Ras Moltar

Ras Moltar was a veteran smuggler, pirate and leader of a group known as The Glaston Pirates. Feared throughout the galaxy for his tactics and brutality, he operated in various systems working for either himself or as a hired hand. In 2 ABY, he began working with the Imperial Navy. They paid him handsomely to disrupt - by any means necessary - the vital shipping lanes in the Chommell Sector.

As a result of his tactics, the Rebel Alliance dispatched Arrow Squadron under the command of Lieutenant Tolamael Benere to stop the Glaston Pirates. In what became known as the Glaston Pirates War, Ras and his followers were either killed or routed at the Battle of Vagabond's Rest.

Background
Little is known about Moltar's origins including his approximate age or his home planet. What is known is that he had a penchant for fried Gooberfish, Ikopi ribs and seemed to know the back channels and hideaways on Naboo better than most. This led some to theorize that he was in fact from Naboo or one of the nearby planets. He also appeared to be over middle age, perhaps in his 50's or early 60's. He was often heard making personal remarks about events that occurred as far back as 50 BBY, which supported the theory that he was an older individual.

The first records of Moltar appeared as criminal charges for smuggling weapons in the Ando System. He was arrested by Imperial forces, but escaped without punishment. For the next several decades, his name appeared here and there, but he was a talented pirate and kept off the radar as best as possible.

His successes built up a reputation among the criminal underworld and he became something of a kingpin. While the size of his crew varied from a few dozen to several hundred, from this point on, he became extremely powerful and feared.

At some point, he paired up with a Twi'lek female named Farina. The two were also lovers, but Farina was tasked with running more of the behind the scenes logistics of the operation.

Growing In Strength
Moltar, up until this point, was still focused primarily on piracy. While he had little qualms about violence and murder, his preferred weapon being a pair of black WESTAR-34 blaster pistols, he still viewed nearly all of his prisoners as ransom and he was often successful in this regard. Ras was also a talented fighter pilot, having learned his skills working for several other criminal outfits when he was younger. As he grew older, he preferred to stay out of the cockpit, but did return to pilot his modified Z95 Headhunter whenever needed.

Sometime around 15 BBY, Ras killed the leaders of several smaller gangs in a turf war. Rather than disbanding their respective soldiers, he and Farina had the idea to develop a large pirate fleet. Thus, the Glaston Pirates were born. At one point, the known smuggler Tobias Beckett worked for the Glaston Pirates.

With a large force under his command, Ras ruled through fear. He also ruled through success as the pirates were able to go after larger, and thus more wealthy, clients. They also began taking on assignments such as assassinations, bombings, and kidnapping. The pirates operated out of several small bases, most of which had been abandoned following the Clone Wars.

Personality
Like most successful criminals, Ras was charming and charismatic. He was often able to charm and talk his way out of situations or conflicts. He was, however, prone to unexpected violence and he and Farina often were physically abusive to one another. Moltar brutally punished anyone he suspected of treason or betrayal. Public and painful executions were carried out against any member of the pirates that disobeyed or challenged his orders.

Ruling through a mixture of fear and charm, he was able to keep his organization in line while also appearing as a fatherly figure to new recruits. He would often throw lavish parties and festivals that would descend into drunkenness and debauchery, usually as the reward for a large score or mission.

He was also physically imposing. Standing over 6 feet tall with a stocky, muscular build, he often defeated men several decades younger than him in hand to hand combat. Wearing a long brown ponytail and a simple brown coat, he didn't look the part of criminal warlord. Flashy attire was never something that appealed to Moltar.

Politically Neutral
In 2 ABY, Ras was approached by Imperial agents with a business proposition. Ras had frequently stolen from the Empire and was originally suspicious of their intentions. However, he was given a blank check to destroy the shipping lanes in the Chommell Sector, which contained the Naboo sector. Farina was also suspicious and encouraged Moltar to refuse the Imperial offer.

Ras, motivated by both greed and a sense of revenge, something he had never demonstrated before, ignored her warnings and moved his operation to the small moon of Rori. Here, his followers rehabilitated a small abandoned town called Vagabond's Rest. Located deep within the swamps and thoroughly hidden, it was a perfect base of operations.

Almost immediately, Moltar began a brutal campaign of violence against the shipping lanes. Often leading the attacks himself, he surprised many of his followers by murdering and destroying nearly all the ships they encountered. The Imperials, unknown to the vast majority of the Glaston Pirates, were paying Moltar thousands of credits a week which he then dispersed among his pirates.

With their pockets filled the vast majority of his band were content to follow orders and continue with their campaign of violence. However, one of his followers, Hollis DeMeers and his adult children, were growing more and more concerned with Moltar's bloody style. The trio planned to defect if possible, but were fearful of the harsh consequences if they failed or were caught.

