Reginald Barkbone, famously known as the Scourge of the Seven Sectors, was a daring pirate hunted by the Empire during the time of the Galactic Civil War. A male of the Poss'Nomin species, he had become a figure of legend, notorious for his numerous bold thefts and adventurous exploits aboard his flagship, the Robber Baron. Barkbone was recognized for his extravagant style: he carried a lightfoil, spoke in the Lok Pirate's Cant language, and always had a Kowakian monkey-lizard perched on his shoulder, mimicking his every word.
Some of Barkbone's most well-known deeds included a daring raid on the palaces of Hapes, an altercation with Imperial Guards on the planet Axion, and a successful, yet costly, passage through the dangerous Fire Rings of Fornax—resulting in the loss of his leg, eye, and sanity, respectively. The Loronar navy attempted, unsuccessfully, to capture Barkbone, pursuing the Poss'Nomin outlaw for a full month. Following the Battle of Yavin, the Imperial Navy prioritized Barkbone's capture, assigning Grand Admiral Rufaan Tigellinus to the task. Tigellinus relentlessly pursued the pirate across the galaxy but was unable to apprehend him, remaining determined to eliminate the threat Barkbone represented.
Reginald Barkbone, a male of the three-eyed Poss'Nomin species, made his living as a pirate during the time of the Imperial Period. Surrounded by rumors and speculation, he achieved notoriety early in the years of the Galactic Empire, gaining the title "Scourge of the Seven Sectors." Rufaan Tigellinus of the Imperial Navy was unsure which "Seven Sectors" Barkbone's nickname alluded to. Throughout his career, Barkbone operated in regions such as the Outer Rim Territories, the Mid Rim, the Expansion Region, the Inner Rim, and the Colonies, attacking various targets. His flagship, the Robber Baron, was a captured Star Galleon-class frigate, and he also commanded several Incom Corporation corsairs. He was regarded as a cunning and brutal individual, often mentioned alongside figures like Gir Kybo Ren-Cha, the Thalassian slavers, and the Black Hole Gang, all infamous raiders in the Outer Rim. Barkbone frequently clashed with the Imperial Navy and particularly frustrated the Imperial officer Rovan Tresario, which later prompted Tresario to establish House Tresario, a branch of the Bounty Hunters' Guild specializing in pirate hunting. However, the chapter's attempts to capture Barkbone were consistently unsuccessful.
Barkbone gained notoriety for a series of unbelievable, heroic feats. His most celebrated accomplishment was his successful navigation of the Fire Rings of Fornax, an extremely perilous undertaking that resulted in his loss of sanity. Rufaan Tigellinus claimed to have been a witness to this voyage. The Poss'Nomin freebooter lost a leg while raiding palaces on Hapes, but he replaced the missing limb with a cybernetic peg and resumed his piratical activities. On another occasion, the Robber Baron was pursued by the Loronar navy for a month, but Barkbone managed to evade capture. The pirate claimed it was his least enjoyable period in space, as the only COO-series cook droid in the galley was programmed to prepare only vegetarian meals.
Barkbone engaged in combat with members of the Imperial Guard on Axion in the Expansion Region at one point in time. After looting the planet, he attached a limpet mine to a GNK power droid while fleeing from the pursuing Imperial Guards. The shell of a Gonk droid was exceptionally resilient, but when breached, the internal generator would explode with considerable force. Barkbone's mine achieved this, allowing him to fight his way to freedom amidst the explosion and resulting chaos. He managed to escape, but the effort cost Barkbone an eye and part of his face.
