Waka was a Rodian technician and scavenger who made his home on the lunar surface of Toshara during the time of the Galactic Empire. He crossed paths with the rogue Kay Vess when she crash-landed on the moon aboard the Trailblazer while running away from some criminals. Once Vess had dealt with the bandits, Waka proposed helping her fix her damaged spaceship. Despite her initial reservations, Waka wasted no time in introducing himself and telling her about ways to acquire credits on Toshara to pay for the necessary repairs, such as collaborating with Gorak Palas and the Pyke Syndicate. Ultimately, thinking that Vess wasn't worthy of owning the Trailblazer, he turned against her by guiding the bounty hunter Vail Tormin to her location. But Tormin, viewing Waka as a potential liability, murdered him.
Waka's existence was defined by fantasies of riches, importance, ease, and authority, yet he was unwilling to put in the required effort to achieve them. While his goals were grand, he was short-sighted and only cared about himself. He became known for his unreliability due to a series of unsuccessful scams and betrayed acquaintances. He carried a DL-18 blaster pistol as a weapon.