The High Republic (2021) 2

A BRAND NEW SERIES CONTINUES! WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF ONE OF THE JEDI'S MOST FORMIDABLE FOES? The NIHIL are on the move! A vessel is discovered floating in the vastness of space, its crew brutally murdered, and its valuable cargo missing. What horrors lie in wait for THE [sic] JEDI KNIGHTS OF STARLIGHT BEACON as they delve into the wreckage? KEEVE TRENNIS, recently elevated to the rank of Jedi Knight, must grapple with her own self-doubt while navigating new alliances. But can she truly place her trust in her closest companion?

Keeve Trennis, the newly appointed Jedi Knight, pilots a T-1 shuttle through the vast expanse of hyperspace. Her thoughts are consumed by the anxiety of embarking on her inaugural mission with her new rank, where expectations are high. Accompanying her are Sskeer, her former Master, along with Terec and Ceret, the Kotabi bond-twins renowned within the Jedi Order, who are currently engaged in a sparring match in the shuttle's rear.

Upon the shuttle's arrival at its designated location within the Kazlin system, the passengers are met with a gruesome sight: a decimated starship surrounded by lifeless bodies. Starlight Beacon had intercepted a garbled distress signal, prompting the Jedi to respond with haste. However, it appears their efforts were in vain. Yet, Keeve and Ceret sense the presence of survivors aboard, and a section of the vessel remains pressurized. Keeve maneuvers the shuttle alongside the damaged ship and requests Terec to engage the docking tube, only to be corrected that she is addressing Ceret. Keeve is momentarily flustered, but as they board, the twins brush it off, acknowledging their similar appearance.

The ship's interior is permeated with gas, prompting Sskeer to instruct everyone to don their rebreathers. The twins need not inform Keeve of the significance: a Nihil attack. Keeve has yet to encounter the pirates, but Sskeer faced them during the Battle of Kur, an engagement that resulted in the loss of his arm. Sskeer directs Keeve and Ceret to locate the flight deck while he and Terec investigate the remaining sections of the ship, cautioning them to remain vigilant. Keeve, responding, reminds herself that she needs to improve her delivery of "May the Force be with you."

Terec informs Sskeer that the twins possess knowledge of the Nihil's tactics, including the use of poison gas and the slaughtering of captives. Sskeer involuntarily recalls the Battle of Kur, and Ceret senses the severe trauma Sskeer is experiencing. Keeve inquires about Sskeer's well-being, to which he assures her that he is fine, urging her to focus on the mission and asking if she has located the flight deck, which she confirms. However, the smoke is increasingly dense, prompting her to utilize the Force to disperse it, questioning Sskeer's need to remind her to do so. As the smoke dissipates, it reveals the remains of a Hutt and its guard, confirming to Keeve that she has indeed discovered something of significance.

Sskeer expresses surprise at the presence of Hutts in Galactic Republic space, but Terec notes that this sector has only been aligned for a few months. When asked about the cause of death, Keeve points out the stab wounds and blaster marks on the body, while Ceret adds that the corpse exhibits early signs of nagnol poisoning, a gas that can disable sensors and is lethal to even Hutts in high concentrations. Keeve asks if Sskeer has found any survivors, but he reports none. Instead, he discovers a quantity of barley, puzzling Keeve as Hutts are not typically associated with transporting grain. Sskeer suggests that even Hutts require sustenance, but Ceret speculates that they intended to sell the harvest to the highest bidder, given the widespread impact of the Great Hyperspace Disaster.

As the twins discuss the possibility of tracing the ship's origin, Sskeer and Terec are suddenly ambushed by a barrage of flechettes fired from within the smoke. Terec sustains injuries, affecting both twins, but their lives are not in danger. Sskeer, frustrated with himself for not detecting the attacker's presence, removes his mask and employs his nose to pinpoint their location. Keeve announces that she and Ceret are en route, but Sskeer is already in pursuit, intent on confronting the attacker through conventional means. The attacker has dropped their blaster and is leaving a trail of blood, suggesting their injuries are severe, yet Sskeer is unable to sense them. Suddenly, a tattooed Nihil wielding a large sword lunges at the Trandoshan Jedi... and Sskeer bisects the pirate, exclaiming "WHY?"

