Nuru Kungurama

In 33 BBY, the Jedi Order discovered Kung'urama'nuruodo as an infant in an escape pod adrift in the Outer Rim. Ring-Sol Ambase and Dooku, before his turn to the dark side of the Force, were the Jedi who found him. The Jedi misinterpreted the capsule's transmission of his name, and he was subsequently known as Nuru Kungurama. He was then brought to the Jedi Temple on the galactic capital of Coruscant, where he received training in the Jedi arts.

Initially, Kungurama was under the tutelage of Jedi Master Lanchu Skaa until his master's disappearance at the onset of the Clone Wars. Master Skaa was a member of the Jedi task force dispatched to Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Padmé Amidala from the Separatist leaders preceding the Clone Wars. Nuru, deemed too young, was compelled to stay at the Temple on Coruscant. Master Skaa participated in the Battle of Geonosis but did not return. Subsequently, Kungurama became an apprentice to Jedi Master Ring-Sol Ambase.

Eleven years following Kungurama's discovery, a squad of "shiny" clone troopers under the command of Clone Captain Lock was deployed from the Republic Star Destroyer Demolisher to examine the wreckage of the Separatist heavy cruiser Malevolence, which had been previously sabotaged and crashed onto a dead moon by Anakin Skywalker. Republic intelligence indicated that the Free Dac Volunteers Engineering Corps, affiliated with the Quarren Isolation League, had constructed the Malevolence at the Pammant Docks. The clone reconnaissance mission verified this information. However, the debris also contained exotic circuitry. This circuitry was delivered to Jedi General Ring-Sol Ambase, who presented it directly to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine on Coruscant. The Jedi Master firmly concluded that KynachTech Industries on Kynachi, previously thought to produce technology solely for peaceful purposes, manufactured the circuitry. Given that Ambase was born on Kynachi and had extensively studied his home planet and its people, Palpatine requested that Ambase undertake a clandestine mission to Kynachi to ascertain the true nature of the situation.

Upon returning to the Jedi Temple, Ambase informed his newly appointed Padawan, Nuru Kungurama, of his imminent departure and that the apprentice would not accompany him. As Ambase departed for the hangar, Kungurama experienced a powerful sensation in the Force that this new Master, like his previous Master Skaa, would also not return from his mission. In an attempt to prevent this, Nuru used the Force to influence a clone trooper and stow away on the freighter used to infiltrate Kynachi. Upon arrival, Separatist forces fired upon the freighter. Ambase and Kungurama deployed in separate escape pods.

The two groups were scattered and crash-landed their escape pods, immediately encountering native crustacean creatures and more Vulture droids on the cold and rainy planet. Kungurama's group attempted to continue the mission while also trying to discover what happened to General Ambase and his group. Along the way, they received assistance from smuggler-turned-diner-owner Lalo Gunn and were deceived by an unusually helpful ally in the bounty hunter Cad Bane, who was acting under unknown orders from Darth Sidious. Bane tipped off the droid commandos, resulting in the destruction of Gunn's navigator droid Teejay, unbeknownst to the Republic forces. After eliminating the droids and based on information about Ambase's whereabouts from the bounty hunter, Kungurama, Gunn, and the clones devised a plan to break into a prison by combining a droid commando body with Teejay's brain. The droid was renamed Cleaver.

Yoda expressed his displeasure with Nuru's unauthorized absence from the Temple and his stowing away with the task force via holocomm, but instructed him to leave immediately to meet a Chiss ambassador. Lalo Gunn and Cleaver volunteered to transport the squad in their freighter, the Hasty Harpy.

Shortly thereafter, the Hasty Harpy arrived in Chiss space and received coordinates for Defense Force Station Ifpe'a. There, Breakout Squad met the ambassador, Aristocra Sev'eere'nuruodo, whose core name was Veeren. She quickly realized that Kungurama was unlike any "normal" Chiss and lacked experience as an ambassador. Veeren decided to cut their conversation short, stating that the Chiss would remain neutral in the Clone Wars. She dismissed Kungurama and Breakout Squad, but not before informing him that the Jedi had misheard the recording of his name; his true name was Kung'urama'nuruodo. As the Hasty Harpy prepared to depart, forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems attacked the space station. Kungurama ordered the squad to return to the Hasty Harpy. Veeren was knocked unconscious and brought onboard. Upon awakening, Veeren dismissed Kungurama and Gunn's attempts to explain the "kidnapping," as she perceived it, and refused to believe that the station had been destroyed.

