“Mine and Ours”

Guests of the Ootoo
The Jedi Initiates Kai Brightstar, Lys Solay and Nubs use the Force to levitate a giant Ootooan Opal onto a giant pedestal. Ayva Ackler thanks them for helping them out. Solay thanks Ackler for inviting them back to Ootoo Prime to celebrate their people’s new discovery. Brightstar remarks that the gems from the new mine tunnel are beautiful while Nubs says that the new gems are shiny. Ackler adds that they are really strong and encloses the gem within the pedestal.

Several royal alien and human visitors wearing gems including Princess Inaya, Inaya’s mother and Inaya’s father arrive for the party. Inaya and the Jedi younglings are delighted to see each other. Solay introduces Inaya to the miner Ackler. When Nubs praises her tiara, Inaya quips that she prefers wearing machine parts. They are soon joined by Prince Cyrus Vuundir, who remarks that his palace has a lot of gems. Inaya reminds Vuundir that this party is about celebrating the Ootoo people and not just gems. When Brightstar asks if they know each other, Vuundir says that he and Inaya are royalty. When Inaya makes a snide comment about Vuundir’s brooch, the Prince says he got it during a tour of the galaxy. Vuundir says that he does not like parties and invites the other younglings to explore the mines. Ackler agrees to give the younglings a guided tour of the mine.

Cyrus’ folly
They travel through the mines in mining carts that run against an overhead track. Seeing a cave full of gold crystals, Vuundir diverts his cart away from Ackler’s cart. Brightstar and Inaya are surprised and ask Vuundir what is going. Brightstar objects when Vuundir attempts to take a piece of gold crystal from a rockface. Despite Brightstar’s warnings, Vuundir is determined and says that nobody is going to miss one crystal. As he marvels about his acquisition, they hear the chirps of insects. Peering through the hole, Vuundir sees a swarm of winged golden insects. The insects chase the younglings, who retreat back to their cart. The insect swarm flies past the younglings into the tunnel.

Once the swarm has passed, Inaya chastises Vuundir for his callous actions. Vuundir is dismissive of the danger posed by the bugs and is enamored by the crystal. Brightstar criticizes Vuundir for caring more for the crystal than his friends. Vuundir is dismissive of Jedi morality while Inaya says that Vuundir does not know how to apologize. Brightstar convinces his friends to catch the insects but their cart falls of the track. Vuundir and Inaya, who are mechanically savvy, work on the damaged power coupling.

Inaya is impressed by Vuundir’s mechanical skills and asks why he never mentioned them before. Vuundir says that his parents do not support his mechanical hobby and think that he should only care about their planet’s riches. Inaya responds that helping the people is more important than riches and gems. The two stare at each other’s eyes with affection. Inaya and Vuundir complete their repairs to the power coupling. After calling Brightstar, the three search for their friends.

Teamwork
They find Ackler, Solay and Nubs in a different tunnel being swarmed by the insects, which Ackler refers to as armored amberflies. She explains that they are calm inside their nests but that they will eat every gem in sight. Solay says that they have to find a way to get them back to their nest. Inaya proposes using her tiara to lure them back to their nest. Vuundir is horrified by the idea of sacrificing precious jewellery but Inaya replies that it is only a thing. Ackler tells Inaya to come with her and the others to grab as many gems as they can and bring them to her mine cart.

Ackler and the younglings fill their mine cart with gems. Inaya switches a high beam light, which begins to draw the amberflies. While Vuundir is attempting to drive amberflies away from his brooch, he accidentally touches the handbrake, causing the mining cart to roll away. Ackler is horrified since that tunnel is heading to the central hall where the big party is being held. The group pursue the swarm in a second cart. The amberflies swarm the central hall, seeking to devour their gems.

Vuundir realizes that his obsession with obtaining a gemstone ruined the party. Inaya is surprised to see the Prince apologizing. When Vuundir asks Inaya and the Jedi younglings for their help, they agree to help him. Solay comes up with an idea which involves luring the amberflies towards the giant gem within the large pedestal and taking it back to the mine. Ackley supports her plan. Solay tells Ackley to be ready to uncover the gem and tasks Inaya and Cyrus with helping the people. Solay tells her Jedi friends to come with her.

Ackley opens the pedestal, which attracts the armored amberflies. The three Jedi younglings use the Force to load the giant gem onto a mining cart. While the insects are still eating, they bring the cart and the gem into the cave where they found them. The Jedi use the Force to guide the gem into a hole in the cave wall. Vuundir is forced to throw his brooch into the hole in order to free himself from a swarm of amberflies. After staring at the golden gemstone, Vuundir decides to use it to seal the entrance to the amberflies’ cave. The younglings cheer.

