Galaxy Guide 11: Criminal Organizations

by Rick D. Stuart

Development and Editing: Bill Smith
Graphics: Brian Schomburg • Cover Art: Lucasfilm Ltd.
Interior Art: Terry Pavlet, Doug Shuler, Mike Vilardi
Publisher: Daniel Scott Palter • Associate Publisher/Treasurer: Denise Palter
Associate Publisher: Richard Hawran • Senior Editor: Greg Farshtey
Editors: Peter Schweighofer, Bill Smith, Ed Stark • Art Director: Stephen Crane
Graphic Artists: Tim Bobko, Tom O'Neill, Brian Schomburg
Sales Manager: Bill Olmesdahl • Licensing Manager: Ron Seiden • Warehouse Manager: Ed Hill
Accounting: Karen Bayly, Wendy Lord, Kimberly Riccio • Billing: Amy Giacobbe

Published by West End Games • RR 3 Box 2345 • Honesdale PA 18431 • 40075

®, TM and © 1994 Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL). All Rights Reserved. Trademarks of LFL used by West End Games under authorization.

Introduction

"A pardon? I don't issue pardons for parasites." — Moff Shendar to Governor Ukass

It is not always a pleasant universe out there. Ask Grison Jarn or Sub-Prefect Neris if you doubt that!

Throughout galactic history, there have always been persons who deliberately flaunt society's rules. Not content to live in peace with their neighbors, these individuals seek instead to live at their neighbor's expense. From the earliest days of the Republic, criminal masterminds have plagued the galaxy at large. Long before there was a Death Star, or even an Emperor, agents of organized crime have preyed on the weak with a deadly efficiency. Sadly, these predators have often been aided by corrupt officials who abandoned Republic law for a large stack of credits. Galactic history is littered with examples of gangsters and outlaws who have made good at the expense of others.

Today's galaxy is no different. The rise of advanced technologies has witnessed the rise of powerful criminal elements. The isolation of numerous planets with the continued strife between the New Republic and the Empire has only contributed to the problem. With much of the galaxy's resources committed to the war effort, little is left to combat local crimelords. On many worlds, the rewards of hard work are often lost to armed enforcers in the pay of underworld mobsters. Often, for every planetary official seeking to maintain law and order, a dozen dishonest officials attempt to undermine those same efforts.

Galactic crime is on the rise. As characters venture deeper into the Star Wars universe, their chances of confronting criminal elements increases dramatically. These encounters may involve desperate space-jackers, unscrupulous slavers, or shifty black marketers. The more characters explore the galaxy around them, the greater the risk of running afoul these various unsavory types. Unfortunately, most are unprepared for such encounters. Given the secrecy that cloaks the average criminal's illegal activities, few realize how powerful many local crimelords are. Likewise, few understand how influential organized crime in the galaxy has become. Many would be shocked to learn, for example, the extent to which the Hutts dominate planets in a hundred different sectors. Despite the death of master criminal Jabba, the Hutts continue conspiring behind the scenes, directing the criminal underworld on thousands of worlds. In light of these facts, adventurers are warned to keep their friends close at hand and their blasters even closer.

Setting The Stage

Galaxy Guide 11: Criminal Organizations is set approximately six years after Return of the Jedi, after the events depicted in the Dark Empire comic series and its companion Dark Empire Sourcebook. During this period, war between the Empire and the New Republic has resumed in a most devastating manner. The Empire has retaken the Core Worlds and the Inner Sphere, as well as numerous bases within the Mid-Rim. It has even forced the New Republic from Coruscant.

Yet, despite these many victories, the Empire suffers from internal divisions. Personal rivalries and disagreements over policy have made consolidation of hard won gains difficult. In many parts of the galaxy, government control exists more in theory than in practice. Resources and trained personnel are spread thin. On hundreds of populated worlds, the absence of a strong, central authority has created a power vacuum. This is especially true on several worlds like Andasala, which have declared themselves neutral in the continuing struggle. Into this vacuum have filtered a variety of underworld elements: local crimelords, would-be tyrants, and seedy opportunists. These people thrive on the anarchy the war creates.

Despite the Empire's stated claim of re-uniting the galaxy, many planetary economies have suffered dramatically during the continuing conflict. Interstellar trade routes are often blockaded or mined without warning. Small companies are habitually raided (financially and literally) by larger ones. Once prosperous business empires have simply ceased to exist in the wake of planetary bombardments.

The result has been a dramatic rise in unemployment on thousands of planets. From the growing number of frightened, unemployed people local crime bosses have recruited a loyal following. Often the simple offer of a job (and with it the means to feed a hungry family) is gratefully accepted with no questions asked. In times of need, few care who they work for as long as they're working. The more independent and desperate look to other ways of making ends meet. Some drift into their planet's black market system. Those tough enough to survive occasionally carve out lucrative, if trouble-filled, lives for themselves. For many others, gun-running, smuggling, and even slaving are a way of avoiding starvation. Whatever the choices made, the success of these illegal operations further contributes to the growing disorder and chaos in the galaxy.

Bad Happenings

"Just who do you think you are, anyway? I don't care if you are carrying blasters! You listen up, sonny, and listen up good!

"Last year the Rebels took my gravtrac. They gave me this datachip in return. They said I could claim my property at their depot when they were through with it.

"Well, chip or no chip, I lost my gravtrac when the Empire kicked them Rebels off the planet. So I went to the garrison commander. She just smiled and said it was 'confiscated Rebel contraband.' Next thing I know, those Empire toughs took my son and put him in the militia. They said he'd gone an' volunteered like. Then they requisitioned my farmhouse and kicked me out without so much as a 'by your leave.' They said it was now — what'cha call it — an observation post.

"Well, I guess it worked pretty good! The Rebels have agents all through these parts. They 'observed' them setting up shop. Later, when they raided the place, they 'observed' it gettin' freg'd right to the ground.

"Now, you people from Boss Jorrn come along. You tell me how I have to buy protection from you from now on or bad things are goin' to happen to me.

"A little late, aren't you boys? You should've been here last year! I've got nothing left worth protectin' now, have I? Bloody amateurs! After what I've been through, your kind are almost welcome around here."

— Farm Master Grison Jarn, extract from recorded conversation with members of the Jorrn Kresh gang

Changing Times

Amid this rising chaos, the galaxy's underworld itself is undergoing a difficult time of change. With many of the galaxy's more prosperous citizens reduced to frightened refugees, many wealthy criminal organizations have fallen on hard times. Crimelords, once secure in their "arrangements" with local authorities, are often forced to compete with those same authorities (who are now in business for themselves).

Then there is the death of Jabba the Hutt. Ironically, though one of the galaxy's most hated criminals, Jabba was in many ways a stabilizing influence. Through cunning, guile, ruthless exploitation, and murder, he held dozens of crime syndicates and cartels under his control. With Jabba no longer in command, however, all bets are off! Old rivalries, long checked by the Jabba's influence, are being revived with a vengeance. As Hutt and non-Hutt alike scramble to acquire a piece of Jabba's empire, personal vendettas litter the back streets of countless worlds with the bodies of competitors.

In the wake of Jabba's death, the galactic underworld is largely up for grabs. Anyone smart or ruthless enough to seize some of it can become exceedingly rich. The net result has been the creation of a multitude of "third-party" crime syndicates. At their head are a host of cruel and cunning individuals, determined to make as much illegal profit as possible. Nowhere is this situation more in evidence than in the Outer Rim Territories. In this traditional "frontier" expanse of space, hundreds of new crime syndicates, smuggler coalitions, and gangster guilds have sprung up. Here can be found worlds deliberately catering to criminal needs. Many serve as outlets for illegal commerce (including slave cargoes). Far removed from the scrutiny of Imperial authorities, these rival gangs work to control more and more of everyday life.

A Physical Application Of The Law

The circle of green light surrounding his chair cast an eerie glow on the unexpected proceedings. An hour before, Sub-Prefect Neris had been safe and warm in his bed. Then three thugs, their faces shielded by their helmets, blew the door in.

How had they managed to get past all that expensive security? he wondered.

There was a quick spray hypo. The next thing the frightened administrator remembered was waking up in darkness, strapped to a metal chair. It seemed he'd been waiting forever. Neris knew he was not alone, however. He could hear someone moving in the darkness. Someone who preferred the darkness to the light.

"How nice of you to join us, Sub-Prefect."

"Who is that?"

"Don't you recognize the voice of your most loyal supporter, Neris?"

"Seron? Gornt Seron*?"

"The same."

"Why have you brought me here? I demand you release me at once!"

"I'm afraid, Sub-Prefect, you are in no position to make demands. I simply wish to speak with you. I found it difficult to make an appointment through your private scheduler."

"The only appointment I'll make with you, Seron, is for your public execution."

"There, you see, gentlemen. Always the officious, disrespectful attitude. It is that very attitude of yours I wished to speak to you about, administrator. You have been waging a personal vendetta against me for some time now. Why, I cannot begin to imagine. I have never harmed you, never threatened you in any way. Yet you continue to persecute me."

"You're a hoodlum, Seron!"

"I'm a businessman, Sub-Prefect."

"You're the biggest racketeer in this system!"

"I put people to work in times of financial distress."

"You're a murderer ten times over!"

"I deal with my competition in an expeditious manner."

"You've corrupted dozens of officials throughout this entire sector. But not this time. I'll see you brought to justice, if it's the last thing I do!"

"Please, Sub-Prefect, spare me the melodramatics! Why must your kind thrive on the theatrical? I had hoped you would prove a reasonable man. In fact, I had prepared a most lucrative offer to set before you. But I can see now I am wasting my time. You disappoint me, Sub-Prefect. So sad, considering you and I are actually very much alike. Like you, I believe in firm application of the law. I deal more, however, with the application of 'physical' rather than 'judicial' laws. Your predecessor discovered how firm my applications can be."

"Bregless? Somehow I always knew you were responsible for his death."

"Actually, I never laid a hand on the poor man. As with you, Sub-Prefect, I attempted to reason with him. I asked him — very politely, mind you — to refrain from those annoying investigations into my activities. He not only refused, but did so in a most uncivil manner. But I am not responsible for his demise. His attitude placed him in a situation in which he reacted negatively to a physical application of gravity."

"I don't understand what—"

"Here, Sub-Prefect, allow me to demonstrate."

The floor opened up with the sharp hiss of rapidly expelled air. Neris was briefly aware of a metal shaft through which he was falling. Seconds later, he emerged to the shock of a cold night's breeze, 500 meters above the plaza's ferrocrete surface. Few were on hand in that early hour to hear the Sub-Prefect's agonizing scream. The few who did paid little heed. After all, it was well known in that part of town that Seron's guests generally reacted negatively to the sudden application of gravity at that hour.

* See pages 46–49 of Wanted by Cracken for more information.

The Opposition

The situation is not entirely bleak, however. Despite the rise of gangsters by the thousands, there are still positive forces at work in the galaxy. These may not be as well known as the order of the Jedi Knights, nor as well equipped as their military counterparts. Nonetheless, these planetary peacekeepers wage a relentless shadow war against the rising tide of criminal rule. For many, their job is one of unacknowledged heroism, with little more than a pension and a word or two of thanks as their reward. Others are themselves ex-criminals, driven to even old scores. Their operations in the field often reflect the different ways in which the Empire and the New Republic view criminals in general. Though not always successful in their efforts, they are worth examination. This guide would be incomplete if their services were not acknowledged.

Using This Supplement

This supplement is for use with Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, Second Edition. It is designed to acquaint gamemasters with the different types of criminal personalities and organizations found scattered throughout the galaxy. This supplement presents nothing less than an entirely new sub-culture in the Star Wars universe. In these pages can be found a fresh cast of characters to liven up existing campaigns or inspire new ones.

When using this material, keep in mind that the galaxy is populated with an incredibly vast array of different planets, species, and cultures. As such, it is impossible to detail even a fraction of the galaxy's more notorious criminals, their organizations and operations.

Gamemasters should view this guide as an information tool. By using this supplement, the reader will gain a new appreciation for the wide range of criminal activities in the galaxy. The persons described in these pages are accurate representations of criminal characters found in every part of the galaxy. Criminal agents like the data fixer, the enforcer, or the slaver can be found in virtually any sector of space. The gamemaster may elect to have characters encounter these — and other criminal "models" — in any number of possible settings.

Equally important, however, this guide aims at providing the gamemaster with a new sense of atmosphere: dark, brooding, gritty, in keeping with the nature of the galactic underworld.

Though intended primarily for gamemasters, players can also benefit from this material. Those venturing into the criminal underworld for the first time are well advised to read up on survival tactics in the black market! These days characters need to invest considerable time and effort to adequately prepare for each new mission. Whenever possible, acquiring specialized information relating to one's mission is a wise precaution. Such preparation often makes the difference between arriving with your cargo safely in port or breathing vacuum in an asteroid field. Galaxy Guide 11: Criminal Organizations is designed to give characters just that kind of edge. It provides useful information that can increase a character's chances of survival. Such information may be critical in situations where the criminal has the upper hand.

Family Matters

"You're looking a bit worn out today father. What can I do for you?"

"Brahle. I've been expecting you. Come in and close the door."

"Mind if I pour myself a drink? You look like you could use one, too."

"What I want, Brahle, is an explanation. Look at these figures I received from our home office."

"Really father, you know how tedious I find interstellar commerce shop-talk. To your good health!"

"They tell me someone's been embezzling millions of credits from our corporate accounts. Someone on the inside. Someone with access to special information. No, I don't want any…"

"Indeed? Troublesome to be sure. But, you know you really should take better care of yourself father. You're not looking at all well. Here, have a stress tab."

"I don't need a drink, and I don't need a stress tab. What I need is an explanation."

"An explanation?"

"There is only one person who could have manipulated these accounts. Only one person I know has the skill and the inside information to pull off this sort of thing."

"Oh that. Yes, it was rather a challenge, at that. You know you really don't look at all well, father. Are you sure you feel all right?"

"You admit it! You admit stealing from your own father. What are you laughing at?"

"I admit to my own genius, yes. I'm laughing because, from the way you're clenching your stomach I'd say I've out-smarted you again."

"What do you mean?"

"A slow-acting contact poison, father dear."

"The drink. The pill. But you just took… but, I didn't take any. I refused. How…?"

"Please, father, I would never be that obvious. Actually, I discovered yesterday you were closing in on me, electronically speaking. I decided I'd strike first. I covered the surface of your comp with the necessary preparation last night. Your instrument of proof against me became my instrument of your demise. It simulates heart failure quite nicely, don't you think?"

"But why?"

"I was bored! I wanted the credits you have. I wanted the freedom to spend them as I wished. And, it was a challenge. My, but you do look pale."

"Antidote…"

"Oh yes, I almost forgot. You'll appreciate this. There was an antidote, father. Part of the compound was in the drink I offered you. That, combined with the ingredients in the stress tab I just took was all the safeguard I needed. And you refused both! Father? Oh, dear me, I do seem to have ruined your weekend, haven't I?"

What Goes Around

The astute reader will quickly note the absence of any material governing new player characters. This is an intentional design decision. Players are discouraged from attempting to adopt such roles. Despite the lure of fast living and easy credits, the life of the average Star Wars criminal is short and brutish. It is characterized by periods of intense violence, and intense fear. Most of these characters face opposition from both law enforcement agents and rival criminals alike. Survival is often a matter of reacting violently first. However, what goes around comes around. Few of these characters enjoy long or rewarding careers. None are the kind of characters players would be proud to acknowledge as their own.

Chapter One: Faces In The Dark

Assault. Racketeering. Piracy. Murder.

In every city, on every planet, in every system of the galaxy, scores of beings devote their lives to these unsavory practices. Many are driven to a life of crime seemingly out of necessity. Others enjoy the power they exert over their victims. The galaxy's lifeblood is trade and the free exchange of information. Every day these scavengers prey on that precious flow of goods and services, like so many galactic leeches. Some work alone, their faces hidden in the shadows of dark alleys, attacking at will. Some join forces with others of their kind, to pull off that "Really Big Job" against incredibly long odds.

There are many ways to run into a galactic criminal without really trying! Flash a lot of credits around any major spaceport and you're likely to find yourself facing the business end of a blaster in no time. A careless slip of the tongue over a glass of chafir and before you know it pirates are emptying your cargo holds out near the Rim. Has the First Interstellar Trust turned you down for that important loan? No problem. As every loan shark knows, these things can be arranged! Looking for that special gift, for that special someone? Your friendly, neighborhood black marketeer is there to help… for a price. Sometimes, just belonging to the wrong family or political faction can make you a target for kidnapping or assassination. With galactic crime on the rise, these days keeping your wits about you is not enough to keep you out of trouble. Just knowing who the real criminals are is getting harder and harder. To keep the odds in your favor, you need to understand just who you're dealing with.

Waiting For The Late-Night Shuttle

"Hello, Reshig. Going somewhere?"

"Vexan! Ah, hello, ah, sir."

"Fancy meeting you at the spaceport this time of night. A little out of the way for you, isn't it?"

"Yes, well, ah, I'm meeting an old friend. He's coming in on the shuttle from Dreve."

"Indeed. Speaking of old friends, I met another friend of yours the other day. Sires Vant said I should say, 'hello' if I ran into you."

"H-he did? Th-that was n-nice of him."

"Very nice, considering the large sum of money I hear you owe him."

"Yes, well, I've had a bit of bad luck is all. I've been sick you see and, well, business has been off and…"

"Sounds like what you need is a vacation, Reshig. Say now, that's not why you're really here, is it, Resh?"

"No, really, I told you, I was…"

"You wouldn't be thinking of taking a vacation, say off-planet for awhile? You're not thinking of leaving those nice people who lent you all that money when you needed it so bad?"

"Who, me? No, listen, I just thought—"

"No! You listen, you little piece of gehlak!"

"Please… put me down!"

"There are no incoming shuttles this time of night. And as far as I know, Reshig, you don't have any friends. You're into Vant in a big way. You're thinking you can skip town while no one is looking."

"You're hurting me…"

"Did you think it would be that easy? Did you think Vant wouldn't find out? He was on to you the minute you purchased that ticket! Vant asked me to deliver a message for him. You've got 40 hours to come up with 50,000 credits. Come up with the cash or I promise you'll be taking a vacation, all right. A very long vacation. Understand?"

"Yes, yes, just please, put me down."

"Do mention me to the wife and kids, Resh."

"Yes, I'll do that, Officer Vexan."

"Good. Now get out of here!"

"Right away. Thank you, constable."

Profiles In Villainy

The galaxy's criminal element comes in all shapes and sizes. Some are Human, and some not. Some operate within the confines of the Empire, while others are at home on New Republic planets. Many appear as refined business persons, while others are little more than thugs. Common to all, however, is the desire to make a fast credit, regardless of how many people are hurt in the process.

Just as their origins vary widely from planet to planet, so do the various criminal "professions" these outlaws adopt vary. This chapter examines the major underworld occupations that are common in the galaxy. Afterwards, this chapter offers a look at how these criminal elements typically band together into organized groups. In the chapters that follow, specific examples of representative criminal organizations will be examined in greater detail. This leads to a close look at one of the more infamous criminal institutions in the galaxy: the Hutt kajidic.

Criminal Occupations

The following profiles represent the many major criminal occupations found in the galaxy. Other criminal pursuits, such as con artist and kidnapper, also exist, but represent a smaller percentage of criminal activity when compared with the professions given here. The gamemaster is free, however, to examine the criminal types detailed in this chapter and develop additional minor criminal templates as desired.

Assassins

Assassins in the Outer Rim Territories are often called "exterminators." Among the planets of the Corporate Sector, they are known as "problem solvers." In the Core Worlds, they are referred to simply as "slayers." Whatever the name, the threat is the same. Professional assassins are among the highest paid and most despised members of the galactic criminal fraternity. Some function independently, acquiring "targets of opportunity" from wealthy clientele. For the right price, personal enemies or political opponents are quietly and conveniently eliminated with no connection between the victim and the actual employer.

In recent years, however, many professional killers have entered the exclusive pay of various crime syndicates. They are lured by the promise of guaranteed wages and "fringe benefits" based on personal vices. These syndicate executioners act to remove uncooperative rivals and generally reinforce their crimelord's influence through fear.

A common misconception of the galactic assassin is the image of a dedicated professional. This picture paints the contract killer as a dedicated perfectionist. The executioner is thought to be constantly refining techniques and improving efficiency. In so doing he or she minimizes any suffering on the part of the victim. In real life, nothing could be farther from the truth. The typical assassin employs a standard method of execution and deviates only when circumstances demand. Few have the time or inclination for "scientific research" aimed at improving efficiency. Even fewer hold any concern for their victim's suffering or the pain felt by friends and relatives. Credits — lots of them — are all that matter. If someone has to die in order to acquire those credits, so be it.

TracSheet Subject: 43985934AFEG-485908
Name: Brahle Logris
Criminal Occupation: Assassin
Species: Human
Sex: Male
Height: 1.8 meters
Age: 28
Description: Tall and thin, average build. Light complexion. Black hair, brown eyes. Logris is obsessed with personal appearance and will almost always appear immaculate.
Charges and Specifications: Attempted murder. Murder. Possession of illegal chemicals. Unlawful accessing/replication of patient medical records.
Operative Norms: An independent operator. Logris specializes in the application of rare poisons selectively prepared for his victims, often based on examination of confidential medical records.
Trademark: Delayed-action poisons are his speciality. However his poisons are induced into the victim, Logris makes it a point of always being in proximity to his victim when their effects are triggered.
Statement On File: "I do so love seeing 'that' expression on their faces."

■ Brahle Logris

Type: Assassin
DEXTERITY 4D
Blaster 5D, dodge 5D+1
KNOWLEDGE 3D+2
Business administration 4D+2, biochemistry: exotic poisons 9D, cultures 5D, survival: urban 5D+2
MECHANICAL 2D+1
Astrogation 3D
PERCEPTION 3D
Bargain 4D, con 5D, sneak 7D
STRENGTH 2D
TECHNICAL 3D
Computer programming/repair 5D+2
Character Points: 10
Move: 10
Equipment: Chemical vials, hypodermic injectors, custom-made clothes, blaster pistol (4D), 10,000 credits

Capsule: Brahle Logris began his career with the murder of his father at age 22. Since that time, he has been tried on suspicion of murder on three occasions — all three times he escaped conviction. Brahle was finally convicted for the attempted murder of a Sector Ranger on Gandalla two years ago. He escaped from prison a year ago. It is suspected that his escape from custody on Tamazall may have been engineered by a member of the Drellis Syndicate. He remains at large and should be considered extremely dangerous.

Black Marketeer

Practically every planet in the galaxy has some form of black market. On some, it resides in a specific part of town. Sometimes, the market functions through a collection of gathering points: side street cantinas, seedy flop-houses, the corner holovid shop. On Imperial planets, the "invisible market" (as the black market is sometimes called) may be as close as an operator's computer console. Wherever illegal goods are available, and where there are people willing to buy them, these illegal economies flourish.

Black marketeers are the galactic "movers and shakers" of the criminal underworld who keep these covert networks running. Many marketeers are respected members of the community by day, but blaster-toting entrepreneurs by night. While supplying contraband goods and services is often lucrative, for many marketeers the risks are also high. Threats routinely come from law enforcement and customs agents trying to shut down various illegal operations. Equally dangerous, however, are the marketeer's own clientele. Almost all customers work outside the law themselves; most can be trusted about as far as one can pitch an asteroid. Midnight deals in out of the way places can quickly turn sour without warning. Many times, the most successful black marketeers are those with an extra hold-out blaster up their sleeve.

TracSheet Subject: 89906544TRHH-965777
Name: Pratari Cinn
Criminal Occupation: Black Marketeer
Species: Twi'lek
Sex: Male
Height: 1.7 meters
Age: 33
Description: Muscular build, red eyes. Blaster scar across left cheek.
Charges and Specifications: Illegal possession of restricted weapons. Sale of illegal weapons. Possession and distribution of illegal goods. Violation of customs excise laws. Aiding and abetting known smugglers.
Operative Norms: Insulates himself through a large number of intermediary contacts. Prefers to deal with high-ticket goods that can be moved with minimal delay. Large cash reserves generally available.
Trademark: Deals concluded with minimal delay.
Statement On File: "I'm just working toward an early retirement. Nothing wrong in that."

■ Pratari Cinn

Type: Black Marketeer
DEXTERITY 3D
Blaster 4D, dodge 4D+1, pick pocket 4D
KNOWLEDGE 4D
Business: black market operations 8D+1, streetwise 6D, survival: urban 5D+1, value 7D
MECHANICAL 2D
Repulsorlift operation 3D
PERCEPTION 3D+2
Bargain 6D+2, con 5D, sneak 4D+1
STRENGTH 2D
TECHNICAL 2D+1
Security 3D
Special Abilities:
Tentacles: Twi'leks can use their tentacles to communicate in secret with each other.
Character Points: 15
Move: 12
Equipment: Hold-out blaster (3D+2), datapad, vibro-blade (STR+1D+2), variable amount of credits

Capsule: This Twi'lek has his claws into just about everything that moves through the Parmel sector (in the Outer Rim Territories). He has a reputation for moving goods faster than any of his competitors. Cinn is rumored to have several secret storage facilities among uncharted asteroid belts at which his "better merchandise" is stored. He is known to have contacts within the various smuggler guilds that operate in his territory. Though never personally convicted of a violent crime, his henchmen are noted for a careless fanaticism with which they defend their boss's interests.

Gamemaster Note

Whatever their origins, the corrupt official will be among those criminal types most often encountered by characters: Imperial customs officers or New Republic trade officials, for example, may demand enormous "inspection fees" before clearing a given cargo through spaceport control. The local planetary prefect may agree to issue a warrant for a character's arrest on trumped-up charges for the right fee. The city manager may be working hand-in-glove with a local black marketeer. A prosecutor on a local crimelord's payroll may have no objection to sentencing characters for a crime they didn't commit. Even the local prefect may secretly own the gambling casino the characters just lost all their credits in.

The many rapacious, bored, conceited, egotistical, and vain personalities routinely appointed, elected or dumped into high office are a ready source of mischief for characters. Use them!

Corrupt Official

Corrupt government officials can be found at every level of a planet's administrative, political and legal hierarchy. The reasons why these public servants go bad vary. For some, greed is the prime motivator. Others feel their contributions have not been adequately acknowledged. Some seek revenge against political rivals. Many are simply disillusioned from fighting too many years for too many lost causes and have decided that they should at least "get something" for their efforts. Such officials routinely use their positions of authority to barter political, financial, or military information to the highest bidder. Over time, most gain contacts in the local underworld. Some eventually subsidize their own criminal operations outright.

Occasionally, "amenable" officials are approached by underworld elements. In these instances, huge sums of credits often act as "insurance policies" against unwanted prosecution. Credits and influence peddling can likewise purchase protection from curious superiors. Often, the corrupt official is the hardest criminal to apprehend — and the most difficult to convict.

TracSheet Subject: 66690933USAW-854400
Name: Dengless Rinn
Criminal Occupation: Corrupt politician
Species: Human
Sex: Male
Height: 1.4 meters
Age: 45
Description: Tall and lanky, jet black beard with long mustachios. Prematurely aged. Rinn has piercing grey eyes and a feral grin.
Charges and Specifications: Treason. Conspiracy to commit treason. Illegal possession of weapons. Flight to avoid Imperial prosecution.
Operative Norms: Known to have connections with various smugglers and gunrunners.
Trademark: Suffers from delusions of grandeur fueled by extreme arrogance and an inflated sense of self-importance.
Statement On File: "You're all jealous of my abilities! Why shouldn't I be in control instead of the likes of you? You know I can do a better job than you! Admit it!"

■ Dengless Rinn

Type: Former Imperial Prefect
DEXTERITY 3D+1
KNOWLEDGE 4D
Bureaucracy 6D, languages 4D+2, law enforcement 5D+2
MECHANICAL 2D+2
Astrogation 3D+2, ground vehicle operation 3D+2
PERCEPTION 3D
Bargain 5D, business 4D, command 4D+1, value 5D
STRENGTH 2D
TECHNICAL 3D
Computer programming/repair 4D+2
Character Points: 13
Move: 10
Equipment: Tattered clothes, blaster pistol (4D), 5,000 credits, comlink

Capsule: Dengless Rinn is an ex-Imperial Prefect (this character was introduced on page 110 of Galaxy Guide 10: Bounty Hunters). Rinn previously ran the mining colony on the planet Kallistas. In revenge for imagined slights against him, Rinn plotted against his superior and planned to set up his own private empire. Before his plan could be put into action, Rinn was unexpectedly thwarted by a group of bounty hunters. He has since fled Kallistas and is believed in hiding somewhere in the Outer Rim Territories.

Counterfeiter

With the galaxy's many interstellar economies suffering from the renewed outbreak of war, the counterfeiter's life has never been better. The ability to mass produce local currencies in exacting detail can mean considerable wealth given one is not too greedy. Too much greed leads to the operator's passing too many bills in too small an area. This sort of thing leads to undercover agents snooping around where they're not wanted.

Most counterfeiters prefer the stylized image of the lonely artist toiling away with their tri-laser engraver in order to make ends meet. In reality, many counterfeiters work for major criminal syndicates at high salaries. Through these criminal networks, their bogus bank notes, coins and credit chips can easily be transported from one sector to another. In many cases, the origins of these notes are difficult, if not impossible, to trace. Far from cranking out an occasional credit note to keep creditors at bay, syndicate "replicators" are never short of money-making opportunities.

Within the forgery community at large, the recognized expert is one who specializes in electronic forgery. This practice involves the forgery of huge amounts of bogus credits by either physically altering a credit chip's structure or by electronically adjusting the chip's programming. In a similar manner, electronic forgers will often attempt to illegally access credit authorization codes, which can be used to replicate or falsify large sums of credits (for additional information on this, see Galaxy Guide 2: Yavin and Bespin, pages 61–62).

On the surface, the counterfeiter's trade appears to be a non-violent crime harming no one. In actuality, the collapse of a planet's economy, under a flood of a counterfeiter's imitation credits, invariably leads to the rise of other, criminally violent acts.

TracSheet Subject: 43657688GHJK-657774
Name: Magar Jaros
Criminal Occupation: Counterfeiter
Species: Sullustan
Sex: Male
Height: 1.3 meters
Age: 40
Description: Bookish and nondescript. Jaros has poor eyesight which he enhances with computerized magnifocals.
Charges and Specifications: Counterfeiting. Criminal conspiracy. Conspiracy to defraud. Criminal forgery.
Operative Norms: Never stays on any one planet more than a few months at a time.
Trademark: Refuses to work with hirelings. Output generally limited to several thousand credits at one time.
Statement On File: (Translated) "I do it mostly for the creative challenge, don't you know?"

■ Magar Jaros

Type: Sullustan Counterfeiter
DEXTERITY 2D+1
KNOWLEDGE 1D+2
Business 5D+1, cultures 5D+1, scholar: currency 7D+2, streetwise 4D+2, value 6D
MECHANICAL 2D
PERCEPTION 3D
Forgery 6D+2, forgery: Imperial credits 10D+1
STRENGTH 1D+1
TECHNICAL 1D+2
Special Abilities:
Enhanced Senses: +2D to search and Perception in low-light conditions.
Location Sense: Sullustans can always remember how to return to an area they have visited before. +1D to astrogation for someplace they have visited before.
Character Points: 9
Move: 10
Equipment: Tri-laser engraver, vials of acid, jeweler's abrasives, 1,000 credits, variable amount of phoney credits

Capsule: Magar Jaros is a small-time operator who produces an unexpectedly high-grade product. His skill with a tri-laser engraver is widely respected. Unfortunately, that is about the only skill Jaros has going for him. Mild-mannered and lacking in self-confidence, his profile suggests repeated rejection and personal humiliation. Jaros uses his counterfeiting ability to "get back" (in some small way) at those who have scorned and neglected him in the past.

Dealmaker

In galactic parlance, the term "dealmaker" is another name for fence. Dealmakers are movers of merchandise and masters of the fine art of buying low and selling high. Never mind that the goods being purchased are illegal, stolen, or are destined for use in other crimes. These underworld advocates of the free enterprise system maintain a vast network of contacts. These contacts can typically be found in the average planet's black market, as well as within virtually every criminal group on the planet. Dealmakers also maintain close connections with smugglers who frequent their system.

