Bib Fortuna

Bibfort'una redirects here. You may be looking for the Bibfort of Ryloth.

Bib Fortuna was a male Twi'lek from Ryloth. Bib served as a majordomo to Jabba Desilijic Tiure for many years. Considering he served Jabba for that few in the galaxy hated the Hutt as much as he did—the Twi'lek majordomo had tried many times unsuccessfully to have Jabba killed. A member of the Una Clan, Bib Fortuna was friendly with many B'omarr monks in Jabba's Palace—when he died, his brain was forcibly removed from his body by the ancient religious order, and placed in a jar for the enlightenment process.

Biography

In the service of Jabba

From slaver to Majordomo

Meeting Jabba

The Twi'lek male Bibfort'una was born to the Una clan on his homeworld of the planet Ryloth,^[1] where he was an ambitious entrepreneur.^[4] When he was a mere boy, he traveled away from Ryloth^[1] seeking opportunities in the larger galaxy.^[5] Bibfort'una quickly gained wealth^[1] in his first business venture^[6] trafficking contraband ryll spice^[1] and becoming one of its foremost exporters.^[4] This action, however, led to^[6] a planet-wide breakdown of order,^[7] slavers coming to his homeworld,^[6] and the Twi'lek becoming one.^[6] Angered by the death and slavery, a court of Bibfort'una's Twi'lek peers^[8] sentenced him to death, but he was able to escape with his name dishonored and his assets taken. Now removed from Ryloth culture, his personal name and his clan name were split and he was known as Bib Fortuna from that point forward.^[1]

Fortuna spent several years being^[1] a hunted criminal^[9] with a Twi'lek bounty on his head^[8] and a successful freelancer^[1] trading spice, at one point dealing with the Hutt crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure. The desperate and down-on-his-luck Twi'lek used his criminal contacts to try and infiltrate the court of the Hutt,^[6] who saw potential in Fortuna, as he was a survivor, excellent organizer, and someone with strong contacts in the criminal underworld.^[6]

Majordomo duties

An agent of Jabba's approached Fortuna with the offer of the Twi'lek working for the Hutt as his production and transport agent^[4] of glitterstim^[7] shipments.^[6] Fortuna would make more than he made independently by bringing in spice that would be handled by Jabba's empire. Even though there were dangers associated with the job, the pay was good and Fortuna^[4] let his greed get the best of him^[10] and signed on.^[4]

Jabba hired Fortuna shortly after he arrived on^[6] the planet^[1] Tatooine. Using his position of power and influence, the Twi'lek was able to quickly rise in favor of Jabba's court^[6] and move through successively more prominent roles^[7] to the position of majordomo in Jabba's organization, much to the detriment of less able schemers.^[6] As majordomo, he supervised the affairs of Jabba's palace and the^[9] Desilijic Complex^[11] in the spaceport city Mos Eisley.^[9] Fortuna used this role to plot against Jabba, planning to take over the Hutt's business after Jabba's death.^[7]

If anyone wanted to do business with Jabba, they would first have to deal with Fortuna. The Twi'lek met visitors to the Hutt's palace after the main gate's sentry systems scanned for hostility. If they were let through the gate, Fortuna would meet with them accompanied by Gamorrean guards.^[12] Fortuna gained favor with Jabba though gift-giving,^[13] and he often hovered near Jabba's ear feeding information and giving advice. He was a firsthand witness of Jabba's most cruel and wretched doings and stood aside whenever he enslaved Twi'lek slave girls.^[12]

Meeting the B'omarr monks

While he was a new majordomo, Fortuna was hungry to learn everything about the palace, in particular the main and secret corridors, rooms, the dungeons, and the people's routines. While he was accompanying the kitchen staff on their rounds feeding prisoners one evening, a B'omarr monk's spider walker jumped on to the group just as they reached the first cell, causing hot soup to spill on Fortuna's robes. Using his blaster, the Twi'lek shot the walker's brain jar, making the jar explode and the brain to fall to the floor. When the walker short-circuited, Fortuna finally realized the spider walker was mechanical. Monks rushed to collect the brain and placed it in a nutrient jar wherein which it could contemplate the cosmos.^[14]

Gagging at the thought of the brain contemplating in the jar, Fortuna rushed back to the palace throne room to advise Jabba to have the B'omarr order exterminated. He was astonished at the idea of two distinct cultures—the monks and Jabba's empire—lived in the palace. Stopping on his way to Jabba, Fortuna thought about how he was angry that the monks resided in the palace, and how they must feel about Jabba and his minions. The majordomo then realized he could use their discontent to his advantage by siding with them in their complaints; pretending to learn from them; guide them into open plotting against the Hutt; and molding them an unsuspected force he could call upon when he took control of Jabba's organization.^[14]

