Balada

Balada was a female^[3] Hutt who sponsored and ran the Hunters of the Outer Rim competition on the Outer Rim planet Vespaara.^[2] Stories told that Balada found the planet on accident while on a scouting journey for unique items. She established a settlement in the small inhabitable zone of the planet and constructed the Grand Arena, making Vespaara her new base of operations. Soon, a boomtown sprouted up around the arena.^[4]

Balada was an avid collector. She traveled the galaxy in search of novel weapons, trinkets, or potential Hunters. Her finds included the lightsabers used by Hunters Rieve and J-3DI, other weapons used in the arena, proprietary bandage tape, and even a set of old Sith armor, which had been gifted to Rieve. Balada mandated that all of the organic Hunters used the tape, which prevented injury.^[4]

As the owner of the Hunters of the Outer Rim competition, Balada had ultimate authority over it. She partnered with showman and former fighter Daq Dragus, who trained Hunters and acted as the face of the competition. Dragus had influence in the recruitment of Hunters, but Balada made the final call as to who would be trained and who was added to the official Hunter roster. Despite the attention and care she paid to the competition, she spent most of her time in her ship, the Hypernova, which hovered above the Grand Arena, or traveling the galaxy in search of antiquities.^[4]

When goons working for the businessman and trainer Rothwell attacked the Grand Arena, Balada saw from her ship and sent some of her personal guards to help evacuate the crowds. She then brought a blaster down to the arena to help fight off the invaders herself. While backstage, she apprehended an individual at blasterpoint, later discovering it was just Rieve. Then, Balada went with J-3DI to search for Rothwell in the underbelly of the arena. After the battle, Rothwell and his goons were taken to Balada's ship before being handed to New Republic authorities.^[4]