Pako (Witherbloom)

While Pako was at the helm of the Witherbloom, the ship almost collided with a mysterious unidentified ship. Master Xinith Tarl instructed him to attempt communication with the unknown vessel. Before Pako could maneuver to avoid it, the unidentified ship initiated an attack, ramming the Pathfinder ship. Despite his efforts, he was unable to prevent the Witherbloom from crash-landing. Following the impact, Pako discovered that the hatch was jammed shut. He then alerted the crew that the ship was about to explode. Rok Buran inquired about the safety of the external atmosphere, and Pako emphasized the urgency of immediate evacuation.

After escaping the wreckage with his fellow crew members, Pako returned to assess the damage and salvage any usable materials. When Coron Solstus proposed investigating the other wrecked ship, Pako expressed concerns about potential hostile presence. Upon reaching the wreckage, Pako accompanied Master Sula Badani, Ambar, and EX-5A in exploring the vessel. Inside, they found several bodies that had been brutally killed. Deeper within the ship, Pako remained to safeguard Ambar and the wounded Xinith while Badani ventured further to investigate.

While guarding the entrance to the cargo bay, Pako witnessed Badani staggering back, clearly affected by the creature. Realizing that they were not incapacitated by the creature's influence, Pako and Ambar understood they needed to act as the creature returned to the hull of the ship. The medic then theorized that they could channel the ship's remaining power through the hull to repel the creature. Pako then aided Ambar in relocating the Jedi to a more secure location.

Once the group was secured, Pako, accompanied by Ex-Five, navigated through the wreckage toward the engine room. A group of Path of the Open Hand ambushed them. While Ex-Five created access tunnels to bypass the ambush, Pako engaged the group in a firefight. Upon reaching the engine room, Pako followed the droid's suggestion and rerouted the power from the latency circuits through the manifold expressor. The resulting electrical surge coursed through the hull, stunning the creature.

Pako then returned to the cargo hold, where Ambar praised the success of their plan. However, the creature returned to the hull and attempted to re-enter. When Buran and Solstus arrived with other crew members, Pako aimed his blaster at them, but Rok explained that a truce had been established and cooperation was necessary. The pilot reminded the Jedi that the Path was responsible for the crash. As the Jedi discussed the matter, Pako devised a strategy to eliminate the creature. Acknowledging that the ship was beyond repair, he suggested luring the creature inside, trapping it, and overloading the engines to trigger an explosion. He knew that this plan would be difficult and require bypassing numerous safety protocols. While the wounded received treatment, Pako, accompanied by Sula and two Path disciples, went to the engine room. To access the system, Pako used Ex-Five as a power source. During the repairs, he had a philosophical conversation with Wole.

As they continued their modifications, Shalish ridiculed his loyalty to the Jedi. Upon hearing the approaching monster, the two Path members fled, while Pako remained in the engine room, continuing his efforts to self-destruct the ship's wreckage. Solstus managed to connect the power lines to the other section of the ship, and Pako started the engines and set them to overload. While on his way back to the group to help with the evacuation, he heard Badani being attacked by the creature. He immediately went to her aid, firing his blaster at the animal. He managed to repel it, but not before the creature slammed him against a wall, resulting in his death.

The first image of Pako appeared in the Star Wars News article "New Star Wars: The High Republic Tales and More Reveals from the Lucasfilm Publishing Panel" on StarWars.com. His identity was later confirmed with the release of the issue.