Consumed by rage, Sskeer continues to mutilate the Nihil's corpse with his lightsaber, shouting "NO!" Keeve arrives just as her Master's outburst concludes, leaving her shocked. Sskeer claims that disarming the pirate was impossible as he brushes past her. Upon contacting Starlight, Marshal Avar Kriss confirms the absence of survivors, while also admonishing Sskeer for demonizing their adversaries, reminding him that the Nihil are still sentient beings regardless of their transgressions. Sskeer promises to meditate on the matter.

Master Estala Maru, after analyzing the data provided by Terec, confirms that the grain is indeed a type of barley: Vratixia renanicus, or Vratixian barley, a bacta component initially cultivated on Thyferra. Keeve suggests that Terec could benefit from it. Given the lack of reported thefts of the barley, Maru proposes that it must have been acquired legitimately, but from where? Ceret, examining a damaged navidroid, discovers that the ship originated from the Sedri system before the attack. Maru explains that it is a small system located in the Periphery with two habitable [planets](/article/planet], one of which, Sedri Minor, is arable. A colony was established there twelve years prior, but communication has been limited.

Avar determines that a visit to the colony is overdue, instructing Sskeer and Ceret to travel to Sedri Minor aboard the T-1 while she and Vernestra Rwoh will utilize the Ataraxia to recover the Hutt vessel. She is aware that Supreme Chancellor Lina Soh will want to be informed about the Hutt Clans violating Republic sanctions by conducting trade within their territory. Keeve volunteers to accompany Sskeer, but he insists that she remain with Terec on the Hutt ship, despite Terec's claim that he does not require assistance. Sskeer asserts that his decision is final and that the Force will be with them. Keeve hopes that is the case, as she senses that the situation is far from resolved.

Upon arriving on Sedri Minor, the T-1 shuttle is greeted by a group of children who are in awe of the Jedi, as well as a farmer named Kalo Sulman who is less welcoming, informing Sskeer and Ceret that their presence is unwelcome as the colony is independent. While Sskeer questions Sulman about the colony's crops, Ceret notices a Rodian hidden within the barley field beckoning him. Unnoticed, the Kotabi Jedi ventures into the crops, calling out to whoever is there and offering assistance. A tentacle, or perhaps a vine, emerges behind Ceret as the Jedi reiterates, "We are here to help."

Aboard the derelict Hutt vessel, Avar examines the body of the Nihil and inquires if anyone else has seen it. Keeve explains that the Marshal is the first, as the twins were injured and she was unsure of what to do. Avar states that Keeve should have informed her immediately, as she would have prevented Sskeer from going to Sedri. Keeve apologizes, explaining that she had never witnessed Sskeer in such a state of rage. However, Avar takes responsibility, acknowledging that Sskeer has not been the same since Kur and that she should have heeded the Force's warnings and recognized that something was amiss. Their conversation is interrupted by a scream.

Avar and Keeve discover an agonized Terec being comforted by Vernestra Rwoh, who explains that she is unsure of what occurred as he simply cried out. When asked about his injuries, Terec informs Avar that something terrible has befallen Ceret. Avar immediately contacts Sskeer via her comlink, inquiring about Ceret's whereabouts. It is only then that Sskeer realizes the Kotabi is missing and rushes into the barley field as Sulman attempts to stop him. Sskeer calls out Ceret's name, but all he finds is the Kotabi's lightsaber embedded in a pile of dirt. "Sseret— where are you?"

The opening page features dialogue that establishes Keeve Trennis piloting the T-1 shuttle through hyperspace before it exits and the passengers witness the aftermath of the Nihil attack. However, the accompanying illustrations depict the ship in realspace throughout.

The narrative presented in the issue was originally intended for issue 1. However, the creative team decided to delay it to provide context on Keeve Trennis's ascension to the rank of Jedi Knight before showcasing her first mission in that role.