Jaffar began work as a smuggler for the Hutt cartels, transporting goods around the galaxy. When the Sith Imperium began aggressively subjugating worlds, Jaffar paid close attention for signs of oppression. He began secretly supplying rebel movements within the Imperium with equipment and goods as a side job. Following the Battle of Saleucami, Jaffar stopped working for the Hutt cartels and began his own smuggling ring. With the Galactic Alliance struggling to put up a solid resistance to the Imperial expansion, the Mandalorian clans withdrawing to Alliance space, and the Imperial Knights attempting to restore the old Empire, Jaffar believed he could turn a fortune by offering his services.