After some time in hyperspace, an unexpected anomaly forced the Hasty Harpy to exit hyperspace. Upon checking the notifications, the crew discovered a black hole holding them captive, and shortly after, they spotted a group of pirates. Kungurama and Gunn successfully persuaded Veeren to cooperate. However, the pirates did not intend to rob them; instead, the pirate leader Hethra Mcgrrrr requested that they join the Black Hole Pirates, as escaping the system was impossible due to the black hole's pull. Gunn accepted the offer. Upon learning that Kungurama was a Jedi, the pirates hoped to free their ships from the black hole's grip, preventing them from jumping to hyperspace. They sought to utilize an Infinity Gate, discovered by two marooned Sullustan archeologists, to escape the system. On Plundermoon, Kungurama activated the Gate, and the Hasty Harpy jumped back to Defense Force Station Ifpe'a, where the pirate fleet defeated Overseer Umbrag and his Techno Union armada. Veeren then departed from Kungurama and Breakout Squad.

After leaving the Black Hole Pirates, the Hasty Harpy set a course through hyperspace to return to Coruscant. En route, Kungurama meditated while the rest of the crew performed other tasks. During the voyage, they received a hypercomm communication from Republic Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and Jedi Grand Master Yoda, requesting that they divert to Vaced to rendezvous with and escort Commissioner Langu Sommilor of Kynachi. The Hasty Harpy was five hours from Vaced, while Sommilor's ship was six hours away. Breaker noticed an intermittent broadcast signal and suspected the ship had a tracking device. Kungurama ordered the crew to search for it.

Upon landing on Vaced, the clone troopers and Kungurama disembarked the Hasty Harpy at Vaced Spaceport. They were confronted by a swoop gang led by Frutchoo seeking insurance payments, but Kungurama used a mind trick to force them to leave. Sharp offered to be a lookout, but Kungurama tasked Breaker with searching the ship for a transmitter instead. Cleaver found the tracking device, but it was forgotten in the events that followed. When Breaker checked in later, he reported seeing only animals, and the Padawan instructed him to keep him posted. Soon, the others detected Commissioner Sommilor's ship. Kungurama alerted Breaker, who responded with static. The Padawan was unaware that Breaker had been incapacitated and someone was using his comlink. The Kynachi leader and his pilots landed nearby, and Sommilor greeted Kungurama. A flock of reptavians rose from the forest, momentarily distracting the Padawan. In that moment, a sniper struck Sommilor and his pilots as they disembarked from the TL-1800 freighter. The Commissioner fell into Kungurama's arms as chaos erupted. Kungurama placed him under the boarding ramp and ignited his lightsaber. He then ordered Chatterbox and the others on the Hasty Harpy to take cover. Suddenly unsure of what to do, Kungurama relaxed his mind and deactivated his lightsaber. He ordered Sharp to secure the perimeter as he pursued the sniper using Force speed. Running into the trading post, he jumped onto a parked swoop that belonged to a giant alien from the swoop gang. The alien yelled at Kungurama to get off, so the Padawan jumped onto a smaller swoop.

Kungurama zigzagged on the swoop to avoid becoming an easy target, briefly rolling upside down before regaining control. Sensing movement, he looked back and saw four more swoops from the gang following him. Then, he saw a white clone trooper helmet fly through the air and spotted a grenade inside. Kungurama swung around and tried to stop the swoop bikers, but he was too slow, and the grenade exploded, tossing him aside and scattering the gang. The Padawan then spotted a shadowy figure on a speeder bike, so he drove his swoop toward the figure. Kungurama then spotted Breaker tied to a tree trunk. Jumping off, he ran to assist the clone and used his lightsaber to shear through the plastifiber bonds. The clone briefly awoke and then fell unconscious again. Kungurama activated his comlink and ordered Sharp to retrieve Breaker, informing him that he was pursuing the sniper into the forest. Suddenly, the giant alien grabbed the back of the swoop and asked if the figure on the speeder bike was a friend of Kungurama's. Shocked, the Chiss Padawan replied that he was a sniper. The giant declared he had a bone to pick with him and swung onto the swoop behind Kungurama, seizing the controls. Kungurama tried to apologize for the loss of the swoop gang, but the alien replied that they weren't his friends and that he was chasing the sniper because he had ruined his swoop. As they raced through the forest, Kungurama asked if the giant had seen the speeder; he replied that he was trailing him based on the bike's exhaust trail. They then introduced themselves, and the alien identified himself as Gizz. They then spotted the speeder bike, and Gizz realized he was heading toward Shattered Rock canyon, a hazardous place.

