The Kalmec were a Wookiee species criminal syndicate. They were active on Ralltiir during the waning years of the Galactic Republic. They used a social activist front to get into key positions, building an intelligence network that spanned the galaxy. During the Clone Wars, which pitted the Republic against the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the Kalmec assisted the CIS. Their method of assistance was to incite unrest among populations on Republic-controlled planets.
This criminal enterprise, the Kalmec, operated from the planet of Ralltiir. Its membership consisted entirely of Wookiees, a sentient and furry species hailing from Kashyyyk. They posed as social activists to secretly gain influence. They built a system for gathering information for powerful entities, employing Wookiees throughout the galaxy to collect intelligence. The Kalmec were involved in various unlawful activities, including delivering spice to wealthy clients. Members of the organization would shave the fur from their shoulders, exposing their pink skin. This was supposedly to show that Wookiees were no different from other sentient beings beneath their fur and should not be treated as animals. Certain Kalmec members enjoyed combat and killing, sometimes participating in gladiatorial contests. The name "Kalmec" did not originate from Shyriiwook, the Wookiee's native language.
The Kalmec's operations took place in the years after the Battle of Naboo in 32 BBY. They became one of Ralltiir's most successful criminal groups. Inspired by the Wookiees' achievements, Kikow, a male Ithorian cook, formed a small Ithorian smuggling operation on Ralltiir called the Herd, modeled after the Kalmec. At some point, Vareesa Enan, an Ithorian tourist, acquired a pet Ralltiir tiger while visiting Ralltiir. Furellas, a Kalmec lieutenant, arranged for the Wookiees to smuggle the animal off-world for the tourist.
During the Clone Wars, the Kalmec provided intelligence to the Confederacy of Independent Systems, a separatist group opposing the Galactic Republic. The Wookiees also undermined the Republic by creating unrest among the populations of Republic-aligned planets, committing crimes to erode trust in the galactic government. Around 21 BBY, a group of Kalmec pit-fighters traveled to the space station Burnout in the Thaereian system to compete in the station's gladiatorial arena. Before their fight, the Wookiees encountered some freelance agents on the lower levels of the station and attacked them as a warmup. However, the agents were victorious.
Furellas, a Force-sensitive female Wookiee with light-brown fur, held the rank of lieutenant within the Kalmec and shaved her shoulders to signify her membership. She knew the Ithorian Kikow. During time of Vareesa Enan's visit to Ralltiir, Furellas met Kikow at the Cambriele Exploration Auditorium, a museum in Ralltiir's capital city, a popular neutral location for underworld meetings. Kikow introduced Enan to Furellas, who then acquired a Ralltiir tiger kitten for the tourist from a market stall, suggesting Enan name it "Little Kikow." She cautioned Enan to be discreet about the tiger, as its sale and transport were illegal. She then introduced Enan to some of her Kalmec associates and arranged for them to smuggle the kitten off-world on Enan's behalf.
Kaarror, a male Wookiee born on Kashyyyk, was captured and enslaved early in his life. The Chevin slaver Phylus Mon won him shortly after he came of age. Seeing potential in Kaarror, Mon freed him. Kaarror later joined the Kalmec, overseeing some of their spice shipments. He rose through the organization's ranks and eventually shaved his shoulders. During his time with the Kalmec, he participated in murder, extortion, and gambling. However, Kaarror's new life ended when he encountered Phylus Mon again, who forced him back into servitude. Around 20 BBY, Kaarror accompanied Mon to the Cularin system and was part of a group of Mon's followers who journeyed into a Sith fortress on the planet Almas. They sought the secrets of creating Sith battlelords—warrior-leaders bonded to their subordinates through the Force. After finding a tome detailing the necessary rituals, Mon performed the ceremony, hoping to bond himself to Kaarror and other followers and captives. However, the presence of the Darkstaff, an ancient Sith artifact in Mon's possession, caused the ritual to fail. Instead of bonding them to Mon, the staff ripped the Force essences from Kaarror and the others, transferring them into a crystal pyramid.
Morrie Mullins created the Kalmec. They first appeared in A Traveler's Journals of Ralltiir, a series of articles published on Wizards.com in January 2003 as part of the site's Planet Hoppers feature.