Star Wars: Into the Dark

Last updated
Star Wars: The High Republic: Into the Dark
SWIntoTheDark.jpg
Author Claudia Gray
Audio read byDan Bittner
Cover artistGiorgio Baroni
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre Science fiction
Publisher Disney Lucasfilm Press
Publication date
February 2, 2021
Media typePrint (hardcover, e-book, audiobook
Pages448
ISBN 978-1368057288

Star Wars: The High Republic: Into the Dark is a 2021 young adult Star Wars novel written by Claudia Gray as part of the Star Wars: The High Republic franchise taking place 200 years before the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. The novel follows Jedi Padawans exploring an abandoned space station during the events of a galaxy-wide disaster. [1] It was published on February 2, 2021 by Disney Lucasfilm Press. [2] [3]

Contents

Plot

The story is interrupted by another taking place twenty-five years in the past, told over six "parts" and furthering Orla and Cohmac's character motivations.

Main story

As his master Jora Malli is sent to oversee the Starlight Beacon in the far frontier of the galaxy, Reath Silas is sent along with Jedi Masters Cohmac Vitus, Orla Jareni, and Jedi Knight Dez Rydan to help pave the way for the project's opening ceremony. Reath, bookish and unwilling to engage in the action that many Jedi desire, wishes to stay at Coruscant. They are transported by the Byne Guild vessel Vessel, captained by Leox Gyasi, his co-pilot Affie Hollow, and Geode, who looks like a slab of rock. On the way there, their journey is interrupted by the Great Hyperspace Disaster, which forces them to take refuge in an abandoned Amaxine space station with other refugees. They discover that it has been kept operational by gardening droids, and that it is ripe with treasure, weapons, and other miscellaneous baubles. Reath stops gangs from looting the place and saves the life of a girl, Nan, who he bonds with. Orla discovers ancient idols and is struck by visions of the dark side. Affie finds out that the Byne Guild, led by her foster mother Scover, had some sort of involvement in the complex. While exploring the lower levels, Dez is seemingly decimated when he enters a control room consisting of helical parts. Reath and Nan discover escape pods throughout the first floor, and worries that Dez may have been ejected into space. The Jedi seal the idols in order to contain the mysterious dark entity. They return to Coruscant on the Vessel and contain the idols in a Sith shrine underneath the Jedi Temple.

Affie inquires after the Byne Guild's involvement in Amaxine, and discovers that their employees are actually indentured servants; many, including her birth parents, were sent to the space station as work, but died due to the dangerous upper levels. Reath struggles with Jora's death against the Nihil, and discovers that Nan and her partner are actually part of the Nihil. The Jedi realize that the idols actually were repressing the idols and by sealing them together they let loose the dark force; Cohmac and Orla are angered when the Jedi Council is unwilling to take the risk and return to Amaxine to solve the problem. Cohmac, Orla and Reath rejoin the Vessel and go back to Amaxine. On the lower levels, exploring the place of Dez's death he is transported in a pod to a planet taken over by the carnivorous plant-like beings Drengir, and sees that Dez is alive and being tortured. They escape, while Cohmac and Orla fight off Drengir on Amaxine, which is revealed to be a powerful structure that can transport pods to anywhere across the galaxy; the Nihil, seeing this as a means to further their plans of disorder across the Republic, board the structure and engage in the conflict. After a battle in which Reath vents the Drengir and Nihil into space, the Vessel and its inhabitants return to Coruscant once more. Reath and the Jedi are disciplined, but lauded for saving Dez. Orla leaves as a Wayseeker. Cohmac agrees to become Reath's new master. Reath decides that he is not an adventurer but will gladly step into the unknown if it means that his exploits can be properly archived in history. Affie exposes Scover and Byne Guild, and Leox lets her become the new captain of the Vessel. Nan reports to Marchion Ro, who ensures her that the Jedi will be eliminated.

Twenty-five years earlier

Orla and Cohmac, with their masters, are sent to rescue kidnapped dignitaries from the Directorate, a spinoff of the Hutts. Cohmac's master is killed, but he is unable to properly mourn for him due to the strict Jedi rules; this opens a darker part of himself, and he begins to confront whether the separation between the light side and dark side is really as clear-cut as it seems. They rescue the dignitaries, but one is killed; Orla believes that had she followed her instincts and acting how the Jedi forced her to act, then she could've saved both lives. The Hutts rise in power from this incident. It also motivates Orla and Cohmac into where they end up by the end of the present-day narrative.

