Yahenna Laxo, a portly human male, resided on Lothal. He functioned as the head of the Gray Syndicate, a criminal enterprise operating out of a defunct tavern in Lothal's Capital City formerly known as Ake's Tavern. Laxo was involved in numerous illicit activities on the planet, including taking a percentage of gambling proceeds and providing refuge to individuals wanted by the Galactic Empire in exchange for payment. His death, alongside several of his organization's members, occurred when Merei Spanjaf, in an attempt to save herself, attracted Imperial attention to his syndicate.
Although Laxo's operations sometimes brought him into conflict with the Galactic Empire, he displayed no personal ill will towards them, viewing his activities as purely business-related. He presented a friendly demeanor but was capable of exhibiting ruthless and calculating behavior toward individuals he perceived as obstacles to his operations. Despite holding a relatively minor position in the criminal underworld, he possessed an exaggerated sense of self-importance. He prided himself on providing generous compensation to those working under him, such as giving Merei Spanjaf nearly a thousand credits, even though her service was more akin to forced labor than genuine employment.
Initially, the character was conceived as a Shell Hutt, a type of Hutt that currently exists solely within the Star Wars Legends continuity. However, author Jason Fry believed that this would portray the Gray Syndicate as a more significant player in Lothal's criminal landscape than it actually was. By having Laxo commit actions such as betraying Pinson and instructing Merei Spanjaf to observe Holshef's handover to a bounty hunter, Fry aimed to create a sense in readers that Laxo's demise was well-deserved.