Being a neighborhood fence means being able to do three things very well: find buyers where others would come up empty, maintain every semblance of a legitimate business "front," and being able to keep one's mouth shut, no matter how big the bribe being offered. Dealmakers are usually highly respected in criminal circles. Most crime bosses appreciate the services they render. However, just let a new crime group move into town and start squeezing out the locals. Suddenly, all the money and "criminal goodwill" in the world won't buy a local dealmaker the protection needed to stay in business.

TracSheet Subject: 55829866MBGT-97664
Name: Magris Quill
Criminal Occupation: Dealmaker
Species: Anomid
Sex: Male
Height: 1.4 meters
Age: 42
Description: Small, close-set eyes, balding grayish hair, brown eyes. Missing thumb from left hand. Wears customized vocalizer mask.
Charges and Specifications: Illegal possession of stolen goods.
Operative Norms: Owns and operates a string of import shops through which goods are channeled.
Trademark: Guaranteed movement of goods off-world in three days.

■ Magris Quill

Type: Anomid Dealmaker
DEXTERITY 1D
KNOWLEDGE 1D+2
Business 5D+1, business: black market operations 6D+1, business: fencing 9D+2, bureaucracy 5D+1, law enforcement 5D+2, streetwise 8D, value 8D
MECHANICAL 1D
PERCEPTION 1D
Bargain 5D, con 5D+1, persuasion 5D+1
STRENGTH 1D
TECHNICAL 2D+1
Security 4D+1
Character Points: 5
Move: 7
Equipment: Datapad, blaster pistol (4D), breather mask, robes, various stolen goods

Capsule: Quill gives every appearance of being an upstanding business being and a supporter of the community. In reality, he runs the largest fencing operation on the planet. His success is largely due to his ability to "cut out the middleman" in his various transactions. He routinely employs, for example, several talented data fixers who appraise him of the scheduled movement of goods in and out of the city. Equally talented breaking and entering specialists are hired to acquire selected merchandise, which he then diverts into the black market for large profit. His continued success, however, may prove to be his downfall as several large syndicates are beginning to look at Quill as a bit of unnecessary competition.

Gamemaster Note

Most dealmakers maintain and operate a respectable business or profession. This means characters can interact with a fence without realizing it. One particularly successful example of this sort of thing involved a customs official on Tregillis. This person was responsible for routinely inspecting incoming cargo ships for contraband (charging his own "value tax" on the side), while sizing up likely targets for theft. After locating a likely cargo, he would sell the manifest information to "the right people" for a profit on the side. After the ship was broken into, the customs official by day turned dealmaker by night. Acting as the conduit through which the stolen goods were funnelled, he realized a second round of illegal profit.

Later, as a private citizen with "connections," he would approach the party whose ship had been looted and, for a small price, offer to put them in touch with someone who could get them "replacements" in a hurry. All went well until the official in question made the mistake of targeting a cargo ship belonging to Cybot Galactica. The ship's captain contacted his superior, who had his own contacts in the underworld. After some negotiation, it was decided that the official in question had showed exceptionally poor judgment and should be retired from his position. Three days later he was. Permanently.

Enforcer

Enforcer is the common galactic term for criminal "muscle." The backbone of any criminal organization (at least in their own estimation), enforcers act to keep the rabble in order. Always ready and willing to push someone else around, these criminal shock troops provide the clout crimelords need to maintain intimidation and fear. Whether back-alley thugs, covert "beings in black," or gang members looking to climb the criminal ladder, all enjoy a good fight and the chance to break a few bones. Enforcers are generally noted for their physical prowess (the typical enforcer can usually lift a ton, if not spell it). Enforcers by and large are cheap and disposable criminal labor.

TracSheet Subject: 87332722SVWU-123399
Name: Ughok Snorg
Criminal Occupation: Enforcer
Species: Gamorrean
Sex: Male
Height: 1.6 meters
Age: 36
Description: Dark green skin, black eyes. Numerous facial scars from knife and energy weapon wounds.
Charges and Specifications: Multiple counts of assault. Assault with intent to kill. Theft. Breaking and entering. Criminal conspiracy.
Operative Norms: Likes working with a set of large Gamorrean dueling knives at the ready.

■ Ughok Snorg

Type: Gamorrean Enforcer
DEXTERITY 3D+1
Blaster 8D+2, dodge 5D+2, melee combat 7D, thrown weapons 4D+2, vehicle blasters 4D+2
KNOWLEDGE 2D
Intimidation 3D, intimidation: bullying 7D, law enforcement 3D+1
MECHANICAL 1D+1
Repulsorlift operation 2D+2
PERCEPTION 3D
Persuasion 6D
STRENGTH 4D
Brawling 7D, stamina 5D+1
TECHNICAL 1D+1
Special Abilities:
Voice Box: Gamorreans cannot speak Basic.
Stamina: Can automatically make a second stamina check if a first one is failed.
Force Points: 1
Dark Side Points: 4
Character Points: 19
Move: 7
Equipment: Blaster pistol (4D), 2 throwing knives (STR+1D)

Capsule: A typical goon enslaved to the Valis Lorn cartel on Andasala. As a henchman working for one of Lorn's chief lieutenants, Snorg is in charge of maintaining political and economic stability in the Ranis quarter. This position of authority allows him to oversee numerous rackets and shakedown operations. Snorg is perfect for the role: loyal, loutish, dull-witted, possessing a reputation for brutality few can match. What is even worse, he enjoys his work.

Fit Or Flat

Run. Run faster. Don't stop now. He's right behind you. Duck down that alley way. Watch out for those garbage capsules. No time to ask what he wants. If he catches you now, you've had it. He'll slit your throat and leave you to die. Watch out for that security fence, you idiot. Damn ankle — now you're in for it! Try to walk, try to crawl. Stop simpering and move! He heard you… crawl faster. Damn!

"Your change, sir."

"Please don't kill me. I've got a wife and — what did you say?"

"I said, 'your change, sir.'"

"But, but you were chasing me…"

"Correct, sir."

"…all the way from the restaurant?"

"That is true, sir."

"Just to give me this stinking bag of credits?"

"I wouldn't mention the word 'credits' too loudly in this neighborhood, if I were you, sir."

"You were armed! I saw you!"

"One can't be too careful around these parts after dark, sir."

"You mean, you've been chasing me through these miserable streets over two kilometers for nothing?"

"I wouldn't exactly say that, sir."

"Then why, you Thalassian frezhin?!"

"I needed the exercise."

— Extract from Mavin Cless, Dining On The Wild Side: Unforgettable Culinary Experiences in the Fringe

Informant

Every planet has its share of fast-talking toadies who will gladly trade hard data for hard currency. Informants are among the least respected members of the criminal community. Most have a reputation for unreliability, and few can be trusted very far. In many cases the informant's reputation is undeserved. Not all are common "snitches" trying to weasel their way into your credit pouch. Many see themselves as "specialized information brokers" who guarantee the accuracy of their sources or their body back! Many see their reputation for dependability as their most precious asset.

Depending on where one resides in the galaxy, each informant has her or his own unique way of doing business. The truly successful informant, however, is one who can sell the same information to multiple sources. Care must always be taken, however, to always ensure "Client A" never finds out you've been talking to "Client B." An even greater risk involves selling information to the wrong people. More than one informant in the Corporate Sector, for example, has disappeared after peddling trading information to undercover agents of the Corporate Sector Authority.

Just how much informants are paid for their information varies from planet to planet and who they may be working for at the time. The one-time "opportunist-turned-informant" will generally be paid a flat fee, dependent on whatever his personal contacts feel the information may be worth. Disagreement over information value and the price being negotiated is typical. Some informants work on a commission basis, often receiving a percentage of any profits their information yields their contact. This presumes the informant is a "regular" with an established reputation for information accuracy. Where larger criminal groups are involved, informants may similarly be paid on a contract basis. In such cases, the informant receives a flat fee for services to be rendered in advance, with an understanding he or she will report anything of interest to the organization first. Those who fail to provide timely information are quickly dropped from the payrolls — the hard way.

Anyone, anywhere is capable of becoming a valuable informant characters can readily make use of. All it takes to make an informant are three things: motivation, location, and means of acquisition. The character must first have a reason for selling vital information. This motivation must be strong enough to override the character's normal inhibitions against committing an illegal act. Location suggests the character be in the right place at the right time to gain access to valuable information. This also suggests the would-be informant be perceptive enough to realize the value of what he or she has stumbled across. Lastly, the character must possess the physical, mechanical or technical skills to acquire the information (preferably without being detected).

In cases where characters are looking for a likely informant but don't know where to start, these guidelines can be applied to point them in the right direction — look for someone with the access to the right information and with a good motivation to sell said information.

Data Sellers By Any Other Name

Depending on where they operate in the galaxy, informants can come in a variety of different shapes, sizes, and identities. Some operating with tacit government approval in the corporate circles are known as "facilitators." Other, less reputable types in the Core regions go by the name "sluicers," while in the Trade Spine region they are known as "infochants."

Beyond a simple diversity in nomenclature, many informants often take on unusual forms of personal enhancements to aid them in their information gathering and dissemination. Among the more exotically enhanced type of informants are vessels and borgs.

Vessels are individuals who have been surgically altered with biochip implants wired directly into their central nervous systems. This enables the informant to electro-chemically store huge amounts of data, using the vast reservoirs of unused synapses in the brain. Vessels often double as legal couriers for corporate and government sources. In this capacity, they are doubly valued given their ability to personally transport classified or sensitive data without ever being privy to its contents. Despite the ability to store incredible amounts of data within one's brain, the vessel is just that: a container. The nature of the implantation procedure is such that the informant is unable to recall any of the material so stored.

Another form of enhanced informant is the borg. Borgs undergo a similar bioelectronic surgery. Where they differ with their vessel counterparts, however, involves trading cranial storage space for direct mental processing capabilities. While unable to retain as much information as the typical vessel, borgs can recall the information they store, and can mentally carry out a variety of processing tasks on that data. Some of the more exotic (and expensive) types of borg surgeries permit the recipient to interact directly with a host computer system, allowing a mental link between person and machine.

Informant enhancements involve other costs, however. Depending on local planetary customs, enhanced informants may find themselves treated as something less than Human, with no more rights than droids. Often, the huge expense involved in such alterations requires the individual to enter into a period of indentured servitude, during which time the individual works off the price of the operation received at a fixed rate of pay. For additional information, see page 60 of Galaxy Guide 2: Yavin and Bespin.

TracSheet Subject: 55735573OUUB-468835
Name: Shenir Rix
Criminal Occupation: Informant
Species: Mon Calamari
Sex: Female
Height: 1.9 meters
Age: 30
Description: Tall, slender build. Light olive mottling. Known to wear expensive clothes and jewelry.
Charges and Specifications: Illegal dissemination of classified data.
Operative Norms: Acquires much of her inside information from the rich and influential who are habitual losers at the gambling tables. Likes to maintain the fiction of the unlucky gambler's best friend.
Trademark: Never deals in information more than 20 hours old.
Statement On File: "I know what you're interested in! Let's talk."

■ Shenir Rix

Type: Mon Calamari Informant
DEXTERITY 3D+1
Dodge 5D, running 4D+2
KNOWLEDGE 4D
Business 5D+2, business administration 5D, economics 5D, law enforcement 6D+1, streetwise 9D
MECHANICAL 2D+1
PERCEPTION 3D
Bargain 7D, con 5D+2, gambling 5D, persuasion 6D
STRENGTH 2D
TECHNICAL 3D+1
Computer programming/repair 4D
Force Points: 1
Character Points: 14
Move: 10
Equipment: Datachips, recording rod, hold-out blaster (3D)

Capsule: Shenir Rix was, until recently, a highly placed member of Fergriss Pharmaceuticals. However, that company went out of business following the punishing Imperial assault on the company's homeworld. Drawing on her business skills, and a keen sense of what is important and what's not, Shenir has taken to frequenting some of the galaxy's poshest gambling establishments. There, she routinely buys and sells information. Using a combination of charm and a reputation for honest dealing, Shenir has so far avoided coming into competition with some of her seedier counterparts.

Loan Shark

At one time or another, many persons find themselves temporarily short of funds. Unfortunately, repeatedly risking one's life for the Empire or Alliance is no guarantee of a loan at the lending institution of your choice. Otherwise respectable, upstanding citizens, when confronted with unexpected misfortunes, often have no other choice than to seek out "alternate financing." With no credit checks or collateral required, a planetary loan shark can easily provide funds needed for that expensive operation or to cover that sudden reversal in the stock market.

Problems often arise, however, over the amount of interest charged. Rates vary from system to system. It is not uncommon, however, for loan sharks to charge between 300 and 500 percent interest. Moreover, a loan shark's repayment schedule seldom makes allowances for late payments. If the customer misses a payment, the typical loan shark will send round "his Gamorrean friend, Large Luxis," to "explain" matters to you. Defaulters are similarly handled through the use of midnight visitations to the defaulter's residence. Such courtesy calls invariably result in the borrower's gaining a clearer understanding of one's obligations (while bones knit and flesh mend over an extended period of time).

Contrary to popular belief, loan sharks rarely eliminate persons who fall behind in their payments — dead people can't pay back credits! There are exceptions, however, as in the case of those who deliberately default on their loans. Most loan sharks have numerous informants whose job it is to keep tabs on suspected "credit risks." Similarly, the common loan shark will accept a legitimate reason for late payments, such as illness, loss of income, or some other "reasonable" misfortune. Repayment terms can be arranged, but in doing so the lender virtually guarantees the borrower will be making repayments for decades to come.

The truly insidious loan shark will deliberately target an influential person in need. The lender waits patiently until the victim is buried in interest due. The shark next offers to graciously cancel the obligation in full, in return for the victim's carrying out a "special favor." The victim ends up running all the risks while the loan shark ends up with the rewards of that risk. Often, the accomplished favor yields the loan shark far more than the frightened client could ever hope to pay.

TracSheet Subject: 87878833UYTU-222577
Name: Sires Vant
Criminal Occupation: Loan Shark
Species: Devaronian
Sex: Male
Height: 1.6 meters
Age: 36
Description: Typical Devaronian. Black eyes and razor-sharp teeth. Patch over missing left eye.
Charges and Specifications: Illegal banking practices. Failure to pay requisite taxation rates. Illegal transfer of funds. Conspiracy to commit murder.
Operative Norms: Frequents classier gambling establishments in search of wealthy would-be victims suffering a run of bad luck.
Trademark: Deals primarily with wealthy politicians and their families.
Statement On File: "Why pick on me? People wouldn't come to me if the banks and credit kiosks treated them fairly. I just help people out for a fair price."

■ Sires Vant

Type: Devaronian Loan Shark
DEXTERITY 1D+1
Dodge 2D+2
KNOWLEDGE 3D
Business 6D, business: loan sharking 10D, intimidation 8D, law enforcement 4D+2, streetwise 8D
MECHANICAL 1D+1
Repulsorlift operation 3D+1
PERCEPTION 3D
Bargain 5D, persuasion 5D
STRENGTH 2D
TECHNICAL 1D+1
Computer programming/repair 3D+1
Character Points: 8
Move: 9
Equipment: Datapad, comlink, 50,000 credits

Capsule: A particularly vile associate of Valis Lorn, Vant is the premier loan shark on Andasala. Vant has few qualms over the use of muscle to strictly enforce his control over those in his debt. Intimidation and coercion are specialties of Vant. It is suspected that Vant has channeled much of his illicit gains into bribing large numbers of local law enforcement officers who, in an emergency, could act as a buffer between himself and his superior should they ever have a falling out.

Slaver

Slavers are among the vilest of the criminal professions. With the rise of the Imperial New Order, slavers in general have enjoyed a sort of unofficial governmental sanction, leading to the rapid growth of their "industry." Despite repeated campaigns under the New Republic to stop them, many slavers continue to ply their loathsome trade. Today, many slavers work with Imperial administrators to provide cheap labor from populations of newly discovered species Imperial officials falsely classify as non-sapient. To these amoral beings, the rewards would seem to justify the risks, especially among the frontier outlaw worlds.

Presently, there are several major competing slaver groups in the Outer Rim Territories: the Zygerians, the Thalassians, and the Karazaks. In addition, several newer, independent operators have set up shop in this area, where slaving restrictions are seldom enforced. Many groups have carved out a viable niche for themselves by promoting the sale of specialized merchandise. An example is the new Markresh Slaver's Consortium, specializing in the sale of adolescent Yaka cyborgs.

Regrettably, the upsurge in slaving is due to an increase in demand. Whether in the Rim worlds, where impressed servants possess talents and skills in short supply, or the Corporate Sector Authority, where cheap labor means higher profits, or within the private menagerie of some Core World executive, the demand for slaves is growing. With fewer and fewer resources to combat them, the number of slavers is likely to grow as well.

Characters can run afoul of slavers in several ways. Having caught sight of a character who catches their fancy, a client can secretly commission a slaver to arrange for that character's disappearance. A contact the characters desperately need to find may, for instance, have been caught in a recent slaving raid. Then too, an independent slaver may know the whereabouts of a person the characters are eagerly trying to track down. Whatever the circumstances, remember that most slavers consider themselves superior to most other life-forms in the galaxy. They tend to measure a person's worth in so many credits. There is no such thing as an "honest" slaver. Hiding behind legal fictions and the clemency of pre-purchased judicial prosecutors, most exercise their trade with an open contempt for moral standards. There is little good that can be said about slavers excepting that there aren't more of them around. As a gamemaster, play them for the scum that they are.

TracSheet Subject: 11706900AGTY-233476
Name: Malak
Criminal Occupation: Slaver
Species: Rodian
Sex: Female
Height: 1.5 meters
Age: 36
Description: Pale green skin. Several head spines missing. Her fingers are typically adorned with numerous, expensive rings.
Charges and Specifications: Conspiracy to deprive sentient beings of their freedom and personal rights. Suspicion of piracy. Kidnapping. Possession of illegal weapons.
Operative Norms: Shows little concern for damaging merchandise during acquisition.
Trademark: Private commissions for the delivery of "specialty goods."
Statement On File: (Translated) "I wouldn't be in business if there wasn't a market for what I sell. Just you remember that!"

■ Malak

Type: Rodian Slaver
DEXTERITY 3D
Blaster 5D, dodge 4D+1, melee combat 5D+1
KNOWLEDGE 3D
Alien species 6D, business: slaving 9D, intimidation 6D, intimidation: torture 8D+1
MECHANICAL 2D+1
Astrogation 4D+2, repulsorlift operation 4D+1, space transports 6D
PERCEPTION 3D+1
Bargain 5D, command: Malak's slavers 6D, persuasion 6D+2
STRENGTH 4D+1
Brawling 5D+1
TECHNICAL 2D
Force Points: 1
Dark Side Points: 5
Character Points: 12
Move: 11
Equipment: Modified slaver snare gun (2D stun damage, entraps with tendrils that have 5D Strength), blaster pistol (4D), magnacuffs, 5,000 credits

Capsule: Malak loves violence. This, combined with a basic dislike of non-Rodians, makes her an ideal candidate for her position. Malak enjoys leading raids against unsuspecting communities far removed from any protection. She is in the business solely for the money and gives little thought to the ultimate disposition of those whose lives she disrupts so completely.

Slicers

The criminal "slicer" is the galaxy's quintessential computer criminal. Slicers are individuals who break into "unbreakable" computer systems. Once inside, they use accessed information to manipulate financial arrangements, obtain trade secrets for sale to the highest bidder, and even use personal information to blackmail wealthy citizens.

Not all slicers, however, are motivated solely by the lure of easy credits. Many engage in a more nefarious form of activity involving information sabotage. In such instances, having breached the host computer's security systems, the slicer will often wipe out files vital to the target's continued operation. In extreme cases, slicers may even plant computer viruses which eliminate vital information long after the slicer has withdrawn from the system completely. Many slicer viruses can even spawn electronic copies of themselves, which in turn can be electronically transported to other computer systems within a larger network. Such activity often results in the "infection" of a wide array of corporate and governmental systems at a critical moment.

One specialized form of slicer is the data fixer. Data fixers effectively blend the talents of both slicers and forgers. Like their slicer counterparts, data fixers hack their way into encrypted files or secured communication networks. Once localized protections are broken through, the data fixer then electronically inserts carefully forged data into a system, often after removing legitimate data already within the system. Then, the fixer carefully backs out of the compromised system, erasing the electronic "footprints" made along the way. The payoff is the illegal replication of data on the black market, often without the owner's being aware an intrusion has ever taken place.

The term "fixer" comes from a Sullustan slang term tersish g'loc, meaning to defeat an opponent, as in "to fix them once and for all." Applied here, it refers to the criminal slicer's defeating, or "fixing," the host system's security programming.

Slicer activities are another example of a seemingly non-violent crime which, in reality, produces enormous pain and suffering. The illegal sale of business data worth millions of credits can leave a company unable to defend itself against cut-throat competition or even a takeover. Loss of business and market shares can likewise lead to corporate collapse and increased unemployment. Such unemployment typically leads to an overall rise in violent crime.

Slicers are in high demand, not only by the criminal fringe, but by various intelligence agencies of the numerous Imperial factions. Intelligence operatives in need of specialized information will try to convince slicers to use their talents in the cause of the "rightful government of the galaxy." Those who refuse often retire quickly, quietly… and permanently.

While the actions of slicers and data fixers are undeniably illegal, this has not stopped Imperial and Rebel Alliance or New Republic agents from recruiting the occasional fixer. Before the defeat of the Empire, shortly before the Rebel raid on the Imperial shipyards at Pendari, an unspecified slicer was paid an undisclosed sum to break into the Imperial base command computer. In doing so, the Rebels ascertained the precise time when the Victory-class Star Destroyer Gallant Sun would be in space dock for repairs. The information obtained via the anonymous fixer's efforts resulted in the destruction of the Gallant Sun with minimal casualties. It is likewise believed that one or more fixers were "persuaded" to provide the Empire with sensitive data relating to New Republic dispositions on Coruscant prior to the attack which displaced the New Republic from that world.

Gamemasters should not overlook the chance to involve characters with fixers in special situations. For example, a certain slicer may be the only person capable of cracking a special Imperial code. Characters need not like working with or protecting a known criminal, but they may have to find and keep that person alive rather than let him or her fall into the hands of the Empire. Expect slicers to be among the hardest criminal types to locate, however, and among the most temperamental to deal with.

Slicers are not averse to taking on routine fixer tasks, such as cracking into computer systems or tapping comm circuits. Most slicers, however, are motivated more from an inflated ego than a deflated wallet. The work itself — and the pay — must appear commensurate with their talents. In dealing with a typical slicer, characters will be wise to entice with a suitable artistic challenge first rather than lead in with a stack of credits.

TracSheet Subject: 33689553SWYU-266396
Name: Ballin Dreshig
Criminal Occupation: Slicer/Data Fixer
Species: Human
Sex: Male
Height: 1.7 meters
Age: 26
Description: Unkempt and sullen. Lanky and tending towards pallid complexion. Sandy-white hair. Eyes often show evidence of lack of sunlight over long time periods. Slender hands show numerous radiation scars.
Charges and Specifications: Unlawful accessing of classified government information. Illegal replication and dissemination of classified information. Corporate espionage.
Operative Norms: Prefers to work only with those of similar disposition and background. Extremely egotistical. Personal pride often results in conflicts when his achievements are upstaged by others.
Trademark: Always leaves an electronic "signature card" displaying some form of wry humor at the expense of the victim.
Statement On File: "Morality be damned, ain't I good!"

■ Ballin Dreshig

Type: Slicer
DEXTERITY 2D+2
KNOWLEDGE 3D+1
Bureaucracy 5D+1, business administration 5D+1
MECHANICAL 4D
Communications 7D, sensors 6D, repulsorlift operation 5D
PERCEPTION 2D
Bargain 4D, hide 3D+1, forgery 7D
STRENGTH 2D
TECHNICAL 4D
Computer programming/repair 6D+2, droid programming 5D, security 5D+1
Move: 10
Equipment: Datapad, comlink, personalized computer, personal datachips

Capsule: Dreshig is an egotistical upstart with an exaggerated sense of his own abilities. Unwilling or unable to accept the limitations imposed by most social environments, Dreshig believes that the galaxy "owes him." To this end, he believes that no information can be or should be hidden from his wants or desires. The very thought of an unbreakable system is taken as a personal affront to his personal genius. He is continually driven to prove himself.

Smuggler

Wherever in the galaxy a planetary government imposes restrictions or even taxation on trade, look for smugglers to appear almost overnight. These hard-bitten adventurers will go anywhere, and defy any odds, delivering goods wherever and whenever the price is right. Some rely on broken-down freighters and dilapidated runabouts, while others have the sleekest yachts and cruisers money can buy, but all smugglers share in common a strong distaste for authority in all its forms.

Many see the smuggler as a courageous adventurer, rough around the edges, but a person with a noble heart. This image is no doubt colored by the popularized exploits of smugglers used by the Rebel Alliance and subsequent New Republic to haul precious cargos. Those who accept this notion are wise to consider the implications of a typical smuggler's run. Sometimes the arrival of smuggled goods depresses a critical planetary market. This depression can have ripple effects, leading to planetary business failures and loss of jobs. Many smugglers specialize in gunrunning, and not every revolutionary on every planet is as dedicated to freedom and liberty as the Rebel Alliance was. Some represent very desperate factions seeking to gain power through acts of terrorism. The timely arrival of smuggled weapons can lead to attacks on innocent, civilian populations. Some smugglers also specialize in other, bizarre cargoes. Some, known as "organ-leggers," for example, earn their keep by hauling illegal shipments of donor organs (not all of which have been legally obtained). For others, the distinction between smuggler and slaver is a fine one that is easily ignored.

However glamorized and glorified they may be as a whole, most smugglers remain individuals operating outside the boundaries of law. Their interest remains primarily concerned with amassing sizeable amounts of credits, no questions asked. It would be easy to cast all smugglers in the same mold as Han Solo. To do so is to make a serious mistake. Don't expect all others of his kind to be as charitable or as self-sacrificing.

Many smugglers belong to one of several smuggler guilds. Through these associations, underworld contacts can be formed and lucrative contracts obtained. Those working as independent operators will have their own connections with black markets in dozens of star systems. Smugglers make for excellent sources of information and contacts, largely because they are part of the same underworld their activities support. A smuggler who owes an underworld contact a favor may be well disposed to cast characters adrift in a leaky escape pod if in doing so it means squaring an old debt. Then too, the Empire has taken to relying on smugglers for the safe arrival of important military cargos. If you see your characters suffering from the "Han Solo Act-Alike Syndrome," feel free to wake them up…

TracSheet Subject: 66436335UOFC-244869
Name: Roget Jiriss
Criminal Occupation: Smuggler
Species: Human
Sex: Female
Height: 1.7 meters
Age: 42
Description: A slender Human with an athletic build. Blue eyes. Black, waist-length hair arranged in a complex pattern.
Charges and Specifications: Illegal transportation of weapons and contraband goods. Violation of customs ordinances. Assault on planetary police.
Operative Norms: Never makes two consecutive runs in the same system.
Trademark: Brash and cocky. Exaggerated estimation of personal abilities.
Statement On File: "I wouldn't say I'm the best… but the best know who I am and they're worried!"

■ Roget Jiriss

Type: Smuggler
DEXTERITY 3D
Blaster 5D+2, dodge 4D+2, melee combat 4D+2
KNOWLEDGE 3D+1
Alien species 5D, business 5D, business: smuggling 9D, languages 5D, planetary systems 5D+2, value 7D+2
MECHANICAL 3D+2
Astrogation 4D, space transports 8D, starship gunnery 5D+1, starship shields 6D
PERCEPTION 3D+1
Bargain 6D, con 4D+2, gambling 5D, persuasion 5D+1
STRENGTH 2D
Brawling 3D+2
TECHNICAL 2D+2
Blaster repair 4D, space transports repair 5D+1
Force Points: 1
Character Points: 5
Move: 10
Equipment: Frontier Hawk (modified YT-1300 freighter), comlink, blaster pistol (4D)

Capsule: Jiriss is an old hand at the smuggler's game. Her delivery rate is high, as are her fees. While refusing to deal with various syndicates directly, Jiriss will quickly grab up a cargo from a known black market operator if it means she can get out of the system in a hurry. Her ship is heavily armed. Jiriss has a particularly pervasive hatred of pirates and is not above slipping off to "go hunting" whenever pirate attacks are reported nearby.

Spice-Jacker

"No one mourns a dead smuggler!" — Traditional jacker saying

The proliferation of hijackers, or "jackers," and spice-jackers in particular, illustrates how bad things have gotten in the galactic underworld. In the days of Jabba the Hutt, few crimelords had any dealings with hijackers. Most criminal leaders were naturally reluctant to involve themselves with anyone who threatened the safety of valuable cargo shipments. But Jabba is gone and times are changing. In the race to build their own mini-empires, many newly established crimelords now eagerly welcome jackers into their ranks. A jacker's ability to procure valuable materials with high black market values ensures a steady flow of illegal credits. Spice-jackers, who specialize in diverting spice into local underworld storage bins, are becoming particularly welcome.

Jackers of all kinds prey on standard commercial transports and smugglers alike. Jackers prefer the later, however, given "company" ships are usually better armed and protected. And, as any jacker will tell you, "no one mourns a dead smuggler." The typical jacker strategy goes something like this:

• Spy out a likely freighter recently arrived in spaceport,
• Determine the content of the ship's cargo holds,
• Assess the risk posed by the ship's captain,
• Acting either alone or in cooperation with other jackers, gain access to the vessel and overpower the captain and crew, and
• Off-load the cargo for sale on the black market at the earliest opportunity.

Few jackers can manage all this by themselves, however. Some jackers employ slicers to determine transport time tables and manifests. Many work in tandem with corrupt customs officials, who seize a ship's cargo on a trumped-up technicality, after which the impounded cargo is sold to the jacker for a cut of the profits. Many jackers thrive because they fill a specific niche in the criminal community that avoids direct competition with other criminal elements.

Still, even jackers have their problems. Not every jacking operation is successful. Deals with accomplices can go bad. A ship's captain may prove "uncooperative." The unexpected arrival of port security can also make life difficult. When the best laid plans of jackers go astray, the results are usually measured in loss of material, loss of shipping, and even loss of life.

TracSheet Subject: 31164497-DGFP-212744
Name: F'quallix (alias, real name unknown)
Criminal Occupation: Spice-jacker
Species: Nalroni
Sex: Male
Height: 1.6 meters
Age: 37
Description: Muscular build, thick, dark brown fur. Eye protectors (may have light sensitivity requiring protection).
Charges and Specifications: Illegal weapons possession. Theft. Criminal conspiracy. Assault. Criminal trespass. Possession of stolen merchandise.
Operative Norms: Typically works with a gang, including local enforcers and members of spaceport haulers local.
Trademark: Has a reputation for not harming ship's personnel unless they resist.
Statement On File: "I just want their cargo. What happens to them is up to them."

Never Had A Chance

"They were slick, I'll give them that much. They knew I had a security droid aboard, so they had to find a way of getting around old D-Mot here. So, one of them works up a holo image of me. I figure they used a doubler suit — you know, one of those miniaturized three-d holovid projectors bounty hunters sometimes have. So, late this morning two of them come staggering up the ramp with what seems to be the likes of me dragging along between the two of them. They start pounding on the hatchway, brazen as you please. They convince ol' D-Mot that I'm drunk as a Lucrusian fengrill, and they's a' helpin' me get home.

