The Galactic Empire launched a raid against the Gray Syndicate's central hub, which was situated within what was once Ake's Tavern in the northern market district of Lothal's Capital City. The operation achieved total success, with all occupants of the building seemingly killed, with the exception of Merei Spanjaf, who was thought to be an uninvolved captive.
Merei Spanjaf, a young human female residing on Lothal, found herself needing the assistance of the Gray Syndicate to gain access to a snooper. While she successfully obtained what she sought, she incurred a debt to the crime syndicate's leader, Yahenna Laxo. Subsequently, Laxo decided to demand repayment from Spanjaf, tasking her with various assignments that capitalized on her unique skills. Through these tasks and her interactions with Laxo, Spanjaf gained insight into the organization's operations and realized that Laxo's primary allegiance was to credits, not to individuals. Witnessing him betray individuals he had sheltered from the Galactic Empire to bounty hunters, she understood that her own safety was contingent on Laxo not finding it more advantageous to hand her over to Imperial authorities, given his knowledge of her involvement in illegal activities.
The Imperial assault on Ake's Tavern resulted in a decisive victory. Having obtained the building's precise location via Merei Spanjaf's tracking device, they surprised the Syndicate with a swift and efficient strike executed by a stormtrooper squad. The Syndicate members barely had time to sound an alarm before the building's windows shattered and stormtroopers descended on ropes from a gunship hovering above. While some stormtroopers stormed the lower levels, those above opened fire on Yahenna Laxo, though in the chaos, Spanjaf couldn't discern whether Laxo had reached for a [blaster](/article/blaster] out of panic or if a stormtrooper had fired preemptively. With Laxo dead, the operation quickly concluded, as the ground forces had already "cleared out the entire place."
After the Empire's attack, Merei Spanjaf found herself gazing at Yahenna Laxo's unmoving form. She was unharmed, as the stormtrooper commander leading the mission believed her to be an innocent hostage forced to send a message to her mother, claiming the Gray Syndicate would kill her if her mother didn't cease her investigation into recent suspicious activities. Furthermore, Spanjaf was now completely absolved of any potential implication in the aforementioned investigation, having deleted all incriminating evidence. Several other Syndicate members perished in the raid, and those not present at the headquarters were likely in danger. Additionally, numerous individuals being protected by Laxo in exchange for credits were left needing to find new ways to evade Imperial detection. However, the assault had a positive outcome for at least one person. Just before the attack, Holshef, an elderly human male wanted by the Empire for his poetic and artistic expressions, had been sold to a bounty hunter by Laxo. Spanjaf was tasked with informing the bounty hunter of Holshef's whereabouts. With Laxo gone and Spanjaf no longer under the group's control, Holshef had an opportunity to escape. Spanjaf would later personally ensure his successful escape.