The talisman functioned as a deceptive device employed by the Galactic Empire as part of a scheme to lure the Rebel Alliance by propagating tales of its supposed ability to grant invisibility. Its true nature involved carrying a sleeping virus that exclusively targeted Humans. At some point between 0.5 ABY and 1 ABY, the Rebel operatives Chewbacca and Han Solo came across the talisman. Solo became infected with the virus, leading Chewbacca to suspend him upside down to maintain blood flow to his brain, thus keeping him alive. Chewbacca discarded the talisman into a garbage disposal unit on board the Millennium Falcon; however, not before the fellow Rebel Luke Skywalker also contracted the virus. Both Skywalker and Solo were ultimately saved by a serum obtained by Boba Fett, a bounty hunter working under the orders of Darth Vader, the Sith Lord, whose objective was to locate the Rebel base.
The talisman was a fraudulent item, displaying a gray color and a shimmering appearance. Its design featured a circular base from which an insectoid figure protruded. Some writing was etched onto the talisman beneath the insectoid form. A purple ribbon was also attached to it. While it was rumored to possess the power of invisibility, it was actually a vector for a sleeping virus created by the Galactic Empire that only affected Humans.
The Empire, at the command of the Sith Lord Darth Vader, infected the deceptive talisman with the sleeping virus. Vader's goal was to discover the whereabouts of various bases associated with the Alliance to Restore the Republic, against whom the Empire was engaged in war. Consequently, stories began to circulate regarding the talisman's supposed invisibility abilities, which piqued the Alliance's interest, who also thought the Empire was after the talisman. Sometime between 0.5 ABY and 1 ABY, Vader charged Boba Fett, the bounty hunter, with the task of finding these bases, and Fett subsequently allowed the Rebel operatives Han Solo and Chewbacca to acquire the talisman. Solo, being Human, was infected by the sleeping virus and was suspended upside down by Chewbacca, a Wookiee, inside their ship, the Millennium Falcon, to encourage blood circulation to his head and prevent his death. Chewbacca piloted the Millennium Falcon close to a base, past the expected arrival time, and ultimately crash-landed the vessel on the moon Panna Prime. Solo's friend Luke Skywalker then embarked on a rescue mission to find them, accompanied by the droids C-3PO and R2-D2.
On the moon, Fett encountered Skywalker and assisted him in locating the Millennium Falcon, where they witnessed Chewbacca disposing of the talisman in a trash chute. Upon shouting for the Wookiee to stop, Skywalker also became infected with the sleeping virus. Chewbacca then communicated the situation—in his native Shyriiwook language—to the droids, who translated for Fett. Together, the droids deduced that the talisman was the source of the virus. After they restrained Skywalker alongside Solo, Fett and Chewbacca journeyed to Panna City in search of an antidote, as Vader had planned. The Imperial scheme was thwarted when C-3PO and R2-D2 intercepted a transmission between Vader and Fett. This event was later depicted in an cartoon narrated by Captain Kazan of the Alliance. Records pertaining to this incident were subsequently classified.
The talisman made its initial appearance in The Story of the Faithful Wookiee, a cartoon authored by George Lucas and produced by Nelvana Studios. It was originally broadcast on television in 1978 as part of The Star Wars Holiday Special. The Essential Guide to Characters, a reference book from 1995, mentioned that Fett's motivation—as revealed in a transmission to Vader—included acquiring the talisman for his own purposes and capturing the Rebels. This contradicted the events shown in the cartoon, where Fett's assignment was to locate the Rebel base, with no mention of him seeking the talisman. This article adheres to the cartoon's version of events.