The High Republic (2021) 3

The High Republic 3

Publisher's summary[]

ALL-NEW SERIES CONTINUES! A DARK MYSTERY ONLY THE JEDI CAN UNRAVEL…BUT AT WHAT COST? A planet stricken by a mysterious blight. One JEDI missing and another driven insane. What horror lurks in the darkness beneath the rotting crops? Death is averted, but a terrible union is formed. Can KEEVE TRENNIS protect an innocent life while facing betrayal from within her own order?

Opening crawl[]

The noble JEDI, protectors of the REPUBLIC,have launched STARLIGHT BEACON as asymbol of hope for the galaxy. Young KeeveTrennis is now a JEDI KNIGHT.Aboard a derelict Hutt ship, a lone Nihil warriorattacked Keeve, Sskeer and the Jedi twins Terecand Ceret. Sskeer brutally slaughtered theNihil, much to Keeve's shock. Something dark ishappening to Sskeer.The trail of the Jedi's investigation ledthem to Sedri Minor, where Ceret has justvanished without a trace....

Plot summary[]

Meeting the locals[]

TheAtaraxia has landed onSedri Minor, and onboard,Terec is having a fit, ranting about a growing darkness that must be nourished.Avar Kriss tries to restrain theKotabi, whose behavior is influenced by whatever is happening to their missingbond-twinCeret. Avar tells Terec to calm down, but, frothing at the mouth, he says that theJedi have already lost.Jedi MasterSskeer is no help: standing guard at the bottom of the boarding ramp, his former apprenticeKeeve Trennis thinks that theTrandoshan is getting worse by the minute. Sskeer snaps that Terec is losing their mind, but Avar retorts that hebutchered anenemy in coldblood and lost Ceret within minutes ofplanetfall. In response, Sskeer shouts that it isn't as though Avar has never made a mistake, and that the situation isn't about him but about uncovering whatever is happening on this planet.

Keeve thinks that things aren't supposed to be like this, as standing guard while her old master loses his mind is not what she thought she would be doing as aJedi Knight. She's approached by two children, who offer a basket of freshbucco bread. Keeve is grateful, but tells them they don't need to give up their own food as the Jedi have food of their own. However, the children aren't the only ones with the idea: aRodian couple approaches with asamana spiced loaf. Keeve learns that their sonJulus went missing just before they arrived, and that including Ceret a total of five people have gone missing. As well, the colony'sVratixian barley is rotting in the fields, but no one has done anything.

Keeve asks why they didn't contactStarlight Beacon for help, and theman says they can't. She asks if it has anything to do with theHutts, but an approachingKalo Sulman asks what they have to do with any of this. After Sulman is introduced as the spokesman of the "honest,law-abiding" community, Keeve explains the discovery of aHutt Clanstarshipattacked by theNihil, and that it was carrying a load ofgrain from this colony. However, Sulman insists that the other residents are "fantasists" and that they will deal with anything going on by themselves. Shooing away the others, he insists that the residents of Sedri Minor don't need Jedi food or "rumor-mongering" as Keeve says its fine. But to herself, she thinks that the people's fear is obvious, even that of the bullying Sulman. Since the Masters are occupied, she decides to investigate by herself.

Heading into thebarley field with herlightsaber ignited, Keeve finds that the colonists weren't kidding about the rotting crops, which emit a foul stench. She is surprised by a boy namedBartol, who is impressed by her weapon as she tries to get him to leave. Bartol, however, decides he wants to help find Keeve's friend and heads deeper in, forcing her to follow as she wonders why she keeps attracting strays. Keeve senses a "shadow" of some kind, and as the child questions her about how she can do that, the two come across a large sinkhole. Asked if this is a regular occurrence, Bartol wonders what's down there and jumps in, forcing Keeve to catch him withthe Force before following him in. At the bottom, Keeve senses something that knows they are coming.

Rising trouble[]

On theAtaraxia, Terec has passed out. Avar grills Sskeer over why he didn't sense that thedark side is the cause of thetwin's condition, and he starts to apologize. The conversation is interrupted by contact fromEstala Maru, but Avar reminds Sskeer that the conversation is far from over. Maru notes that he has received the corpse of the Hutt recovered from thefreighter. As two Jedi begin an autopsy, Maru tells Avar thatGrand MasterXo Lahru was perturbed about the request. Avar is perturbed that Maru informed theJedi High Council, but not very surprised, and tells Maru that she will contact Lahru herself later, as she has a situation of her own.

Sulman, who has arrived at thecruiser, is told by Sskeer that he shouldn't be here. TheSpeaker retorts that it is the Jedi who have no right to be on "his" planet, and demands to know the whereabouts of the girl who had been guarding the ship. Sskeer states that the Jedi are attempting to protect Sulman's people, but theArtiodac is having none of it, sniping that they appear to be losing their own instead. Avar suggests that she and Sulman go looking for Keeve together, and asks Sskeer to stay behind and watch Terec. He says he won't fail her again.

