Kai Brightstar

Kai Brightstar was a human male Jedi youngling sent to the forest planet Tenoo for training during the High Republic Era.
==Biography==
===Leaving Coruscant===
Kai Brightstar was a human male Jedi youngling born around 240 BBY. He was best friends with the Pantoran youngling Lys Solay and Pooba youngling Nubs. They trained together on the planet Coruscant at the Jedi Temple, where they learned under Jedi Masters Yoda and Zia Zaldor Zanna. In 232 BBY, it came time for the younglings to continue their training elsewhere, and Brightstar, Solay, and Nubs were assigned to travel to the planet Tenoo in the Outer Rim Territories. However, when Yoda announced this to the larger younglings, the three were missing, off practicing in the training course—Brightstar had had the idea of making one last attempt at their record before departing.
The trio hid behind cover while strategizing how to get beyond the training remote droids and capture a beacon. Solay decided to leap to one side of the course, drawing the droids' fire and allowing Brightstar and Nubs to make a break for the beacon. Using Nubs's paws as a jump-off point, Brightstar flipped toward the beacon and began walking backwards to it, deflecting the droids' lasers with his lightsaber. He declined when his friends offered to help but then tripped, prompting them to come to his aid anyhow. Solay reminded him that friends existed to help one another, which Brightstar affirmed—he had thought he could do it by himself. They continued blocking laserfire from the droids until Brightstar was close enough to grab the beacon, which he did—they had broken their record, much to their celebration, though Nubs's hug was too tight for Brighstar.
Master Zanna then appeared on a hologram, warning the younglings that they would need to hurry to their shuttles to Tenoo. Brightstar apologized for their tardiness. They caught the last shuttle, where the pilot, the human Nash Durango, and her droid, RJ-83, were making repairs before they left. Brightstar asked who the pilot was, and when Durango told them it was her, Solay was surprised, for she was a mere child. Durango pointed out that the Jedi, too, were kids, and she introduced herself, receiving the younglings' names in return. They boarded her starship, the Crimson Firehawk, and took off to jump into hyperspace, delighting the Jedi.
===Welcome to Tenoo===
While they traveled, Durango let the Jedi explore her ship, showing them the food and games she had to offer. Brightstar peered at a Gedonian ground weevil in a box, which snapped at him. Solay, conversely, was able to pick it up—Brightstar explained her talent with creatures to Durango. Brightstar then noticed the holochess table, which greatly excited him. At Durango's inquiring, he detailed what the Jedi did at the Temple and accepted her Jedi Knight definition of "heroes," adding that they helped others through the Force. She asked for him to levitate a tool, but Solay interjected that using the Force took concentration and practice.
They eventually arrived at Tenoo, pulling out of hyperspace to reveal the planet. Before they could land, the restauranteur Hap called Durango's comlink, asking for help with thieving pirates. He was disappointed to see that the Jedi with Durango were only kids, but they insisted they could help. The Crimson Firehawk landed at Durango's hometown of Kublop Springs, whose trees impressed Brightstar.
He readied his friends, and they all ran to the restaurant, Hap's Sap Tap, where the pirates had finished loading their loot onto a cart. Brightstar ordered the lead pirate, Taborr Val Dorn, to returned what he had stolen. Val Dorn refused, commanded his associated to take the goods back to his starship, and activated an electrostaff with which to fight the Jedi. Brightstar ignited his lightsaber in return, sparring with the pirate as his friends tried to stop Hap's items from leaving. He and Val Dorn impressed each other, and the latter escaped by shooting tree branches above, forcing Brightstar to stop fighting and focus on moving the falling branches to save Hap's cafe.
===What friends are for===
This time, he asked his friends for help, and together they averted damaging the restaurant. Once the branches had been set down, Brightstar called Durango via comlink—the pilot flew to the pirates' ship, and RJ-83 lowered himself to attach a cable to the cart. Pord and EB-3, two of Val Dorn's pirates, disconnected the cable, but the distraction bought enough time for the Jedi to catch up. Brightstar sprung off Nubs's paws just like on the course, pushing the cart back, where Solay and Nubs defended it from the pirates. He ordered Val Dorn to leave, who relented but swore his revenge.
Durango then took them to the Tenoo Jedi Temple, at which the Jedi gasped. They apologized for their lateness, but was impressed with what they had done. Brightstar credited his friends' help, and they all joined together in a hug—he still found Nubs's grip too tight. Zanna led them on a tour of their new home, and Brightstar assured Nubs that there would be food as well as second helpings.
