Jerlyn

Jerlyn was a male individual who lived in Peka village on the world Batuu. Around 379 BBY, he forgot to lock up his family's farm at night, which resulted in a salmaca, a large lizard-like creature that was raiding Peka, taking his family's droid, Dee-Twelve. The next day, when Jedi Padawan Rooper Nitani arrived in Peka during her Jedi Trials, Jerlyn told her about the salmaca raids and how it had taken Dee-Twelve. Nitani agreed to rescue the droid, and successfully returned it to Jerlyn. 
==Biography==
===Dee-Twelve's theft===
Jerlyn lived in Peka village on the world Batuu, where he worked on his family's farm. Around 379 BBY,"Shield of the Jedi" establishes that Rooper Nitani is around eighteen years old during its events. During the events of The High Republic: Quest for Planet X, which Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia dates to 382 BBY, Nitani is fifteen years old. Therefore, "Shield of the Jedi" must take place around 379 BBY. a salmaca, a large lizard-like creature, began raiding homes in Peka for valuables and junk to line its nest. On at least one occasion, Jerlyn saw the salmaca. One night, he forgot to lock up the farm while Dee-Twelve, his family's droid, was out plowing a field. That night, when the salmaca raided Peka, it took Dee-Twelve back to its cave. The next day, when Jerlyn saw the salmaca's large prints in the dirt, he realized what had happened.
Later, Jedi Padawan Rooper Nitani arrived in Peka while searching for a shield belonging to her Master, Silandra Sho, as part of her Jedi Trials. She saw Jerlyn under a tree, and noticing that he looked worried, approached him. Jerlyn was startled by Nitani's approach, and then apologized for his reaction. After the two introduced themselves, Jerlyn noticed Nitani's robes, and asked if she had come to help. When Nitani asked Jerlyn to explain, he told her about the salmaca raids, including how it had killed one resident—Tuntis—and how it had taken Dee-Twelve the previous night. After reassuring Jerlyn that she would help, Nitani asked him about the shield she was looking for. Jerlyn told Nitani that a Jedi had come to the village the previous night and left a shield in a tree, but that it been taken by the salmaca. After Jerlyn provided Nitani with a brief description of Dee-Twelve, she traveled to the salmaca's cave with a small group of villagers. 
===The salmaca's cave===
Sometime later, Jerlyn also went to cave where he waited outside its entrance. After Nitani had rescued Dee-Twelve, she sent him out with P3-7A, a church droid that was accompanying her, and the two droids waited with Jerlyn. Shortly after, Jerlyn saw the villagers who had entered the cave run out screaming and cursing. When Nitani exited the cave, he thanked her and asked what had happened. Nitani then explained that the salmaca had actually been protecting Peka by preying on a nearby colony of gant spiders, a type of enormous and deadly arachnid. 
When they returned to the village, Jerlyn explained to the rest of the villagers about the gant spiders, who agreed to leave out scrap and junk each night for the salmaca to take so that it would no longer have to raid the villager's homes. When Nitani returned to the Batuu Jedi temple, she told Sho about what had happened during her trials, including when Jerlyn spoke to the other villagers to tell them about the gant spiders.
==Personality and traits==
Jerlyn was a male individual who was young in 379 BBY. His fingers were hard and calloused from labor. 
When Jerlyn met Nitani, he was distracted, and jolted in surprise when she spoke to him. Despite his distress, he smiled while describing the salmaca to Nitani. He blamed himself for Dee-Twelve being taken, and was upset both because he considered Dee-Twelve to be part of his family, and because they could not afford a new droid to do the important farm work that Dee-Twelve did. He was grateful to Nitani for rescuing Dee-Twelve, and gave her a shy look while thanking her. 
==Behind the scenes==
Jerlyn appeared in the short story "Shield of the Jedi," written by George Mann and published in the 2023 young-adult anthology The High Republic: Tales of Light and Life as a part of the Star Wars: The High Republic multimedia project.
==Appearances==
* 
==Notes and references==
Category:Batuu residents
Category:Farmers
Category:Individuals of unspecified species
Category:Individuals with he/him pronouns
Category:Males