The High Republic: Quest for Planet X

Embark on an adventure with three individuals as they journey to discover the fabled Planet X, aiming to safeguard the galaxy as they perceive it!

Amidst escalating tensions between the Jedi and the Path of the Open Hand, two prominent prospecting families of the Republic announce a competition focused on mapping uncharted hyperspace routes.

Dass Leffbruk and Sky Graf, feigning participation in the contest, enlist Jedi padawan Rooper Nitani, ultimately revealing their true objective: to locate the enigmatic Planet X. Their expedition takes an unforeseen turn when they encounter members of the Path of the Open Hand, compelling the trio to prioritize aiding the Jedi—and the galaxy—before it's too late.

Not long after the events of the battle of Jedha, Fel Ix finds solace in the support of Er Dal and Ferize aboard the Gaze Electric as he gears up for a mission associated with the Path of The Open Hand. They caution him about the Jedi he might encounter, while he assures them of their safety in his absence. Subsequently, Fel Ix meets with Marda Ro and The Mother to finalize the details of his assignment. Marda adorns his forehead with three blue stripes, symbolizing freedom, harmony, and clarity. He confirms to the Mother that he has committed the Graffian slicer code to memory. After the Mother departs, Marda playfully nudges his shoulder, remarking on her transformation since assuming a leadership position within the group. As Marda guides Ix towards the Way of Clarity, the small, unmarked ship designated for his mission, he strives to conceal his nervousness. They pass numerous individuals diligently preparing weapons and ensuring the Gaze Electric's optimal condition. Before his departure, Fel entrusts Marda with the care of his children during his absence. He is surprised to learn that she will soon be departing the Gaze Electric for a mission of her own. She reiterates her warning about the Jedi's pursuit of their group following the Battle on Jedha, urging him to exercise caution. He departs after assuring her that he has no fear of the Jedi.

In a parallel narrative, Jedi Padawan Rooper Nitani dedicates her time to assisting Jedi Master Merak within the archives of the Jedi Research Facility on Batuu. Although less thrilling than her prior mission to Gloam alongside her master Silandra Sho, she believes she received a gift from the Force shortly after commencing her work at the Jedi Facility. On just her second day there, Rooper discovered a small compass within the archives that seemed to call out to her. She presented the Force artifact to Master Merak, who advised her to retain the object and heed the Force's guidance through it. Rooper persists in meditating on the Force's will until a week after her 15th birthday, when she starts to hear reports of a battle on the moon of Jedha. Numerous rumors regarding the fighting reach Batuu, including the collapse of an ancient statue and a perilous magical creature roaming the crowded streets of Jedha City. Knowing her master is on a pilgrimage there, Rooper is concerned about her master's well-being.

Growing impatient with the scarcity of reliable information concerning the outbreak of violence on the distant moon, Rooper visits Black Spire Outpost both to bid farewell to her friend Dass Leffbruk and to ascertain if he possesses any concrete knowledge about the conflict. Dass was preparing to depart for a hyperspace pursuit. This pursuit takes the form of a race sponsored jointly by the San Tekkas and the Graf Family, with the objective of having hyperspace prospectors chart and sell as many safe hyperspace lanes as possible to the two families. Dass had confided in Rooper his aspiration to rediscover the legendary Planet X alongside his father during the impending race. Having previously crash-landed there, the father and son narrowly escaped due to their partner, Radicaz "Sunshine" Dobbs, betraying them on their return journey from the planet. Dass hopes to assist his father in recovering their stolen ship, the Silverstreak, which Dass believes remains stranded on Planet X. Rooper holds the upcoming race in low regard, believing that all hyperspace routes should be accessible to the public and governed by the entire Republic.

Upon arriving at Black Spire Outpost, Rooper makes her way towards a travelers' hostel near the spaceport where Rooper and his father are lodging. The young Jedi is concerned for her friend but has wished him good luck on his quest for the rumored beautiful lost planet. She remembers that Xirys Patri was the first to discover Planet X, and they returned from the planet miraculously healed of their injuries. They also brought back amazing treasures which have inspired many of the other prospectors to join the race due to the recent rumors surrounding Planet X's reemergence. Rooper's final stop before meeting Dass is a stall selling Sweet Roasted Spider Acorns. However, before reaching the hostel, she senses a disturbance in the Force and rushes into a crowd, where she encounters a panicked Dass. Rooper reaches for her lightsaber as Dass explains that his friend is being attacked by pirates.

Rooper swiftly follows Dass through the bustling crowd surrounding the spaceport. She halts Dass before they reach their destination, and he clarifies that three thugs are attempting to board Sky Graf's ship. Upon arriving at Sky's opulent silver-and-black minicruiser, it becomes immediately apparent that a human woman with vibrantly colored hair, a Lutrillian, and a human man were trying to seize the ship. Brandishing her lightsaber, Rooper resolves the conflict before any violence erupts, allowing Dass to bring her aboard the ship.

