Voidhound

During the Cold War era, when the Galactic Republic and the reconstituted Sith Empire were in conflict, Rendia Freight engaged a smuggler captain to transport a shipment of weapons to Ord Mantell. This planet was embroiled in a civil war between the Ord Mantell Central Authority, supported by the Republic, and the Mantellian Separatist Movement. The smuggler piloted their XS stock light freighter to a hangar within Drelliad village on Avilatan, a contested settlement. Upon landing, they encountered Skavak, a human man who praised their piloting skills. Skavak advised a quick departure due to the proximity of separatists. However, before they could leave, Corso Riggs, another Rendia employee, arrived and warned that the separatists had activated three anti-aircraft guns. These guns, having already destroyed an incoming Republic transport, posed a threat to the smuggler's starship. To prevent being shot down, the smuggler battled separatist forces to disable the artillery. After destroying three remote-control stations, the smuggler entered the air defense control station to disable the targeting computer. When the computer became unresponsive, the smuggler destroyed it, effectively neutralizing the threat.

As the smuggler was disabling the computer, Corso contacted them via holocommunicator, urgently requesting assistance due to separatists breaching the hangar. The call was abruptly cut off with Corso questioning Skavak's actions. The smuggler hurried back to the hangar, discovering Corso wounded and surrounded by separatist soldiers. After eliminating the separatists, the smuggler aided Corso, only to find their ship had been stolen by Skavak. Corso revealed Skavak's collaboration with the separatists, allowing them entry into the hangar. Besides the ship, Skavak had also absconded with the blasters meant for delivery. Corso lamented the theft of his blaster, Torchy. They contacted Skavak via holo, who expressed gratitude for the blasters, the ship, and the amusement, on behalf of Ord Mantell's glorious freedom fighters, before jumping to hyperspace, severing the connection. Corso then informed the captain that both he and Skavak had been working for Viidu, who would seek retribution on Skavak for his betrayal. Following Corso's advice, the smuggler decided to head to Fort Garnik, a military fort controlled by the Republic Army, where Viidu held sway due to his role in maintaining their supply lines.

Upon reaching Fort Garnik, the smuggler encountered Viidu, who, having been informed of the events by Corso, offered a drink to ease their troubles. He explained that the stolen blasters belonged to Rogun the Butcher, a ruthless employer. Realizing Rogun would be after them, the smuggler agreed to assist Viidu in capturing Skavak to recover their ship. To gather information about Skavak's dealings with the separatists, Viidu suggested meeting Reki, an expert on the separatist. However, Reki was trapped in Talloran village, which was under separatist occupation and blockaded by the Republic. Leveraging his relationship with the Republic commander overseeing the blockade, Viidu arranged for the smuggler to gain access. This required proving their loyalty by eliminating some Separatists near the village.

The smuggler proceeded to the village on foot. Aware of the shortages in Talloran village due to the blockade, the smuggler brought supplies for Reki. Upon arriving, they fought their way to Reki's safehouse and delivered the provisions to Reki and the refugees inside. Reki revealed that the only source of personnel information about the separatists was at Mannett Point. He used to acquire quality goods at a discount on Mannett Point, which led him to discover all manner of shortcuts through the island's warehouses, which he kept detailed schematics of. However, he had to abandon schematics when he fled Mannett Point. These schematics, disguised as an extraordinarily tedious treatise on bird watching, were still in his home, the code for which he shared with the smuggler. Because Reki short-circuited his home before leaving, the smuggler would first have to disrupt Mannett Point's power relays. Armed with this information, the smuggler returned to Viidu, as they would need his expertise to decrypt the separatist files.

Back at Rendia Freight, the smuggler was approached by Syreena, who inquired about the situation's progress. Upon reaching Viidu's office, they found him and Corso enjoying Roba steak, with Viidu behaving as if it were his last meal due to the threat from Rogun the Butcher. Viidu informed the smuggler that they would need to swim to Mannett Point, as the only bridge to the island had been destroyed by the separatists. He provided the smuggler with a datapad for downloading the files, which he would then decrypt. Corso expressed his desire to accompany the smuggler, but Viidu instructed him to first acquire a slicer kit, leaving the smuggler to proceed alone. Before their departure, Syreena entered the room, informing Viidu that a man named Rogun was on the line.

