I am a businessman. My business is the hunt.
—Phiht Piroc
Phiht Piroc was a Mandalorian mercenary. He was born into a Concordian Mandalorian clan, Clan Piroc, to a True Mandalorian commander named Calarth. He spent time as a Journeyman Protector before becoming a bounty hunter, working both sides of the Galactic Civil War as he saw fit. He became well-known for his capabilities as a hunter, and would be hired by Moff Tieres of Rothana to find his runaway daughter, in what would become the greatest contract of his career.
Biography[]
Early life[]
The way of the Mando'ade is the way of war. By the time you have completed your training with me, you will have learned how to be the perfect commando.
—Calarth Piroc, to his training battalion
Piroc was born into Clan Piroc 35 years before the Battle of Yavin on Concordia, a Mandalorian moon. After his mother was killed in a Death Watch raid on Kalevala following the conclusion of the Mandalorian Civil War, Piroc was raised by his father Calarth, a former True Mandalorian commander. When Piroc was four years old, his father was chosen to be a member of the secretive Cuy'val Dar on Kamino. Piroc grew up alongside the clones of his father's training battalion, and would often learn combat training with them. Calarth would also take Phiht to Mandalorian worlds, such as Mandalore, Kalevala, and Concord Dawn, to learn survival skills with another former True Mandalorian, Ankoin Kuflin. While not allowed in accordance with the rules of the Cuy'val Dar, Jango Fett allowed the excursions, as he often did the same with his son, Boba. Just after his thirteenth birthday, Piroc left Kamino for the wider galaxy, leaving his father behind.
Clone Wars[]
Your idealism insults the Mandalore and your people. In time, you'll see the error of your ways. Goodbye, ad'ika.
—Calarth Piroc
Unlike most other Mandalorians, Piroc refused to heed Mandalore the Resurrector’s call to arms against the Galactic Republic after the opening shots of the war were fired at the distant world of Geonosis. His father, feeling betrayed by the son he had loved, disowned him and followed Mandalore to war. He was later killed in action on Norval II, a failed mission that saw the majority of the Mandalorian forces wiped out.
During the war, Piroc managed to become one of Concord Dawn’s legendary Journeymen Protectors. He held the position until the conclusion of the war, during which time he helped defend the world from foreign occupiers, both Republic and Separatist. However, when a droid army led by Durge launched an invasion and occupied the world, Piroc allied himself with Ahsoka Tano and a detachment of the 501st Legion to repel the Confederacy forces. During the investigation into the droid activity on the world, Ahsoka began to struggle with an attraction to Piroc, an attraction he shared. However, Tano chose to stay true to the Jedi Code, and at the conclusion of the mission the Mandalorian forced the Jedi to leave the world behind. Piroc remained on Concord Dawn for the entirety of the war, at which point he decided to leave the quiet world for the greater galaxy.
Piroc, weapon raised
The era of the Empire[]
Betrayal is a harsh teacher. I learned that firsthand after the Wars. I will not make the mistake of trusting someone again.
—Phiht Piroc
Under the newfound regime that had risen from the ashes of the Republic, Piroc found plenty of work as a bounty hunter and general gun-for-hire. Over the course of the next two decades, he found himself in situations that would heavily effect his outlook on life. One particular instance shortly after the conclusion of the war found Piroc as a member of an elite commando group, numbering no more than a dozen, which managed to capture a Venator-class Star Destroyer. The ship would be given to the remaining Mandalorians on Mandalore to serve in their defense fleet as they attempted to rebuild.
Also during this time, he would meet Brax, a Mandalorian and former ARC trooper on Nar Shaddaa. The two would forge something resembling a friendship, with each helping the other in several tight spots over the years. Piroc learned much from the clone, and used many of Brax's techniques to be a more effective mercenary.
About ten years before the Battle of Yavin, Piroc was hired by a rebel sympathizer, Tsunada Harkonen, to seek out a suitable site for a base of operations for her fledgling organization. He discovered a suitable site in the Lehon system, and her small fleet set up operations in the system. Piroc was retained by the rebel leader as a mercenary, and he found himself undertaking several missions for her, many alongside Harkonen herself. The two became close over time, and their relationship became deeper than strictly professional.
