Glaston Pirates

Overview
The Glaston Pirates were a band of ruthless, brazen, and talented pirates that operated throughout the galaxy from from 15 BBY until their annihilation at the Battle of Vagabond's Rest in 2 ABY. Throughout their history and up until their destruction, they were led by Ras Moltar.

Prior to The Chommell Sector
For over a decade, Moltar and his band of pirates worked for anyone who would pay. They also operated independently and often took dangerous and risky missions. Alongside his Twi'lek deputy and lover, Farina, Moltar and his fluctuating band often found success. These successful attacks, which promised a payout, drew more and more characters of ill-repute to his ranks.

Not everyone that joined his ranks was sinister. Some, like the DeMeers Family, were down on their luck smugglers who had been forced into more desperate situations by the Imperial Navy. Others were men, women and children of the pirates who's only crime was to be attached the Glaston's via marriage or birth.

Moltar and the Glastons, for most of their history, operated as many other pirates did. They mostly ransomed prisoners that they had captured and sold stolen cargo and freight on the black market. However in 2 ABY, Ras was eventually approached by the Imperial Navy and, after some persuasion, agreed to wage a proxy war against the Rebel Alliance by destroying their valuable shipping lanes in the Chommell Sector. It was unknown to many in his ranks why he accepted the assignment, other than the lucrative payout, but it was often theorized that Moltar was from Naboo, a planet in the Chommell Sector, and had some personal vendetta he hoped to complete.

Absolute Terror
The Glaston Pirates introduced themselves to the Chommell Sector in a series of bloody, barbaric attacks. Dozens of ships, including civilian transports, were attacked and destroyed. Hundreds were killed and millions of credits worth of cargo and freight was lost. Initially, the Alliance believed it to be the work of the Imperial Navy, but when the accounts of some survivors began to make their way back to command, it became apparent that something had to do be done.

Moltar continued his rampage across the shipping lanes for many months. Every cycle, he would be paid handsomely by his Imperial handlers. After taking his cut, he would then pay out his crew.

The campaign of violence had drastic impacts economically for the entire sector. Moltar, a wise and crafty enough leader to know that, eventually, someone would come after him. Established a base on the moon of Ruaha.

It was here that he installed his primary weapon against freighter, an artificial gravity well generator. This technology would literally pull ships from hyperspace. Stolen from the Imperials long before he began working for them, Ras had spent years researching and perfecting the technology, with devastating results. His ambush tactics allowed him to capture and destroy ships that were normally far larger than those susceptible to pirate raids.

Arrow Squadron
Eventually, the Alliance dispatched Arrow Squadron, led by the young Lieutenant Tolamael Benere to eliminate the pirate threat. Alliance intelligence had located Moltar's base on Ruaha and the Arrows planned to attack. However, they masked their signal to that of a corvette. The pirates, believing another victim had fallen into their web, used the gravity well generator to pull the Arrows from hyperspace.

In the surprise battle that ensued, the Battle of Ruaha, Benere and his team managed to destroy the gravity well, but Ras and the vast majority of his forces escaped to their other hidden base, Vagabond's Rest. Over the next few months, Arrow Squadron conducted several intelligence operations in order to learn the location of the pirate's base.

One of those operations played Moltar's greed against himself. Using a captured ship, three members of Arrow Squad, S'Hral Glaso, Sorshara Bray, and Craal Noarrn, posed as musicians in the employee of an extremely wealthy crime lord. They allowed themselves to be captured by the Glaston Pirates were they came face to face with Moltar. Deciding that these targets were too valuable to kill, he locked them away and intended to ransom them to their employer.

During this imprisonment, the covert Arrows encountered the DeMeers family. Upon learning that they wished to defect and leave the pirates, a plan was hatched and executed that involved their escape from Vagabond's Rest. Glaso remained behind to possibly gather more intelligence, but the ruse infuriated Moltar and he placed a massive bounty of the head of Hollis DeMeers and his children.

With the location of the base now revealed, the Arrows jumped into action. With the aid of the DeMeers the Arrows were able to elude the sensors of the pirates and launched a surprise attack against Ras and his forces in what became known as the Battle of Vagabond's Rest.

Defeat
Unknown to the Arrows, except for Udas, Lieutenant Benere had been given clear instructions to eliminate all the pirates, leaving no possibility for escape. As he had in the previous battle, Ras ordered his transports, loaded with the families of his fighters and full of their supplies, to jump to hyperspace and rendezvous at their next base. Lieutenant Benere, however, ordered his fighters to target their transports.

The order was controversial as it was targeting noncombatants. Several Arrows voiced questions and objections, but when former Glaston Pirates member Hollis DeMeers began firing into his former friends and colleagues, the remaining fighters followed suit. Initially, Ras and Farina believed they could defend the transports as they escaped, but they were quickly overwhelmed by the fighters.

Despite inflicting casualties, Ras saw the writing on the wall and attempted to abandon his forces. He was determined to live, regardless of what happened to his crew. Heartbroken and distracted, Farina was shot down and killed as she watched Ras abandon the battlefield.

Lieutenant Benere had also watched Moltar make a run for it and, after a spirited dogfight, he shot down and killed the brutal pirate leader.

The last remaining pirate ships were destroyed by the Arrows, much to the horror of some members, and shortly thereafter, Glaso was rescued by his squad mates.

The reign of terror perpetrated by the Glaston Pirates was over. Their leadership and their crews had been decimated. However, their legacy of brutality and wanton violence would live on in the minds of their victims and the economic powers that be.

The ramifications of the battle for Arrow Squadron were huge. Vid Paratool, once a close personal friend and trusted member of Arrow Squadron, cut off nearly all contact with Lieutenant Benere. The DeMeers siblings - Nath and Saffron - joined Arrow Squadron as new pilots. Finally, with the completion of their mission, Arrow Squadron was recalled to the rebel fleet in preparation for yet another campaign - the Hutt Campaign.