As they closed to within thirty meters of the speeder bike, the sniper released a dozen concussion grenades. Gizz sent the swoop into a climb as the grenades exploded and maintained control as they followed the sniper into the mouth of the ravine. Gizz pulled out his blaster pistol to fire as the speeder bike appeared in front of them. The sniper pulled his blaster rifle with one hand and fired at Gizz. Kungurama ignited his lightsaber and deflected the bolt, instructing Gizz not to kill the sniper. He then switched off his blade and pushed Gizz's wrist to prevent them from hitting a tree. Gizz panicked and started babbling about Treylon II, but Kungurama reminded him that they were chasing the sniper. They had lost sight of him, but Gizz picked up the scent again and declared that the sniper was trapped in a chasm. Suddenly, the speeder bike drove out in front of them and shot Gizz in the chest. Kungurama recognized the sniper as a Mandalorian Death Watch member. The damaged swoop dived toward the ravine's floor, but Gizz grabbed the Padawan and fell off the swoop before it hit and exploded. The two slid into a boulder and blacked out. When Kungurama woke up, he was trapped under the giant alien. Kungurama was able to roll off Gizz and ignite his lightsaber as the sniper circled back. The bike came into view, but it was unoccupied and slowed to a stop. Sensing movement, Kungurama turned and spotted the sniper behind him with his rifle aimed at the Padawan. Kungurama leaped and flipped off the boulder, noticing that the sniper had fired a dart at him, and landed behind the sniper. The Mandalorian reached out and hit Kungurama with the rifle's butt, who responded by damaging the rifle's trigger. The Mandalorian then threw the rifle at the Padawan and used the moment to activate his gauntlet flamethrower. Kungurama somersaulted again and slapped the gauntlet away. The Mandalorian then grabbed Kungurama's right wrist; a twist caused the lightsaber to fall from his hands, then kneed Kungurama's stomach. Kungurama then grabbed Ambase's lightsaber but was shoved away, allowing the sniper to draw two blaster pistols. The Hasty Harpy then arrived overhead. Kungurama was then able to telekinetically grab his own lightsaber and ordered the sniper to surrender. His response was to fire at the ground in front of the Padawan's feet, temporarily blinding him. The Mandalorian then ran to his speeder bike; Kungurama used his senses to chase after him. Somersaulting again, he used his blades to cripple the bike. The sniper then disappeared around the boulder.

The Hasty Harpy touched down nearby, and Knuckles communicated that Breaker had been successfully retrieved. Kungurama inquired about the Mandalorian's whereabouts, but the team had not encountered him. Subsequently, the Padawan inquired about Sommilor's well-being. With sorrow, Kunckles relayed that the Commissioner had succumbed to a lethal dose of toxic dart poison. The sniper proceeded to ignite the withered vegetation with his flamethrower, directing flames toward Gizz's prone form. Kungurama issued commands for the clones to extract the colossal alien, instructing them to place him aboard the vessel. Emerging from behind the sizable rock formation, the Mandalorian was met with Kungurama's Force push; however, the Mandalorian countered by activating a jetpack. As Kungurama began to be overwhelmed by the smoke, the clones intervened, pulling him onto the Hasty Harpy. Cleaver had diligently secured Gizz to the deck. Captain Gunn proposed neutralizing the Mandalorian with gunfire, but Kungurama expressed a desire to capture the sniper alive. Their attention was then drawn to the Mandalorian's transport. The Mandalorian retaliated with a jetpack-launched missile, inflicting damage upon the transport, specifically targeting the landing jets, shields, and port thruster. Kungurama attempted to reassure Gunn, just before a fire erupted within the hold. Subsequently, the Mandalorian's vessel unleashed fire upon the Hasty Harpy. Gunn responded by deploying two homing missiles, resulting in the annihilation of the opposing ship. Gunn was then compelled to execute a crash landing near Vaced's spaceport. Kungurama then initiated a check on the condition of the others.

