Hoss

"If you're still looking for Hoss, I haven't seen him."

―Quint, to Kay Vess^[1]

Hoss was a Sullustan male mercenary and violent criminal that lived in the galaxy, and was on the run on the planet Tatooine by 3 ABY during the Galactic Civil War and around the time of the Syndicate War. He was a bounty hunter seen as an outlaw legend who was known for his wild gambling, collection of weapons and risk-taking. After losing everything he owned during a game that went wrong on Tatooine, Hoss withdrew to the dunes and would attempt to scam anyone he came across into handing over their credits.^[1]

In 3 ABY, Hoss was captured by a tribe of Tusken Raiders, believing he'd be a perfect hostage to trade for their stolen krayt dragon pearl, which was stolen by a bandit gang he was formerly apart of. Fortuitously, the Tuskens captured an offworlder named Kay Vess, correctly assuming that she had come for Hoss. Upon being told that Jaylen Vrax needed him for a job, Hoss explained his situation and suggested that Vess recover the pearl in exchange for his freedom.^[1]

Hoss and his Tusken captors later met Vess at the rear end of the bandits' hideout. As Vess exchanged the pearl, Hoss attempted to take advantage of her ignorance of the Tusken language to claim that the chief wanted her to pay his tab at the cantina, but she wasn't fooled. As he was set free, Hoss instructed her to meet him at Docking Bay 94 in Mos Eisley.^[1]

However, Hoss failed to make his appointed rendezvous, instead choosing to play sabacc at Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina with an Aqualish bounty hunter. As a disappointed Vess arrived, the bounty hunter drew his blaster on Hoss, demanding he pay up. The Sullustan quick grabbed Vess' pet merqaal, Nix, as collateral, much to Vess' outrage. This provoked Nix into biting Hoss' hand, prompting him to toss the merqaal across the table into the Aqualish's hand. The ensuing brawl resulted in Vess being knocked out. When she later regained consciousness, she slammed Hoss' face on a table and drew her blaster, demanding to know Nix's whereabouts. Initially, Hoss reacted with surprise at her behaviour until she shot at the wall, forcing him to guess that Nix was likely being sold to the infamous gangster and leader of the Hutt Cartel, Jabba the Hutt. Vess then knocked him out when he tried to tell him she would likely never set foot in Jabba's palace.^[1]

Sometime after Vess' departure, Hoss was captured by Zerek Besh bounty hunter Vail Tormin and flown to Jabba's palace, where the Hutt Cartel leader swiftly caught the human after she successfully rescued Nix. Hoss was dragged in chains by Vail as they stepped from behind Jabba's throne. As the Hutt commended Vail's intelligence, Hoss eagerly asked if his bounty was going to be cleared but was ignored as Jabba proceeded to drop Vess into the rancor pit. Vail quickly caught her by the wrist and accused Jabba of violating their agreement, but the Hutt declared that he owed nothing to Zerek Besh. A Gamorrean guard then kicked Vail into the hole, dragging Hoss, who was still chained to her, with the two women. Spotting a pair of massiff in the pit with them, Hoss tried to yank his chains to throw Vail towards them in an effort to save himself, only for the bounty hunter to release their chain, causing Hoss to fall forward and come face to face with the massifs, who proceeded to pounce on him and maul him to death. Vess remarked how Hoss 'deserved' it, and both Vail and Vess were apathetic to his demise.^[1]