When Alderaan suddenly exploded a large chunk of rock hit their small vessel and both of Jonas' parents were killed. By Sheer luck Jonas survived. The ship was badly damaged and adrift, but after some time, the ship was boarded by a gang of smugglers.

They took care of him and showed him how to fly a Z-95 headhunter. When they saw that he had a real knack for it, the captain of the smuggler-freighter assigned him a modified X-Tie Ugly and let him fly support when it was time for deals to be made or during other dangerous operations.

Mostly his life was dull, but sometimes pirates who had gotten word of what they had as cargo would attack. Mostly the ran away again when they saw that the freighter was escorted, but sometimes they stayed to fight... and loose.

On one fateful day a pirate attack caught them unaware, and the pirate Z-95's were able to get multiple missile locks on Jonas' fighter. He would have been space debris if he hadn't ejected in time. The Freighter took a heavy beating but in the end his mates were victorious and retrieved him. His favorite craft was an ancient Y-wing, which he had bought sometime earlier, he'd customize it and work on it constantly after his X-tie was gone. He had painted the Y-wing black with silver and yellow stripes on the engine-pods, making it hard to spot from a distance.

On what was to be their last deal, his smuggler friends were to sell a crate of imperials arms to a party of Sullustan traders. But instead of the three Sullustan they had talked too, twelve Stormtroopers boarded their small vessel with weapons drawn and ready. Groznik, always custom to listening in on the deals didn't understand any of the shouting that followed nor why they were fighting.. but whatever it was about, he knew he couldn't help. But seconds later an Imperial-Class Star Destroyer entered the system, Groznik didn't know it, but the feeling he then experienced was the same as all pilots get when they see their first Star Destroyer, needless to say, he wasn't smiling. Then he saw the swarm of TIEs coming for him.

In a rage that only Wookiee's can muster Groznik shot down TIE after TIE, but they were one too many and when he realized that he couldn't win he turned his ship towards the freighters and launched all his remaining missiles, he didn't turn away until he saw the 8 torps impale the sleek Sullustan ship and detonate it's fuel supply. Then he just pulled the hyperspace-lever, not caring where he ended up.

He wandered from place to place not really being interested in what happened and always thinking about the friends he'd had. During one night filled with a lot of drinking he met a human called Kerek. after many more drinks they became friends and € started talking about what they'd been through... Groznik noticed that he did all the talking himself and Kerek only listened, but was too drunk to care, really.
After Groznik was through with his story Kerek asked him if he'd heard of the Rebel Alliance.. Groznik said that he'd heard vague rumors about it, nothing concrete. So Kerek said: "Good, then I have something to show you."

After his acceptance into the Alliance he was sent to pilot-training. His teacher said during one of his sessions: "He's not as aggressive as most Wookiees are known to be, but there are something which gets him mightily mad.. one of those is the Empire."