Grappa, a male Rodian mercenary, was contracted by the government of Osarian, a planet, to hold the position of captain within the Osarian First-Force. Osarian's decision to enlist Grappa was a direct consequence of the rapidly intensifying Osarian-Rhommamool conflict. The planet's military capabilities were deemed insufficient, both in size and technology, to effectively challenge the neighboring world of Rhommamool.
In the year 25 ABY, Grappa made an attempt to intercept the Jade Sabre, a shuttle that was transporting Leia Organa Solo, the former Chief of State of the New Republic, who was on a diplomatic mission to Rhommamool. Shunta Osarian Dharrg, who was the leader of the Osarian government, desired to orchestrate a forced meeting with Organa Solo, hoping to prevent her from inadvertently enhancing the influence of the Rhommamoolian leader within the sector. Despite the initial success of Grappa's small squadron of antiquated Z-95 Headhunters in outmaneuvering the Republic vessel, their efforts to divert the Jade Sabre ultimately failed. The skirmish resulted in the incapacitation of three starfighters under Grappa's command, compelling the remaining members of the First-Force squadron to withdraw.
Prior to the events of 25 ABY, the Osarian government, residing on the planet of the same name, enlisted the services of a male Rodian named Grappa to serve in their military force, specifically the Osarian First-Force, which was the spaceborne branch. Osarian officials were increasingly concerned about the escalating conflict with their planetary neighbor, Rhommamool, fearing it would escalate into open warfare. Consequently, they sought to bolster their technologically inferior military by hiring mercenaries.
The Osarian government furnished Grappa and his fellow mercenaries with Z-95 Headhunter starfighters. While these ships were considered obsolete by the time of 25 ABY, the mercenaries compensated for this deficiency by employing sophisticated starfighter tactics. At some stage, Grappa was promoted to the rank of captain within the First-Force.
In 25 ABY, while still under Osarian command, Captain Grappa made an attempt to intercept the Jade Sabre, which was a shuttle belonging to the New Republic and carrying Leia Organa Solo, the former Chief of State. Organa Solo was on a diplomatic mission to Rhommamool. Accompanying Organa Solo on the shuttle were the Jedi Mara Jade Skywalker and Jaina Solo. Although Organa Solo's objective was to broker peace between the two planets, Shunta Osarian Dharrg, the leader of the Osarian government, feared that her visit would inadvertently elevate the status of Nom Anor, the leader of the extremist Red Knights of Life organization that controlled Rhommamool, both within Rhommamool and across the broader sector. Dharrg wanted to meet with the diplomat before she could do so with Anor.
Grappa, accompanied by four Z-95 Headhunters piloted by fellow Rodians, approached the Jade Sabre. He had strategically positioned two additional fighters at a distance, in case the Sabre proved uncooperative. He established viewscreen contact with the shuttle and demanded that the passengers accompany him and his pilots to Osa-Prime, the capital of Osarian, to meet with Shunta Osarian Dharrg. The shuttle's crew refused, attempting to evade the First-Force Headhunters by leveraging their technologically superior shuttle's navigation capabilities, fearing a gunfight would trigger a diplomatic crisis. Grappa and his mercenary colleagues were then forced to open fire, calling in the two hidden fighters to match the Jade Sabre's speed.
Despite the presence of Jaina Solo, a Jedi whose sensitivity to the Force provided her with an advantage, piloting the shuttle, the First-Force Headhunters managed to gain increasingly advantageous firing positions during the pursuit. Although the initial stages of the battle seemed to favor Grappa, the situation shifted when the Jade Sabre unexpectedly disabled one of his Headhunters by ramming it. Soon after, a T-65XJ X-wing starfighter piloted by another Jedi, Wurth Skidder, entered the fray, destroying two more Headhunters. With the arrival of additional New Republic reinforcements, in the form of a Mediator-class battle cruiser, the remaining First-Force pilots chose to disengage and abandon their mission.
Grappa demonstrated a willingness to risk his life by engaging high-profile New Republic officials in starfighter combat. His proficiency in starfighter tactics allowed him and his squadron to successfully outmaneuver the Force-sensitive Jedi pilot Jaina Solo, leading Mara Jade Skywalker to acknowledge his skills as "good." Grappa possessed the typical physical characteristics of a Rodian: green skin, black eyes, a spiny head ridge, and a tapir-like snout. His voice was described as uneven, and while he could speak Basic, his vocabulary was limited.
R. A. Salvatore created the character of Grappa. His sole appearance is in the novel Vector Prime (1999), which is part of the New Jedi Order series.