Demoted to errand boy

After mishandling a petty triviality around the time of the Battle of Naboo^[1] in 32 BBY,^[15] Fortuna was demoted to the rank of errand boy and replaced as majordomo by Naroon Cuthus. Now stuck in his employ without the influence he once had, Fortuna began to hate Jabba more than he hated his Twi'lek brethren.^[1]

Fortuna attended the Boonta Eve Classic of 32 BBY with his employer, who hosted the event. He stood at Jabba's side through the Hutt's welcome to all the contestants and spectators who attended the event. He witnessed Anakin Skywalker win the race, securing the young boy's freedom from a life of slavery. At the conclusion of the race, he was forced to wake Jabba, who had fallen asleep sometime after the second lap.^[16]

At some point, he returned to Ryloth seeking his revenge and ransacking seven cities, capturing most members and selling them into slavery for Jabba. While finding loot for himself he came across Nat Secura and his mother, who chastised him for his actions, cursing his name. The insult resulted in Fortuna executing her and taking Secura under his wing, though he was horribly scarred. Fortuna only took Secura as a way to take over Ryloth for himself in the future, using the good name of Clan Secura.^[14]

The Clone Wars

In 21.95 BBY, one month into the galactic conflict known as the Clone Wars,^[18] one of Jabba's rivals, a Hutt named Boorka, began an alliance with the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Jabba sought to eliminate Boorka, and arranged a meeting with the Jedi Knight Echuu Shen-Jon, which Fortuna was present for.^[19]

During the first year of the Clone Wars,^[20] the Confederacy of Independent Systems set up a secret mining facility on the ore-rich Valsedian asteroid belt, deep inside Hutt Space. It was there that the male Twi'lek worked, likely in a position of administrator. While the facility was very isolated, the Separatist operations there did not go unnoticed; Jabba learned about it, and suspected that it was sold to the Confederacy by his distant cousin, Torpo. This violated the terms of a treaty between the Hutts and the Galactic Republic, and Jabba informed the Republic of the situation, which led to a team of Jedi being sent to investigate the asteroid belt to ascertain the existence of the mining installation.^[17]

The Twi'lek administrator was working with a datapad while walking near the entrance of the facility exactly at the time when Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Keelyvine Reus entered the base. Reus acted quickly, captured the flinched Twi'lek and used a mind trick on him, ordering him to take the Jedi to his master. However, the administrator revealed that his master was not anywhere near the asteroid belt. Before the interrogation could continue, Kenobi sensed that the team's Padawan members, who had taken an alternate route inside the facility, were in danger and rushed to aid them. Reus bound the Twi'lek at the nearby tubes with stun cuffs, and questioned him more closely. She suspected that Torpo was the master of the administrator, and asked about the whereabouts of the Hutt. The Twi'lek confused the Jedi by stating that while his master was gone, Torpo was inside the facility. Before Reus could learn more, she was suddenly attacked by Confederacy assassin Asajj Ventress, who challenged her to a lightsaber duel. The pair engaged each other, leaving the still-bound Twi'lek behind.^[17]

Fortuna's assassination plot

Meeting with Gaar Suppoon

By 5 BBY,^[22] Fortuna planned to subdue with drugs Jabba and torture him to acquire his secrets. To help in his efforts, he enlisted Nivek,^[2] a humanoid follower of Jabba's,^[23] to recruit and arm other helpers.^[2] That year,^[22] the Twi'lek, Jabba, and his entourage traveled on the Star Jewel to the planet of the Gaar Suppoon,^[21] a Bah'r Kilido criminal kingpin^[24] and rival of Jabba's,^[21] to conduct a highly illigal^[25] jubjub, a business ceremony.^[21] The ceremony was desired by Suppoon despite Jabba's warning of planting a bomb at the Gaar's palace to ensure no double-crossing.^[25]

For trade, Jabba brought along the^[21] infamous scientist^[25] Pineas Pontak with his disembodied brain,^[21] and a biologically engineered hypergland from the scientist's laboratories. The Hutt seemingly wanted to trade the hypergland for a female tromonid but actually wanted a male tromonid so he could breed the creatures and harvest the poison created by them.^[25] Before the visit, Fortuna and bet one hundred credits that he would return from the trip with Jabba's second-in-command, Scuppa.^[26]