Upon reaching Mannett Point, the smuggler disrupted the power relays, gaining access to Reki's home. Using the code provided by Reki, they unlocked the schematics, revealing access to the separatists' hideout on the island. After battling through the hideout, they reached the computer and attempted to download the data. However, before they could complete the download, Gorry, a separatist, and his droid 4-SEN arrived. They were inspecting the computer core due to the power relay issues. The droid detected dead bodies in the hideout, raising Gorry's suspicion of the smuggler, but the smuggler managed to talk their way out of the situation and returned to Rendia Freight.

Back at the warehouse, Syreena was being threatened by Bracco and his men. The smuggler intervened, claiming that Rogun had his sights on Syreena. Returning to Viidu, they learned that they needed time to slice the data using the kit Corso had found. To buy time and delay Rogun, Viidu tasked the smuggler with retrieving a canister of special chemicals from a nearby village, a mission Corso referred to as the Big Boom Run. Before the smuggler departed, Corso shared a word, entrusting them with his SoroSuub SSK heavy blaster named Flashy. Armed with this blaster, the smuggler headed to Oradam village to meet the scientist Trymbo.

In Oradam village, the smuggler visited Trymbo's house, where they encountered his wife, who informed them that Trymbo was out fishing. At the fishing camp on the beach, it became clear that Trymbo was delusional, speaking of Gundark friends, Alderaanian stew, his wife's death 20 years prior, and Ugnaught assassins attacking visitors in the woods. Despite his state, the smuggler obtained the chemicals from Trymbo and returned to Viidu.

Viidu secured Trymbo's chemicals, noting that it saved them from Rogun's wrath as he would be occupied with selling them. In the meantime, Corso had decrypted the separatist data and located Skavak, who was still in possession of all the stolen items, including the smuggler's ship. Skavak was taking the blasters into the separatists' stronghold, situated in the heart of Mount Avilatan, a volcano. There, he was to deliver the blasters to a man named Dareg. Corso accompanied the smuggler to infiltrate the stronghold and intercept Skavak.

Upon reaching the separatist stronghold, they fought their way through the base, eventually reaching Dareg, the separatist leader. However, Dareg was uninterested in negotiation and sought to kill Corso and the smuggler for their intrusion and the deaths of his separatists. Dareg was killed in the ensuing battle, but one of his men, Morant, survived and surrendered. He revealed that Skavak had already left hours ago, having tricked the separatists by feigning allegiance to steal a rusty antique droid from Dareg. Morant also disclosed Skavak's collaboration with Syreena in Fort Garnik. Corso then intended to kill Morant, driven by his vow to avenge his family's death at the hands of the separatists. However, the smuggler intervened, arguing that Morant was not responsible.

At Rendia Freight, the smuggler and Corso found Syreena. They overheard her conversation with Skavak on the holo, where she admitted to killing Viidu for discovering her communication with the separatists and threatening to expose her to Rogun the Butcher. Syreena had relied on Skavak to extract her, but Skavak had deceived her, refusing to pay her or provide an escape. Confronted by the smuggler and Corso, Syreena sought a quick escape, as Rogun the Butcher's bounty hunters were closing in. She revealed that Skavak had fled to Coruscant. In exchange for her life, Syreena secured tickets for a shuttle to Coruscant, pleasing Corso, who disliked harming women. Subsequently, Corso decided to remain with the smuggler, and they proceeded to the spaceport together.

At the spaceport, two of Rogun the Butcher's bounty hunters, the Kel Dor Xo'ru and the Mon Calamari Kindin, arrived. Refusing to yield, they were both killed by the smuggler. The smuggler and Corso then boarded a shuttle to Coruscant.

After clearing Customs on Coruscant, Corso mentioned Darmas Pollaran, a Gambler with extensive knowledge of Coruscant. Using Viidu's holofrequency contacts, they contacted Darmas, who instructed them to meet him at his private cantina booth, where he was playing sabacc. En route, Corso informed Darmas of Viidu's demise.

