xstoner

Shortly before the Battle of Yavin, I and the Modal Nodes had entered into an exclusive contract with the Tatooine crimelord, Jabba Desilijic Tiure. We would routinely perform in the courts at Jabba’s Palace and his Mos Eisley townhouse, but it didn’t take long before we all regretted entering into a contract with the Hutt. Recognizing Jabba’s penchant for executing underlings that displease him at a moment’s notice, the Modal Nodes and I began to fear for our lives. It would only be a matter of time before Jabba decided to make a snack of us, by tossing one down into the dungeon abode of his pet rancor. Fortunately for us, a golden opportunity was fresh at hand.

One of Jabba’s rivals, a Whiphid named Lady Valarian, offered us 3,000 credits to perform at her wedding to the Whiphid hunter, D’Wopp. Figrin decided that the fast money would enable us to get off Tatooine and out from under the thumb of Jabba the Hutt. We arrived at the Star Chamber Café reception hall inside of the Lucky Despot Hotel & Casino in Mos Eisley. During one of our set breaks, I took the band’s retainer and spent the bulk of it at the casino’s sabacc tables. The other musicians grew gravely concerned. Thanks to my gambling, their chances of getting off Tatooine alive were quickly dwindling.

Jabba learned of the our breach of contract and sent several of his bounty hunters down to the casino to disrupt the festivities. As luck would have it, Imperial stormtroopers likewise raided the party and a massive fire-fight broke out. During the confusion, we met a party guest named Wuher who showed us a quick way out. Wuher put in a good word for us with Chalmun—a Wookiee who owned a nearby cantina where Wuher tended bar. Chalmun hired us to play a couple of gigs at his bar, the following evening. They were performing the night when Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi entered the cantina seeking a pilot willing to ferry them to the Alderaan system. We continued to perform at Chalmun’s on a regular basis. Occasionally, Chalmun’s nightshift manager, Ackmena, would liven the bar’s atmosphere by singing along with the our rhythms.

Shortly after this event, I wagered the band’s instruments and equipment on a hand of Sabacc. I lost the bet to Labria, but the Modal Nodes soon convinced me to win their equipment back. I eventually succeeded and we went on to play the intergalactic circuit.