As the group made their way to Suppoon's palace, Fortuna mentioned to Jabba that he hoped the Gaar would appreciate the visit. The Hutt responded back that the trip would be worthwhile, and Fortuna could learn from it. The Twi'lek then asked if the visit would be short and Jabba replyed with an explanation of a jubjub and that they couldn't rush the Gaar. Now inside the palace, Jabba and Suppoon bet on a fighting match between two creatures. After the match was over, Fortuna, The Hutt, his entourage, and Suppoon moved to a table to get to business. At the table, Suppoon confronted Jabba about the supposed bomb he had placed within the Bah'r Kilido's palace.^[21] Kosh Kurp, an Imperial security expert employed by Suppoon,^[25] had not found any bomb. Jabba was adamant that he did place a bomb and the two dropped the topic and began business.^[21]

Tromonoid trade

A servant of Suppoon's brought out a female tromonid and Fortuna brought out the hypergland. Suppoon had wanted more—Pontak himself^[21]—which Jabba anticipated.^[25] The Gaar was lied to about Pontak's condition and was unaware that his brain had been removed. Fortuna brought out the scientist and removed the covering over his face. Jabba traded the scientist for a male tromonid, but the tromonoid turned out to be irritated^[21] with radiation burn.^[25] Angered at this, Jabba had Fortuna bring out the brain of Pontak, which led to the Hutt's life being threatened by a henchman hanging from a roof affixture.^[21] Keeping cool,^[25] Jabba opened up the cage of the female tromonoid, which Suppoon took back. Escaping from the cage, the tromonoid latched onto the Gaar's arm and inflicted a soon lethal bite. Jabba offered a syringe of tromonoid antidote, which he took from Fortuna, to Suppoon. Having no choice with the bomb Jabba was now holding over him, the Bah'r Kilido took the syringe without trouble and agreed to Jabba's new demands of spice.^[21]

Jabba then tried to leave, but Suppoon had Kosh Kurp take Jabba's bomb and detonate it. The Gaar then ordered to Jabba's entourage to surrender if they wanted to live.^[21] Fortuna, seeking safety, surrendered to who would be his new master,^[6] but Jabba did not back down. Jabba reminded Suppoon that he still had the original bomb he left inside his palace. Suppoon called his bluff, and the Hutt adressed him as "Sonopo Bomoor," the alias the Gaar used when he governed the^[21] planet^[24] of Intuci. There, Suppoon sacked the^[21] city^[24] Bonaka Nueno and massacred Kurp's family. Now realizing the Gaar was the leader who affected his life greatly, the security expert turned on Suppoon. Kurp advanced on Suppoon, who threatened to shoot^[21] him.^[24] The Bah'r Kilido finally shot, but the bolt reflected off of^[21] Kurp's armor^[24] back towards him, separating Suppoon's head from his body. Jabba instated Kurp as the leader of the late Gaar's servants and he and his group left the palace. While on the way out, the Twi'lek complimented Jabba's handling of the situation but the Hutt told him he noticed Fortuna ready to surrender and reminded him that he worked for him. The group then took off in the Star Jewel^[21] to Tatooine.^[26]

Captured by the Princess of Orooturoo

On the ship, Jabba ordered Fortuna to oversee the storage of the various things acquired during Jabba's visit to the Gaar Suppoon's planet. While in space, the Star Jewel came across a Nuffin freighter used by the Princess Nampi of^[26] the planet^[27] Orooturoo as a trap.^[26] Sensing a profit,^[28] Jabba had Fortuna vocally impersonate a member of a Nuffin trade team who had commandeered a pirate spacecraft while a hologram of a Nuffin acted as a visual representation. A Nuffin enslaved by Nampi responded and asked Fortuna to explain himself and revealed that the freighter's pulse rockets were trained on the Star Jewel. Fortuna lied that his trade team was waylaid by privateers in the Ampuroon mining district of^[26] the planet^[29] Waskiro yet he and his team were able to escape because they used LBK's and escaped in the Star Jewel. Curious about the LBK's, the Nuffin inquired about the state of them. Fortuna explained that they were prototypes but still helpful. The Nuffin congratulated Fortuna then asked if Twi'lek needed anything, Fortuna saying fuel and medical attention. The Nuffin then let the Star Jewel dock with the freighter. Jabba complemented the Twi'lek on his impersonation.^[26]

