Dexter "Dex" Jettster, who was also known as Dexi Jet, was a male Besalisk who had a vibrant past as both a prospector and the proprietor of a restaurant. During the era of the High Republic, he was famous for his hyperspace prospecting skills and maintained a close professional friendship with Maz Kanata, the celebrated Pirate Queen, sharing tales of her and her pirate crew throughout the galaxy. Later in life, he settled on the planet of Coruscant where he owned and operated Dex's Diner. The diner primarily catered to local hardworking individuals, offering them comforting, home-style meals and freshly brewed ardees (referred to colloquially as "Jawa juice"). Jettster himself served as the head cook and employed two waitresses: Hermione Bagwa and her WA-7 waitress droid colleague, FLO.
In the time leading up to the Clone Wars, the Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi visited Dex's Diner, seeking Dex's expertise in identifying a poisoned dart. Despite the obscurity of the planet Kamino to most, Jettster recognized it from his prospecting days on Subterrel and successfully identified the dart's Kaminoan origin. He also possessed knowledge of the Kaminoans, the planet's native inhabitants, who were well-known cloners that preferred isolation, but were hospitable to those who offered credits. Jettster playfully scolded Kenobi, suggesting that a Jedi should place more trust in an old friend's knowledge than in the analytical droids found in the Analysis Rooms.
Dexter Jettster, a male Besalisk, had a notable reputation as a hyperspace prospector. During the High Republic Era, Jettster was a member of Maz Kanata, the renowned Pirate Queen's, pirate crew and frequently visited her castle located on Takodana. Furthermore, he developed a reputation as a skilled storyteller, gathering tales from all over the galaxy during his travels and sharing them with the pirates on Takodana. During this period, Jettster participated in the Battle of Jedha alongside Kanata's crew, aiding in the defense of her castle against a hostile takeover attempt by the Dank Graks, a criminal organization composed of practitioners of the Dark side of the Force. He also engaged in black market activities and worked as a prospector on Subterrel.
While exploring the Unknown Regions of the galaxy, Jettster joined a crew led by a Mikkian named Loegrib. Their mission was to extract a mysterious energy source from the planet Lenahra. Upon their arrival, they encountered a group of seven younglings: Audj Seedol, Casul, Shush, Trill, Amyt, Mem, and Zae-Brii. These children were under the protection of a Jedi Padawan named Obi-Wan Kenobi. Initially, Loegrib displayed kindness toward the children, encouraging them to leave with him once the energy was secured. However, it soon became clear that Leogrib was willing to abandon the children to their fate in order to complete the mission. With Kenobi's assistance, Jettster rallied the rest of the crew and helped the children defeat Loegrib, leaving him to perish as they escaped the collapsing planet. Subsequently, Jettster assisted in relocating the children to a safer environment and accompanied Kenobi to the Galactic Republic capital of Coruscant.
Once he had settled there, he pursued his passion for food and established a restaurant called Dex's Diner. He also developed a close friendship with Kenobi, assisting him on various missions. Due to his Besalisk physiology, he would consume dessert for dinner every night, using it as an excuse to enjoy leftover sweets before they spoiled. Although he was open to utilizing the black market for supplies and could potentially manage an entire underground network on Coruscant, Jettster successfully convinced Inspector Tanivos Exantor Divo that his diner was a legitimate business.
At some point between 32 and 29 BBY, Jettster encountered a problem with customers experiencing theft of their belongings while at his diner. To address this issue, he collaborated with his friend, the Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, who strategically placed a tracker within a paperweight and left it in plain sight to attract the thief. As expected, the thief, a Pa'lowick named Tri Tellon, seized the object and fled, pushing Wanda aside as Jettster called out for someone to stop her. Tellon managed to evade Kenobi's pursuit, returning to her den with the stolen item, believing it to be valuable.
Tellon excitedly informed a robed figure, whom she assumed to be her partner, Magreda, about her discovery, but the figure turned around, revealing himself to be Kenobi, who had been tracking her. Jettster had also arrived, using his imposing stature to block Tellon's escape. Kenobi explained his plan to a furious Tellon, while Jettster thanked the Jedi for his assistance, as all of his customers' stolen items were recovered. Years later, between 34 and 35 ABY, the cartographer Emil Graf recounted the story of Kenobi and Jettster's deception; having heard the tale from his great-aunt, Lina Graf, he used it to illustrate the point that one should not overestimate their own cleverness.
During the era of the Galactic Republic, Jettster's friend Servit, a Mirialan, visited the diner seeking Jettster's assistance. Although the Besalisk was initially occupied, he soon emerged from the kitchen to greet Servit, offering him some brakkenback stew. While pleased to see his friend, Servit declined, explaining that he needed to speak with Jettster privately. Noticing Servit's concerned expression, Jettster asked Wanda to manage the front while he and his friend spoke in the kitchen. Once inside, Servit began by confirming that Jettster had been a prospector in the past, which the Besalisk affirmed with a chuckle.