===Mission from a master===
During a training session, the trio were tasked with getting past a droid while balancing on wooden poles. Solay suggested simply going over the droid instead of fighting it, getting to the platform first. Nubs was next, but he slipped and caught himself, dangling on a rope underneath the platform. Brightstar rushed after him but had his lightsaber knocked out of his hand by the droid. Forced to make a decision between recovering his weapon and helping his friend, he chose both and levitated the lightsaber and Nubs. However, as soon as his saber was back in his grasp, he broke concentration, dropping Nubs and losing the challenge. Brightstar apologized to Nubs afterward, who forgave him with a hug.
Master Zanna, who had been moderating, then introduced a special guest: Master Yoda, whose significance Brightstar had to explain to a spectating Durango. Brightstar rushed over to him and then stopped himself, sheepishly asking if Yoda had seen him training. He had and reminded the youngling to focus on friends rather than object, which could be replaced. He then addressed the larger group of younglins and informed them that they would be performing their skills at a festival in Kublop Springs that night. As the others left with Zanna to begin practicing, Yoda held back Brightstar, Solay, and Nubs, whom he tasked with retrieving an item for the festival. He gave them directions and walked away. Brightstar was ecstatic to have received a mission from Yoda, and the Jedi and Durango set off in the Crimson Firehawk.
Unbeknownst to them, Taborr Val Dorn and his gang had been spying on them and decided to follow. The crew traveled to the planet Yarrum—on the walk to the vendor, Brightstar and Solay speculated on what the item would be. They were disappointed when the Aqualish vendor gave them a small bag of seeds, but Brightstar stayed positive, insisting that whatever Yoda that was important was so. Back on the Firehawk, a distress signal started to blare, so they all rushed to its source. However, it had been a trick by Val Dorn, who was able to ransack the unattended ship and steal the seeds. The Jedi raced over to Yarrum Tower, where pirates sold stolen goods, on a speeder bike from Durango while the pilot and RJ-83 repaired the damaged ship.
===These are some fire seeds===
Indeed, Val Dorn had tried to sell the seeds but had had no success. The Jedi snuck onto his ship just as he was about to leave Yarrum Tower, and Brightstar quickly located the goods. Nubs danced about in celebration but accidentally activated a gonk droid, alerting the pirates to their presence. Pord and EB-3 tried to re-steal the seeds, so Brightstar tossed them to Solay, who gained the high ground by jumping onto a crate. She handed them to Nubs, and Brightstar jammed an upturned box on EB-3, blinding him. Solay opened the hatch, and she and Nubs jumped out while Brightstar dueled with Val Dorn. He used the Force to knock the pirate back into Pord and saw that Durango and RJ had arrived in the repaired Firehawk.
Solay jumped aboard, and Nubs tried as well but came up short, hanging onto a cable protruding from the Firehawk hatch. Brightstar moved to help, but Val Dorn grabbed the Jedi's lightsaber with a cord, laughing at his new possession. Brightstar reached for it, about to get it back, but he realized that Nubs was more important and helped his friend instead, lifting him back into the ship with the Force. He turned to see the three pirates chasing him and, recognizing that he was outnumbered, ran for the ship instead, leaping inside. Nubs gave him a hug as they took off.
Back on Tenoo, the younglings landed just in time for the festival, handing Yoda the seeds. The Jedi Master identified the seeds as sparkle-fire seeds and explained their significance as a symbol of friendship between the Jedi and the galaxy. They were a metaphor for younglings, who would grow up to be strong. Paying attention to the moonlight, Yoda planted the seeds in soil at the proper time. They quickly sprouted and set off colorful fireworks, much to the amazement of all. At the ensuing festivities, Brightstar admitted to Yoda that he had lost his lightsaber. Yoda was not displeased, instead commending the youngling for selflessly helping others. He gave Brightstar the lightsaber with which had trained, expressing his pride in the young Jedi and his confidence that he would one day be great.
===Droid practice===
One day, while training at the Temple, Brightstar was eager to try practicing with an advanced training droid. Solay discouraged him, but he felt they and Nubs could handle it, so he turned it on. It brandished three lightsaber-like blades and began swinging them. With difficulty, the younglings were able to parry its attacks, but Brightstar realized it may have been too much of a challenge, so he tried to turn it off but was unable to do so. All three tried to shut it down together, but they all got their arms stuck in the droid's appendages, forcing Brightstar to call Durango for help. When it released them, they were all thrust to the ground, and it moved to strike Nubs. The Pooba put his arm up to receive the blow, but it never came as Brightstar used the Force to suspend the droid's arm above Nubs.
