Starlight Beacon, alternatively known as Starlight Station and often simply called Starlight, was a space station erected within the Outer Rim Territories during the High Republic Era, specifically on the edge of the Galactic Frontier. Its location in the middle of the Outer Rim's uncharted regions meant that its construction was a monumental undertaking, requiring immense resources. Launched in 232 BBY, the station served as a navigational aid due to the difficulties in traversing the region at the time, emitting a guiding signal and enhancing communication networks across the Outer Rim. It functioned as a central base for both the Jedi Order and the Republic Defense Coalition, with the purpose of fostering unity and providing protection.
Supreme Chancellor Lina Soh initiated the construction of Starlight Beacon as a key component of her Great Works initiative, intending it to symbolize the Republic's commitment to guidance, protection, and prosperity. Functioning as a versatile space station, Starlight Station, or simply Starlight, served multiple roles, including a communications hub, military base, hospital, observatory, research facility, marketplace, and cultural center. It offered visitors insights into the diverse cultures of numerous Republic worlds. Designed to function as a military station when necessary, it maintained a strong security presence provided by the Republic Defense Coalition.
The initial exhibits featured performances such as subsonic whisper-fiber concerts by Chadra-Fan masters and Mon Calamari ocean dancing, alongside displays showcasing the flora and fauna of planets like Kashyyyk and Kooriva, among others. Additionally, it included comprehensive environmental recreations of various Outer Rim Territories planets, such as the jungles of Dantooine and the icy plains of Mygeeto. The exhibits were regularly updated to ensure a broad representation of different worlds. Starlight also housed a well-equipped infirmary staffed by droids, providing medical care and updating its records every twelve hours. The Archive, overseen by Jedi archivist OrbaLin, was also located there. Furthermore, the station accommodated the largest concentration of Jedi outside of Coruscant, featuring a temple designed by the Jedi architect Palo Hidalla.
Operational command of the station was distributed among three leaders: an admiral from the Republic Defense Coalition, a Republic territorial administrator, and a Jedi Master. Decisions were made through a majority vote involving these three individuals. Jedi Master Jora Malli chose to relinquish her position on the Jedi Council to oversee the Jedi quarter. However, following her death during the Battle of Kur, Avar Kriss was appointed as her replacement as marshal, having been promoted to that rank by the Jedi Council.
Starlight's construction was a significant undertaking, demanding substantial resources and effort. The Bith administrator Shai Tennem was in charge of overseeing the construction of Starlight Beacon. A notable component of the station's construction was the use of triazurite, a rare mineral comprising nineteen percent of its structure, which enhanced the station's transmission capabilities. Workers from various planets were contracted to assist in the construction. Starlight Beacon was accompanied by a substantial fleet, including the Jedi starcruiser Ataraxia.
Starlight Beacon's construction concluded in 232 BBY. Ultimately, Starlight Beacon was positioned in the Eiram system, in close proximity to the lost moon of Eirie. The system's location within the uncharted and challenging dark zones of the Outer Rim Territories further complicated the construction process. The location was selected as a tribute to Monarch Cassel of E'ronoh and Jedi Master Simmix, both of whom had perished twenty-five years prior.
As the station approached completion, the Emissary-class Republic Cruiser Third Horizon transported Republic dignitaries, including Admiral Pevel Kronara, Master Kriss, and Master Loden Greatstorm, for a tour of the facility. Administrator Tennem conducted the tour, providing a comprehensive overview of the station. However, shortly after the tour concluded, and the Third Horizon prepared for departure—delayed due to Tennem's meticulousness—the Great Hyperspace Disaster and the destruction of the Legacy Run prompted the ship to reroute to Hetzal Prime to aid in its defense.
Meanwhile, Maru's Padawan Reath Silas, having completed his historiography studies at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, was scheduled to travel to Starlight Beacon to reunite with his Master. He was to be accompanied by Jedi Masters Orla Jareni and Cohmac Vitus. However, due to unforeseen issues with their original transport, they instead traveled to the space station aboard the Vessel, a Byne Guild ship crewed by Leox Gyasi, Affie Hollow, and Geode. En route, the Jedi sensed the unfolding Great Hyperspace Disaster.
In response to the escalating crisis, Chancellor Soh ordered the closure of all hyperspace lanes until further notice, issuing a galaxy-wide warning about the instability and dangers of hyperspace travel. This decision threatened to postpone Starlight's dedication and opening ceremony. Despite objections from Senators such as Izzet Noor, Soh remained firm in her decision. Simultaneously, all Jedi within reach of Starlight were directed to the station to provide assistance.
Despite the disaster, the dedication of Starlight was still scheduled to proceed as planned. With Master Malli gone, Master Estala Maru arrived at the station to oversee the arrival of the numerous delegates. Much to Maru's dismay, Master Sskeer and his Padawan, Keeve Trennis, had departed the station and had yet to return with the ceremony less than a day away. Despite his rare visits away from Coruscant, Grand Master Yoda arrived at Starlight alongside Grand Master Pra-Tre Veter nine hours before the dedication ceremony. The two Grand Masters convened with Maru and Kriss, appointing Master Kriss as the marshal of the station.
Soon after, Master Maru received a communication from Trennis, who informed him that the station's signals were disrupting the planet Shuraden, attracting the ridadi, a species of star-locusts, to the station. Maru adjusted the frequency to allow the ridadi to resume their natural migration patterns without being influenced by the signals. Following their mission on Shuraden, Sskeer and Trennis promptly returned to the station, where Trennis was surprised to be knighted by Kriss.
