I don't hold grudges — unless you're an Imperial or Black Sun.
—Ali Tarrak
Ali Tarrak was a Corellian female pirate and officer of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, later in the New Republic. Originally a member of the Nami pirates, a group that operated in the Outer Rim Territories, she rose to be the leader of the organization. As the Galactic Civil War progressed and she was targeted more by the Galactic Empire, Rebel Alliance Intelligence made contact and offered to give them supplies if they worked for the Rebellion. She agreed, and not too long afterwards became a member of Alliance Intelligence, given the rank of major. In 4 ABY, her group was nearly defeated by the Imperial Navy, who committed a final strike against her pirate group. However, news of the Rebel victory at the Battle of Endor came in the middle of the battle, prompting one of the Imperial officers, Admiral Jeratai, to become a warlord. After the other admiral ordered him to stay, Jeratai attacked him, decimating his loyalists, and leaving. Tarrak was saved, though her pirate group was destroyed.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Tarrak was born on Corellia to a rich family. She was raised going to the best Corellian private schools, but received poor grades, not carrying very much about it. She became involved with gangs in the Corellian underworld. In 5 BBY, on the way to visit relatives living on Eriadu, in the Outer Rim Territories, their family C-3 Passenger Liner was raided by the Nami pirates. An organization of individuals of varying backgrounds from throughout the galaxy, the pirates took young Tarrak prisoner, while killing the parents and the few security guards aboard. The passenger liner was taken as well, but later destroyed.
Rise to prominence[]
You have to pay!
—Tarrak before shooting Spince
By early 4 BBY, she was forced to be a dancer for the leader of the pirates, a man named Spince. However, one pirate Tarrak was talking to was drunk, and she took his blaster without him realizing it. Only keeping it in her quarters of their ship, an old Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser, Tarrak practiced with it, awaiting a good opportunity to kill Spince. During that time, she became a deadly shot with it. Finally, at one point in 3 BBY, they were attacked by the Black Sun. In the process, they heavily damaged the cruiser, and in the chaos, Tarrak shot and killed Spince.
The Black Sun left, satisfied, and Tarrak claimed to a gathered group of Spince's lieutenants that he left her in command before being killed by a salvo from a Black Sun ship. They did not believe her, and she killed all of them. The remaining fleet, on the verge of defeat and having no other good leaders, gave in to the seventeen year old. Tarrak declared herself the new leader of the Nami pirates.
Early operations[]
As the head of the Nami pirates, Tarrak first reorganized the entire organization. Spince was brutal and a good fighter, but he spent their stolen credits improperly and did not replace ships or equipment that was lost. Tarrak purchased many old fighters and other vessels with their funds, and established their first ground base, a hideout on Antamont. She stashed it with emergency supplies and several spacecraft, building it in a hidden location on the planet. Not trusting any of the pirates, Tarrak left the base with no Nami pirate presence. Afterwards, when her fleet was experienced with the equipment they purchased, she begun their first raids.
One of their first operations was an attack on the Q-13 space station which belonged to Imperial Customs & Immigration. The station had no worth, but it was in the way of a good route that she intended to use to smuggle goods. It was guarded by the 982nd Imperial Fighter Wing, a virtually unknown unit, and an Assassin-class corvette. Tarrak viewed as an easy target. Though she gained some piloting skills earlier and wished to fly in combat during the battle, Tarrak remained aboard her Action VI transport to give commands. The battle was proceeding smoothly, but grew worse, until most of the Z-95 Headhunters were destroyed. Enraged, she ordered the group to retreat.
The Blastboat she purchased.
They ran into a merchant fleet where the regrouped, which they easily took control of. They gained several million credits' worth of ships and equipment, and forced the crews of the vessels to become part of their organization. However, Tarrak was still angered by the fact that the pirates preformed so badly against the Imperials. To make it up, they them raided an Imperial treasure ship in a sector on the fringes of the Outer Rim, gaining several million credits, and becoming water by the Empire for their piracy. Tarrak herself purchased a GAT-12 Skipray Blastboat, heavily modifying it to suit her needs. It was equipped with a cloaking generator. Though Tarrak used it in a raid on the Hutts, she decided to store it aboard her Action VI transport.
Further actions[]
Between 2 BBY an 1 ABY, Tarrak and her pirates gained more attention as they committed a series of successful attacks on target throughout the Outer Rim. The Rebel Alliance Intelligence, noticing that many targets were Imperial, contacted them and offered more equipment, ships, and training to the pirates if they began working for the Alliance. Tarrak, knowing the state of the pirate group was still pretty poor, agreed, and herself was given a position in Alliance Intelligence. The training and new equipment given by them helped considerably, brining the group to fighting shape. Originally, Intel wanted the elite Rogue Squadron to train them, but they refused, not wanting to get involved with criminal elements.
After the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY, they went to the system in order to scavenge from the remains of the Death Star, but were chased out by TIE fighters after an Imperial fleet arrived to attack the evacuating Alliance personnel on Yavin IV. Tarrak was then told by Intelligence to defend a Rebel ships as they evacuated, but many were destroyed by the Empire and they fled. From 1 to 2 ABY, the Imperial Navy resumed their attacks against the pirates, routing them first in the Xeal system and then at the Tophalion space station in the Cantor system. They retreated to the fringes of the Outer Rim to rebuild. During that time, Tarrak was given a promotion to major, in 3 ABY, for using her transport to aid the Alliance evacuation from Hoth.
Later, in 4 ABY, they resumed attacks, until taking too heavy casualties and stopping again. She lost faith in her pirate group, and began planning to get away and work permanently for the Alliance. However, the Empire ambushed the remains of her fleet during their Operation Final Offensive. Under Admirals Yzu and Jeratai, the Imperial task forces routed what was left of her fleet. But when the Imperials were on the verge of victory, news came of the deaths of the Emperor and Darth Vader at Endor. That caused Jeratai to split off and become a warlord, and he attacked the Imperial loyalists of Yzu. Overwhelming them, he left the system.
Tarrak survived, as did her Action VI transport. Using a tractor beam, they put a damaged TIE/ad starfighter into the transport's holding bay, hoping to sell it or use it themselves. In it, however, they discovered Darko Rhymer, a TIE pilot colonel. After talking to him, Tarrak allowed him to stay aboard. Hours later, she decided to leave the pirates, as they began bickering about something. She and Colonel Rhymer took her Skipray Blastboat and quietly left the transport, flying to the nearest habitable planet as the pirates began fighting in the transport.
The New Republic[]
Rather than going to the closest civilized world, they flew to Antamont. There, they rested before discussing what to do. Tarrak said she was going to join the Alliance of Free Planets, the interim government after the Rebellion. There they also watched the news, learning about the Battle of Endor details. She offered to help Rhymer defect to the Alliance. The Imperial pilot said that the Empire he served is still the larger and more powerful force in the galaxy, and he was going to continue serving it. She allowed him to use one of the captured craft at her base, a captured Imperial Missile Boat, to leave.