Rostoni replied that he is too busy doing 'Jedi business' to appear.

Appearances

 * Young Jedi Knights series


 * Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial
 * Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse
 * Balance Point
 * Star by Star
 * Dark Journey
 * Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream
 * Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand
 * Destiny's Way
 * The Final Prophecy
 * The Unifying Force
 * Dark Nest I: The Joiner King
 * Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen
 * Dark Nest III: The Swarm War
 * Tempest