The High Republic has its first short story collection that bridges the three Phases. Awhile back I took a look at the ten stories from Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith and rated them individually based on the premise, execution and canon contribution. Continuing this with Tales of Light and Life as we revisit characters from Phase One and Two and get a peak of Phase Three.

**Spoilers for Star Wars The High Republic: Tales of Light and Life**

1. The Queen’s Bloom

by Zoraida Córdova

“Your mother and I have chosen a life of service, but we never meant for it to become a burden to you. I only want you to be who you have always been. Axel Greylark, my son.”

The Queen’s Bloom

High Republic Timeline: Before Phase Two

Familiar Characters: Axel Greylark, Elecia Zeveron

New Characters: Lexxir Greylark, Leyli Romero, Kozmo

Summary: 

Axel Greylark is a student at Reena University. After faking an illness, Axel and his two colleagues, Leyli Romero and Kozmo, crash a party during the Queen’s Bloom (a nature event involving bioluminescent pollen in flowers). Things start to go wrong, however, when his parents show up at the party, and then the party gets hijacked by thieves. Axel has to make tough decisions with his and his parents’ lives at stake. 

The Promise of the Premise: 

Axel was sent to a university away from the Core worlds and is at a crossroads. And that this takes place before his father’s death, it was expected that we would get some dialogue between father and son. I would have rather had more time with Lexxir Greylark since his absence was felt heavily in Phase Two surrounding the relationship between Axel and his mother. Including Elecia/The Mother is unnecessary and the most eye-rolling wink off the page in this novel. But that stems mainly from The Mother becoming an undercooked villain. Given the events in Cataclysm, her role probably should have been Binnot Ullo instead. 

Canon Contributions: 

There is not much here, as the Queen’s Bloom is only the catalyst for the hijinx, so I would not claim it to be a significant canon element. Reena was a planet from Legends introduced in supplement stories for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game. House of Reena is also carried over from Legends.

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2. A Closed Fist Has No Claws

by Tessa Gratton

Every gift is a trade, a relationship. Every gift comes with expectations– whether they are sharp as a blade or pure as love.

And if there is no gift freely given, then what is freedom? Taking.

A Closed Fist Has No Claws

High Republic Timeline: After Phase Two

Familiar Characters: Marda Ro

New Characters: Alirya, Fori, Isren, Vika Faer and Velya Faer

Summary:

Mardo Ro continues traveling the galaxy in the Gaze Electric after the events of Phase Two with a new secret mission: Find more Evereni and learn more about her people. Externally, she has shaped The Path of the Close Fist into a small fleet that takes what they want. While the lack of purpose does unsettle some members, Marda has transformed into such an intimidating presence that there is similar loyalty for her as theirs was for the mother. In the meantime, Marda keeps the Leveler on the Gaze Electric and feeds it Jedi who are unfortunate enough to cross her path.

Through meeting Evereni Isren and siblings Vika and Velya, Marda builds a new philosophy and path forward that will carry on to her future lineage.

The Promise of the Premise: 

The story, told with a mix of first and third person, perfectly encapsulates Marda’s transition to an Evereni from Marchion Ro’s story in the Eye of the Storm comic series. Isren tells Marda their home hated them and destroyed itself to kick the Evereni out, so they fought everyone they met, assuming they hated them as much as their homeworld. He also introduces the concept of Riferi, an Evereni’s legacy forged from a knife carved in the present. The reference to the knife is similar to the language Marda’s daughter, Shalla, used to describe her grandson, Marchion Ro.

The story serves as Marda’s beginning of forging the knife, which Marchion Ro perfects at the end of Phase One. 

Canon Contributions: 

The story is a significant backstory of Marchion Ro’s ancestry and the beginning of the Nihil, including his likely Great-Grandfather, Velya Faer. The two must also have sought other Evereni to continue their lineage with Shalla’s son Asgar. These are all assumptions, but “A Closed Fist Has No Claws” starts to fill in the pieces that could continue to fall into place in Phase Three.

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3. Shield of the Jedi

by George Mann

She stooped and picked up the shield. She held it before her, running her fingertips over the familiar crest, the dents and scrapes that marred the edges of the otherwise perfect circle. She brimmed not with pride but with calm understanding—with purpose.

Shield of the Jedi

High Republic Timeline: After Phase Two

Familiar Characters: Rooper Nitani, Shilandra Sho, P3-7A

New Characters: Jerlyn, Dee-Twelve

Summary: 

On Batuu, years after the Battle of Jedha, Rooper Nitani senses something significant will happen soon. When her Master, Shilandra Sho, shows up, Rooper confides in her Master about her lack of focus. Master Sho responds that Rooper is sensing other people’s anticipation, specifically Sho’s, because it is time for Padawan Rooper Nitani to become Jedi Knight Rooper Nitani. To complete her Jedi trials, Rooper must find her Master’s shield, hidden somewhere on Batuu. While searching for it, Rooper reflects on the shield’s importance and what it truly means to be a Jedi Knight.