"Now, D-Mot is a bright enough droid, but he's programmed to override certain security functions if he thinks I'm in trouble. Well, to make a long story short, they make their way inside and deactivate D-Mot. Now imagine my surprise when I came home this morning, loaded down with presents for the kids. I keys in my access code, the hatchway swings open, and there I am staring face to face with myself grinning back at me! In the time it took for me to realize what had happened, they had my blaster and it was all downhill from there. To tell you the truth, I never had a chance…"

— Extract from official deposition taken from Captain Raquid Krev, cargo freighter Lexus Primal

■ F'quallix

Type: Nalroni Spice-Jacker
DEXTERITY 3D
Blaster 3D+1, dodge 3D+2
KNOWLEDGE 3D+1
Bureaucracy 5D, planetary systems 4D+2, streetwise 6D
MECHANICAL 2D
Astrogation 4D, repulsorlift operation 4D+2, space transports 5D
PERCEPTION 3D+2
Bargain 4D+2, command: criminal henchmen 5D+1, search 8D
STRENGTH 3D
TECHNICAL 3D
Computer programming/repair: computerized starship security systems 7D, repulsorlift repair 4D+1, security 7D
Character Points: 7
Move: 9
Equipment: Datapad, heavy blaster pistol (5D), droid disabler, retina disguiser, shipjacking kit

Capsule: F'quallix is a rarity among jackers in that he typically plans his operations with an eye towards minimizing injury to the ship's crew. Often his reputation alone is enough to facilitate his hijacking efforts. Knowing they won't be harmed if they surrender, many smugglers and ship's officers will prefer to lose their cargoes rather than their lives. F'quallix has fewer scruples over those he deals with in the black market. He is suspected of being responsible for severe injuries inflicted on several known marketeers with whom his business arrangements have soured over the years.

Criminal Hierarchy

While the reasons criminals band together vary, not only from planet to planet, but by location, culture, and regional economics, the ways in which they organize themselves are often very similar. While no hard and fast norms exist, wherever various criminal elements join together several distinct types of organizations can usually be found. These organizational types are discussed briefly below. A more specific treatment of each is presented in Chapter Two, "Fringe Elements."

Variations are commonplace through the galaxy. Some territorial gangs can control entire planets or planetary systems, while some localized syndicates are quite small. Size in this respect is dependent more on the leadership personalities and local social and economic conditions than anything else. As long as there is a convincing rationale as to why a group of criminals came together, the gamemaster need not spend a great deal of time explaining a particular group's existence. Should there ever be a question over a criminal alliance that doesn't seem to fit the "norm," the gamemaster need only reply, "that's just the way it is in this part of the galaxy."

Depending on a variety of different circumstances, not every criminal occupation will be represented in every organization. With the expansive nature of many of the larger groups, however, most, if not all, of the occupations previously discussed can be found in one form or another.

Territorial Gang

Often referred to as rackets, mob gangs, crime rings, or simply as "the business," territorial gangs are the type of criminal organization most frequently encountered in the galaxy. Territorial gangs are characterized by their criminal activities being limited to select geographical areas. Most are urban in nature. Unlike larger crime groups that attempt to expand control over vast interstellar regions, leaders of territorial gangs are generally content to control a variety of criminal activities within a finite domain. Within these local spheres of interest, any number of different operations may be conducted: bookmaking, protection, and extortion are the most common.

In some cases, however, gang violence is the primary reason a group comes together. On many planets in the Outer Rim Territories, for example, local swoop gangs exist primarily to plunder local communities at will. See pages 66–69 of Galaxy Guide 9: Fragments from the Rim for some examples. In some instances, gang members use organized violence to extract monthly or annual "tributes" from local citizens. These funds finance other clandestine activities.

A feature common to most territorial gangs is their competitiveness. Unlike some criminal entities that attempt to avoid direct competition, many territorial gangs openly welcome the chance to flex their muscle. In rural and urban areas alike, "turf wars" along gangland boundaries are a common occurrence. Sometimes, the incidents are limited to selected "surgical" attacks (such as "hits" or assassination attacks on key gang members). In other cases, full scale "range wars" (involving hundreds of blaster-toting enforcers) are the rule. Whatever the level of violence generated, invariably it is the innocent bystander who suffers in the cross-fire.

While territorial gangs are typically defined in terms of geography, this need not always be the case. A gang's "territory" can target legitimate business concerns, such as control of all the ground transport companies on the planet. Territory can also be defined in terms of large numbers of people, such as a given mob's control over local space dock workers. Expect the average gang leader to react very negatively to anyone attempting to "muscle in" on his or her territory.

Characters can easily encounter members of a territorial gang when they unknowingly "trespass" on gangland turf. Sometimes just asking too many questions in the wrong cantina can arouse criminal suspicions. Don't overlook the possibilities of having one or more characters mistakenly identified as members of a rival gang. Often, a confrontation with one or more gang members can be used as a prerequisite to gaining contacts or information — "Tell your boss we're going to pay him a visit tonight!" It is a poor planet, indeed, that cannot boast at least a handful of territorial gangs.

Crime Guild

The traditional guild has long been an established pillar of interstellar commerce. Most are legitimate associations of individuals engaged in the same occupation, drawn together for mutual support and the advancement of their profession. Some, like the huge Corellian Merchants' Guild (CMG), are among the most influential lobbying groups in the galaxy. Not every guild, however, has its roots in legitimate business endeavors. Some, like the Zygerian Slavers, or the many smugglers guilds scattered about the galaxy, are formed with distinctly illegal goals in mind.

Unlike territorial gangs, criminal guilds are generally unconcerned with dominating a specific locality. Crime guilds are instead characterized by their efforts to monopolize the talents of numerous individuals. Guild members can come from any number of star systems, some extending across hundreds of parsecs of space. Most come together from a common criminal interest, and the need for protection against competing criminal groups.

By pooling experience and information drawn from the best in their trade, criminal guilds seek to increase the overall success of their illegal operations wherever members ply their trade. Sometimes, this involves the application of new technologies (see Chapter Six, "Tools of the Trade"). In other cases, a better way of taking cargoes or subverting local officials is discovered.

The rising number of crime guilds also contributes to a lessening of violent competition among individual guild members. In the more powerful guilds, members are routinely assigned specific zones in which they exclusively operate. The annual dues from thousands of members, plus the percentages of profits from large-scale operations, make it possible for guild leaders to enforce their decisions and, when necessary, to buy off the competition. For this reason, many local guild chapters are quietly tolerated by Imperial officials, who see them as a stabilizing influence. Conflicts can still arise, however, from independent operators "poaching" on a guild member's territory. In such cases, it is not unusual for guild leaders to contract "problem solvers" from outside the guild to resolve the problem.

Kailio Entertainments

Kailio Entertainments is a Hutt-owned operation working through a variety of legitimate business fronts deep within the Core Worlds. Its goal is the eventual monopoly of manufacture, distribution and control of the galaxy's major entertainment markets (both live and holographic in nature). While moving toward controlling additional entertainment outlets, Kailio is the major corporate distributor for one of the galaxy's largest holoporn industries. Kailio likewise serves as a front for credit laundering activities, extending into the trillions of credits each year.

Ironically, Kailio is presently one of the largest contributors to the fine arts and artistic relief organizations throughout the galaxy. It routinely sponsors entertainment-oriented scholarships to major universities, and a host of grants and fellowships to stimulate artistic endeavors, extending even to worlds controlled by the Alliance. In so doing, it maintains a public façade directly opposite its seedier origins.

Running The Pack

As a general rule, criminals move around quite a lot. This is one reason they are difficult to apprehend. For some, the motivation is simply staying one step ahead of the law. For others, the wider their sphere of operations, the more they need to stay in personal contact with (read: personally intimidate) hirelings. For this reason, gamemasters should feel free to use any of the criminals profiled in this chapter. All are still very much at large and capable of providing their fair share of difficulties for the typical band of Star Wars characters. Or one can use their examples to "model" your own criminal creations as need be.

In either case, one fundamental guideline should be applied when roleplaying any criminal character: remember the true nature of those you are dealing with. These individuals are not altruistic, stealing from the rich to aid the poor. If anything, the average criminal's standard operating procedure is just the opposite. These characters are cold-blooded, pitiless scavengers who'd sell their own parents given the chance. In the end, it doesn't matter very much why these persons have turned to a life of crime. The fact is they have, and having done so, few ever go back to being honest.

Secondly, bear in mind that the typical criminal has major problems fitting in to "normal" society. Even the most refined and elegant criminal mastermind secretly despises the "cattle" he or she is forced to deal with. Many suffer from mental disorders and most have their actions warped by some form of maladjustment. These sorts of aberrations should show through in the way the characters are run. Play up the typical criminal's distrust of people in general ("Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get me!"). Most criminals assume that everyone else is just like them. Some are outright psychotic. These are not "normal" characters. Don't play them like they are.

Cartel

A third type of criminal organization is the crime cartel. A cartel is not limited to any one specific part of the galaxy. Instead, cartels typically extend their power across multiple star systems and even multiple sectors. A cartel is a closely knit collection of gangs, guilds, and other independent operations. It is held together by the ruthless application of decrees originating from a central governing committee.

A cartel's goal is to regulate the growth of a specific criminal activity. Often such control involves the production of illegal goods or services. By gaining a virtual monopoly over a specific criminal activity, a cartel can use enormous profits to buy political influence. In this way, the cartel can further insulate itself from its competitors.

With the death of Jabba the Hutt, significant portions of his massive crime empire have broken up into dozens of independent cartels, controlled by some of his former lieutenants (see Chapter Three). Jabba's death has produced other implications, however. Competing cartels, once held in check by Jabba's pervasive influence, are now free to resume old rivalries as they seek to extend their influence. Many are marshalling their forces for a host of underworld gang wars at a time when the galaxy around them is being torn apart by the seemingly unending war between the Empire and the New Republic. The upshot of this may well see the breakup of the larger cartels into smaller, more fiercely competitive ones in all corners of the galaxy.

Syndicate

A syndicate is the largest criminal organization most planetary governments come into contact with. A syndicate is an alliance of different crime cartels with the express purpose of controlling all criminal activities in a given portion of the galaxy. Some syndicates are already so powerful that many have their own candidates serving in government offices. Others routinely maintain outright control of law enforcement agencies (to their benefit) on dozens of planets. Even on a small scale, it is not uncommon for individual syndicates to control entire planets and their populations (see the entry for Andasala in Chapter Five, "Havens").

Syndicates often survive because of the support they covertly lend to the Empire. Sometimes covert support is not enough. Often, a syndicate's agents need to play one Moff against another or supply rival factions in a critical civil war. Left to themselves, their numerous operations generate illegal credits in the trillions. Even the most junior of syndicate lieutenants are often rich beyond the average person's dreams of avarice. Given the fiercely competitive nature of syndicate power politics, few live to enjoy such wealth very long.

The very success the average syndicate enjoys, however, is often paradoxically its most damning weakness. Nothing breeds competition like success. Ironically, the most successful syndicate operations today are often limited by the sudden deaths of key leaders at the hands of various rivals. With Jabba's death, this situation has become intensified. At present, conditions remain too volatile to make accurate predictions about the future of syndicate operations.

Criminal Empire

Largest of all known criminal organizations is the criminal empire. These massive criminal unions strive to combine all of the above elements into one grand criminal conspiracy. The Hutt crime empire which existed prior to Jabba's death was among the most famous of these empires, but many others exist. In their heyday, the Hutt clans controlled immense resources stretching across large portions of the galaxy. With Jabba's death, the empire has disintegrated into the more traditional model of various Hutt clans engaging in active "competition." Just how widespread the direct and covert influence of this particular species extends will be examined in Chapter Three, "The Hutt Crime Empire."

TracSheet Datafile: 843337-BRGZ-455500

TracSheet Implementation

Purpose: To compile a comprehensive listing of offenses against the Empire and its member-worlds. Often used as the basis for the issuance of an Imperial Notice of Remandation (commonly known as a "bounty"). A similar form is used by Rebel governments, although any charges pressed by Rebel governments are non-binding in Imperial space.

Distribution: Throughout the Empire for serious criminal offenses; localized distribution for minor offenses.

Availability: To any active member of any Imperial or aligned military, peace-keeping or police force. Non-Imperial individuals often gain access to TracSheets through less than legal means.

TracSheet Data

Name: Individual's name (if known), as well as any known aliases.

Criminal Occupation: Descriptive tag which most accurately notes extent and type of criminal activities.

Species: Listed if known.

Sex: Listed if known.

Height: Listed if known.

Age: Listed if known.

Description: Physical description of individual, including significant marks, scars, or other physical indicators. Also notes pronounced limps or other indications of injury, as well as known cybernetic enhancements or replacements.

Charges and Specifications: A summary of known criminal actions.

Operative Norms: Mannerisms and procedures the criminal is known to implement on a regular basis.

Trademark: Other common indications of the particular criminal's involvement.

Statement On File: Statement recorded. Often utilized to give insight into a particular criminal's mindset or temperament.

Chapter Two: Fringe Elements

The galaxy is convulsed by renewed warfare. Neither the Empire nor the New Republic have the clear advantage. It is a time when few feel secure and fewer still gaze hopefully towards a brighter tomorrow. In thousands of star systems across the galaxy, the crime rate escalates, as does the anxiety level of the average citizen.

Many persons seeking to escape the confusion and turmoil of the inner systems look to the Outer Rim Territories as a possible refuge. Perhaps, there, it is thought, far removed from the clash of arms, one can start over again. Perhaps, out there, one can get a second chance to live in peace.

Big mistake!

Perhaps nowhere else in the galaxy is there a place where criminal activities have taken root more thoroughly than in the Outer Rim Territories. Perhaps nowhere else can be found a greater concentration of cutthroats, back stabbers, sociopaths and ne'er-do-wells. Certainly nowhere else has the criminal element found an environment more to their liking.

Though first colonized at the height of the Old Republic, the Outer Rim Territories remain a galactic frontier of sorts. The area is lightly populated and largely unimportant — and many systems remain unexplored. Despite spirited colonization efforts in the days prior to the rise of Emperor Palpatine, few planets in the region have developed into commercial success stories.

Into this frontier region have come desperate men and women running from the law, from their past, and sometimes from themselves. In their wake have come ambitious men and women eager to carve out their own empires in the shadows of the fringe's underworld. To the sorrow of many, a few have succeeded beyond their wildest expectations.

The Outer Rim Territories are a microcosm of galactic crime in general. Here can be found examples of the galaxy's most ruthless criminals. Here also can be found entire planets given over to criminal rule, and more than a few that deliberately cater to criminal needs as a way of life. Out here, every vice and venal act imaginable is available… for a price. There is a saying common to Rim residents: "life is cheap and cheaper by the dozen." Anyone wishing to test the notion that "crime does not pay" would have no better place to challenge that assertion than out along the Rim. For these reasons, any examination of major criminal organizations in the galaxy would be well served to start with the Outer Rim Territories.

In the previous chapter, the different types of criminal organizations, and the criminal occupations they support, were introduced. This chapter takes a closer look at an example of each organization, using examples drawn from hundreds of similar crime groups scattered throughout the Rim. These examples will illustrate the different ways in which criminal organizations throughout the galaxy routinely carry out their operations. With a better understanding of how these criminal alliances operate, the reader will be better prepared, in turn, to appreciate the magnitude of the Hutt criminal empire detailed in Chapter Three.

The violence index included in the organization profiles in this chapter is an attempt to approximate the level of violence typically associated with a crime group's routine activities. Where several different types of operations are being run simultaneously, the index is an approximate average. Ratings over 70 percent suggest a very ruthless organization with little regard for life and personal property. Ratings under 30 percent indicate a relatively low-key operation that only uses force when necessary to enforce its hold or protect its territory from others attempting to "muscle in." Use these as benchmarks only; remember that local exceptions to the rule can always occur.

The Territorial Gang: The Sabrin Ring

"Got a ring on your finger? You'll get one on your throat by nightfall." — Traditional Sabrin saying

Miletta Sabrin began her life surrounded by the many luxuries the Core Worlds could provide. Born to an influential family with important political connections, Miletta's future seemed promising to say the least. Early on, Miletta fashioned a distinguished military career that included the suppression of several Rebel underground cells in the Koradin sector. She was later appointed Prefect, and afterwards Governor, of the Renillis star system. She held this important post without incident for over four years. During that time she kept the peace with a firm hand.

Then came Alderaan.

The destruction of this beautiful world shocked Governor Sabrin to her very core. Miletta was appalled at the horrendous loss of life. She was equally horrified at the casual acceptance — and approval — of the Emperor's action by members of her own staff. In the months that followed, Sabrin's mood continued to darken. Every day came reports of entire planetary populations bombarded out of existence. Scattered among them were stories of detentions, executions, and military- and state-sponsored atrocities. Even in her own capital, Miletta was unable to stop the torture of hundreds of suspected Rebel sympathizers by overzealous subordinates.

Nor did the Rebels fare any better in her estimation. Though many acted, no doubt, out of desperation and despair, Miletta continued to liken the average Rebel with terrorists. Did they not consort with smugglers? Did they not employ contemptible scoundrels of the lowest order? Did they not strike at the very foundations of galactic society, destroying the good with the bad?

The Battle of Endor was the turning point for Miletta. With the apparent death of her Emperor, Governor Sabrin decided her allegiance to a corrupt regime was at an end. Having no desire to live in a galaxy run by "Rebel mercenaries," Miletta made good her plans for escape. Gathering about her a small group of adherents, Sabrin commandeered a small frigate and headed towards the furthest reaches of the Outer Rim Territories.

Their flight was not without incident, however. Wary of her true intentions, a rival governor dispatched forces to intercept Sabrin's ship. In the sharp clash that followed, Miletta's crew won out. The Sabrins made good their escape, but not without casualties. Among them was Miletta's only son, Sallast. Miletta had lost her husband in a Rebel commando raid the year before. Now, her only son was dead at the hands of the Empire. Bitter, as she left Imperial space for the last time, Miletta was heard to comment, "Let them all be damned!"

Miletta had the foresight to secretly obtain classified survey data prior to her departure. She used this data to guide her people to what was then an uncharted planet in the Samix sector. Miletta remained bitter and changed for the worst. She quickly found she liked the idea of having her own petty kingdom out on the edge of nowhere. She could do as she pleased and try to forget her past life. Soon, her empire and her servants were raiding nearby star systems for forced labor. Quiet deals with a few pirates provided machinery and raw materials in short order. In exchange, pirates came to enjoy free right of passage through her system and access to her planet's repair facilities at a nominal cost.

It was not long, however, before the Hutts determined the whereabouts of the newly fashioned Sabrin Ring. Through intermediaries a deal was quickly struck: the Hutts would import cheap labor and equipment into the Sabrixin system at a reasonable rate. In return, they would receive a share of the profits Lady Sabrin could extort from neighboring planets at gunpoint. Once her position was consolidated, the Hutts would gain additional revenues. These would come mainly from labor purchases and profits from laundered credits. As her organization began branching out, additional revenues from loan sharking, industrial espionage and the occasional sabotage operation would also be forthcoming.

Recess

The Teklos armored battle vehicle ground to a halt only meters away from the club's entrance. As masked figures emerged from inside the mammoth speeder, rocket projectiles smashed the protective blast doors into slag. Amid the wailing of a dozen motion sensors, the assailants, some wearing battle armor, advanced while turret mounted guns laid down supportive fire. A few made it to the doorway only to be brought down by return fire. Someone cried, "Bring up the satchels!" As others hurried to comply, red and green blaster bolts began to shoot out from neighboring balconies and terraces above them.

"Well, I say they're gonn'a make it."

"Don't be silly. Just goes ta show you what boys know! They're gonna get grafted from every window on the block."

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Wanna bet?"

"What'cha got?"

"Three packs of peppermint rollocks and a vid chip of Rail Vorkan And The Space Pirates. How 'bout you?"

"I got my lucky dejgi foot, and a Boss Zorkiss trading holocard!"

"Make it real!"

"It's a deal! I still say they're all goners."

"We'll see. Let's just hope they finish before recess is over."

Organization Profile: The Sabrin Ring

Type: Territorial Gang
Location: Parmic Sector, Outer Rim Territories
Crime Boss/Leadership: Lady Miletta Sabrin
Principal Criminal Activities: Large-scale extortion, forced labor, manufacture of illegal goods, credit laundering. Some loan sharking in neighboring systems.
Criminal Affiliations: Supported by numerous Hutt clan investments.
Territory: Current operations limited to the three populated planets of the Sabrixin system, Samix sector.
Payroll: Estimated 4,000+ gang members throughout the Sabrixin system.
Violence Index: 58
Commentary: Though approaching the far end of the scale, the Sabrin Ring still falls under the definition of a "territorial" gang. It concentrates its activities against a small nucleus population on the planet Sabrix. Secondary operations are similarly confined to the neighboring populations on the planets Helisk and Elokas, recently settled with the aid of Hutt imported labor and material.

■ Lady Miletta Sabrin

Type: Sabrin Ring Crime Boss
DEXTERITY 2D+1
Blaster 4D+1, dodge 3D+2, melee combat 4D, melee parry 4D+2
KNOWLEDGE 4D
Bureaucracy 5D, bureaucracy: Imperial bureaucracy 7D, cultures 5D+1, languages 5D, planetary systems 6D+1, streetwise 6D
MECHANICAL 2D
Astrogation 3D+1, repulsorlift operation 4D, sensors 3D+2, starfighter piloting 3D
PERCEPTION 2D+1
Bargain 4D, command 5D, command: Sabrin Ring henchmen 9D
STRENGTH 2D
TECHNICAL 3D
Armor repair 4D+2, blaster repair 4D, computer programming/repair 4D+1
Force Points: 1
Character Points: 28
Move: 10
Equipment: Blaster pistol (4D), vibro-knife (STR+1D+2), comlink

Capsule: Ex-military Governor of the Renillis system, Miletta Sabrin has suffered bouts of deep depression following the loss of her husband to Rebel commandos. The apparent death of the Emperor at Endor may well have created a psychological crisis of sorts, one that was further complicated by the loss of her son at the hands of Imperial forces soon after. Sabrin now desires nothing more than to exact revenge against a galaxy that has taken from her the two things that mattered most in her life. An unstable personality at best, she can be unfeeling and pitiless.

Having A Great Time, Glad You're Not Here

"From the moment you step out of the shuttle connector, you notice the noise. Not just the common babble of most starports, but a distinctly different kind of noise. Mixed in with the sounds of confusion are the sounds of misery and despair: children crying for their missing parents, service float drivers yelling angrily at passengers, the sounds of fist-fights and someone, somewhere, getting their head smashed in by a militiaman's club.

"No sooner do you get out of the customs area than you find yourself surrounded by gambling droids. They're simply everywhere. There's no getting rid of them. I had to lock one in the closet and call the hotel manager to remove it, which he reluctantly did several hours later…

"Equally disturbing are the people we met on the way to the hotel. Nowhere else in the galaxy have I met a ruder, I dare say cruder, bunch of people. It's not that they are simply impolite. One quickly gets the impression that a Brindite's goal in life is to fashion the perfect insult!

"Perhaps what disturbs me the most are the children. They're everywhere you go, begging in the streets, in the alleys, in the shops. I feel so sorry for them…

"Well, Jondrix starts his new job as a droid tech at the Brandis Tech Institute tomorrow. We're thinking of getting a place in the country once he's settled in. Perhaps, things won't be so bad after all. But for now at least, mother, I guess you could say we're having a wonderful time, but I'm so glad you're not here."

— Extract from a personal communication: Thalis Denirid, immigrant to Brindin Anchorage, Portmoak Sector, Outer Rim Territories

The Sabrin Connection

In the few short years the Sabrin Ring has been in operation, Lady Sabrin and her gang have managed to solidify an efficient criminal enterprise, largely undisturbed by law enforcement agents. That this is so is due, in no small measure, to an influx of Hutt credits and labor shipped into the Sabrixin system. This labor is particularly useful in mining radioactive elements from abundant veins found throughout the system. These ores are transported through various smuggler connections to mineral poor worlds in other systems. The credits obtained from these sales bring in a steady income.

After the smugglers are paid, the remaining profits are reinvested by Sabrin agents. Most go into legitimate businesses and financial institutions on other Rim planets. The now "laundered" (i.e., "squeaky clean," legitimate) funds are used, in turn, to purchase new labor replacements from Hutt controlled sources, and the cycle begins all over again.

Not all the radioactives unearthed are shipped off-world. Some are stored locally and are slowly being refined into bomb-grade material. Lady Sabrin is using the potential of her nuclear threat to extort what amounts to large-scale protection from neighboring systems. Although she does not actually have such weapons now, she is not far from completing them. For the time being, Sabrin is proceeding slowly, lest anyone call her bluff. Once the first of her devices are ready for use, a modest "demonstration" will like as not be carried out… following shortly thereafter by a rise in prices.

In the Sabrixin system, the population is growing. Of those newly arrived, very few persons are actually slaves. Lady Sabrin has little to do with professional slavers, whom she personally despises. Those who mine Sabrin ores are indentured servants: people who, either from bad debts or a genuine desire to move elsewhere, serve as low-paid servitors for a specified period of time. Unfortunately, once in the mines, a variety of local infractions are often imposed on the miners, resulting in extended periods of servitude.

The Sabrin Connection (flow chart)

1. Slave labor and indentured servants supplied from Hutt sources in the Rim.
2. Forced labor extracts mineral deposits from local radioactive mines.
   • Illness creates continued demand for new laborers.
3. Ores shipped via smugglers to processing plants throughout the Rim.
4. Processed ores sold at high market prices.
5. Illegal credits "laundered" through legitimate Rim banks.
6. Laundered credits used to purchase additional "contract" labor.

The Fruits Of One's Labors

Memoirs of a casual observer…

"The advertisement promised high wages and exotic travel. Prestor Mee quickly found out what that meant in Hutt terms! It meant slaving 10 hours a day in a Sabrin radioactives mine for a bunch of goons who got the high wages and the vacations off planet every other month.

"But Prestor Mee was a survivor. He'd been conned. No problem. Just stay sharp, keep your wits about you and you'll come up on top. Prestor got his first big chance when he learned of a breakout some of the other miners were planning. A few words to the right people and the ring leaders quietly disappeared. He had to admit a supervisor's job was much better than slaving away in the pits. But Prestor wasn't going to spend his final days herding some dumb miners around. No sir! He had ambition and the smarts to see him through.

"It took a while, but Prestor found out how Boss Denedin was shaving off a bit of old Lady Sabrin's cut from Number 12 mine. Not much, mind you. A percent point here, a point there. Just enough to make it look like productivity drops due to sickness in the mines. Well now, everyone's got enemies, right? It didn't take long for Prestor to find out who had it in for Denedin and spill the beans.

"Well, Boss Denedin gets himself an 'early retirement' don'tcha know, and Prestor, well, he's thinking he's got the galaxy by the tail. Just one problem, though. Prestor forgot that a goon's first law is 'never trust anyone.' Sure Prestor got rid of Denedin. But everybody's got something they want kept hidden, right? Denedin's replacement figured maybe Prestor has something on him, too. Maybe Prestor was a mite too ambitious for an ex-miner type. That line of thinkin' naturally invoked a goon's second law… 'stick them before they stick you.'

"Makin' a long story short, they found Prestor's body dumped down an abandoned shaft, out by number eight quarry, last week. They say he had a huge wad of credits in his pocket when they found him. I guess it just goes to show that credits can't buy you everything in this galaxy…"

Indentured Services: Labor Relations The Hutt Way

The availability of large amounts of cheap labor through the institution of indentured servitude is a time honored Hutt practice. This is not to suggest the Hutts are squeamish about keeping slaves. Far from it. Indeed, many Hutts keep personal "pets" as an outward sign of prestige and power. Slave labor in large numbers, on the other hand, can be economically impractical. Discipline problems, lack of motivation, rebellions, and other difficulties are all factors which can bring down one's profit margin. However, if individuals can be induced to willingly enter into a condition in which their services are guaranteed for a long period of time, so much the better.

Hutt judicial systems have traditionally maintained draconian punishments for loan defaulters, union organizers, and similar "scum." Given a choice between indentured servitude and the alternatives prescribed by a Hutt court, many willingly choose the former. As it is, each year thousands of people on Hutt-controlled planets volunteer their services under a condition of indenture.

To be indentured is to have one's personal rights temporarily suspended — freedom of movement, assembly, choice of occupation, and the right to enter into a contract are seen by Hutts as the major considerations. During a stipulated period (typically six months to 10 years), the Hutt clan holds a person's indentured contract, which has a value attached to it. This contract can be purchased by another Hutt, a Hutt business, or even a non-Hutt who can cover the contract's price. Whoever holds a person's contract can require the contracted party to work for that person in any capacity, at a pre-set rate of pay (usually a ridiculously low one). Once the equivalent number of labor hours are worked, the indentured party is released from any obligations to his or her contract holder.

Hutt law specifically prohibits the use of indentured labor in situations that are proven unsafe. Likewise, additional provisions define rules for proper treatment of an indentured party. Such is the system in theory. In practice, however, things are much different. Hutt contract law provides a large number of provisions all aimed at regulating the work habits of the indentured party. Any violation of these statutes can result in an extension of the contract time by adding additional "fines," which must be paid off by the indentured party before he or she can be legally freed. Moreover, it is not uncommon for inspections of work sites employing indentured labor to be routinely conducted over a sumptuous dinner at the manager's private estate.

Whatever their true conditions, indentured servants are expected to work without complaint as their contract holder shall specify. Contract holders are also legally within their rights to employ local managers whose job it is to "enforce the letter of the law" — in other words, keep the workers in line any way they can. In this regard, as in many others, the indentured servant has no course of appeal.

Territorial Gangs Commentary

As a general rule, territorial gangs thrive through a mixture of intimidation and corruption. When first starting out, the average gang has the advantage of anonymity. Local enforcement agencies may not be aware a new group has moved in, nor what its intentions are. Clashes with rival gangs or a sudden rise in localized crime is often the first indication authorities have that a new threat has set up shop. By that time, sufficient profits have been realized to buy protection from a few local officials. With a buffer between themselves and regional law enforcement, gang members can increase their activities and begin investing profits into legitimate business operations. Thereafter, barring dissention from within or large-scale attacks from outside, the pattern is repeated: violent clashes to expand territory, purchase additional protection, increase activities in newly acquired turf, invest, expand.

Never underestimate the importance — or the scope — of a gang's investment in legitimate businesses. Such investment does three things: first, it permits the crime gang to funnel illegally obtained credits into local concerns that support the general population, while disguising their origin. Secondly, it provides further sources of legally produced revenues that lend to the fiction of the crime gang as a law-abiding commercial enterprise. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, it creates support among the local populace when jobs are in short supply.

It is entirely possible for characters to deal with legitimate businesses (banks, bars, casinos, hotels, outfitters, etc.) that, unbeknownst to them, are not only owned and operated by criminals, but are staffed by people more than willing to report the characters' actions and movements to their superiors.

■ Sabrin Enforcer

Type: Typical Sabrin Enforcer
DEXTERITY 3D
Blaster 5D, dodge 4D, melee combat 4D+2
KNOWLEDGE 3D
Intimidation 4D+2, intimidation: bullying 6D, languages 3D+1, planetary systems: Sabrixin system 4D+2
MECHANICAL 2D+1
Repulsorlift operation 3D+2
PERCEPTION 3D
Persuasion 4D+2
STRENGTH 3D
Brawling 7D, stamina 4D+2
TECHNICAL 2D+2
Force Points: 1
Character Points: 12
Move: 10
Equipment: Heavy blaster pistol (5D), vibro-blade (STR+1D+2), comlink, armored blast vest (+1D to front for physical and energy attacks)

■ Rodik Xern

Type: Sabrin Crime Boss
DEXTERITY 2D+1
Blaster 4D+2, dodge 3D+2
KNOWLEDGE 3D+2
Bureaucracy 4D+2, intimidation 6D+2, planetary systems: Sabrixin system 4D+2, streetwise 7D+2
MECHANICAL 2D
PERCEPTION 4D
Bargain 6D+1, command: Sabrin Ring henchmen 8D+1, con 6D, gambling 6D, persuasion 6D+2
STRENGTH 3D+1
Stamina 4D
TECHNICAL 2D+2
Force Points: 1
Character Points: 20
Move: 10
Equipment: Heavy blaster pistol (5D), comlink, datapad

Capsule: Rodik is a typical Sabrin street boss, which is to say he's as sleazy as they come. Though not as refined as some of Lady Sabrin's military cronies (whom he secretly envies), he is a no-nonsense tough who has earned his place in the Sabrin Ring by knowing how to "take it to the streets," lead pipe in hand. He maintains order and discipline among the "plebs" (as he calls the underprivileged population he controls). Boss of the Sabrin homeworld's southern continent, he has personally dispatched three would-be rivals in as many years.

