Karazak Slavers' Cooperative

The Karazak Slavers Cooperative focused its efforts on all aspects of slavery, specifically avoiding involvement in other forms of criminal activity. They were responsible for countless instances of kidnapping, enslavement, violations of sentient rights, and the unlawful imprisoning and transportation of unwilling individuals under duress. While their capture methods were often extremely violent, they were not known for inflicting sadistic torture on their [prisoners](/article/prisoner-legends].

During the era of the Galactic Empire, it was estimated that the Karazak Slavers Cooperative boasted a membership of at least twelve thousand slavers, with over 41 percent actively involved in slave raids. The Cooperative was governed by the rarely seen twelve-member Central Coordinating Committee. Their primary competition came from other specialized slaver organizations with longer histories, most notably the Zygerrian Slavers Guild and the Thalassian slavers.

In contrast to other criminal organizations, the Karazak Slavers Cooperative avoided establishing centralized control over specific geographical areas. Instead, they would infiltrate a target region, sometimes even sharing local resources with other criminal elements. However, if competition became too intense or aggressive, the Karazaks preferred to relocate to more profitable areas rather than engage in direct conflict. They even shared their primary territory, the Karazak system, with one of their rivals, the less-organized Slaver Syndicate, which was controlled by the Karazak Slavers' traditional adversaries, the Zygerrians. Additionally, some local Karazak chapters maintained business relationships with Hutt-controlled entities.

The Cooperative utilized alternative designations such as Karazak Slaver's Cooperative, Karazak Slavers Cooperative, and Karazak Slavers' Cooperative, as well as the abbreviation KSC. During the reign of the Galactic Empire, they also operated under the name Karazak Slaver's Guild.

The Karazak Slavers Cooperative primarily employed dedicated and skilled slavers from various parts of the galaxy. For them, slavery was deeply ingrained in their way of life, with some Karazak slavers being the descendants of previous generations of Karazak slavers. The Karazaks asserted that only individuals committed to achieving high standards of excellence were permitted to join their ranks. In at least one instance, this principle was applied even if the individual was not initially inclined to work for the Karazaks: Avril Gresh, who was already evading authorities, was abducted by the Cooperative, who threatened to hand him over unless he agreed to join their organization.

The KSC was known for the investment it made in its employees. Slavers, even those in lower-level positions, were assured that they would not remain imprisoned for more than thirty hours, with the KSC providing legal representation, bribes, or even orchestrating jailbreaks in the event of their capture. If a slaver died before their release could be arranged, the Karazaks would provide support to the slaver's family. Success within the Karazak organization was rewarded with promotions and credits; however, repeated failures could result in the slaver being subjected to enslavement themselves. These policies incentivized slavers to strive for excellence. As a result, Karazak slavers became highly skilled professionals, gaining recognition beyond the confines of the cooperative.

The Karazak Slavers Cooperative divided the responsibilities and authorities of any slaving operation among different specialized experts. This minimized the impact on the operation if any of the slavers were captured. It also facilitated meticulous planning, addressing most potential contingencies, reducing risks for the slaving team, and maximizing the economic profitability of each operation. Furthermore, the Cooperative employed research teams to analyze each area of operation in order to refine their methodology. This careful planning was a hallmark of the Karazaks' reputation.

Before even considering an operation, the Karazak Slavers Cooperative dispatched an undercover acquisitions specialist to assess the availability and quality of potential slaves in a given area, the potential threat posed by local law enforcement or military forces, and the location of the community. When a potential customer requested that the Cooperative kidnap a specific individual or small group—such as when Cantras Gola, a planet within the Pentastar Alignment, sought to leave the Alignment and join the New Republic; the Alignment responded by hiring the KSC to kidnap the children of the ambassador of Cantras Gola as a means of pressuring the planet and blackmailing the ambassador—the Cooperative utilized an acquisitions specialist to determine the potential value and risk of the operation.

The project developer reviewed the acquisitions specialist's report and transformed it into a viable slave raid plan. The developer, who held overall responsibility for the operation, coordinated the plans with strike team leaders and determined the precise moment when the strike would commence. There were instances where the executive leadership of the Cooperative disagreed with the project developer on these matters; however, at that stage of the operation, the developer apparently had the final say, overriding the leadership's objections.

A raid was carried out by one or more strike teams comprised of so-called "acquisition agents." These agents were known for conducting their raids with military precision. The strike team leader selected the team members and assigned each member's responsibilities. Any damage inflicted upon a captive resulted in a reduction of the leader's profits.

The logistics coordinator provided equipment for the strike teams—regardless of the planetary environment of the raid—typically within a very short timeframe. The coordinator was also responsible for the care of the captured slaves until their sale, including providing food, and for maintaining and dismantling temporary bases.

Finally, the distribution manager served as the seller, identifying potential buyers and moving the merchandise before the authorities could track it and before the operation ceased to be cost-effective. In some cases, a single distribution manager closed a deal involving the lives of thousands of sentients.

