A skirmish broke out in Freetown on the planet Tatooine between the Red Key Raiders led by the Weequay Lorgan Movellan and locals of Freetown including its Mayor Cobb Vanth and several Tusken Raiders. The Red Key raiders managed to seize the town and capture its inhabitants. However, they were then ambushed and expelled by Tusken Raiders, who had forged a pact with Freetown.

Prelude[]

Following the death of Jabba Desilijic Tiure in 4 ABY, the planet Tatooine descended into a state of lawlessness. The Red Key crime syndicate attempted to establish a presence on Tatooine through a mining company. They were opposed by a mysterious vigilante lawman named Cobb Vanth, who obtained a set of Mandalorian armor.^[5]

By 5 ABY, Cobb Vanth had established himself as Mayor of Freetown, formerly known as Mos Pelgo. Freetown become home to local residents who were opposed to criminal elements. Vanth also foiled a plot by Red Key to install a Huttlet onto the town's palace dais. Vanth recruited Jabba's former animal trainer Malakili to look after the Huttlet and to tame a pair of rontos in return for lodging. Vanth and his fellow townsfolk including the Twi'lek Issa-Or resisted Red Key encroachment on their territory. On one occasion, they killed two Red Key gangsters including Bivvam Gorge.^[6]

Besides looking after the Huttlet (who acquired the name Borgo) and the rontos, Malakili also helped Vanth strike a deal with the Tusken Raiders to protect Freetown by giving them water and a pearl from a krayt dragon's belly. The Hutts regarded Freetown as sacred ground and shared the townsfolk's antipathy towards enslavers and criminal syndicates like Red Key, which also claimed the territory for themselves.^[4]

The skirmish[]

Freetown's resistance against Red Key eventually attracted the attention of the syndicate's crime boss Lorgan Movellan. Lorgan assembled a force of Red Key raiders including the Gran Yimug, the Rodian Gweeska, the Ithorian Vommb, and the woman Trayness to attack the town. They managed to overwhelm the town's defenses and capture its inhabitants including Mayor Vanth, Malakili, and the Huttlet Borgo. After subduing the town, Lorgan confronted the captive Vanth and taunted him about his failure.^[4]

When Vanth demanded to know why Lorgan wanted Tatooine, Lorgan responded that he wanted to exploited the planet's dilarium oil, silicax oxalate, and people as slave labor. Despite their defeat, Vanth remained defiant. Lorgan then announced that he was going to take the Huttlet Borgo and sell it back to the Hutts. Lorgan's thugs Vommb and Trayness brought Borgo and his keeper Malakili, who comforted the frightened child and whispered something into his ears. Lorgan saw that and ordered Traness to strike Malakili in the head. In response, Borgo led out a shrieking, ear-bleeding wail.^[4]

Unknown to Lorgan and his Red Key raiders, this was the signal for the Tusken Raiders to attack. The Tuskens opened fired on the Red Key sentries on the wall, killing several. The chief Tusken then charged through the gate of his town on a massive bantha. He broke the neck of a Red Key raider with his gaderffii stick before dismounting and killing several of Lorgan's men with his cycler rifle. Due to their pact with Freetown, the Tuskens left the townspeople unharmed.^[4]

Aftermath[]

With his forces defeated, Lorgan tried to attack Vanth but the lawman overpowered him. Reminding Lorgan that Freetown would always strive for freedom, Vanth carved a message on the crime lord's face.^[4]

Behind the scenes[]

The Skirmish in Freetown appears in an interlude chapter in Chuck Wendig's 2017 Aftermath: Empire's End, the third book in Star Wars: The Aftermath Trilogy.

Appearances[]

• Aftermath: Empire's End (First appearance, simultaneous with audiobook)
• Aftermath: Empire's End audiobook

Notes and references[]