Sabrin "Civilians"

Most individuals are eventually released from their contracts. Depending on their age and their personal connections formed during their time as laborers, many elect to remain on planet. Those who do not buck the system are given decent pay and positions of authority within the Sabrin hierarchy. Jobs are assigned in accordance with the person's skills. Sometimes, this involves control over others down in the mines. Sometimes it means positions of responsibility outside the Sabrixin system itself, provided you can be trusted to support the organization.

Another class of persons routinely arriving in the Sabrixin system are refugees. Not everyone likes staying around to watch their planet get shot up, never mind whether the Empire or the New Republic is doing the shooting. Many have already lost everything they once owned. Many are forced to flee to the Rim for lack of other alternatives. Some eventually manage to set up shop under Sabrin rule and lead a modest life of sorts. Most, however, find themselves quickly in debt, which means a one way ticket to the radioactives mines.

A third group of Sabrin settlers are other criminal elements. The success of the Sabrin operation attracts many low-lifes eager to scam a few credits off unsuspecting locals, or drifters plying their illegal trades briefly in one spot before moving on to another. Smugglers are always welcome provided they're willing to do business with the local bosses. Hutt emissaries are also occasionally sent out to keep an eye on their clan's interests. Others are deserters and disillusioned ex-servicemen who want nothing more than to be forgotten by the galaxy at large. Many of these people find the overall lack of regulation and law enforcement a welcome change and they stick around longer than expected.

Despite the semblance of a growing, thriving, interplanetary community, the Sabrixin system is home to a captive population controlled by provincial strong arm gangs led by bullying enforcers. Taxes are routinely collected at the point of a blaster and failure to pay quickly gets one a free mining laser. Those who manage to stay above ground face a variety of shakedowns at the hands of skilled extortionists employed by local Sabrin bosses. Complaints are dealt with in back alleys. Those wishing to leave are free to do so, but only after obtaining a very expensive "Exit Permit." Few have the means to cover the added cost of bribes to a host of mob-sponsored bureaucrats. Those who do have the credits often find themselves compelled to make midnight contributions to members of the "Sabrin Benevolence Society."

The Crime Guild: The Karazak Slavers' Guild

"We believe that at the heart of every intelligent person lies a secret desire to have dominion over another sentient being. Some pander to this desire by building empires. Others sit in judgment of their fellow creatures. The Karazak acknowledge this very fundamental need. We accept it and we provide for it." — Extract from Karazak promotional literature

The practice of enslaving sentient life-forms for sale to other beings is an ancient one. Though few care to admit it, many of the New Republic's staunchest supporters of individual freedoms have endorsed slavery at one time or another in their history. Slaving has acquired a recognized legal status throughout the Empire in accordance with Imperial Decree A-SL-4557.607.232.

Out in the Outer Rim Territories, slavers are a disturbingly common sight. Here can be found one of the largest concentrations of slaver activity anywhere in the galaxy. Many slaver groups use the Rim as their base of operations. From there, they strike deep into Imperial and New Republic space. Others operate exclusively within the unpatrolled regions of the galaxy, attracting little attention to themselves while preying on those least likely to be missed.

At present, there are at least three major concentrations of slavers in the Outer Rim Territories: the Zygerians, the Thalassians, and the Karazaks. Each group derives their name from the star system that serves as their administrative center.

The Zygerians are the most well known of the three slaver guilds, boasting a reputation as harsh disciplinarians. This reputation has served them well, especially in their dealings with the Empire. In select portions of the Empire, Zygerians often receive exclusive discounts on the purchase of Slaver Permits.

The Thalassians are the oldest of the three guilds. Over many generations, the Thalassians have opted to work within society, rather than outside it. The Thalassians prefer dealing with large corporations (admittedly often covertly), to supply on-demand contract labor for new colonies.

The newest member of the Rim slaving community is the Karazak Slavers' Cooperative (KSC), which is aptly located in Karazak system, a notorious center of slaving activities. Through the use of highly trained members drawn from a wide range of backgrounds, these skilled slaver "specialists" are quickly carving out a sizeable niche for themselves. Though their operations lack the volume sales of their competitors, few can argue over the quality of Karazak Cooperative goods.

There are several reasons why the Karazaks have become so successful so quickly. The first lies in the deeply rooted commonality of purpose shared by its members. Unlike other criminal groups that dabble in slaving, in addition to a dozen other "rackets," all of the KSC's resources are focused towards a single goal: the safe, efficient, and controlled acquisition of life-forms for sale to the highest bidder. For many Karazaks, slaving is a way of life. Many are second and third-generation slavers. Those unwilling to devote themselves to the KSC's high standards of excellence are refused membership.

One reason many highly trained specialists join the Karazak Slavers' Cooperative, as opposed to the other slaver guilds, is the unspoken understanding that the KSC takes care of its own. No KSC slaver is allowed to remain incarcerated for more than 30 standard hours. Whatever the legal expense or cost of bribery on a given planet, if apprehended, members can smugly look forward to a quick release. Some, of course, eventually require the employment of special "tactical initiative squads" to gain their release, but such is the price of doing business in the Rim. Though unconcerned with the disruption of personal lives where their quarry are concerned, paradoxically, the Karazak leadership seeks to provide for the welfare of its employees — and their families — to an extent unheard of in other criminal organizations in the Rim. Should a Karazak slaver be killed or executed before help can arrive, the individual's family is provided for thereafter without question. In times of economic hardship throughout the galaxy, the attraction of such measures cannot be minimized.

Equally important to the KSC's rising notoriety is its commitment to superior organization at all levels of activity. No Karazak operation takes place without a battery of experts first planning out every move and preparing for every possible contingency. Few Karazak operations are failures. None are executed unless first approved as being cost-effective. Moreover, Karazak researchers are continually looking for new and better ways to improve their operations. Here, the emphasis is on minimizing the risk each strike team member takes.

By virtue of its structure, the KSC can maintain a low profile with a decentralized approach to its criminal activities. Unlike territorial gangs, which try to maintain rigid control over a finite area of activity ("Like a little Gamorrean pup tracing a line in the sand and daring you to step over it!"), the Karazak Slavers' Cooperative uses its membership to carefully infiltrate a target zone. KSC members are not averse to sharing turf with other, non-guild operators, so long as there is little direct competition. Should local frictions become too great, however, operations in the contested area are quietly suspended and resources reallocated to more profitable regions.

The KSC routinely employs a variety of highly trained individuals in a variety of specialized roles. These roles reflect how the Karazaks carry out their slaving operations. Unlike other slaving guilds, the Karazaks take deliberate care to divide responsibilities among as many qualified members as possible. This division of authority minimizes the impact on trade should one or more guild members be apprehended by authorities. Success in one area of cooperative operations can lead to lucrative promotions and advancements. However, repeated failures can often lead to the individual's receiving a refresher course on the business of slaving from a first-hand perspective! This unique approach to labor relations further serves to promote competition and a general striving for excellence among individual members. Karazak specializations are summarized below.

Organization Profile: The Karazak Slavers' Cooperative (KSC)

Type: Criminal Guild
Location: Karazak system, Sujimis sector, Outer Rim Territories
Crime Boss/Leadership: Central Coordinating Committee of 12 members.
Principal Criminal Activities: Criminal kidnapping. Enslavement of sentient life-forms for profit. Violation of sentient rights. Illegal transportation of galactic citizens under duress. Unlawful incarceration of sentient beings against their will.
Criminal Affiliations: A few local chapters have support elements funded by Hutt owned and operated affiliates.
Territory: Current operations extend into both Imperial and New Republic sectors. Operations usually limited to acquisition of trained and/or literate captures, with an added emphasis on specialized captures for private citizens on a high risk/high fee basis.
Payroll: Estimated 12,000+ members, of which over 5,000 are directly engaged in strike team operations.
Violence Index: 88 (with regard to criminal kidnapping and violation of sentient rights); 35 (with regard to the care, handling, and distribution of victims after the fact).

Acquisitions Specialist

No Karazak raid is ever mounted in a haphazard manner. Careful consideration must first be given to location and possible threat levels from law enforcement or military contingents. Similarly, the availability of potential slaves in sufficient numbers and quality to make the raid profitable is considered. Accurate assessments of these factors is the responsibility of the acquisitions specialist. Usually working alone, the acquisitions specialist moves from planet to planet under an established cover, keeping eyes and ears open to the slave possibilities each world may offer. On occasion, the acquisitions specialist may be called upon to locate and assess the value of a particular individual or group of people as potential targets of opportunity. Based on reports generated by this individual, the fate of an entire community may be unknowingly sealed by the report of one individual.

■ Avril Gresh

Type: Karazak Slaver: Acquisitions Specialist
DEXTERITY 2D+1
Blaster 3D+1
KNOWLEDGE 4D
Bureaucracy 5D+2, business: slaving 6D+2, business: farm management 5D+2, cultures 6D+2, law enforcement 6D, value 6D, value: slave auctions 9D
MECHANICAL 2D+1
Communications 3D, hover vehicle operations: farm machinery 3D+2
PERCEPTION 3D+2
Bargain 4D+2, command: Karazak slavers 7D, investigation 5D+2, persuasion 6D
STRENGTH 2D+2
TECHNICAL 3D
Force Points: 1
Character Points: 6
Move: 10
Equipment: Hold-out blaster (3D+2), datapad, comlink, 10,000 credits

Capsule: Avril started out as a peasant farmer working on a large agri-collective, one of many located in the fertile Mid-Rim sectors. Following a history of harsh treatment at the hands of company enforcers, Avril killed his farm overseer during a fight over his failure to meet his yearly quota. After drifting to the Rim to avoid prosecution, Avril caught the attention of a Karazak slaver who recognized the man's innate talents as a leader and coordinator. Given a choice of either joining the Karazaks or having the authorities learn of his whereabouts, Avril opted for the former. Despite a lack of formal education, Avril has a keen understanding of a predator's nature. He has no illusions over his present role in life. He only wants to accumulate enough credits to retire, forgotten by the galaxy at large. If this means doing so at the expense of others, so be it.

Project Developer

Before any slaving operation can be carried out, its viability must first be assessed and a legitimate level of success assured. Each Karazak slave raid is viewed as an independent project, managed and controlled by one of several KSC project developers who is ultimately responsible for the success or failure of the mission. After reviewing reports submitted by acquisitions specialists in the field, and coordinating plans with strike team leaders, the project developer issues a final "go" or "no go" order. In this regard, the KSC's executive leadership defers to the project developer's judgment, even if it means calling off what might otherwise seem to be a lucrative opportunity against a defenseless community. Similarly, the Karazak project developers have the final say as to which individual acquisitions can be accomplished with a minimum amount of risk or attention.

■ Seland'Ir

Type: Verpine Karazak Slaver: Project Developer
DEXTERITY 2D+2
Blaster 4D
KNOWLEDGE 3D
Bureaucracy 4D, business 4D+2, business: slaving 7D+1, cultures 6D, law enforcement 5D+1, planetary systems 6D, value 8D
MECHANICAL 1D+2
Communications 2D+1
PERCEPTION 4D
Bargain 5D+2, command: Karazak slavers 6D+2, investigation 10D+1
STRENGTH 2D
TECHNICAL 4D+2
Computer programming/repair 5D+2
Special Abilities:
Body Armor: Chitinous plate armor gives +1D versus physical attacks.
Microscopic Sight: Enhanced sight gives +1D to search skill rolls.
Organic Telecommunication: Communication via organically produced radio waves with members of the same species up to 1 kilometer.
Technical Bonus: +2D bonus to all Technical skill rolls.
Character Points: 6
Move: 13
Equipment: Hold-out blaster (3D+2), datapad, comlink, 10,000 credits

Capsule: Seland'Ir is one of the Karazak guild's oldest and most successful project developers. Suspected of being an outcast from its Verpine hive, Seland'Ir's true origins are unknown. Methodical to a fault, this person is not above taking high risks if convinced the greater good of the guild can be served.

Strike Team Leader

Strike team leaders work closely with Karazak project developers. Once the go-ahead is given, the leader is responsible for the actual implementation of a given slave raid. Strike team leaders select their own team members and assign responsibilities according to mission profiles. Each strike team leader is responsible for the safe and secure capture of all predesignated acquisitions. Every piece of "damaged merchandise" means a percentage deducted from the leader's share of any profits.

■ Rei'Kas

Type: Karazak Slaver: Strike Team Leader
DEXTERITY 4D+2
Blaster 8D, blaster artillery 6D+1, brawling parry 6D, dodge 5D, grenade 5D+1, melee combat 5D+1, missile weapons 5D+2
KNOWLEDGE 2D+2
Alien species 3D+1, languages 4D, streetwise 4D+1, survival 6D+2
MECHANICAL 2D
Beast riding 3D, communications 3D+2, ground vehicle operation 3D, hover vehicle operation 3D+1, repulsorlift operation 3D
PERCEPTION 3D+2
Command 8D, command: Karazak slaver strike teams 5D+1
STRENGTH 3D
Brawling 4D
TECHNICAL 2D
Blaster repair 3D+2
Character Points: 18
Move: 12
Equipment: Macrobinoculars, blaster rifle (5D), heavy blaster pistol (5D), medpac, comlink, fragmentation grenades (4D)

Capsule: A prior member of the Jrahl Ferrin gang on Daslkehnt, Rei'Kas the Rodian joined the Karazaks following a disagreement with the Ferrins regarding the proposed disposition of funds after a bank theft. Since becoming a guild slaver, Rei'Kas has been a constant irritant to his superiors. Rei'Kas enjoys interjecting an unnecessary element of violence into each and every operation he is a part of. His skills and courage in a close fight, however, are unquestioned. Through persistence and determination, he has risen through the ranks. For many who serve with him, Rei'Kas is a necessary evil.

Logistics Coordinator

Karazak logistics coordinators are responsible for a variety of key functions within the guild. Their primary role is to outfit and equip strike teams with ordnance and supplies. This task routinely involves providing for any number of different planetary environments, often on a moment's notice. Logistics coordinators are also directly responsible for the care and feeding of acquisitions taken by strike teams until final disposition is made. Coordinators also provide for routine maintenance and are responsible for the orderly setup or removal of slaver bases within designated star systems.

■ Krassis Trelix

Type: Karazak Slaver: Logistics Coordinator
DEXTERITY 2D
Blaster 4D, firearms 3D+1, dodge 3D
KNOWLEDGE 3D
Languages 4D, streetwise 6D
MECHANICAL 4D
Astrogation 5D, communications 5D+2, ground vehicle operation 5D+2, hover vehicle operation 7D+1, powersuit operation 6D+1, repulsorlift operation 5D+2, sensors 6D+1
PERCEPTION 2D
Bargain 7D+1, command: Karazak slavers 8D, con 4D+2, investigation 8D+1, persuasion 3D+2, search 9D+2
STRENGTH 4D
Brawling 4D+1
TECHNICAL 3D
Armor repair 6D, blaster repair 7D+2, computer programming/repair 4D+1, demolition 4D, droid repair 4D+2, ground vehicle repair 5D+1, hover vehicle repair 5D, repulsorlift repair 5D, space transports repair 5D
Force Points: 1
Character Points: 16
Move: 10
Equipment: Comlink, datapad, work clothes

Capsule: Trelix is an ex-military supply officer with an exaggerated opinion of himself. Angered because he was passed over for promotion once too often, Trelix decided to tender his resignation from the Imperial military by quietly emigrating to the Rim without permission. He likewise decided to take some valuable pieces of equipment with him. His abilities as a jack-of-all-trades scrounger has earned him a grudging respect among his peers. His subordinates just think he's crazy… and Trelix likes it that way.

Distribution Manager

Planning and executing a slave operation are only a small part of the overall picture. A successful business venture requires trained personnel capable of moving the merchandise into the proper markets before operating costs (and local enforcement agents) catch up with you. This follow-up stage is the domain of the distribution manager. Karazak distribution managers are the ones responsible for bringing buyer and seller together and closing the deals with underworld connections. The arrangements made by these individuals often seals the fate of hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of enslaved beings at one time. Without the efforts of skilled distribution managers to find the right buyer, on the right planet, at the right time, the efforts of fellow guild members can quickly be negated. If distribution efforts over multiple sectors becomes a problem, the entire organization may suffer.

They Said It Couldn't Be Done

"And I says the best slaver in these here parts is old Seland'Ir. Well, sure I'll tell 'ya why, if you're buyin' that is… that's a good genetic pattern. We used that to home in on her fellow… quick as a flash!

"You remembers awhile back how that holovid star, wassher name, ah, Janissa Locrin, yeah, how she turned up missing and how the holo studio ended up payin' six million credits to get 'er back. Well now, who do you think done planned that little caper…

"Course I'm sure. Sure I'll tells you how he did it. Here, fresh'in this up for me will 'ya? First off, Seland'Ir finds this fixer what could give it a copy of the construction plans to Janissa's private estate. Built like a miniature fortress world it was. How's I know, 'cause I was there, wasn't I! Now listen up.

"Seland'Ir takes a look at the plans like and after a bit it knows right off what to do. There's nothing Seland'Ir don't take into account like. The way it had us work it was like this: first off, early in the morning we creep in close like. Phase one, we dusted the vicinity with microton explosive charges. Used little rocket grenades to sow 'em all over the perimeter. They'se hard-wired with delay fuses to all go off at the same time. They aren't big enough to do any real damage but they set off all the perimeter motion sensors at once. The security drudges inside don't know what's happenin'…

"Now, we don't try doing a gate. Those things were reinforced duranium. No need. We go over the top with rocket assisted grappling hooks. Yeah, I know, the place was crawling with Devaronian watchbeasts! How'd you know that? Oh, yeah, well, Seland'Ir had that figured out, too. We all packed ultrasonic scramblers. We triggered them and dropped them in ahead of us when we went over the wall. Didn't do us any harm, but you should'ta heard those brutes a holler'in and a crying. Must'a given them an awful headache.

"Seland'Ir had gotten to somebody in the industry, someone on the inside. That someone got it a piece of clothing Janissa had worn on her last shoot. Anyhow, our boys managed to get a DNA scraping from that. When we went in, I had the tracker loaded and locked into her genetic pattern.

"I'm gettin' a might dry, there, thanks again… So, we get a hot spot on her, up on the third floor. Me and the rest of Zjek team hand-over-hand it up the outer wall. Meanwhile, Heksa and Sujir teams are laying down anti-personnel agents all over the courtyard. A couple of our boys have flame projectors and some of those biochems… it was pretty touchy. We ended up lightin' up the whole courtyard. Heat kept the droids inside too.

"Speakin' a' droids, Seland'Ir figured Jannis'd have her own guard droid on hand and sure enough, no sooner did Fenrij blast the window open then he gets his nose singed by this little Mark 65 from inside the bedroom. Now, before we lifted off Seland'Ir makes it a point o' pullin' us aside and telling us what to do should we run into one of the tinpots. It says 'Surrender!'

"I know it sounds crazy, but that just goes ta show how smart a slaver that old Verpine really is! See, them droids aren't all that smart. They're all primed and ready to defend their owners come a good fight, but they aren't expectin' someone to up and surrender without being injured first. And they sure aren't programmed to cross-check for deception, what with analyzin' a bunch o' other inputs all at the same time. Fenrij always was a good liar.

"Anyway, as soon as he sees the droid, he throws in his blaster and climbs inside, yellin' 'I surrender, I surrender' at the top of his lungs. The dumb bucket o' bolts just stands there, think'in it over, not three meters away. Fen', he takes a couple of steps inside, his arms raised up high like, and the next thing you know, that droid is spittin' and sparkin' and blowin' its top…

"That's 'cause we were wearin' E-Suits, like Seland'Ir said we should. Close proximity electrostatic charge triggered by the droid's own electrical impulses created an overload.

"Thanks, I will have another one of these. I forgot to tell ya about Keshid. Keshid wasn't so lucky. He came in through the window just as the droid toppled over on its face. Caught his attention a second too long. The little lady sees her pet droid go thump like and she pulls out a tiny hand blaster and hits Kesh' in the leg. Score one for her! One was all she got. Me and Fen got a tangle net over her and that, as they say, was that.

"Sure, I know the place was surrounded by jungle. Take a week to hack our way out, what with luggin' the little lady around 'an all. How'd you — oh, yeah, seen pictures on the news, right. Well, that really proves just how smart 'ol Seland'Ir is. We didn't have 'ta go trapsin' through no jungle. 'Ol 'Slander' had it all figured out. As soon as we gets inside, Sujir team get on the roof and set's up shop. By the time we get up there, they got a block capsule ready and waiting.

"Sapor, another round!

"Block capsule? Ain't nothin' much more 'an a small, metal alloy coffin with a small booster on it. Great for pitchin' out the garbage into the neighbor's yard. Its got a range of a couple hundred meters. But that's all we needed. Soon as we get topside, Greko sends out the recall signal. Seland'Ir didn't let us down. By the time we get our sleeper stuffed into the capsule, we sees the shuttle on the horizon. We give it a couple 'o seconds ta' get in range and then… wooosh! Up she goes! Straight up, maybe a couple a' hundred meters, and over the walls before the booster quits out. No problem though, 'cause by then the shuttle is roarin' in and uses a tractor beam to grab hold and pull 'er in. Whole thing took less'n a minute.

"Us? We gave up afterwards! Suuurree, it makes sense! And see, that's where Seland'Ir had it figured out just right. See, no one was really hurt up that bad and nobody really cares about a few droids. The studio knew if they pressed charges they'd never see their little holostar again. Probably figured we had a clientele already waitin' to take possession. So nobody calls the authorities, nobody presses any charges, and we get a free ride back to the city while the negotiations got finalized. Now, do we work for the smartest slaver in these here parts or what?"

"I have to agree with you Iquar, your boss is one smart item. I want to thank you for explaining that to me. In fact, we weren't even sure Seland'Ir was involved in that particular caper until just now. You've been very helpful. Matter of fact, the conversation we just recorded will go far towards convicting your boss once and for all."

"…'er now, just who do you think you are?"

"Iquar, you're under arrest for slavery and kidnapping, and probably a bunch of other charges once we get back to headquarters. Come along quietly."

"Sector Rangers! Just my luck. Oh well. I figure the guild'll be gettin' me out soon enough. Hey, can I finish my drink first?"

■ Yanix Dev

Type: Karazak Slaver: Distribution Manager
DEXTERITY 2D
Blaster 3D+1, dodge 3D
KNOWLEDGE 3D+1
Business 5D, business: black market operations 6D, business: slaving 7D+1, cultures 4D+2, languages 4D+2, law enforcement 4D+2
MECHANICAL 2D+2
PERCEPTION 4D+1
Bargain 5D+1, con 5D+1, hide 5D+2, persuasion 7D
STRENGTH 2D
TECHNICAL 3D+2
Computer programming/repair 4D+2
Force Points: 1
Character Points: 18
Move: 10
Equipment: Hold-out blaster (3D+1), comlink, datapad, expensive tailored clothes, 15,000 credits

Capsule: To pass him on the street, one might mistake Yanix Dev for a business executive for any of a hundred major corporations in the Inner Sphere. Beneath this polite, well-mannered façade is a cold-blooded mercenary who enjoys his role as "body broker." Dev possesses a monumental ego supported by a distaste for anyone he deems to be his intellectual inferior. Through cunning and guile, he has so far avoided successful prosecution at the hands of law enforcement agents. Few who know him, however, doubt that Dev is his own worst enemy. One day he will trip over his own ego and when he does, he will fall very hard.

With the continued dislocation of planetary populations due to the continued hostilities, demands for both skilled and unskilled labor are rising. Where other inducements have failed, as long as there are those willing to pay large sums of credits to obtain critically needed labor, there will be people like the Karazaks ready, willing, and able to fulfill that demand.

A Slaver's Point of View

For all their professional detachment and lip service about minimizing risks, slavers do not hold the rights of other sentient beings in high regard. When necessary, they will justify their actions by first "dehumanizing" their prey. By looking at their unwilling victims as something other than intelligent life-forms, slavers find it easy to avoid thinking about the implications of their actions. This is a policy the Empire itself has reinforced by classifying many species as "non-intelligent" when the evidence has clearly suggested otherwise.

As with slavers in general, the Karazaks are very good at what they do because they don't see their victims as rational creatures, or if they ever do, they just don't care. Either way, the gamemaster should not be taken in by their business-like approach to disrupting the lives of others. At the heart of their guild's activities lies the vilest form of greed. The gamemaster should never pass up an opportunity to play up these individuals as the heartless predators they are.

The Crime Cartel: The Mandroxans

One of the most profitable sources of illegal revenues today is spice. Control of the spice trade is the target of one of the most insidious criminal conspiracies in the Outer Rim: the Mandroxan alliance. The name Mandroxan is derived from the three principal criminal organizations that make up this cartel: the Manliss Enterprise, the Droxian Traders League, and the Anavil Smuggler's Guild. All lie within the boundaries of the Portmoak sector (in fact, Mandroxan does a great deal of business with Torel Vorne on Reuss VIII; see pages 33–35 of Galaxy Guide 9: Fragments from the Rim). With agents in every major star system in the region, Mandroxan is in an ideal position to control the flow of spice across several major Rim trading routes.

The heart of the Mandroxan alliance is the Manliss Enterprise. Located in the Jermac star system, under the direction of crime lord Artur Manliss, this criminal cabal is responsible for over two-thirds of all illegal spice production in the sector. They are aided and abetted by the Droxian Traders League, whose legitimate commercial enterprises in over a dozen systems provide equipment and raw materials in abundance. The third member of this criminal triad is the Anavil Smuggler's Guild, a loose association of independent operators who manage the distribution of spice shipments throughout the sector.

What makes the Mandroxans so special is the way they conduct their affairs. Unlike the majority of criminal groups in the fringe, Mandroxan carries out its operations in the full light of day, in open defiance of the law. That this is possible is partly due to location. The Manliss Enterprise center of operations is the planet known as Bridin Anchorage. Lying near border regions hotly contested by Imperial and Republic forces, Bridin Anchorage lies along a natural invasion route. For many years, this unfortunate geography placed it under constant threat of attack from both sides. Bridin Anchorage eventually opted for survival by declaring itself a free and neutral planet. This "hands-off" approach has resulted in Bridin Anchorage becoming one of the most heavily shielded planets in the sector, impervious to all but the most determined assault.

The price of this dubious freedom has been the rise to power of a leadership willing to court a variety of criminal gangs with hard cash and no questions asked. With its freedom from Imperial interference, and its planetary policy of "no questions asked," Bridin Anchorage is an ideal setting for Mandroxan to set up operations.

For Sale: One Planet, Cheap

Bridin Anchorage. Originally called Gallienis IV, this world was, by all accounts, pleasant, rich in mineral deposits and famous for its hundreds of kilometers of picturesque beaches. To this planet came a politician named Quarlo Bridin. Bridin was wanted in several inner systems on charges of corruption and influence peddling. He came in search of a place where he could rebuild his private, political monarchy.

Bridin convinced a frightened population that he could use his connections within the Imperial military (which he didn't have) to keep the Empire at bay. He reasoned that threatening to turn the planet over to the Empire kept the New Republic at arm's length. By coincidence, Bridin's bid for control coincided with the period of Imperial civil war that followed Admiral Thrawn's death. By bluff and bluster, cunning and conceit, Bridin convinced the planet's population that he was responsible for sparing them. In reality, he had nothing to do with it.

Realizing his new homeworld would quickly revert to prime target status once the Imperials finally decided who was in charge, Bridin used his real connections with the Hutt underworld to import critical shielding technology for the planet's defense. In exchange, the Hutts gained a foothold in the sector. It is an advantage they have exploited to the fullest.

Once his planet's immediate safety was secured, Bridin used his Hutt friends to coerce the passage of a battery of ordinances making a variety of formerly criminal operations legal. This, in turn, resulted in a flood of criminal enterprises to the planet, including Manliss Enterprise. In the end, this prosperity, while contributing to the average citizen's freedom in one respect, undermines many other freedoms in turn. What was once a lush, tourist world is now a collection of decaying slums. People may no longer fear orbital bombardment, but they do fear going out of their homes at night.

Organization Profile: The Mandroxans

Type: Crime Cartel
Location: Portmoak sector, Outer Rim Territories
Crime Boss/Leadership: The Council Of Three
Principal Criminal Activities: Illegal manufacture, storage, transportation, and distribution of spice.
Criminal Affiliations: Manliss Enterprise suspected of maintaining strong Hutt connections. Additional arrangements with smuggler guilds outside the Portmoak sector are thought to be under negotiation.
Territory: Current operations extend across 23 star systems in the Portmoak sector.
Payroll: Estimated 140,000+ individuals employed, directly and indirectly, through the cartel's principal agencies and numerous underground affiliates. Half again as many may be serving in positions of casual labor or part-time supporting roles.
Violence Index: 88

The Mandroxan Triumvirate

■ Artur Manliss

Type: Crimelord
DEXTERITY 3D
Blaster 5D, dodge 4D+1
KNOWLEDGE 4D
Business 5D, business: black market operations 6D+1, business: spice production 9D, streetwise 8D
MECHANICAL 2D+1
PERCEPTION 4D
Bargain 6D, command: Mandroxan henchmen 8D, con 7D+1, persuasion 5D
STRENGTH 2D
TECHNICAL 3D+2
Computer programming/repair 4D
Force Points: 1
Dark Side Points: 7
Character Points: 27
Move: 10
Equipment: Hold-out blaster (3D+1), comlink, datapad, silk clothes, 50,000 credits

Capsule: A second-generation gangster, Artur "inherited" the Manliss gang when his father was executed by a rival mob (with Artur's approval). Seeking to prove himself, Artur engineered an alliance with leaders of the Droxian Traders League (the same group suspected of killing his father). The new coalition moved into the Portmoak sector when word of "Governor" Bridin's generous law enforcement policies became known. At Artur's insistence, the two groups began full-scale spice production and distribution, which has proven extremely profitable.

Spice

The term "spice" is a slang term that has crept into the galactic lexicon after centuries of use. It refers to a number of substances used to artificially enhance, or "spice up," a person's physical or mental attributes. There are many forms of spice, from the glitterstim of Kessel, to the ryll of Ryloth, to Sevarcos spice.

Contrary to popular belief, not every form of spice is addictive, or even illegal. Some forms of spice are processed, made less potent and sold as pharmaceuticals by major corporations. Other types are manufactured in dingy warehouses run by chemistry school dropouts. Some forms of spice are easily obtainable in some parts of the galaxy, while the same product may be classified as criminal contraband in other areas. Substance classification is largely a factor of economic, political and religious factors, which vary from one star system to another. With reference to controlling the spice trade, keep in mind that the trade in question can include legal as well as illegally manufactured goods.

■ Sehvorah

Type: Crimelord/Chief Executive Officer, Droxian Traders' League
DEXTERITY 2D
KNOWLEDGE 3D
Business 5D, business: interstellar commercial transport 9D, cultures 4D, languages 4D+2, law enforcement 4D+2
MECHANICAL 2D
Astrogation 2D+2, space transports 8D+1
PERCEPTION 3D+2
Bargain 5D, gambling 5D, persuasion 7D
STRENGTH 3D
TECHNICAL 4D+1
Special Abilities:
Natural Armor: Herglic skin gives +1D against physical attacks.
Distrust: Because of past dealings with the Empire few consider Herglics reliable or trustworthy. All non-Herglics have an additional +1D when making opposing Perception rolls against Herglics.
Gambling Frenzy: Herglics are irresistibly drawn to all forms of games of chance. Any Herglic confronted with any form of gambling must make a Moderate willpower check to avoid the compulsion to join in.
Force Points: 3
Dark Side Points: 6
Character Points: 24
Move: 6
Equipment: Heavy blaster pistol (5D), comlink, datapad, 25,000 credits

Capsule: After falling deeply in debt following several large gambling misfortunes, Sehvorah fled to the Rim to start again. By maintaining his trading connections with fellow Herglics, he was able to set himself up with a modest shipping business in short order. His old weakness continued to haunt him, however, and soon Sehvorah began diverting company profits into financing a string of gambling houses. Patrons flocked to his establishments. Sehvorah's success ultimately brought him to the attention of a local crimelord, Dunstain Manliss, who was eager to step in and take over a profitable enterprise. Before his father could make his final move, however, Manliss's son offered to remove Sehvorah's source of concern in return for "future considerations." Those considerations resulted in a firm alliance of the two crime houses. For his part, Sehvorah was the first to realize the importance of the spice trade in the Portmoak sector and the value of combining resources towards that common goal. Though not personally given to violence, Sehvorah will agree to any measure that safeguards the continued success of the cartel.

