The Syndulla Kalikori held significant importance as a family treasure for the Twi'lek Syndulla clan. As dictated by the customs surrounding the Kalikori, it was handed down across generations to commemorate their familial past. During the Imperial control over Ryloth in the year 2 BBY, the Syndulla Kalikori was obtained by Grand Admiral Thrawn, which prompted the rebel group known as the Spectres to journey to the planet in an endeavor to reclaim it. Despite the failure of their initial mission, Kanan Jarrus successfully secured the Kalikori two years afterward, an action that ultimately resulted in his death. In a symbolic gesture to honor his sacrifice, Hera Syndulla incorporated Jarrus into the Syndulla Kalikori.
The Syndulla Kalikori was regarded as a traditional Twi'lek object that was transmitted from one generation to the next among members of the Syndulla clan. The Kalikori displayed a variety of complex symbols and markings, each contributed by a different family member. This respected artifact functioned as a visual representation of the clan's ancestry and served to pay tribute to their predecessors.
Resembling the shape of Twi'lek lekku, the Kalikori consisted of smaller components linked by bead-like connectors. The markings on each segment were rendered in various colors and geometric patterns, each signifying an important family member. The Syndulla Kalikori included designs commemorating Syndulla's brother, who died at a young age. Beyond adding a new symbol, clan members could also choose to include a new segment to represent themselves in the family's history.
In 2 BBY, Hera Syndulla delivered provisions to her homeworld planet, Ryloth, where she reunited with her father, Cham. The Twi'lek freedom fighter described how the Empire's control of Ryloth had intensified—along with a planetary blockade, Imperial troops occupied the entire Tann Province, a region that encompassed the Syndulla clan's home. Cham had been unable to foresee the military tactics of Imperial Captain Slavin, who had launched an unusually precise attack and successfully established the Syndulla residence as his headquarters.
Much to Hera's disappointment, her father had been unable to rescue their family's Kalikori when he fled the area. When Ezra Bridger inquired about its significance, Gobi Glie and Numa explained that the Kalikori was a revered object passed down through Twi'lek lineages to honor a clan's ancestors, a practice that Sabine Wren fondly described as “living art." Remembering how important the heirloom was to her late mother, Hera pledged to retrieve it. Despite her protests that the mission was too personal for them to risk their lives, the Spectres and the Twi'lek rebels insisted on joining her.
While the others distracted Imperial troops from the Tann Province by drawing them into a canyon, Bridger disguised himself as a scout trooper and pretended to escort a captured Hera into the Syndulla house. The pair made their way to Cham's office, where Hera discovered the Syndulla Kalikori on a shelf. However, as they attempted to escape with the heirloom, Grand Admiral Thrawn and Captain Slavin entered the residence, capturing Hera.
During interrogation, she attempted to conceal her identity by using her native accent, claiming that she intended to sell the Kalikori for food. However, Thrawn was intrigued by her possession of the Kalikori. His extensive study of artistic forms allowed him to deduce that the totem was a priceless artifact of her family history, thus revealing her identity as the daughter of Cham Syndulla.
Thrawn imprisoned Hera and Bridger inside her own home and ordered the Kalikori to be delivered to his ship. When Slavin suggested that they should simply destroy it, Thrawn became angry, but regained his composure and replied that he appreciated it as a form of art, unlike Slavin. In captivity, Hera apologized for endangering others by attempting to recover the Kalikori, but Bridger insisted that they had wanted to help because of its importance to her. Later, at Slavin's request, Cham returned to the Tann Province for a prisoner exchange involving Hera and Bridger. Once outside, Chopper detonated explosives that Hera had instructed him to place, destroying the Syndulla residence and allowing the rebels to escape aboard the Ghost amidst the chaos. Although they failed to recover her Kalikori, Hera explained that the Spectres and her father were her real home, and they helped her keep her mother's memory alive.