Rita Odé was a Twi'lek smuggler, pilot and Jedi born on Ryloth during the Clone Wars. After the fall of the Galactic Republic and the subsequent reign of the Galactic Empire, Rita was enslaved and eventually sold off-world, ending up in the palace of Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine, forced from a young age to wait tables and – later – dance.
A mercenary working for Jabba requested Rita instead of conventional payment after the successful completion of several jobs that furthered the Hutt's influence on Tatooine; an amused Jabba agreed, claiming she was worth far less than the credits he would have paid him. Surprisingly, the mercenary – a Human man named Mahad – was kind to Rita and freed her after they departed Jabba's Palace. He offered her the choice to part ways when they reached Wayfar, or join him on his journey to Naboo, where he would be continuing an ongoing investigation on behalf of the Empire.
With no money or possessions to her name, Rita knew the choice was little more than a formality and elected to accompany the stranger as part of his crew.