Upon meeting Darmas, he introduced himself as an unrivaled sabacc player and information resource. He noted Skavak's notoriety in the galactic underworld, citing numerous death sentences for crimes ranging from armed robbery to kidnapping. Skavak was also known for being in the Sith Empire's pocket and even cheating at cards. Darmas informed the smuggler that Skavak had recently engaged the services of Kixi, a Mirialan data slicer at the Migrant Merchants' Guild headquarters. Armed with this information, Corso and the smuggler set out to meet Kixi.

Arriving at the Migrant Merchants' Guild headquarters, the smuggler acquired an access card from the Guild enforcers to gain entry. Inside, they found Kixi imprisoned, forced to slice the Republic database for the Guild. Promised freedom, she willingly restored Skavak's record and added false information, including his status as a carrier of the Bothan Nether Rot disease. Following this, the smuggler returned to Darmas.

With Skavak's record reinstated in the Republic database, the smuggler returned to Darmas in his private booth. Darmas revealed that his sources indicated Skavak was engaging in business with the Black Sun gang, a dangerous alliance. The Black Sun gang was known for maintaining holorecordings of all their meetings, including Skavak's visit. For security, these holorecordings were fragmented and stored across different computers.

To access the segmented holorecordings, the smuggler and Corso ventured to the Black Sun headquarters, located in the Black Sun–controlled sector of Coruscant. After battling through the guards, they obtained the four segmented recordings. They then entered the secure holovault, fighting more guards, to access the recordings. Activating the holoviewer, they witnessed a meeting between Skavak and Urbax, a Cathar male and bounty hunter for the Black Sun. The two had a history, with Urbax noting their long separation. Skavak had hired Urbax to eliminate a lawman from the Outer Rim who was relentlessly pursuing him. The lawman was located at a docking bay in the spaceport.

Believing the lawman possessed information on Skavak's whereabouts, the smuggler went to the spaceport to intercept Urbax and rescue the lawman. After dealing with Black Sun lookouts, they confronted Urbax, who was about to kill the lawman, Miel Muwn, a male Sullustan officer of the Sullustan Constable Brigade. Recognizing the smuggler and Corso, Miel deputized them under Article 11607 of the Emergency Service Laws, citing Urbax's interference in a criminal investigation. Refusing to surrender, the smuggler, aided by Miel, killed Urbax in the ensuing fight. Grateful for the assistance, Miel formally introduced himself to the smuggler, who, with the danger passed, was no longer a deputy but an upstanding citizen once again. He explained that he was pursuing Skavak for stealing the Murustavan Ruby, a priceless relic sought by the government of Sullust. Miel proposed a collaboration to find Skavak, which the smuggler accepted. Corso then suggested leaving before local security arrived, and they returned to Darmas.

Returning to Darmas' private cantina booth, the smuggler and Corso were intercepted by three of Rogun the Butcher's bounty hunters, Egara, Riloh and Scorch. Despite Egara's insistence on killing the smuggler for the bounty, the smuggler persuaded them to pursue Skavak instead, claiming he would be less prepared. They claimed they had just seen Skavak in Black Sun territory, so the bounty hunters went there.

Continuing to Darmas, they planned to await Skavak's next move to discern his intentions. They played a round of sabacc, which the smuggler won. Darmas then received an alert from his network, indicating that Skavak was fleeing into the territory of the Justicars, heavily armed ex-soldiers vigilantes. Darmas instructed the smuggler and Corso to enter the Justicar territory and meet his informants, a brother and sister named Jiik and Juul.

Upon meeting Juul, she expressed displeasure at seeing the smuggler, blaming them for Jiik's capture by the Justicars at their detention center, as he had been tailing Skavak for the smuggler. Jiik knew Skavak's destination but was unable to inform Juul before his capture. To learn Skavak's whereabouts, the smuggler needed to rescue Jiik. To avoid detection by the detention center's surveillance, the droid eyes had to be destroyed first. Juul provided the smuggler with a holotransmitter to communicate with Jiik upon his release. The smuggler then proceeded to the detention center.

