The High Republic 1, marking the initial entry in the canon comic book series titled Star Wars: The High Republic, was penned by Cavan Scott. Marvel Comics released it on January 6, 2021.
This tale unfolds BEFORE the SKYWALKER SAGA, in the GOLDEN AGE OF THE JEDI! A new STAR WARS era dawns. Centuries prior to the SKYWALKER SAGA, the JEDI are at their zenith, safeguarding the galaxy as REPUBLIC pioneers venture into uncharted territories. As the Frontier anticipates the grand opening of the majestic STARLIGHT BEACON, PADAWAN KEEVE TRENNIS stands at a crossroads – will she undergo her Jedi Trials or prioritize rescuing innocents from impending doom? Behold new Jedi, innovative ships, and novel adversaries!
In the Galactic Frontier on Shuraden, Padawan Keeve Trennis navigates a forest, bothered by a small Ximpi called Kanrii. A one-armed Trandoshan armed with a lightsaber ambushes her, revealed to be her Master, Sskeer. Following a brief skirmish, Keeve questions their presence, suggesting they should prepare for her Jedi Trials and that Sskeer should recuperate from the injury that cost him his arm. Sskeer responds by stating that their presence is, in fact, for her Trials.
Sskeer guides Keeve to the Needles, a collection of towering, slender stone spires. He informs her he has placed a Tythonian pendant atop one of the spires, and she must not cease until she finds it. He also notes that the Needles are notoriously difficult to climb, with many having failed.
During Keeve's ascent, a pillar crumbles, and she saves herself by activating her double-bladed lightsaber to slow her descent. Kanrii, still present, points out a nearby Ximpi city as his home but doesn't grasp Keeve's subtle hint about preferring to be there. Keeve's displeasure grows with the arrival of Lekaki, a friend of Kanrii's. However, the trio's interaction is abruptly interrupted by a massive swarm of flying insects, causing Keeve to fall from the spire.
Aboard the Starlight Beacon space station, Jedi Master Avar Kriss expresses surprise that Master Estala Maru is unaware of Sskeer's location, given Maru's reputation for omniscience. Maru explains he is preoccupied with the station's impending dedication in mere hours, but Avar sees through his facade, noting his frustration at being uninformed. Avar voices her concern for Sskeer, who has been different since the Battle of Kur. Maru wonders if the Trandoshan blames himself for Jora Malli's demise, but Avar disagrees, stating she cannot sense Sskeer's presence in the Force.
Grand Masters Pra-Tre Veter and Yoda join the two Masters – Yoda's presence being unexpected due to his sabbatical. Avar inquires if Yoda is rejoining the Jedi High Council, but he states he will remain on the Star Hopper for now. Veter announces they are there to discuss Avar's future, and she quickly asserts her disinterest in a Council seat. However, Veter clarifies that the Grand Masters wish for Avar to become Starlight Beacon's new marshal.
On Shuraden, one of the giant insects devours Lekaki. Despite Kanrii's pleas, Keeve points out that Lekaki is already gone and they face a more pressing issue: the swarm threatens the city. Concluding that her trial is ruined, Keeve jumps down and takes off in the Jedi Vector she and Sskeer arrived in, as he yells after her. Landing near the city, she reassures a panicked Kanrii, thinking to herself that she almost sounds confident. Keeve uses telekinesis to stop falling rocks while contacting the Beacon on her comlink. Maru answers, inquiring about Sskeer's whereabouts, but Keeve interrupts with news of the giant insects.
Maru expresses surprise at the presence of giant insects on Shuraden, suggesting they might be the ridadi, a species of star-locust that migrates through the area once per generation. However, they typically avoid inhabited planets, indicating a change. Maru asks if Keeve has attempted to communicate with the locusts to determine the cause. Connecting with the insects through the Force, Keeve senses their migrations and discovers they are heading towards the Starlight Beacon.
Rushing to the Vector, Keeve asks Maru if they have any information on the ridadi's navigation methods. Maru replies that the records are unclear, but some scholars believe they navigate using magnetic pulses emitted by a star in a nearby system. Keeve realizes that the Beacon is disrupting the ridadi's navigation, explaining to Kanrii that the Ximpi had previously mentioned hearing the Jedi's signal from the station. The locusts' confusion is their fault, but Keeve believes they can redirect them.
The ridadi begin to follow Keeve in the Vector, alarming Kanrii. She informs Maru she has modified the starfighter to mimic the Beacon's signal, guiding the ridadi away from Shuraden. Maru responds that he will recalibrate the Beacon to a different frequency. Setting the Vector on autopilot, Keeve and Kanrii eject from the fighter, Keeve stating that they are easier to replace than the city.
Later, Keeve is assisting in rebuilding the city when Sskeer finds her, asking about the Vector's location. She replies that it's somewhere in space, worried about his reaction as he requests new transportation from the beacon. Kanrii asks if she's in trouble, and Keeve admits she doesn't know, as she's never seen her Master like this.
Upon returning to the Beacon, Keeve follows Sskeer as he exits their T-1 shuttle and enters the station silently, as she tries to explain why she didn't complete her trial. A door opens to reveal Avar Kriss, causing Keeve to momentarily admire Avar's actions during the Great Hyperspace Disaster to save Hetzal. After Sskeer mentions that Avar has also been appointed marshal, Keeve continues to apologize for her trial failure, and Avar asks if she's finished. Activating her lightsaber, Avar conducts a brief knighting ceremony, severing Keeve's Padawan braid.
Later, during the dedication ceremony, Keeve reflects on the intensity of the situation as Avar addresses the crowd about the Beacon's role as a symbol of hope. Keeve deduces that Sskeer orchestrated the entire event, anticipating the ridadi's arrival. As the assembled Jedi ignite their lightsabers, Keeve realizes the whole thing was a test, which she passed.
That same night, Sskeer enters a darkened room and cries out in anguish. "NO! ...No."
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a temporary shutdown of the comics industry. During this time, Cavan Scott took the opportunity to revise and refine issue one to his satisfaction, replacing the original draft he was unhappy with. He later shared details about the original story and the changes he implemented.
The cover art by Paolo Villanelli draws inspiration from Dave Filoni's cover for The Clone Wars 1.
The excerpt of the comic featured in The High Republic Free Digital Sampler indicated that the Starlight Beacon was situated in a region known as the Starless Expanse. However, the published issue omitted this term.
Maru informs Avar Kriss that the Starlight Beacon's dedication is "nine hours" away when Kriss seeks out Sskeer, who is currently on Shuraden. This contradicts the timeline presented in The High Republic: A Test of Courage, which depicts Sskeer and Trennis as the first to respond to the emergency beacon set up by Vernestra Rwoh's stranded group on [Wevo](/article/wevo], while en route back from Shuraden. Rwoh's group then travels to the Starlight Beacon aboard the Radiant Blessing, taking slightly less than two days to arrive, and is stated to have arrived in time for the dedication, which Rwoh and Imri Cantaros are shown to attend in The High Republic: Light of the Jedi.