■ Parmella Trillidor

Type: Crimelord
DEXTERITY 2D+2
Blaster 4D, missile weapons 3D+2, vehicle blasters 4D+1
KNOWLEDGE 3D
Alien species 4D+1, business: smuggling 10D, cultures 4D+2, languages 5D, planetary systems 7D, streetwise 7D+2, willpower 7D
MECHANICAL 2D+1
Astrogation 4D, repulsorlift operation 6D, space transports 8D+2, starfighter piloting 6D, starship gunnery 7D, starship shields 5D
PERCEPTION 4D
Bargain 6D, command 6D, con 6D, gambling 6D+1, persuasion 7D
STRENGTH 3D
Running 5D
TECHNICAL 3D
Armor repair 5D, blaster repair 5D+1, computer programming/repair 6D, droid programming 6D+1, repulsorlift repair 5D, space transports repair 7D, starfighter repair 5D
Force Points: 1
Character Points: 12
Move: 10
Equipment: Hold-out blaster (3D+1), comlink, datapad, 5,000 credits

Capsule: Parmella Trillidor started out as an outlaw tech in the Kibilini sector. Through a series of influential marriages (six in 10 years), the ambitious Parmella gained control of enough voting blocks to have herself elected to the Kibilini Smugglers' Guild directorate. After learning of Manliss's plans to corner the spice trade in the neighboring Portmoak sector, she attempted to steer her guild's membership into an exclusive arrangement with Manliss. Given the latter's already formidable reputation for violence, many members were reluctant to enter into a compact with a potentially unstable partner far from home. In the end, Parmella split the guild. Taking her followers with her, she migrated to the Portmoak sector, leaving a weakened Kibilini guild to fend for itself. Approaching Manliss through his Herglic partner, she won an exclusive smuggling contract from Sehvorah in a heated game of suvac. Though presently content with her guild's arrangements within the cartel, her restless nature will make it impossible for her to stay content for very long. Already, Parmella has confided to her closest friends concerning Artur Manliss. Is he slated to be husband number seven?

One reason Mandroxan operates with impunity through much of the sector is its policy of criminal patronage. This Mandroxan tactic is used to recruit talented followers devoted to the Mandroxan cause. Put simply, persons employed by one of Mandroxan's parent organizations are guaranteed the cartel's protection against rival outsiders and independents. Every employee understands their leadership will act on their behalf against anyone who moves against them or their families. Beyond simply offering the promise of credits, Mandroxan offers their agents protection from other criminal organizations. In exchange, it is understood that Mandroxan employees owe unswerving loyalty to "The Company." It is an arrangement that has worked well for both sides for some time now.

The Mandroxan Method

The principal reason for Mandroxan's continued success, remains however, the utter ruthlessness with which its activities are protected. The Mandroxan central committee steadfastly refuses to purchase judicial influence or buy off investigators, as other crime groups typically try to do. Instead, the discovery of undercover law enforcement agents in a Mandroxan operation center invariably leads to the disappearance of said agents. Independents seeking to chip away a share of Mandroxan's spice trade routinely have their production centers bombed and their personnel eliminated. Pirates attacking smugglers carrying Mandroxan cargoes quickly find themselves hunted by rival pirate gangs paid enormous amounts of Mandroxan credits to "deal with the situation." This willingness to resort to violence first has provided Mandroxan with a reputation few are willing to challenge more than once. Until such time as a sufficiently powerful rival combination can be formed, Mandroxan will likely continue to control the spread of spice, undisturbed and undisputed.

The Crime Syndicate: The Tenloss Syndicate

At present, one of the biggest non-Hutt criminal operations in the Outer Rim Territories is the Tenloss Syndicate. The Tenloss Syndicate is centered around the original Tenloss Coalition: a criminal organization with its roots in the Bajic sector that specialized in contract kidnapping (with an occasional bit of slaving on the side). Under the leadership of its founder, Bandar Tenloss, from these humble beginnings has grown one of the region's largest criminal conspiracies.

Fundamental to the success of the syndicate is the decision by the syndicate's Leukish (a kind of criminal board of directors) to act as intermediaries between individual crime groups, the Empire, and even the New Republic. In short, anyone needing a "special job" carried out, but lacking the resources to see it through themselves, can set their proposal before the Leukish. For a price, Tenloss will put the party onto the right sources. For a modest additional charge, it will do the job itself through one of its many subsidiaries, no questions asked.

One unique aspect of this syndicate's continued survivability is its policy of crisis management. Even in the best of times, in any criminal ring things can go wrong: somebody bungles a critical heist, or innocent bystanders are hurt during an abortive assassination attempt. But when it involves members of the Tenloss Syndicate, the situation is contained through efficient local managers. Tenloss crime bosses use a strategy which can best be described as "an effective delegation of blame." In short, when mistakes happen, Tenloss makes certain another criminal organization takes the fall. One measure of Tenloss's success in this regard can be found in the lyrics to a children's song often heard in the Astal sector, "…no matter what time the job was done, Tenloss wasn't there!"

Organization Profile: The Tenloss Syndicate

Type: Crime Syndicate
Location: Principal organization located in Bajic sector, Outer Rim Territories
Crime Boss/Leadership: A governing board of directors, size and composition unknown
Principal Criminal Activities: Assassination, kidnapping, hijacking, smuggling, extortion, gunrunning, election fraud, forgery, gambling, loan sharking, murder for hire.
Criminal Affiliations: Several Tenloss subsidiaries are financed by Hutt agencies.
Territory: Current operations extend across 64 major star systems in the Astal, Bajic, Dail, Skine, and Loi sectors.
Payroll: Estimated 560,000+ individuals employed directly and indirectly.
Violence Index: 94

Tenloss presently incorporates several major and numerous minor criminal groups under its direct control. From the capsulated summaries of the major contributors given below can be seen a wide diversity of criminal elements drawn together under one criminal coalition.

Tenloss Syndicate Standard Operating Procedures

Unlike a cartel, which focuses on a specific criminal activity, a syndicate attempts to control as many diverse criminal operations as possible. To this end, through intimidation, bribery, cajolery, and duplicity, the Tenloss Syndicate has forged a complex assortment of lesser criminal groups under its dominion. This is so largely due to the Syndicate's set of three "business principles" which it never deviates from. These principles, summarized below, form the basis for Tenloss's dealings with other criminal groups in the fringe:

• Equal risks, equal profits: Every member of the syndicate shall contribute equally to a syndicate operation. Each shall receive equal shares in the profits realized from that operation.
• Hostages equal insurance: Any organization seeking to join the syndicate must be willing to offer guarantees of goodwill in the form of personal hostages selected by the board of directors. They serve as a form of "performance bond" on the part of the organization's leadership.
• Instant reprisal for betrayal: Any member of the syndicate proven to have betrayed the common good of the organization will be summarily punished without delay or appeal.

Using Criminal Organizations

There are no hard and fast rules governing the size or composition of the many criminal organizations scattered throughout the galaxy. The lines between gang, cartel and syndicate are often ill-defined at best.

To avoid confusion, the gamemaster should always keep in mind the avowed purpose of the organization. If it seeks to control a limited number of criminal activities within a finite area, it is most likely a territorial gang. If it tries to "corner the market" over a particular commodity (spice) or activity (gunrunning) over a broad expanse of space, it is most likely a cartel. If the criminals banded together are acting to control as many underworld operations as possible, over as wide a range as possible, they have formed a syndicate.

In some instances, a syndicate's parent organization may set up shop with a definite specialization in mind. One fringe example is the Ragnar Syndicate, located in the Ragnar system, Merel sector (see Galaxy Guide 9: Fragments from the Rim, page 52). This syndicate's core organization specializes in contracting large numbers of bounty hunters for profit. With their continued success, however, Ragnar has extended its control over local siege-breaking, anti-terrorist, assault, and sabotage activities. (See Galaxy Guide 10: Bounty Hunters for additional particulars on this and similar Rim syndicates).

Anatomy Of A Crime Syndicate: The Tenloss Collection

Lucin Syndicate
Homeworld: Majilop, Loi sector
A major center of illegal holoporn production and distribution in the Rim.

Baradis School of Technology
Homeworld: Jarvanam, Astal sector
Baradis uses an exclusive private school as a front for a covert criminal training system. Anyone needing to acquire specific skills in order to carry out a given crime comes to Baradis. At another level of activity, Baradis executives work to promote cooperation between rival gangs by providing administrative support aimed at a pooling of criminal resources.

Friij News Services
Homeworld: Friijillis, Dail sector
A secretly Hutt-sponsored news network which covertly serves as a clearing house for information and illegal data acquisition and replication.

Lucross Collections
Homeworld: Wodenstam, Skine sector
A highly centralized loan sharking and credit laundering operation with a reputation for over-zealous "collections agents."

Malakin Enterprises
Homeworld: Lesu, Dail sector
A multi-classed operation known for extortion, loan sharking, industrial espionage, and countless other related activities. Malakin is suspected of being secretly controlled by the Hutts.

Galindas Exports
Homeworld: Lucrenn, Skine sector
A "mass-market" fencing operation that maintains close ties with various smuggler guilds. Owns and operates several secret asteroid storage bases throughout the sector.

Kendamari Casinos
Homeworld: Kendamar, Loi sector
A collection of upper-class gambling establishments located throughout the Loi sector. In addition to standard games of chance (not all of which are fixed), Kendamari Casinos sponsors numerous sporting events. These include annual sun-jammer races, which attract gamblers from neighboring sectors. Several of the more prominent casinos are suspected of being financed and controlled by Hutt operatives.

Natori Association
Homeworld: Sperin, Bajic sector
A loose collective of ex-military personnel banded together to train mercenaries for hire. Working from a secret base in the Palaquin system, they train recruits in a rigorous program which sees most candidates "permanently wash out." Natori has become a successful rival of other groups like the Ragnar Syndicate given their willingness to employ non-Human specialty shock teams at low rates (often undercutting the competition).

Ororo Transportation
Homeworld: Eredin, Astal sector
With numerous ties to several smuggling guilds throughout the Rim, Ororo acts as the principal distributor of illegal merchandise for other Tenloss operations in over 100 star systems. Ororo has recently come under investigation by law enforcement agents for its suspected collusion with fringe pirates regarding the purchasing and shipping of hijacked goods.

Palkandi Brokerage House
Homeworld: Yasilor, Bajic sector
A front for Tenloss investments into Inner Sphere stock exchanges, Palkandi is funded with proceeds from illegal gambling activities.

Relekin Confidential
Homeworld: Danadine, Dail sector
Formed by a small group of skip-tracers who decided working on the other side of the law was more profitable. A collection agency which "guarantees injuries," this group tracks down debtors anywhere in the galaxy and makes them pay "one way or the other." Relekin is not averse to employing bounty hunters for more important assignments. For this reason, many wealthy crime bosses use Relekin to post illegal bounties.

The Tenloss Coalition
Homeworld: Verisin, Bajic sector
Specializes in kidnapping and slaving. Caters especially to wealthy political clientele.

Making The Best Of A Bad Situation

Unlike a cartel, where a common interest can be found among the organization's members, in a syndicate few partners willingly join up. Almost all are invariably coerced into doing so. Typically the way in which this happens is as follows: first, informants and other special operatives infiltrate a target crime group. Their mission is to determine the group's weak points — commodity suppliers, bottlenecks in distribution, and so forth. Once these weaknesses are identified, the "assaulting" organization moves against these areas. Often this involves buying up or "disrupting" critical suppliers. Sometimes it involves shutting down distribution networks (pirates are very useful in this regard) or cutting a deal with the distributor to take his or her business elsewhere. Occasionally, such operations take on a more personal tone as individual family members are abducted while negotiations are in progress.

Once the targeted group is aware of their assailant, one of several things can occur. Open warfare between the rival groups can occur, with the stronger taking over the weaker. The attacker can call in a variety of personal favors from corrupt officials to put additional pressure on the targeted group. (Not every planetary governor's "Crusade Against Crime" is initiated out of concern for one's subjects!) The targeted group can attempt to draw in other allies into the conflict which may, or may not, be available. Barring any other recourse, negotiations can commence leading to a deal that brings the targeted criminal organization into the syndicate fold, no matter how reluctantly. These mergings need not be without reservations, nor even amiable for that matter, provided they are profitable.

While commanding considerable power and underworld influence, most syndicates suffer from several inhibiting factors. The first is a basic distrust of one's fellow members. No matter how long syndicate partners are in business together, there remains the deeply rooted suspicion that one's accomplices might sell you out without warning. Likewise, most members of the syndicate's ruling body will secretly believe the business could be run more efficiently "if only they were in charge." The moment an unexpected downturn in profits occurs, accusations and incriminations begin flying in all directions.

Tenloss is no exception. Despite its size and massive credit reserves, law enforcement agents in the Rim suspect at least four "reorganizations" of the syndicate's ruling body have been attempted in the last decade. This further suggests that one or more principal partners have either made power plays aimed at advancing their position — and failed — or that several different "voting blocks" within the organization have attempted to push through policy changes that were resisted at blaster-point. A house divided against itself stands little chance of surviving in the Rim, which is why many syndicates are short-lived affairs. Until all the facts are known, Tenloss's future remains the subject of speculation.

The Crime Empire

There remains one last type of criminal organization to be considered: the criminal empire. Largest and most powerful of all criminal confederations, it poses a serious threat to the continued peace and stability of the galaxy, wherever it may be encountered. Few criminal empires are all that visible, however, and most are well protected.

Chapter Three: The Hutt Crime Empire

When Boss Jorrn took over the Kressar gang, he found a large strongbox in the office belonging to his predecessor. Inside were two envelopes. Each had been written on by Boss Kressar. The first was marked "Open after the first assassination attempt against you." The second envelope was labeled "Open if you find out the Hutts are involved."

Sure enough, two months later someone tried to do him in during a plate of drejil at Sullinil's Calamari Cuisine. Later that night, an angry Boss Jorrn returned to his office. Recalling the mysterious envelopes, he opened the strongbox and removed the first of the pair. Inside was a short message written in Kressar's own hand. The message read simply, "Blame everything on me and my boys!"

Jorrn took Kressar's advice to heart. The next day, he announced the attack had been the work of Kressar sympathizers. He declared his intention to use the incident to do some "housecleaning" among the ranks. A month later, a second attack was narrowly foiled. This time, one of the conspirators remained alive long enough to confess he was working for the Hutt Desilijic clan. On learning this, Jorrn took out the strongbox and quickly opened the second envelope. Inside a shorter, more cryptic message read, "Make up two more envelopes…"

The Hutts

If there was ever a species dedicated to the proposition of making crime pay off, that species is the Hutt. For many, these slimy gastropods are the essence of all that is evil. While this may be a slight exaggeration, there is little doubt Hutt business ethics (a contradiction in terms?) advocate the use of murder and terrorism against their opponents. Case by case, creature by creature, the Hutts have probably contributed more to the spread of organized crime than most other species combined. Before his death, the Hutt known as Jabba (full name: Jabba Desilijic Tiure) dominated one of the largest criminal empires in the Outer Rim Territories, and with his contacts influenced a number of other major criminal empires.

Hutts are among the more long-lived species in the galaxy, with a life span measured in centuries. This longevity produces intelligent beings equipped with a well-developed sense of patience and a willingness to hold grudges over long periods of time. Hutts have been described as being extremely self-centered; this is putting it mildly. However, the Hutt does value others, particularly fellow clan members, as they can often perform useful (and dangerous) tasks. While Hutts are extremely competitive amongst themselves, they believe they have a special place in the galaxy: after all, they are superior to all other life-forms.

Either directly or indirectly, the Hutts control a large number of criminal organizations scattered throughout the Empire. Hutt underworld activity also extends beyond the borders of Palpatine's former domain. The Hutt crime clans are likewise making serious inroads on worlds controlled by the New Republic. All this gives them incredible resources with which to further their sinister goals. Though never openly spoken of nor alluded to, there is reason to believe the Hutts strive for nothing less than a universal criminal empire under their mastery.

Hutt Names

A quick word about Hutt names. Hutts have three names, though only the first is typically known to outsiders. The second is their cuirvas, which identifies their clan. Scholars are uncertain as to the nature of the third name as so few are known. Some believe it names the family the Hutt belongs to. Others suggest it is a form of honorary title that conveys a measure of importance from one Hutt to another. Whatever the case, a Hutt will only reveal its first name to non-Hutts. This is seen by some to indicate the Hutt's desire to "protect" his clan from becoming targets of inferior "outsiders."

Your Qualifications Have Been Considered

The monorail cut through the night air with an urgency deserving of its cargo. At over 200 kilometers an hour, the silent apparition raced towards the spaceport city of Tamazall. Only scant kilometers ahead was Zurga Pass; a spur of low foothills bisected by the train's magnetic rail, leaving a 30 kilometer long stretch of canyon. Everyone agreed that the attack would come somewhere in there. It was there that the Tamazall Militia lay in waiting — ready, willing, and hopefully able to hold off the enemy.

Every possible precaution had been taken. The monorail train was composed of four cars. Directly aft the engine car, a passenger compartment was loaded with militia. Next came a special command compartment sporting twin turreted turbolasers. Following that was the prisoner's compartment, empty save for the convicted killer locked in a force cage, and his two guards. Last came another carload of militia. Taking this one away would be no easy task…

The darkened sky flared into orange-crimson as explosions ripped into the mountainside. In seconds, communication links confirmed the pass was sealed off at its western end. The militia were trapped inside and the monorail was coming under attack! Off to the north, a massive shadow loomed in the night. It spit rapid-fire blaster bursts that tore up the track ahead. A shot hit the engine car and a tremendous burst of light filled the air. The flaming wreckage rolled to a halt on the rail, its trailing passenger cars now motionless. Emergency generators flickered to life and searchlights stabbed outward, catching the shape of speeders, dozens of them, closing in for the kill.

The militia and passenger cars' reflective armor would have been enough to withstand the heaviest fire had it been blasters the enemy attacked with. However, the attackers' weapon was organic. While the circling speeders laid down harassing fire, here and there a specially made projectile was lofted at the remaining cars, excepting the prisoner car. As the projectile warheads smashed against the train's exterior, hundreds of tiny Galdewik spiders crawled forth, slipping into cracks and crevices no amount of armor plating could seal. Their work done, the speeders hovered down range, listening to the mixture of screams and rifle fire from inside the monorail's cars. Then the screams died away, all the more frightening in their sudden absence.

A doorway slid open on the prisoner car. From inside, a thermite light arced back and forth, its prearranged signal announcing the battle was over. In the distance, the large shadow emerged from the darkness. A thousand points of illumination bathed the Hutt sail barge with a sapphired brilliance. As the barge approached, a speeder lowered itself to the monorail's prisoner car.

"Brahle Logris? I come for Brahle Logris."

"I'm Logris."

"Brahle Logris, my employer, Kumac the Hutt, has a job requiring someone with very special talents. She has considered your qualifications at some length and believes you to be the right man for the job. We have arranged transportation for you."

"So I see. Does this offer include an invitation to dinner?"

"It does."

"Then what are we waiting for? This is Deshic Mall. He assisted in my escape. One of yours, I presume."

"He is."

The speaker watched as the second man, dressed in the uniform of a militia officer, followed Logris down the ramp. In the dim interior light, the dead body of a fellow officer could be seen lying on the cabin floor. Without warning, the speaker drew a small blaster from his pocket and shot Mall at point-blank range. As the man sank lifeless to the sand, the speaker continued. "Do excuse me. My employer specifically said the invitation was for one only."

Logris nodded. "Lead on. By the way, that was a nice shot. Did you ever…"

From Humble Beginnings

Hutts originated on the planet Varl, a barren world orbiting the white dwarf star Ardos. Hutt legends tell of an immense catastrophe that blasted their world, almost destroying the Hutt species. The Hutts managed to survive. They eventually prospered and, after a time, "adopted" a new world: a lush terrestrial world in the Y'Toub system known today as Nal Hutta. The means by which the Hutts gained control of the planet (explained below) is a true example of typical Hutt methodology.

In these humble beginnings can be glimpsed an insight into Hutt psychology, and how the Hutts perceive their place in the universe. Where other species might have given up and perished, the Hutts refused to die. Instead, through long centuries of grim determination, they survived and eventually prospered, largely because they had no other choice. That they were able to prosper, so they would later claim, was because they were the strong ones. They remain the strong ones. Should they continue to prosper, a Hutt will say it is because they were destined to do so.

The Hutts were hardly the first species to think themselves destined for greatness at the expense of others. They are, however, a species that has taken a unique approach to realizing dreams of conquest. Why a fixation on crime? Theories abound, and no two scholars of Hutt history agree on a definitive answer. Still, there are some plausible speculations worth considering.

It is known that early Hutt society managed to survive on a barren world; there is considerable debate as to whether their world was ever the lush paradise the Hutts believe in or if this is just a myth fabricated for some unknown purpose. Many believe that a crisis point came in their ancient past when too many Hutts and too few resources threatened the species with extinction. Until that time, the Hutts probably were solitary beings; no one is sure as no accurate records remain. This time of crisis forced the Hutts to come together, perhaps for the first time, in an extended family arrangement, commonly thought of as a "clan" (this is the term applied by most sentientologists; the Hutts refuse to discuss their social structure, so no one knows what a more accurate term may be). The clan became the primary focus in a young Hutt's life, an organization of extended families dedicated to the survival of the species.

Well, perhaps not the entire species. From its inception, clan competition was a savage and brutal way of life. The exact number of Hutt clans surviving today is unknown. It is reasonable to assume, however, that for every one that has survived to the present, many other clans have not. Those clans who were weaker were exterminated by their rivals. Perhaps nowhere else in the galaxy has the notion of "survival of the fittest" been applied so completely or so savagely. Hutts feel justifiably proud of their lineage, and believe they have reason to think of themselves as superior creatures — after all, they survived.

Rooted in Hutt society, above all else, are the clan concepts of loyalty, competition, and survival. Over the years, however, the notion of what exactly "survival" means has changed. Today's Hutt hardly worries about getting enough to eat or drink. The continuation of one's clan, however, requires more than just the basics for personal survival. In the light of fierce clan rivalries from within, and outside influences from the galaxy at large, a clan needs power! Power to compete, to grow, to dominate, and thus, to survive.

Some scholars believe the Hutts learned by examples around them. Given their innate desire to dominate others, the Hutts may have seen the exploitation of sentient beings by criminals as a very natural arrangement. Others argue the Hutts began forming criminal leagues as a response to the rise of the Republic — Hutt attempts to control the galactic underworld are seen as a protective counter to a galactic government's more overt command of people and places. Still others believe that the Hutts see crime as a simple and efficient way of making money, which is also a form of power. Any of the theories commonly held can serve as rational explanations for Hutt sponsored criminal operations. It really doesn't matter which "why" was which! What is important is that once the first clan started down that path, the others followed.

Hutt Strategy and Tactics

"If not us then, someone else. So why not us?" — Traditional Hutt saying

Whatever the reason, Hutts found they enjoyed crime! Crime in its many forms appealed to their sense of superiority and their need to dominate others. It provided new opportunities to extend the influence and authority of one's clan. It gave them a means of accumulating wealth to further protect one clan from another.

Having determined to set themselves on this new path, one of their first real exercises of criminal power involved the Evocii. The Evocii are a humanoid species native to the large planet Evocar in the Y'Toub system. Upon discovering Evocar, the Hutts systematically set about to wrest control of the planet from its natives. The Hutts quickly established numerous kajidics, or "business enterprises" to bring their new "friends" the benefits of technology. A common arrangement was quickly put into effect, whereby Hutt kajidics would exchange technology for unused Evocii land. Within the span of a single generation, over three-quarters of the Evocii homeworld had been ceded to various Hutt clans. These clans, in turn, proceeded to import their own culture as well as their technology. Fantastic palaces and Hutt pleasure gardens soon dotted the once pristine landscape. In the end, the Evocii were relocated. The Hutts transformed the remainder of the planet once and for all, renaming it Nal Hutta (meaning "Glorious Jewel" in Huttese) and declaring it their new homeworld. This practice has been successfully repeated on numerous worlds since.

Why have the Hutts been so successful? Determination and a questionable air of superiority alone are not enough to explain their phenomenal achievements in the criminal underworld. Part of the reason lies in the unique Hutt ability to let others be themselves! Hutts have been called "the galaxy's perfect middlemen." They enjoy working behind the scenes, pulling strings and influencing countless lives from the security of their well-guarded palaces.

Hutt clan agents are always on the alert for a promising crimelord on the rise. Once identified, an appeal is made to the person's greed. The would-be business partner is offered financing, enforcers, technical support, and anything else required to eliminate the competition. In exchange, the Hutt financier receives a generous cut of the profits, which is used to finance similar operations elsewhere. While each deal varies from gangster to gangster, a typical Hutt arrangement sees the Hutts receiving a modest return on their investments for the first few years. Over time this rate rapidly escalates so that after a few years the crimelord is paying out majority profits just to keep their "employer" happy. During this growth period, the Hutts ensure a controlled influx of goods and services to keep the crimelord dependent on Hutt support. Ironically, the more successful the local mobster is, the more that person becomes enslaved to their Hutt masters. Given the way greed typically impairs one's vision, few see the danger until it is too late.

The Kajidic

The term kajidic can mean many different things, depending on how it is used. A literal translation is rendered as, "The means by which we prosper." The "we" typically refers to either the Hutt's immediate family, one's business partners, or an individual clan. The more common galactic usage of kajidic is a generic term referring to any form of organized Hutt business venture, legal or illegal. Lately, the term is becoming increasingly associated with individual clan crime empires as well as the notion of the Hutt criminal empire that may one day come about. This diversity in language use also reflects the way in which individual Hutts view their actions: virtually anything can be interpreted in numerous ways, and always to the benefit of the Hutt in question. Hutts tend to see even the most trivial arrangements as a means of gaining more power and influence, as well as having profound effects on family and clan.

Not every person the Hutts back, however, need be a rising crimelord. Hutts appreciate talent and skill wherever they find it, if only to eliminate it before it becomes a threat to them. More than one counterfeiter or data fixer in the galaxy has received the means to ply their trade in exchange for giving the Hutts a slice of the profits. Multiply that sum by the tens of thousands of similar individuals in as many planetary systems, and such nominal individual kickbacks begin to add up very quickly.

Another common Hutt business strategy involves supporting "friends" in need. Friends, in this context, refer to those like-minded individuals who are willing to support (or at least overlook) Hutt operatives in a given sector in exchange for Hutt support of their cause. In this the Hutts have been greatly aided of late by the Imperial Civil War. During this period of political upheaval, more than one local governor or Moff has received clandestine Hutt support in exchange for turning a blind eye to Hutt-sponsored slaving and smuggling operations. Often the "support" an Imperial official receives is not so much money as the satisfaction of a personal vice or desire. In a variation on a theme, many Imperial officials in recent months have begun dealing with smugglers working directly for the Hutts to ensure the safe arrival of important military cargos (of course, it doesn't take a genius to figure out who was hampering said shipping efforts in the first place).

Nar Shaddaa, the "Smugglers' Moon"

Many smugglers have emigrated to Hutt Space, and the "Smugglers' Moon" Nar Shaddaa in particular, in an attempt to avoid renewed efforts on the part of the Empire to crack down on smuggling. Here, smugglers are secretly tolerated by the Empire, as most quickly come under the control of one Hutt clan or another. Many of these recent immigrants are secretly hired by the Empire to haul fuels and armaments to distant outposts and the heart of the rebuilding Empire.

Yet another reason for the Hutt's many criminal success stories is their ability to continually divide and conquer. Territorial gangs, for example, are often incited to violence against turf rivals after a Hutt agitator has secretly set the two groups at each others' throats. Whatever the outcome, the Hutts quickly move in to take over the weakened organizations, rebuilding them in their own image. In much the same way, individual corporations are often pitted against each other in Hutt inspired trade wars, with a strong Hutt sponsored third-party waiting in the wings to take control at just the right moment.

Using a more direct approach, the use of deliberate violence is also an effective means to an end. One or more criminal organizations are selectively "targeted" for a series of ill-concealed, Hutt-directed assassinations. In the short run, these attacks force gang members to divert resources from normal operations to personal protection. In the long run, personal fear and lost revenues often results in the organization coming to the negotiating table. Most are satisfied to broker a deal that will let them off the hook. Such arrangements routinely include a change in the organization's leadership, placing Hutt directors in charge.

One of the best weapons in the Hutt arsenal is legitimacy! Working through clandestine intermediaries, and backed with credits siphoned off countless underworld operations, vast numbers of legitimate businesses have become directly owned and operated by Hutt clans in recent years. Banks, shipping conglomerates, travel agencies, entertainment firms, and food processors are just some of the diverse interests that have fallen under Hutt control. Often, large segments of a planet's entire economic system have been legitimately purchased, allowing a Hutt clan to virtually control entire star systems. Even in isolated cases, the legitimate control of a given business "front" can allow a ready means through which dozens of other illegal Hutt activities can be sponsored and supported. The Hutts have shown that one doesn't have to own every major corporation on a planet to effectively control the economy of an entire star system. As long as the key industries in a system are theirs, working "arrangements" with supporting companies can produce control over the entire network.

Ironically, one of the most successful ways in which Hutt kajidics have repeatedly gained control of entire planetary populations is through a practice of generosity. Sort of. Every populated planet has one or more intrinsic weaknesses. Some are industrially poor. Others lack natural resources, while still others are at the end of very long supply lines. With the latter particularly in mind, Hutt-sponsored pirates are often used to sever critical interstellar trade routes. Medicines, foodstuffs, machinery, and even people taken in such raids are held until a critical shortage develops. Then, in exchange for a sudden "gift" of valuable commodities, the Hutts are granted a foothold on a suitable world by a grateful populace. Once in place, time and bribery is usually all that is needed to ensure favorable government regulations. Any opposition is typically rewarded with the imposition of a virtual planetary blockade until the dissident residents back down. Eventually, Hutt puppets are installed in office and a general takeover of the planet begins.

A Hutt Called Jabba

"Let them marvel at our splendor… let them cringe at our power… let them feel the weight of our chains as they serve their rightful masters." — Jabba Desilijic Tiure

The repetition of these strategies and tactics on many inhabited worlds of the Empire led to the rise of dozens of criminal empires, masterminded by rival Hutt clan leaders. Over time inter-clan rivalries (often very bloody affairs involving underworld allies across the galaxy) threatened to halt the further spread of Hutt authority. It remained for a Hutt called Jabba to stop the killing and get the profits flowing again.

While ambitious and cunning, Jabba was also shrewd and perceptive. Jabba came to understand as no Hutt before him had that the Hutts needed to continue expanding their influence at all costs. If that influence was effectively checked, it could be reversed. Once the Hutt dominance of the galactic underworld was reversed, a long slide into anarchy and elimination at the hands of the Republic (later, the Empire) would begin.

To prevent this, Jabba took a bold step. He convened the other clan leaders and argued for a new way of doing business. Only by elevating their concerns above the level of individual clan futures, he reasoned, could the safety of all the clans be secured. In effect, Jabba campaigned for nothing less than the creation of a "supra-clan" organization: a new way of viewing each clan member as belonging to a much wider, all-embracing social institution. To make this concept palatable, Jabba advocated personal displays of wealth. These, he argued, should serve as an outward sign of Hutt superiority. "Let the galaxy marvel at our splendor," he insisted, "…let them cringe at our power."

Not everyone accepted this new philosophy with open arms, however! Few were willing to give up any measure of their clan's hard won authority. Likewise, few understood Jabba's dream of a better union. Most rejected Jabba's proposal outright. More than one clan leader likewise attempted to remove him from power in a most permanent manner.

Jabba was prepared for such actions. Within five standard years of assuming the leadership of the Desilijic clan, Jabba had removed all but a handful of his opponents. Most he had replaced by younger rivals who, with the proper encouragement, were willing to serve under Jabba's nominal direction. Others Jabba had killed outright, their deaths invariably appearing as accidents or sudden illness.