Fortuna, Jabba, Scuppa, and two guards boarded the ship, not aware it was not a Nuffin freighter and were greeted with the forces of Nampi. The door behind them closed and the group surrendered. Jabba and Scuppa were taken to meet the Princess and Fortuna and the two guards were taken into custody. Jabba would not let Nampi take the treasure on the Star Jewel and was too imprisoned. Scuppa tried to talk the Hutt into letting Nampi take his treasure, but that only angered Jabba. After sweet-talking the Princess, Scuppa became the husband of Nampi. She then proceeded to eat him,^[26] like all her prospective husbands.^[28] Unbeknownst to her, she had ingested a remote-activated vial of xenoboric acid implanted by Jabba into Scuppa's brain as a security measure. Jabba offered the hungry princess some of his treasure to not be killed and the princess agreed. After killing two of Nampi's guards with the Star Jewel's defense system, Jabba retrieved the remote control to the acid and used it to kill Nampi. The Hutt then went to free Fortuna and the two guards,^[26] finding the Twi'lek plotting treachery with his guards. Jabba was focused on loading his new treasure, however.^[28]

After the treasure from Nampi's Nuffin freighter was brought onto the Star Jewel, Fortuna brought this news to Jabba, but their attention was redirected to the late Princess' forces. Fortuna suggested they bring the Nuffin freighter to the nearby^[30] planet^[31] Smarteel and gift the ship^[30] to criminal business associate^[31] Cabrool Nuum. Jabba complimented the idea and, feeling good about himself, killed Nampi's forces by expelling them through an airlock. The Star Jewel landed on Smarteel and Jabba exited while ordering Fortuna to stay with the ship. After a series of betrayals from Nuum's family which left them dead at the hands of Jabba, he returned to his ship.^[30]

Enacting the betrayal

Now back on Tatooine, Jabba and Fortuna looked out a window on the Star Jewel. Jabba reminisced on his many adventures and mentioned to Fortuna that their recent one had left him tired^[2]—something that Fortuna had worked hard to ensure.^[32] Back at the palace, the Twi'lek directed a servant to either find or make room in the palace's treasure hold and then left under the false pretense of surveying the palace.^[2]

Fortuna made his way through the palace corridors and found a nervous Nivek. After assuring him about the safety of their plot, Fortuna was led by Nivek to six individuals he was able to recruit into the betrayal plot. Fortuna went over his plans with the recruits and made sure to note how imperative it was to keep Jabba alive. One of the recruits then questioned how Fortuna could be certain Jabba was unaware of his plot, but Fortuna explained this away with how Jabba had no reason to suspect his faithful servant. Another enlistee asked if Fortuna planned on ransoming the Hutt and Fortuna clarified his plans of torturing Jabba to learn his many secrets. That same enlistee commented how it sounded like Fortuna hated Jabba more than them, causing Fortuna to go on a tangent of the many reasons he loathed his Hutt boss. The Twi'lek ordered his recruits to stay where they were, and Fortuna left to go wait for Jabba to drowse.^[2]

Now back at the throne room, Fortuna found Jabba in the company of an old friend and a new acquaintance; smuggler Gru'um Ropple and the mysterious woman Miramba. Ropple, like Fortuna, planned an assassination on the Hutt as well, using Miramba, who was actually a droid, to transport freckers into the palace.^[32] Thinking he surveyed the palace, Jabba asked if everything was as it should be. Fortuna lied and said it was, and the Hutt ordered him to get more drinks for his guests. On the way out of the room, Fortuna pawned off his duty on a servant. Going through a corridor, Fortuna met up again with Nivek and asked for a blaster. The humanoid asked if it was time, but Fortuna made it clear he was just dealing with a minor setback. Going back to the throne room, Fortuna asked if he could hang up a rag Ropple was sitting on though the smuggler told him not to bother. Lifting up the rag, Fortuna dropped Nivek's smuggled blaster, making it appear like it had fallen out of Ropple's robes. Jabba ordered Ropple and Miramba to be taken away and fed to the Great Pit of Carkoon, despite the smuggler's pleas of innocence. Jabba then told Fortuna he was going to go to sleep and the Twi'lek left to return to his recruits.^[2]

Plot: foiled

Now back with Nivek and the others, Fortuna declared it was time to start the assassination and instructed them to stay single file behind him. While on the way to the throne room, one of the alien recruits got distracted and was left behind, but made their way to the cell where Miramba and Ropple were held. The recruit discovered Ropple's plot to kill Jabba and witness Miramba releasing the freckers into the palace. The recruit called out for Fortuna, who pulled out a blaster on the alien. The recruit tried to explain themself, but before they could finish, the alien was cut off by a scream from further in the palace.^[2]