Together, they each stopped an arm from moving, and Durango then arrived. She had RJ-83 open the droid's hatch, and she pressed the button within to shut the droid down. The Jedi hugged her in thanks, but the training blocks on the course then began toppling—the younglings tried to levitate them to prevent themselves from being crumpled, but Master Yoda stepped in, saving them himself. Brightstar explained who Yoda was and his significance to Durango, who did not know him, and apologized to Yoda for the mess. Yoda was unconcerned and focused on the fact that the Jedi and pilot had worked together to solve the problem, assigning them on a mission. They took off in the Crimson Firehawk and jumped to hyperspace.
===Fun on Tenoo===
When Solay was looking for an escaped tooka kitten, the creature in question interrupted Brightstar practicing lightsaber forms, tripping him up and sending him to the ground. It darted through his legs, and seconds later, Solay arrived and asked her friend if he had seen the runaway feline. He was unfamiliar with tookas but pointed in the direction the creature had gone. Solay thanked him and knocked him down once more, bumping into him as she rushed off that way.
Brightstar, Solay, and Nubs later went on a mission to retrieve a Zeilla flower for studying at the Temple. They searched for it in the forests of Tenoo, splitting up for efficiency at Solay's suggestion. While looking, Nubs became launched into the sky by a bird and landed in a tree right by a Zeilla flower. Brightstar and Solay were relieved to see him once he landed, and Solay explained that the bird was attracted to the brightness of Nubs's ignited lightsaber. Nubs rode the bird to the flower and sliced it off—it fell slowly to the ground, where Solay caught it. Brightstar thanked Nubs for completing the mission, and they all laughed as the bird squawked.
When returning from a mission to obtain a Jedi holocron in the Crimson Firehawk, Brighstar expressed his excitement to learn ancient Jedi history from the artifact and praised Durango's piloting skills. The pilot agreed but added credit for her copilot, RJ-83. She then pulled out of hyperspace, but as soon as Tenoo was again in sight, Taborr Val Dorn fired several shots from behind them. He opened a comlink channel with the Jedi, informing them that he intended to steal the holocron for himself. Durango instructed Brightstar to man the cannons as she tried to lose the pirates in Tenoo's asteroid field. Brightstar shot an opening between two close asteroids upon Durango's instruction, after which the Firehawk narrowly avoided the jaws of an exogorth. Pulling another maneuver, Durango was able to lose the pirates but collided with an asteroid while gloating, leading to a crash-landing beside the Jedi Temple. The Jedi and pilot dizzily walked out, but Nubs had held on to the holocron during the fighting, successfully bringing it to the Temple.
===Nothing fun about stealing===
Brightstar, Solay, and Nubs were forced to stop Val Dorn again when he stole all of the fruits a Nautolan shopkeeper was selling. They demanded he return all of it, and when he refused, they used the Force to bring the cartful of fruit toward them. Val Dorn ordered EB-3 to bring the cart to his ship and for Pord to distract the Jedi—the Gamorrean interrupted their concentration, allowing EB-3 to move the cart. Brightstar tried to go after him, but Val Dorn was in his way, electrostaff at the ready. The two began to duel, and Brightstar tried to tell Solay he could handle the pirate.
However, Val Dorn knocked him to the ground, laughing at the Jedi's failed attempt to stop him. Brightstar decidedly told his friends that they would not give up, racing after the pirates. They used the Force to recover the cart, wrenching it out of EB-3's grip just as the hatch closed. They waved to the pirates and then brought the cart to the Nautolan, who thanked them. Brightstar stated that he was happy to lend a hand, particularly when doing so with his friends. Nubs gave him and Solay a hug, which Brightstar still found too tight.
===Brace for a race===
For the Kublop Classic, a river race in Kublop Springs, the three younglings were a part of Durango's team. They helped their pilot friend build her skiff, the Crimson Bolt, which Master Zanna complimented as she came by to speak to the younglings. Nubs accidentally dropped the skiff's sail in the river while showing Zanna, so Brightstar helped him float it back in place. One of Durango's competitors, Raena Zess, then came up to the Crimson Bolt—Solay asked Durango if Zess was the one who always beat her in races past, against which Brightstar and Nubs tried to caution her. Zess then showed off her own skiff and pit droid crew, which impressed the Jedi. Durango told her opponent that her crew would have the advantage of the Jedi's Force powers, but after Zess left, Zanna and Brightstar had to inform the pilot that they would not use the Force while racing.
Brightstar's responsibility on the skiff was to monitor the speed of the engine and brakes. Hap gave the signal for the race to start, and the skiffs were off, darting down the river. Durango immediately requested more speed, which Brightstar provided. Zess, ahead of them, released smoke from her skiff to illegally impair her opponents' line of view. To account for this, Durango piloted up a tree root and got around the smoke. As the race continued, the remaining two skiffs—Durango's and Zess's—approached a waterfall, so Durango gave instructions for speed and sail changes to allow them to go down it. As they traversed the waterfall, sailing sideways, Nubs tried to adjust the sail but nearly fell, hanging onto it and causing the Crimson Bolt to get stuck in the mud. Zess also crashed, forcing all of the racers to exit their skiffs and assess the damage.