Once in place, Jabba maintained effective leadership over the clans because he brought in profits! This he accomplished by tapping the vast resources of a more united criminal society. Good to his word, Jabba quickly expanded Hutt control over more criminal operations than ever before. Under Jabba's direction, control over other Outer Rim syndicates was secured. At Jabba's instigation, the first serious criminal encroachments into the Corporate Sector were made. During his reign, Hutt councilar laws were changed to provide a massive influx of indentured servants. These he used as cheap labor or sold at high prices to needy worlds. Jabba even gained impressive — and lucrative — footholds in the Core Worlds, such as Kailio Entertainments.

Aftermath

Just how far Jabba's ambition might have taken him can only be guessed at now. In the wake of his death at the hands of Leia Organa, a full scale Hutt clan war erupted! The many inter-clan rivalries Jabba managed to hold in check have been renewed more violently than ever. As the news of Jabba's death rippled outward from Tatooine, behind the scenes a horde of underworld figures, Hutt and non-Hutt alike, raced to pick up the pieces to Jabba's leaderless empire.

In the first years following Jabba's death, the Hutt clans focused almost single-mindedly on their grabs for power and fighting became so fierce that the Hutts effectively slipped from their collective positions of power. Young organizations in most fields, from smuggling to slaving, climbed to the top. However, while the New Republic concentrated on finally defeating the Empire, the Hutts have achieved a very tenuous peace. Once again, the Hutts are beginning to look out beyond Hutt Space and once again, the Hutts are determined to assert control of crime.

A Lasting Influence

Jabba's notions that prosperity is a sign of personal power, and the need to flaunt one's power through displays of prosperity, have become a common way of life among Hutts. Today, Hutts openly parade their wealth for all to see — and fear as well. Elaborately decorated floaters, massive barges, or dozens of slaves are all outward signs of prosperity and, Jabba would argue, a sign of pride in the glory of the Hutts as a species! Failure to advertise such trappings of power is to suggest a lack of power! Those lacking in power make themselves legitimate targets for rival Hutts. These rivals are more than willing to displace a less-than-successful member "for the greater good of the species."

While shakeouts on distant worlds continue, the following persons have emerged from Jabba's organization with sizeable empires now under their control. Despite occasional challenges, these are likely to remain as established leaders for some time to come.

Kumac

Jabba's death caught most of his criminal underlings by complete surprise. Not everyone was slow to react, however. Among the more quick-witted was a Hutt named Kumac. In the days before Jabba's death, Kumac had been one of Jabba's chief liaisons with influential criminal leaders within the Empire. Over time, Kumac came to be seen as one of Jabba's most efficient agents. Whenever someone in a place of authority needed a "special favor" done, it was Kumac who made the arrangements and saw to it that appropriate compensation was obtained. Though often removed from Jabba's side while engaged on various clandestine missions, Kumac's loyalty to her Hutt leader was unquestioned — right up until the moment he died.

Within weeks, she had gained control over many of Jabba's leading syndicate operations in the Expansion Region. Her actions have been aided by support lent by the ex-mercenary, Brasck, who likewise seized for himself a large portion of Jabba's organization in the Outer Rim Territories. By also calling in a few Imperial favors of her own, Kumac has effectively headed off any major attack against her.

As for the other clans, Kumac is content to let them squabble for now. She is hopeful her previous authority, plus her newly won acquisitions, will eventually give her the power to play clan mediator. Kumac is seldom seen without numerous Gamorrean guards and various slaves in attendance.

■ Kumac

Type: Hutt Crimelord
DEXTERITY 1D
Archaic guns 3D
KNOWLEDGE 5D
Alien species 6D, bureaucracy 6D+1, business: Hutt kajidics 7D, business: smugglers 8D, cultures 6D+1, intimidation 5D+2, streetwise: Jabba's organization 8D, value 9D+1
MECHANICAL 2D
Repulsorlift operation: Hutt floater 4D
PERCEPTION 5D
Bargain 7D+2, command 8D, command: Kumac's organization 7D+1, con 8D+2, gambling 6D, persuasion 7D+2
STRENGTH 2D
TECHNICAL 3D
Computer programming/repair 6D, security 7D+2
Special Abilities:
Force Resistance: Hutts have an innate defense against Force-based mind manipulation techniques; they roll double their Perception dice to resist such attacks. Hutts cannot learn Force skills.
Force Points: 2
Dark Side Points: 4
Character Points: 18
Move: 2
Equipment: Comlink, datapad, Hutt floater

Revidjasa

Few outside his own clan mourned the death of Jabba the Hutt. One person who was positively delighted at the news was the Rodian Revidjasa. This one-armed veteran of covert syndicate wars had lived uncomfortably under Jabba's thumb for many years. Once a formidable gangster in several sectors in the Mid-Rim, Revidjasa had earned high profits in slaving and extortion operations. Then Jabba noticed him.

Jabba was attracted by Revidjasa's reputation for treachery as much as his leadership abilities. He systematically eliminated members of the Rodian's inner circle until only Revidjasa remained. With the Rodian's few remaining followers deserting him and his empire falling apart, Jabba offered Revidjasa a deal: continue business as usual but under my rules, or I'll find someone to take your place. Revidjasa consented, but never liked the arrangement. While continuing business as usual, the Rodian often proved troublesome. Twice Jabba was forced to repeat his original lesson to keep the Rodian in his place.

Following Jabba's death, Revidjasa cemented key alliances with various Zygerian and Thalassian cartels, effectively giving him control over Jabba's slaving empire in the Mid-Rim with strong Outer Rim Territories connections. While not without rivals, Revidjasa shows signs of becoming a permanent criminal fixture in the Mid-Rim, which continues to be hotly disputed by both the Empire and the New Republic.

■ Revidjasa

Type: Rodian Crimelord
DEXTERITY 4D
Blaster 6D, dodge 5D+1, running 5D+2
KNOWLEDGE 3D
Alien species 5D, business 5D, business: Hutt kajidics 7D, business: slaving operations 7D+1, intimidation 5D, intimidation: torture 7D+1, streetwise: Jabba's organization 5D+2
MECHANICAL 1D+1
Astrogation 2D
PERCEPTION 3D+2
Bargain 5D+1, command 4D+2, command: Revidjasa's henchmen 7D, persuasion 4D, search 4D
STRENGTH 3D+2
Brawling 5D
TECHNICAL 2D+1
Special Abilities:
Cybernetic Enhancement: Undisguised left arm replacement. Adds +1D to all Strength rolls pertaining to lifting and to causing damage in brawling and melee combat (does not help when resisting damage).
Force Points: 1
Dark Side Points: 4
Character Points: 12
Move: 10
Equipment: Comlink, heavy blaster pistol (5D), recording rod, 20,000 credits

Brasck

A one-time mercenary with a taste for the finer things in life (never mind how they are acquired), this Brubb once enjoyed the dubious distinction of being one of Jabba's leading "hatchetmen." Brasck's talents as a hired gun were used to eliminate the occasional personal rival and to carry out "object lessons" to those who seemed unsure of where their loyalties should be placed.

After Jabba's death, however, Brasck decided to go into business for himself. Brasck seized as much of Jabba's organization as he could lay his hands on, in particular grabbing large portions of Jabba's slaving and smuggling operations. He gained a fair amount of power in a short period of time and secretive deals with others bought him the time he needed to consolidate his holdings.

Recent events plunged him into the heart of the civil war. Talon Karrde tried to secure his assistance for the smuggler's coalition, but Brasck declined the offer, remembering just what the Empire does to traitors (Grand Admiral Thrawn played a pivotal role in the occupation of Brasck's homeworld of Baros).

Brasck has since continued his smuggling and slaving operations, carefully watching the Imperial Civil War and the renewed conflict between the New Republic and the Empire. Now, as the galaxy reels from recent events (including the Battle of Calamari and the Imperial siege over Pinnacle Base near Da Soocha), Brasck has positioned his organization to make impressive gains. Brasck is satisfied to continue business as usual without worrying overly much about Hutt internal affairs.

■ Brasck

Type: Brubb Merc
DEXTERITY 3D
Blaster 6D+2, blaster: blaster rifle 8D+1, brawling parry 6D, dodge 6D+2, melee combat 6D, melee parry 6D
KNOWLEDGE 2D
Business 5D, business: slavery 8D, business: smuggling 8D, intimidation 6D+2, languages 4D, planetary systems 4D+1, streetwise 6D, survival 5D
MECHANICAL 3D+1
Astrogation 5D+1, beast riding 5D+1, repulsorlift operation 6D+2, space transports 5D
PERCEPTION 2D+1
Bargain 5D+1, command 5D+1, con 4D+2, hide 4D+1, search 4D+1, sneak 4D+2
STRENGTH 4D+1
Brawling 7D+1, climbing/jumping 5D+1, lifting 6D+1, stamina 7D+1
TECHNICAL 2D+2
Demolition 3D+2, first aid 3D+2
Special Abilities:
Natural Body Armor: +2D against physical.
Color Change: Brubbs can change color to match their surroundings. Add +1D to any sneak attempts.
Force Points: 1
Dark Side Points: 3
Character Points: 7
Move: 9
Equipment: Comlink, concealed body armor (+2D physical, +1D energy), heavy blaster pistol (5D), vibro-knife (STR+2D), 40,000 credits

Jelasi

A declared opponent of Kumac and her supporters, Jelasi is thought to be a likely candidate to become a major underworld player. Seen by many as Jabba's "heir apparent," despite his rival clan affiliations, Jelasi is largely unknown to outsiders because of his insistence on working within the system. Jelasi long advocated the need to "legitimize" as many of Jabba's criminal operations as possible. While this often provoked clashes between the two over matters of policy, Jabba acknowledged this Hutt's insight into big business.

With the death of Jabba, Jelasi has stepped in to take command of the Ig'zxyck Flare criminal syndicate, which specialized in control of legitimate businesses in several Mid-Rim sectors. Since then, he has embarked on an active program of "legitimization" of other criminal organizations that he has managed to rein in under his control. Those who refuse to go along with Jelasi's vision of the future are quickly and quietly eliminated. In adopting this policy he has incurred the wrath of several important clans — including Kumac's — who prefer a more old fashioned way of doing Hutt business: intimidation. For his part, Jelasi has the support of many within the Empire, who prefer any expansion of Hutt criminal activities to be low-key in nature.

■ Jelasi

Type: Hutt Entrepreneur
DEXTERITY 1D
KNOWLEDGE 4D
Alien species 5D+2, bureaucracy 6D, business administration 6D, business: banking 5D, cultures 5D+2, intimidation 9D, streetwise: Jabba's organization 8D, value 10D
MECHANICAL 1D
Repulsorlift operation: Hutt floater 3D
PERCEPTION 5D
Bargain 8D, command 7D, persuasion 8D
STRENGTH 3D
TECHNICAL 4D
Special Abilities:
Force Resistance: Hutts have an innate defense against Force-based mind manipulation techniques; they roll double their Perception dice to resist such attacks. Hutts cannot learn Force skills.
Character Points: 15
Move: 1
Equipment: Comlink, datapad, Hutt floater

Llleag'Mak

Llleag'Mak is a Kian'thar, a species originating on the planet Shaum Hii. Kian'thars are reputed to have a strong predisposition for modest mental abilities, and Llleag'Mak appears to have a more sophisticated version of this sense: he seems to be able to determine another being's emotional state and intent. Llleag'Mak drifted into the criminal underworld quite naturally; as a youth, he quickly learned the ways of extortion, assault and loan sharking. Llleag'Mak eventually wound up as a local Hutt enforcer. His ability to detect the greed and self-interest common to those he came in contact with only heightened his personal lack of ethics and morals.

Rising quickly through the ranks, Llleag'Mak marked each promotion by the overthrow (often violent) of a superior. Llleag'Mak might well have been killed by his superiors out of "self-defense" were it not for his unusual abilities. Llleag'Mak had been a part of Jabba's operations for only a year when the end came. When news of Jabba's death arrived, Llleag'Mak was the first to bring the words to his Hutt master. Immediately thereafter, he killed his superior and took his place.

Surrounding himself with a personal guard, Llleag'Mak brazenly defied any to oppose him. Matching threats with lavish bribes, Llleag'Mak won over additional Hutt adherents by declaring war on rival clan members while playing the various players off each other. By playing up old hatreds and clan rivalries, Llleag'Mak gained sufficient time to consolidate his power.

Llleag'Mak never stays too long in one place, making him a difficult target. Instead, he continually journeys throughout his sphere of influence. His real power lies in his connections with the spice trade. At present Llleag'Mak controls several spice production and smuggling rings in the Inner Rim.

■ Llleag'Mak

Type: Kian'thar Gangster
DEXTERITY 3D
Blaster 4D, brawling parry 5D, dodge 4D+2, melee combat 4D+1, melee parry 4D+1
KNOWLEDGE 3D+1
Alien species 5D, business 4D, intimidation 6D, streetwise 6D+2
MECHANICAL 2D+1
Astrogation 3D, repulsorlift operation 3D, space transports 4D+1
PERCEPTION 3D+1
Bargain 5D, command: Hutt henchmen 7D, con 5D, persuasion 7D+1, sneak 4D+1
STRENGTH 3D+2
Brawling 4D, stamina 5D
TECHNICAL 2D+1
Blaster repair 3D, first aid 3D
Special Abilities:
Emotion Sense: Emotion sense 4D+2. Kian'thar can sense the intentions and emotions of others. They begin with this special ability at 2D and can advance it like a skill at double the normal cost for skill advancement: emotion sense cannot exceed 6D. When trying to use this ability, the base difficulty is Easy, with an additional +3 to the difficulty for every meter away the target is. Characters can resist this ability by making Perception or control rolls: for every four points they get on their roll (round down), add +1 to the difficulty.
Character Points: 23
Move: 10
Equipment: Comlink, blaster carbine (5D), hold-out blaster (3D), blast vest (+1D to front from physical; +1 energy)

Serimirl

At the time of Jabba's death, Serimirl was a young being with an established reputation for personal devotion to Jabba and hatred for those who opposed him. Little is known of her, not even her real name. Her adopted name, "Serimirl," is a Hutt term commonly translated as "allegiant." Serimirl's origins are a mystery, and while it is obvious that she is a near-Human, no one is sure of her race. What is known of her begins when Jabba installed her as the head of his largest "dummy" corporation in the Outer Rim Territories some eight years ago. Until his death, two years later, she served Jabba's interests with unswerving loyalty.

With details of her master's death still sketchy, Serimirl assumed the attack to be the work of a rival clan. Reacting accordingly, she immediately purged her own organization of potential rival sympathizers. This done, she temporarily withdrew her organization while waiting to see what happened.

Later, Serimirl learned the true nature of Jabba's death. Serimirl vowed to seek revenge against Jabba's "Rebel murderers" and to eliminate those who had "betrayed Jabba's legacy" by forming their own factions (no one near her pointed out that she was doing the very same thing). While the persons actually responsible for her master's death remain at large, Serimirl has made good her threat in other ways. Her personal vendettas against leading members of the New Republic have disrupted governmental administration on several New Republic member worlds. Under her direction, members of various New Republic-allied governments have been assassinated. All this has contributed to the rise of mutual suspicion and discontent among various New Republic member worlds.

By all accounts, Serimirl is a refined individual whose charm and reputed seductive abilities are matched only by her grace under pressure. She has adapted quickly to changing circumstances and must be viewed as a very capable person. She is also very dangerous if crossed. At present, Serimirl is content to continue her private war against the New Republic. While not as powerful as others who have profited from Jabba's death, she is well protected and fully capable of taking care of herself.

■ Serimirl

Type: Young Crime Boss
DEXTERITY 3D+1
Blaster 5D, dodge 4D+2
KNOWLEDGE 4D
Business 9D, cultures 5D, economics 7D, intimidation 6D+2, streetwise 7D+2
MECHANICAL 1D
PERCEPTION 4D
Bargain 6D, command 7D+1, con 6D, persuasion 7D+1, persuasion: seduction 10D
STRENGTH 3D+2
Stamina 5D
TECHNICAL 2D
Character Points: 15
Move: 10
Equipment: Comlink, hold-out blaster (3D), 12,000 credits

Shades Of Things To Come

While the preceding individuals have emerged, one way or the other, with a reasonable share of Jabba's former power, the maintenance of such power is proving to be both costly and time consuming. Members of Jabba's own clan, plus a host of rivals, continue to struggle to gain control over Jabba's former holdings. In such a struggle, untold numbers of otherwise loyal but expendable operatives have already been sacrificed in the cause of acquiring power. Jabba's clan members have placed an enormous bounty on Han Solo's head, and — for reasons of expediency — any of the persons mentioned here may find themselves next in line.

Chapter Four: The Invisible Market

The black market, or "invisible market" as it is often called, is a familiar criminal institution found on practically every populated planet. While few respectable citizens are aware of its existence, few in the criminal underworld fail to interact with this shadow economy on a regular basis.

The invisible market is more than simply a place where illegal sales are conducted. For many, the market is a loosely knit community: a network of people helping people, and never mind the legality of it all. For most, it remains a means to an end: a way of obtaining the unobtainable as long as you're willing to take a few risks.

To the outsider, dealing with the black market is full of risks. Marketeers are hardened criminals, often motivated only by the desire for credits. Few marketeers will think twice about betraying potential "customers." The consequences of a bad deal are very real to characters. Even in the New Republic, black market spices are bought and sold with surprising regularity. In the Outer Rim Territories, marketeering is an accepted way of life. In these hard economic times, many planets survive only because of revenues generated by kickbacks from market operators.

Exactly who, or what, the black market is depends on where you happen to be in the galaxy. The scope of each market's operation varies, depending on why it came about in the first place. Often, an invisible market springs up in response to high tariffs on off-world goods. For example, through the assistance of a local merchant, who knows a certain smuggler, who has ties with a particular pirate, who happens to know when a choice shipment of Corellian rum is due, another black market is born! In some cases, black markets come about because of social or religious pressures. Intolerance seldom stops dissident elements from acquiring "unacceptable" goods; these people just rely on "less-than-legal" channels. Sometimes, the invisible economy springs up simply as a way of getting back at "the system."

Similarly, not all black marketeers are alike. Not all dealers are motivated by a desire to get rich quick — few ever do. For some, it is a matter of survival in the best way they know how. Others simply know no other way of life.

Dirty Money

"The deal is one sporting blaster with high-power magnascope with a combo large-caliber slug thrower slung beneath the primary tube. The total package is 25,000 credits. Feel free to examine it all you like. I only deal in quality merchandise. By the way, I didn't catch your name…"

"I didn't offer it."

"Ah, right, that's your business. And I don't want to know what you need this rig for. I suppose you know you need a special permit for that. If the constabs find you carrying that, I never heard of 'ya."

"I doubt that will be a problem."

"Sure. Well, if you're finished — hey!"

"Do relax, my suspicious friend! I was only withdrawing my wallet."

"Oh, fine, fine. Listen, a piece of advice: don't make sudden moves around here. People get a little edgy when they don't know what you're up to."

"…23, 24, 25."

"That's right. And all new 1,000 credit chips, too. You won't mind if I examine these for a moment, do you? You know, a person can't be too careful around here. Never know when you might run into a slick counterfeiter wanting to make you his latest mark."

"By all means, my suspicious friend. I anticipated you would wish to examine those coins. In fact, I'm counting on it."

"What's this sticky stuff all over them?"

"Why, that's just my latest concoction. A dreadfully simple contact poison. Designed for dreadfully simple little people like you. It's quite lethal… the end will come quite quickly."

"Poison?"

"But of course! You really didn't think I would pay such a ridiculously high price for so crude a weapon as this. I'll give you a piece of advice. Be very careful whom you take dirty money from, especially if your customer's name is Brahle Logris. Ah, I see that name means something to you! Well, I must be off. A pleasure doing business with you."

Market Principles

"I've been working the market for over 20 years, boy! There's no real trick to it. All you have to remember is the number of deals you walk away from must always equal the number of deals you set up." — Pratari Cinn

Working the black market need not be a complex business. Most black market transactions, whatever the merchandise involved, are made up of several common elements. These common elements can be summarized along the following lines:

• Establish contact with a market operator
• Strike a deal
• Take delivery
• Walk away in one piece

Governing each of these steps is a set of unwritten rules. Market novices would do well to acquaint themselves with these unwritten "market principles" before proceeding further.

As an aid in better understanding these guidelines, several sidebars will introduce the bounty hunter Suroc. One of Suroc's own encounters with the Andasala black market will be presented to reinforce the points made so that the gamemaster will know how to use this setting in a game context. The examples are intended to give the gamemaster a feel for how buyer and seller typically interact in a black market environment. Each setting will, of course, be different. In some locales, people will be less trusting than others. In other places, the market may be more insulated from view. In yet other instances, a more refined, slightly less ruthless approach to business may be the norm.

Establish Contact With A Market Dealer

Consider the case of a newly arrived trader on the "haven" world of Andasala. He has need of a new power coil for his aging hyperdrive. Given the way business is conducted on Andasala, however, obtaining a replacement could be difficult and time consuming. Availability is not the problem. Getting the necessary permits to install a "potentially hazardous device" on his ship, however, could take a mountain of credits for bribes. Not wishing to spend his last credit, or the rest of his life, on this otherwise barren rock in space, he decides to try purchasing a replacement on the black market instead. Fine. So, what does he do first?

One doesn't simply walk into the first seedy tavern on the left, step up to the one-eyed innkeeper, and in one's best business-like voice proclaim, "I would like to speak with your resident black marketeer, please." Black marketeers don't come to a customer; the buyer must go to them. So, where does a character in need find a market operator on short notice? The answer is, any place people congregate in large numbers. Preferably, in places where those numbers include people plying a criminal occupation — these are the people the marketeer is likely to do the most business with, after all. Still more preferable is any place law enforcement agents are unlikely to frequent.

Using this selection criteria, one could single out the Corellian Stock Exchange just as easily as Chorka's Chop House in the city's Gamorrean sector! Why not? The CSE routinely houses a large mass of people. Some of them are likely to work as informants dealing inside trader information. And, unless responding to a complaint, few law enforcement agents have the time or resources to make the CSE their normal beat. There is nothing that prevents a market analyst by day from turning black marketeer by night… after all, these traders have to have some way of covering those unexpected margin calls!

Assuming one has arrived at a likely meeting place, the next step is making contact. Here market rule number one comes into play: "Never give away too much too quickly." This means information as well as money! Casual conversation, with references to second or third parties, is the order of the day. A character who walks into a tavern announcing that he is looking for someone who specializes in hard-to-find merchandise immediately labels him as an amateur and an easy mark. Compounding the problem by flashing a pocket full of credits invites a quick assault in a convenient dark alley. The only question at this point is who, among the innkeeper's assembled patrons, will be the first to do the honors.

Most black market dealers generally keep close to their information sources. Success in the invisible market often means being able to connect with a client ahead of the competition. This means once the word has gotten out, one can reasonably expect a response in short order. If a market operator is connected with a local establishment, that person (or a go-between) will hear about any strangers in need soon enough. If a contact is not made within a couple of hours, chances are it's time to move on.

Working The Market I…

As a professional bounty hunter, Suroc knew his way around a lot of planets. Most were none too attractive and some downright hostile. But Andasala was different. On most planets, you can trust some of the people, some of the time. Andasala was just the opposite.

Still, Suroc wanted a special cargo… a nashtah. Credits were not a problem, but picking up such an animal on Midani, his next port of call, would be. And he would need the nashtah for a very special hunt. Better to try getting the attack beast here first.

The owner of the Rancor's Den looked like he'd lost a fight with one. So did most of the patrons. Just the sort of place I'm looking for, Suroc thought to himself as he walked up to the bar.

"Corvani rum. Thanks. You run this place all by yourself? Got any kids to help out? Yeah, too bad. Me neither. Got a nephew, though.¹ Quite a collector, that one. Loves exotic animals… real exotic animals.² Those pepper pretzels for anybody? Yeah, he's got a birthday coming up soon. I thought I'd get him something special this year, if you know what I mean?³ Send another glass over to that booth. Thanks…"

¹ Suroc doesn't refer to himself as the interested party. He knows the innkeeper could be an informant or undercover law enforcement agent. ² Suroc has just identified himself as buyer with a very unusual need. ³ Since he came here, he probably wants to purchase an extremely dangerous, carefully regulated animal. Having gotten the message, the innkeeper will do the rest. Note that no credits were exchanged (aside from the cost of the drinks). None are needed; Suroc knows the innkeeper will probably get his cut from the marketeer once the deal is completed.

Strike A Deal

Once the marketeer and client meet, a deal needs to be struck. Here, full and complete specifics about what is wanted — not why it is wanted — are required. Three things generally go into making a successful black market deal: an agreed upon price, availability of the merchandise in question (or the prospect of a buyer if one is selling), and a mutually acceptable place of transfer.

One should always remember market rule number two: "There is no such thing as a perfect deal." Odds are that no one will be satisfied with all the arrangements being made. This is to be expected going in. The art of black market dealing is getting as many of the details as possible in one's favor.

Two additional guidelines also govern dealmaking in the invisible market. Market rule number three: "Never pay credits up front." Likewise, given that the typical black market deal is an intricate process of give and take, remember market rule number four: "Never appear to lose control of the situation." A character doesn't have to like how the deal is working out, but never let the opposition know what it is that is disliked. In a worst case situation, the buyer should just stop talking, get up, walk out, and try elsewhere.

Working The Market II…

Three drinks and two bowls of pepper pretzels later, Suroc heard someone slip into the booth behind him.

"I hear you're looking for a birthday present. Looking for something special, are you?"

The speaker spoke in Huttese. Suroc had trouble picking out the accent — perhaps Rodian?

*"It's for my nephew. I'd like to pick something up before I leave."*¹

"Where you headed?"

"A place where they don't ask a lot of unnecessary questions."

"I need to know where you're bound for so I'll know what you want. Otherwise, I don't know if I have what you need."

"Like I said, it's for my nephew. He collects exotic animals. Very dangerous.² I think he'd like a nashtah… they're perfect guard animals. Got anything like that?"

"Not me, but I know this guy…"

"Sounds promising. How much?"

"I think it can happen for, say, 15,000."

*"Too bad. I don't like my nephew that much."*³

"Perhaps, he'd like something else?"

*"I doubt it. I think I like him enough to spend 9,000."*⁴

"Okay by me. I'll see what I can do."

"I'll leave my hotel and vidcode on this napkin. When you get hold of your friend I'll stop back."

*"Not here."*⁵

"Where and when?"

*"Andasala spaceport, berthing dock 127. It'll take some time."*⁶

*"I leave in two days. Otherwise my nephew's out of luck."*⁷

"Tonight, then."

¹ Maintaining the fiction of buying a present is not just for form's sake: Suroc needs to impress on this stranger that he is no amateur. By not admitting that he wants the nashtah for his own uses, he is displaying a degree of professional control. ² Reading between the lines here, what Suroc is really saying is that he has a taste for the exotic, and by implication that he is a dangerous individual, not to be double-crossed. ³ Suroc knows accepting the first offer will blow the deal. First bids as a rule are always high; accepting a first bid almost guarantees some last-minute "handling charges" will be tacked on come closing time. ⁴ Suroc is basically saying, "This is my counter-offer. Either take it or I'm taking my business elsewhere." ⁵ The dealer suspects Suroc will take his business elsewhere. Not wishing to let the deal slip away, he is irritated nonetheless. He wanted to get at least 12,000. To make up for the loss over this particular, the dealer recovers by making sure he has a place of his choosing. ⁶ Don't believe it! This is Andasala! The dealer should have no difficulty acquiring something even as dangerous and exotic as a nashtah. If he wants extra time it must be for other reasons. ⁷ Now it's Suroc's turn to regain control of the situation. He doesn't like the place agreed to, but the price is right all things considered. By placing a time constraint on the dealer, Suroc regains a semblance of control over the proceedings. This also reinforces the idea that he is willing to go elsewhere if necessary.

Take Delivery

The act of exchanging goods for credits is the most dangerous part of any black market transaction. With terms agreed to, some prior planning is in order before taking possession of the merchandise. Market rule number five now comes into play: "Always have insurance." Insurance can take many forms: a couple of husky friends as backup, a call to an associate in the prefect's office, or, when all else fails, using common sense. The setting may not be to one's liking. Most likely, the buyer will be dealing on the marketeer's home turf.

Now it's unfair to suggest every black marketeer is a double-dealing scoundrel. It would be stupid, however, to assume that the buyer is dealing with one who isn't! These people are criminals, after all! When it comes time to finalize the deal, at the first sign of trouble characters should use said insurance for all its worth. They may not get another chance! On the other hand, characters shouldn't get cocky and tip their hands too soon! Odds are the dealer has some insurance of his own.

Working The Market III

Few people come to the Andasala spaceport at night. Those who do keep to themselves. Not surprisingly, berthing dock 127 was deserted at this hour. Fortunately, Suroc did not have long to wait. The sharp clip of synthe-leather against metal floor plating alerted him to the arrival of his opposite number.

The dealer stopped just inside the rim of light cast by a nearby floodlight. Suroc now saw the operator face to face for the first time. His green skin, snout and multi-faceted eyes identified him as a Rodian, as Suroc had suspected. Even at this distance, the bulging jacket hinted at a concealed weapon. Damn.

*"Glad you could make it, hunter."*¹

"You have the merchandise?"

"Right here."

The Rodian pulled a large repulsor cage toward the light. A piercing scream roared above the hum of the force field generator. Suroc smiled in a particularly cold-blooded manner.

*"Then let's get on with it, shall we? It's your call."*²

"Walk towards me, nice and easy. Stop about five meters ahead of me. Slowly."

Suroc never enjoyed feeling he had a set of cross hairs painted on his chest, but he had no choice.

"That's far enough. Now, you got the money?"

Suroc, very slowly reached into his jacket and extracted a large envelope. The Rodian's snout wrinkled; a smug sneer in Rodian body language.

"Let me see the nashtah."

"Right here. Just let me take a look at those credits while you're doing so."

Suroc handed over the sealed envelope and examined the animal inside the cage with a practiced eye. Its smooth green skin rippled as the beast flexed its muscles; a low growl escaped the creature as it first noticed the bounty hunter. The sound of footsteps on either side of him suggested the pair had company.³

"What the gfersh is this? A codechip? Where's my credits?"

*"You're holding them in your hand. That chip unlocks a safe deposit box located in my hotel safe. In it are the credits you asked for, all in nice, small denominations. You really didn't expect me to come out here this late at night with all that cash on me, did you? I mean, it's not safe, is it?"*⁴

"No, I suppose not. But tell me, what makes you think you're safe now? I mean, what if I was an unscrupulous businessman? What if I decided to try and double-cross you. Why, I could just take your money and leave you here, quite dead."

"Maybe, but if you did you'd never get your credits."

"Don't hand me that. I've got your chip right here."

"Yes," Suroc smiled at the Rodian's unwitting pun, *"but not my palm print. Before coming around this evening, I had the hotel management install an added palm-print recognition lock on the safe deposit box with your money in it. You might have the chip you need, but you still need my palm print. The lock's also temperature-sensitive: I have to be alive for it to work."*⁵

¹ The Rodian reveals he knows Suroc is a bounty hunter. Chances are he has checked up on him. ² There are no hard and fast rules formalizing the physical exchange of goods in a black market deal. Suroc knows his best option is to let the dealer call the shots and follow directions as carefully as possible. ³ The dealer brought along some insurance of his own. He has made the mistake of tipping his hand too soon, however! By revealing their presence to him, the Rodian's henchmen have all but convinced Suroc the dealer will try to double-cross him. ⁴ Suroc knows never to carry cash, or at least never the full amount! ⁵ Suroc had the foresight to bring some insurance of his own!

Walk Away In One Piece

The interested parties having assembled, credits and goods having been exchanged, each side seems satisfied with arrangements as concluded. Thus ends another midnight deal on the black market. Right? Wrong!

There remains one last stage to be completed. Understanding this very simple fact can mean the difference between doing business another day or never doing business again. In their haste to be well away, many clients and dealers fail to follow through with a last bit of caution. That oversight can be deadly.

