Following the Battle of Yavin, a human male named Kai held the rank of commander within the ranks of the Galactic Empire. He found himself assigned to an Imperial Star Destroyer, which journeyed to the distant world of Andelm IV in the Outer Rim. Jaum, a local crime lord, attempted to peddle dedlanite derived from Andelm beetles to Kai. However, Zarro, an escaped slave miner, along with her ally Chewbacca, informed Kai that Jaum was both a con artist and a rebel spy. Furthermore, they destroyed Jaum's dedlanite stores, which in turn damaged Kai's destroyer. Kai, having survived the bombing, took Jaum into custody.
Shortly after the Battle of Yavin, Kai held the position of commander within the Imperial Military. Stationed aboard an Imperial Star Destroyer, he had authority over stormtroopers, scout troopers, and multiple AT-ST walkers. An Imperial contingent journeyed to the planet Andelm IV located in the Outer Rim, where they secretly engaged with Jaum, the local crime lord, and his Shistavanen enforcer, Tyvak. Jaum proposed selling high-grade dedlanite to the Empire, a substance sourced from Andelm beetles' larvae, which was used in blasters manufacturing. After Jaum assured them that his slave miners were willing to work to death for the Galactic Empire, the Imperial delegation consented to bring a sample back to Kai's Star Destroyer for assessment.
Following a slave rebellion that compelled Jaum to obliterate his mine, he transmitted a deep space message to Commander Kai's Star Destroyer. Kai conveyed his irritation at Jaum's contact, reminding the gangster that he was instructed to await communication. Kai also mentioned that the initial sample was still being analyzed. Jaum requested Imperial forces to safeguard him from his adversaries, asserting that there were "rebellious" sentiments on Andelm. He suggested the Commander view it as a partial payment. Reluctantly, Kai agreed to Jaum's request, inquiring whether the streets of Andelm IV's city were spacious enough for AT-ST walkers.
Fulfilling his part of the arrangement, Kai dispatched a contingent of scout troopers, stormtroopers, and at least one AT-ST walker to protect the Andelm IV spaceport as Jaum loaded his dedlanite onto an Imperial landing craft. Despite Kai's security measures, Jaum's foes, Zarro and her Wookiee companion Chewbacca, successfully infiltrated the spaceport, disguised as a masked gangster and a war droid, respectively. Their strategy involved planting an astromech droid packed with explosives, known as "Boomer", aboard the landing craft. After a skirmish, the two allies managed to place "Boomer" aboard the landing craft, which departed with Jaum towards Kai's Star Destroyer. Nevertheless, Zarro and Chewie were apprehended by Kai's scout troopers, who were ordered to transport the two prisoners to his Star Destroyer for interrogation.
Commander Kai awaited the arrival of an Imperial shuttle carrying the two captives in the Star Destroyer's hangar. Given the presence of a Wookiee, Kai brought an Imperial RA-7 protocol droid to act as a translator. However, Zarro and Chewie managed to overwhelm their stormtrooper captors. As Zarro descended the shuttle's ramp, a self-assured Kai demanded she drop her weapon and instruct her "creature" to stand down. A defiant Zarro retorted that she didn't take orders from him. The RA-7 droid attempted to negotiate with Chewie, but the Wookiee tore off the droid's head and arms before incapacitating the remaining three stormtroopers.
Recognizing that negotiations had failed, Kai opted to speak with Zarro. Zarro informed him that she was there to assist the Empire, leading him to the Imperial landing craft carrying Jaum's dedlanite. Zarro revealed to Kai that Jaum was a fraudster who was actually a rebel spy, adding that he didn't even have a mining operation. When Kai mentioned that his men had inspected his samples, she explained that Jaum had imported them. Zarro then disclosed that Jaum's droid "Boomer" was filled with explosives. Upon seeing the droid emitting smoke, Kai realized he had been deceived. Shortly after, Jaum arrived, and Zarro informed him that she had exposed his "fraud."
At that moment, the landing craft exploded, damaging the hangar's force field and pulling objects into zero gravity space. One of Kai's men managed to guide him and Jaum into a secure chamber. Meanwhile, Zarro and Chewbacca escaped in a stolen TIE/sa bomber and returned to Andelm IV. Kai's Star Destroyer survived the blast, but its main hyperdrive was damaged. Subsequently, Kai arrested Jaum and confined him to a cell. The gangster attempted to convince Kai that Zarro and the Wookiee were the masterminds, but Kai refused to believe him. When Jaum claimed that Kai should be making him rich, the Commander responded that the Empire had no interest in enriching a gangster like him due to the Galactic Civil War.
Having concluded that Jaum's proposition was insincere, Kai instructed the gangster to abandon the pretense. When Jaum tried to persuade him to let him take him down to the surface, Kai suspected it was an attempt to ambush his men once again. Unwilling to jeopardize his men, Kai ordered that an IT-O interrogation droid be brought into Jaum's cell. He then sarcastically informed Jaum that the interrogation droid would be his companion for their journey to the closest Imperial base, which would take several weeks due to Jaum's purported sabotage. Jaum tried to protest that he was not part of the Rebellion, but Kai disregarded his pleas.
Kai was a human male commander within the Imperial Military. He possessed a flat, broad nose with noticeable nostrils, as well as black hair, thick eyebrows, and a substantial black mustache. Kai's face was angular, featuring a prominent chin. As an Imperial officer, he donned a dark green uniform and cap. In the aftermath of the Battle of Yavin, Kai sought to acquire dedlanite, a substance employed in the creation of blasters. While reluctant to be seen associating with gangsters, Kai did consent to provide military escorts to safeguard Jaum.
Although Kai underestimated Zarro and her ally Chewbacca, he was open to negotiating with his perceived adversaries. Zarro then succeeded in convincing Kai that Jaum was a fraud and rebel spy attempting to deceive the Empire and damage Imperial assets. Kai prioritized the well-being of his men and was unwilling to expose them to danger. He viewed Jaum as an opportunist seeking to exploit the Empire for financial gain. Kai also exhibited a sadistic tendency when he had an IT-O interrogation droid torture Jaum throughout their journey to the nearest Imperial base. Like many Imperial officers, Kai harbored a deep animosity towards the Rebellion.
Kai made his initial appearance as a supporting antagonist in Gerry Duggan's 2015 Marvel comic Star Wars: Chewbacca. Phil Noto provided the illustrations.