Do whatever you need to make your players care about your NPCs.

Just do it early in the campaign, before they end up getting into danger.

Transcript

Gherant: I don't care about your facts! In fact, nobody cares! Isn't that interesting?
Arvel Crynyd: Dib, you spent your last credit for a new start on Tatooine for both of us.
Arvel Crynyd: I never should have got you mixed up with Jabba and his thugs. And you died for it. For me.
Arvel Crynyd: And where are they now? Montoja's son Hojon is running Chalmun's Cantina.
Arvel Crynyd: It should have been you, Dib. I let you down.
Arvel Crynyd: I only wish you could have lived on in legend. But your story dies with me.
Chewbacca: I questioned this before, but you really have me caring about all of this now.
{Crynyd's fighter flies out of control into the bridge of the super star destroyer, where Gherant and Admiral Piett futilely attempt to dive out of the way}
[SFX]: Kaboom!