In preparation of “Star Trek: Discovery” Season 2, the franchise has been releasing a few short videos to give the fans a better insight into the characters on the show. The shorts are called “Short Treks,” and the next episode, titled “The Brightest Star,” will focus on the background of Saru (Doug Jones).

A trailer for “The Brightest Star” shows the home planet of Saru. The world of the Kelpien is beautiful, but it holds some dark secrets. Fans who have watched “Star Trek: Discovery” know that the Kelpiens have a keen sense to detect danger. The species had evolved this way thanks to the presence of some mysterious predators on their planet.

The Kelpiens live a simple life on their home planet, the trailer shows, and their life is full of rituals and fear. Saru is a young man in this short episode, although he looks very much the same. Saru is unique among his people as he is the one person who dreams about what is there beyond the sky.

Jones shared some insights about the setting and the history of the character in a recent interview with Deadline. The actor pointed out that he has been dropping hints about the background of his character since the first season of “Star Trek: Discovery.” The upcoming short episode will shed more light on the character’s roots.

Kelpiens were the prey on their planet, Jones explained. They lived in fear of the predators. “The Brightest Star” will explore the relationship between the predators and the prey, Jones teased.

Jones said that there is a dichotomy in the Kelpien home planet. On the one hand, there is this beautiful place, and on the other side is the “disturbing” deaths of the species. The predators apparently come at an appointed time and take away a few Kelpiens to their deaths. The short video will explore why this needs to happen.

Apart from the tension that comes with the predator-prey relationship, the other important aspect in the short episode is Saru’s relationship with his family. As a teenager on the planet, the Kelpien lives under the thumb of his father, a character played by Robert Villacki. Then there is Saru’s sister, played by Hannah Spear.

The brother-sister relationship of Saru is significant because it will carry on in the “Star Trek: Discovery,” where the Kelpien develops this relationship with Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green).

“Star Trek: Discovery” Season 2 will air on Jan. 17, 2019. While waiting for the premiere, fans can watch the DVD of “Star Trek: Discovery” Season 1. In a post on Twitter, Jones revealed that there is two and a half hours of bonus features in the DVD.

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