The High Republic (2022) #4
THE HIGH REPUBLIC
BALANCE OF THE FORCE
Chapter IV: THE HERALD OF THE OPEN HAND
Tensions are rising as Jehda’s Festival of Balance approaches. The Convocation of the Force hopes the festivities will bring the various churches and religions of the Holy City together, but mistrust and hostility run wild.
Jedi Vildar Mac and Matty Cathley were caught sneaking into the Temple of the Kyber with disgraced former Guardian of the Whills Tey Sirrek. Sirrek was expelled, leaving Vildar and Matty to investigate the alleged robbery of a Kyber statue from the Temple’s corridors.
But you can’t keep a good Sephi down. Tey snuck back into the Temple with his faithful droid, SK-0T, only to discover a bomb planted outside Archivist Zumeg’s office, a bomb that seconds later tore a hole in the Temple’s wall….
Writer: Cavan Scott
Artist: Andrea Broccardo
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Colorist: Frank William
Cover artist: Ario Anindito
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publication date: January 11, 2023
We rolled out of the third issue as a huge blast threatened to disintegrate our heroes, and open the 4th issue with Vildar Mac recouperating, his injuries bad enough to require treatment but the physical pain outweighed by the sorrow at the death of one of the archivists who perished in the explosion. Mac used the Force to protect as many as he could, and assumes that Tey Sirrek is the culprit, the droids holocams and memory banks damaged in the explosion. There’s no proof to prosecute or clear Sirrek, who we see is listening in to the conversation from inside the Temple of Kyber beforer his combud is discovered and destroyed as he’s hurled into a temple cell.
We watch the convocation of the Force, a gathering of various religions who work toigether on Jedha, discuss the explosion and the possible guilt of Sirrek, which Mac appears to be cooling on. He’s concerned that Sirrek not be judged wrongly, the variety of factions at hand all having dealings with him, but all of that pales next to his surprise at the official reason for the explosion – a build up of gas. Mac speaks with fellow Jedi Master Leebon, who in turn introduces him to his padawan Oliviah Zeveron, who has issues with the convocation ahead of the Festival of Balance. At this point, the representative of the Path of the Open Hand Werth Plouth enters, and the temperature of the room changes instantly.
He is there not to join the convocation, but to end it, believing that the use of the Force by these various factions including the Jedi means there’s an imbalance in other parts of the galaxy. The more the Force is accessed on Jedha, the less it can be accessed elsewhere. Plouth is provocative and combative, denying any and all reason, and while some members are offended, Representative Kilan is determined to allow all voices to be heard in the conversation. Plouth asks for a Force amnesty, with all factions banned from using the Force in order to test his theory, but Kilan cannot ask that of the convocation members and Plouth leaves, promising action.
We next see him addressing the crowd, claiming he was forced to leave and demanding the truth. He has a sizeable audience, and makes false claims while dropping the biggest truth – that the explosion was no accident but a bomb. He is asked to stop as he asks whether it was an inside job by members of the convocation, but he has the crowd riled and as he is moved away they begin to question themselves. It’s all about to go off, and as Plouth is struck by the guardians of the Whills and Mac and Matty ignite their lightsabers a mysterious creature gets into the mind of the sorcerer of Tund, representative Kilan who suddenly sees monsters where the crowd stands and we end as she uses her powers to dispell the crowd.
Not that this title in both its Phase Zone and Two incarnations has ever slacked, but after a relatively slow start to this issue, the second half really starts to motor as we investigate some fascinating conceits. Here, it’s made very clear indeed that the Jedi are just one of many ‘organisations’ able to access the Force, and these groups are well known to each other here on Jedha. It makes for a very interesting landscape to tell stories, and as ever Cavan Scott takes full advantage, backed by some smart artwork by Andrea Broccardo. The powder is lit, and issue 5 looks likely to see some real fireworks.
