Spectre 7: The Story of Jacen Syndulla

Chapter 1: The Hilt

"All Clear?" Someone asked, in a hushed voice. Jacen looked ahead of him. Ryloth's beautiful landscape was laid out in front of him. Patches of wispy grass were swaying amid the rocky landscape. Ahead of him was a cliffside in which several dwellings had been carved out of. Maybe four or five. Each of them had railings or walls with ladders attached to the entryways. Jacen focused his attention on one dwelling in particular through his macrobinoculars. It was unremarkable. All that could be seen was a dull, grey steel door and an automatic entryway that was currently sealed shut. No one was outside; no one besides Jacen and the others. Jacen put down his macrobinoculars and turned to his companions: two Twi'lek boys about the same age as him. They weren't quite adults, but they were far from children. One had a light blue sort of color to his skin, dark grey eyes, and undergrown lekku. He was tall and thin, but his face looked young. His name was Dinek. The other was completely white, aside from his piercing purple eyes. He was more stout, a little broader and shorter but still intimidating. He always had a look of mischief present on his face. His name was Inul. Contrary to his comrades, Jacen was half-human and had tanned skin with a slight greenish tint, teal eyes, and dark green hair instead of lekku. He was lengthy and lean, and his ears were pointed like a Twi'lek's. He could speak their language; though, as he was constantly reminded, he was not one of them. All three were wearing a very similarly plain style of clothing, and all three had a blaster hanging from each of their belts. He nodded and waved.

"Wachamio!" Jacen said, in a hushed voice.

The three of them sprinted to the base of the cliff and began climbing up the ladder, one after the other. They quickly made it to the sealed door and stationed themselves right beside it, towards the edge of the railing. There was an operating pad hanging up beside the opposite end of the door.

"Dinek, you're up," Jacen said.

Dinek went over to the operating pad and began punching in a series of codes. Within a few seconds, the automatic door opened, and the three slipped inside unnoticed. Jacen took a quick glance around the cantina. It was just as he remembered it when he'd managed to sneak in last time. It was noisy, Twi'leks and other sentients alike crowded the room, and there was hardly room to walk. Music was blaring and people were dancing. Jacen brushed by a female Twi'lek dancer who winked at him and cleared a path to the bar. Jacen and Dinek took the last two available seats, and Inul propped himself up beside them.

"Three Mijura. Straight up." Inul shouted at the bartender.

The bartender was an older, gruff-looking Trandoshan, and he did not take kindly to Inul's tone. He snarled but got the drinks anyways. He set them down in front of the three and hardened his gaze. His eyes landed on Inul, and he glared. Inul glared back and took his drink off the counter. The Trandoshan huffed, then turned away.

Dinek smiled and Jacen smirked at Inul.

"What?" Inul asked, "Someone has to be the tough guy around here." He said, quieting his tone.

"Tough guy?" Dinek mused.

"He looked like he was about to eat you." Inul stated.

"Right after he finished you," Jacen added. Dinek smiled and Inul scowled.

Jacen took a sip of his drink, and then received a tap on the shoulder. He turned around and flinched at the sight of the angry figure looming over him. It was an older, lightly orange-colored Twi'lek man named Cham Syndulla. Jacen's grandfather.

"I thought you were asleep on the ship." Cham noted.

"I thought you had business to attend to." Jacen rebuked.

"I do!" Cham said defensively, "You're not supposed to be here and-wait a minute..." Cham said, narrowing his eyes at the two figures surrounding Jacen. They were both still facing the bar until Cham grabbed each of their shoulders and turned them around. Dinek practically fell off the barstool.