Aerial Devil

Aerial devils are birdlike animals with leathery wings and strong, hooked beaks. These creatures are consummate carnivores, their small frames belying their large caloric requirements. Aerial devils attack in small groups, taking turns swooping in and tearing at their victims until the creatures fall, at which point the feast begins in earnest. Thanks to their aerodynamic shape and wing structure, aerial devils can reach incredible speeds. They prefer cold and temperate woodlands (such as those found on the Bretheda moon of Marata) and nest high up in the trees. A typical aerial devil is 3 feet long and weighs a surprisingly light 10 pounds.
But aerial devils are not, in fact, devils in the literal sense. Instead, these creatures gained their moniker from loggers working in the forests inhabited by these creatures. They are considered dangerous pests, as they are sometimes driven to attack conservationists, hikers, tourists, and anyone else who might threaten their nests. Aerial devils have developed the impressive ability to pick incoming solid projectiles out of the air and crush the munitions in their vicious beaks. Ornithologists have yet to discover when aerial devils developed this evolutionary quirk, though not for lack of trying; it is easy to spot scientists who study these creatures from their missing digits and scarred faces.
In rare cases, those who live in close proximity to these little bundles of fury have been able to tame them to a limited degree and train them to do minor tricks. If an aerial devil is kept well fed—a challenge to be sure—it can learn to pick bullets out of the air on command. Some fighter pilots have a stylized image of an aerial devil stenciled onto their spacecraft, paying respect (or perhaps attempting to channel) the creature’s impressive flying ability.