Klaus Vandangante

"The man's like an artist with a hydrospanner and a torch."

Klaus Vandangante, better known as Doc, was a well known Human male outlaw tech who was operating in the Corporate Sector during the early career of the famed smuggler Han Solo.

Biography[]

"He's not here, Solo. Doc's gone."

―Jessa explaining to Solo about Klaus' absence^[5]

Doc was born on Coruscant to Carmilla Vandangante, a corporate viceprex and widow who doted on her only son. He rebelled against his life of luxury and privilege at the age of seven, reprogramming his droid nanny to discard such unpalatable foods as kibla greens, flangth, and stewed gwouch into a living room vase. This demonstrated his technical gifts to his tutors, who soon tailored their lessons to these skills.^[1]

Upon graduation, Doc accepted a position at Alkherrodyne Propulsions as design systems team leader. He soon became disenchanted with the corporation's shoddy workmanship covered with flashy marketing, but swallowed his pride and remained with the company. However, when the Azaria 66 began exploding in minor accidents, Alkherrodyne's slicers framed Doc. The countless lawsuits wiped out the multi-billion credit Vandangante fortune, and left the name slandered.^[1]

Doc became a drifter, eventually making his way into the Corporate Sector, where he met an outlaw tech by the name of Shardra. They immediately fell in love, and when introduced to her profession, Doc found his calling, repairing smuggling ships and souping them up to be some of the fastest in the Corporate Sector. Shardra bore the couple a daughter, Jessa Vandangante, but soon died in an unfortunate fuel dump explosion. Doc found raising a daughter to be a difficult task, especially as the free-spirited woman grew older and started catching the eye of younger smugglers like Han Solo.^[1]

The Corporate Sector Authority eventually managed to capture Doc, and placed him in their Stars' End prison facility. He was rescued by Solo when the smuggler broke into the facility to free him, his first mate Chewbacca, and several other prisoners.^[2]^[1]

Doc returned to the business, and was still working several months after the Battle of Yavin, when Cynabar's InfoNet informed readers that Doc had changed locations and would be notifying his regulars shortly thereafter.^[6] After moving, Sarvel Tal-Oldra took over his former location and began producing suits of Juggernaut 510 Combat Power Armor.^[7]