Lair of the Drengir[]

Underground, Keeve recites theGuardian's Mantra as she and Bartol venture through a tunnel. When she stumbles, the boy asks her if she's okay, and she responds that the darkness is overwhelming. He wonders if she's afraid of the dark, and she gives a basic explanation about thelight and the dark, and that the Jedi belong to the light, before she hears a voice in her head claiming that she will be consumed. Bartol decides to run ahead and search for her, pushing past a wall of roots as Keeve tries to pull herself together. He screams, and Keeve shouts that she's coming before cutting her way though the wall. On the other side, she and Bartol find Ceret and a Rodian child, trussed up in roots, and Bartol wonders what's happened to them. Keeve moves to free the two, reaching out with the Force.

Unfortunately, Julus is already dead. Keeve comforts a crying Bartol, telling him it's okay to be upset. She asks him to hold her lightsaber while she checks on Ceret, who appears to still be alive. After Keeve pulls something out of Ceret'sear, wondering what they are, the first thing the Kotabi says upon awakening is to "Beware." Something pulls at Bartol's leg, knocking him over, but Keeve is quick withtelekinesis to use the lightsaber, which Bartol let go of, to sever the thing grabbing the child. As she tells him to get behind her and that he will be safe, words come out of Ceret's mouth that "No meat will be safe... not from theDrengir!" One of theplant-like beings advances down the tunnel, still chanting for meat.

Onslaught[]

On board theAtaraxia, Terec, awake again, senses that the darkness has them now. Sskeer attempts to help re-center the Kotabi, but is thrown back as Terec screams, vomiting a black cloud. As Sskeer wonders why he could not help, Terec stands, and an alien voice issues from their mouth, inviting the Trandoshan to "Come with us..."

Underground, a possessed Ceret finishes the sentence, "...We can make youwhole," while grabbing a terrified Bartol, prompting Keeve to shout in exasperation since she already had more than enough to handle. The Drengir states that Keeve's only choices are to nourish them or become one with them, and she goes for "never"–but the Drengir declares "Food it is" as its tentacles close around her. Fortunately, help arrives as agreen lightsaber cuts through the roof of the tunnel. Avar drops through and cuts the Drengir in half, stating that she did hear Keeve's shouts. Keeve explains that something is very wrong with Ceret, and Avar manages to get him to release Bartol and come back to the light. Unsettled, Ceret explains that the Drengir were too powerful while Keeve reassures Bartol that they will escape. But the two halves of the Drengir reform into two separate individuals, who both chant that thereis no escape. They are joined by Sskeer, afflicted by the same condition as Terec and sporting a wooden arm, who chants that the harvest will be bountiful and pure...

Continuity[]

The cover byPaolo Villanelli is based onMathieu Lauffray'scover toHeir to the Empire 1.^[4]

Media[]

Cover gallery[]

Final cover byPhil Noto Solicitation cover by Phil Noto Unlettered cover by Phil Noto 1:25 variant cover byKev Walker Variant cover byGiuseppe Camuncoli Virgin variant cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli Variant cover byJan Duursema andRachelle Rosenberg Variant cover byMinkyu Jung Virgin variant cover by Minkyu Jung Variant cover byMike Mayhew Virgin variant cover by Mike Mayhew Shadow variant cover by Mike Mayhew Variant cover byLuke Ross andNolan Woodard Virgin variant cover by Luke Ross and Nolan Woodard Variant cover byWill Sliney Virgin variant cover by Will Sliney Variant cover byPaolo Villanelli and Nolan Woodard Virgin variant cover by Paolo Villanelli and Nolan Woodard Variant cover by Kev Walker Virgin variant cover by Kev Walker Walmart variant cover by Carlo Pagulayan Second printing cover byArio Anindito Third printing cover by Phil Noto

Collected in[]

• Star Wars: The High Republic Vol. 1 – There is No Fear
• Star Wars: The High Republic Phase I – Light of the Jedi Omnibus

Appearances[]

Sources[]

• Leia Organa Swaps Love Stories with Kes Dameron and More from Marvel's March 2021Star Wars Comics - Exclusive Preview onStarWars.com(backup link)
• Something Lurks Beneath in Marvel'sThe High Republic #3 - Exclusive Preview onStarWars.com(backup link)

Notes and references[]

External links[]

• Star Wars: The High Republic (2021) #3 onMarvel Comics'official website(backup link)

There is No Fear: 1 ·2 ·3 ·4 ·5 Heart of the Drengir: 6 ·7 ·8 The Shadow of the Nihil: 9 ·10 Jedi's End: 11 ·12 ·13 ·14 ·15 Behind-the-Scenes Exclusive Miniseries Eye of the Storm(1 ·2) Collections 1 ·2 ·3 ·Omnibus Related media The High Republic Vol. 2 ·Vol. 3 Trail of Shadows
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