Knowing that he needed the Hutt's account numbers and passwords,^[32] Fortuna and his recruits stepped in and defended Jabba from the freckers. While trying to pull a frecker off of Jabba, one jumped onto Fortuna's forehead, but the Hutt was able to shoot them off. Nivek, being attacked by a frecker, was shot in the head by Fortuna after trying to abandon the plan. After the fighting settled, the Twi'lek spotted a frecker and chased after it, being led to Ropple's cell. The Twi'lek shot the frecker and angerly accused Ropple of the plot. The smuggler pleaded for Fortuna to let them work together and take Jabba's empire, but the Twi'lek stated he had a better idea; torturing Ropple and throwing him into the Great Pit of Carkoon. While leaving, Fortuna ignored Ropple and told him he had caught the Twi'lek in an unfortunate mood.^[2]

Returning to the throne room, Jabba,^[2] touched by Fortuna's loyalty,^[32] asked where the freckers originated and Fortuna explained that Miramba how carried them. Jabba told Fortuna he thought that he was biding his time, but he killed "like a champion" for the Hutt and that he wouldn't forget the Twi'lek risking his life for him. Jabba then stated that it was just him and Fortuna, and he agreed.^[2]

Serving Jabba post-assassination attempt

Dyadworms for Jabba

Around 2 BBY,^[34] Fortuna, Jabba, and three of his bodyguards met up with Solo and Chewbacca at Docking Bay 94 in Mos Eisley. The Human smuggler gifted the Hutt a barrel full of dyadworms. Fortuna, looking at Solo, asked where he got the worms. Solo dodged the question and gave his price of one hundred credits. Nervously, Fortuna stated that the price was too much. Solo shrugged and said there were other buyers, causing Jabba to laugh and offer seventy credits for the barrel and an extra ten credits if Solo told him where he got them. The two continued to barter and landed on the price of ninety credits, which Fortuna paid him.^[33]

With the worms now loaded onto a repulsor sled, Jabba offered Solo a job of picking up a container of Lashaa silk for two thousand credits in advance. The two agreed and Jabba made Fortuna to give Solo the credits and the data on the cargo. Fortuna paid the smuggler and handed him a datacard that had the location of the silk, Fornax Station, and the passcode for the storage locker it was located in. Jabba ordered Fortuna to come along, and Jabba's forces left the docking bay. Despite being framed for stealing the Margravine Abominelle's Tyrian shimmersilk dress while there, the two smugglers were able to travel back to Tatooine with the Lashaa silk.^[33]

Attending Jabba's arena

Sometime after the dyadworm delivery, Fortuna, Jabba, two Gamorrean guards, and various others attended a fighting match between a gundark and a squill at Jabba's arena in the Desilijic Complex in Mos Eisley. Jabba, the guards, and Fortuna viewed the match from the private box, though Fortuna lurked in shadows at the back of the box. Jabba invited Solo and Chewbacca to talk business and the two arrived at the box, brushing past Fortuna. The Hutt appointed the smugglers to pick up new guards and a large supply of food for the Hutt on the planet Gamorr.^[35]

Recognizing Gamorreans don't encourage visitors, Jabba also gave them his best translator. The crime lord signaled for Fortuna to come over and Fortuna moved beside Han and held out a datacard, which Solo ignored. He then asked Jabba about the job's price and Fortuna, not liking to be ignored, leaned toward Solo and told the smuggler to answer to him about pricing. Solo jokingly remarked to Jabba that his price would go up if "Brain-tails" didn't start using mouthwash, causing Fortuna to check his breath in embarrassment. Jabba then gave Solo another job, a long haul to Wild Space, for him to do after his Gamorr visit. The smuggler took the datacard and then asked for three thousand credits for expenses. Jabba nodded to Fortuna and the Twi'lek gave him the credits, but while doing so, made an ill-mannered remark about Solo. The smuggler made one back and told Chewbacca to come with him, but before the Wookiee did, he snarled at Fortuna to get him to jump. The pair then left and were able get the food and guards with the help of their translator TC-72.^[35]

The day after, Fortuna, Jabba, and TC-72 attended a fighting match at the arena between the gundark and a group of unusually large womp rats. Solo and Chewbacca returned to box and the former began inquiring to Jabba about the previously mentioned Wild Space job, but the crime lord pressed him for the fee Solo should have paid for doing business with his contacts. Jabba let the fee be deducted from his pay for his Wild Space job, which was delivering seeds to the planet Shinbone and take back some gems for the Hutt. Fortuna gave him a new datacard and the pair left and traveled to Shinbone. The two were able to uncover Torkil Mux, the Arcona overseeing Jabba's mining operation on Shinbone, keeping jewels for himself. They found this out with the help of a member of a walking plant species being grown to be used as laborers—an idea that was Fortuna's. When the smugglers returned, Solo lied about what happened and feigned ignorance about knowing the nature of the laborers. Jabba revealed to them it was Fortuna's idea and ordered him to pay Solo one credit for returning more gems than originally asked.^[35]

