Skin Deep: The Fat Dancer's Tale

"Skin Deep: the Fat Dancer's Tale" by A. C. Crispin provides the backstory of Askajian dancer Yarna d'al' Gargan, and appeared in Tales from Jabba's Palace, which was published December 1995 by Bantam Spectra.
==Plot summary==
On the night after the Battle of the Great Pit of Carkoon. Tessek returns to Jabba's Palace in a rush and reveals to the inhabitants of Jabba's demise, sending the palace into chaos. Yarna d'al' Gargan, an Askajian dancer, is effectively freed from her servitude now that Jabba is dead and immediately takes this as an opportunity to flee to Mos Eisley and recover her children, whom Jabba is currently keeping as prisoners in the Desilijic Complex. While recovering the necessary supplies to make the trip, Yarna meets Doallyn, a Geranite huntsman currently living in the palace due to business with Jabba. Needing a supply of cartridges of Hydron-3 that Jabba also had stored in the complex in order to replenish his breathing mask, Doallyn agreed to act as Yarna's bodyguard in her journey.
The unlikely pair successfully navigate their way out of Jabba's Palace, with Doallyn saving Yarna from both an assault attempt by two of Jabba's guards, Tornik and Warlug, and being attacked by serial killer Dannik Jerriko. Using a speeder, they venture out into the Dune Sea. While engaging in conversation, Yarna and Doallyn bond over their life stories.
As they near Mos Eisley, Yarna and Doallyn accidentally crash their speeder into a sand pit, right next to a sleeping krayt dragon. The beast nearly kills Yarna, but Doallyn manages to slay it by firing a blaster shot into its sinus cavity. Doallyn then extracts the pearls from its stomach, but as he is cutting off a piece of the Krayt Dragon's tail as a trophy, he is knocked out when its tail twitches reflexively. By now, Doallyn has run out of Hydron-3 and is slowly dying. Yarna carries him to Mos Eisley, and uses some of the jewels she had been saving to free her children to instead buy him more Hydron-3, saving his life.
Doallyn is grateful to Yarna for her selfless act, but Yarna herself is morose, as she has lost her one chance at reclaiming her children. Fortunately, Doallyn repays her with the dragon pearls, which they use to buy back Yarna's children, as well as a spaceship to leave Tatooine. After some debate, the pair decides to go to Doallyn's homeworld.
==Appearances==
==Notes and references==
Category:Tales from Jabba's Palace