Arriving at the detention center, Corso and the smuggler destroyed several security cameras to move unseen towards the cells. Reaching the cells, they encountered Miel, imprisoned and seeking assistance. Miel had been ambushed by Skavak, who escaped. The Justicars interrupted his pursuit and arrested him, as he believed them to be the local law. The smuggler freed Miel from his cell, allowing him to resume his pursuit of Skavak.

With Miel freed, the smuggler proceeded to Jiik's cell. The smuggler contacted Juul via the provided holotransmitter to speak with Jiik, who had been severely beaten by the Justicars. Jiik revealed that he had witnessed Justicars trading supplies with the Empire. Skavak was present with the Imperials, laughing, before joining them in the Works. Juul warned that the Works were toxic ruins, teeming with berserk droids, where they would not last five minutes, although Corso estimated they could last at least ten. After that, Jiik was freed and would meet his sister to hide from the Justicars.

Arriving in the Works, the smuggler intercepted Skavak at a meeting with Imperials. Skavak handed the stolen Murustavan Ruby over to Imperial Commander Kasstroff. The Commander intended to use the ruby as a centerpiece for his gift for the Grand Moff, hoping to get a promotion and even being allowed to go back to Dromund Kaas. In return Skavak would get an item, a grotesque trophy, which he led the Empire deliver to a starship merchant named Fabizan at his docking bay. The smuggler interrupted the meeting, much to the Imperial Commander's displeasure. Meanwhile, Miel made his way into the area as well. Skavak mentioned he wasn't too happy about his record being fouled by the smuggler, but then remarked how Rogun increased the bounty on the smuggler as well. Skavak ran away, leaving the Imperial Commander to deal with the smuggler and Corso. Miel entered, demanding the Imperial lawbreakers surrender, since they were in violation of Statute 1983 of the Sullustan Criminal Code. Miel informed them he'd disabled their comlinks, so he urged the Imperials to surrender. However, the Imperials opened fire, hitting Miel. After the smuggler and Corso killed the Imperials, they talked to Miel. He said he wouldn't be filing any reports anymore, that he couldn't maintain his pursuit of Skavak. He gifted the smuggler something to help their pursuit of Skavak: the ruby and an identity chip to access the docking bay Skavak fled to. With his final breath, Miel asked the smuggler to bring Skavak to justice, for him.

Arriving at docking bay 87, the smuggler and Corso were greeted by Fabizan, a male Bith. Fabizan had taken care of the smuggler's ship and all the cargo still in it, even detailed the cargo. After being beaten, Fabizan offered to upgrade the starship in exchange for being allowed to leave, which the smuggler accepted. After that, the smuggler finally claimed their ship again and checked the cargo hold.

When checking the ship's cargo hold, the smuggler found Risha inside, who had been traveling with Skavak as part of a business arrangement to deliver the items in the cargo hold. Since Skavak had proven unreliable, Risha offered to work with the smuggler instead. Then, on the ship's holo, Skavak called. After realizing he lost the ship he stole, he put the smuggler at the top of his list of people to kill. Skavak had sold the blasters the smuggler was supposed to deliver to Rogun the Butcher on Ord Mantell, threatening the smuggler with the danger that was Rogun. Risha told Skavak they'd be selling the cargo on the ship, which he called the biggest mistake of their lives. Risha informed the captain that the cargo on the ship were pieces to a key, that unlocked the lost treasure of Nok Drayen, a very rich dead man. She called Nok the greatest gangster who ever lived, personally wiping out the Rath Cartel and Vandelhelm Combine during the Syndicate Wars. Since she was the only who could trade the items to get Nok's treasure, the captain agreed to the partnership.

Aboard the vessel, Risha extended an offer to the smuggler: the chance to unearth the long-lost treasure of Nok Drayen. The sole requirement for Ace was the completion of several deliveries to designated planets, in return for the essential ship components needed to locate the treasure.