Breaker was regaining consciousness, and Kungurama assured him that he would provide a comprehensive update later; Cleaver then presented him with a leather belt they had discovered. Subsequently, they transported Gizz outside, who awoke and inquired about the individual they had been pursuing. Kungurama informed him of the target's demise. Gizz voiced complaints regarding a headache and promptly returned to slumber. The spaceport authority figure arrived and conveyed to Kungurama that Gizz was a source of trouble; Kungurama refuted the notion that Gizz was responsible for the crash. The spaceport official proceeded to enumerate Gizz's past transgressions and threatened to consign him to Kessel, before departing to procure restraints. Upon the man's departure, Kungurama communicated to the others their impending departure. The utility belt, Kungurama discerned, had belonged to his Master, Ambase, and contained an imagecaster with coordinates pointing towards Bilbringi Depot. Kungurama expressed his intent to journey there in an attempt to locate his master. Sharp proposed contacting Coruscant, but the Padawan forbade any transmissions, citing concerns that they were being tracked. Gunn then posited that Bilbringi Depot could be a trap, but Kungurama reasoned that the sniper's attempts on their lives negated the likelihood of a trap. Gunn then declared her intention to separate from the group, stating that her agreement was limited to extracting them from Kynachi, not risking entanglement near black holes, and certainly not losing the Hasty Harpy. Kungurama pledged that the Republic would reimburse her upon their return to Coruscant. Gunn interjected, asserting that his promise held no value if he were to perish. Chatterbox intervened, deeming the discussion sufficient. Gunn offered a subdued apology and turned away; Chatterbox then shared a kiss with the captain. Upon the conclusion of their exchange, Gunn bid farewell and mentioned the possibility of contacting an acquaintance for transportation. The Republic troopers, accompanied by Gizz and Cleaver, commandeered the deceased Kynachi ambassador's vessel and departed from Vaced.

During the journey, Kungurama and Gizz were situated in the cargo hold, where they had stored the remains of Sommilor and his pilots within a sealed container; the swoop biker seized the opportunity to express gratitude to Kungurama for not abandoning him on Vaced. Breaker then interrupted their conversation to present the Padawan with a discovery on the nav console. Kungurama observed a green circle illuminating on the display and deduced that Sommilor's ship possessed a concealed transmitter. Breaker suggested that someone at Bilbringi Depot was aware of their impending arrival. Gizz responded that they would be ignorant of his presence, and vowed that nothing would interfere with Kungurama with him present.

Upon exiting hyperspace, Breakout Squad encountered Umbrag's Metalorn yacht and several drone barges. The Republic troopers proceeded to assault the facility and secure it, obliterating the battle droids. Kungurama and Gizz apprehended Umbrag, who promptly lost consciousness upon beholding the towering alien. Following the cessation of hostilities, the clones remarked on the ease of the operation, despite their failure to locate Master Ambase. Gizz carried Umbrag over his shoulder onto their freighter at Kungurama's behest. The Padawan himself had transmitted a message to the Jedi Council, detailing the situation, and received confirmation that a Republic cruiser would arrive imminently. Kungurama then informed the assembled troopers that he would never forget his failure on Vaced, and upon his return to Coruscant, he anticipated reassignment. He conveyed that he would miss them. Kungurama's address was interrupted by the arrival of another vessel. The Padawan directed Breakout Squad to conceal themselves. Aristocra Veeren emerged from the ship.

Kungurama expressed surprise at her presence. Veeren responded by indicating that his allies could reveal themselves. She disclosed that she had been responsible for planting the tracking device that Cleaver had inadvertently attached to himself on Vaced; Veeren continued to explain that it appeared someone was manipulating Breakout Squad, and she sought to inform him of this. Kungurama was perplexed, but Veeren departed as swiftly as she had arrived. As her ship prepared to engage its hyperdrive, a Kuat Drive Yards Corona-class transport materialized. Veeren's ship opened fire on the Corona; retaliatory fire from the Kuat transport obliterated her vessel. Kungurama Force sensed that his missing Master, Ambase, was aboard the Corona. Breakout Squad could only observe as Ambase's ship fled.