===Skiff competition===
The Crimson Bolt team was unable to manually lift their skiff out of the mud, and Brightstar declined another request to do so with the Force. He reminded a dejected Durango that she had built a formidable skiff and was a skilled pilot, and Nubs gave her a hug. She then had the idea to work together with Zess, who scoffed, assuming that the Jedi could just do it with the Force—Brightstar explained that they did not use their powers to cheat, which confused Zess, for she thought they had been doing so earlier in the race, prompting her to cheat. Attaching a tow cable from the Crimson Bolt to Zess's skiff, both teams were able to get their vessels unstuck. The venture was successful, and the two skiffs raced to finish the final leg through the geyser field.
Durango used one of the erupting geysers to launch the skiff into the air, and Brightstar increased their speed to propel the Crimson Bolt to the finish line and win first place. Hap presented the team with a Tenoo tree–shaped trophy, and Master Zanna congratulated them all on their victory and sportsmanship. The Jedi then celebrated their pilot, throwing her into the air in festivity.
===A droid rescue===
Brightstar later trained with Master Yoda on using the Force to lift objects, practicing on a chunk of stone. The youngling was unable to lift the heavy stone—he made better progress after advice from Yoda, but he was interrupted by a chime from his comlink. Durango was calling him for help with recovering RJ, who had fallen into the river and was drifting away. With permission from Yoda, Brightstar quickly rode a speeder bike to the dock, where Durango was waiting. The pilot indicated the rapids where RJ was headed and joined Brightstar on the bike.
The two raced after the droid, nearly grabbing him but getting stopped by the tree roots. They continued on foot, running along the riverbank, and Brightstar used the Force to move a large log right to the edge of a waterfall. Durango, impressed, scurried across the log and nabbed her droid just before he slipped down the waterfall. She thanked Brightstar, who was happy to help. Back at the Temple, Brightstar was having far more success with lifting the heavy stone, acknowledging that Yoda's advice to trust in himself and the Force had been spot-on.
===Book it===
Master Zanna later took a group of younglings, including Brightstar, to the ancient Temple Library, which was undergoing repairs. Brightstar, excited to learn about Jedi of the Old Republic, rushed off to the Jedi history section. He amassed a large stack of holobooks, carrying the precarious pile and attempting to add a volume on kyber crystals of the planetUltimate Star Wars, New Edition Ilum to it. However, he slipped when removing the book from its shelf and fell, dropping the books everywhere. On the other side of the shelf, through the hole he had created, he saw a glowing stack of stones. He became intrigued, as did Nubs and Solay when they came by him.
The trio went around the shelf to investigate, using the Force to move the rocks. A pathway to an old Jedi storeroom opened up, which they entered: among other items, Brightstar found a star map that signaled to a planet. They did not understand it, so they brought the map to Zanna, who was amazed by their find. She explained that it was a tool for tracking lost starships, and when she pressed a button, a hologram of one lit up. With a gasp, she realized that it was the Star Seeker, about which Brightstar had read—a brave adventurer had used that ship to explore Tenoo's sector centuries prior but had gone missing years prior. At the younglings' behest, Zanna gave them permission to try and find the Star Seeker, so Durango picked them up and jumped into hyperspace to the nearby planet.
The Jedi explained their mission to Durango on the way there, who was very excited and sang a song about it with glee, which confused the younglings, though Brightstar liked it. They eventually reached the planet, emerging from hyperspace right into an asteroid field. Brighstar and Solay acted as lookouts while Nubs manned the cannons, allowing Durango to pilot safely through the field. After landing, the Jedi followed the signal into a cloud of green fog, where they found a droid who ordered the visitors away.
===Oh, gee===
They used the Force to dissipate the fog, revealing the Star Seeker in a clearing. The droid nervously asked if they were Jedi, so they explained that they had followed the tracker. Thankful to see them, he introduced himself as 0G-LC and welcomed the younglings onto his ship. As 0G gave them a tour, Brightstar apprehensively asked what had happened to the pilot—0G-LC, confused, told Brightstar that he was the pilot. He recounted his adventures on behalf of the Jedi Order and how he had crashed on the planet due to the asteroids, ending his mission to Tenoo. The Jedi excitedly offered to help fix the Star Seeker, but 0G had finished doing so years prior. He was rather too scared to make another attempt at completing the mission, skulking off in shame.
