"Starlight: Go Together" is a short story from The High Republic: Starlight universe, penned by Charles Soule. The story's initial segment appeared in Star Wars Insider 199 on December 15, 2020, while the concluding part was featured in the subsequent edition on February 9, 2021. Marketed as a prelude to Soule's forthcoming novel, it inaugurated a series of High Republic short stories exclusive to the magazine. Its initial unveiling occurred during a Star Wars: The High Republic panel at New York Comic Con. Soule described it as a "Chapter 0" for The High Republic: Light of the Jedi.
Joss Adren, a technician and contractor working on Starlight Beacon, is in the process of packing his clothing, preparing for his and his wife Pikka's departure from the space station, which was recently finished. However, Pikka is preoccupied, despite her earlier insistence on punctuality, and is deeply engrossed in her datapad. She informs Joss that she has discovered a flaw in the station's power grid, which she believes they should investigate, even though their assignment on the station has concluded.
On their way to investigate, Joss and Pikka encounter administrator Shai Tennem leading Admiral Pevel Kronara and a group of Jedi on a tour of the station. The Adrens worry about being drawn into the tour, despite the urgency of the power issue, but Master Nib Assek, acting on the advice of her Padawan Burryaga Agaburry, suggests that the couple be allowed to continue their work, enabling the tour to proceed. They locate the problem within Conduit 398-GX14, situated near the entrance of Starlight Beacon's Jedi temple: a incorrectly wired resistor hub with the potential to cut off power to the entire station if left unaddressed. Joss, the mechanic, attempts to resolve the issue using a spanner, but his hand is too large to fit, forcing Pikka to undertake the repair, despite her lack of experience in this type of work. Her husband provides reassurance, and together they successfully rectify the problem.
After leaving the station as passengers aboard the Galactic Republic cruiser Third Horizon, Pikka drafts an incident report regarding the wiring issue for Administrator Tennem and sends it off, while Joss strikes up a conversation with a Twi'lek working on the vessel's Longbeam cruisers. Suddenly, Admiral Kronara announces over the intercom that the Third Horizon is rerouting due to a distress signal received from the Hetzal system, and any passengers with piloting or rescue expertise should immediately report to the crew. The Adrens are puzzled by this development, given the Republic's long-standing peace, but they decide to volunteer their services.
Following the Battle of Kur, the Adrens made their way back to Starlight Beacon. They were summoned before a council of high-ranking Galactic Republic officials for a debriefing. The council was composed of Chancellor [Lina Soh](/article/lina_soh], Jedi Master Avar Kriss, Admiral Pevel Kronara, Senator Izzet Noor, and various other government representatives. Joss offered an apology for not being at his best, citing the Starlight Beacon's dedication ceremony as the reason. Kriss requested that the Adrens elaborate on their role in defeating the Nihil during the battle. Pikka attempted to downplay their involvement, stating that they were simply trying to survive, but the council rejected this explanation. Admiral Kronara presented a hologram of the battle, causing Pikka to relive the trauma and stress of the event. He pointed out that when the Nihil initiated micro hyperspace jumps, the Adrens, aboard the Aurora III, were able to respond and effectively combat the marauders, while other Republic ships struggled. Joss suggested that perhaps they were exceptionally skilled or had used The Force, but these theories were dismissed. Soh inquired about the secret to their performance and whether it could be replicated in future encounters with the Nihil. Joss finally revealed that Pikka had bypassed the security systems on the Longbeam's operational code before engaging in battle. He explained to the council that they are tinkerers who prefer to thoroughly understand systems before operating them. A Republic Defense Coalition member reprimanded them, warning of the severe legal consequences of hacking military systems, but Joss defended their actions, arguing that it was a matter of survival. Continuing his explanation, Joss described how he had his wife disable the code that linked all the ship's thrusters together. By doing so, it allowed the pilot to control each thruster independently, significantly improving the ship's maneuverability. Another RDC official cautioned that this modification made the ship vulnerable to stress and potential disintegration during flight. Pikka expressed confidence in her husband's piloting abilities. Satisfied with their explanation, the couple was dismissed and returned to their quarters, intending to grab some food and arrange transportation back to Coruscant. Before they could leave, Admiral Kronara paid them a visit. He informed them that the council remained unconvinced that the Nihil threat was over and that the government was forming a task force to pursue any remaining Nihil and gather more information about their operations. He requested that the Adrens join, given their demonstrated skills during the Great Hyperspace Disaster and subsequent engagements against the Nihil. Pikka declined, stating that they had planned a two-week vacation on Amfar. However, she agreed to join the task force after their vacation, which the admiral accepted.