Ebenn Q3 Baobab/Legends

Ebenn Q3 Baobab (c. 72 BBY&mdash;), or EQ3 as he was sometimes called, was a Human male most notable for his contributions to intergalactic communications through such publications as his Galactic Phrase Book and Travel Guide. Somewhat of a jack-of-all-trades, he held many different professions and experienced a unending variety of adventure throughout his life.

Early life
Born to a circus-owning family on Manda, Ebenn began his career modestly enough. Searching for adventure among the stars, he quickly hopped onto a Baobab Merchant Fleet caravel. It is currently unknown whether Ebenn's surname was adopted after this life-changing event, or if his original family actually did own the vessel; either way, Ebenn seems to enjoy the mystery. If the latter is true, it would make him a relative of the famed merchant Mungo Baobab. It is also unknown if "a Baobab caravel" refers to Mungo's ship, Caravel.

As a cabin boy, the young man traveled the expanse of the Galaxy, satisfying his wanderlust through visits to locales as diverse as Bantu, Tatooine, and Roon.

Years as a captive


However, Ebenn still wanted more to his life than being a vagabond. Somewhere near Biitu, he left the merchant fleet, only to be apprehended and imprisoned by the Moras. After being forced into serving in the Mora Infantry, Ebenn somehow wound up in the "employ" of the Hutts, who enlisted him in the Koong Wars for their own designs. While the terror of combat forged Ebenn into a skilled warrior, his official duties to the Hutts included writing poetry and serving as a mathematician (most likely in an accounting capacity). Escaping this life of servitude, he returned to his merchant roots by serving as a ship's doctor with a Neimoidian fleet in the Trade Federation.

It is known that he was spotted at the celebrations following the Battle of Naboo&mdash;however, it is not clear whether or not he was still serving with the Federation at this time.

Before the Clone Wars, Baobab contributed to many articles for HoloNet News, including a primer on the language and culture of the Snivvians.

The writer and media mogul
Unlike many, the years following Palpatine's rise to power were actual quite good to Ebenn. Utilizing his nascent talent for poetry, he wrote five volumes of prose and was thus bestowed Laureate of the Empire not once, but twice.

It was also during these years that his writing output increased dramatically, resulting in an autobiography (entitled Blazing Rockets), two short story collections, and five nonfiction books (including The Secret of Joy in the Galaxy and the bestselling Repair Guide to Vaporators).

Through the money amassed by these endeavors, Ebenn was able to finally establish his dream: the Baobab HoloNet. An alternative to the Imperial-controlled HoloNet, Ebenn's broadcasts provided esoteric bits through his appearances, ranging from acute social analysis to holiday cookie recipes.

Accomplishments
The enormous fortune Ebenn now possessed led to increased freedom in his life. Now, he had time to puruse more leisurely activities, such as painting, composing, collecting art (notably pre-Slime Era folk art of the Hutts), the study of history, entertaining high-profile friends, traveling, and, most importantly, philology (the study of other languages).

Having either inherited or simply bought out the Baobab Merchant Fleet, Ebenn continued to remain something of an adventurer&mdash;danger and wanderlust still called to him after all these years. For a total of forty-five seasons, EQ3 traveled with the fleet, visiting 1,300 distinct culture units and losing the tip of his left foot and some hair along the way. He was involved in the dismantiling of the Palpatine Mine Network following the Galactic Civil War, as was one of only two survivors found aboard the minesweeping craft Rodrigo Andrera.

Ebenn continued to serve in a military capacity in spite of his high-profile status. During the infamous Aerial Plankton Uprising he served valiantly with Captain Gordun to vanquish the Kinkees, later retiring to become something of a military scholar. It was he who exposed the Endor Moon Hoax, and managed to secure a private dinner with the Lost Sultans of Lust.

A passion to establish a noteworthy institution seized Ebenn, resulting in the founding of the Baobab Museum of Science. The facility was most notable for its display of the actual Great Heep, fully restored, an acquisiton that would have been impossible to acquire without Ebenn's influence. Ebenn also founded the Baobab School of Speed-Learning, where accelerated language courses may be taken for a modest tuition, and the Baobab Archives Cultural Phenomenon Study Center, where employees analyze and catalogue various folklore from around the Galaxy.

Home life
While admittedly a bit of a braggart, Ebenn Q3 Baobab truly had every right to be so. It is often difficult for New Republic citizens to comprehend the fact that this larger-than-life personality was, in fact, an actual person. He finally settled down by returning his home planet of Manda&mdash;now center for the Baobab Archives&mdash;to live with his wife, Pookie, and their dwarf (miniature) bantha Nuke. Pookie and Ebenn sired four children, who resulted in eighteen grandchildren.

Behind the scenes
In reality, the character of Ebenn Q3 Baobab was a minor cameo by sound designer Ben Burtt in The Phantom Menace. From that minor character, Burtt created an elaborate biography for the character in his Galactic Phrase Book and Travel Guide, using his costumed picture as EQ3.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace