Aarrba was a Hutt repairman who resided on Koros Major prior to and during the Great Hyperspace War. Owner and manager of Aarrba's Repair Dock, the Hutt enjoyed a successful business, in which he repaired spacecraft quickly and cheaply. His reputation was a good one in Cinnagar, and he was very protective of it. When two of his customers, Hok and Timar Daragon died during the Battle of Kirrek, Aarrba took it upon himself to look after their children, Gav and Jori, by giving them their parents' ship, Starbreaker 12.
The younger Daragons took it upon themselves to become hyperspace explorers—a hazardous profession, and one that required constant repair to the Starbreaker 12. Soon enough, the Daragons found themselves in Aarrba's debt, and when a shipment owned by merchant lord Ssk Kahorr used one of the "shortcuts" they had discovered and was destroyed, they were then targeted by Kahorr's assassins. They betrayed Aarrba by stealing the Starbreaker 12, and when, sometime afterward, Jori returned claiming she had discovered the Sith Empire and that Gav had been captured by them, the Hutt refused to listen. This proved costly for him, however, as he was subsequently slain by Sith warriors in the Battle of Koros Major.
Aarrba's Repair Dock
Aarrba, a Hutt, owned and ran Aarrba's Repair Dock, located in Cinnagar, Koros Major. He chose to use a hoversled for personal transportation, and offered to repair starships at budget prices, discreetly, although the repairs were never guaranteed to last. Despite this, the service was usually quick, and he enjoyed success. During the Unification Wars, Aarrba's services were employed by Hok and Timar Daragon, owners of the Shadow Runner, who planned to run supplies to besieged warriors loyal to Empress Teta fighting in the Battle of Kirrek. Despite the fact that the Daragons did not have the funds to pay for a speedy repair of the Shadow Runner, Aarrba agreed to take a percentage of their profits for the work. The Daragons were grateful, but the Hutt insisted that they keep his generosity a secret from the other customers.
As collateral, he asked that they leave their other ship, the Starbreaker 12, with him on Koros Major, and they obliged. Some time afterward, Aarrba received word that Hok and Timar had been killed at Kirrek, and he then had to solemnly inform their children, Jori and Gav, of their deaths. Reasoning that the elder Daragons had paid for the repairs to the Shadow Runner with their blood, the Hutt gave the Starbreaker 12 to the younger Daragons. They chose to become hyperspace explorers, hoping to find new shortcuts for spacefarers, which they would then sell to the highest bidder. The task was dangerous, however, and the Starbreaker 12 was in constant need of repair. The expenditures of the Daragons soon outweighed their income, and, like their parents, they had to begin providing Aarrba with collateral.
Eventually, they were forced to hand over their dwelling in Cinnagar. Returning to Koros Major from another expedition, they pleaded with Aarrba to repair their ship, but the Hutt's business had been suffering of late, with people stealing his supplies. To counter the thefts, Aarrba had a new security system installed, but as he was running low on credits, he insisted that the Daragons pay him in hard currency before he returned their ship to them. Meanwhile, the Hutt's crew began repairing the craft once again. Gav pointed out that the Hyperspace Navigator's Guild had certified their latest route, but Aarrba reminded the young Human that the route was a dangerous one, and that few were likely to use it. Nevertheless, Gav returned with news that merchant lord Ssk Kahorr was already using the new trade route, and that they would be receiving a bonus from the guild. Despite the news, Aarrba still refused to return the ship until he had credits in hand.
Kahorr's shipment was destroyed while using the Daragons' route, however, and so he sent assassins to dispatch the pair, in anger. Forced to flee Koros Major for their own safety, the Daragons stole the Starbreaker 12 from Aarrba's shop, and left the system. Aarrba was immensely saddened by the acts of the Daragons, and felt cheated for having trusted them. He filed a report on the crime to the local authorities, but urged them to keep the fact that he had extended credit to the Daragons quiet. To the Hutt's surprise, Jori eventually returned in the Starbreaker 12, although she was arrested as soon as she set down. She began spouting stories of a Sith Empire that had captured Gav, and that said Empire was planning to attack the Galactic Republic, but Aarrba perceived the stories as lies, and was only more disappointed in the young Human.
Aarrba is killed by the Gav Daragon's bodyguards.
Aarrba's assumption proved to be false—the Sith Empire did invade, under the command of Sith Lord Naga Sadow, who moved against Koros Major. Sith troops landed, commanded by none other than Gav Daragon, who was now Sadow's pupil. Gav and his Massassi guards barged into Aarrba's shop, but before the Human could do anything, the Hutt viciously spat at him. Interpreting the move as an attack, the guards moved forward and fatally stabbed Aarrba. In his final moment, the Hutt rolled off his repulsor-sled and crushed several of his attackers. Gav was shaken by Aarrba's death, and he later betrayed Sadow, losing his life in the process. The Sith were beaten back, and Koros Major was saved, with Jori preserving and managing Aarrba's business in the late Hutt's stead.
Aarrba
Aarrba was an understanding and sometimes lenient being when it came to his customers—although he tried to make sure that it never became public knowledge. In defiance of the Hutt stereotype, he was genuinely considerate of the well-being of others, and maintained a good reputation, as he was skilled at his trade. To those he trusted, he would sometimes extend credit and lower prices. He was not callous enough to keep the Starbreaker 12 when Hok and Timar Daragon died at Kirrek, instead giving the ship to their children. Nevertheless, he would not do repairs gratis, and when the Daragons were out of funds with which to pay him, he refused to fix their ship. He felt betrayed and cheated when the Daragons stole the Starbreaker 12 from him, although he held particular ire for Gav when he chose to ally with the invading Sith Empire. Even in his death throes, Aarrba was defiant against the invaders, throwing his weight around to do as much damage as possible.
Aarrba made his first appearance in 1996's Tales of the Jedi – The Golden Age of the Sith 0, which was written by Kevin J. Anderson and illustrated by Chris Gossett. He later appeared in the subsequent story arc, Tales of the Jedi: The Fall of the Sith Empire, in which the character was killed. He was briefly mentioned in Daniel Wallace's The New Essential Guide to Characters in 2002. In 2008's Star Wars Insider 100, Aarrba was listed as the 57th greatest thing about Star Wars in the article entitled "The 100 Greatest Things About Star Wars... Ever!." The list was based upon the most viewed entries in the Databank.
- The New Essential Guide to Characters
- The Official Star Wars Fact File140
- Star Wars: The Comics Companion
- "The 100 Greatest Things About Star Wars... Ever!" — Star Wars Insider 100
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- "Authors of the Expanded Universe: Tales of the Sith" — Star Wars Insider 153