Tensh Ly'alu was a Bothan Jedi Knight assigned to the planet of Ryloth to act the Jedi representative on the planet and assist in scouting for Force-sensitive prospects among the Twi'lek. Before he arrived on Ryloth, Jedi Ly'alu believed that he was particularly good at playing mind games to gather information and get others to do what he needed.

However, once he arrived, he realized that the Twi'leks were some of the best politicians in the galaxy, and Tensh found he was not as good as he apparently thought. In addition to this, he was completely unfamiliar with the Twi'lek form of communication that relied on subtle movements of their lekku, or head-tails. Once he realized that those around him could carry on conversations without speaking a word, Tensh struggled to learn the complex form of communication.