The Lucky Despot was a large cargo ship which became a notable hotel/casino in Mos Eisley owned and operated by Lady Valarian.
Floor plans of the Lucky Despot
Another view of the Lucky Despot
The Lucky Despot once flew a shipment of M-HYD hydromech droids to the planet Tatooine, where its captain hoped to market the droids to moisture prospectors in the Jundland Wastes. The ship remained in Mos Eisley after the captain lost all his money in a disastrous lawsuit following a clash with disgruntled M-HYD customers.
Later, the Lucky Despot was converted into a hotel because it was no longer capable of flight. A consortium of offworlders purchased the hulk and towed it to a new location, half-buried it in dirt, and rebuilt the interior. The new hotel opened shortly before Boonta's Eve. It made a profit for a decade, falling into bankruptcy and closure with the decline of podracing during the Clone Wars and the arrival of largely criminal patronage.
Not long after the rise of the New Order, the hotel was purchased by Valarian, who swiftly found that her new investment was unable to turn a profit. Bureaucratic inertia and vandalism prevented success. She traced her problems to Jabba the Hutt, and offered him a small percentage of it. A compromise was reached, and the Whiphid agreed to limit her criminal activities outside of Mos Eisley. He tipped Lady Valarian off to Imperial gambling raids, for a price.
The Lucky Despot was the scene of the wedding reception between Valarian and her husband, D'Wopp. Many citizens of Mos Eisley were in attendance, including Wuher and Labria, with music provided by the Modal Nodes. A fight between the bride and groom broke out, and Imperial stormtroopers arrived, presumably tipped off by Jabba, to break up an illegal gambling operation.
The Devaronian junk dealer Sneg worked in the Lucky Despot after the Battle of Yavin, buying any kind of second-hand weapons for the use of the Valarian gang. The Rodian gardener Kardeer also worked there.
- Galaxy Guide 7: Mos Eisley
- The Illustrated Star Wars Universe
- Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Secrets of Tatooine
- "Secrets of Mos Eisley" — Star Wars Gamer 7
- "Gamescape" — Star Wars Insider 68
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia