42 A.B.Y, 6 MONTHS AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE SECOND GALACTIC CIVIL WAR
CHAPTER 1
Fay'ele'talinshae appreciated few expressions of art, but the art of forging blades was one of Mandalorian bounty hunter, Morge Tiro, had given him a traditional Vay'car'nac blade as a gift after a hunting down rogue the rogue Jedi Ti Tekklet and his apprentice Corbus Detarn. The blade was perfectly shaped, its two edges coming together in a precise point sharp enough to cut flesh with just a touch. Its balance was flawless and it felt nearly weightless in his finishing touch was a blade forged from a mix of traditional beskar'gam and cortosis. It was the finest form of a masterpiece. "I'm envious of an inanimate object now." He mused as he turned the blade over in his fingers. "At least this blade has a job to do." He said quietly. He sat up in the seat of his assault shuttle Claw and gazed out at the brightly lit world of Coruscant below.
"Landing approved." Came the disinterested approval of the landing attendant. Fay'ele'talinshae punched in the landing procedure. He was going to join the Jedi Order and finally put his "talents" to use for a purpose bigger than himself. All he needed was to get an audience with Luke Skywalker, the most powerful Jedi who ever lived, and ask if he could join their legendary order.
"Shouldn't be a problem." He thought sardonically.
It turned out to be a far bigger problem than he ever thought. War often tended to clear out underground and criminal contacts like someone resetting a dejarik board. Fay'ele'talinshae had spent the last two days looking up every lowlife that he knew in Coruscant's enormous underworld. Jacen Solo's purges had either put every contact in the ground, or to wary of capture to remember old debts. Finally, Fay'ele'talinshae admitted defeat to the coming evening and his own hunger and decided to search for a late dinner. He knew of a little local diner that was nearby and made his way towards it. After a few minutes walk, he came upon the legendary Dex's Diner. The place had been burned down, twice. However, three government changes and two planetary invasions had not kept its ancient Besalisk proprietor from reopening his doors whenever things cooled down enough for him to have the opportunity. He entered into the well-lit interior of the eatery and noted that he was the sole patron. An enormous reptilian head poked its way out of the kitchen. "Go ahead and grab a seat, if you can squeeze in." Dexter Jettster said with a chuckle. "I'll be with ya in a moment." Fay'ele'talinshae selected a stool along the long bar and flipped the diner's extensive holomenu up. He selected an item from the menu and a few moments later, Dex came and took his order. Soon after, Dex returned with his order and placed some steaming and rich-smelling concoction before him, which he ate eagerly. After he finished, he sat alone at the bar quietly pondering his next move. His contacts were exhausted and his credits would soon follow. It wouldn't be difficult to find work on-world, but he could see no feasible way of ever getting an audience with Master Luke Skywalker. His disappointment at that thought must have shown on his canine features, because Dex soon came back out of the Kitchen carrying a cup of Jawa Juice in each of his four enormous hands. "On the house." Dex said, as he placed one glass in front of Fay'ele'talinshae and the others in front of himself as he maneuvered his enormous bulk atop one of the stools." I've been working this diner for nearly a century," Dex said, a reflective look coming into his eyes. "and I know when a gentlebeing is having a rough day. Although," Dex siad, taking in Fay'ele'talinshae's armor-weave bodysuit, as well as the blasters and lightsabers beneath his black cloak. "I doubt the problem is with the missus." The joke briefly drained Fay'ele'talinshae of some of the gloom he was feeling.
"A lack of purpose." Fay'ele'talinshae commented after a moment of silence and a sip of the bitter drink.
"Ahh." The large Besalisk intoned." Something not nearly as serious. Well if it's purpose you seek, I have some dishes in my sink that I have no desire to clean." Dex replied with a chuckle. "However, I believe that you are seeking a deeper purpose than cleaning dirty cutlery."
Fay'ele'talinshae laughed again and nodded. "I have gone from one end of the galaxy doing this and that and have never done anything that truly made a me feel like it's what I was meant to do."
"Well young feller I too have traveled one end of this galaxy to the other and have discovered that when it comes to purpose, it tends to find you if you just keep looking." Dex said with more wisdom than his scruffy appearance would have ever allowed one to believe was possible. Fay'ele'talinshae took the words as both advice and encouragement, and resolved himself to keep searching for a purpose, even if it wasn't with the Jedi."It's getting late young feller." Dex stated to break the silence." Where are ya staying tonight, maybe I can give ya a lift?"
"My ship is docked on level 1437." Fay'ele'talinshae said, gathering up his travel bag and tossing the appropriate credit chips on the counter for his dinner.
"That's over a hundred levels up!" Dex exclaimed. "Just sleep in the diner tonight then you can be on your way in the morning."
Fay'ele'talinshae was both surprised and pleased by the offer, as the journey would take him another hour or two if he could get a repulsor cab, longer if he didn't. "Thanks Dex. I don't know how I can ever repay you. I don't have any extra credits."
"Well…" Dex said slowly motion with two of his wrinkled hands toward the kitchen. "...there are still those dishes."
Fay'ele'talinshae smiled and chuckled "Perhaps the universe has granted me a purpose." He said, as he slid off his cloak and made his way toward the kitchen.
"By the way young feller, I never got your name." Dex said with a curiosity on his face.
"My birth name is Fay'ele'talinshae, but you can just call me Shae." Shae said with a grin.