Servit revealed a large bundle he had brought with him, which contained an old EX droid that he hoped Jettster could identify. The Besalisk provided a brief history, explaining how the droids were once used by Republic Pathfinder teams visiting the Outer Rim Territories, but he was puzzled as to why Servit possessed one. The Mirialan responded with a story about an ancestor of his who had been part of a Pathfinder team and was killed in a pirate raid centuries earlier. He also mentioned a Jedi named Sturm and a location called Shara'Tam, which Jettster recognized as details from a legendary prospector tale about a lost treasure on a moon called Shara'Tam. He further explained that, according to the tale, an EX droid had been dispatched with information about the treasure but was never found, leading Shara'Tam to be dismissed as a myth and Jettster to believe that the story was not real. Servit interpreted this as an indication from his friend that the droid in front of them could be the one from the legend, which Jettster acknowledged with a shrug.
Armed with this information, Servit understood why Jarl, a Weequay individual he had inquired about the droid, had attempted to steal it from him, forcing him to flee. As Jettster tried to get Servit to explain what he was hiding, Jarl and his crew arrived, prompting Jettster to march to the front of the diner to confront them just as the EX droid began rebooting its old systems. Servit again refused to surrender the droid, but Jarl gave him no choice, as his crew held the diners at blaster point. Crossing his arms, Jettster defended his friend, reiterating that he would not give up the droid and that nothing would prevent his guests from enjoying their meals. Jarl, intimidated by the Besalisk, continued, suggesting that Jettster bring a bowl of the brakkenback stew so that Servit could consider his options. Jettster returned to the kitchen to retrieve the stew, confusing Servit, who followed him. Jettster innocently claimed he was simply serving lunch, but along with the stew, he also brought a frying pan.
Jettster handed the bowl to Jarl, who lowered his guard to eat it and was promptly knocked unconscious by Jettster's frying pan. A protocol droid member of Jarl's crew, T7, attempted to retaliate, but Jettster was too quick, throwing the stew at the droid with a roar and clogging its internal mechanisms. The remaining two crewmembers, a human and a Togruta, began firing. Jettster had Wanda evacuate the customers and requested more pans from Servit, using them to strike their attackers in the head, eventually causing them to surrender. However, by this time, Jarl had regained consciousness and held a blaster to Servit's neck, forcing him to take him back to the kitchen to examine the EX droid. The droid, which had been rebooting throughout the ordeal, was now functioning and playing a message from Sturm Umbrik on a loop.
Jettster recognized Umbrik in the holo and exclaimed his name in awe. The message detailed the expedition's findings on Shara'Tam, which included a valuable statue along with the moon's coordinates. Once the holorecording concluded, the room fell silent for a moment until Jettster burst into laughter. He confused and angered Jarl, who intended to seize the statue, which would be worth a fortune. Still laughing, Jettster agreed that it would have been, but the coordinates pointed to the Ishram system, which had been destroyed fifty years prior. Neglecting to verify the coordinates himself, Jarl had his Togruta crewmate check the status of the Ishram system on his datapad, which confirmed its non-existence. Enraged, Jarl and his crew departed from the diner, leaving Jettster alone with Servit.
The Mirialan thanked Jettster for rescuing him from the situation but apologized for being unable to pay for the damages, as he was short on credits. Grinning, Jettster assured him that there was treasure waiting for him among the stars that would surely provide ample compensation. Servit was puzzled, believing the Ishram system to have been destroyed; Jettster confirmed that it was, but the coordinates actually placed Shara'Tam in the still-existing Arath system: he had deceived Jarl and his crew. In disbelief, Servit laughed and asked if Jettster could make him a quick dewback burger, knowing that the stew was no longer available as it was scattered across the floor. Jettster laughed in response, handing his friend a mop so that he could first assist Wanda in cleaning up the diner.
In 22 BBY, following an assassination attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala during the Separatist Crisis, Kenobi approached Jettster as part of an investigation into Amidala's attackers. Kenobi sought Jettster's expertise in identifying a poison dart. Jettster successfully identified it as originating from the planet Kamino. He and Kenobi then exchanged friendly banter before Kenobi left the diner. Armed with Jettster's information about Kamino, Kenobi visited the [Jedi Archives](/article/jedi_archives], but he was unable to locate the system.
