Not sure if I have this straight or not, but, near as I can tell.
Elric and Moonglum waylaid Frodo and stole the one ring. They pawned it and defaulted on the loan. Corum then purchased it. The pawnbroker looked remarkably like Captain Jean-Luc Picard. No one including Corum, likes captain Picard, so Corum put a hit on him. The hit man, Luke Skywalker, took the money, chickened out and is currently on the run. No one wants a pissed off Vadhagh after them. Soooo, Luke Skywalker is currently making his way through Known Space to the Ringworld with Speaker to Animals and Nessus in The Hot Needle of Inquiry. Corum, still angry, has enlisted The Red Baron and Buck Rogers to find and off them. They are currently on their way to the planet Dune where they hope to meet Mr. Clean, The Three LIttle Pigs and Metallica, enlist their expertise, and 'Beat' Bobby Flay...