The Imperial Navy intensified its pursuit of Barkbone soon after the Battle of Yavin, and Grand Admiral Rufaan Tigellinus was given the responsibility of capturing him. Aboard his Star Destroyer, the Avatar, Tigellinus asserted that he relentlessly chased the Robber Baron from the Colonies to the Outer Rim Territories. Around this time, Barkbone conducted a heist in the Tapani sector, acquiring a lightfoil among his stolen goods. Although Tigellinus's efforts to halt Barkbone's plundering were unsuccessful, several of the Poss'Nomin's crew members were captured, and their interrogations helped to verify the Empire's information on Barkbone, distinguishing fact from fiction. Following a prolonged and futile pursuit, Tigellinus composed a concise report for Maximillian Seerdon of the Imperial Security Bureau. This report was subsequently passed on to Grand Vizier Sate Pestage, categorizing Barkbone alongside other troublesome figures for the Empire, such as smuggler Dash Rendar and outlaw tech Klaus Vandangante. Tigellinus, being a fervent Humanocentric, had personal reasons for wanting to capture Barkbone, a non-Human. His report expressed disdain for the Poss'Nomin's character and mental state, but Tigellinus acknowledged the threat Barkbone posed.
Reginald Barkbone belonged to the physically imposing, three-eyed Poss'Nomin species. He was known for his flamboyant nature and his distinctive speech patterns, employing a dialect of Galactic Basic Standard that Grand Admiral Tigellinus described as "silly." Barkbone was also fluent in Lok Pirate's Cant, a secret underworld language used by the pirates of Lok. He owned a Kowakian monkey-lizard as a pet, which was always perched on his shoulder, repeating his every word. Barkbone developed a fondness for the lightfoil, a weapon favored by the Tapani nobility, and began carrying a stolen lightfoil after a raid in Tapani territories. Tigellinus noted that his colleague, Grand Admiral Octavian Grant, was angered that a rogue like the "Scourge of the Seven Sectors" was flaunting a symbol of Grant's own aristocracy. Barkbone enjoyed eating meat, and was frustrated by being limited to vegetarian meals by his COO droid while on the run.
Barkbone was committed to his life as a pirate and continued his career despite suffering numerous serious injuries. By the time Tigellinus was pursuing the Poss'Nomin, he had sustained damage to his face and lost a leg. Barkbone then acquired a prosthetic replacement for his leg, making him a cyborg. As Tigellinus confirmed, Barkbone became mentally unstable during his journey through the Fire Rings of Fornax.
Throughout his career, Barkbone proved to be a difficult target to capture, evading capture on many occasions. The Loronar navy pursued the Poss'Nomin for an entire month without success, and Tigellinus claimed to have chased Barkbone across the galaxy without managing to catch him. He was resourceful when faced with escaping a difficult situation. As Imperial Guards closed in, Barkbone attached explosives to a Gonk droid to hinder his pursuers. According to Tigellinus, Barkbone was a ruthless pirate, even more vicious than the notorious Thalassians, but he was also capable of using deception to outwit his adversaries. Throughout his life, Barkbone demonstrated a tendency for daring and audacious actions, willingly facing dangerous situations.
Reginald Barkbone was created by Daniel Wallace for The New Essential Guide to Droids in 2006. Barkbone was designed with a "classic campy pirate feel," and was included because Wallace was fond of such pirates. While working on Underworld Appendix: Swoops, Spice, and Wretched Rogues, the online supplement to Star Wars Insider 89, Abel G. Peña noticed that no pirates had been included in the article; and, having been amused by Barkbone's brief appearance in The New Essential Guide to Droids, Peña decided to include him in the article. Wallace approved of the expansion of Barkbone's backstory, provided that he maintained his character as a stereotypical pirate. Underworld Appendix, co-written by Peña and Ryan Kaufman, was released several months after The New Essential Guide to Droids.
- The New Essential Guide to Droids (First mentioned)
- "Endnotes for The New Essential Guide to Droids: PART 3 OF 3" — Continuity, Criticisms, and Captain Panaka — Daniel Wallace's StarWars.com Blog (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Underworld Appendix: Swoops, Spice, and Wretched Rogues on Hyperspace (article) (content obsolete and backup link not available)
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- The Bounty Hunter Code: From the Files of Boba Fett