On the planet of Taris, the smuggler's contact was Beryl Thorne, a fellow smuggler with a strained relationship with Risha. An agreement was reached between her and Ace: Ace would assist her with her contractual obligations, and in exchange, she would aid in locating the radiation vault that housed the astrogation charts crucial for their treasure hunt. During Ace's operations, Soganti, an agent from the Republic Customs Office, was actively investigating Thorne, suspecting her involvement in the illicit trade of Tarisian relics. Thorne tasked the smuggler with delivering supplies to a Doctor named Vernan situated in the eastern sector of the resettlement zone.

Thorne directed them further into the ruins, this time with the objective of retrieving planetary core samples from a core-drilling engineer known as Ovold. However, the samples, along with vital equipment, were pilfered by scavengers, compelling him to guide Ace towards the pirate base instead.

Upon Ace's arrival at the pirate base, it was revealed that the culprit was Tyrodall, Thorne's former assistant, who had feigned his own demise. He presented the smuggler with Tarisian relics, which Thorne had been smuggling off-world disguised as core samples. However, Tyrodall and Thorne held conflicting opinions regarding the relics' intended buyers. Thorne desired to sell them to Tarisian descendants at a reduced price, while Tyrodall favored selling them on the Imperial black market for a higher profit. Ace declined the Devaronian's proposition, leading to a violent confrontation that resulted in the deaths of Tyrodall and his droid bodyguards. Ace returned the contraband to Thorne and confronted her about her covert operation, during which she admitted to returning the relics to the descendants of former Tarisian residents for a significantly reduced fee. With her contract with the Republic fulfilled, Thorne honored her commitment by enlisting a technician with access to the Republic sensor array to locate the vault in Zone Zero, a designated no man's land rumored to be inhabited by creatures even more terrifying than rakghouls.

Following Thorne's suggestion to seek Risha's assistance in accessing the vault, Ace returned to their ship, where Risha informed them that Skavak had hired a team of mercenaries to search for the vault. After receiving a Geonosian slicer module to unlock the vault, Ace disembarked, only to be confronted by Soganti, who harbored suspicions about Thorne's smuggling activities but lacked concrete evidence. He offered a substantial bribe in exchange for testimony, but Ace refused to betray Thorne, causing the defeated customs agent to depart.

Ace journeyed to Transport Station 5 and battled through waves of rakghouls until reaching Zone Zero, where they encountered Skavak's mercenaries just outside the vault door. The mercenary leader, Roksur, taken aback by Ace's appearance, contacted Skavak via holocomm, who promptly ordered the mercenaries to eliminate Ace. Ace retaliated, defeating the mercenaries before breaching the vault and acquiring the charts. Ace then returned to the ship, where Risha explained that the charts had once belonged to Davik Kang, a Tarisian Exchange gangster, who had mapped a series of uncharted hyperlanes in the galactic region between the Core Worlds and the Outer Rim.

The next destination on the smuggler's agenda was Nar Shaddaa, also known as the Smuggler's Moon. The delivery consisted of a male Shanjaru held within the cargo hold, in exchange for a prototype starship engine. However, their client, Drooga the Hutt, had fallen victim to a theft. A group of eco-terrorists had absconded with his female Shanjaru, and he was no longer interested in the male the smuggler possessed.

Nevertheless, Drooga's servant Ga'ram assisted the smuggler, providing the coordinates of the eco-terrorist base, where they encountered Tyrka, an associate of Momi Andrell. After convincing her that it was a misunderstanding and that they were there to offer assistance, she provided them with a datapad that could lead them to a Doctor named Lazhae. Lazhae, however, was a sadistic doctor held captive in Shadow Town, where he was conducting experiments on Momi.

During one of the smuggler's visits to Drooga's pleasure barge, they were ambushed by Zank Helrott, Rogun the Butcher's personal bounty hunter. With the assistance of Bowdaar, a Wookiee whom the smuggler had aided in a previous altercation, they eliminated him.

Lazhae vacated the premises and dispatched the Shanjaru to Drooga, after which the smuggler liberated Momi. Despite her request for Ace to end her life, the smuggler persuaded her to maintain hope. She provided Ace with the Shanjaru genetic samples, requesting that they be delivered to Daru'da, a Twi'lek scientist on Coruscant.

