Continuing with the last half of The High Republic: Tales of Light and Life (including the Barnes and Nobles exclusive story from Alyssa Wong), we have a five credit story among some head scratching story decisions (Part One: Stories 1 – 5).
**Spoilers for Star Wars The High Republic: Tales of Light and Life**
6. The Force Provides
by Justina Ireland
The Jedi Order was lost, fighting the Nihil had to be left to the Republic, and at some point they would find their way again. But in the meantime, she was tired and grieving.
The Force Provides
High Republic Timeline: Between Phase One and Phase Three
Familiar characters: Vernestra Rwoh
New characters: Tanabi Yar, Noparo Yar, Fee-Na
Summary:
Vernestra Rwoh struggles with her connection to the Force, believing her Padawan Imri and her friend Avon Starros to have died on Starlight Beacon. Vernestra was on Eiram working with local officials and blames herself for not being there for Imri or her Master Stellan. Throwing herself to the will of the Force, Vernestra becomes a Wayseeker and runs into Tanabi Yar, an old Togruta woman. Vernestra saves Yar from an assassination attempt and agrees to accompany her to her homeworld, Miekos, to keep her safe. On the journey, Vernestra and Tanabi fight a special interests guild (and Tanabi’s family). Ultimately, Vernestra finds renewed faith in the Force and the location of a place where she can go to begin healing.
The Promise of the Premise:
Perhaps this story would be more digestible if it wasn’t confusing. Was Imri really on Starlight when it went down? Was Avon? Avon is still alive because she is a main character in an upcoming Phase Three novel (and Ghirra Starros would not leave Starlight without her daughter if she were). This makes me believe Imri is also not dead because, per Mission to Disaster, he and Avon were going to investigate Ghirra, suspecting that her mother was working with the Nihil. And if Imri and Avon are alive after the Fall of Starlight, being a Wayseeker would take Vernestra away from the Order, so she would not be aware. It is a good reason for her to think they are dead months later.
And this was all I was thinking about reading this story, which is likely not what Ireland intended. I am sure Ireland would instead readers care about Yar and her home planet. It doesn’t help that the whole conflict in the story is convoluted and thus forgettable.
Canon Contributions:
Vernestra takes the place of Orla Jareni as a Wayseeker without the Order’s permission. She is still near The High Republic’s end and will be in The Acolyte. Will she still be a Wayseeker? If so, she would also be the first Wayseeker we see in live-action.
Tanabi is Togruta royalty and mentions that her cousin sits on the throne, which means her cousin is Elarec Yovet from Rising Storm. The Republic’s relationship with the Togrutas has not been referenced since Rising Storm. Does this hint that the Togrutas will be more prominent in Phase Three?
7. All Jedi Walk Their Own Path
by Charles Soule
High Republic Timeline: Between Phase One and Three
Familiar Characters: Bell Zettifar, Loden Greatstorm, Burryaga
New Characters: Gorta, Captain Okoro
” ‘All Jedi walk their own path,’ Loden said. ‘The way we help people, the way we interpret the Force and serve the goals of the light…when alll is said and done, Council or no, we must guide ourselves.’ “
All Jedi Walk Their Own Path
Summary:
Bell Zettifar has to choose whether to leave Eiram and return to Coruscant or stay. The stakes are that by leaving, he is closing the door on ever finding his friend and fellow Padawan, Burryaga. Despite what everyone else thinks, Bell knows Burryaga is alive. However, to find Burryaga, Bell has to ingratiate himself with the Eiram locals as a resource. He recalls a similar former mission with his late Master Loden Greatstorm, where the latter refused an order from the Jedi Council to return from the planet Teriona. The Republic was interested in restoring peace to the resource-riched world and periodically attempted to negotiate with the Terionese unsuccessfully. But after a successful negotiation to return a Republic diplomat, Loden decides to stay, telling Bell that all “Jedi walk their own path” and their time on Teriona is not over. Using the lessons from this mission and his late Master, Bell sets sail with Eiram sailors to find Burryaga and walk his own path.
The Promise of the Premise:
Partly due to being in the Adult novels and partly because he was the Padawan of a fan favorite, Bell Zettifar has been one of the key characters in The High Republic. It is also not a stretch to say Bell might have faced the most adversity during Phase One. Yes, every Jedi had to deal with the Nihil (and some the Nihil AND Dengir), but the number of obstacles Bell has faced is quite daunting. First, he lost Master Loden to the Nihil, who was presumed dead for a year, found him again only to face the Leveler and lose Loden again in a horrific fashion. Bell also got impaled during a space battle and almost died before the Battle at the Republic Fair. Then Bell is on Starlight Beacon when the Nihil attack and Nameless creatures wreak havoc, killing many Jedi. And yet, Bell Zettifar overcomes these challenges (and his fears) to become a better Jedi. So it is easy to root for him to find Burryaga, not just because we all want Burryaga to be alive, but because we wish Bell Zettifar to succeed. In title, he is still a Padawan, but he has the poise and composure of a Jedi Knight (he could have been knighted at the end of Light of the Jedi but refused until they found Loden).