The Promise of the Premise: 

This is an excellent ending to Rooper’s arc as her time as a Padawan, which started in Mann’s Quest for the Hidden City. While I did not particularly enjoy the story, Mann improved upon both Rooper and Sho with each of his Phase Two entries (The Battle of Jedha and Quest for Planet X), and the Jedi Master and Padawan come out of Phase Two as the best developed Jedi characters.

Canon Contributions: 

Rooper ends Phase Two as a Jedi Knight, carrying on the tradition of her Jedi lineage as Master Sho passes the shield to her former Padawan. There is so much time between Phase One and Phase Two, and I hope Lucasfilm Publishing revisits Jedi like Rooper and we explore her time as a Knight. We also get some more time on Batuu during this part of The High Republic and learn about the wildlife on the planet when Rooper helps a villager, Jerlyn, retrieve his family droid from a salmaca. The lizard creature is a legend in children’s stories, but there is usually truth in Star Wars tales.

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4. The Lonely Traveler is Home

by Daniel José Older

For the first time, he knew he could actually do something to make the galaxy better for other people, and nothing would be the same ever again.

The Lonely Traveler is Home

High Republic Timeline: During Phase One

Familiar Characters: Ram Jomaram, Zeen Mrala, Lula Talisola, Qort, Farzala, Reath Silas, Buckets of Blood, Bell Zettifar, Vernestra Rwoh, Imri Cantaros, V-18

New Characters: n/a

Summary: 

Ram is on Starlight Beacon but missing Valo when he senses his friend, Zeen Mrala, is crying. Not knowing why, Ram asks the Mikkian girl if she is homesick, having had to leave her home on Trymant IV when she revealed herself as Force-sensitive. Ram decides to throw Zeen a surprise party to cheer her up with plans to show holos of Trymant IV. The problem is that everyone seems to have plans for the time of the party. Ram soon learns that, even though she was crying, perhaps Zeen wasn’t the one who was missing their homeworld. 

The Promise of the Premise: 

This is the only story on Starlight Beacon, and it is fitting that it revolves around the characters from The High Republic Adventures comics and the Middle-Grade novels. Starlight was a significant part of Ram, Zeen, Lula, and the other’s experience in the Outer Rim. It is the closest thing to a home that the Padawans have. Phase One did not explore the importance of Starlight as a home away from home for many Jedi was not explored as much as it should have. And while I do appreciate the low stakes in “The Lonely Traveler is Home,” it unfolds more like “a day in the life of” episode of Starlight Beacon Jedi than something that pushes character development forward. There are also better relationship dynamics for Ram than his friendship with Zeen. For example, Ram’s bond with Reath Silas, who makes a brief appearance (along with Bell Zettifar), would have paired well with the events in Midnight Horizon. On Zeen’s side, her romantic relationship with Lula could have been explored (especially since Lula’s whereabouts after the fall of Starlight are unknown). 

Instead, we have a sweet but dull story that won’t win over fans who don’t read the Middle-Grade novels or comics. 

Canon Contributions: 

Just more Starlight ambiance and reinforcing that Ram is an empathetic person who truly cares about the well-being of his friends almost at the expense of his feelings. Perhaps his story will end on Valo and come full circle.

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5. After the Fall

by Claudia Gray

W can join forces against the Nihil without forgetting what we owe to each other, Affie reminded herself. We can both have compassion and be mad as hell.

After the Fall

High Republic Timeline: Between Phase One and Three

Familiar Characters: Affie Hallow, Leox Geossi, Geode, Avar Kriss, Velko Jenko, Pikka Aldren, Joss Aldren

New Characters: Dumas Mar’Ti

Summary: 

One day after the Fall of Starlight Beacon, Affie Hallow is trying to understand what the Nihil’s attack and subsequent blocking of lanes in the Outer Rim mean for the galaxy. More immediately, she wants to be helpful and gain some control in a chaotic situation. She, Leox, and Geode volunteer on Eiram and see people’s anger towards the Nihil but want to fight back meaningfully, honoring those they’ve lost without turning to vengeance. 

The Promise of the Premise:

Tracking Affie’s progression from one day, one week, and one month after the Fall of Starlight, we see her not only resolve to fight the Nihil her way but also revisit the consequences of her actions in Into the Dark. Affie turned in her adopted mother, Scover Byne, for abusing laws regarding indentured servants. It was the right thing to do, but the result was the dissolution of the Byne Guild, a fleet of courier ships that many pilots relied on for a living (the Legacy Run, which was destroyed in the Great Disaster, was a Byne ship). Affie figures out a solution to bring back the Guild with the help of a former disgruntled Byne pilot, Captain Dumas Mar’T, and she stands up for her decision to turn her mother in, promising to reshape the Byne into a group that will have each other’s back and be a force for good against the Nihil. 

Canon Contributions: 

Velko Jenko lives! Who, you might ask? The aide to the Galactic Republic Head of Starlight Beacon and the main character of the SWI short stories from Phase One) was MIA after the Fallen Star. As the first of a new species introduced in Star Wars, it is great to see the Soikan positioned to get more to do in Phase Three. She lives to fight another day.

Before she turned in her mother to Republic authorities, Scover was training Affie to take over the Byne Guild one day. “After the Fall” hints that the new Byne Guild will be an essential ally to the Republic and the Jedi in Phase Three.

6 – 10 Coming Soon