Characters

Reception

Bryan Young, writing for /Film, called the novel "a hell of an experience from one of the best writers working in Star Wars," noting the expansive cast, quirky tone, and the ways it deepened the mystery of the universe. Young sardonically lauded the character Geode as "the runaway star of the book [despite being] a character who doesn’t speak...if there is anything people will be talking about after this book, it’s going to be Geode and how utterly charming and hilarious he is." [5] Kofi Outlaw of Comicbook.com acclaimed the novel as being "chock-full of wit and humor" among the "offbeat collection of characters." [6]

Related Research Articles

Jedi, Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are fictional characters, and often protagonists, featured in many works within the Star Wars franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, the Jedi Order is depicted as a religious, academic, meritocratic, and military (peacekeeping) organization whose origin dates back thousands of years before the events of the first film released in the franchise. The fictional organization has inspired a real-world new religious movement and parody religion: Jediism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Count Dooku</span> Fictional character in Star Wars

Count Dooku of Serenno, also known by his Sith name Darth Tyranus, is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, created by George Lucas. He is an antagonist in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, appearing in both Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) and Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), played by Christopher Lee, as well as associated media, such as books, comics, video games, and television series. Actor Corey Burton has voiced Dooku in most of his animated and video game appearances, most notably Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003–2005), Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and the miniseries Tales of the Jedi (2022). Lee reprised the role in the 2008 animated film that launched The Clone Wars series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoda</span> Fictional character in the Star Wars universe

Yoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, first appearing in the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back. He is a small, green humanoid alien who is powerful with The Force and is a leading member of the Jedi Order until its near annihilation. In The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda was voiced and puppeteered by Frank Oz, who reprised the role in Return of the Jedi, the prequel trilogy, and the sequel trilogy. Outside of the films, the character was mainly voiced by Tom Kane, starting with the 2003 Clone Wars animated television series until his retirement from voice acting in 2021. Yoda is an iconic figure in popular culture due to his distinct pattern of speech and role as a wise mentor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coruscant</span> Fictional planet in Star Wars

Coruscant is an ecumenopolis planet in the fictional Star Wars universe. It was first described in Timothy Zahn's 1991 novel Heir to the Empire. The planet made its first on-screen appearance in a scene added to Return of the Jedi for its 1997 re-release. It has gone on to become an important location in the Star Wars universe and appears frequently in Star Wars media. In-universe, Coruscant is a politically and strategically important planet, serving as the capital and seat of government for the Republic and Empire, as well as the headquarters of the Jedi Order. It is typically depicted as a bustling, yet highly stratified planet-spanning metropolis. Throughout the city's centuries-long development, new city blocks were built on top of old ones, forming levels. Coruscant has 5127 levels, with the 5127th being the wealthiest and the 1st being the poorest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galactic Republic</span> Fictional state in the "Star Wars" universe

The Galactic Republic, commonly known as The Republic, is a fictional political entity in the Star Wars universe that predates the formation of the Galactic Empire. It is prominently featured in the prequel trilogy of Star Wars films, offering a glimpse into its history and functioning. In the original trilogy, which takes place after the events of the prequels, the Republic is referred to as the Old Republic, suggesting its long-established nature.

Clone Wars (<i>Star Wars</i>) Fictional war in Star Wars

The Clone Wars are a series of fictional conflicts in the Star Wars franchise by George Lucas. Though mentioned briefly in the first Star Wars film, the war itself was not depicted until Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005). The Clone Wars are also the setting for three eponymous projects: a 2D animated series (2003–2005), a 3D film (2008), and a 3D animated series. They have featured in numerous Star Wars books and games.

Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice is a series of Star Wars young reader novels, published between 1999 and 2002. The series was primarily written by Jude Watson, although the first book was written by Dave Wolverton. The books follow the adventures of young Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, before the events of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. The series is primarily targeted at children aged 9 through 12, though due to the books' writing style and serial plot development, the novels have also found an audience among older readers.

<i>Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader</i> 2005 novel by James Luceno

Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader is a novel set in the non-canonical Star Wars Legends continuity, written by James Luceno, that was published by Del Rey on November 22, 2005. Dark Lord takes place in the immediate aftermath of the events in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, and focuses on Darth Vader and his rise to power in the newly inaugurated Galactic Empire.

<i>The New Rebellion</i> 1996 novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

The New Rebellion is a 1996 bestselling Star Wars novel written by Kristine Kathryn Rusch and published by Bantam Spectra. The novel is set thirteen years after the Battle of Endor in the Star Wars expanded universe.

