Kai and Zia team up.
The episode opens with Kai Brightstar engaging in a lightsaber training exercise with a training droid dressed as Taborr Val Dorn. Brightstar wins the duel. Lys Solay and Nubs laugh and praise his efforts. However, Jedi Master Zia Zaldor Zanna is not happy with Brightstar for putting a costume on the droid. Brightstar replies that it helps keep him focused. Meanwhile, Solay and Nubs have a turn at duelling with the droid.
When Master Zia asks if he wants to fight Val Dorn, Brightstar justifies his actions on the ground that Val Dorn is a thief and pirate who hurts his friends. Brightstar believes that by fighting him, he can make Val Dorn stop causing hurt. Zanna invites Brightstar on a mission for just the two of them.
While traveling through hyperspace on their shuttle, Brightstar asks where they are going. Zanna explains that one of the Tenoo Jedi Temple's cooling units broke. She says that she has a friend nearby who has the equipment she needs to fix it. The two arrive on a desert planet with rocky canyons. After landing at a settlement, Zanna tells Brightstar that she trained on the planet when she was his age. Brightstar expresses surprise and disbelief.
Zanna then returns to the topic of dressing the training droid as Val Dorn. While Val Dorn has committed crimes, Zanna says that there is more to being a Jedi than fighting pirates. Brightstar asks about fighting to protect people but is interrupted by a Houk man named Faraz, who gives Zanna a hug. Zanna explains that she met Brightstar while she was training on the planet. Zanna tells Faraz that she is seeking to buy a spare Cryo-spanner.
As Faraz looks at his storage container, he says that they could work out a deal. Brightstar asks how Master Zia was like when she was his age. Faraz recalls that Zanna was a feisty youngling always looking for opportunities to fight pirates, scrappers, or thieves. Zanna blushes and says that she has learned a lot since then. Just then, Brightstar hears their shuttle engines firing up and realizes that someone has stolen their shuttle.
Zanna and Brightstar borrow Faraz's speeder bike. Faraz tells them to bring it back in one piece as they race after the stolen shuttle through a canyon. Brightstar asks who would steal their shuttle. Zanna says they don't know but will find out. Brightstar is impressed with Zanna's skills at riding the speeder bike. With the shuttle rising higher, Zanna races the bike up a stony ramp. Though they are unable to land the bike on top of the shuttle, Zanna and Brightstar use their Force powers to jump on top of the shuttle. The bike spirals back to the ground and explains. Zanna grumbles about destroying Faraz's bike a second time.
The two enter the cockpit where they confront the thief, who turns out to be Ace Kallisto, a former acquaintance of Zanna. Kallisto chuckles and remakes that Zanna is getting slow in her old age. After seeing a Jedi shuttle, Kallisto figured that it had to be Zanna. She says that she wanted to steal a Jedi shuttle due to its value. Brightstar asks Zanna if she knows Kallisto. Zanna confirms this is the case and says that Kallisto is a famous thief within the sector.
Brightstar flashes his lightsaber at Kallisto but she laughs him off and asks who he is. Brightstar introduces himself and says that he and Master Zia are going to get the shuttle back. While flashing his lightsaber, Brightstar loses his grip and the lightsaber damages the console, causing the ship to descend. Kallisto is unable to regain control of the flight controls. The three cling on as the shuttle crashes into a cave.
After landing, Brightstar asks what happened. Kallisto responds that his lightsaber busted the controls and they crashed their shuttle. Brightstar is shocked by the consequences of his reckless actions. Master Zanna has twisted her right ankle and can’t walk. Kallisto helps her up. Zanna says they have to call for help but Brightstar finds that the comm system was damaged during the crash. Kallisto finds that her comlink can’t work. Zanna figures that this is because they crashlanded in a cave, which prevents their signal from leaving.
Brightstar suggests leaving the cave but they find their path blocked by a fearsome stalaat. Kallisto says that the creature is unhappy that they crashed into its home. Brightstar blames himself and says he was trying to help. Zanna says that it was an accident and says that they need to work together to get out. Brightstar says he will fix the situation but Zanna warns him that he cannot go out alone. With Zanna unable to walk, she tells Brightstar and Kallisto to work together.
Brightstar doesn't trust Kallisto because she is a thief. Kallisto retorts she is a "master thief" and says that Zia is right that they need to work together to get past the stalaat and call for help. Zanna tells Brightstar to remember her lesson that there is more to bring a Jedi than fighting. She tells Brightstar that she used to be like him when she was training on the planet as a Padawan. She explains that when she and Kallisto first met, they were not friends. Since Kallisto was a thief, Zanna thought she was a bad person and wanted to stop her.
When Brightstar points out that Kallisto is still a thief, Zanna counters that even if someone has done bad things before, they can still choose to do good. Zanna says that is what she as a Jedi believe. While Brightstar finds it hard to understand, she tells him to trust her judgment and to go with Ace. As the two leave, Kallisto looks at Zanna with concern.
Surveying the situation inside the cave, Kallisto tells Brightstar to distract the stalaat while she sneaks out of the cave and call for help. Brightstar doesn’t trust her and fears she will run away. To gain Brightstar's trust, Kallisto offers to distract the beasts. The two then find themselves cornered by two stalaats. Abandoning their original plan, the two decide to flee the cave together. Brightstar finds that the stalaats are attracted to his lightsaber. At Kallisto's advice, he uses it to distract the animals.
To Brightstar's dismay, Kallisto flees back to the starship, The two stalaats close in on Brightstar with their teeth and fangs. Before they can harm him, Kallisto and Zanna use the shuttle's cannons to frighten the stalaats. Brightstar is relieved that Kallisto didn’t run away. Running outside the cave, Brightstar gives a distress message on his comlink but initially hears static. The rescue caller replies that they have a lock on his comm and are sending a rescue.
Later, several droids arrive on a repair shuttle and begin repairing the damaged Jedi shuttle. Kallisto tells Zanna that Brightstar takes after her and is sure that he will turn out good. Zanna agrees and asks if Kallisto will turn out good. Kallisto says don't count on it but says it was nice meeting up again until next time. Zanna thanks a droid, telling it that she is better.
Brightstar hugs Zanna. He tells her that he has been thinking about whether Kallisto is good or bad. When she asks what he thinks, Brightstar says that stealing is wrong but recognizes that Ace also saved her when she could have run away. While Zanna smiles and nods, Brightstar realizes that she is not that bad and believes that people can change and choose to do. Brightstar asks Zanna if she thinks that Kallisto can change her ways. Zanna thinks she can. Brightstar says that if Kallisto can change, then perhaps one day Val Dorn can as well.
Back at the Tenoo Jedi Temple, Brightstar and Zanna find Solay and Nubs training with the training droid dressed as Val Dorn. They notice that Zanna is limping. Brightstar explains that Master Zanna jumped from a speeder onto a shuttle in midair. When Solay asks really, Zanna recalls that she needs to get Faraz a new speeder bike.
Brightstar chuckles but remembers his new appraisal of Val Dorn. He tells Solay and Nubs that they don’t need to pretend that they are fighting Val Dorn. He removes the Taborr costume from the training droid. When Solay asks why, Brightstar tells his friends that being a Jedi is not about fighting but rather than people can choose to do good including pirates like Val Dorn. Brightstar thanks Zanna for helping him to understand this lesson before engaging in a lightsaber training session with his friends.
- Young Jedi Adventures: Jedi Training