However, a botched job on Nar Shaddaa saw Piroc set up for a crime he did not commit by other members of Harkonen's crew. Harkonen set out to avenge the wrong he supposedly committed, leading to a confrontation on the Blade of Hell's landing platform. Piroc sustained a scar down the right side of his face and barely escaped with his life; thanks to the intervention of Brax, Piroc escaped Harkonen. Vowing to serve justice on Harkonen, Piroc set the fledgling rebellion behind him, instead seeking contracts in the galaxy's vast underworld.
Piroc leaps into battle
As time went on, Piroc occasionally found himself in the employ of Drolslobba the Hutt, a crime lord on the world of Taris. Piroc greatly benefited from the Hutt’s unusually generous nature, often gaining bonuses, some of which he used toward new weapons, while much of it was added to a high-interest account on Aargau. Piroc would also find work across the Outer Rim, from a variety of different employers. His reputation as a bounty hunter quickly rivaled that of other, more famous hunters, including Boba Fett.
Several years prior to the decisive Battle of Yavin, Piroc was hired by Drolslobba to investigate the disappearance of his cargo freighters in the Shola system. Traveling aboard the Call of Destiny, a Corellian freighter piloted by Andrau Baryue, Piroc found more than he bargained for in the form of a twisted, fallen Jedi on the remote hell-world. Accompanied by Mistryl Shadow Guard Ariah D'armand, Piroc attempted to help the crew escape the planet. Most of the crew died before they could escape and the Call of Destiny was destroyed, but Piroc battled the Dark Jedi above a raging sea of lava, and was the only one to walk away. It was his first encounter with a Dark Jedi, but it certainly wouldn’t be the last.
Galactic Civil War[]
My fee is non-negotiable, Governor. Your killer is worth the price I have named.
—Phiht Piroc
Prior to the Battle of Yavin, Piroc had gained periodic employment with the Galactic Empire, alongside his usual underworld employment. Various assignments saw him eliminating gangs in the Coruscant underworld, hunting Jedi fugitives, and eliminating Rebel-sympathetic Senators at the behest of high-ranking Imperials such as Grand Moff Trachta and Admiral Terrinald Screed. Although he never became as well-known as Boba Fett, his services were reputable and he came highly recommended throughout the upper echelons of the Empire.
Tieres incident[]
If you want her alive, you will have her alive. It is a rather simple concept, Governor. I do not blast things for the hell of it.
—Phiht Piroc
Piroc blasts his way out of a tower on Nar Shaddaa.
Shortly after the Rebels’ decisive victory at Yavin, Piroc found himself tracking down the lost daughter of Moff Enric Tieres, the governor of the Rothana sector. He found her and brought her back home, but found himself swept up in a long string of conflicts with a member of the Imperial Inquisitorius, Lunais.
He located his target, Naelah Tieres, on Imperial Center, and brought the Moff’s daughter back to Rothana. Upon his arrival in the Rothana system, Piroc was brought aboard the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Dark Force to deliver his target, and it was soon revealed that Naelah had been recognized as Force sensitive, and while the Inquisitorius wanted Naelah as one of their own, Moff Tieres contracted Piroc again to see Naelah safely to the Rebellion.
After a scuffle with a friend of Naelah's from her time on Imperial Center, a Sorrusian named Sterlo, the two agreed to help each other spring Naelah out of the Imperial prison in the Government Complex in Rothana's capitol. With the help of the pickpocket, Piroc battled against Imperial agents allied with the Inquisitor to see Naelah safely out of the Empire’s reach.
The duo managed to spring Naelah from imprisonment in the Imperial prison tower, despite the failed attempt of stormtrooper squads to stop them. As they blasted their way out of the complex, Piroc faced off against Lunais alone, and defeated the Dark Jedi, leaving her for dead at the bottom of the landing platform. The three renegades boarded a Lambda-class shuttle to leave Rothana behind. They faced the minor problem of an Imperial starfleet in orbit, blockading the planet on orders from Inquisitor Lunais to prevent their escape at all costs.
The unlikely trio managed to fight off Imperial TIE fighter pursuit long enough to escape to hyperspace. In order to evade any potential tracking by the Empire, Piroc brought the shuttle out of lightspeed several times and recalculated hyperspace jumps. The trio landed on the moon of Nar Shaddaa in the Y'toub system. Piroc led the group to a small cantina in the Corellian sector, intending to meet with Brax, one of Piroc's contacts. The former ARC trooper, however, got the drop on Piroc, unaware that his old friend had come to him with help. After discussion, the two Mandalorians agreed to meet again the next day, with Brax bringing several weapons, a new ship, and, at Piroc's request, a lightsaber for Naelah.
