While some of the Star Wars universe’s most notable figures appear in Star Wars Outlaws due to it taking place between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi at the height of the Galactic Civil War, the game sees a predominantly new cast at it’s core on a new adventure, with new threats for its original protagonist, Kay Vess, to face. This threat comes in the form of no other than Sliro, one of the galaxy’s major crime lords, and leader of the Zerek Besh crime family, who has issued a Death Mark on Kay.
[Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Star Wars Outlaws]
Zerek Besh previously appeared in the
Hidden Empire
comics.
The Death Mark came following a failed heist attempt on Sliro’s mansion in the game’s opening section. Believing she was going to be acquiring a fortune, Kay was surprised to open the vault door only to find the rebel Asara Deyn, and soon learnt that it was a rescue mission with no payment involved. Upon demanding her payment, Kay was stunned and left behind by the rebels, which gave Sliro the opportunity to learn more about her before she escaped, stealing Sliro’s prized starship, The Trailblazer, which only further infuriated the crime lord and resulted in him sending “one of the most expensive bounty hunters in the Outer Rim,” Vail Tormin, to hunt the scoundrel, but after being forced to work with Kay to escape Jabba’s Rancor attack, Vail opts out of hunting Kay and turns on Sliro.
There’s More To Sliro Than Meets The Eye
The Zerek Besh Is A Front For The ISB
Soon after the conversation in which Vail tries to quit, it’s revealed that Sliro is none other than Director Barsha of the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB), a character who previously appeared in the fifth issue of the Crimson Reign comics. With this reveal came the revelation that Zerek Besh was a front for the Empire, and Sliro has been able to use this organization to infiltrate the criminal underworld and gather intel on those who oppose the Empire, with Sliro telling Darth Vader that it is “the most groundbreaking intelligence network the Empire has ever seen” before making the statement that it has “accomplished more in weeks than the entire Imperial army ever did” in response to the Sith lord’s claims that it is a failure for not successfully capturing any rebels.
While Director Barsha appeared in the
Crimson Reign
comics, his actual appearance was obscured by shadows, making the reveal in
Star Wars Outlaws
the first time fans saw his face.
While Vader undoubtedly won this argument, using the Force to shatter the various display cabinets nearby and aiming the shards directly at the cowering ISB Director, this moment with Vader further builds upon the ongoing clash in ideology shown between Vader and his Inquisitors and the ISB. Gamers were provided another insight into this last year, as the conflict was also present in the final act of Respawn Entertainment’s Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
Sliro & Jaylen Have A History
Jaylen Seeks Revenge Against Sliro & Seeks To Take Zerek Besh From Him
Kay and her crew successfully pull off the second heist on Sliro’s mansion, but it’s revealed that the score isn’t the 157 million credits in unmarked beskar ingots Kay was expecting, but rather a codex of all the data Sliro acquired on not just those who opposed the Empire, but some of its highest-ranking members as well. It turns out that this was the plan of Jaylen Vrax, the man who recruited Kay initially, all along, as he wanted to use the data to overthrow Sliro and run Zerek Besh. After stunning Kay, Jaylen makes a deal with Vader to do just this, and Vader appears via a Holocomm to dismiss the former Director Barsha, telling him he has “outlived his usefulness to the Emperor.”
It’s then revealed that the reason Jaylen had a vendetta against Sliro is because the two are brothers. The Barsha family was originally due to build thousands of Star Destroyers for the Empire after the end of the Clone Wars before Sliro sold them out, accusing them of plotting against the Emperor to gain a promotion. This led to the Battle-Hardened BX Commando Droid that had been part of Kay’s crew for most of the game, ND-5, being sent to kill the entire Barsha family, with Jaylen seemingly being the sole survivor.
While Jaylen never understood Sliro’s reason for going against family, Sliro responded that their father considered him to be a mistake, and clearly favored Jaylen as the heir to the family. This led to years of resentment, with Sliro feeling like he only ever got scraps until he betrayed them. Soon after this confession, ND-5 executes Sliro, with Jaylen becoming the primary antagonist of Star Wars Outlaws and Kay never having a climactic showdown with Sliro, even after he sent so many to hunt her down throughout the game.