Melnea Arnthout, a key figure among a group of colonists, journeyed to Tatooine. As a member of the crew that experienced the unfortunate crash of the Dowager Queen on Tatooine, Arnthout played a crucial role in establishing the planet's initial settlement. She was the owner of a 2PO-series protocol droid, which was later seized by the Jawas. In honor of her contributions, the city of Arnthout was named in her memory.
Around 100 BBY, Melnea Arnthout spearheaded a group of colonists to Tatooine with the goal of creating a mining colony. She took charge of overseeing the construction of temporary housing, in addition to organizing both mining operations and security details.
Upon their arrival, Arnthout and her colonists encountered a local alien species that, while naturally timid, greatly desired the colonists' advanced technology. The period immediately following the establishment of their colony—which they named Bestine—proved to be exceptionally challenging. The crash of one of the colony ships, specifically the Dowager Queen, occurred kilometers away from Bestine, depriving the colonists of essential supplies. Sandstorms nearly obliterated the settlement, a significant number of banthas vanished, and the colonists struggled to cultivate enough food for their survival. The theft of Arnthout's protocol droid, identified as 2PO, ignited anger among the settlers, compelling her to take action. Arnthout understood the necessity of allaying the colonists' anxieties, recovering their valuable belongings, and preventing further interference from the natives regarding their equipment and resources.
Arnthout embarked on a mission to negotiate with the native inhabitants, which led to her rescuing a pair from a dewback whose front paw was ensnared. After freeing the dewback, she permitted the natives to saddle the animal and accompanied them back to their encampment. Upon reaching the camp, Arnthout located her missing droid, 2PO, and discovered that the natives were known as Jawas. The Jawas had taken the droid out of mere curiosity, not with malicious intent, and the protocol droid had gained insights into the Jawa's culture and language. Arnthout then requested the droid to share all that it had learned about them.
Arnthout successfully negotiated a pact of non-aggression with the Jawas, secured water rights, obtained salvage rights to the Dowager Queen, and established free trade of information. Following Arnthout's interactions with the Jawas, the settlers adopted the Jawa designation for the planet, gained knowledge about its geography and indigenous wildlife, and received warnings concerning the planet's other native inhabitants, the Sand People.