Ooryl Qrygg

"To create life is the greatest act a living creature can commit... we have all helped create and strengthen the New Republic. Creating the generation to which it will be passed on is one more duty we owe posterity."

- Ooryl Qrygg

Ooryl Qrygg was a Gand who served the New Republic as a pilot. Ooryl flew an X-Wing with Rogue Squadron and was designated Rogue Ten, serving as wingman to Corran Horn (Rogue Nine). Like Tycho Celchu, he had a flying style that favored light movements and shooting only when sure of a hit.

Rogue Squadron
He joined the reformed squadron in 6.5 ABY, training on Folor. He was one of the first to befriend Corran Horn as they were not only wingmen but roommates. He had a peculiarity in his speech whereby he sometimes referred to himself as Ooryl and occasionally as Qrygg but he never referred to himself in the first person. Explaining to his squadmates, a Gand who has never achieved anything was called Gand. By learning to pilot a ship he earned the surname Qrygg and by learning astronavigation and other advanced flight training he earned the name Ooryl. Gand speech conventions meant that ordinarily he would refer to himself as Ooryl but if he was ashamed or upset about something, he would refer to himself as Qrygg. Only Gand who have proved themselves so they are widely known can refer to themselves in the first person. This is in the belief that anyone that Gand was talking to would know who he or she was, therefore referring themselves as "I" would create no confusion or ambiguity in regards to the speaker's identity.



The reformed squadron, upon successful completion of their training, was posted to the world of Talasea which was located in the Morobe system. This was a move towards liberating planets in the Galactic Core. Imperial Intelligence agent Kirtan Loor deduced that Rogue Squadron were using the planet as a secret base and informed his superior, Admiral Devlia who decided to send in a strike team to attack the base while the personnel slept rather than a full blown strike. Gand biology meant that Ooryl didn't need to sleep as much as a Human and he was walking on the outskirts of the base when he saw the Imperial stormtroopers infiltrating the base. Corran Horn got an inkling, possibly through Force that something was amiss and began exploring the base too. He was about to be shot by a Stormtrooper when Ooryl appeared and killed the trooper. Together, they began rousing other members of the squadron from their sleep in order to fight back. They were successful in doing so though not without casualties—Lujayne Forge was killed.

Ooryl participated in the abortive first battle of Borleias. By capturing the planet codenamed Blackmoon, it was hoped that it would prove a useful staging point for capturing Coruscant. The Bothans who were in charge of providing intelligence for the mission slipped up and missed the Alderaan Biotics facility and secret TIE Fighter Squadrons. Ooryl was shot out of his X-wing and his arm was severed. Fortunately the Gand regenerative process meant that it would grow back and did so at an accelerated rate thanks to a Bacta cast. Ooryl would have been forced to miss the second battle of Borleias were it not for the fact that Mirax Terrik realized the secret of the Alderaanian biotics facility and rushed to the planet to warn Rogue Squadron that they were walking into another trap.

Ooryl recovered completely by the time Rogue Squadron were sent to Coruscant to infiltrate the planet and assess the possibility of liberating it. Ooryl and the other nonhuman members of the squadron were sent to Invisec to see the situation in that sector for themselves and to judge whether they would support the New Republic when the eventual invasion came. When New Republic priorities changed concerning when Coruscant should be liberated, he participated in the battle to bring down the planetary shield. He joined the team that was responsible for seizing control of a subsidiary computer center. The team tripped a defense mechanism which released Fex-M3d—a nerve agent—into the air. Ooryl's unique physiology was again useful as he didn't breathe the same way that other species did and could safely walk through the gas and retrieve breathing equipment for the others.

Janwuine-jika
In 7 ABY, he resigned his commission with all other members of the squadron to help free the prisoners of the Lusankya and liberate the planet Thyferra which had been taken over by Ysanne Isard and Xucphra corporation. During the campaign, Ooryl was being evaluated by fellow Gand ruetsavii after word of his deeds spread to his homeworld. It was decided that Ooryl had attained sufficient heroic status and Ooryl underwent Janwuine-jika, becoming a Findsman. This allowed him to refer to himself in the first person.

Ooryl fought in the Thrawn Campaign and was active in the squadron during the liberation of the Ciutric Hegemony and in the battles following the resurrection of Emperor Palpatine.

In 11 ABY, Corran Horn's wife, Mirax Terrik was kidnapped by unknown forces, later learned to be the Invids—pirates led by Leonia Tavira. Corran took a leave of absence from the squadron and trained as a Jedi Knight in order to rescue her. He infiltrated the Invids and fought Rogue Squadron during the battle of Xyquine. Ooryl unknowingly faced off against Corran and found himself on the wrong end of an ion cannon blast and found himself adrift. Fortunately the Gand was rescued and returned to the fleet.

The Jensaarai, a group of force users that weren't quite Jedi picked up on rumors that a Jedi was operating on the planet Courkrus which is where the Invids were operating from. They ambushed Corran but Luke Skywalker and Ooryl successfully tracked Corran down and defeated the Jensaarai. The trio went on to the Jensaarai fortress on Susevfi and freed Mirax from captivity.

Ooryl was present at the wedding of Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade.

Behind the scenes
In the first portion of the X-wing series, Ooryl is referred to as Ooryl Qrygg; however, in the second portion of the series his name inexplicably changes to Qyrgg. This may have been a spelling error on the part of the publisher, as even in X-wing: Rogue Squadron, Ooryl's name is spelled "Qrygg" in the Dramatis Personae and throughout the book, but refers to himself as "Qyrgg" when Corran introduces him to Lujayne Forge.

Appearances

 * X-wing: Rogue Squadron
 * X-wing: Wedge's Gamble
 * X-wing: The Krytos Trap
 * X-wing: The Bacta War
 * X-wing: Solo Command
 * The Last Command
 * X-wing: Isard's Revenge
 * I, Jedi
 * Star Wars: Union
 * Dark Tide I: Onslaught