Black Bha ' lir The Black Bha ' lir was a society of smugglers who lived by a strict code of ethics . Their name was derived from the large , pack - hunting cats of Iyred known as the bha ' lir . Smuggler ' s code . The Black Bha ' lir was unusual among criminal organizations in that it expected all of its members to adhere to a very demanding code of ethical conduct . This code consisted of four principles . Those who broke the code or otherwise disgraced the Black Bha ' lir were no longer considered to be members and were frequently hunted by the Black Bha ' lir according to the Rites of Retribution . Those members of the Black Bha ' lir who carried out retribution on behalf of the society were often revered by their fellow members . Benefits of membership . A member of the Black Bha ' lir enjoyed benefits unlike most other criminal organizations . The Bha ' lir were focused on mutual support and the common good rather than individual success and selfish greed . While disputes between members did occasionally occur within the Black Bha ' lir , a member could typically depend on the support of his fellow members no matter how dire a situation they found themselves in . As long as a member adhered to the ethics of the smuggler ' s code , they had only allies within the society . Members of higher rank , such as Master Smugglers , Mentors , and the Old Guard would often provide safe havens for downtrodden Bha ' lir . Members of the lower ranks were willing to cross the galaxy to fight alongside their brothers and sisters in need . Reimbursement was sometimes expected , but was rarely more than a returned favor or customary gift . Bha ' lir ranks . Every member of the Black Bha ' lir was expected to start at the bottom and earn their rank within the society . This ensured members gained power within the society based solely on the merits of their actions , but also helped to guide prospective members into the positions for which they were most suited . Apprentice : This was the lowest rank a member could hold within the society , and where all members started out . Becoming an Apprentice was not easy , however . Most Apprentices were brought into the society by relatives , but others were approached by the Black Bha ' lir because they had already demonstrated the honor the society expected of its members . Forbidden by the society to own a ship of their own , Apprentices were usually expected to work under the tutelage of another member until they were promoted . In many cases , the Apprentice was made first - mate on a ship with a Bha ' lir captain . There they learned the morality and responsibility expected of all members , as well as tricks of the trade . Pilot : The rank of pilot was awarded to Apprentices that stood out from among their fellow members . Many members of the Black Bha ' lir never made it beyond the rank of Apprentice not because they lacked the skill of a smuggler , but because they were found lacking in their understanding of the code . Although they were not prevented from owning their own ships , Pilots often worked under a Master Smuggler and were assigned to one of the Master Smuggler ' s ships . Those who remained Pilots were often very skilled smugglers , but poor businessmen . Prince : The rank of prince was a rare honor awarded to Pilots who had earned a reasonable degree of fame in the underworld . Princes almost always owned their own ship , and their skills as a smuggler were rarely matched by any Pilot . Both male and female members of this rank were called Princes . Master Smuggler : Master Smugglers were most often minor crime lords or information brokers . They had proven themselves as Pilot or Prince and earned a less risky , but often more demanding life . The Master Smuggler usually owned more than one ship and kept several Pilots on their payroll . Mentor : While all members of the society taught and learned from one another , members of great wisdom and skill were promoted to the rank of Mentor by the Tribunal . Mentors were tasked with teaching new generations of members the skills of the smuggler , and guiding them in their understanding of the code . Old Guard : Only the most venerated members were promoted to the rank of Old Guard . Old Guards were most often Mentors who continued to serve as Master Smugglers or even Pilots . Once a member had obtained the rank of Old Guard , they were eligible to be on the Tribunal . The Tribunal : The Tribunal was the ruling body of the Black Bha ' lir . They were responsible for settling disputes within the society as well as preserving the ethical code that was central to the Black Bha ' lir way of life . The tribunal consisted of three members who were elected by a silent ballot open to all members of the society , but the identity of those who are elected remained a fiercely guarded secret among the highest ranking members of the society . Once elected , a member would serve on the Tribunal for life . Rivalry with the Hutts . In the history of the Black Bha ' lir , only one Tribunal member has ever been successfully assassinated . When the head of the Ramesh clan refused to pay a docking tax at Meril Power Station , a docking facility controlled by the Black Bha ' lir , a dispute erupted between the Ramesh Hutts and the Black Bha ' lir . The Ramesh invited a representative from the Tribunal to meet with them in their stronghold to resolve the conflict . The Black Bha ' lir obliged and the Tribunal member was eventually slain by the brutal and over - confident Hutts . The Ramesh considered the matter resolved , expecting the Black Bha ' lir to retreat from further conflict or crumble under the loss of one of their leaders . Instead , the Black Bha ' lir exacted retribution . As a gift , they sent to the Ramesh a black bha ' lir cub which the Hutts foolishly accepted as an offering of service , and the clan met to discuss what to do with their new tool , the Black Bha ' lir . Unbeknownst to them , the Black Bha ' lir had implanted a device within the cub ' s lungs which would release a deadly toxin known as trauger gas . The result was the near destruction of the Ramesh clan , and a lasting bitter rivalry between the Black Bha ' lir and the Hutts . This story would come to be known among the Black Bha ' lir as " The Tale of A Tiger and A Worm . " Other affiliations . The Black Bha ' lir were forever enamored of the underdog . Although they were never officially affiliated with any other groups or organizations , the Black Bha ' lir often supported worthy causes for comparatively little cost . In rare cases , they even offered aid to struggling groups such as the Rebel Alliance without any expectation of reimbursement ; a practice virtually unheard of in the criminal underworld .