The Specialists were a band of hired guns, or mercenaries, under the payroll of the Hutt Cartel. They fought for the Cartel during their invasion of the planet of Makeb during the Galactic War. This group was under the leadership of the individual known as the Ratcatcher, and its members included Cheiko Bes, a former Jedi; Specter-12; the droid QO-99; and Tarklan, a Mantellian Savrip. Each member held command of their own specialized unit: Bes was the commander of several fallen Jedi as well as banished Sith, Specter-12 was the commander of Ghost Squad, QO-99 was the commander of various droids, and Tarklan was the commander of a group of Savrips. Ultimately, they were all annihilated by an Imperial strike team, whom they were tasked with eliminating.