Recall market rule number six: "Never turn your back on the other guy." Remember, black marketeers are persons possessing a criminal mentality as well as a criminal record! The dealer most likely expects the buyer to think and act just like him! However pleased either party may be with the deal to this point, the other side is like as not anticipating an attempt to cheat them at the last moment. In such a frame of mind, the other person may decide to act first in "self-defense." Logical? Perhaps not. But no one ever said criminals have to be logical.

In a situation already dangerously tense, the chances of violence breaking out are heightened if market rule number seven is ignored. Market rule number seven warns: "Never make the other person feel that he or she has lost out in the deal." People who have little or nothing to lose dislike feeling they've lost even a little. Avoid injuring the other person's pride. Such actions can lead to swift retaliation.

Working The Market IV

Suroc knew he had him. Unfortunately the Rodian knew it, too. Rodians do not like being had. Something would have to be done to defuse the situation.

*"You surprised me. Healthy nashtahs are hard to get around here. You must know some top people to get this quality of attack beast."*¹

"Enough small talk. Now, about my credits."

*"No problem. They're all there, waiting for you. I'll drop my new companion off at a safe location and then you can come back with me and get them now if you want. Just the two of us. Or, if you prefer, I'll go back and remove the print lock. I'm leaving Andasala first thing in the morning. You can get your credits any time you want."*²

*"Who do you think you're dealing with? You remove that palm-lock and you remove my credits as well. I'm no fool. I'll go with you right now. You won't have a chance to cross me."*³

*"I see your point. Fine, the sooner the better, then. After you."*⁴

¹ The compliment was meant to imply that the Rodian is a talented black marketeer and resourceful enough to get quality goods on short notice. A small gesture that couldn't hurt given the Rodian's unstable temperament. ² Suroc lets the Rodian believe the choice is really his when, in fact, he really doesn't have much of a choice. Some call this saving face. Suroc calls it saving his hide! ³ As anticipated, the Rodian was ready to believe Suroc was planning to trick him. ⁴ By apparently deferring to the Rodian, Suroc makes his counterpart believe he is again in charge of the situation. The scene has been defused but Suroc remembers at the last moment to keep the Rodian in front of him at all times.

Closing Considerations

A few comments are in order. Characters are foolish to assume that just because today's black market deal came off successfully that tomorrow's deal will be any easier. Even if one deals with the same operator, there is no way to determine the other's state of mind in advance. Any number of transactions may have been carried out since the last encounter. Not all of them may have been satisfactory. The best rule of thumb is to never deal with the same market operator twice. Barring that possibility, never deal with the same one twice in a row.

The Opposite Side Of The Credit

So far this chapter has focused on the ways in which the buyer maneuvers through the market. An accurate picture of a typical black market must also consider the dealer's perspective as well. While each marketeer is different, and individual perspectives vary from planet to planet, the following guidelines can be accurately applied to most market situations.

Acquisition

Few black marketeers are their own suppliers. There are just too many ways one can get caught trying to steal goods "on demand." A successful marketeer needs to develop connections with other underworld operatives through which a steady stream of goods and/or services can be provided. The easiest way of doing this is through contacts with smugglers. Going through a local crime boss is another option, but such people typically want a higher percentage of credits up front for their time and efforts. A third alternative some marketeers use involves using people in a position of authority to divert merchandise at regular intervals for resale and mutual profit. Customs officials and representatives of companies with standing government supply contracts are ideal in this regard. Some marketeers deliberately manipulate such candidates into a position of inferiority they can exploit to their benefit. In such situations, loan sharks often become part-time black market operators when a particularly well-connected client needs his or her debts forgiven.

Deciding what types of people to use as suppliers also depends largely on the types of goods and services the marketeer wishes to provide. Often, this will be determined by the marketeer's own expertise or prior experience. A good understanding of client demands will drive the market accordingly.

Pricing

Every marketeer has his or her own pricing strategy, which either proves successful or fails dismally in a hurry. In all pricing strategies a balance needs be struck between a reasonable amount of profit for the operator and an amount one's customers are willing to pay. Most clients, as a given, expect to pay more for illegal goods. However, few will stand by and let themselves be gouged repeatedly.

Pricing is also a reflection of the number of different steps involved in the acquisition process. For every "middleman" involved, the average marketeer can typically expect to adjust prices upwards of 300 percent of the original base value. Thus, stolen weapons acquired from the pirates who hit a munitions dump last month might easily move at 300 credits for every 100 credits of normal retail cost. However, if the same goods were traded off to a smuggler who brought them in under the very noses of the local constabulary, the cost could conceivably shoot up to 600 credits for every 100 credits of base retail value.

The Cost Of Doing Business

In addition to paying delivery costs to members of a local gang or independent operators, the black marketeer has other costs to deal with. Contacts such as barkeeps and customs agents must be maintained. In addition, the occasional informant must be greased to provide timely information on incoming and outgoing shipments, as well as provide profiles and background checks on suspicious would-be clients. With success comes additional costs in the form of bribes to local law enforcement or judicial officials and the hiring of full-time enforcers to discourage takeover attempts by rival marketeers or overly aggressive gang members.

Chapter Five: Havens

Not every corner of the galaxy is hostile to the criminal element. Some planets tolerate those of the criminal persuasion. Others actively solicit criminal immigration and the influx of illegal credits they bring with them. Such places are commonly referred to as "haven" worlds.

A haven world is a planet where criminals can safely ply their illicit trade. Many activities held to be criminal elsewhere are completely "legal" on haven worlds. On haven worlds can be found all manner of galactic scum, ready and willing to cut a throat for a credit or three. Here organized crime can establish itself, protected by the tacit support of the government. Here, also, can be found sources of equipment, information, and personal contacts generally unavailable elsewhere in the galaxy. A haven's underworld can provide ample assistance… if one lives to tell about it.

As with criminal organizations in general, criminal havens can exist anywhere in the galaxy. The examples of havens used here are drawn from the Outer Rim Territories. The rise of additional havens in other regions of the galaxy is documented; the continuing civil war between the New Republic and the various Imperial factions has left few resources for stopping such developments. The recent Imperial successes have regained territory but have done little to reunite the hearts and minds of Imperial citizens. Many systems have begun forming their own collective security arrangements. Still others have declared themselves "open planets," where Imperial and Republic citizens alike can come and go as they please.

As the war between the Empire and the New Republic continues, each day brings more economic dislocation, loss of trade, and disruption of local communities. Under these circumstances, the prospect of new and more powerful criminal organizations springing up seems a reasonable outcome. Wherever these organizations can join together in (more or less) peaceful coexistence, the forces of law and order can be quickly overcome. In examining the haven worlds given here, observers may well be getting a glimpse of their own planet's dark future.

Live And On The Scene

"…No sooner did the Juggernaut assault vehicle enter the plaza square than all chaos broke loose! The copper's use in high tech computer systems made the cargo a rich target. Despite heavy security surrounding the shipment, blaster fire from a dozen concealed positions peppered the slow-moving transport.

"The vehicle's laser cannons returned fire and its security guards laid down a withering covering fire while the Juggernaut made a dash for it. Screeching around corners, narrowly avoiding pedestrians in its path, the vehicle slid into Garimor Street at high speed.

"At the far end of the street, a makeshift barricade of wagons, lumber and ferrocrete slabs blocked its progress. Beyond the barricade, a pair of gang members snapped off blaster shots.

"Seconds before impact, the Juggernaut came to a screeching halt, barely centimeters away from the barrier! Apparently, on-board sensors had picked up the presence of a force field just meters away. If the Juggernaut had not stopped, it would have plowed through the improvised obstruction only to dash itself headlong into the force field at high speed.

"Apparently, government officials underestimated the thoroughness of this afternoon's operation. A force field generator wasn't the only piece of portable equipment arranged in place. While eyewitness accounts vary, it seems that no fewer than six portable tractor beam generators targeted the Juggernaut.

"Alternately pushed and pulled from several different directions, the resulting pressures devastated the Juggernaut's armor plating. Those on the scene recall hearing the distinctive sound of grinding metal as the transport buckled and was ripped apart.

"While, remarkably, no one was injured in the attack, the Juggernaut's crew was too dazed to offer effective resistance. A pair of Teklos-style battle vehicles were seen quickly moving in, after which the ore shipment was transferred and the attackers made good their escape.

"Authorities are still examining the Juggernaut's wreckage and the equipment abandoned by the attackers, but insiders report that chances of finding anything substantial are doubtful. At this time, a follow-up investigation seems unlikely. Whoever was behind this attack will apparently get away with it, and once again, crime does indeed pay on Andasala.

"Back to you, Sellis…"

— Excerpt from an on-the-scene transmission from Jarina Gatsori, Andasala Achievement News

Andasala

Andasala is a planet in the fringes of populated space, in a region lying between the Empire and the New Republic. Andasala is a world claimed by both and controlled by neither. In its recent history, this once prosperous colony has hosted occupation forces from both sides. Like many border worlds, Andasala has been subjected to planetary assault, conscription of its citizenry, and a systematic extraction of its native resources. Today, it retains a mere shadow of its former prosperity.

Tired of the war's ceaseless ebb and flow, Andasala's citizens desperately sought someone who could save them from further pain and suffering. In the end, the Andasalans found an unlikely saviour in the local crimelord, Valis Lorn. Lorn capitalized on the general despair of Andasala's citizens by creating a criminal infrastructure that protected people in time of need. Starting with a small group of supporters, Lorn created a loose confederation (i.e. syndicate) of planetary bosses. Working within the legal bounds of the planet's political system, Lorn had himself elected to the position of Provisional Governor. Afterwards, he used his position of authority to place allied bosses in legal control of the planet's government.

Lorn next declared Andasala an "open planet," where all could come and go as they pleased provided they left their political squabblings at home. To reinforce his claims, he contracted with the Mantis Syndicate for a company of mercenaries as his new "peacekeepers." Imperial military and civilian leaders operating near Andasala were quickly bought off with promises of large "donations." Similar contributions are thought to have been secretly made to nearby planets allied with the New Republic; in exchange, the New Republic's attention has been continually "diverted" by these treasonous planets.

With the Empire and the New Republic unlikely to intervene in his affairs, Lorn set about converting Andasala into his own private criminal domain. Since his takeover, Lorn has completely transformed Andasalan society. On the surface, native Andasalans appear to retain a free and open community. However, it is a community largely given over to violence and crime.

Part of the reason for this is Lorn's continued need for ever larger bribes to keep Imperial authorities at bay. With much of the native Andasalan economy in ruins, Lorn has used the threat of the Empire's return as a justification to import newer "money-making opportunities." Nor is the New Republic all that welcome either! Their presence on Andasala would undoubtedly trigger an Imperial response, bribes or no bribes. With the need, therefore, to keep both sides at arm's length, Lorn has turned to the Hutts as a source of additional off-world credits. Within three months of his assuming office, the vanguard of a Hutt economic invasion arrived on Andasala at Lorn's invitation. In their wake have come a variety of gambling palaces, bookmaker shops, export houses fronting for professional thieves, banks offering credit laundering services, and a vast array of con men, loan sharks and informants. Many of these concerns employ native Andasalans who would otherwise have likely gone without work. Those not directly a part of the Hutt infrastructure, however, often find themselves on the receiving end of Hutt sponsored criminal operations.

Faced with a need to protect their families and property, many Andasalans are turning to violence in self-defense. Not everyone is pleased with the arrival of the Lorn's new Hutt friends. Native Andasalan gangland members almost unanimously view this turn of events with alarm. Few are sanguine about the Hutts trespassing on their territories. In recent weeks, the underworld has witnessed a renewal of violence not seen since the last New Republic garrison was pushed off planet by Imperial stormtroopers.

In these changing circumstances, many Andasalans remember the days when the local gangs took care of them in times of trouble. Many are now returning the favor, rallying to their local crime boss's side as enforcers, informants and the like. The majority are clearly committed to a policy of returning Andasala to the Andasalans — even if that means trading in one set of criminal ne'er-do-wells for another!

No one enjoys this situation more than Lorn himself. As virtual dictator of the planet, he can sit back and watch the underworld squabbles with a calm complacency. By inviting in the Hutts, Lorn has secured a position of considerable wealth. By inviting the Hutts to Andasala, Lorn has also provided another enemy to take the place of the Empire — never mind that Lorn was chiefly responsible for their being on the planet in the first place. The local bosses can easily gloss over that one. At the same time, Lorn can use Hutt sponsored agents to help settle some old scores.

At an entirely different level, Lorn has set about to win young hearts and minds by instituting a mandatory series of classroom instructions aimed at glorifying his role as planetary saviour. Children are routinely taught that Lorn has their best interests at heart, and that he alone can keep the planet safe. To this end, the continued safety of the Andasalan people justifies whatever means Governor Lorn may use. While some parents may question the validity of such arguments, none dare do so in public.

In turning his native world into one, gigantic, criminal underground, Lorn may have made a serious mistake. He has failed to consider how the planet's citizens are being changed as well. Even a casual look at the personal ads found in Andasalan daily newsfiles suggests a community wholeheartedly embracing the criminal way of life. Forced to adapt as best they can, many Andasalans are acquiring the same ruthless mentality that put Lorn himself in power. The time may come when one or more ambitious Andasalans, eager to assert themselves against the Hutts, will unite the populace. When that happens, an eager "young nashtah" will bring Lorn's empire crashing down about him. Whether that will prove a change for the better remains to be seen.

Andasala

Originally founded by a subsidiary of Gesenix Mining, Andasala started out as a promising community, with natural resources and a favorable position for servicing numerous nearby systems. Lying not far from the shipping center at Svivren, Andasala quickly expanded its population and economy. With the coming of the New Republic, however, Andasala's location quickly became a handicap. Both Imperial and New Republic forces have used the system as a corridor through which other targets could be attacked. This, in turn, has led to numerous battles for Andasala. The latest clash saw the Empire reclaim Andasala after all but eliminating the New Republic garrison in a massive orbital bombardment. Recent events in the Imperial Civil War left Andasala without a planetary governor. Into this power vacuum has come a local strong man, Valis Lorn. For lack of competent rivals, Lorn established political control over the planet, using his criminal henchmen to secure his election as Provisional Governor. This appointment is likely to remain for some time, at least until the military of either the Empire or the New Republic can more firmly wrest control of the space around Andasala.

■ Andasala

Type: Forested terrestrial
Temperature: Temperate
Atmosphere: Type I (breathable)
Hydrosphere: Moderate
Gravity: Standard
Terrain: Forests, mountains
Length of Day: 25 standard hours
Length of Year: 370 local days
Sapient Species: Humans, Hutts
Starports: 3 standard class
Population: 1.5 million
Planet Function: Criminal haven, mining
Government: Organized Crime. Provisional government supported by criminal syndicate headed by crimelord Valis Lorn.
Tech Level: Space
Major Exports: Tungsten, copper, chromium
Major Imports: Mid technology; unofficial imports include all manner of illegal goods and weapons technology

Valis Lorn

Lorn started out as a local con artist with a flair for the dramatic. His many scams at the expense of Imperial and New Republic officials won him a loyal following, which he used to build up the nucleus of his own criminal conspiracy. Never one to let an opportunity slip past him, with the death of the last Imperial governor, Lorn used his underworld connections to finance a successful political campaign. His election effectively placed him at the head of planetary affairs. Through nepotism and outright extortion he won the support of other local crime bosses and began turning the planet Andasala into his private criminal empire.

■ Valis Lorn

Type: Crimelord, Andasala Provisional Governor
DEXTERITY 2D
Blaster 3D, dodge 3D+1, pick pocket 4D
KNOWLEDGE 4D
Bureaucracy 4D+2, business 4D+1, cultures 4D+1, intimidation 6D, law enforcement 4D+2, streetwise: Andasala 8D, willpower 6D
MECHANICAL 3D
PERCEPTION 2D+1
Bargain 4D+2, command: criminal henchmen 7D+1, con 7D, forgery 3D, hide 4D, persuasion 7D, persuasion: oration 6D
STRENGTH 3D
TECHNICAL 3D+2
Force Points: 1
Dark Side Points: 2
Character Points: 18
Move: 10
Equipment: Hold-out blaster (3D+2), flashy dress clothes, comlink, datapad, 10,000 credits

Demesel

Located in the Meram sector of the Outer Rim Territories, Demesel is the base of operations for the notorious Glasfir Ring. This particular collection of gangsters serves as the de facto ruling coalition of this tiny planet despite attempts by legitimate authorities to maintain control. The head of the Glasfir Ring is a particularly nasty Defel by the name of Glasfir'a'lik.

Glasfir first came to Demesel as a Hutt enforcer. His job was to track down a wealthy industrialist who had proved reluctant to pay back a recently contracted high interest loan. The selection of this particular enforcer for the job, it was thought, would make for a singularly effective object lesson. After carrying out his assignment, however, a disagreement with his Hutt paymasters left Glasfir effectively stranded. Glasfir was understandably angered by what he saw as a breach of contract. He quickly set about to even the score… by eliminating all Hutt agents on Demesel.

For three years Glasfir waged a private war in the underworld shadows. Along the way, his reputation grew to semi-legendary status. At last convinced that he had paid the Hutts back in kind, Glasfir paused to consider his next course of action. Given his standing with the Hutts, the chances for employment with any other criminal organization off-planet were low. More to the point, the Hutts had posted a 60,000 credit bounty on Glasfir's head. Not long after, Glasfir "permanently handled" two Hutt sponsored assassins. Unable to start again elsewhere, Glasfir decided to make the best of his situation on Demesel.

Putting his reputation to good use, Glasfir won control of several criminal factions on Demesel. This was often accomplished by personally dispatching the previous ring leader. In some cases, just knowing they were on Glasfir's "hit list" was cause enough for a local crime boss to hurriedly arrange for an early "retirement" off planet. In the space of a few short months, Glasfir gained undisputed control of the Demeselian underworld.

Glasfir found the underworld previously content with petty crimes and disturbances over disputed territories; that changed quickly. Under his relentless leadership, crime has skyrocketed on Demesel. Among his followers, those who show any mercy towards their victims are immediately replaced. In this regard, Glasfir often does the honors personally.

In doing so, Glasfir caught the attention of the local authorities. Several attempts at apprehending the Defel resulted in the loss of top law enforcement agents. Thereafter, the planetary government refused to sanction further direct operations against Glasfir. Instead, using offers of immunity from prosecution, local officials attempted to bribe members of Glasfir's inner circle into doing the job for them. Only one person of the 10 took the bait. It was later learned that Glasfir held a late night dinner party for the rest of his trusting subordinates; the traitorous associate was never heard from again. After news of Glasfir's dinner party leaked out, subsequent attempts at finding a turncoat were abandoned.

The planetary government of Demesel rules the planet by day, maintaining to all outward appearances the fiction that everything is business as usual. Behind the scenes, however, they continue searching for a way to remove Glasfir from his position of power. His complete control of all gangland activities on the planet has brought him considerable wealth and power in a short period of time. Glasfir has wasted no time in using these resources to undermine the legitimate government's control of the planet.

First off, Glasfir's henchmen have made liberal use of bribery to secretly purchase the cooperation of governmental officials. At present, an estimated one in four Demeselian public servants are on Glasfir's payroll. Those who have proven unbribable have become the targets of a private terrorist war directed by Glasfir's closest lieutenants. At the same time, a separate campaign of terrorism against civilians seeks to demonstrate the government's powerlessness while raking in added credits at blaster-point.

To further increase his flow of credits, Glasfir has recently made a deal with a guild of Thalassian slavers operating in the vicinity. In exchange for their aid in constructing a small, limited service spaceport in a secluded portion of the Favaran foothills, Glasfir has extended to them a "free market" base from which to operate. This arrangement has afforded Glasfir the means of smuggling into Demesel all manner of illegal goods for sale on the black market. The Thalassians, in turn, have a safe port of call.

In the middle of all this are the citizens of Demesel, who find themselves increasingly vulnerable and increasingly skeptical of their government. Few believe Demeselian authorities have the power to confront Glasfir. As more and more attempt to emigrate off-world, more and more planetary businesses fail. The resulting economic hardships generate lower taxes, fewer government services, and an ever-growing number of new recruits finding their way into the Demeselian underground.

It should be kept in mind that few people have ever heard of, let alone seen, a Defel in the flesh. Those who have and lived to tell of it have spread exaggerated (though not by much) tales of the "creature's" savagery and personal power. Such tales contribute to Glasfir's aura of invincibility, as do stories of what happens to Glasfir's victims. For his part, Glasfir and his cronies are undisputed rulers of Demesel by night. Glasfir rules his sunless empire with undisguised contempt for his subjects. They, in turn, obey him out of unadulterated fear.

In the end, the solution to the Demeselians' problem may come from the outside. The Hutts have neither forgotten nor forgiven their renegade operative for the trouble he has caused them. Few Hutts like to be thwarted in any business enterprise and none enjoy the irritation that comes from having unruly subordinates. Glasfir's very success, seemingly at the Hutts' expense, may well prove to be his downfall. As soon as more important matters are attended to, Glasfir's day of reckoning will likely arrive. Of course, the citizens of Demesel may have little to celebrate. When Glasfir is finally removed from office, his successor will like as not be a cold-blooded Hutt eager to exploit the criminal machinery Glasfir has set up.

While somewhat overstated, Glasfir is a typical petty criminal bully who has carved out his own planetary fief through the application of terror. At present several hundred of these "terror territorials" are known to exist throughout the galaxy. All that is required is a master of intimidation and people capable of being intimidated. In each case, however, the bully must possess a "lever" of sorts that can be used against the helpless. In Glasfir's case, his lever is his own personal ferocity and the superstitious dread he inspires. In other cases, the lever is hostages or the threat of wanton destruction. Do not confuse the helplessness of the oppressed as cowardice. Most civilians — settlers, scientists, and so forth — are not trained warriors. Then too, it is very easy to be brave when all you have to worry about is yourself; helpless family members alter the equation.

Demesel

Originally founded by a consortium of Inner Sphere businesses, Demesel has long served as a trading center supplying the needs of various frontier worlds along the Outer Rim. With the coming of the civil war, however, suppliers dried up, trade routes shifted, and Demesel lost much of its original importance. A peaceful backwater world, it has sidestepped the troubles many other worlds have witnessed, mainly by trying hard not to be overly conspicuous. Despite the rising chaos from the disruptions of numerous criminal gangs, Demesel remains an anomaly among criminal havens — it is one of the few places where Hutt influence is practically nonexistent. This may quickly change if the current ruler of the Demeselian underground is replaced.

■ Demesel

Type: Terrestrial
Temperature: Cool
Atmosphere: Type 1 (breathable)
Hydrosphere: Moderate
Gravity: Standard
Terrain: Plains
Length of Day: 22 standard hours
Length of Year: 285 local days
Sapient Species: Humans, various aliens
Starports: 1 standard class, 1 limited services
Population: 720,000
Planet Function: Trade
Government: Organized Crime. Officially corporate-owned and operated.
Tech Level: Space
Major Exports: Biochemicals, herbal pharmaceuticals
Major Imports: Food stores, electronics; unsanctioned imports include smuggled contraband and slaves

■ Glasfir'a'lik

Type: Defel Crimelord
DEXTERITY 4D
Blind fighting 6D+2, brawling parry 5D, dodge 5D+2, melee combat 7D, melee parry 7D, running 5D+1
KNOWLEDGE 3D
Alien species 4D, intimidation 5D+2, intimidation: torture 5D
MECHANICAL 1D
PERCEPTION 4D
Bargain 5D+2, command: criminal henchmen 7D+1, hide 6D+2, persuasion 6D, search 10D, sneak 8D
STRENGTH 4D+1
Brawling 6D, stamina 6D
TECHNICAL 1D+2
First aid: Defel 3D
Force Points: 1
Dark Side Points: 6
Character Points: 26
Move: 13
Special Skills:
Blind Fighting: Time to use: one round. Defels can use this skill instead of their brawling or melee combat skills when deprived of their sight visors or otherwise rendered blind. Blind fighting teaches a Defel to use its senses of smell and hearing to overcome any blindness penalties.
Special Abilities:
Invisibility: Defels have a +3D bonus when using the sneak skill.
Claws: The claws of a Defel can inflict Strength +2D damage.
Light Blind: Defel eyes can only detect ultraviolet light and the presence of any other light effectively blinds the Defel. Defels can wear special sight visors which block out all other light waves, allowing them to see, but if a Defel loses its visor, the difficulty of any task involving sight is increased by one level.
Equipment: Comlink

Capsule: Glasfir is a solitary hunter and his control over the Demeselian underworld has been accomplished through a combination of luck, fear, and a natural power vacuum. He has ruled the Demeselian underworld with an iron claw; he has nothing but contempt for those he commands. His grudging respect is reserved only for his toughest opponents. Knowing as he does the power of the Hutts, Glasfir secretly believes himself to be living on borrowed time. That being the case, he intends to make good use of what little time he has left.

Tresidiss

Tresidiss is privately owned and operated by a collection of Herglic criminals who find this particular enterprise a wonderful way of mixing illegal business with pleasure. Unlike other haven worlds, where criminal activities may be hidden or a semblance of normal life maintained, on Tresidiss gambling and its associated evils are openly proclaimed. At present, Tresidiss boasts over 4,000 independent gambling halls and casinos, with twice as many banks and lending institutions, and easily three times the number of ancillary establishments catering to other vices.

Few of these gambling concerns are without rigged tables. The banks are mostly legalized loan sharking operations. The rest are places never described in Imperial travel brochures. Located near a major trade route into the Parmic sector, Tresidiss is also home to an assortment of intelligence operatives from both the Empire and the New Republic. On Tresidiss, espionage and intrigue are as common as bankrupt executives; the occasional back-alley corpse is only to be expected.

Tresidiss stays in business through its close ties to the Empire. Beyond making annual contributions to the Imperial war effort, several local governors — and even a few Moffs — are suspected of being silent partners in this planetary enterprise. Tresidiss also survives because it serves as a convenient "neutral ground" where intelligence agents can quietly make deals and pass information with minimal interference from official circles.

Tresidiss maintains one of the least stringent tariff policies in the galaxy: every product has the same uniform (and low) tax rate. Any item — however illegal elsewhere — can be sold here so long as the Herglic government gets its share. Not surprisingly, more than a few terrorist and sabotage missions are secretly funded, recruited, and equipped from Tresidiss.

Perhaps the biggest reason for the planet's success, however, lies in the unusual arrangement the Herglic syndicate has with the Hutts. While steadfastly refusing to allow the Hutts in on their original venture, the Herglics have since adopted a policy of voluntarily turning over a select number of gambling casinos to the Hutts each year. In doing so, the Herglics maintain an uneasy, yet profitable, alliance. The Hutts get a guarantee of additional revenues each year without the need for up front investments. The Herglics get to keep Hutts away from the rest of their operations. Should the Hutts prove more greedy than anticipated, the Herglics believe they can turn to their Imperial backers for protection.

■ Tresidiss

Type: Terrestrial
Temperature: Warm
Atmosphere: Type I (breathable)
Hydrosphere: Moderate
Gravity: Standard
Terrain: Plain
Length of Day: 23 standard hours
Length of Year: 315 local days
Sapient Species: Herglics, Humans, Krish, various alien species
Starports: 2 standard class
Population: 2.1 million
Planet Function: Gambling, tourism, trade
Government: Organized Crime
Tech Level: Space
Major Exports: None
Major Imports: Food, spice, liquor, and other consumables

Chapter Six: Tools Of The Trade

In addition to a wide range of illegal weapons and equipment available on the black market, criminals often devise specialized tools of their own for use in their particular criminal occupations. Of course, few criminals have the luxury of keeping secrets for very long. Once word gets out that a certain weapon or device is in use, it is not long before others are hard at work constructing similar models. In some cases, the originals are stolen. Some of the more noteworthy examples of criminal ingenuity are presented below.

The availability designations given below are used to represent an "average" rating: the true availability of these items will vary from planet to planet. Most items will be available only through black market sources as very costly "special requests." On various criminal havens, however, the odds of acquiring such items increases dramatically. The gamemaster is free to adjust these values to restrict or otherwise prohibit them as desired.

Specialized Weapons

Slaver Snare Gun

A favorite of slaver strike teams throughout the galaxy, the snare gun is a passive restraint weapon capable of rendering a targeted victim immobile in a matter of seconds. This shoulder mounted, tube-launched device emits a cone of chemically treated wire filaments. On striking an object, these filaments coil themselves tightly around the intended target. Once exposed to the open atmosphere, these filaments immediately begin to expand and contract. The result is a rapid constriction of movement. In a matter of seconds the filaments will have fused into a hard shell, effectively incapacitating the victim within.

■ Slaver Snare Gun

Model: Thalassian Corodex Snare
Type: Ranged Personal Restraint Weapon
Scale: Character
Skill: Missile weapons: Thalassian snare gun
Ammo: 6
Cost: 1,200 (black market)
Availability: 3, F or X
Ranges: 5-10/25/50
Damage: 2D stun damage
Game Notes: Upon initial contact, the targeted individual must make an opposed Strength roll to avoid entanglement; the snare has a beginning Strength of 3D. Failure to do so results in entanglement. The snare's Strength increases by +1D for each additional round as the filaments continue to constrict and harden. The filaments cause no physical damage. A specially formulated dissolving agent degrades the filaments.

Hutts 1, Bresallis 0

Brahle Logris munched down the last of his fringi spice cake as he watched the first streaks of dawn slipping through the cracks between the buildings that surrounded him. Taking one last sip of Corellian brandy, he patted his blaster rifle with something approaching affection. Not long now. Ambassador Walads should be getting up right about now. Been up practicing your speech half the night, haven't you ambassador? Too bad you won't have a chance to ever give it. Brahle Logris brushed aside the hotel curtains and opened the window slightly. The nose of the double barreled blaster rifle protruded ever so slightly outward and upward. Thirty-seven meters across the way and 53 meters up was another window and the object of Logris's considerable attention. Another sip of brandy. Now there was movement from the penthouse beyond. The first stirrings of a man desperately trying to bring peace to this portion of the galaxy. Logris eased into his firing position. The shadow of a large man could be seen now, clearly outlined in the tracings of the assassin's infrared sights. That's it, ambassador. Now move to the window. It's a fine day for a speech to the Bresallis assembly… go take a look for yourself. As his finger slowly increased the pressure against the weapon's trigger, a muffled mewing sound behind him broke into his train of thought. Glancing around with a look of annoyance, Logris regarded the hotel room's legitimate occupant, lying bound and gagged on the bed beside him. "I do wish you'd stop that, my dear. It's quite annoying, you know. It isn't as if anyone is going to hear you! Now then, do please be quiet and let me be on with my work. The sooner I finish, the sooner you can get on with your morning." Really. Some people. Can't a person be about his business without everyone trying to interrupt all the time? Sighting in on his target once more, Logris reflected that in a few minutes the ambient light would be enough to make his infrared scope useless. There he is! Ambassador Walads, his figure wrapped in a loose dressing robe, stood behind his penthouse windows, his arms wide as he parted the thick curtains to either side of him. Thirty-seven meters across the way and 53 meters down, a man he never knew tightened his finger on the trigger, setting in motion events that seconds later would claim the ambassador's life. From his weapon's top barrel, a bluish-white beam of highly charged energy shot outward and upward. A microsecond after the beam's ignition, a second shot from the weapon's lower barrel rang out. To the two occupants of room 547, the shots were virtually simultaneous. The energy beam produced by the first shot hit the penthouse window three centimeters away from the ambassador's chest. Under normal circumstances, the reinforced polymars security had insisted on coating the windows with would have been sufficient to absorb the blast without harming the person standing close by. Before coming to the hotel, however, Logris had modified the power converter in his weapon. As anticipated, while still insufficient to cause direct injury, the additional energy produced was sufficient to burn a hole through the reinforced plate. Through this hole, a lead alloy slug fired from the weapon's second barrel sped through, hitting the ambassador. Even this, under normal circumstances, might not have been sufficient to kill the ambassador outright. But, always the thorough killer, Logris had taken the precaution of coating the slug's surface with a new and very deadly poison. Even as he watched the ambassador fall to the floor, Logris knew instinctively that his work was completed. His employers would be pleased. After carefully disassembling and packing his weapon, to be deposited with his waiter's disguise in a nearby garbage atomizer, Logris stopped and considered his reluctant hostess one last time. Spying the contents of a forgotten cosmetics case lying scattered at her feet, a smile came to Logris's lips. Retrieving a tube of vermilion from the floor, he went to the window and, in big, bold letters, composed a short epitaph for the slain ambassador: "Hutts 1, Bresallis 0."

