A human male named Spenc Orbar was an Imperial cadet. He was a student at the Royal Imperial Academy located on Coruscant. Due to his family's significant power and sway on both Coruscant and within the Academy itself, Orbar was able to act with impunity. He was taken aback and displeased when Thrawn, an alien hailing from the Unknown Regions, arrived, as were most of his peers and the Academy's staff. Thrawn's presence challenged the pervasive xenophobia within the Galactic Empire. Consequently, he joined forces with Rosita Turuy and other classmates in a plot to eliminate Thrawn. Their initial plan involved inviting Thrawn to the metallurgy lab for a gambling session, a practice strictly prohibited by the Academy's rules, with the intention of getting him caught. However, this scheme backfired when Thrawn displayed a lieutenant's plaque given to him by Commandant Deenlark, the Academy's president, to expedite his graduation. An instructor, summoned discreetly by Orbar, was forced to withdraw upon seeing the plaque, as lieutenants were permitted in the metallurgy lab. Undeterred, Orbar, Turuy, and their accomplices then chose to physically assault Thrawn. This attempt was thwarted by the intervention of Eli Vanto, Thrawn's assistant. Thrawn and Vanto subsequently reported the incident to Commandant Deenlark, who was surprised when Thrawn, instead of seeking punishment for his attackers, suggested they be transferred to Skystrike Academy. Thrawn had observed during the attack that they possessed exceptional skills as fighter pilots. Deenlark approved Thrawn's request, and in a strategic move by Thrawn, Orbar and Turuy's accomplices vanished completely, leaving them both fearful and uncertain about what happened to their allies.