If Bell is still alive after the events of Phase Three, I would not be surprised if he has the title of Master, and “All Jedi Walk Their Own Path” shows why.
Canon Contributions:
Going full spoilers here— Burryaga is alive and now has his lightsaber. How will both Jedi Padawan feel about the Jedi Order who essentially abandoned the Wookiee? Will both return to the Order or, like Vernestra, walk their own path? It’s nice to know that even though all is not entirely well with E’ronoh and Eiram, Xiri became Queen and did establish some affection from the Eiram people as the crew Bell joins are on the Queen Xiri. Loden Greatstorm continues to live on in Bell’s memories of previous missions. As Bell grows, I hope to see more of these.
8. Light in the Darkness
by Cavan Scott
High Republic Timeline: Between Phase One and Phase Three
Familiar Characters: Keeve Trennis, Terec and Ceret, Velko Jahen
New Characters: Kian, Hoi, Mira, Tregarra the Hutt
‘That’s how we beat the darkness. Not by charging across the stars waving laser swords—although the laser swords are great. We win by shining wherever we are, in our homes, with the people we love.
Light in the Darkness
Summary:
Kian and Hoi are brothers on a mission to steal food from a Hutt cruiser. Their world, Ena, was invaded and taken over by Hutts, who wiped out their elders and resources, leaving the Enami starving. And while the current situation jades Hoi, who believes they are on their own, Kian is hopeful that the Jedi are still out there and coming to help.
But when the two make it out and bring back food for their community, the Hutt’s forces send Rancors to take care of them. Lucky for Kian, Jedi Master Keeve Trennis and Jedi Knights Terec and Ceret arrive in time to help and impart some words of wisdom to the siblings.
The Promise of the Premise:
Keeve Trennis is likely the High Republic character novel readers are least familiar with as she is featured in the comics (although she does make an appearance in The Tempest Runner), so having her only make a cameo appearance in “Light in the Darkness” is questionable. This is the first story told from the point of view of someone we have not met yet. With two more to go, it is not the last but the worst. It could be a “wait and see” story that will make sense once Phase Three is complete, but we have seen stories like this: children who look up to the Jedi and face losing their faith when the Jedi appear and restore it. So this feels like a one-off with a traditional Jedi lesson (and some uncharacteristically cringe dialogue from Cavan Scott) rather than something that moves Keeve and the twins’ journeys forward. The most forgettable story of the bunch has been found.
Canon Contributions:
Terec and Ceret are the only Jedi presented thus far to survive being partially calcified by the Nameless. They have different bionic parts (Terec’s arm and Ceret’s leg and eyes). I keep waiting for these bond twins to have a more significant impact in The High Republic. There is also a new Hutt with Tregarra but the Hutts have not appeared in a significant way outside of the comics, so I doubt Tregarra will be different. That’s all I got.
9. The Call of Coruscant
by Lydia Kang
High Republic Timeline: End of Phase One
Familiar Characters: n/a
New Characters: Amadeo Azzazzo, Mirro Lox, Maia Tsoo, Gria Cappo, Lor Bortho, Alees, Ellyt, Sym, Loran
What if he’d lost his Padawan to the sights and sounds and excitements of Coruscant? Groundquakes and pirates and thieves and scoundrels in the Outer Rim had worried him less than this. But he trusted that he had taught Amadeo well and his Padawan had learned much.
The Call of Coruscant
Summary:
While finishing up a dangerous evacuation mission on Mikkia, Master Miro Lox and his Padawan Amadeo Azzazzo get the call back to Coruscant from Jedi Master Maia Tsoo. On the way back, Master Lox laments the loss of life and that he and his Padawan never got to see the great station. Amadeo has similar thoughts as they near Coruscant, which he has never experienced outside of the Jedi Temple. Excited to see Coruscant after years in the Outer Rim, Amadeo sneaks out that evening to explore the zone surrounding the Temple. During the night out, Amadeo meets new friends, tries new foods, and is tempted by a life that could have been as he experiences Coruscant in a way very few Jedi have.
