Smurdap Smurdap was a former member of Imperial Customs and later the Chief of Fornax Security on Fornax Station . He was dedicated to his work but was deposed when two smugglers outwitted him in his duplicity . Biography . Fire Rings of Fornax . Smurdap was the head of security on Fornax Station a few years before the Battle of Yavin . He made it his job to know everything that happened on his station , employing droids in menial tasks , such as boot - shining , to watch for suspicious activities . One day , two smugglers arrived on the station . Han Solo and Chewbacca had picked up an Imperial signal while docking . Solo has his boots - shined to inquire about stormtroopers and leaves with his boots half - shined . The little droid contacts Smurdap afterwards . Then the two pilots go the locker rentals , ostensibly to rent their own . In reality , they need to pick up a package for their employer , Jabba the Hutt . While they are stuffing Chewbacca ' s bag into their locker , an alarm sounds . Smurdap arrives with two security droids and demands to open their bag . Solo quicly complies , showing the officer their grooming supplies , telling Smurdap they are traveling barbers . The officer angrily apologizes and leaves . After picking up the contraband , Lashaa silk , they walk out , telling the droid at the rental desk they are leaving because they were insulted at the accusations . Duplicity revealed . Soon after , a Tyrian cloth wedding gown owned by the Royal Margravine Abominelle of Vena . In response , Smurdap banned all departures and exits from the station . He then confronted the two smugglers at their ship , the " Close Shave " . Solo and Chewbacca met him at the boarding reamp after setting up the laser cannon to automatic fire . Smurdap smiled and showed them the grooming gear they had left in the locker . Solo stalls , telling him Smurdap had ' spoiled ' the items for Chewbacca just by touching them . Smurdap and a security droid then board Solo ' s ship for inspection , coming back with Chewie ' s traveling bag . He opens it to reveal the stolen gown . Smurdap accuses Solo of stealing it . Solo replies by telling Smurdap it was " he " who had stolen it . Smurdap tells him he will never be accused for it , even though he stole it and framed the two pilots to bargain for the contraband onboard the ship . Smurdap tells Solo that he will get the contraband and will not let the two pilots leave Fornax Station alive . Solo at that moment tells the cannon to fire , destroying a droid . The two race aboard and get ready to take - off . Solo mans the quad cannon and blasts open the hangar doors while communicating with Fornax Flight Control , yelling about a weapons malfunction and flies away from the station . When the two pilots attempt to enter hyperspace , they find it has been sabotaged with a circuit - jammer . Smurdap contacts them . He is flying an old Mu - 2 shuttle . It was the source of the Imperial signal . Smurdap tells them to hand over the cargo and he will disable the circuit - jammer . To back him up , he has six Drone fighter s . Solo refuses and moves into the Five Fire Rings of Fornax . Smurdap calls his bluff and sends the drones after Solo . In a series of maneuvers , Solo and Chewie destroy the six fighters and contact Smurdap . They trick him into confessing , as Solo had Fornax Flight Control on the radio . They escort him back to the station to be interrogated by the new head of security . Personality and traits . Smurdap was a man concerned with his job catching smugglers , a mentality befitting a former Imperial . Eventually , he became jaded with his position and desired to steal contraband from a smuggler to make himself rich . He was not among eliminating competition to attain what he desired .