Black Vulkars/Legends

"The Lower City was a great place to hang out until the Vulkars started that gang war. Now you can't even walk the streets without getting shot at!"

- Mission Vao

The Black Vulkars were a swoop racing gang that had established itself within the Lower City of the planet Taris. The gang eventually came under the control of Brejik, a former member of the Hidden Beks, taking over from Benno some time in the wake of the Mandalorian Wars. It was Brejik who initiated the Bek-Vulkar War, a protracted vendetta against his former gang that claimed many lives from both sides as well as the unaligned populace of the Lower City. However, the reprogrammed former Jedi Knight and Sith Lord, Revan, sided with the Hidden Beks and faced off against many of the Vulkars and killed Brejik. Throughout the gang's history they were regarded as 'spice-headed' and little more than thugs.

History
The Black Vulkars attained recognition as a swoop racing gang within the Lower City of Taris in 3,964 BBY, the level of Taris already known for poverty and lawlessness. At this time the gang was lead by a being known as Benno. However, in comparison to opposing swoop gangs, such as the Hidden Beks, the Black Vulkars were known for acts of recklessness, idiocy, and cast an overall negative impression on residents of Taris. One known gang incident involved some Vulkars, including Wargo and Frazznik, apprehending Zayne Carrick and Marn "Gryph" Hierogryph in 3,964 BBY, in hopes of claiming the bounty for the two fugitives, but Gryph proved able to outsmart the Vulkars and escape while the Vulkars tried to rob nearby Wookiees after believing Hierogryph's claim that the Wookiees had stashes of spice. Another instance was when Mission Vao first met the Wookiee Zaalbar. Zaalbar, being unfamiliar to Taris, was abused by a trio of Black Vulkars. According to Mission when later telling Revan of the story, he then scared the Vulkars away after the Vulkars hit her. She commented that the Vulkars must have been foolish to have challenged an apprehensive Wookiee.

During the Invasion of Taris the Black Vulkars battled out against the Mandalorian invaders, but generally employed uncoordinated strikes and avoided uniting with the resistance during the invasion, prefering to spend the rest of their time looting.

The Black Vulkars had a changing of leadership when a former member of the Hidden Beks, Brejik, joined the opposing gang. Brejik had hoped to attain leadership of the Hidden Beks after their current leader, Gadon Thek lost much of his eyesight in a swoop bike accident, but Thek still believed that Brejik was not yet ready to step up to the challenges. Feeling enraged at the loss of a position he thought he was so close to claiming, Brejik took over the Black Vulkars instead, along with numerous disgruntled Beks. Though already having a grim record, the Vulkars became even more extreme under Brejik, and the Vulkars became heavily involved in the illicit drug trade and slavery. They also took to open war against the Beks on the streets of the Lower City, and even attacked civilians and Sith troopers during the Sith occupation.

It was the Vulkars who captured Bastila Shan after her ship was destroyed over Taris by the Sith during the Battle of Taris. When Revan first visited Javyar's Cantina, he witnessed Calo Nord killing a group of Black Vulkars. Later, Revan was able to secure the aid of Gadon Thek during his mission to rescue Bastila, Revan had to infiltrate the Vulkars' base. He was aided by Mission who managed to deactivate the forcefield in the Taris Sewers with a keycard that she had stolen from a Vulkar whilst they were drunk at the cantina. When in the base, there were very many Vulkars but they were all killed by Revan's party. Revan did however choose to free a slave, Ada from the base. Revan finally rescued Shan by winning a major swoop race. Furious at losing her, they reported that Revan cheated by using a Prototype accelerator in his swoop, but the head of the swoop race refused to acknowledge the move and said that the tradition was, once something was anted up it could not be returned once the race was over and that the decision could not be changed. The Vulkars then attacked Revan, but were killed by him and Bastila.

Viewpoint
"Kill this woman! Kill the swoop rider! Kill them all!"

- Brejik, ordering the Vulkars to attack Bastila Shan and Revan.

When Benno was in control of the gang, the Vulkars were little more than common thugs on swoop bikes harassing the locals. They were usually found trying to acquire spice in some way or another among other crimes such as looting and muggings. However, when Brejik seized control of the gang he turned their focus to the destruction of their rivals, the Hidden Beks. He also brought the gang deeper into the illicit drugs and slavery trades. The Vulkars went about their business so vehemently that even the Exchange, an interstellar crime syndicate, started to notice them giving Davik, the head of the Exchange on Taris during the Jedi Civil War, cause to hire mercenaries to keep the Vulkars out of his affairs.

Known Members

 * Benno
 * Brejik
 * Doba
 * Frazznik
 * Redros
 * Wargo

Brejik


During his time in the Hidden Beks, Brejik was noted for being impulsive and misinterpreting Gadon's instruction and then often going against the his wishes as a result. When he and Griff Vao kidnapped the Taris Constable's children he was nearly dismissed from the Beks. He later became Gadon Thek's protégé and expected to be made leader of the Beks after Thek was blinded in a swoop accident. Brejik left for the Vulkars after being deemed not ready by Thek and easily managed to edge his way as leader vowing then to destroy the Hidden Beks. He would later be killed by Bastila Shan and Revan at the Tarisian Season Opener when he withdrew the captured Jedi Knight as the reward for the race claiming the Beks of cheating.

Redros


Redros was respected as the Vulkars' best swoop rider, even by the Hidden Beks. The male Nikto made his best performance at the Tarisian Season Opener to beat Revan. However, he was beaten by the former Sith Lord and was later killed during the fight that followed.

Behind the scenes
In the video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Revan has a choice whether to help the Black Vulkars or the Hidden Beks. If the player chooses the non-canon dark side option, Revan accepts the Vulkars' offer to assassinate Gadon Thek in exchange for Bastila. Revan then enters the swoop race for the Vulkars; after winning, Brejik refuses to give up Bastila, claiming that she is a Jedi and thus is too dangerous to be given as a slave. When Bastila breaks herself free of Brejik's restraint, he&mdash;apparently panicking&mdash;orders his Vulkars to kill Revan along with Bastila. Revan, however, ends up killing Brejik instead.

Many of the Vulkars were Kadas'sa'Nikto, although there were also Twi'leks, Humans, Duros, Aqualish, Rodians, Gamorreans, Ithorians and Drovians among their ranks.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 3: Commencement, Part 3
 * Labor Pains
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 22: Knights of Suffering, Part 1
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Notes and references
Schwarze Vulkar Black Vulkars