With the Shanjaru delivered, Drooga provided the starship engine, and Risha promptly began its installation. Before departing, Drooga summoned Bowdaar. Poisoned, he was to engage in combat with a ferocious, starved gundark. Ace intervened in the fight and assisted in killing the beast. Drooga determined that the Wookiee was no longer worth the expense and released him. Bowdaar subsequently joined the crew as a new member.

After completing their business on Nar Shaddaa, the smuggler received a communication from Captain Feylara Raed of the Celestial Crow. Raed claimed that her ship had sustained damage and was drifting towards a sun, and the smuggler traveled to provide assistance. However, it was a deception. Feylara was a former romantic partner of Skavak's, hoping to regain his affection by killing his rival. Protected by a ray shield, she ordered assassin droids to eliminate the captain, although they were easily defeated.

When her ray shield dissipated, Skavak terminated the transmission, leaving her alone with the smuggler. Ace spared her life, advising her to seek a better companion.

One of the components required for the ship was a sensor computer stolen from one of Nok Drayen's warehouses following his death. It had been pilfered by Drayen's rival, Diago Hixan, who had become reclusive in recent times. Tookreek, one of Hixan's associates, expressed willingness to facilitate a meeting. However, the means to meet Hixan, a small Krayt Dragon tooth, was lost when Geonosians attacked one of their warehouses and killed the lieutenant holding it, and the men tasked with finding it were slain in a fight which involved Jedi Knight Nariel Pridence.

Battling through the Geonosians, the smuggler discovered the Krayt Dragon tooth on a desk in the upper office of the warehouse. At that moment, Vaverone Zare, a Sith, entered, confessing to orchestrating the Geonosian attack on the warehouse in the hope of attracting Hixan's attention. Mistaking the smuggler for one of Hixan's men, she attempted to persuade Ace to arrange a meeting with him.

When the Krayt Dragon tooth was returned to Tookreek at Hixan's summer palace, he revealed Hixan's location: The Lightspring, situated deep within the desert. At that moment, Imperials under Vaverone Zare launched an assault on the palace. After fighting their way out, Ace journeyed to the Lightspring to confront Diago Hixan and retrieve the sensor computer.

However, Nariel Pridence and Vaverone Zare were already present. Risha also contacted the smuggler, having not heard from Ace in some time, unaware that Hixan was present. She abruptly ended the transmission, angering Hixan. A battle ensued shortly thereafter, resulting in the deaths of Diago Hixan, Tookreek, and Vaverone Zare.

With the sensor computer installed, the captain set a course for Alderaan. There, they were to deliver an ancient GNK droid to members of House Teraan. The nobles tasked the smuggler with retrieving an ancient datapad from their house, which had been seized by the displaced House Baliss.

After returning the datapad along with some of the treasures of House Teraan, Risha assigned Ace the next task: The preserved head of the Sith Lord Darth Bandon, which was to be delivered to the curator of the House Alde museum in exchange for an Arkanian hyperdrive. However, upon their arrival, Skavak had already exchanged a counterfeit head for the hyperdrive. Ace swiftly pursued him after "borrowing" one of House Alde's speeder bikes, but Skavak sealed the hanger blast doors as they arrived, forcing the smuggler to override the door. This provided Skavak with sufficient time to flee to the Rhu Caenus Spaceport in Imperial territory, where he could safely install the hyperdrive.

Risha blackmailed a noble, Baron Venar, into providing Ace with a spaceport pass to access Skavak's hanger. Inside, they found a group of mercenaries hired by him to guard his ship and a Neimoidian mechanic named Vonddado Briimyo, who was being held captive by Skavak to install the hyperdrive. He was released and departed on a shuttle, while Ace retrieved the hyperdrive and returned it to Risha.

As Ace was about to depart, Cedonia Teraan contacted them via holo: Following their theft at the Baliss estate, Duke Baliss dispatched his son Xin Baliss to challenge Lenn Teraan to a blaster duel to the death. However, as Lenn had not mastered the blaster, they requested that Ace fight as their champion. In a swift duel in the Teraan suite, the famed duelist was slain. Lenn and Cedonia fled Alderaan shortly thereafter, before House Baliss could launch further attacks.