Before the official dedication ceremony, Master Zia Zaldor Zanna and her Jedi Initiates toured Starlight Beacon. The Jedi younglings Kai Brightstar, Lys Solay, and Nubs journeyed to Starlight Beacon with their friend Nash Durango aboard her starship Crimson Firehawk, carrying a Tenoo tree sapling as a gift. The younglings were delayed after assisting a group of reformed pirates led by Chigg, whose starship had become stranded on the planet Galjaero. Despite their lateness, the younglings and the former pirates arrived at the station, where they were given a tour by Master Maru.
As the Jedi addressed the Emergences crisis, the station was inaugurated on schedule. Despite the potential for delays, the christening occurred precisely on the deadline set by Chancellor Soh. Dignitaries from across the galaxy attended the dedication. Notable Jedi such as Bell Zettifar, Indeera Stokes, Porter Engle, Stellan Gios, Elzar Mann, Sskeer, Nib Assek, Burryaga Agaburry, Vernestra Rwoh, Imri Cantaros, Yarael Poof, Zia Zaldor Zanna, and numerous others were present. Silas was also in attendance, albeit with a heavy heart due to his Master's passing. Other notable attendees included King Pychor Vuundir, Queen Dafne Vuundir, Prince Cyrus Vuundir, Brightstar, Solay, Nubs, and Zettifar's charhound companion, Ember.
Before the ceremony, Prince Cyrus, who secretly operated as the pirate Taborr Val Dorn, attempted to pilfer Starlight Beacon's dedication plaque. He deceived the Jedi younglings Brightstar, Solay, and Nubs into giving him a tour of the space station. Following an extended chase and confrontation, Taborr evaded his Jedi pursuers by claiming that his gang had taken Cyrus hostage. Despite his escape, Cyrus developed respect for his Jedi adversaries and subsequently attended the dedication ceremony with his Jedi friends, who remained unaware of his alter ego.
In addition to Kriss, who delivered a dedication speech, other speakers included Queen Thandeka of Eiram, who emphasized unity and acknowledged the sacrifices of Monarch Cassel and Jedi Master Simmix, her former adversaries in the Eiram and E'ronoh War. To symbolize the newfound connectivity between the two worlds following the conflict, Starlight was strategically positioned near both planets. Following the speeches, a grand feast commenced. Master Yoda and Supreme Chancellor Lina Soh also addressed the attendees at the dedication ceremony.
Kriss remained stationed at Starlight while Sskeer, Trennis, Terec, and Ceret embarked on a mission to a sector within the Kazlin system. Upon encountering a Hutt Clan starship transporting Vratixian barley that had been attacked, Kriss instructed two of them to investigate the nearby planet of Sedri, where the ship had originated, while she and Vernestra Rwoh used the Ataraxia to recover the ship. Sskeer and Ceret departed for Sedri, and Kriss and Rwoh journeyed from Starlight to meet Trennis and Terec at the wreckage.
The body of the Hutt was transported back to Starlight for an autopsy. Archivist Orbalin, Imri Cantaros, and Rwoh examined the body and discovered that it was infested with an unknown substance, which they soon identified as a Drengir. Maru contacted Kriss, who was with Sskeer, Terec, and Trennis on Sedri, requesting assistance, but the Jedi on Sedri were also battling the Drengir and Hutt mercenaries. The Drengir had spread to thousands of other planets, prompting numerous distress calls to Starlight Beacon. Maru informed Kriss of this development as she, Rwoh, and Cantaros continued to fight the Drengir, and Kriss instructed him to reroute the communications to her. Demonstrating to the Hutts that the Drengir were a common threat, they joined forces. Sskeer, who had allowed himself to be possessed by the Drengir, devised a plan to stop them, urging Trennis to perform a mind touch on him to combat the Drengir. This enabled the Jedi on Starlight, as well as in other locations, to repel the Drengir.
Meanwhile, following attacks by the Nihil, whose leader Marchion Ro viewed Starlight's construction as an intrusion into Nihil territory, Master Kriss became consumed with locating the Eye of the Nihil after repeated assaults from the Nihil.
By the time of the Dalnan evacuation, Starlight Beacon was scheduled to have hyperdrives installed. However, due to delays, the station had to perform a tandem jump to reach Dalna.
Eventually, the Nihil infiltrated Starlight Beacon, disrupting its systems before detonating a bomb that caused the station to plummet out of orbit and crash onto the planet Eiram. Kriss held herself responsible for the station's destruction and ventured into the Occlusion Zone to eliminate the Nihil. Ghirra Starros, however, was able to rescue her daughter from the disaster.
Many years later, in 3 ABY, Commander Grek of the Rebel Alliance drew inspiration from the station for Operation Starlight, a strategy to regroup the Alliance Fleet following its fragmentation after the Battle of Hoth.
Starlight Beacon was conceived for the Star Wars: The High Republic publishing initiative. The station received an indirect mention in the comic Star Wars (2020) 2, penned by Charles Soule and released by Marvel Comics on January 29, 2020, with its official name revealed during the project's announcement on February 24, 2020.
An excerpt from The High Republic (2021) 1, featured in The High Republic Free Digital Sampler, situated Starlight Beacon within a region known as the Starless Expanse. This detail was later omitted from the final comic.