Pter Nyklas was a Human male officer who served in the Imperial Navy.
In 5 BBY, Nyklas was overseeing a construction project on the Imperial Hall of Heroes. He was also responsible for the purchase of the Wookiee slaves used to build the new wing.
Solo stuns Nyklas to save Chewbacca.
During an exchange with the Trandoshan slavers that supplied the slaves, Nyklas discovered that Ssoh's starship had been disabled. Nyklas ordered his TIE/LN starfighters under the command of Lieutenant Han Solo to destroy the ship, but Solo belayed the strike order when he discovered the Wookiees onboard. Nyklas ordered Solo and his pilots to kill the survivors, but instead Solo delivered the leader of the revolt, a Wookiee named Chewbacca. Infuriated, Nyklas ostensibly removed Solo's flying privileges.
Returning to Coruscant, Nyklas whipped Chewbacca regularly, regardless of his performance. When Chewbacca rose up in anger against Nyklas, the Imperial commander drew his blaster and was only stopped from shooting the Wookiee by Solo. As the pair fled, Nyklas filed Solo's dishonorable discharge papers and swore revenge on them. Nyklas's cruelty was a pivotal factor in driving Solo from the Imperial Navy, forging Chewbacca's life debt to the young Imperial officer, and eventually leading to Solo and Chewbacca's service with the Rebel Alliance - for which, one officer of New Republic Intelligence noted wryly, the whole galaxy owed Nyklas a great debt of gratitude.
Nyklas was described as being the stereotypical cruel Imperial. He was a believer in Human High Culture and saw the bridge of an Imperial Star Destroyer as a license to kill. His ship, the Flanchard, frequently handled slaving runs, a duty that Nyklas loved even though most other ship captains loathed it.
- The New Essential Guide to Characters
- The Official Star Wars Fact File17
- Star Wars: Empire at War: Prima Official Game Guide
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- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- The Essential Guide to Warfare
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- "" — Star Wars Magazine 3