As they departed Alderaan, Risha received a holo from an old friend, Juran, who informed her that his wife Audila, another of Risha's old friends, had been kidnapped by assassins and was being held in an abandoned Czerka mining complex on Tatooine. They immediately set course for Tatooine once more, venturing deep into the facility.

Upon Risha and Ace's arrival, the assassins revealed that they had never intended to let Audila live, as their "liege" had ordered that there be no witnesses. They were killed, although Audila blamed Risha for the event's occurrence in the first place. Thanks to Ace, they parted on amicable terms, and Risha promised to one day explain why it had happened and to trust her in the meantime.

After acquiring all the necessary supplies for Ace's ship, the crew traveled to a specialized facility on Nar Shaddaa to deliver the man in the cargo hold, still encased in carbonite. The facility was a medical center that had exclusively cared for one individual: Nok Drayen, a crime lord who, after being betrayed by one of his most trusted lieutenants and contracting an incurable virus, had himself frozen. He revealed Risha to be his daughter and only child. He provided Ace with the coordinates needed to locate a ship containing his entire fortune—a ship that had been slowly drawn into a black hole in a perilous region of space known as The Long Shadow for years.

After battling through an army of ancient droids, the smuggler discovered the fortune—sealed within a vault and guarded by even more, significantly more powerful droids. After defeating them, Ace unlocked the vault, revealing that the fortune consisted of a single object: the lost, priceless crown of the planet Dubrillion, of which Nok Drayen was the rightful heir to its throne. Ace returned to the ship to find Skavak, who had stowed away onboard. In a swift but brutal gunfight, Skavak was killed, and Ace retrieved Torchy.

Returning to Nar Shaddaa, Ace arrived at the facility as Nok Drayen was dying. He instructed Risha to kill Ace, seize the crown, and reclaim the throne of Dubrillion. She refused, and with his dying words, he expressed his disappointment in her, his only heir to his legacy, his only daughter. Risha vowed to reclaim the throne, and Ace contemplated what it would be like to rule an entire world—specifically, the immense wealth that would accompany it.

Shortly after recovering Nok Drayen's fortune, Ace's crew was contacted by Darmas Pollaran, the individual who had assisted them in locating Skavak on Coruscant. He requested a meeting with the smuggler at Port Nowhere to present a business proposition.

Ace and Darmas were attacked by Rogun's men while at Port Nowhere, and they encountered Senator Bevera Dodonna, who informed them about Harridax Kirill, also known as "The Voidwolf," and how Rogun was his right-hand man—indeed, his lapdog—and that to stop the Voidwolf, Ace would have to dismantle Rogun and his criminal empire.

Ace became a privateer for the Galactic Republic, with Dodonna serving as benefactor. Ace proceeded to support the Republic and dismantle and take over Rogun's criminal empire. This involved securing Project Nebula on Balmorra, eliminating Rogun's supporters within the White Maw pirate organization stationed on Hoth, and establishing a partnership with Rogun's former mentor, Ivory, whom Rogun had attempted to assassinate in his prison cell on Belsavis. The Voidhound also shut down Rogun the Butcher's illegal smuggling ring on Voss.

Eventually, it was revealed that Dodonna and Darmas had deceived Ace: Rogun was, in fact, working against the Voidwolf, and Dodonna had betrayed the Republic in exchange for a promise from the Empire that she would be granted her own planet to rule, and all the work she had Ace do was helping the Empire, not the Republic. Darmas was later revealed to be an undercover Imperial Agent. This caused Rogun to accost Ace as a traitor when he was cornered on Tatooine.

Rogun joined forces with Ace to defeat the Sith Purebloods sent by the Voidwolf to eliminate them both, realizing that the smuggler had been tricked. From that point onward, Rogun agreed to collaborate with Ace, departing for Port Nowhere to rally support for their shared cause while his wayward employee continued the fight against the Voidwolf.