The flamboyant Sky Graf welcomes Rooper onto their ship, the Brightbird, and offers her some expensive green tea from Chandrila. Sky elucidates to Rooper how their family profits from leasing hyperspace lanes, which agitates her as she explains why she believes hyperspace lanes should be open to everyone. Sky and Dass then reveal their belief that Sunshine Dobbs holds the key to rediscovering Planet X. Rooper is also taken aback to learn that Dass will not be entering the race with his now distrustful and, as Dass perceives, overly cautious father, but will instead journey with Sky to attempt to locate Planet X. Dass subsequently persuades Rooper that her presence will alleviate his dad's concerns and provide them with protection should they require it.

It is then revealed that Sky Graf is not the actual owner of the Brigtbird and that they "borrowed" the ship from their older brother Helis Graf who was distracted by his courtship of Precoria San Tekka. The three goons who Rooper had just scared off were in fact hired mercenaries contracted by Helis in order to bring back his ship before the race began. The ship also contains Graffian family codes which needed to be entered by hand by Sky's brother.

Sky proceeds to explain to Rooper that they possess a superluminite-powered compass capable of resonating with Dass, who has previously visited Planet X, to relocate the hidden planet. They believe Rooper can harness the Force to amplify the resonance, thereby enhancing the compass's precision. Sky also pledges to permit her to contact Jedha during their voyage, as well as drop her off on the moon after they have located Planet X.

Concurrently, Fel Ix manipulates a captured comms buoy utilizing the Graffian codes he had memorized. By altering the buoys, the Mother will gain the ability to shut down all communications along the frontier whenever she desires. Thus far, the Mother has employed the reprogrammed buoys to regulate the flow of information surrounding both Jedha and the Path's former home of Dalna. The Mother disseminated misinformation pertaining to the Battle of Jedha, asserting that the Herald initiated the conflict and, as was indeed the case, that the Path would be providing aid to the battle's survivors.

Fel Ix and Chal are summoned to the ship's bridge by the third member of their team, Severn. The passing republic starship Felicitations inspects the work they are doing on the buoys and buys their cover story that they are simply repairing it. They then receive a message from the Mother warning them that Jedi will soon be coming to Dalna En Masse and that they should send her a warning when the Jedi arrive.

Returning to the Silverstreak, Dass delights in piloting the ship, musing on whether his mother might still be alive if his father's ship had been this responsive. The ship emerges from hyperspace near Travyx Prime, the designated starting point for the hyperspace race. As the Silverstreak aligns at the starting line, Rooper confirms her ability to contact Jedha before compelling Dass to inform his father that he is joining the race with Sky. Dass's father is immediately displeased, but Sky terminates the communication before the situation escalates. As soon as the race began the Silverstreak dashed ahead to avoid the ships of both Dass' father and Precoria San Tekka's.

The other contestants tried to get ahead by releasing mines, smoke, and flares at other prospectors. Avoiding another round of flares, this one in the shape of a silver Wookie, the crew of the Silverstreak then had to escape Helis' attempts to hack their ship's codes. Sky was able to briefly avoid Helis' hack long enough for Dass to bring the ship into hyperspace.

Rooper then confronts Sky on their true intentions for wanting to find Planet X. They admit that they are doing it for glory to impress their family but Rooper senses they have other motivations. Rooper explains that she is motivated by the need to protect all life just as her master acts as a shield for those that can't protect themselves.

As the three young adventurers attempt to get the device to work before their first stop, Sky explains that their father had discovered the device on the Ice planet of Thelj over five years earlier. Sky hooks up the device to the ship's navicomputer so Rooper and Dass can use it to locate the hidden planet. Rooper holds Dass' hand with his other placed on the device and she instructs him to recall what he can of Planet X. Through the use of the force Rooper is able to activate the device and get the first set of coordinates just as Helis' ship enters out of hyperspace. The crew makes a quick getaway into hyperspace but not before Sky hits their head while evading their brother's ship and gets a concussion.

The announcement of The High Republic: Quest for Planet X occurred on the opening day of Star Wars Celebration Anaheim, specifically on May 26, 2022, during a Star Wars: The High Republic panel discussion. The book's cover art was revealed during New York Comic Con 2022, on October 8, 2022. A portion of the artwork was initially featured in a thumbnail for the October 6 episode of This Week! in Star Wars, but it was subsequently removed and replaced with a thumbnail showcasing the cover art for the young-adult novel The High Republic: Path of Deceit.

The hardcover edition of Quest for Planet X includes illustrations that are absent from the ebook version.

• ISBN 9781368082877 ; April 4 , 2023 ; Disney–Lucasfilm Press ; US hardcover [1]