The Riders of the Maelstrom were a group of pirates who made their base of operations near the Maelstrom. Big Jak Targrim, a well-known pirate, was the leader of this group. To their advantage, the pirates exploited the Maelstrom's inherent characteristics to establish a profitable enterprise by looting ships passing through the area. Ships were compelled to exit hyperspace and rely on their sublight engines while navigating the Maelstrom. The Riders would exploit this vulnerable period to launch attacks on the vessels.
During the time of the Galactic Civil War, the Riders were a large and widespread group that faced no opposition within the Maelstrom. However, during a game of sabacc, Rodin Higron, a Corellian gambler and privateer, won the Oasis mining colony, which was the only safe haven in the Maelstrom. Higron soon began to challenge the Riders' control of the area with his own band of pirates. The Riders suddenly faced serious competition when Higron's gang established a base on the Oasis mining colony. When Higron's pirates began to exclusively target Imperial ships, the Galactic Empire assigned Moff Vanko the responsibility of safeguarding Imperial interests within the Maelstrom.
Targrim, angered by the problems Higron's pirates had caused to the Riders' lucrative business, pledged to eliminate the rival gang. Targrim's scheme to destroy the rival pirates involved crashing a large ship into Higron's base. As luck would have it, the Kuari Princess, a large passenger cruiseship, was scheduled to pass through the Maelstrom. The Riders hijacked the ship and disabled all control of the navigational systems. The ship was then set on a course to collide with the planet Oasis. Unfortunately for the Riders, a small Rebel team managed to board the ship and prevent the destruction of the ship and its passengers.
The Riders fled the scene of the crime, and most of them managed to avoid capture, including their leader, Big Jak Targrim. The conclusion of the rivalry between the Riders and Higron's pirates remains unknown.