Pyke Syndicate The Pyke Syndicate , also known as the Pyke Family , was a spice dealership that operated in the criminal underworld from their homeworld of Oba Diah . They also participated in the crime raids on Mandalore to start the Death Watch rule on said planet . History . The Pyke s were responsible for ensuring the flow of spice from Kessel to Coruscant , utilizing smuggler s and freighter captains to carry out Kessel Run s to ensure spice deliveries . Prior to the invasion of Naboo , Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum sent Jedi Master Sifo - Dyas to engage the Pykes in negotiations with the Galactic Republic regarding the Pykes ' monopoly on the spice trade . At the behest of the Sith Lord Darth Tyranus , however , the Pykes killed Sifo - Dyas . Years later , during the Clone Wars , the Pyke Syndicate allied themselves with Darth Maul and his Shadow Collective ; the Pykes were eager to join after Maul had coerced the Black Sun into joining the alliance . Along with Black Sun , and at the behest of Maul and Death Watch , the Pykes staged an attack on Mandalore , allowing Death Watch to intervene as so - called defenders of the people . With the government of Mandalore unable to manage the crisis , Death Watch successfully took over Mandalore . Later , Anakin Skywalker and Obi - Wan Kenobi arrived on Oba Diah , hot on the trail of Sifo - Dyas . After admitting that the Pykes had indeed killed Sifo - Dyas , Lom introduced the Jedi Knights to Valorum ' s former aide Silman , who the Pykes had kept in captivity as insurance . Shortly afterward Tyranus arrived on Oba Diah with the intention of keeping the Jedi from discovering the truth behind Sifo - Dyas ' demise . Tyranus killed Silman and engaged the Jedi and the Pykes in battle , killing Lom and escaping . Marg Krim became the leader of the Pyke Syndicate following Lom ' s death . When the Black Sun leader Ziton Moj proposed merging the two crime syndicates , Krim rejected the offer . In retaliation , Moj ordered the kidnapping of Krim ' s wife Tezzka Krim and their children Vram and Laalee . Krim was unable to rely on his Pyke Syndicate subordinates for help because several of his underlings contested his leadership of the organization . In response , Krim enlisted the services of two independent bounty hunter s — the former Sith apprentice Asajj Ventress and the undercover Jedi Master Quinlan Vos — to rescue his family . Ventress and Vos succeeded in rescuing Krim ' s family from the Black Sun fortress on Mustafar . However , Black Sun retaliated by launching an attack on the Pyke Syndicate ' s stronghold on Oba Diah . The Pykes remained loyal to Maul ' s Shadow Collective even after he was taken prisoner by Darth Sidious , and their representative Fife met up with the Sith Lord on Ord Mantel with the rest of the criminals and warriors . The Pykes defended the Black Sun stronghold during an ensuing Separatist attack , but not without some casualties . Following this , Fife and Ziton Moj both voiced concern over the likelihood of Maul ' s plan against his former Master succeeding , but were told they would be paid nonetheless . Soon afterward the Pykes came under attack by a Separatist armada , and after losing a significant number of ships , Fife informed Maul ' s lieutenant Rook Kast that their partnership was finished as they no longer saw any financial incentive . During the reign of the Galactic Empire , the Pykes operations on Kessel were administered by capo Quay Tolsite along with Kessel Operations Droid s . Behind the scenes . The Pykes were developed by George Lucas , the creator of " Star Wars " . They were first introduced in " Eminence " , an episode in the of " " . Before the cancellation of " The Clone Wars " TV series , a four - episode arc entitled " Ahsoka ' s Walkabout " was to follow Ahsoka Tano after her decision to leave the Jedi Order , showing some of her first adventures in the Coruscant underworld where she met a scoundrel named Nyx Okami , whom she developed a close relationship with . During their adventures she was to be challenged by the Pyke Syndicate and in the process she would had to resist her Jedi teachings for her own safety .