Modified E-11 Blaster Rifle

The BlasTech E-11/S blaster rifle and slug-thrower combination is a custom-designed weapon with a very limited audience. Secondary after-market manufacturers have equipped a standard E-11 blaster rifle with a slug-throwing rifle. The weapon has limited utility — after all, the projectile rifle is not as effective as a standard blaster and due to the rarity of projectile weapons, ammunition tends to be expensive. In fact, the weapon is a prime choice of those who need the unique flexibility that an energy and projectile combination offers — a combination perfectly suited to defeating reinforced building or repulsorcraft structures. As such, the weapon is a prime choice for assassins and others who rely on quick terrorist attacks to accomplish their ends. The weapon is largely outlawed throughout most of the "civilized" galaxy, requiring potential buyers to deal with the black market.

Since the weapon has only one trigger, most E-11/Ss have a selection lever, allowing the firer to fire from the blaster, the slug-thrower or simultaneously from both. There is also a timing adjustment switch so that when both barrels are fired the shot from one barrel can be delayed anywhere from one tenth of a second up to several seconds.

■ Modified E-11 Blaster Rifle

Model: BlasTech E-11/S Blaster Rifle
Type: Modified blaster/slug-thrower
Scale: Character
Skill: Blaster (for blaster), firearms (for slug-thrower)
Ammo: 25 (blaster), 6 (slug-thrower)
Cost: 7,000
Availability: X, 4
Range: 3-30/100/300 (blaster), 3-30/150/400 (slug-thrower)
Damage: 5D (blaster), 4D (slug-thrower)

Mandroxan Droid Disabler

A handy item to have on hand wherever security droids are anticipated, the Mandroxan droid disabler fires a tight beam of phased energy particles which disrupt a droid's internal electrical impulses. Unlike a simple electrical charge, which quickly dissipates, these phased particles are attracted by the droid's own mass. Clinging to the droid's exterior, they quickly build up their charge, which further disrupt neural pattern flow in the machine. The result is a temporarily disabled machine, dead on its feet.

■ Mandroxan Droid Disabler

Model: Mandroxan Exports Defense Weapon EDWX-843
Type: Anti-droid weapon
Scale: Character
Skill: Blaster
Ammo: 10 (power pack)
Cost: 10,000 (black market)
Availability: 4, X
Ranges: 5-10/30/50
Damage: 6D (stun damage); +1D for each hit after the first
Game Notes: When hit, droids suffer a -1D to skill and attribute rolls for the next three rounds if the target is stunned; otherwise, the droid is rendered "unconscious" as per the "Stun Damage" rules on page 62 of Star Wars, Second Edition. While no permanent damage is done, a diagnostic overhaul and power-up will be required to reactivate the droid.

Plasticene Thermite Gel

This greyish-white, putty-like substance is widely used by underworld elements as a fast acting means of gaining entrance to restricted areas with a minimum amount of noise. Once removed from its protective wrapping, a half a kilogram of this light-weight substance can be stretched and molded as needed to cover a surface area of ten square centimeters. Once ignited by an electronic detonator, thermite gel burns at a constant temperature of 500 degrees centigrade. Capable of defeating most standard locking mechanisms, it can also be used to burn through armored plating and other protective surfaces.

■ Plasticene Thermite Gel

Model: Gatrellis Plasticene Thermite Cube
Type: Controlled pyrotechnic explosive
Scale: Character
Skill: Demolitions
Availability: 4, X
Cost: 1,000 per kilogram
Damage: 10D per round; three rounds burning time for 0.50 kilogram application
Game Notes: Ignition by detonator can be achieved by remote relay. A character must make a demolitions skill roll to correctly set the gel; the difficulty is based on how reinforced the target is (light doors require only a Very Easy total; reinforced bulkheads could require a Very Difficult total).

Anti-Security Apparatus

Fingerprint Masque

A fingerprint masque is a small, palm-sized device, similar in appearance to a conventional ink pad. Its purpose is to enable the user to disguise his or her fingerprint patterns by temporarily overlaying them with a biochemical screen or "masque." This masquing pattern can be either random in nature or conform to one of several pre-set patterns entered into the device's memory by the operator. The process of re-patternization takes less than a minute for each digit and lasts upwards of 10 to 12 hours, depending on the user's physiology. It is very difficult to apply a different species' masque pattern onto a subject.

■ Fingerprint Masque

Model: Individual criminal manufacture
Type: Fingerprint pattern alteration kit
Skill: Computer programming/repair (to use)
Cost: 15,000 (black market)
Availability: 4, X
Game Notes: The flip-top surface contains a liquid crystal display used to confirm commands and the display of desired patterns. The bottom half of the device's "pad" contains a small input panel and a "sensor pad" where the digit is placed while the new pattern is being formed.

Retinal Disguiser

A visor-like device used to defeat security systems based on retinal pattern recognition. The retinal disguiser works by projecting a false pattern overlay that accurately matches a predetermined selection. This selection can be loaded into the disguiser if a copy of a known pattern already exists. Likewise, when used in scan mode, a composite of a subject's current retinal pattern can be stored for future use. It is very difficult to project a different species' retinal pattern on an individual, so retinal security systems set to accept only specific individuals of a different species cannot be fooled by this device.

■ Retinal Disguiser

Model: Individual criminal manufacture
Type: Retinal pattern falsification device
Skill: Medicine
Cost: 25,000 (black market)
Availability: 4, X
Game Notes: Normal operation requires an Easy medicine total. In the event that a pre-existing pattern has been loaded into the device (rather than storing a live subject scan), the gamemaster must determine the relative accuracy of the pattern. This may require the user to make a higher difficulty roll. Users deemed to be sufficiently proficient may attempt to manufacture their own retinal patterns "from scratch" if sufficient data on the desired subject is available. Such attempts will always result, however, in much higher medicine difficulties.

DimSim

"DimSims" are portable holographic projectors that simply project a "shield" of darkness over the user's face. Rather than attempt to create a false identity for the user, the DimSim is a high tech way of simply concealing one's face (especially in light of how effective computer imaging systems are at determining a thief's facial features from beneath more traditional masks and such).

When activated, the DimSim appears to project a solid wall of "black" in front of the user's face. While the user will notice a small haze in front of him or her, observers will only see the darkness and be unable to determine any facial features of the user. Thieves using DimSims can ply their trade with relative anonymity.

The DimSim is a small cap or helmet, with a micro powerpack that snaps into a side compartment. The powerpacks are the same as those which power datapads and portable computers and last upwards of 20 minutes of continuous operation.

■ DimSim

Model: DimSim (custom designed unit)
Type: Personal Holographic Projector/Interference Unit
Cost: 5,000
Availability: 4, X
Game Notes: DimSim completely conceals the user's features.

Sensor No-Show

The criminal slang term "no shows" refers to miniature field generators mounted in a wristband configuration. They are commonly used to defeat tracking sensors with a high degree of efficiency. They do so by generating an electromagnetic field that covers the user, interfering with heat and infrared detectors. Motion or vision-based sensors are unaffected. "No shows" are ideal for situations involving a covert infiltration of a facility or compound.

■ Sensor No-Show

Model: Individual criminal manufacture
Type: Passive field generators
Skill: Sneak
Cost: 5,000 (black market)
Availability: 4, X
Game Notes: No-Shows protect one individual, giving them +2D to sneak when pertaining to heat- and infrared-based sensors. A standard power cell is completely drained after 15 minutes of use.

Shipjacking Kit

A series of small, hand-held electronic decoders used by shipjackers and spice-jackers to gain access to a given ship while in port. When applied to a standard security lock, they electronically search out the proper encoded combination and replicate it in a matter of seconds.

■ Shipjacking Kit

Model: Individual manufacture
Type: Ship security code descrambler
Skill: Security
Cost: 8,000 (licensed collection agency), 16,000+ (black market)
Availability: 4, F, or X
Game Notes: Adds +3D to the user's security roll to break through a ship's security code system.

Vehicles

Drogue

Drogues come in all shapes and sizes, but the most common is a waist-high, U-shaped platform with room to spare for tools and equipment stores. Perfect for that lucrative second-story job, the drogue is capable of repulsorlift ascent up to 200 meters and sustained hovering. Its whisper-quiet operation and easy recharge capability make it a reliable source of easily transportable conveyance.

■ Drogue

Craft: Modified Aratech WorkStar Repulsorlift Skiff
Type: Small cargo skiff
Scale: Speeder
Length: 5 meters
Skill: Repulsorlift operation: skiff
Crew: 1
Passengers: 1 (in place of normal cargo limits)
Cargo Capacity: 350 kilograms
Cover: 1/4
Altitude Range: Ground level–200 meters
Cost: 1,000
Maneuverability: 1D
Move: 14; 40 kmh (vertical), 8; 25 kmh (horizontal)
Body Strength: 2D

Teklos Battle Vehicle

Originally designed as a commercial, repulsorlift version of the Nen-Carvon Mobile Command Base (see page 71 of Imperial Sourcebook, Second Edition), this modified vehicle was intended to provide corporate executives and ranking civilian officials with the ultimate in personal conveyance protection. Combining a blend of firepower, protection and comfort qualities, it quickly became a favorite of wealthy criminal gang lords as well. It was first adapted on Teklos to combat marauding bands of swoopers in on-going turf wars. Since that time, the "Teklos" battle vehicle has since become widely accepted as an all-purpose vehicle, capable of supporting a variety of underworld activities. Whether involved in an underworld heist, assaulting a rival gang's headquarters, or escorting crime family members to and from school, the Teklos battle vehicle has proven itself a dependable design.

■ Teklos Battle Vehicle

Craft: Modified Nen-Carvon "Teklos" Mobile Command Base
Type: Mobile command base
Scale: Speeder
Length: 21.8 meters
Skill: Repulsorlift operation: Teklos
Crew: 2, gunners: 3
Crew Skill: Varies greatly
Passengers: 7
Cargo Capacity: 1 metric ton or 4 additional passengers
Cover: Full
Cost: 45,000 (base commercial model), +20,000 or more depending on customized modifications; 100,000+ on the black market
Maneuverability: 0D
Move: 35; 100 kmh
Body Strength: 7D
Weapons: Triple Laser Cannon (fire-linked)
Fire Arc: Turret*
Crew: 1
Skill: Vehicle blasters
Fire Control: 1D
Range: 50-250/500/1 km
Damage: 4D
Two Concussion Grenade Launchers
Fire Arc: Forward/left, forward/right**
Crew: 1
Skill: Missile weapons
Fire Control: 1D
Range: 10-50/100/250
Damage: 3D+1
* Notes: The Teklos battle vehicle's laser cannon turret can turn to face left, front and right fire arcs only. It may move the turret one fire arc per turn (from left to front, right to front, front to right or front to left). ** Notes: One concussion grenade launcher can face only forward and left, while the other can face only forward and right. Game Notes: The above is the most common form of Teklos battle vehicle. Other variants exist, with weapons and armor protection being the components most often modified.

Miscellaneous Equipment

Tri-laser Engraver

A mainstay of the modern counterfeiter, the tri-laser engraver uses a micro-miniature array of laser beams to replicate finely textured incisions on a variety of metal and plastic plates used for the production of planetary currencies. By adjusting the angle, pitch and beam width of each individual laser, the counterfeiter can produce a variety of patterns virtually indistinguishable from the originals.

■ Tri-laser Engraver

Model: Opirus Personal Lasers, Model KL-543
Type: Tri-laser engraver
Skill: Forgery
Cost: 4,000; 8,000+ on the black market
Availability: 3, F, or R
Game Notes: Long-term close-up use of this device without proper protective eyewear can lead to temporary visual distress and permanent injury.

Gambling Droid

A recent Herglic invention, patented by members of the Droxian Traders' League, Droxian gambling droids are rapidly becoming commonplace in the Rim, especially on Haven worlds like Tresidiss. Most Herglic gambling droids have at least some of their gaming programs rigged so as to provide better odds for the house. For the customers, however, this unacknowledged "given" is accepted at face value. For many, part of the fun of playing with gambling droids is trying to figure out which games are rigged and which are not. The droid's ability to also accept electronic currency transfers and credit slip payments via comlink tie-ins with local banking agencies is an added attraction.

■ Gambling Droid

Type: Droxian Model GDA-8 Gambling Droid
DEXTERITY 2D
KNOWLEDGE 3D
Value: currency conversion 4D, cultures 3D+2, languages 4D
MECHANICAL 1D
PERCEPTION 3D
Gambling 6D, persuasion 4D
STRENGTH 1D
TECHNICAL 2D
Droid repair 3D
Equipped With:

• Semi-humanoid body (two arms, repulsorlift generator at base)
• Two visual and auditory sensor recorders — Human range
• Vocabulator speech/sound system
• AA-1 Verbo-brain
• Video display screen
• Gambling Database: contains rules, procedures and odds estimation programming for common games of chance. Standard model is programmed for up to 100 different games. Additional modular memory add-ons can increase this capacity to 500 games.
• Currency Reservoir: a gambling droid can hold upwards of 10,000 credits. Some droids are programmed to exchange numerous planetary currencies in addition to standard New Republic and/or Imperial credits.
• Credit Verification/Transfer System: access via on-board comlink with house banking agency. Move: 7
  Size: 1.9 meters tall
  Cost: 10,000 (new)

Chapter Seven: The Opposition

Criminal activity in the Empire (and the New Republic) is widespread and growing every day. In light of this depressing fact, it is easy to forget how much worse things might be were it not for the efforts of a dedicated opposition. This opposition is comprised of highly motivated and specially trained persons whose job it is to counter organized criminal elements wherever they may be found. These agents of opposition typically work independently, waging a private shadow war, spurred on by personal and private motivations. In other instances, they join together in small groups of highly trained specialists to openly combat gangsterism at its worst. However they are employed, their goal is always the same: to halt the growing influence of the crimelords, and uphold the rule of law and order.

No examination of galactic criminal organizations would be complete without some understanding of those who oppose them. This chapter presents the different law enforcement agents typically found in the Empire and the New Republic. At the outset, it should be understood these persons are more than simply sophisticated police forces armed with a badge and a blaster. Each can also be viewed as emissaries representing the different cultures they are sworn to protect. In this regard, gamemasters should review each section's entry, keeping in mind the comparisons and contrasts of each group.

The Empire

How criminal elements are dealt with varies depending on where one happens to be in the galaxy. In the Empire prior to the death of the Emperor, criminal activities were the domain of the Imperial Office of Criminal Investigations (IOCI). In many cases, remaining Imperial factions may retain an office very similar to the IOCI. In most areas, the agency's primary mission is the coordination of efforts aimed at the apprehension and prosecution of lawbreakers wherever they may be found. Within the staunchest Imperial areas, the IOCI, and much of the Imperial bureaucracy, remains virtually identical to the preceding bureaucracy under the Emperor.

The IOCI routinely maintains the Imperial Enforcement DataCore, which is used to keep track of individual criminals, their offenses, and past histories. Among its other duties, the IOCI oversees the licensing of independent law enforcement officers (i.e. bounty hunters), and the registration of Notices of Imperial Remandation (bounties). In cases where a question of criminality or local jurisdiction is in doubt, the IOCI has the final word on the issuance of proper arrest warrants. The IOCI also reviews the service records of Imperial law enforcement personnel with regards to promotions, transfers, and special appointments. In cases involving suspected corruption on the part of planetary officials, the IOCI appoints special planetary prosecutors as independent investigators.

The IOCI deals with criminal offenses which do not specifically involve cases of treason or conspiracy. Such matters are handled by the Imperial Security Bureau and Imperial Intelligence (see Chapter Two, "COMPNOR" and Chapter Three, "Imperial Intelligence" of the Imperial Sourcebook, Second Edition). Any case uncovered by IOCI operatives that involves treasonous overtones is immediately forwarded to the appropriate ISB and Intelligence authorities.

The IOCI, while concerned with law enforcement and criminal apprehension, has made virtually no provisions for the rehabilitation of criminal elements. Such considerations are practically nonexistent within the Empire; prisons and slave labor camps are the traditional incarceration facilities for convicted criminals. Under the New Order, criminals are seen largely as parasites to be eliminated unless — in rare cases — their talents can be put to good use. The Imperial approach to the problem of crime focuses on the elimination of the problem-makers by the most efficient manner possible.

What Goes Around… <Knock, Knock>

The first indication of things gone horribly wrong was a thermite explosion that ripped the hotel door off its hinges, flinging it well into the next room. Reaching reflexively for the blaster on the lamp table resulted in a strobe of searing blaster fire hitting Brahle's left wrist. Thereafter things took a definite turn for the worst, as armored shapes wearing the triple-starred emblem of Sector Rangers surrounded the flotation cushion. As more and more figures jammed into the room, Brahle reflected to himself that the assembled firepower contained in these cramped quarters was enough to hold off a platoon of stormtroopers. And all for me.

"Brahle Logris, you are under arrest on the charges of murder and attempted murder. Failure to comply with my specific instructions will be taken as an act of armed resistance. If you resist, you will be shot. Do you understand?"

Logris slumped and let out a heavy sigh. "I guess this means I won't be seeing the zero-g play-offs tonight, after all!"

Imperial Forces of Law

Most planetary systems within the Empire (and, of course, the various Imperial factions) rule themselves. With Imperial-aligned worlds, governors or advisors ensure important government decisions conform to the Imperial will. How local governments keep their own people in line is left largely up to them. In this regard, local officials have several means at their disposal.

Planetary Police

Since the early days of the Republic, individual planetary systems have maintained local and regional police forces charged with keeping the peace. The exact composition and jurisdiction of such forces varies from system to system. These are often influenced by their location and a variety of social and economic demands. Some colony worlds have only a modest, part-time law enforcement establishment. On many Core Worlds, by comparison, the huge numbers of enforcement agents present have resulted in the formation of an entirely new social class. In some parts of the galaxy, law enforcement exists solely as a function of big business. Even on the more lawless "haven worlds" of the Outer Rim Territories, a semblance of peace-keeping authority is maintained — it's just that in these cases the number of law enforcement types are too few, or too corrupt, or both, to have an impact.

Whatever their size or composition, these personnel form the first line of defense against the criminal element on thousands of inhabited worlds. Most are under the direction of a civic leader with jurisdiction over a specific city or populated region. Occasionally, such jurisdiction extends across an entire planetary system.

Imperial police forces are responsible for the capture of those responsible for crimes against individual persons or Imperial officials. Their focus is on reacting to complaints of local citizens, not crime prevention. In times of emergency or rebellion, local police personnel may be placed under the direction of military authorities, though this is typically for the duration of the crisis only.

On planets where the loyalties of the population are in doubt, many local planetary police and constabulary forces are placed indefinitely under military command or absorbed directly into their ranks. Sometimes, overall control is given to one of the governor's chief lieutenants, a prefect or sub-prefect, who replaces a politically "undesirable" local official. As more and more governors expand their control — especially those having gone their own way since the initial breakup of the Empire — this situation is becoming commonplace in some sectors of the galaxy.

Planetary Prosecutors

Backing up the planetary police are planetary prosecutors. These persons should not be confused with members of the local judiciary. Planetary prosecutors are special justices appointed by the IOCI to execute summary justice. Their authority overrides that of any local officer of the court. Planetary prosecutors can be likened to Imperial "watchbeasts" within the Imperial administration. Prosecutors commonly investigate and render decisions on charges of corruption, failure to properly discharge the responsibilities of office, bribery, and similar crimes. In cases where treason is uncovered, the guilty party is handed over to members of the ISB or Imperial Intelligence.

Sometimes, the lines of authority get muddled. This is true of the ISB's Enforcement division, which often secretly employs members of local law enforcement agencies for special missions. This has led to sharp protests from both ISB's Internal Affairs division, as well as local officials. The practice continues, however. This technique is used most often in cases where individuals with specialized skills are needed to carry out ISB missions of a sensitive nature. In such cases, the "contacts" are "deputized" with added legal authority. ISB agents can call in additional military resources if legitimate threats are discovered.

Sector Rangers

As more and more planets became colonized under the Old Republic, the need for law enforcement agents capable of operating over expanded areas of space became evident. At the instigation of the Senate, under the Old Republic, regional governors were authorized to create a corps of Sector Rangers. These persons were originally charged with apprehending criminals.

With the coming of the Empire, the Sector Rangers, who were focused on law enforcement instead of military or political matters, remained virtually unchanged. Today, Sector Rangers carry the force of Imperial law from one star system to another. Where local police agencies are limited in their jurisdictions and military forces are charged with occupation and quelling rebellion, Sector Rangers are empowered to pursue criminals anywhere within a given Imperial sector. They may likewise demand the extradition of prisoners and are often called upon to escort criminals from one system to another for proper trial.

Sector Rangers are empowered to use whatever means are necessary to apprehend wanted criminals, wherever in their sector they may be found. This includes the power to "deputize" civilian assistants as legal agents of the IOCI, and, in rare cases, to suspend the powers of local officials suspected of aiding and abetting criminals.

Sector Rangers are reserved for the most dangerous and notorious criminals and are typically not assigned to cases involving political implications (i.e., tracking down suspected New Republic agents).

■ Typical Sector Ranger

Type: Typical Sector Ranger
DEXTERITY 3D
Blaster 5D+1, dodge 4D+2, melee combat 5D, melee parry 4D+2
KNOWLEDGE 4D
Alien species 5D, cultures 5D+1, languages 5D, planetary systems 5D+1, law enforcement 8D, streetwise 5D+2
MECHANICAL 2D
Astrogation 3D, sensors 3D+1, space transports 3D, starfighter piloting 3D
PERCEPTION 4D
Bargain 5D, command 5D, hide 5D, investigation 7D, sneak 5D
STRENGTH 3D
Brawling 4D, stamina 4D+2
TECHNICAL 2D
Armor repair 3D, blaster repair 4D, computer programming/repair 3D+1
Force Points: Varies, typically 0–1
Character Points: Varies, typically 0–15
Move: 10
Equipment: Blaster pistol (4D), blast helmet (+1 head energy, +1D physical), comlink, medpac, survival kit

Special Enforcement Officers (SEOs)

From the ranks of the Sector Rangers, the best are typically promoted to posts as Special Enforcement Officers (SEO). SEOs are similar to their sector counterparts but with wider arrest and detention powers: SEOs may cross sector boundaries to pursue a wanted criminal however far or however long is necessary. Within reasonable limits, they can require local officials to assist them in capturing a wanted criminal. With emphasis on using their special skills and experience, many SEOs specialize in anti-terrorist operations, kidnapping retrievals, and counter-espionage efforts. Many are also actively involved in undercover work infiltrating underworld gangs.

It is not unknown for SEOs to develop an ongoing rivalry with a particularly infamous criminal. Many holo-dramas have featured stories about a dedicated SEO pursuing a wanted criminal for years, through system after system, perhaps driven by a personal involvement in the crime, or the fulfillment of some private passion.

"What Others Abandon, We Protect" — SEO motto

■ Typical SEO

Type: Typical SEO
DEXTERITY 3D
Blaster 6D+1, dodge 5D, melee combat 5D+1, melee parry 4D+2
KNOWLEDGE 4D
Alien species 5D+2, cultures 5D+1, languages 5D, planetary systems 5D+1, law enforcement 9D, streetwise 6D+2
MECHANICAL 2D
Astrogation 3D+2, sensors 3D+1, space transports 3D+2, starfighter piloting 3D
PERCEPTION 4D
Bargain 5D, command 5D+2, hide 5D, investigation 8D, sneak 5D
STRENGTH 3D
Brawling 4D, stamina 4D+2
TECHNICAL 2D
Armor repair 3D, blaster repair 4D, computer programming/repair 3D+1
Force Points: Varies, typically 0–1
Character Points: Varies, typically 0–15
Move: 10
Equipment: Blaster pistol (4D), blaster rifle (5D), blast helmet (+1 head energy, +1D physical), comlink, medpac, survival kit

Lending A Hand

In addition to the established law enforcement agents described above, the Empire occasionally makes use of other, non-standard enforcement elements. These "assistants" may or may not be available locally, depending on where in the galaxy one happens to be searching.

Citizen Constabulary

Sometimes referred to as the militia. With the continuation of the war against the Rebels, many planets have formed their own paramilitary forces under the direction of military advisors. Standing in lieu of regular military garrisons, these forces serve to keep local affairs in order. While not directly charged with arrest powers, in an emergency situation some or all constabulary members may be temporarily "deputized" to assist a sector ranger or magistrate in the capture of wanted fugitives.

Seekers

In the early days of the Empire, local law enforcement agencies often used small, mass-produced droids to assist in tracking down criminals on the run. These droids would be individually keyed to a specific individual. Most met with only limited success. With a limited operating range and limited programming, seekers were largely ineffective. Despite their overall lack of success, many backwater worlds continue to employ seekers in an auxiliary capacity such as surveillance and riot control.

■ Seeker

Type: Criminal Location Detection Droid
DEXTERITY 2D
Blaster 3D, dodge 3D, missile weapons 3D
KNOWLEDGE 2D+1
Languages 3D+1, law enforcement 4D
MECHANICAL 1D
PERCEPTION 2D+2
Investigation 3D+2, search 4D
STRENGTH 1D
TECHNICAL 1D
Security 2D
Equipped With:

• Spherical body
• Visual and auditory sensor recorders — Human range
• Vocabulator speech/sound system
• AA-1 Verbo-brain
• TranLang I-A Communications module with over 50,000 languages
• Repulsorlift stabilizers. Altitude: ground level–50 meters
• Comlink to local police agency command central Special Abilities:
  Perfect Memory: Seeker units keep a permanent record of all visual and auditory experiences for replay or hard copy reproduction.
  DNA Tracer/Tracing Module: Seeker units are programmed to home in on matching DNA traces detected in their environment, giving them +3D to search when tracking a target.
  Threat Evaluation Module: If the subject being tracked is located, a series of on-board threat analysis programs determine whether an immediate attempt to disarm/detain should be attempted or requests for general assistance invoked.
  Move: 13
  Size: 0.35 meters diameter
  Cost: 15,000 (new; not legally available to private concerns)

Skip Tracers

Skip tracers are privately hired location detection experts; while they typically specialize in tracking and retrieval of property (starships, droids and the like), they have been known to use their skills to trace "missing" persons. Using knowledge of the local underworld often unavailable to the average police agent, skip tracers help locate the whereabouts of a wanted criminal, whether he or she is hiding in a particularly dense urban jungle or on an isolated frontier world. Tracers get paid to seek out and confirm the location of a person on the run. As they are quick to point out, apprehension is someone else's responsibility.

■ Typical Skip Tracer

Type: Skip Tracer
DEXTERITY 2D
Dodge 3D+2, running 3D
KNOWLEDGE 2D
Alien species 4D, planetary systems 4D+1, streetwise 6D+2
MECHANICAL 2D
Ground vehicle operation 3D
PERCEPTION 2D
Bargain 3D+1, con 3D+1, hide 4D+2, investigation 5D+2, persuasion 4D, search 5D, sneak 4D+1
STRENGTH 2D
TECHNICAL 2D
Force Points: Varies, typically 0–1
Character Points: Varies, typically 0–8
Move: 10
Equipment: Blaster pistol (4D), datapad, 500 credits

Imperial Army

On rare occasions, a general lack of available manpower sometimes requires the use of military regulars as police agents. In this capacity, Imperial troopers are charged with patrolling the streets and maintaining order. Few will be concerned with investigative operations. In cases where a state of emergency is declared, army troopers will generally carry out their orders without caring overly much about the niceties of arrest and due process of law. Looters and other persons caught in the commission of a crime are routinely shot on sight.

The New Republic

As might be expected, the New Republic tends to have a different view of criminals. On many New Republic planets, criminals are often seen as the unfortunate byproduct of their times. Many are viewed as persons having few alternatives, individuals driven to crime by circumstances beyond their control. On many New Republic worlds, apprehension and rehabilitation takes precedence over eradication (although this does vary greatly depending upon a given planet's local legal codes and view towards crime).

This is not to suggest, however, that the New Republic's criminals are treated with "kid gloves." In point of fact, New Republic law enforcement agents are empowered to use whatever force is deemed appropriate to stop the commission of a crime or to prevent a criminal from harming others. Whenever possible, however, New Republic law requires an officer of the law to provide the offender the opportunity to peacefully surrender. If that offer is refused, however, then so be it!

Keep in mind also that in the current times of war, local officials may declare a state of emergency or martial law. In such situations, with a lot more to worry about at the moment, law enforcement agents will not be too particular about how they deal with petty criminals who give them a hard time. Still, for the most part, the New Republic's approach to the problem of galactic crime is generally a process of containment, a redress of social obligations, rehabilitation, and reintroduction to society.

New Republic Forces Of Law

Since the days of the Old Republic, individual planetary systems have maintained their own independent law enforcement agencies. With the rise of the New Republic as a new political force in the galaxy, however, it became clear to many policy makers that something akin to the traditional Sector Rangers was required. Some form of expanded agency was deemed necessary to enforce a common rule of law throughout the New Republic.

This newly established agency is known as the New Republic Security Force (NRSF). While local planetary agencies continue to function, the NRSF's jurisdiction extends throughout the New Republic. The mission of the NRSF can best be described by a review of its charter, the preamble to which reads in part:

"…the primary function of the New Republic Security Force shall be the maintenance of lawful order through the elimination of all agents, foreign and domestic, seeking to undermine the lawful authority of the New Republic… as the maintenance of peace can only be ensured when the rights of all sentient beings, regardless of species, origin, or philosophy, are respected, agents of the New Republic Security Force shall dedicate themselves to safeguarding those rights, and to bring to justice any and all violators, wherever they may be found."

NRSF agents have a dual role within the New Republic. It is the NRSF's responsibility to seek out agents of the Empire (and those who assist them) actively engaged in seeking to overthrow the New Republic. They are equally concerned, however, with maintaining civil order. In particular, they are charged with ensuring that the basic rights of all intelligent beings within the New Republic are protected. In application, this means protection from a crimelord's enforcers as much as the Empire's stormtroopers. In both cases, they are aided by a variety of planetary investigators. These individuals, often acting as independent, deep-cover operatives, use their specialized skills to uncover cases of criminal corruption, slavery, and other forms of organized crime.

Both types of New Republic law enforcement officers work in conjunction with local police departments. Given insufficient manpower, and the large expanse of space through which they operate, both are routinely extended limited judiciary powers which can be exercised on the spot when, and if, the situation demands it.

Though worlds apart politically, the typical NRSF agent plays a role similar to Imperial Sector Rangers. In fact, many NRSF agents are ex-Rangers. They are highly trained, deeply motivated, and backed by specialized skills and knowledge databases.

Of course, NRSF agents are not welcomed by every New Republic citizen with open arms. Not everyone at a local level enjoys having "fancy-talking troublemakers" barging into "their territory," and taking over operations. Many feel the NRSF and their associates should concentrate on stopping the infiltration of Imperial agents and leave crime control to local efforts.

■ Typical NRSF Agent

Type: Typical NRSF Agent
DEXTERITY 3D
Blaster 5D, dodge 5D, melee combat 4D+1, melee parry 4D+2
KNOWLEDGE 4D
Alien species 4D+2, cultures 5D, languages 5D, planetary systems 5D+2, law enforcement 7D, streetwise 5D
MECHANICAL 2D
Astrogation 3D, sensors 3D+1, space transports 3D+1, starfighter piloting 3D+1
PERCEPTION 4D
Bargain 5D, command 5D+1, hide 5D, investigation 6D+2, sneak 5D
STRENGTH 3D
Brawling 4D, stamina 4D+2
TECHNICAL 2D
Armor repair 3D, blaster repair 4D, computer programming/repair 3D+2
Force Points: Varies, typically 0–1
Character Points: Varies, typically 0–15
Move: 10
Equipment: Blaster pistol (4D), blast helmet (+1 head energy, +1D physical), comlink, medpac, survival kit