Just keep in mind that all those Star Wars wikia links are mainly "legends" stuff and not actually canon.

Sidious is a Sith and certainly not opposed to slavery. We also see in TCW that the Zaigarians (spelling?) are looking forward to a renewal of the slave trading ways of old. Slavery certainly exists in the Empire and around it, but not necessarily overtly. Remember, there is still a Senate right up until Ep. IV, even if Sidious has largely made it a rubber stamp for his decisions, and Tarkin and Vader still have to tread at least a little carefully when they abduct Princess Leia ("only you could be so bold"), ensuring that they have the evidence they need to get away with it. The Empire is not yet a Sith empire, it is still very much transitional. IMO, you can resolve the discrepancies in cannon quite adequately by saying the Empire has slavery in practice, not in name.

I'm still of the opinion the Empire is The Roman Empire ran by Nazi's and that's how it's represented in my games, slavery is legal, the Emperor is pretty much an absolute power, and the Moffs are powerful local generals/governors. Human High Culture is the analogy for the Roman Empire's "We are the best and brightest in the universe" outlook, and is part of why all nonhumans are looked at with disdain. IF I ever do a Old Republic era game, it will probably feature similar themes to the Roman Republic just before it became an empire, with all the ick that entails.

Why did I click on this...

Because you were hoping to see "Sexy Male Twi`lek Slave Boys "?

Anyway, it seems like the majority of the sources I run across indicate that the majority of Twi'liks fall on the attractive side of normal by human standards, and that Bib Fortuna was something of an outlier (the first of a species not being average, heresy!) and that's the way our group has generally presented them.

The Empire is definitely...inconsistent when it comes to slavery. I've generally imagined they're officially "anti slavery" but allow "indentured Servitude" (which of course is all the wookies, right?) It gives them a way to be anti slavery when they want to be.

Because you were hoping to see "Sexy Male Twi`lek Slave Boys "?

Anyway, it seems like the majority of the sources I run across indicate that the majority of Twi'liks fall on the attractive side of normal by human standards, and that Bib Fortuna was something of an outlier (the first of a species not being average, heresy!) and that's the way our group has generally presented them.

The Empire is definitely...inconsistent when it comes to slavery. I've generally imagined they're officially "anti slavery" but allow "indentured Servitude" (which of course is all the wookies, right?) It gives them a way to be anti slavery when they want to be.

What is the evidence that Bib Fortuna (this is Jabba's henchman, yes?) is a Twi'Lek? I don't think it's ever given on screen and he looks very different to most Twi'Leks - I think he even only has one head tail too, yes? Teeth are different, headshape is significantly different, the only Twi-Lek of that colour that we've ever seen... Anything in canon to say he's actually a Twi'Lek?

The one thing I do with twi'leks is make the males and females have ear cones, rather than just the females having them while the males have human like ears.

Wookiees are not technically slaves. They are political prisoners forced to work hard labor after their failed uprising against the Empire.

What is the evidence that Bib Fortuna (this is Jabba's henchman, yes?) is a Twi'Lek? I don't think it's ever given on screen and he looks very different to most Twi'Leks - I think he even only has one head tail too, yes? Teeth are different, headshape is significantly different, the only Twi-Lek of that colour that we've ever seen... Anything in canon to say he's actually a Twi'Lek?

Old canon has had him as a Twi'lek since the WEG days. Indeed, he and Oola were the examples West End used to define the species. From The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia: "Best known as Jabba the Hutt's chief lieutenant and majordomo, this Twi'lek was also a smuggler and slaver of his own planet's people. Fortuna hailed from Ryloth. Like all Twi'leks, he had twin appendages, or lekku, coming from the back of his pointed head ...."

What is the evidence that Bib Fortuna (this is Jabba's henchman, yes?) is a Twi'Lek? I don't think it's ever given on screen and he looks very different to most Twi'Leks - I think he even only has one head tail too, yes? Teeth are different, headshape is significantly different, the only Twi-Lek of that colour that we've ever seen... Anything in canon to say he's actually a Twi'Lek?

Old canon has had him as a Twi'lek since the WEG days. Indeed, he and Oola were the examples West End used to define the species. From The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia: "Best known as Jabba the Hutt's chief lieutenant and majordomo, this Twi'lek was also a smuggler and slaver of his own planet's people. Fortuna hailed from Ryloth. Like all Twi'leks, he had twin appendages, or lekku, coming from the back of his pointed head ...."

Okay, firstly none of that is canon / seen on screen. Secondly, this:

(photo of Bib Fortuna from RotJ)

does not look like any other Twi'Lek.If Chiss and humans are different species, then I don't see why this guy should be called a Twi'Lek. Can't prove he's not, but there's nothing in canon or on screen that says he must be and he looks very different to all those in the movies or TCW cartoons.Maybe he is, but if so he is to Twi-Leks what Palpatine (OT) is to humans! Yeesh!

He has all of the features of a Twi'lek (headtails, lump on top of head, two lumps on forehead), and considering that people of the same species can be vastly different (Palpatine to everyone else, like you said), it's not too far fetched to say Bib Fortuna is a Twi'lek. In fact, I'm pretty sure his name isn't even canon; I don't recall it ever being mentioned.