Jabba's happy birthday

After learning about the wreck of Captain Grizzid's light freighter in the Dune Sea and the creature that lived inside of it, Kwerve set out the next day to acquire the monster for Jabba's upcoming birthday. Fortuna questioned him on it, but Kwerve was able to put him off with a story of womp rat hunting, which Fortuna hated. After a skirmish with the monster, that was actually a rancor, it was left unconscious on top of the ship's wrecked cargo.^[37] Arriving at the scene just as Kwerve subdued the rancor,^[4] Fortuna called outside the wreckage, demanding to know what was going on.^[37] Knowing that bringing the rancor to Jabba would win him high praise and great rewards,^[6] the Twi'lek was able to extort the Corellian into sharing the credit.^[4] The rancor, in its stunned state, was then captured and placed in the palace dungeons.^[36]

The day before Jabba's birthday, the Hutt was off away on business but would be returning back to his palace the next day. Malakili, a professional monster trainer had been purchased by Fortuna and Kwerve from the traveling show Circus Horrificus and sent to Tatooine. The trainer met with the two men at a spire on the palace grounds. After exiting the spire, Fortuna introduced himself and Kwerve to Malakili before explaining the circumstances of the monster's discovery and its usage as a birthday gift. Malakili asked the the Twi'lek why he was chosen, who reminded the trainer of his record of spending seven seasons with the Circus Horrificus. Malakili stated he liked the monsters, causing Fortuna to add that he would love the one in the palace. In the palace's lower dungeons, Malakili first saw the rancor while Fortuna and Kwerve stayed in the shadows. The trainer cried at the sight and told Fortuna that the monster was a rancor, and that he never dreamed he would be lucky enough to see one in his lifetime. The Twi'lek told Malakili that he wouldn't be just seeing it, but that the pet was his and that he would be taking care of it. The trainer then looked at the two men and told them he would do that to the best of his ability.^[36]

Three days after the rancor's capture,^[37] after Jabba had returned to his palace, Fortuna and Kwerve, with Malakili standing behind them, congratulated the Hutt on his birthday. Fortuna introduced the gift, then introduced its keeper and gestured behind him. After they saw that Jabba was pleased with his gift, both Fortuna and Kwerve relaxed their tense shoulders. The Corellian then stepped forward and told the Hutt that he performed the actual capture. After Jabba sat up quickly, Fortuna waved his hands frantically to exercise damage control and explained that he performed the administrative details. The Twi'lek then explained how the new trapdoor he and Kwerve had installed in front of his dais worked before Jabba stated that he was pleased. He continued that he would reward his lieutenants greatly—one would become his majordomo and the other would have a greater reward that "history would remember." Fortuna, seemingly tense to Malakili, bowed and told Jabba that he would be satisfied with the majordomo role as Kwerve did the greater service, causing Kwerve, who did not understand Huttese, to give a suspicious glance at the Twi'lek. Fortuna gestured him forward and stepped back before Jabba stated that Kwerve would be the first victim of the rancor. The Corellian looked over to Fortuna, clearly not understanding Jabba. The Hutt then released the trapdoor and Kwerve was eaten.^[36]

In 1 ABY,^[38] Bib Fortuna recruited the Wayfar spies to watch for Romo Vax because he suspected the man of double-crossing Jabba's organization. Fortuna later ordered Vax's assassination when he discovered the man to be a Sennex spy.^[39] In the meantime, Bib Fortuna was associated with the White Thranta Shipping Company, a front for illegal activities of Jabba the Hutt's criminal organization.^[40]

When an undercover ISB agent infiltrated Jabba's Palace by posing as a smuggler, it wasn't long before Fortuna approached him in the main hall and invited the agent to his personal office. There, he invited the "smuggler" to talk about his experience. However, the undercover identity was not good enough for someone as deep in the business as Fortuna. He soon realized that his collocutor was lying and ordered the guard to toss him to the rancor. The intruder, however, fought his way out and escaped.^[3]

In 4 ABY Fortuna had procured the services of a dancer called Oola, a naïve Twi'lek girl who was partnered with another girl called Sienn'rha. The two were being taken to Jabba's palace by a thug called Jerris Rudd when they were intercepted by Luke Skywalker, who killed Rudd and freed Sienn, but Oola refused to go, wanting to see what life was like in the palace. Skywalker and Fortuna shared a brief conversation where Skywalker told Fortuna that his way of life was wrong and his depredations on his own people would only lead to ruin. He promised that the Rebel Alliance could protect Ryloth from the Empire, and for a moment, Fortuna strongly considered the young Jedi's words. But reality took a grip, and Fortuna dismissed Skywalker's offer. As Oola was willing to return to Jabba's palace with Fortuna, Skywalker let the two go.

