Star Wars: The High Republic could barely be a 12 months outdated now, however already its golden age is crumbling aside, setting the stage for the lengthy decline of the Jedi and Republic we finally see the tail finish of within the prequel trilogy. Get a have a look at what horrors the Jedi will face within the newest novel, The Fallen Star, on this unique preview from io9!

“Anyone’s who’s had a look at the cover art for The Fallen Star knows—the crises our Jedi face in this book are serious. Deadly serious. I’m not going to lie: there will be casualties,” Claudia Gray, one of many fundamental crew of writers behind The High Republic and the creator of this newest pivotal chapter, instructed io9 over e mail. “This is the part where I should say that I regret causing readers pain, but let’s face it… I LOVE it. Not because I’m a sadist, but because every writer hopes that readers will be deeply involved with their characters, and because these are the events The High Republic has been leading up to for a while, and the stakes have to be that high.”

The Fallen Star begins the third section of The High Republic’s debut chapter, getting ready the forces of the Republic and the Jedi Order—uneasily thrust out of their position of explorers into army leaders, even a whole bunch of years earlier than the Clone War that might lay them low—for battle in opposition to the sinister pirates of the Nihil. Emboldened by their assaults on the Republic’s diplomatic, celebratory honest throughout the occasions of The Rising Storm, the Nihil are backed by a lethal new weapon uncovered by their chief, Marchion Ro—one which has the horrifying capacity to wrest the Force itself from a Jedi.

“For a while now, Marchion Ro’s secret weapon has been emerging, bit by bit, from the shadows (both literally and figuratively)—and that process takes a major step forward in The Fallen Star,” Gray teased. “What is it that can separate a Jedi from the Force? The Jedi have no idea—and no way to fight it.”

Get a style of the phobia that awaits the Jedi—and one grasp particularly, Indeera Stokes—in an excerpt from The Fallen Star beneath, making its debut on io9!

Indeera Stokes moved ahead by means of comparatively empty, quiet corridors. This stage was largely used for storage, and he or she felt a second’s dismay that they hadn’t been capable of arrange some short-term quarters down right here for the refugees aboard. So a lot room, and the docking bay was turning into so crowded—

—however these individuals had their ships, which for probably the most half they wished to stay close to. And whereas a few of these compartments had been empty, others had been stocked with helpful elements that couldn’t merely be left out there to one and all.

You’re distracting your self, she realized. You’re musing and mulling as an alternative of opening your self to the Force. That’s not going to assist.

Do your work.

Indeera took a deep breath and reached out together with her emotions. What she discovered was—

—was nothing.

The Force was not chatting with her right here. There was the faintest . . . name it a whisper . . . proof that she hadn’t misplaced her thoughts, that the Force continued ever on, because it should. But for the primary time since she was a youngling, Indeera had bother connecting herself to the Force.

The sheer wrongness of it made her stumble. Indeera stopped and put one hand to her head. She needed to focus. Why couldn’t she assume? She ought to’ve eaten, earlier—it was laborious to shake the thought that she was hungry—

Her comlink buzzed. Indeera took it up. “Stokes here—”

“Help me.” The sheer terror in Regald Coll’s voice despatched chills alongside Indeera’s pores and skin. “Please—please—help me!”

Indeera pivoted on her heel and ran again the best way she’d come, intent on monitoring Regald down. What was occurring to him? She was immediately, sharply afraid for him, extra afraid than she’d ever been even for her personal life. Her boots pounded in opposition to the ground as she turned this manner, then that, in search of the trail she’d seen Regald take earlier. This appeared to be the fitting course . . .

Her steps slowed. Indeera swayed as she went, till lastly she stumbled and needed to catch herself in opposition to the closest wall. She couldn’t see Regald, although she knew he may solely be just a few meters forward of her. Why was it so darkish right here?

The lights had been on, however it was as if—as if she couldn’t take within the mild—

Indeera’s eyes opened wider as the ground started to soften. As the partitions shifted shade and form. She knew she was hallucinating, however figuring out did no good; actuality was nowhere to be discovered. This phantasmagoria surrounded her, entrapped her, took away all the pieces that was true and good.

The ground slapped her throughout her cheek, kicked her shoulder, shoved her hip. Indeera pawed feebly at her aspect for her lightsaber, however she couldn’t shut her hand round it, and what good wouldn’t it do moreover? There was no enemy to battle. There was no place to face.

There was no Force to information her. It was gone, gone, gone eternally, and he or she had not identified it was attainable to really feel so frightened, so alone.

Tears welled in Indeera’s eyes, blurring all the pieces round her till she may see no extra.

Star Wars: The High Republic: The Fallen Star releases on January 4.

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