The High Republic is almost here and as part of the process of preparing the fandom for what’s in store, Penguin Random House bring us the first 8 chapters of Charles Soule‘s Light of the Jedi, arriving 5th January 2021 and kicking off a fresh new era for the saga.
The Force is with the galaxy. It is the time of the High Republic: a peaceful union of like-minded worlds where all voices are heard, and governance is achieved through consensus, not coercion or fear. It is an era of ambition, of culture, of inclusion, of Great Works. Visionary Chancellor Lina Soh leads the Republic from the elegant city-world of Coruscant, located near the bright center of the Galactic Core.
But beyond the Core and its many peaceful Colonies, there is the Rim—Inner, Mid, and finally, at the border of what is known: the Outer Rim. These worlds are filled with opportunity for those brave enough to travel the few well-mapped hyperspace lanes leading to them, though there is danger as well. The Outer Rim is a haven for anyone seeking to escape the laws of the Republic, and is filled with predators of every type.
Chancellor Soh has pledged to bring the Outer Rim worlds into the embrace of the Republic through ambitious outreach programs such as the Starlight Beacon. But until it is brought online, order and justice are maintained on the galactic frontier by Jedi Knights, guardians of peace who have mastered incredible abilities stemming from a mysterious energy field known as the Force. The Jedi work closely with the Republic, and have agreed to establish outposts in the Outer Rim to help any who might require aid. The Jedi of the frontier can be the only resource for people with nowhere else to turn. Though the outposts operate independently and without direct assistance from the great Jedi Temple on Coruscant, they act as an effective deterrent to those who would do evil in the dark. Few can stand against the Knights of the Jedi Order. But there are always those who will try. . .
There’s also an online digital sampler that gives a look at A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland, Into the Dark by Claudia Gray, and Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule as well as the forthcoming comic series from IDW and Marvel.
Star Wars Insider #199 (Px Edition) @ ForbiddenPlanet.com
