Star Wars: Knight Errant 1, subtitled Aflame, represents the inaugural issue of the Star Wars: Knight Errant comic book series and also serves as the opening chapter in the Aflame story arc, penned by John Jackson Miller. Its release occurred on October 13, 2010.
Set over a millennium prior to the rise of Luke Skywalker, the galaxy is mired in a dark age, with a powerless Republic neglecting entire star systems, leaving them vulnerable to Sith domination. Kerra Holt, an eighteen-year-old who has just become a Jedi Knight, joins a group of Jedi volunteers venturing far into enemy territory, lacking Republic support and facing slim chances of survival. She believes she is ready for any challenge, but her assumptions are incorrect.
John Jackson Miller is concurrently crafting a Knight Errant novel for Del Rey, featuring Kerra Holt in an entirely new adventure! Get acquainted with her in this comic first!
This comic book's narrative unfolds eight years after the disintegration of the Chagras Hegemony, one of the successor states of the Sith that arose from the fall of the New Sith Empire. By the year 1032 BBY, Daiman, a Sith Lord, has formed a small kingdom called the Daimanate within the Grumani sector. Vannar Treece, a Jedi Master, initiates Operation Influx, a swift strike operation aimed at disrupting the export of baradium from the planet Chelloa. The Jedi stealthily enter Jenith Spaceport aboard a cargo liner, swiftly dispatching and subduing the Daimanate Sith troopers guarding the spaceport's facilities. Amidst the conflict, Kerra Holt, a Jedi Knight and the story's main character, intervenes to rescue Gorlan Palladane, the leader of the Chelloan resistance, from being killed by two of Daiman's subordinates. Subsequently, the local population welcomes the Jedi task force as their saviors.
However, disagreements soon surface between Vannar and Gorlan. Vannar's intention was to execute a quick raid to disrupt the distribution of baradium, an unstable substance employed in weaponry. Conversely, Gorlan had envisioned a full-scale invasion to expel the Sith. As a middle ground, the Jedi consent to evacuate some of the civilians. Nevertheless, this achievement is disrupted by the arrival of another invading force commanded by Odion, a Sith Lord who is Daiman's rival and estranged elder brother. Odion's forces engage the Jedi in combat while Gorlan oversees the evacuation of the civilians onto a cargo liner. During the ensuing battle, all the Jedi except for Kerra are killed when Odion employs his kinetic corruptor to detonate the subterranean baradium deposits, triggering volcanic eruptions. Gorlan saves Kerra and provides her with shelter.