I don't remember what Bib Fortuna looked like. I'm guessing I'm glad I can't see him.

Even if the average twi'lek is a little more on the pretty side of human average, that doesn't mean there aren't extremes in either direction. Bib Fortuna sat around while Oola got fed to the monster in the basement (I forget the name) so it seems like he was an outcast, anyway.

He has all of the features of a Twi'lek (headtails, lump on top of head, two lumps on forehead), and considering that people of the same species can be vastly different (Palpatine to everyone else, like you said), it's not too far fetched to say Bib Fortuna is a Twi'lek. In fact, I'm pretty sure his name isn't even canon; I don't recall it ever being mentioned.

I've noticed that those forehead lumps only tend to show up on some male Twi'leks in the art, and the lump on the top of the head is even more rare in the art. Pictures of female Twi'leks don't seem to have head lumps.

I don't remember what Bib Fortuna looked like. I'm guessing I'm glad I can't see him.

He has a head shaped like it has several golf-balls sewn under his skin, a neck that is pretty much melting into his torso, teeth like a shredded beer can and his general complexion suggests he would feel much like cold dough to the touch. Your type, I suspect, he is not.

Even if the average twi'lek is a little more on the pretty side of human average, that doesn't mean there aren't extremes in either direction. Bib Fortuna sat around while Oola got fed to the monster in the basement (I forget the name) so it seems like he was an outcast, anyway.

Yep. Not a lot of species loyalty there. For all we know, he could be the reason poor Oola is in that predicament in the first place.

On the Empire slavery front, I'd probably say/roleplay it as it being two differences legally. Yeah, for all intents and purposes the Empire practices slavery, but when Brian goes and asks the local garrison why they're forcing the locals down the mines at blaster-point, they chuckle and inform the ignorant off-worlder that they are performing penal labour as punishment for their crimes and actively contributing back to society! Slavery is of course morally wrong and illegal, thus why the Empire outlaws it.

I don't remember what Bib Fortuna looked like. I'm guessing I'm glad I can't see him.

He has a head shaped like it has several golf-balls sewn under his skin, a neck that is pretty much melting into his torso, teeth like a shredded beer can and his general complexion suggests he would feel much like cold dough to the touch. Your type, I suspect, he is not.

Even if the average twi'lek is a little more on the pretty side of human average, that doesn't mean there aren't extremes in either direction. Bib Fortuna sat around while Oola got fed to the monster in the basement (I forget the name) so it seems like he was an outcast, anyway.

Yep. Not a lot of species loyalty there. For all we know, he could be the reason poor Oola is in that predicament in the first place.

Yeah, the new canon hasn't explicitly labeled Bib (or Oola, for that matter) a Twi'lek. But I'd be astonished if they deviated from that very venerable piece of old canon. I think it's safe to say that Bib is just a very, very ugly Twi'lek.

And you're right -- the old canon had Bib Fortuna kidnapping Oola into slavery as a gift to Jabba.

Just gonna put this here...

Just gonna put this here...

Nice! Thank you. But the female is more like a normal, chubby middleaged woman and nowhere near Bib Fortuna, but sure, more like Orn Free Taa.

I see no reason you can't have sexy, sexualized male slaves of any species you like. Our EotE GM had a criminal who had sexualized female workers on the basis that this was how the character saw women, so there you go.

There is no reason you can't have a female criminal doing this to males!

Edit: if Bib Fortuna is not a twilek, then why are the only differences between him and Oola sex and color?

I see no reason you can't have sexy, sexualized male slaves of any species you like. Our EotE GM had a criminal who had sexualized female workers on the basis that this was how the character saw women, so there you go.

There is no reason you can't have a female criminal doing this to males!

Edit: if Bib Fortuna is not a twilek, then why are the only differences between him and Oola sex and color?

Of course we can, or even a male or hemaphrodite villain with objectified male slaves.

Yea, it seems a bit silly to me to assume that he isn`t twi`lek because he looks a little different than some other twi`leks. Look at the variation in humans.

One of my players chose to portray a more than attractive male Twi'lek "performer" who leaned toward being attracted to males more than females. He was an indentured servant who had been transported from his homeworld as a sex worker.

Bib Fortuna was certainly a Twi'Lek and says as much on the databank at StarWars.com

Those attempting to do business with Jabba the Hutt first needed to maneuver past his pasty-faced major-domo, the Twi'lek Bib Fortuna. The darkly robed...

Yeah, it's been firmly established that Bib Fortuna is a Twi'lek for like thirty years.

It also seems to be firmly established that one of the very few ugly trees on Ryloth fell entirely on him.

Thing one:

When your right hand man was born a slave, hates slavery and slavers, it's probably a good thing to ban slavery.

But he can probably be convinced that slavery is a fitting punishment for a people who betrayed those who helped keep them free of the leash of the Separatists and harbored Jedi fugitives and aided in their escape - particularly one who would later attempt to assassinate the Emperor.

Thing two:

It's not just male criminal bosses who would keep attractive female slaves around, depending on their business. See, also: Aria T'Loak. And, to a greater or lesser extent, every madame in every brothel (particularly every illegal brothel) in history. Even if their business isn't sex, they would likely keep female (and male, of course) slaves around to keep their minions and lieutenants happy (and entice prospects).