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The official Star Wars Databank website entries on Han Solo and Chewbacca make reference to an impressive exploit they apparently pulled off between the Battle of Endor and the events of The Force Awakens. Under the sections titled "The First Order", the entries claim that Han and Chewbacca freed the Wookiees' home planet of Kashyyyk from Imperial control1:

After the Battle of Endor, Chewbacca played a key role in liberating his homeworld of Kashyyyk from Imperial forces.
- Star Wars Databank: Chewbacca

After the Battle of Endor, Han became a rebel hero, helping Chewbacca liberate the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk.
- Star Wars Databank: Han Solo

When did Han and Chewbacca liberate Kashyyyk, in universe, and where was this story told, out of universe?

1 I feel obliged to mention that, having played Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and having particularly enjoyed the part of that game devoted to liberating Kashyyyk from Czerka Corporation's slaver operations with the help of Freyyr, Zaalbar, and Jolee, I was extremely disappointed to learn that Kashyyyk had once again been subjected to oppression and slavery by evil outsiders. The triumph achieved through all that hard work, sorrow, and bloodshed, laid waste by the villainous Imperial slime... It's as if Zaalbar endured the horrors of being forced to kill his own brother, Chuundar, for nothing.

Wad Cheber
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    Re: your aside: The start of second enslavement was, IIRC, right after Yoda's Order 66 assassination. Novelization covers it to a degree, i think. – DVK-on-Ahch-To Jan 02 '16 at 21:23

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In-universe, the liberation of Kashyyyk occured in the year 4 ABY, 8 months after the Battle of Endor.

Out of universe, the novel Star Wars: Aftermath by Chuck Wendig, part of the Journey to Star Wars: the Force Awakens series, shows Han and Chewbacca embarking on their mission to liberate Kashyyyk:

"We've got an opportunity with a very small window."

Chewie gurgles and Han agrees: "Imra, like you said: I'm out of that life, so whatever it is you're bringing to me-"

She disappears and a new holo-image pops up: a planet.

[...]

It's Kashyyyk.

It's Chewie's home.

A planet where Wookiees are still in thrall to the Empire. [...]

"They're gonna do ... who can say? A changing of the guards or something. Or they need ships for some planet or some other - I really don't know, Solo. The details are fuzzy, but what we do know is, the ships that are leaving won't immediately be replaced. Which means we have a few days."

"When?"

"Now."

Chewie raises his head back and howls.

[...]

"The Alliance - the New Republic, whatever they are - they got me on this thing. I've got a responsibility. I can't just change the plan and go off half-cocked...." And he knows what the New Republic will say. They have a strategy. They won't divert attention to Kashyyyk, not yet. He's asked. More than once.

Chewie is giving him this look. Not even making a sound. The Wookiee's chest is rising and falling.

And it hits Han: The words coming out of his mouth don't sound like him. Being out here, though, with Chewie, it's made him feel like he used to. They'd just go places. Do whatever they wanted. Follow their noses to drink and contraband and stacks of credits and whatever good or bad deeds came along.

A fire lights in Han's belly.

It's time to do this.

[...]

"Get everybody. Every right-thinking scamp, scoundrel, slicer, smuggler - anybody who owes me a favor. Anybody who hates the Empire like we do." [...] He turns to Chewbacca: "Hey, pal. You still know how to contact the other refugees? Roshyk, Hrrgn, Kirratha, and them?"

-- Star Wars: Aftermath

Less canonically, you may be interested in the history of the notion that Han and Chewbacca liberated Kashyyyk. This was first mentioned in the 2000 novel Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial by James Luceno:

[Chewbacca went on to become a soldierr in the New Republic,] Ralrra boomed and rumbled. [He aided in Kashyyyk's liveration afterr the Battle of Endorr. But he remained first and foremost devoted to Han Solo, as friend and indebted protectorr, and as guardian to Han Solo's spouse and three children.]

-- Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial

The next year, it was first shown in the Chewbacca campaign of the video game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds. And the 2002 reference book The New Essential Guide to Characters's entry on Admiral Ackbar first named the conflict as the Battle of Kashyyyk.

(See the SW Wikia page.)

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Rand al'Thor
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  • I'm not sure that's what the SW Databank is referring to - as far as I know, Han only has one child in the new canon, and I assume the Databank is limited to the new canon. – Wad Cheber Jan 02 '16 at 21:07
  • @WadCheber - No, the databank defines the new canon. If it says that they liberated the Wookiee homeworld, then they did. It doesn't mean that these references are canon, though. – Valorum Jan 02 '16 at 21:10
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    @Richard - That's what I was saying - I don't think those references are canon, because I believe they contradict Han's canonical family status. Obviously, if the databank says Han and Chewie liberated Kashyyyk, it means that the liberation of Kashyyyk with Han and Chewie's help is canon, but that doesn't mean that the formerly canonical account of said liberation is still canon. – Wad Cheber Jan 02 '16 at 21:13
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    @WadCheber Got you a new quote, from a novel that's part of the Journey to Star Wars: the Force Awakens series. Canon enough for you? :-) – Rand al'Thor Jan 02 '16 at 21:22
  • Much better. Maybe make a note of what is canon and what isn't. – Wad Cheber Jan 02 '16 at 21:24
  • @randal'thor - There used to be levels of canon, but when Disney bought the rights, they threw out the old system and created a simpler one: Now, things are either full canon or totally noncanonical. – Wad Cheber Jan 02 '16 at 21:27
  • I think the last one is the only canonical source. There is a question about the new canon somewhere that will explain everything. – Wad Cheber Jan 02 '16 at 21:29
  • http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/910/how-is-canonicity-of-derivative-works-determined-for-star-wars – Wad Cheber Jan 02 '16 at 21:30
  • @WadCheber Great, thanks! (and of course an even bigger thanks to Richard for collecting all that info together in that excellent post.) Answer updated accordingly. – Rand al'Thor Jan 02 '16 at 21:38
  • @randal'thor - That post is rapidly becoming outdated. I need to spend some time grouping stuff together. – Valorum Jan 02 '16 at 21:57