The Promise of the Premise:
Like “Light in the Darkness,” this story is from the POV of new characters. Unlike “Light in the Darkness,” these characters are Jedi that I imagine will play a role in Phase Three, specifically Master Lox and Amadeo, who go on separate yet equally essential journeys in this story. Amadeo gets to explore what a potential life outside of the Jedi Order might be like on Coruscant (although he is in that position because of the Order) and briefly falls in love. Mirro Lox deals with losing his compatriots with the news of Stellan Gios, Regald Coll, and Orla Jareni aboard Starlight. He also contemplates the uncertainty of the future and letting go of his Padawan. Both paths lead back to the Jedi Order, and each other as Master and Padawan embark on their new mission. “The Call of Coruscant” is a good pocket story of Jedi managing everyday temptation and fears and becoming better people. You genuinely care about whether Amadeo will return to the Jedi, and that is all the credit to Lydia Kang for her character work. And the honesty shared between the two Jedi is quite endearing.
Canon Contribution:
Every character is new to the canon, but how much of a contribution they present will be determined in Phase Three. There are so many characters in this short story that could potentially resurface. Gria Cappo is a leader of the Mikkian who has the Jedi to thank for saving her life. Lor Botho, leader of the Red Mine, now has a grievance against the Jedi (after trying to kill two of them), and Amadeo has friends in Coruscant. And possibly a girlfriend in Alees who travels throughout the Deep Core worlds. Master Lox is familiar with that same lullaby that Stellan Gios and Emerick Capthor recalled from their time as Younglings about the creatures who prayed on the Jedi. And that is not the only connection to Capthor and the Trail of Shadows miniseries. Master Maia Tsoo trains Jedi in the Medical Corps, and we rarely get specific roles for Jedi within the Order. In The Clone Wars, we briefly meet Rig Nema, a Jedi Master who is also a doctor. Master Tsoo joins Master Emerick Caphtor as a specialty Jedi (Caphtor being an investigator with a droid Padawan). Does she also not have a true Padawan? I hope we learn more about her and the Medical part of the Jedi Order.
This is not a canon addition, but it is nice that the bond between Avar Kriss, Elzar Mann, and Stellan Gios is so strong that another Jedi Master could sense that the bond was broken after the Fall of Starlight.
10. Rogue Element
by Alyssa Wong
High Republic Timeline: Between Phase One and Phase Three
Familiar Characters: Crash, Svi’no
New Characters: Master Corintr, Ruu, Auntie Hamatan
He wouldn’t realize until later that she was teaching him how to see Corellia the way she did: as a living place, full of loud, vibrant people and experiences. Corellia was more than some nebulous, noble concept they were duty bound to protect. It was strange, wicked, and beautiful, its voice a roar of ships and trade, its blood its citizens, each life rare and precious.
Rogue Element
Summary:
Crash Ongwa is desperate. Even after the Nihil attacked Corellia and the Jedi and her team fought back, the terrorist organization still took hold of Corellia through fear. Through investigating, Crash and Svi’no uncover locations of Nihil factories making scavenger droids that could decimate Republic fleets. But they also find something else: a rogue Jedi is attacking the Nihil at their factories without mercy. Crash decides to try and find this mysterious Jedi and form an alliance to save Corellia from falling to the Nihil.
The Promise of the Premise:
Alyssa Wong fits the tone for Crash and her team on Corellia. She steps into Older’s shoes of continuing the Corellian’s story post-Midnight Horizon. But she also improves on the lore by adding Jedi based on Corellia. There was so little time with them in Midnight Horizon because they were occupied with Nihil-created distractions. Seeing what happened to Master Conitr and Padawan Ruu, who stayed and fought, was a unique way to explore survivor’s guilt and another avenue toward the dark side. Ruu left the Order, angry that they abandoned Corellia and ingratiated himself into the community during the day while fighting the Nihil at night. However, without his Master, Ruu was in danger of aimlessly fighting Nihil without making a difference. With Crash’s crew’s structure and strategy, he can harness his energy and gifts more productively. And to have Crash, not another Jedi, be the one to reach Ruu was even more unique because they both see Corellia for the same: a world beautiful and worthy of protection.
Ruu’s arc also ties back to Loden’s words in “All Jedi Walk Their Own Path,” when Corintr decides to stay, and Ruu joins his Master. With Conitr gone, Ruu is walking his own path from the Jedi to help Corellia.
Canon Contribution:
Ruu is another Force-user who lies between the light and dark, distancing himself from the Jedi Order after the death of his Master. But his presence on Crash’s team is a game changer for her and Corellia. The Core planet is still a battleground in the Republic’s backyard, meaning we will see Crash, Svi’no, and Ruu again in Phase Three.
And maybe we will learn more about Lucems. The species are known for their orator, playwriting, and lyricist skills. They also have pupils all over their skin, which resemble speckles and operate as a defense mechanism. Crash learns this when she confronts him at a Nihil factory, and Ruu’s eyes appear to stretch, giving her vertigo. It’s a creepy imagine and I can’t help but want to see in live action. Kudos Alyssa Wong.
Credits and Canon 