A concealed battle droid then ambushed them by shooting Chatterbox in the back. Kungurama bisected the droid with his lightsaber, then commanded the clones to scour the depot for additional droids.

Breakout Squad persisted in their examination of the Depot, and Cleaver uncovered the genuine Sommilor, who, along with his pilots, had been drugged and confined in storage, replaced by Black Sun impostors. They concluded their investigation and piloted the freighter back to Coruscant. En route, Umbrag feigned unconsciousness and managed to seize the young Jedi, but Sharp neutralized the Overseer with a blaster shot. Upon their return to Coruscant, he encountered Master Harro Kelpura, who had been analyzing the alien pod in which he had been discovered. They departed to transport Chatterbox to the Jedi temple for medical attention, but Kelpura redirected them to his lab in the Dacho District, citing a break-in. Upon viewing the security feed, Kungurama recognized his missing master. Upon their arrival, their ship sustained damage from a collision with another vessel and crashed; Kungurama managed to escape and confront Ambase, and after a brief duel, Ambase collapsed. Several days later, Kungurama visited him, and Ambase revealed his intention to depart from the Jedi Order. Kungurama wished him peace and departed. Breakout Squad was subsequently assembled for another assignment.

Following the events on Coruscant, Breakout Squad, accompanied by Gizz, was tasked by the Supreme Chancellor with meeting Noggox, a Hutt who had requested an escort for his supply convoys to Fondor. Breakout Squad arrived at Noggox's factory on Affa aboard a Nu-class shuttle. They disembarked and entered the factory, noting the absence of a welcoming party. Proceeding further into the factory, Gizz detected the aroma of raw meat. Upon reaching the Hutt's control room, they discovered the aftermath of a massacre. Unbeknownst to Breakout Squad, the Nightbrother Savage Opress had recently "visited" the Hutt to eliminate him. Cleaver then inquired of Kungurama whether their mission was concluded, but Kungurama responded that they were obligated to ascertain the events that had transpired there. They were joined by Master Kit Fisto, who instructed them to pilot the freighter to Fondor. Upon exiting hyperspace at Fondor, they discovered that the Neimoidian pirate Dool Pundar was awaiting them aboard his pirate ship. They boarded the vessel and compelled Pundar to flee. On the surface, Kungurama consented to assist Gizz in escorting orphaned younglings to Foless with Kuvuta Pindi. On Foless, they realized that the "blind" Twi'lek was attempting to abduct the orphans, and Kungurama pursued her on a swoop. He overtook her and forced the airbus to crash, capturing her associate Pundar. Kungurama observed as Gizz pursued her into a swamp, where Pindi fell victim to a large creature. Breakout Squad then returned to Coruscant, and Kungurama accompanied Gizz to Dex's Diner for a "hero's meal".

Nuru Kungurama was proficient with a blue lightsaber. His leadership capabilities grew as he spent more time with Breakout Squad. He was initially pleased to encounter another Chiss during his meeting with Veeren, but eventually became disappointed by her dismissive behavior. He was also perplexed by her actions and secretive nature after she tracked him down on Bilbringi Depot.

On Vaced, he felt sorrow for the biker gang's demise, despite their hostility.

Kungurama was a skilled lightsaber combatant and could hold his own against a Mandalorian. In addition, he could use Mind tricks, telekinesis, and force speed.

Nuru Kungurama is a character in Ryder Windham's Secret Missions series for young readers, as well as the 2011 Free Comic Book Day special The Clone Wars: Opress Unleashed. He is on the cover of the series' second book.

Windham selected Kungurama's name from Swahili after consulting several foreign language dictionaries: "nuru," meaning light, and "kungurama," meaning growl.

The original character in Windham's first draft was simply a "boy." However, Rob Valois suggested that the character be non-Human when the cover art was being created. Frank Parisi suggested the Sullustan species. Windham suggested Nautolan and the Chiss species, due to his work on the comic adaptation of Heir to the Empire. The art director believed that children would relate better to the latter, so it was chosen.

Windham, as a freelance writer, was informed of the elements that Lucasfilm desired in the books, but he chose to include Big Gizz and his gang, who had appeared in previous material. Spiker, one of the gang members from the original material, was himself a Chiss. Because he appears later in the timeline, Windham suggested to Leland Chee that Kungurama could grow up to become Spiker. Chee was pleased with the idea, but it is not yet considered canon.