Darmas and Dodonna were taken into custody by Ace for their betrayal, and Ace subsequently killed the Voidwolf after a firefight aboard his flagship, the Regnant. In an attempt to escape, Kirill threw a grenade, but Ace calmly picked it up and threw it back just in time for it to detonate. In killing the Voidwolf, Ace gained control of his pirate fleet, but faced a dilemma regarding its utilization. Ace could pledge the fleet to the Republic or abandon any interest in politics and become a pirate, attacking both the Empire and the Republic. Ultimately, Ace chose to aid the Republic.

Upon returning to Coruscant, Ace was greeted by Supreme Commander Rans and Supreme Chancellor Saresh, who awarded the smuggler the Medal of Service (at the time, the highest decoration that could be bestowed upon a civilian), and extended a renewed offer of privateer sponsorship. Accepting, Ace departed Coruscant with an eclectic group of companions, in search of new adventures.

The Voidhound's journeys throughout the galaxy eventually led the smuggler to Rishi, where the Voidhound was reunited with Beryl Thorne, who had a business proposition. Since the Republic-Hutt Cartel alliance, Garblaque the Hutt had planned to leave known space in his luxury dreadnaught called Haven on a ten-year pleasure cruise, believing the war would be over when he returned, but the Hutt had to auction off the seats to pay for the voyage. Thorne had learned that the pirates in Raider's Cove had stolen dozens of tickets, and she planned to steal them to sell them for ten times the price and split the profit between the two smugglers. However, the pirates had stashed their tickets all over town, and there was no time to search every hiding place. The Voidhound followed Thorne's instructions to conduct raids on the pirates' property, spooking the pirates to send out courier droids to retrieve their tickets. The Voidhound found one such crate carrying the tickets, but was attacked by a Houk pirate who laid claim to them. After dispatching the pirate, the Voidhound returned to Thorne with two dozen tickets, only to learn that the loot was less than valuable, which was reserved for ammonia-breathers and non-humanoids on deck seven. The Voidhound then offered their opinion on how to utilize those tickets and how Thorne should continue her life.

Following Revan's defeat and the resurrection of the Sith Emperor on Yavin 4, Theron Shan personally handed the Voidhound a card programmed with authorization codes from the director of the SIS that would grant the smuggler immunity from Republic prosecution of any kind. The Voidhound was tasked with taking any jobs available to get a lead on the former Emperor's whereabouts.

The Voidhound, known for their intelligence, flirtatious nature, and frequent humor when facing danger, possessed the ability to extricate themselves from any situation, whether through charm or blaster fire. The Voidhound was generally open to accepting various jobs for monetary gain, yet consistently remained loyal to the Republic, even when it occasionally caused difficulties for its members.

This article details the character arc of the smuggler player class in Star Wars: The Old Republic, a video game developed by LucasArts and BioWare. Due to the character's player-driven nature, a definitive canonical description of this individual is currently unavailable; therefore, the article presents the subject's gender as neutral. Maury Sterling provides the voice for the male smuggler, while Kath Soucie voices the female smuggler. The smuggler can belong to one of several species: human, Mirialan, Twi'lek, Zabrak, or cyborg. With game update 1.2, smugglers gained access to Imperial species: Rattataki, Chiss, and Sith Pureblood. However, an in-game dialogue with an Imperial commander, in which the smuggler pretends to be a Chiss Aristocra, suggests the smuggler was not, in fact, a Chiss. With Game Update 2.1, the Cathar became a potential species, while the Togruta was added in Game Update 3.3 and the Nautolan in Game Update 6.0,

Hall Hood and Jennifer Hepler co-authored the smuggler story. According to Hall Hood, who was also responsible for maintaining consistency across the Republic storylines, the decision to designate the Smuggler as a Republic class was inspired by Han Solo's allegiance to the Rebel Alliance in the original trilogy. Solo's personality and remarks during the trilogy served as a significant source of inspiration for much of the class's comedic content.

In the base game, the Smuggler is only referred to as "Voidhound" on a single occasion, after choosing the dark-side path at the very end of the final class quest. Under certain circumstances, the Smuggler could instead be called "Bandit King" or "Republic's Shield." In Star Wars: The Old Republic: Shadow of Revan, Voidhound is used once during the Smuggler class quest on Rishi, irrespective of the player's character's past actions.