Brightstar and the others decided he needed encouragement and followed him. He told 0G that fear was a normal feeling to have and that even Jedi experienced it, adding that what mattered was facing those fears. 0G-LC determined that he would be brave, so Durango joined them at the clearing, where they made a plan to leave the planet: the Jedi would help 0G pilot while he followed Durango in the Crimson Firehawk. Both ships took off, but 0G was gripped with anxiety when two asteroids lined up in the same fashion that had crashed him before. Brightstar supportingly talked the droid through it, and the Star Seeker shot through an opening, leaving the asteroid field behind.
The younglings cheered, and they eventually returned to Tenoo, where 0G-LC gifted the Temple with an artifact he had found. Brightstar expressed that the droid would be missed when he went back to exploring, though they would always be able to track him thanks to the star map. The Jedi and Durango smilingly waved goodbye to their friend as he took off in the Star Seeker.
===Have you seen the muffin man?===
During breakfast one morning, Brightstar was eating muffins he considered delectable, so he tried to recommend them to Solay. His fellow youngling, however, was uninterested in pastries and was instead gazing at a bifflefly outside the cafeteria window. Brightstar acknowledged the creature but urged his friend to eat, but she continued to be in a trance until Brightstar placed a muffin in front of her face. She relented and admitted that the treats were indeed tasty, which reminded them of Nubs—it was quite uncharacteristic of him to miss a meal.
They went off to check on him and found the Pooba sneezing incessantly. They were disappointed by his sickness, for that night was the yearly eruption of the Kublop Geyser. Nubs opened up a holobook and showed his friends a picture of the Yara plant, whose tea was said to cure the sniffles. The journey to the giant Tenoo tree on which the plant grew would be long, but Brightstar and Solay were committed to it, begging Zanna for permission to go. She allowed them but cautioned the pair, reminding Solay to be present and Brightstar to slow down. Zanna also gave them permission to use the Temple's speeders, on which they took off before she could bid them farewell.
The pair sped down the river, racing each other to get to the tree quickly. While they went down, Solay became distracted by several flitterpods flitting in and out of the water beside her and would have crashed into a tree root had Brightstar not warned her to move. She promised to stay more focused going forward, and they continued on. The Jedi soon reached a fork in the river, not knowing which way to go. Brightstar quickly assumed that they should continue in the same direction from whence they came. Solay suggested waiting and looking around, which annoyed an impatient Brightstar.
===Ganging up on a gangul===
Soon, however, leaves of a giant Tenoo tree floated toward them from just around the riverbend, leading them to deduce that the tree was in that direction instead; Brightstar was thankful he had listened to Solay's advice. After taking that tine in the fork, they left the river and continued on land until they reached the gargantuan tree's base. Brightstar and Solay, amazed by the tree's cloud-high stature, began the climb. As they trekked, Brightstar slipped and nearly fell to his death, but Solay used the Force reposition some foliage on the tree to break his fall. They continued, using grappling hooks to climb for parts and walking sideways on precarious ledges for others. During one such section, Brightstar jumped instead of walking carefully, again coming close to disaster had Solay not caught him.
Brightstar kept Solay from being distracted by creatures as they made progress on the climb, though he himself slipped and was caught by his friend once more. They swung across an opening with vines and ultimately made it to the top using their hooks. Solay, noticing gangul pawprints, cautioned Brightstar to be quiet, but he ran noisily toward a Yara plant he spotted. Indeed, the gangul noticed and clamored toward Brightstar, growling, and began to chase the Jedi around. Solay was busy admiring the creature until a frantic Brightstar told her to grab the leaves, diving for cover inside a tree. When she, too, began to be chased by the gangul, Solay hid with Brighstar, unable to retrieve the leaves.
The Jedi reflected that they had not heeded each other's advice. They realized that they had had the most success when they listened to one another, so Brightstar made like Solay and paused to think about his next move. He used the Force to distract the gangul, allowing Solay to tiptoe out of the tree crevice and grab the leaves. She then accidentally snapped a twig, alerting the gangul and causing to chase her, ready to pounce. Brightstar, however, leapt in between them, lightsaber ignited, to defend his friend. Solay lit hers as well, scaring the gangul away. They rushed back to Nubs, who felt much better after drinking the tea. The Jedi all watched the geyser erupt together, with the trio hugging as they marveled at the shooting water.
