Of the Day's Annoyances: Bib Fortuna's Tale

Jabba's majordomo, the Twi'lek known as Bib Fortuna, is the main character in "Of the Day's Annoyances: Bib Fortuna's Tale" by M. Shayne Bell, which appeared in Tales from Jabba's Palace, published December 1995 by Bantam Spectra.

Plot summary

The fact that Jabba Desilijic Tiure still lives is an annoyance to Bib Fortuna, one of the dozens of Jabba's underlings who scheme to kill the gangster and usurp his throne. To solve this problem, he is somehow involved in every plot against the Hutt. As Jabba's majordomo, Fortuna has everything set for him to take over, no matter who kills the crime lord. However, because the transition of power will be rougher if another plot succeeds, Fortuna tries to keep his own plotting one step ahead of the multitude of other plots against Jabba. In order to gain this advantage, he has allied himself with the B'omarr Monks. Unknown to Fortuna, the monks have their own plan, and Jabba is not their only target.

When he learns that his old friend Nat Secura is to be executed by the Hutt, ha has the monks surgically extract Secura's brain for safekeeping in a jar. Despite his repeated promises to secure his friend a new body, Fortuna never delivers as he is distracted by business, such as meeting with Luke Skywalker, who wants to arrange Han Solo's return. When Luke's rescue plan results in Jabba's destruction, Fortuna escapes the sail barge explosion in a skiff and returns to the palace. He is overpowered by the B'omarr monks, who disembrain him, leaving his gray matter in a jar.

Continuity

Fortuna's brain would appear again in a comic series X-Wing Rogue Squadron: Battleground: Tatooine (1996) and eventually be returned to a fresh-and-blood Twi'lek body. Nat Secura would appear in the Star Wars: Republic series story Rite of Passage (2002), set during his childhood. This character established the Secura clan name, from which the Jedi Knight Aayla also hails.^[2]