Hahrynyar

Hahrynyar was a Wookiee who was enslaved by the Galactic Empire during the construction of the first Death Star, where he served as the shift chief on a subsector of Sector N-One on the armored battle station. In 0 BBY, during the construction, Hahrynyar ordered an extra exhaust port installed, which led him into a confrontation with Teela Kaarz, a Mirialan architect, over the placement of the port. Although the Wookiee took ill with a suspected parasitic infection before any change to the station's blueprints could be made, the exhaust port was ordered and installed as he had planned, a development that presented the Rebel Alliance with the means to destroy the Death Star.

Biography

Hahrynyar was an enslaved Wookiee construction worker whom the Galactic Empire assigned to the first Death Star, a massive battle station superweapon that was to be used against the Rebel Alliance during the Galactic Civil War. He served as a shift chief on a subsector of Sector N-One.^[2] In 0 BBY,^[3] during the station's construction, Hahrynyar installed a secondary thermal exhaust port below the main port, and afterward was involved in an argument with Teela Kaarz, a Mirialan architect who specialized in encapsulated arcology, concerning the port's placement. Kaarz told the Wookiee that she had the authority to change the blueprints; Hahrynyar demanded to see that authority in writing. After the confrontation, Hahrynyar returned to his duties and ordered a crew to unpack and install equipment.^[2]

At a later point during the construction, Hahrynyar was involved in a decompression accident that required a heart-lung transplant, which was performed by Doctor Kornell Divini. The Wookiee was placed on immuno-suppressive drugs, which caused him to develop a suspected parasitic infection. Plagued with a cough and a high fever, Hahrynyar was unable to return to work. Hahrynyar and Divini had a conversation about the former's condition, which was translated by the droid C-4ME-O. Divini decided to place Hahrynyar on a medicine to treat the new infection, warning Hahrynyar about several potential side effects. Hahrynyar expressed concerns over his absence to the doctor, but Divini insisted he did not return to work until they were sure he was recovered and not contagious, as Imperial protocol directed. As such, the work on the exhaust ports continued, as Kaarz had never obtained the authorization to remove them.^[2]

Kaarz later noticed that the port had still been built and expressed frustration to the remaining crew that Hahrynyar was out of commission and had never passed on her directive. During the Battle of Yavin, the port became the target of the Rebel Alliance, as they led directly into the main hypermatter reactor core. The Alliance used this weakness to their advantage during the Battle of Yavin and fired proton torpedos into the port, which triggered a chain reaction, and destroyed the Death Star.^[2]

Personality and traits

Hahrynyar was an elderly Wookiee whose pelt had turned almost entirely gray with age. He was a natural-born leader,^[1] and due to the Wookiee's attitude, Teela Kaarz suspected that Hahrynyar would have volunteered to join the Death Star construction crew even if he had not been enslaved. Grizzled and stubborn, Hahrynyar intentionally forgot how to understand Basic so that he was able to avoid communicating with his superiors. He had a dismissive and cynical sense of humor when speaking with Doctor Divini and once made a remark concerning Emperor Palpatine's personal hygiene.^[2]

Skills and abilities

Hahrynyar was a capable construction worker and Teela Kaarz believed his work had a good reputation.^[2]

Behind the scenes

Hahrynyar first appeared in the 2007 novel Death Star, which was written by Michael Reaves and Steve Perry.^[2]

Appearances

• Death Star (First appearance)

Sources

• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia

Notes and references