===What a piece of junk===
The three younglings, along with Durango, once enjoyed some drinks at Hap's Sap Tap, with Brightstar ordering an Alphaberry Sap-Shake. He thanked Hap for the beverage, which he found tasty after taking a sip. They then noticed a Chadra-Fan pick up a basket of fruit from Hap, but she dropped one and tripped, spilling the fruits everywhere. Durango and the Jedi helped recover her lunch, and the pilot introduced the Chadra-Fan, Marlaa Jinara, to her friends. She was grateful for the kids' help but had to rush back to her junkyard, where a thief had been stealing her junk. The Jedi and pilot offered to help catch the thief, which Jinara accepted, leading the way back to her beloved junkyard.
Brightstar was confused by Jinara's junk infatuation, so she explained that each piece of junk was special and could be turned into new items, presenting her junk-made artwork and home. Jinara, upset with the thievery, told the younglings that on that day, the thief had moved beyond small pieces of junk and had taken the gears from her servo-lifter, which prevented her from being able to move heavy pieces of junk. Solay noticed a trail of oil, which the group surmised was left behind by the thief. They followed the grease, leaving Nubs to help Jinara with the heavy junk in lieu of her servo-lifter.
Brightstar, Solay, and Durango soon reached the end of the oil, but RJ-83 heard activity in a nearby building, which they snuck inside. They found Taborr's gang finishing work on a contraption with the stolen junk, ready to use it to steal more items. Brightstar and the rest interrupted their scheming, however, declaring they would bring the junk back to Jinara. The pirates laughed at the notion, activating what they had named the Junk Giant. Val Dorn revealed his intent to steal the statue of Tenoo's founder, Kaliah Kublop, and commanded his droid to not let the Jedi follow him, exiting.
===A giant mistake===
The Junk Giant lifted the crate on which Brightstar was perched as his friends scattered. He momentarily freaked out but then flipped backward to the ground. The droid then left, blocking the exit with a large piece of machinery. The machinery proved too heavy for them to move either manually or with the Force, so they used the remaining junk to build a device that could lift it out of the way. They cheered and rushed to the Kaliah Kublop statue, which the pirates were stealing. Brightstar ordered Val Dorn to return the statue, but the pirate had his Junk Giant attack the Jedi and Durango. Brightstar and Solay leapt onto the droid, searching for a power-off switch, but they could not locate it. The former was, however, able to get the droid to break its left hand off when he jumped out of the way of its striking.
Val Dorn, out of options, declared his Junk Giant to be useless, ordered it to keep the Jedi from following him and his pirates, and fled. It moved toward them and the gathered villagers, but just before it clubbed them, Brightstar jumped in between and insisted that fighting was unnecessary. It paused its attack, so Brightstar continued, asserting that all junk was special and that the droid did not need to fight or steal. The others concurred, and the droid picked up the fallen statue and returned it to its pedastal.
Brightstar and Solay went back to the junkyard, announcing their arrival to Jinara and revealing the junk's new form: the Junk Giant, with Durango and RJ as its passengers. Jinara admired the droid and offered it a job at her junkyard moving heavy junk, which it accepted. She then renamed it "JG-1," for it was a Junk Giant who was one of a kind. Jinara thanked the kids for their help, and Brightstar admitted that she had been right—broken junk was not useless.
===Well, well, wellagrins===
Brightstar, Solay, Nubs, and Durango took a trip to the snowy planet Andraven, sent by Master Zanna. They began their visit to the local villagers by learning to ride the wellagrin creatures, at which Solay excelled but with which Brightstar and Nubs struggled. The locals Gumar and Jam were impressed with Solay's quick study as Brightstar fell off and was licked by his wellagrin. Jam told Brightstar that the wellagrin liked him with a laugh, and the trainer, Varna, offered advice for riding. She then received a holocall from Zanna, who wanted to check in on the younglings. Varna decided they were ready to help Gumar and Jam assist with the wellagrins' migration to the food-rich other side of the mountain.
Varna and Zanna gave the younglings advice before they left, trudging through the snow up the mountain. Brightstar was amazed that the wellagrins could swim within the snow, but Nubs then noticed two heading toward a cliff. Gumar, unfazed, took out an Andraven flute and played it, coaxing the creatures back toward him. Jam also tried to play his but had less success, and he offered flutes to each Jedi to try playing. Brightstar was discouraged that he sounded like a sick bantha, a creature native to the planet Tatooine, when he tried, but Gumar assured him that he would improve with practice.
Solay noticed one wellagrin, Snowball, ditching the trail, so she tried her flute to get him back. Her out-of-tune notes, however, caused the wellagrins to stampede, which prompted an avalanche. The group rushed to reach higher ground for their safety, escaping the brunt of the falling snow. Brightstar consoled Solay, who felt responsible for losing the wellagrins, that they would still be able to recover the creatures. He suggested splitting up for efficiency and eventually found one of the herd, but when he was unable to move the stationary beast, he called Solay for help. She and Gumar rejoined the others, where she led the wellagrin toward her by waving berries toward it. The group soon found the rest of the herd: one upturned Brightstar by popping out of the snow, while another required the three Jedi's Force powers to move.