Resolution
A male Ootoo miner thanks the Jedi, the royals and Ackler for saving the people from the insects. As the party resumes, an Ootoo band plays while servants serve platters of food. Vuundir apologizes for his selfish behavior and actions. Inaya is impressed with the Prince’s new found introspection. Brightstar thanks him for giving up his brooch. Ackler gives him two small gems as a gesture of reconciliation. The group then go and get some snacks.

“The Andraven Circuit”

Rite of passage
On the snow planet of Andraven, the Jedi Initiates Kai Brightstar, Lys Solay and Nubs ride their wellagrin steeds through a snowy forest. The three are getting their wellagrins to the starting line for Gumar, who is taking part in a race. Andraven is checking his datapad outside his village just as the jedi arrive. Gumar tells his Jedi friends about the Andraven Ancestors Circuit, a race where every child on the planet only gets one chance to complete.

Consulting the datapad, Gumar explains that his ancestors were part of a group of first wave settlers who colonized Andraven, which was uninhabited. He talked about the Andravens adapting to the cold climate. Gumar adds that Andraven tradition allows them to bring outsides to help. Gumar’s father Onderrs arrives on a sled, much to Gumar’s relief. Gumar had been anxious about missing out on the circuit due to being late. Onderrs is sympathetic and warns his son that the Ancestors Circuit can be full of unexpected challenges. Gumar promises to uphold the family tradition of completing the circuit. Onderrs tells his son to have fun on the race.

Onderrs shows the Jedi younglings his family’s sled, which is decorated by carvings of wellagrin and the legendary zaba wolf. Nubs is nervous but Onderrs reassures the Pooba that the wolves have not been seen for years. Gumar explains that their ancestors used to befriend the zaba wolves by using special kao reed flutes, and also rode the wolves. After securing the three wellagrin to the breeching strap of the sled, Gumar and his friends board the vehicle. The female race organizer informs Gumar that he will be facing three challenges, each reflecting their ancestors’ experience. She adds that he has until sundown to complete the circuit before whistling with her flute.

Gumar’s three challenges
Gumar and the pack depart. For the first challenge, Gumar and his team are tasked with finding heat stones. Solay finds the weather bitterly cold and Nubs warms her with her fur. While visiting a forest clearing, Gumar finds several heat stones at the roots of a tree. For the second challenge, Gumar has to harvest snowfigs from a tree. Gumar finds the tree too high. The tree is covered by snow, making it difficult to climb. Since Andraven tradition rules out the use of Force powers, Gumar convinces the younglings to stand on top of each other. Through teamwork, Gumar manages to retrieve a snowfig.

For their third challenge, Gumar is tasked with making a flute out of kao reed. On the way, the sled’s skids get stuck among some brambles. The four younglings struggle to free their vehicle from the brambles. Gumar grumbles that his datapad said nothing about there being brambles in the path. He fears that they will now be behind schedule as a result. A zaba wolf stares down from a ride. The wolf howls, causing the wellagrin pack to panic and drag the sled forward, freeing the skids from the brambles.

Taming the wolf
Gumar, Solay and Brightstar manage to climb back aboard the sled. Nubs is behind and manages to jump onto the sled. The Zaba wolf continues chasing the sled. The group manage to hide their sled in a ridge. While the wolf walks away, Gumar consults his datapad only to discover it is broken. Gumar fails that he will fail the test but Solay reassures him that he doesn’t need his datapad because he has everything he needs. Brightstar says that Gumar’s ancestors did not have datapads. Looking at the carving, Gumar thinks about using the kao reed flutes to befriend the wolves.

Gumar recalls that kao reeds grow near ponds. However, the zaba wolf is stalking the area around the pond. Gumar proposes that the Jedi younglings distract the zaba wolf. Before they can put their plan into action, Nubs walks behind the wolf and waves his lightsaber. While the wolf pursues Nubs, Gumar finds a clump of kao reeds. Nubs climbs up a tree and clings to a branch. The Zaba wolf leaps up, causing the branch that Nubs is resting on to break off. Brightstar and Solay use the Force to levitate Nubs but the canine predator is still determined to get Nubs.

Gumar approaches the wolf with a kao reed flute and plays a tune, drawing its attention. Gumar lets the wolf sniff his mittens before it licks him. Nubs lands and approaches the creature, which licks him. The Jedi younglings watch as the Zaba wolf lets Gumar rides on it. Gumar tells the Jedi younglings to follow on the wellagrin sled.

Homecoming
Near dusk, Gumar returns on the back of the Zaba wolf. The Jedi younglings follow in the wellagrin sled. Onderrs, the race organiser and Gumar’s younger sibling are surprised that Gumar has tamed a legendary Zaba wolf. Gumar tells his father and the others that he and his team mates have obtained heat stones, snow figs and a kao reed flute. Gumar tells Onderss that he could not plan for everything but his teammates helped him finish. Onderrs is proud of his son and the group gather for a group hug. The Zaba wolf gives a friendly lick.