Bib Fortuna's role at the palace included receiving visitors. C-3PO and R2-D2 encountered Fortuna when they arrived with a gift for Jabba. Fortuna demanded they give the gift to him, but the droids insisted they were to present the gift to Jabba personally. Fortuna acquiesced and led them into the throne room, where R2-D2 played Jabba a message from Luke Skywalker. Skywalker requested that Jabba bargain for the body of Han Solo, encased in carbonite. Skywalker's gift was the two droids themselves. Jabba refused to bargain, but kept the droids.^[41]

Soon after, Bib was seen in the company of Jess during the Max Rebo Band's peformance of Jedi Rocks. She stroked his lekku^[41] and he reciprocated the gesture in leading her by the hand around the throne room.^[41] She was again seen in Bib's company when the dancing girl Oola was fed to the rancor. Bib later left the musician to slumber alone on Jabba's dais, as he lay in wait with his master, ready to spring the trap as Leia Organa, disguised as Boushh, released Han Solo from the carbonite.^[41]

After the unsuccessful attempt by Princess Leia Organa to free Han Solo, Luke Skywalker came to the palace. Fortuna was given orders that he was not to be admitted. Jabba did not foresee, however, that his majordomo would be weak-minded enough to fall for his Jedi mind tricks. After Fortuna led Skywalker to Jabba, Jabba became furious at Fortuna and knocked him off his throne. When Skywalker defeated Jabba's rancor, he, Han Solo and Chewbacca were sentenced to be thrown into the Great Pit of Carkoon. Bib Fortuna accompanied Jabba the Hutt to the executions on his Sail Barge. The Jedi and his friends proved more than Jabba's forces could handle and as such, his Barge was destroyed.^[41]

After Jabba's death

As Jabba's sail barge exploded, Fortuna escaped on a private skiff and returned to the palace to take over. He fought a small battle over the remainder of Jabba's possessions, and was the apparent winner. However, soon the mysterious B'omarr monks who inhabited the cellars removed his brain from his body and placed it in a spider-droid walker, much as the monks themselves used.^[14]

Six months after the events at Endor, a Twi'lek by the name of Firith Olan received Fortuna's messages that he'd been secretly sending and arrived on Tatooine to claim Jabba's treasures. Olan uncovered clues that an Imperial Agent by the name of Lirin Banolt knew of the final location of the missing Strike-class medium cruiser, the Eidolon. Olan knew that if he were to take possession of the ship, his personal power would increase greatly. However, the Eidolon was a fake—Sate Pestage had a fake built and destroyed it while in hyperspace. The real purpose of the Eidolon was a hidden base on Tatooine, which Pestage could escape to.

Olan used Fortuna's computer skills to unlock the location of various weapons caches scattered over Tatooine and took control of at least 64 TIE Interceptors. Rogue Squadron had been tasked by Admiral Ackbar with investigating events on Tatooine and uncovered the plot while enjoying the hospitality of Huff Darklighter. By this time, the Imperials began poking around led by Marl Semtin and destroyed Olan's TIE's. Olan tried to hide on Ryloth from his enemies and tried to abandon Fortuna on the planet but he stowed away on Wedge Antilles' ship and returned to Tatooine.

Marl Semtin was tasked with securing the Eidolon Base and capturing Olan—he planned to put Olan in charge of the base given his underworld connections. Rogue Squadron attacked Eidolon Base, Olan panicked and Semtin stabbed him. Olan fled the base but ran right into Fortuna outside who took the wounded Twi'lek back to Jabba's Palace. He somehow convinced the monks to place his brain in the body of Olan, using the same techniques that got him in the walker in the first place.^[42] Then with Olan's resources at his disposal along with the credits he embezzled from Jabba over the years, Fortuna began rebuilding Jabba's criminal empire, and continued on in the criminal underworld. In his new criminal empire, he met a young Twi'lek named Shrir'ani, the protégé of Lady Valarian. Becoming her lover, Fortuna turned Shrir'ani against Valarian.^[43] By the time of the Yuuzhan Vong war, Fortuna created an alliance with Valarian to profit off of the invasion.^[44]