===That's my jam===
At the top of the mountain—their halfway point—Gumar stressed the importance of making it back before dark. Solay, however, noticed that Jam had gone missing, so she and the rest of the group called out for him. When no answer returned, Solay became overwhelmed, panicking. Nubs and Brightstar reminded her of Zanna's adivce to take a deep breath in tough moments. The Jedi sat down together and focused, meditating briefly before Solay thought to signal Jam via flute. She played hers twice before Jam heard, tootling in response. They hustled toward the noise, continuing to play the flute until Jam was found.
Brightstar cheered Solay on her success, but as Gumar and Jam dashed toward each other, they cracked the ice, bringing about another avalanche down the mountain's steep face. Solay instructed the others to hop on a wellagrin, which Brightstar, Nubs, and Gumar were able to do. Jam, however, had trouble, and after slipping from Gumar's hand, he was rescued by Solay, who pulled him onto her steed. Brightstar—better now at wellagrin-riding—and the others safely landed at the orchard to which they were headed, delivering the wellagrins before dark. That night, they sat around a heater as Solay reported on the mission to Zanna. Jam then initiated a snowball fight in which all the kids partook.
===Choo choo training===
On a training day, Brightstar, Solay, and Nubs had to retrieve a beacon from a training droid within alotted time. As Yoda and Zanna looked on, Brightstar tried to make an opening, but he slipped on a stray log as the time ran out. Disappointed that he was unable to complete the objective in front of Yoda, the Jedi Masters advised patience. Yoda activated the droid and began to spar with it, calmly waiting for an opportunity before leaping to grab the beacon, impressing the students. The droid Dee then arrived to take Yoda and Zanna, the latter of whom asked the younglings to clean up the course in their absence. Brightstar suggested training further in order to prove themselves upon the masters' return, but Solay reminded him of their task.
He therefore reset the droids, teaching them to clean up the field for them by showing them how to stack the stones. Before long, they had cleaned the entire course, but as the Jedi began to celebrate, the droids flew off in search of more items to stack. The Jedi followed, finding the droids stacking plates of food in the Temple cafeteria. They then split up, with each Jedi tailing a droid—Brightstar tried to stop his but ended up being dragged toward the other droids and Jedi when he was unsuccessful. He called Durango for advice on Solay's suggestion, desperately requesting help. The droids went outside toward the Firehawk as it landed, stacking all of the items in it once Durango opened the hatch.
Brightstar, in order to avoid the droids heading for Kublop Springs, intentionally knocked over some items to distract them, leading them with his friends back to the practice field, where Nubs blocked off the entrance. Brightstar then remembered Yoda's lesson, employing patience to power off one of the droids. Nubs handled the second, and the entire group shut down the third. Yoda and Zanna then returned, finding a mess strewn about the course. Dee had informed them of the situation, so Brightstar apologized. Yoda reiterated his advice, and the Jedi set off to clean the area themselves this time around. Once they were done, Yoda offered to train with the younglings, and the four were able to snatch the beacon from the droid by working together.
===Would you please pass the jellyfruit===
For the Jellyfruit Festival, the Jedi and Durango helped Hap decorate his restaurant. As they were preparing, however, they received a transmission from jellyfruit farmer Weebo that pirates had stolen their entire crop. Upon further investigation, they surmised that it had been Taborr Val Dorn and his crew, who were likely headed toward Yarrum. Brightstar figured it would be easy to go down and liberate the jellyfruit, but Durango advised them to change their getup so as to appear more like pirates than Jedi. They disguised themselves in makeshift costumes once they landed, which Durango found mostly unconvincing but sufficient.
The gang made their way to the marketplace, putting on tough, piratelike faces to blend in. Brightstar was not quite successful at this, and he accidentally broke a teapot in his attempt, angering a Chagrian proprietor. Soon after, Durango fell over after walking into a burly Abednedo named Chigg, who was juicily munching on a jellyfruit. Durango was initially scared of him, but he was friendly and helped her up. He pointed in the direction of Val Dorn when Brightstar inquired as to where he acquired the fruit.
===Fruits of our labor===
They made their way to the pirates' fruit stand, where Val Dorn—not recognizing the Jedi—tossed Brightstar a fruit. As he tried to catch it, the youngling tripped and lost his helmet, revealing his identity. Val Dorn, disgusted with the Jedi's presence, rushed back to his ship with Pord and EB-3. The Jedi and Durango made chase, maneuvering around obstacles the pirates placed in their path. The pirates mocked the Jedi as they ran after them, which distracted the thieves and knocked them off the box of jellyfruit. The pirates were fine, but the fruit continued sliding toward the edge of a dock and nearly plunged into the ocean below.