It is unknown how the job ended, or if Naelah ever reached the Rebel Alliance.
Personality and talents[]
Are you stupid? I would like to get in and make it out alive. You do not get paid if you are dead.
—Phiht Piroc
Piroc, by nature, was coolly calculating and a skilled warrior. While he carried an excessive amount of firepower at any given time, Piroc preferred out-thinking his opponent. However, Piroc was skilled in the use of every weapon he possessed, and few could outmatch him in a fair fight. He was also a skilled strategist, and could quickly calculate a manner to gain himself the upper hand in combat.
Phiht Piroc, bounty hunter.
Despite his choice of profession, Piroc was an honorable and decent man. He held himself to a strict code of honor, and refused to deviate from what he considered "right". He could not be bought out by a target once he had been paid by a contracting party. Above all, Piroc sought to serve justice in the best way he could, although his views on justice would change as he matured. Piroc was also stubborn, nearly to the point of it being a fault, but his stubbornness often was rewarded, as was his nearly-endless patience.
Since he has been near weapons since birth, Piroc has mastered the use of small arms, ranging from pistols to rifles, and could be considered a marksman with most blaster models. He is also comfortable using various blades in combat. During his travels, Piroc has learned several martial arts techniques, giving him a devastating edge in close-quarters combat.
Piroc is also fluent in several languages, including Basic, Mando'a, and Huttese. He also has some understanding of several trade languages.
Weapons[]
Piroc used many different weapons
You can never have too much firepower, as far as I am concerned. I am going in with two WESTAR-made blaster pistols and a blast cannon, plus my armor’s assorted weaponry.
—Phiht Piroc
Piroc, like all Mandalorians, wore a weapon-laden suit of armor, forged of strong and durable Mandalorian iron. His armor was painted black, marked with dull yellow trim around the visor, battered from years of use. Piroc’s armor held a number of hidden weapons, including a Dur-series laser, flame thrower, dart shooter, vibroblades, rocket-propelled grenades, a whipcord grappling hook, and a toxin emitter. Piroc had a variety of sidearms, including a set of WESTAR-34 blaster pistols, a set of WESTAR-35 blaster pistols, a sawn-off Bryar rifle, and a DC-15s side arm blaster. He also had a variety of rifles, including a Mandalorian assault rifle and a custom-made blast cannon for close-quarters combat. He also made use of several jetpack models, including a Z-6 jetpack and a modified JT-12 jetpack.
Vehicles[]
Piroc’s first ship, the Blade of Hell, a Kom'rk-class starship popular amongst Concordian Mandalorians during the Clone Wars, was inherited from his father. He would retain the starship throughout his career. After the debacle on Shola, Piroc made use of a Theta-class shuttle he stole from the Dark Jedi, until he gained a Skipray Blastboat through unknown means. The Hell’s Call served Piroc for several years, until the decision was made to ditch it during the Tieres Affair.
Behind the scenes[]
Piroc, along with his companions Sterlo and Naelah Tieres, was one of the protagonists created by Tyrant19 and Moonlitroses733 in their first collaborated fanfiction, Breaking Darkness. It chronicled the events of the Tieres Affair mentioned in the article. So far, Piroc is the only character of the three who has had another story started involving him, titled Hellfire. The two fanfictions are still works in progress, but they are planned to be completed as time allows.
The appearance of Piroc was first created as an unnamed Mandalorian character by Tyrant19 for the game Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption. The character was later named and expanded upon for Breaking Darkness.
The author considers Piroc's leitmotif to be The Call of Ktulu by Metallica, specifically the symphonic version found on the S&M album. The song's different parts reflect the different aspects of the character, from his "badass" side to his softer, more reflective side.
Piroc was written as an homage to older stories starring Boba Fett, particularly The Last Man Standing and The Bounty Hunter Wars. His gritty baritone voice was intended as a tribute to the original voice of Boba Fett from The Empire Strikes Back, as performed by Jason Wingreen. Other elements of Piroc's character are tributes to other Mandalorian characters from throughout the Star Wars saga. His speech contains no contractions, mirroring Demagol from the Knights of the Old Republic comic series, and elements of his back story pay homage to Jango Fett: Open Seasons and The Clone Wars TV series.
Appearances[]
- Star Wars: Hellfire
- Star Wars: Breaking Darkness (First appearance)