Marilla, the Queen of Gascon, was married to the King of Gascon during the time of the Galactic Civil War. She leaned towards the New Republic, and because her husband lacked a strong will, he was easily influenced by both her and the Holy Advisor who was corrupt and supported the Imperial cause. Furthermore, Marilla engaged in an extramarital relationship with the Prime Minister of Demigue, a faraway planet, giving him a distinctive and precious ring that the King had originally gifted to her.
The Holy Advisor knew about her affair and intended to use this knowledge to destroy her reputation and cause the king to turn against her. Anticipating that the Holy Advisor would reveal her secret at a ball her husband was hosting the following week, the queen recruited a group of agents (some accounts suggest they were actually diplomats attempting to secure Gascon's official alliance with the New Republic). These agents were tasked with traversing the dangerous trade route known as the "Demigue Terror" to reach Demigue and retrieve the ring prior to the ball, all while evading both ruthless criminals and spies dispatched by the Holy Advisor.