Personality and traits

Bib Fortuna was a tall, white-skinned Twi'lek with two thick lekku^[45]—tentacular appendages that grew out of the back of his head—which he wore often draped over his shoulders for decorative effect.^[46] His visage displayed a high bony crest, a knobby brow, bright,^[45] scary^[9] red eyes, and a sharp^[9] fanged mouth.^[45] The front of the neck displayed a large goiter, like many other male Twi'lek—including the ancient Sith Lord Kopecz,^[47] the Imperial Dark Jedi Boc Aseca^[48] and the Rebel X-wing pilot Nawara Ven.^[49] According to Twi'lek standards, Fortuna was considered "darkly elegant" and attractive, notably due to his thick lekku.^[45]

In addition to his native Rylothean,^[45] Bib Fortuna also spoke Huttese, and he could at least understand Galactic Basic Standard, the "common tongue" of the civilized galaxy.^[41]

When he became Jabba's majordomo, Fortuna grew even more power-hungry. He came to believe he would acquire the wealth and influence necessary to conquer Ryloth and mold his fellow Twi'leks into the kinds of subjects the Empire valued—spies, bounty hunters and mercenaries. By saving his race from "exotic slavery," Bib Fortuna hoped he would bring back honor to his name and that of his ancestors.

Fortuna had been among the first to attract the attention of the Empire to Ryloth by selling ryll spice off-world. While he had thought the Twi'leks would adapt to life in the wider Empire, they did not. His own people had come to hate him utterly, but he still wished to bring them out of the horrors of slavery. He also performed a ritual of where he listed to himself each of the day's annoyances he had experienced every night before he slept.^[14]

Equipment

He often wore traditional black Ryloth^[50] robes made from Jalavash worm silk,^[9] which accentuated his natural paleness,^[36] along with half-gloves and sliver^[50] slaver^[9] bracelets. A pair of soft-soled shoes allowed the Twi'lek to walk down the corridors of Jabba's palace as silently as a wraith. He also kept a poisoned dagger concealed in the folds of his robes.^[9]

Behind the scenes

In Return of the Jedi, Bib Fortuna was played by Michael Carter and voiced uncredited by the late Erik Bauersfeld, who also voiced Admiral Ackbar in the film. For The Phantom Menace, Alan Ruscoe was initially cast to play the character in a scene in the Senate, but this scene was cut. He was later portrayed by Matthew Wood for his appearance on Tatooine.

Bib Fortuna actor Michael Carter, via an interview on TheForce.Net, has alluded to several cut scenes from Return of the Jedi that involved Jess and Salacious B. Crumb.^[51] Some of these scenes appear in "Lapti Nek": The Music Video from Jabba's Palace.

During several scenes in Return of the Jedi, Bib Fortuna can be heard speaking something which can be interpreted as a twisted form of English, suggesting that he spoke a heavy dialect of Galactic Basic.

In earlier drafts of Return of the Jedi, Fortuna's title was the High Beeser of Hoth.^[52]

Bib Fortuna's first words in Return of the Jedi, "Die wanna wanga," are frequently quoted by underworld characters in Star Wars video games, most notably in Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy. It is also said by Gragra to Jar Jar Binks in The Phantom Menace.

"Best Birthday Ever" says that his full name is Bib Oltwaxt Fortuna.

In the webcomic The Clone Wars: The Valsedian Operation, a Twi'lek administrator was seen that resembled Bib Fortuna, although he was not identified. Tom Hodges later confirmed that the administrator was indeed intended to be Bib Fortuna.^[53]

LEGO Star Wars

Fortuna has made several appearances in LEGO Star Wars media, including LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out, in which he attempts to sell R2-D2 and C-3PO cell phones,^[54] and LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace.^[55] His most significant appearance is in The Phantom Clone, an episode of LEGO Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles, in which he is confronted and insulted by a reluctant C-3PO, encouraged by a group of Padawans.^[56]

Appearances

Non-canon appearances

• Choose Your Own Star Wars Adventure: Return of the Jedi
• "Skippy the Jedi Droid" — Star Wars Tales 1
• "Fortune, Fate, and the Natural History of the Sarlacc" — Star Wars Tales 6
• Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back 3
• Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back 4
• Star Wars Tales 15
• "Best Birthday Ever" — Star Wars Tales 16
• Star Wars Infinities: Return of the Jedi 1
• "Shadows in the Force" (Mentioned only) (Unlicensed)
• The Return of Tag & Bink: Special Edition
• LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
• LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
• LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
• LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace
• LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out
• LEGO Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles — "The Phantom Clone"

Sources

Notes and references

Ambiguously canon appearances

• "Lapti Nek": The Music Video from Jabba's Palace