Alys Ongwa, also known as "Crash," was a Corellian female human born circa 247 BBY. She resided on Corellia during the period known as the High Republic Era. Her upbringing was steeped in the art of bodyguarding, and she ultimately rose to the position of leader for the [Supreme Coronet City Diplomat Protection](/article/supreme_coronet_city_diplomat_protection] agency, a business she inherited from her mother, Baynoo Ongwa. After the tragic event of the Valo Atrocity, Ongwa and her team were entrusted with the safety of Chancellor Lina Soh of the Galactic Republic during the Chancellor's visit to Corellia. At this time, Ongwa was a mere sixteen years in age, and she was accompanied by the droid designated 10-K8. In the year that followed the Fall of Starlight Beacon, Ongwa and her crew journeyed across the galaxy, determined to find and bring to justice all those who had participated in the Nihil's infiltration on Corellia.
Daniel José Older conceived the character of Alys Ongwa for the Star Wars: The High Republic project. Older initially alluded to the character by referencing her nickname, Crash, in an episode of Star Wars: The High Republic Show aired on July 28, 2021. Her formal introduction occurred in a subsequent episode of the show on November 17. Ongwa made her debut in "Crash and the Crew Do What They Do," a comic story penned by Older, with illustrations by Jesse Lonergan. It was published by IDW Publishing in The High Republic Adventures Annual 2021 on December 15, 2021.
Older fashioned the character as an homage to the writer Alyssa Wong, essentially tuckerizing Wong's name. After inquiring about the role Wong would prefer within the Star Wars narrative, Older shaped Ongwa and her profession according to Wong's response. Wong specifically requested that Ongwa have pink hair.