Following the outbreak of the Clone Wars, Jettster encountered difficulties in obtaining certain ingredients for his customers, forcing him to remove various items from the menu, which negatively impacted his restaurant's revenue. At one point, Sabé, a regular at the restaurant, inquired with the waitress droid FLO about the missing menu items. FLO explained the situation, prompting Jettster himself to rant about it from behind the counter. Sabé attempted to reassure Dex that the Republic would address the issue, to which Dex reminded her that regardless of their actions, he would still be there striving to keep the diner running. Nevertheless, he advised her that a single act of kindness could have significant ripple effects.
Prior to his mission to Cato Neimoidia, Kenobi sought Jettster's advice on how to arrange a meeting with the Neimoidians.
During the reign of the Galactic Empire, Dexter was browsing through a box of reading material on the planet Pashvi. Jettster purchased the book that would later be known as the Smuggler's Guide, previously owned by Reginald Danfillo, from the box for fifty credits. The book had been tucked between The Biography of Master Thief Makuta and The Field Guide to Trammic Reptavians, and he noticed Maz Kanata's name on the first page, which prompted the purchase.
After hearing rumors of unethical experimentation, specifically illegal cyborg mods and bodies grown to meet specific buyer requirements, as well as tales of miners being worked to death in the stellar skirt of the Tingel Arm, Jettster traveled to Athus Klee aboard a star-streamer to investigate. After the starship docked in the morning, most passengers quickly disembarked and headed directly into the Spacers' District. By the time the older Jettster had exited the vessel, every inn was fully booked. Jettster instead ventured out of the district into the underbrush and found a relatively dry rise, where he lay down under the stars. He discovered that the Crimson Dawn was advertising for workers to mine ore in their ore hub.
After six days of hacking through the jungle with a vibro-machete, Jettster had endured bites from two vipers and countless gnats, but he managed to locate the ore hub. Sneaking around the hub's processing plant, the Besalisk spotted the chop shop and used his macrobinoculars to take numerous scans of the workers. Initially, he feared he could do nothing to help the workers, but then he recalled the lesson he had imparted upon Sabé years earlier. He rescued a single Rodian worker from the hub, and the pair headed back toward the spaceport.
During their journey, the pair spent hours one night gazing at the stars through the jungle canopy. Upon reaching the port, Jettster contacted a politician on the galactic capital, Coruscant, who was a friend of his, and informed him of the hub. The politician dispatched a ship to retrieve the Rodian and Jettster's surveillance scans, so that they could be presented before the Imperial Senate Council of Labor Abuses. Jettster documented his experiences on Athus Klee throughout his journey, and Evazan and the smuggler Han Solo later annotated the pages with their own comments when the book came into their possession.
While still on Athus Klee, Jettster visited the Rasher's Rest cantina, where he encountered the hunter Tyro Viveca and left his belongings unattended while using the latrine. Viveca seized the opportunity to steal the book that would become known as the Smuggler's Guide from Jettster and then departed Athus Klee for the planet Kashyyyk.
By 4 ABY, Dex's Diner had closed. Dex still resided on Coruscant and witnessed the aftermath of the news of the Emperor's death. As Coruscant erupted into civil war over whether to remain with the Empire or join the rebellion, Jettster provided a small rebel cell operating on Coruscant with access to the smuggling tunnel connected to his abandoned diner. This proved to be a crucial asset in undermining the Empire. During the New Republic Era, Jettster was mentioned as a notable Besalisk in "Species From A to Z," a survival compendium distributed by Carson Teva. Also during this time Coruscant Underworld, a battlefield within the Grand Arena on Vespaara that was a recreation of the Coruscant Underworld, had hologram advertisements for Dex's Diner.
Jettster was a Besalisk of 1.88 meters tall with a round stomach. He had a brown-black mustache, yellow eyes, and tan-brown skin. Jettster was a very amicable individual who greeted his friend Kenobi with an embrace. He was also willing to assist the Jedi Knight in identifying a poisoned dart used to kill the bounty hunter Zam Wesell and provide information about the reclusive Kaminoan species. Although he engaged in illegal activities throughout his life, his decisions appeared to stem from a desire to do good and help others.
Ronald Falk provided the voice for Dexter Jettster in Attack of the Clones. Originally, he was intended to be married to his waitress, Hermione Bagwa. In the early 2020s, Jettster experienced what writer James Dillon referred to as the "Dexter Jettster Renaissance." In addition to making brief appearances in the 2022 novels Queen's Hope and Brotherhood, Jettster's initial encounter with Obi-Wan Kenobi was depicted in the 2022 novel Padawan. He played a significant role in that year's relaunch of Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures. He was also featured in a Galactic Tales short story titled "Galactic Tales: Inheritance" and, in 2023, received another short story, "The Veteran," within From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi, which was released on August 29 of that year. Dillon contributed the Star Wars Insider article "Dexter Jettster: Pan-Galactic Besalisk of Mystery" as his contribution to the renaissance.