The Karazaks Slavers Cooperative primarily operated in the Outer Rim Territories, but they were not hesitant to venture into sectors officially controlled by the Galactic Empire or the New Republic. Acquisition agents frequently operated along major hyperlanes of the Outer Rim, and each successful raid emboldened them to operate closer to the Core Worlds. However, the Cooperative exclusively dealt in slaves, refraining from engaging in any other criminal activities.

On occasion, the Cooperative also purchased exotic prey from external sources. During the era of the Empire, dark Force-user Dahz Thulaka kidnapped victims on Starlyte Station, subjected them to genetic modifications, and, if they survived, sometimes sold them to the Karazak Slavers Cooperative. While the Karazak Slavers Cooperative claimed to offer high-quality products, some customers, such as Durga the Hutt, disagreed. The slaves were not necessarily trained for submission; Slavemaster Greezim Trentacal, a member of the Cooperative, was attacked by his own slave, who had served him for an extended period.

The Karazak Slaver's Guild had been in operation since before the Clone Wars, with its base in the Outer Rim system of Karazak, which had long been known for its involvement in slavery. During that time, high-level slavery was primarily controlled by two other guilds, the Zygerrians and the Thalassians. The Karazak newcomers carved out their own business niche by specializing in providing slaves to the highest bidder, as opposed to other groups that engaged in both slave trading and other criminal activities, and by offering quality products—although Durga Besadii Tai considered Karazak's slaves to be sub-par.

The Karazak Slavers orchestrated organized ambushes in the Naps Fral Cluster, a common stop along the trade route connecting Ryloth and Nal Hutta. Their objective was to kidnap Twi'lek slaves, but their operations were often poorly executed, resulting in the deaths of many prospective slaves during their attempted abduction. The Karazaks also launched attacks on Ryloth, kidnapping and killing numerous Twi'leks. As a result, Jabba Desilijic Tiure intervened at some point and forced the Karazaks to cease their activities in Naps Fral. From that time forward, the Twi'leks offered some of their dancing women to the Hutts in exchange for protection against the more devastating raids that the Karazaks might have conducted on Ryloth. At one point shortly before the year 214 BBY, the Cooperative acquired the enslaved crew of a Kett Shipping convoy from a group of Fujari pirates who were operating in the Rseik sector.

Shortly before the Clone Wars, the Karazaks had already established themselves as one of the most prominent slavery operations in the galaxy. In 22 BBY, HoloNet News mentioned the Karazaks in an article primarily focused on a Thalassian operation. The HoloNet estimates indicated that the combined slavery operations of the three largest guilds in the Outer Rim generated profits exceeding billions of credits, spanned multiple galactic sectors, and were fueled by the limited presence of the Old Republic in that region of the galaxy.

Despite the Old Republic's official ban on slavery, the government was unable to eradicate the Karazaks or to halt the practice of slavery in the Outer Rim. The Galactic Empire, which replaced the Republic in 19 BBY, later enacted Imperial Decree A-SL-4557.607.232, which legalized slavery; even then, the Karazaks and other slaver cooperatives primarily confined their activities to the Outer Rim. The Empire conducted numerous studies on the Karazaks, but they preferred to conduct business with the more well-known Zygerrian Slavers.

In the early days of the Empire, the Karazak slavers conducted raids on landed vessels on Tatooine, although these operations did not appear to be particularly profitable. During one such raid, while the slavers were attempting to capture living sentients, they killed a Tarnab merchant; the Tarnab's born-slave Swilla Corey seized the opportunity and escaped.

When the Zygerrian Slave Empire was resurrected by King Atai Molec following the Clone Wars, Molec's son, Prince Sono Molec, assumed control of the Zygerrian outpost on the planet Kowak. Kowak was transformed into a haven for slavers, where various slaver organizations could resupply and refuel, as well as store and auction their captured slaves. In the decade that followed, members of the Karazak Slavers Cooperative actively utilized that staging point, eventually renting a temporary holding pen called Beta Encampment, located just outside the walls of Prince Molec's Royal Palace.

Between 2 BBY and 4 ABY, the Karazaks on Kowak were represented by trade baron Dorn Sevelle. Sevelle befriended Molec, and they would often wager on gladiator matches held within the palace grounds.

During one such betting contest, Sevelle won possession of Molec's most prized gladiator, the Mandalorian Nam Beroya, nicknamed the "Prince's Sword." Imprisoning the man inside Beta Encampment, Sevelle tortured him to indulge his own sadistic desires. However, believing that the Mandalorian was more trouble than he was worth, Sevelle eventually decided to sell the fighter to the highest bidder among other slaver groups present on Kowak. However, displeased with losing his best gladiator, Molec hired a group of Rebel agents—who had arrived on Kowak in search of allies to assist in fighting the impending Imperial invasion of their base on the planet Xorrn—to retrieve Beroya.

