Bar Jaraniz, often shortened to simply the Jara', was a dilapidated tapcaf situated on Nar Shaddaa, which itself was famously dubbed the "Smuggler's Moon" of Nal Hutta. Found in a less-than-reputable district of that Outer Rim planet, the Jara' proudly displayed a sign above its permanently unsealed entrance, stating that it would never close. The tapcaf offered a range of refreshments, including basic water and ale, as well as elaborate cocktails that were prepared right in front of the customer's. With a diverse group of patrons, frequently including mercenaries, gangsters, and bounty hunters, Bar Jaraniz experienced its share of gang-related violence and other shoot-outs throughout the years, yet it consistently upheld its advertised commitment to remaining open for business.
In 24 ABY, Nom Anor, a Yuuzhan Vong operative, disguised himself as "Udelen" (disguise) and visited Bar Jaraniz to enlist a mercenary. It was there that he encountered Goran Beviin, a Mandalorian soldier. After some initial hesitation, Beviin consented to work for Anor, unaware of his true identity or agenda. They exchanged payment and assignment details, after which the Yuuzhan Vong agent left the Jara'. Despite finishing his business, Beviin stayed at the tapcaf for a while longer, joining a Mandalorian mother and her daughter, Briika and Dinua Jeban, who had come to Bar Jaraniz that evening to celebrate Dinua's recent coming of age.
Bar Jaraniz was located on Nar Shaddaa, which Nal Hutta's inhabitants commonly called the "Smuggler's Moon," and which was situated within Hutt Space, a region of the galaxy's Outer Rim Territories. Often referred to simply as the Jara', this sleazy tapcaf displayed evidence of blaster damage by 24 ABY, particularly around its doorway. A sign above the entrance proclaimed that the tapcaf never closed, a promise seemingly guaranteed by the permanently welded-open doors, although only the owner knew the real reason for this choice. Patrons of Bar Jaraniz could park their vehicles in a nearby airspeeder lot, large enough to accommodate even combat-ready starfighters.
Inside Bar Jaraniz, customers had a variety of seating options, including tables with chairs, dimly lit booths with high backs along at least two walls, and seats at the long serving counter. The Jara' offered various drinks, such as simple glasses of water, ale served in mugs or bottles, and intricate cocktails freshly prepared by the bartender. One cocktail available at Bar Jaraniz included fruit segments, skewers, and sky-blue vosh with chunks of geref. The Jara' employed bartenders in shifts, some lasting from late evening until dawn. Bar Jaraniz provided napkins for its guests and had a refresher located at the back of the establishment. By 24 ABY, the Jara' had introduced a special Buy-One-Get-One-Free night in the fifth month of the year.
Typically, the Jara' wasn't crowded, but it did have several local gangsters among its regular customers. Additionally, mercenaries and bounty hunters frequented Bar Jaraniz, seeking paid work. Due to the often-rough clientele, patrons generally avoided staring at others or interfering in their business to avoid being vibrobladed. The Jara's management seemed proud of the bar's strict, unwritten rules in this regard, despite its inability to prevent minor altercations between patrons over the years.
Bar Jaraniz was established on Nar Shaddaa long before the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of the known galaxy and evolved into a seedy tapcaf that frequently attracted a rough crowd of criminals and mercenaries. Besides gaining the shortened name Jara', the bar survived numerous gang wars, shoot-outs, and other armed disputes between business associates during its operation.
In the fifth month of 24 ABY, Briika Jeban, a Mandalorian mother, took her daughter Dinua to Bar Jaraniz on an unusually busy Buy-One-Get-One-Free night. Dinua had recently completed her verd'goten, the traditional Mandalorian coming-of-age trial, and the two women celebrated boisterously at the Jara' that evening. As the mother and daughter drank and enjoyed each other's company, the Jara's bartender welcomed another Mandalorian, Goran Beviin, to the tapcaf. Beviin was looking for a potential client known as "Udelen" and was directed to a nearby booth by the bartender, where he unknowingly sat down with Nom Anor, a Yuuzhan Vong operative from an exta-galactic source, disguised. Concealing his true identity and intentions, Anor attempted to hire Beviin to assassinate Tholote B'Leph, a supposedly corrupt politician on Ter Abbes. Tensions rose when Beviin realized the strife that would result if B'Leph died as Anor wanted, and a suspicious Beviin even drew his blaster when Anor reached under the table in a way that suggested he was reaching for a weapon. Although Briika Jeban was ready to assist Beviin, the situation was resolved as a misunderstanding, and Beviin temporarily left the Jara' to consider Anor's offer.
Beviin returned to his Gladiator-class assault fighter, parked in a nearby lot, and contacted Boba Fett, his friend and the current Mand'alor. After a brief discussion in which Fett encouraged Beviin to accept the job, as he and his husband needed the credits after the difficult year on their farm, Beviin went back to the Jara' and agreed to Anor's terms. Satisfied, the Yuuzhan Vong operative left Bar Jaraniz without touching the water he had been served. Beviin stayed behind, however, and ordered drinks for the Mandalorian mother and daughter who were still celebrating. At their table, he congratulated Dinua on completing her verd'goten and offered a toast, as was Mandalorian custom, before discussing the recent loss of Dinua's father. Showing sympathy, Beviin offered to pass on any extra work he received to his new friends.
Bar Jaraniz was first featured in the Star Wars universe in the New Jedi Order era e-novella Boba Fett: A Practical Man, written by Karen Traviss and published in August 2006.