Working together, the three younglings used the Force to bring the crate back onto the dock, much to Durango's celebration. Solay lambasted Val Dorn for stealing from an elderly grandmother, which the other pirates of Yarrum found unimpressive, laughing in Val Dorn's face. As RJ landed the Firehawk, the younglings prepared to leave, but reluctantly, Durango went over to Val Dorn and his crew, who were sulking away. In the spirit of the Jellyfruit Festival, she offered him a jellyfruit, and he confusedly thanked her, refusing to share with Pord.
Back on Tenoo, many gathered at Hap's Sap Tap to celebrate. They enjoyed myriad jellyfruit and cheered for the kids, who had saved the festival, and sang the "jelly jingle," which spoke to the fruit's characteristics.
===A chromatic safari===
The Jedi joined the Safari droid SF-R3 ("Aree") of the Galactic Society of Creature Enthusiasts on one of his missions to document and broadcast creatures of the galaxy, journeying to the planet Yamradi. Brightstar and company greeted the audience through Aree's cam droid, CAM. The mission's goal was to learn about the Chylaroo, for which Solay, as a creature lover, was particularly excited. They soon found a trio of Chylaroos, with which they played and observed. CAM, meanwhile, had wandered off and been captured by a bird, who flew over the Jedi and Aree with its prize. Noticing their friend in danger, they chased after the bird but lost sight of the bird.
Brightstar and his friends promised Aree that they would find CAM, beginning by searching nearby trees for nests. During that attempt, Nubs slipped and fell down, but Brightstar and Solay saved him by calmly stopping his fall with the Force just before he reached the ground. Solay followed a trail of fallen feathers to a burrow, which she guessed was the bird's home. They entered it, lighting their way with lightsabers to discover a nest, with CAM inside it. Aree rushed toward it to find his friend in one piece. They began to exit, but the bird noticed them and aggressively spread its wings, trying to recapture CAM. The Jedi were expelled out by the wind caused by the wings' flapping, leaving the droids inside.
Solay thought deeply on how to rescue the droids, theorizing that the bird had picked up CAM due to his similar appearance to Yamradi's shiny berries. They collected a few dozen of the berries and dressed Brightstar and Nubs in them, hoping to distract the bird long enough for Solay to run in and rescue the droids. Upon the plan's execution, the bird did indeed chase after the berry-adorned younglings, allowing Solay to find the droids safe and sound—the bird had been trying to collect food for its babies. It brought Brightstar and Nubs back to the nest, where the young birds licked the berry-covered Jedi, tickling them. As thanks, Aree gave Solay the distinction of choosing the new species's name, whom she decided to call "burrowberry birds."
==Personality and traits==
Kai Brightstar was a human boy with dark skin, brown eyes and brown hair. He was Force-sensitive and was familiar with lightsaber combat. Due to his eagerness to learn the ways of the Force, Brightstar sometimes encountered situations that he was not prepared for.
As a Jedi youngling, Brightstar wore traditional gold and yellow Jedi robes native to the High Republic Era along with a pair of green finger-less gloves and an orange cloak. He carried a blue single-bladed lightsaber until it was lost, with which he then replaced with Yoda's old green training lightsaber.
==Behind the scenes==
Kai Brightstar is a character that was developed for the 2023 Disney Junior and Disney+ animated television series Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. Brightstar is voiced by Jamaal Avery Jr. He auditioned for the role of of Brightstar during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to lockdown conditions, Avery Jr. auditioned for the role inside his father's closet. During an interview with Kristin Baver, Avery Jr. said the character reminded him of himself, stating "He's outgoing. He goes into every situation with the best foot forward and the best mindset."
Avery also said that he hoped that the series particularly the friendship between Bightstar and co-star Juliet Donenfeld's character Lys Solay would teach children the importance of seeking help from friends and family in times of trouble. He said that Brightstar liked to do everything himself and was reluctant to seek help. Solay's character would remind him that it was alright to accept help from others. 
In 2024, it was announced that JeCobi Swain would provide voices for Kai Brightstar alongside Avery for part of the last batch of episodes for season one.
==Appearances==
===Non-canon appearances===
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==Sources==
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*Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia
*Star Wars: The High Republic: The Lightsaber Collection
*Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy
==Notes and references==
==External links==
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Category:Humans
Category:Individuals with he/him pronouns
Category:Jedi trainees during the High Republic Era
Category:Males
Category:Pilots
Category:Tenoo residents