Assassinations of the pirate leaders

The assassinations of the pirate leaders was a plot by Zilastra, leader of the Riftwalkers pirate gang, to kill the leaders of the other gangs in the Slice, in 33 BBY. Zilastra baited the leaders of the other pirate gangs—the Filthy Credits, the Poisoned Blades, the Staved Skulls, and the Vile—with a scheme involving the Regal Voyager passenger line. She delivered cases containing payment to the other gangs over several months, tricking them into believing the company was bribing the pirates. Once the leaders had fallen for the ruse, Zilastra delivered a final set of cases containing baradium-357 explosives. The explosives detonated upon the cases' opening, killed the other pirate leaders.

Prelude

By 33 BBY,^[2] five major pirate gangs operated within the region of space known as the Slice: the Filthy Credits, the Poisoned Blades, the Riftwalkers, the Staved Skulls, and the Vile. Zilastra, leader of the Riftwalkers—the newest of the four groups—plotted to kill her fellow pirate leaders in order to destabilize the other gangs and make way for the Riftwalkers to gain power. In order to do so, Zilastra devised a scheme involving Regal Voyager, a passenger line operating in the Slice that utilized secure cases locked using a code phrase. Zilastra sent protocol droids to deliver cases containing money to each of the four other gangs, appearing to be a proposition from Regal Voyager itself. The deal seemed as if the company was bribing the pirate gangs, offering further payment—similarly delivered in locked cases—in exchange for their starships being left alone. Upon each payment, the cases, including one kept by Zilastra, were unlocked simultaneously via a holographic call between the five leaders, with each individual droid providing one word for the code phrase.^[1]

For the first months of Zilastra's scheme, the other pirate leaders were wary, having subordinates open the cases in their place. However, the leaders were eventually convinced by the cover story and began to be present for the opening of the cases. Over that time, Zilastra employed the young girl Kylah Lohmata to steal empty cases from a Regal Voyager facility on the planet Keldooine. While the Riftwalkers were operating on Keldooine, Jedi Master Depa Billaba, undercover on the planet to investigate piracy in the Slice, became affiliated with Lohmata under the identity of a speeder thief named "Hotwire," assisting her in the thefts of the final five cases. Billaba changed the lock phrase herself, forcing Zilastra to allow her into the Riftwalkers' ranks in exchange for the unlocked cases, of which she would provide one per day.^[1]

The assassinations

After acquiring the final cases, Zilastra took the last steps in the scheme she had waited months to execute. Instead of payment, she filled the other four cases with highly explosive baradium-357. Once the cases were delivered, she traveled to the Riftwalker Headquarters on the planet Valboraan for the typical unlocking procedure, accompanied by Lohmata and Billaba. The other leaders—Bobo of the Vile, Darwoh of the Filthy Creds, the Eviscerator of the Staved Skulls, and Venom Vee of the Poisoned Blades—joined via hologram, awaiting the unlocked cases. However, when the code phrase was uttered, the baradium-357 within the cases detonated, killing all four of the unsuspecting leaders. The resulting explosions also damaged the leaders' surroundings—including a private space station in Poisoned Blade space, a skytower on Keldooine in Filthy Cred territory, and a ship in orbit around the planet Ord Jannak.^[1]

Though Billaba had determined Zilastra's endgame moments before the cases unlocked, she was unable to intervene in time; Zilastra, having deduced she was a Jedi, confronted her. Billaba unlocked Zilastra's case, in which she had previously stored her lightsaber, and reclaimed her weapon. However, Zilastra threatened Lohmata's life, forcing the Jedi Master to surrender.^[1]

Aftermath

The deaths of the pirate leaders destabilized the other gangs, none of whom knew the exact details of the events. As a result, the gangs, suspecting any of their rivals, turned against one another; meanwhile, Zilastra intended for the Riftwalkers to lay low and gain new territory while her rivals were in disarray. The Galactic Republic CR56 corvette Assurance, which had been attacked by Poisoned Blade vessels in the Aklasian Nebula, witnessed the pirates abruptly flee. Aboard Assurance, Captain Pell Baylo and Jedi Master Mace Windu examined a number of alerts of incidents throughout the region. The suffering was also felt by Jedi Masters Yoda and Adi Gallia, who were present on the planet Kwenn on a mission with the Jedi Council.^[1]

However, Zilastra soon turned her attention to a new target: the members of the Jedi Council gathered on Kwenn. She initiated another call with the individuals who had claimed control of the other gangs, revealing that she had survived and was behind the deaths of the leaders. Using her assassination plot as an exemplar of her abilities, Zilastra proposed that the pirates of the Slice unite under her in an effort to kill the Jedi Council members and take control of Kwenn, establishing an independent pirate state. Zilastra was successful in unifying the gangs; however, her attack on Kwenn was ultimately fended off by the Jedi, resulting in the capture of Zilastra and the collapse of the pirate organizations.^[1]

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Appearances

• The Living Force (and audiobook) (First appearance)

Notes and references