The Galactic Civil War presented a period of expansion for the Karazak Slavers. The conflict caused many populations to relocate, making them vulnerable targets during their exodus. At the same time, the war created a demand for both skilled and unskilled labor. Although the New Republic was established shortly after 4 ABY, some of its supporters had also supported slavery; consequently, the New Republic was unable to completely eliminate the operations of the Karazaks and other Guilds in the Outer Rim.

The Karazak Slavers Guild kidnapped holovid star Janissa Locrin, intending to blackmail her studio for a seven-figure ransom. At least three strike teams—Heksa, Sujir and Zjek team—infiltrated the high-security estate of the reclusive Locrin following a plan devised by Seland' Ir. The operation was successful, but later one of the kidnappers, Iquar, was apprehended by the Sector Rangers and inadvertently revealed Ir's involvement.

In 8 ABY, the Karazaks reestablished their former ambush point in Naps Fral, no longer fearing Jabba, who had died four years earlier. It was believed that Karazak logistic coordinator Krassis Trelix conducted the strikes from aboard his Firespray-class starship, alternately known as Indenture or Salvation depending on the transponder code being used at the time. Corellian pilot Fenig Nabon and her partner, con artist and Hutt counselor Ghitsa Dogder—acting on the orders of Durga the Hutt—discovered the Indenture while transporting Twi'lek dancers from Ryloth to Nal Hutta. In a naval engagement, the Indenture was destroyed, with Trelix presumably on board. Furthermore, they executed a significant con, freeing the Twi'leks and leading Durga to believe that they had been captured by the Karazaks. They hoped that this would spark a gang war between the Karazak Slaver Cooperative and Durga's criminal interests. The Karazaks were still active one or two years after this event.

As of 9 or 10 ABY, the Karazaks maintained a base on Gabredor III, under the command of slavemaster Greezim Trentacal and comprising more than two dozen slavers, four watchtowers equipped with blaster cannons, and orbital patrols of Z-95 Headhunters, as well as Trentacal's personal vessel, Atron's Mistress. The Karazaks entered into an agreement with the Pentastar Alignment, kidnapping the children of the ambassador of Cantras Gola to prevent him from defecting to the New Republic along with his planet. The Alignment intended to assassinate and replace the ambassador as soon as it was politically feasible, which would allow Trentacal to retain the slaves. Simultaneously, the Gabredor base continued to conduct its regular slavery operations.

The New Republic could not launch an attack on Gabredor, which was clearly within Alignment territory, without risking a full-scale war. The independent mercenary team Red Moons, led by Sully Tigereye, launched a rescue operation to locate the children. During the skirmish and the base's alert, Trentacal was attacked by his personal slave, and both of them were apparently killed. The mercenaries outsmarted the security of slaver Vex, killing him in the process, and rescued most or all of the slaves. They also destroyed the base and left markings to discourage the Karazaks from returning to the Gabredor base.

Known high-ranking members of the Karazak Slavers Cooperative included Yanix Dev, distribution manager; Avril Gresh, acquisitions specialist; Seland' Ir, project developer; Rei'Kas, strike team leader; Krassis Trelix, logistics coordinator; Greezim Trentacal, slavemaster; and Vex, security head and bodyguard.

Dorn Sevelle was a trade baron and a high-ranking member of the group, who represented the Karazaks on Kowak during the early Galactic Civil War. A young, bearded human male from the planet Raithal, Sevelle was initially a friend of Sono Molec. However, Sevelle's acquisition of Nam Beroya strained their relationship. When hiring the Rebel agents to retrieve the Mandalorian from the Karazak's, Molec claimed that Sevelle was a thief who had stolen his most prized possession.

Lower-level members included some of the strike team members involved in the Locrin operation, such as Fenrij, Greko, Iquar, and Keshid.

The Karazak Slavers Cooperative was first mentioned in Galaxy Guide 11: Criminal Organizations (1994), authored by Rick D. Stuart, in an article detailing the group's operations as an example of a "crime guild" for use in role-playing adventures. The first available images of the Cooperative were created by Doug Shuler.

The Cooperative was initially intended to be mentioned in the 2012 reference book The Essential Guide to Warfare written by Jason Fry and Paul R. Urquhart, but it was ultimately omitted from the final version. The material in which it would have appeared within the Essential Guide was subsequently published on StarWars.com in 2014 as part of the Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Warfare Author's Cut series of blog posts.

The 2016 Friends Like These adventure for Fantasy Flight Games' Star Wars: Age of Rebellion game featured the Karazak Slavers Cooperative during the players' mission to recover Nam Beroya. However, the conflict can be resolved in multiple ways. If the players arrive at the Karazak encampment before Sevelle has had the chance to sell the man, they may buy the man's freedom from him for a sizable sum of credits. Alternatively, the players may choose to make their way inside stealthily or assault the Karazaks' camp directly. In the latter scenario, they will be confronted by the entire complement of the camp, accompanied by groups of slavers, forced to defend their masters. However, if the agents have spent too much time on Kowak before coming to Beta Encampment, Sevelle will have already sold Beroya to the Thalassian slavers from the nearby Gamma Encampment, forcing the agents to deal with that group instead.