Laudica

Born on Corellia sometime prior to 4 ABY, Laudica was a Human female. She made her living as a gun-runner during the Galactic Civil War, earning recognition for her exceptional skills as a markswoman. Laudica maintained close friendships with several other female criminals, including Brindy Truchong, a fellow Corellian smuggler, and the Tonnika sisters, Kiffar con artists. Despite knowing it was unwise, she found herself in a romantic relationship with Rayc Ryjerd.

As the war raged on, Laudica became a regular at the palace belonging to Jabba Desilijic Tiure, the Hutt crime lord based on Tatooine. She was present in the palace during 4 ABY when the droids C-3PO and R2-D2, who belonged to the Jedi Luke Skywalker, arrived to negotiate for the release of Han Solo. Solo, a friend of Skywalker, was encased in carbonite and displayed on the wall of the palace's courtroom. Not long after the droids showed up, Laudica saw Jabba throw his slave dancer Oola into the pit where his rancor lived.

Laudica was in the courtroom soon after when Leia Organa, disguised as the bounty hunter Boushh, arrived with the Wookiee Chewbacca. Leia threatened to blow up the palace using a thermal detonator. Organa held back, winning Jabba's favor. However, she later freed Solo from the carbonite and tried to get away from the palace with him. After Jabba caught and imprisoned them, Skywalker came to the palace to demand they be released, and he was thrown into the rancor pit himself. He killed the rancor, which made Jabba sentence him, Solo, and Chewbacca to death in Tatooine's Great Pit of Carkoon. Laudica and many other members of Jabba's group went with Skywalker and Solo as they were dragged out of the courtroom.

Laudica was a proficient markswoman, often seen carrying a blaster pistol. She had a wide circle of friends, and she followed her heart instead of her head by dating Rayc Ryjerd. When Oola was thrown into Jabba's rancor pit, Laudica watched and cheered with delight as the creature ate her.

Laudica initially appeared as an unnamed background character in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, the 1983 film directed by Richard Marquand. Her portrayal was by an actress who was not credited. The Jabba's Palace Limited set of the Star Wars Customizable Card Game by Decipher, released in 1998, featured a card that provided the character with a name and background information.

Some fans have mistakenly identified Laudica, along with other inhabitants of Jabba's courtroom, as Mara Jade. Mara Jade is an Expanded Universe character who was established as having been a dancer in the palace during Luke Skywalker's time there. In the 1996 short story Sleight of Hand: The Tale of Mara Jade, written by Timothy Zahn before Jabba's Palace Limited was released, a dance designer in Jabba's Palace named Melina Carniss was described as dark-haired, wearing a red jumpsuit, and crouching over the rancor pit after Oola was dropped in. Despite these similarities to Laudica, who was unnamed at the time, Jabba's Palace Limited clarified that they are distinct characters.

Furthermore, Laudica makes an appearance in Return of the Ewok, a mockumentary created by actor Warwick Davis during his involvement in Return of the Jedi. The short film combines elements of the movie with real-world aspects. In the film, Davis, dressed as Wicket the Ewok, stumbles onto the set of Jabba's Palace while searching for the Forest Moon of Endor. He encounters Laudica and the dancer Jess as they rehearse a choreographed dance to Lapti Nek, a song performed by the Max Rebo Band.