Arrow Squadron
Alliance High Command, keenly aware of the importance of the shipping lanes in the Chommell Sector, dispatched Arrow Squadron to stop the pirates. Fresh off their victory in the Betseeda System, the Arrows were confident in a quick victory.

Arriving eight months after Ras and his pirates, the Arrows almost immediately tangled with Moltar and his supporters at the Battle of Ruaha. Inconclusive at best, the battle taught the Arrows that this would not be a quick campaign and their tactics would need to be altered. Over the next several months, the Arrows conducted a information gathering campaign in an attempt to locate the pirate's lair. During this time, it was discovered that the Empire had been bankrolling Moltar's campaign of violence and the Arrow's mission took on an entirely new dimension.

Cat and Mouse
The pirates were able to stay hidden until their own greed got the better of them. In a planned operation, three members of Arrow Squadron were captured by Ras and his forces. The trio posed as musicians under contract to Niima the Hutt, a wealthy crime lord. Ras figured they would be worth a lot of credits and took them back to his hideout, Vagabond's Rest.

From here, the Arrows had planned on gathering intelligence and eventually escaping. However, they were approached by the DeMeers family who wished to defect. Together, the Arrows and the DeMeers eluded Ras's suspicions and escaped under the cover of darkness.

Ras was furious when he found out and executed the entire detachment of guards that had been on duty that night. With the location of his hideout now known to the Arrows, he knew it was only a matter of time before they attacked. Ras ordered their defenses increased and he had many of the shuttles and transports pre-loaded with supplies in case of a hasty retreat.

What Ras had not told anyone, even Farina, was that their Imperial employers had ordered Ras to engage Arrow Squadron and destroy the unit. If Ras could eliminate the troublesome unit, the Imperial promised him 500,000 credits. Ras was planning on completing this task, taking the money, and leaving everyone behind, even Farina.

While the Twi'lek female pleaded with Ras to cut and run, just like they had always done when the odds were against them, Ras resisted and continued to strengthen their position at Vagabond's Rest.

The Battle of Vagabond's Rest
In the early morning hours of a particularly foggy day, the attack that Ras had suspected took place. The DeMeers, now flying with Arrow Squadron, had offered valuable intelligence and Arrow Squadron had managed to elude the pirate's sensor array.

The first Moltar knew of the attack was when things began to explode around the base. The Battle of Vagabond's Rest was on.

Moltar, instead of retreating, ordered his followers to head to the transports and retreat. Farina, Moltar, and about a dozen of his fighters took to the skies to hold off the Arrows. Initially, Ras believed they could route the incoming fighters and provide cover to the transports. What he did not know was that Lieutenant Tolamael Benere, the commander of Arrow Squadron, had been given clear orders to take no prisoners and to eradicate the pirates.

After shooting down Arrow Squadron pilot Callan Rychel, Ras realized that the Arrows were unrelenting and that his transports were doomed. Farina, his lover and longest companion managed to shoot down and kill the former Glaston Hollis DeMeers, but the odds were quickly turning against the pirates. Ras, attempted to abandon the battle and run, but he was doggedly pursued by Lieutenant Benere.

The old pirate was a veteran pilot and an intense dogfight ensued with both Benere and Moltar landing glancing blows. However, as Ras dove beneath the cloud cover in an attempt to lose his pursuer, he ran into Arrow Squadron pilots Kostan Stodl and Sorshara Bray, who chased him back into the clouds.

Benere was waiting for the old pirate and in a flurry of blows, shot down Ras's fighter. The small Z95 plummeted towards the surface of Rori and exploded on impact, killing the feared pirate leader.

Ras's death marked the end of the battle as Arrow Squadron had already destroyed all of the other pirate fighters and transports. The battle also marked the end of Glaston Pirates War. Despite the deaths of DeMeers and Rychel, the Arrows were victorious.

Unofficially, the battle caused a rift between Benere and some members of the unit who viewed the complete destruction of the pirates as nothing short of murder.

Legacy
Ras Moltar was a brutal pilot who was not missed by the more civilized sectors of society. Arrow Squadron member S'Hral Glaso, who had remained imprisoned at Vagabond's Rest, but had escaped during the battle, managed to find several documents further incriminating several Imperial agents in the region. Once published, these files helped show the brutality of the Empire and the underhanded tactics they were willing to employee. Even more systems split from the Empire and began to back to growing Rebel Alliance.

With the death of Moltar and most his forces, the Arrows, as well as the Rebellion, believed that they had seen the last of the Glaston Pirates. Little did they know that ghosts of their past would return in the most unexpected of locations.