<i>Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic</i> (comics) Comic Book Series

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a 2006 monthly Star Wars comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics. It takes place in the same timeline as the video games of the same name, eight years prior to the first game. The series ran for 50 issues. In 2012, a five-issue miniseries was released as a follow-up titled Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: War.

<i>Star Wars: Republic</i> American comic book series

Star Wars: Republic is an American comic book series set in the fictional Star Wars universe. The series was published by Dark Horse Comics from 1998 to February 2006. The series was originally titled simply Star Wars, but acquired its Republic title at issue 46. The entire series comprises 83 issues. After issue 83, the series was replaced by Star Wars: Dark Times, which continued the Republic numbering on its inside covers. The Republic series is one of a number of comic book series set in the Star Wars Expanded Universe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sith</span> Organization in the Star Wars series

The Sith are the main antagonists of many works in the fictional universe of the Star Wars franchise. They are the antithesis and ancient enemies of the Jedi. The Sith Order is depicted as an ancient cult of warriors who draw strength from the dark side of the Force and use it to seize power by any means necessary, including terrorism and mass murder; their ultimate goals are to destroy the Jedi and rule the galaxy. The various antagonistic factions in the franchise, namely the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the First Galactic Empire, the Imperial Remnant and the First Order all originated, with the Sith. Sith, known individually as Sith Lords, are, by nature, ruthless. At any point a single individual assumes absolute authority amongst their kind and is granted the honorific Dark Lord of the Sith. Sith culture is based on perpetual treachery and betrayal. The fate of Sith Lords is, typically, to be murdered and replaced by their own apprentices. Sith teach their apprentices to revere the dark side of the Force, to give full reign to aggressive emotions such as rage and hatred, and to believe that others are expendable in the pursuit of power, it makes the Lords' demise inevitable.

<i>Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic</i> Video game series

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) is a media franchise of space western role-playing video games created and developed by BioWare, which have seen releases on the original Xbox, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, IOS and Android. The franchise takes place in the fictional universe of Star Wars by George Lucas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mace Windu</span> Fictional character in Star Wars

Mace Windu is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson in the prequel trilogy. Jackson later reprised the role with voice only in the 2008 animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the 2019 sequel film The Rise of Skywalker, whilst Terrence C. Carson voiced the character in other projects, such as The Clone Wars animated television series. The character also appears in various canon and non-canon Star Wars media like books, comics, and video games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Padmé Amidala</span> Fictional character in the Star Wars franchise

Padmé Amidala is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, appearing in the prequel trilogy and portrayed by Natalie Portman. First indirectly mentioned in Return of the Jedi, she is introduced in The Phantom Menace as the teenage Queen of Naboo, and after her reign, becomes a senator and an anti-war activist in the Galactic Senate. She secretly marries Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi Knight, then later dies while giving birth to twins Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. Anakin's fear of losing Padmé serves as the catalyst in driving him to the dark side of the Force and becoming Darth Vader.

Star Wars: The High Republic is a multimedia project consisting of various stories from the Star Wars franchise set during the "High Republic" era, which spans 500 to 100 years before the Skywalker Saga and is set hundreds of years after the fall of the "Old Republic". The initiating event of the sub-franchise is "The Great Disaster" involving the antagonistic "space Vikings" known as the Nihil and the subsequent intervention of the Jedi.

<i>Star Wars: Light of the Jedi</i> 2021 science fiction novel by Charles Soule

Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi is the first novel of the Star Wars: The High Republic multi-media project launched in 2021. The novel was written by Charles Soule, and is set approximately 200 years before the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. It was followed by a sequel, The Rising Storm.

<i>Star Wars: The Rising Storm</i> 2021 science fiction novel by Cavan Scott

Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm is a novel written by Cavan Scott in the Star Wars: The High Republic multi-media franchise and a sequel to Light of the Jedi. Taking place approximately 200 years before the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, The Rising Storm builds on previous High Republic novels and comics centering on the war between the Jedi Order and the Nihil. It was released by Del Rey on June 29, 2021.

<i>Star Wars: The Fallen Star</i> 2022 science fiction novel by Claudia Gray

Star Wars: The High Republic: The Fallen Star is a novel written by Claudia Gray and is the final adult novel in the Star Wars: The High Republic franchise's first phase, Light of the Jedi. It is a direct sequel to Light of the Jedi and The Rising Storm taking place 200 years before Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. It follows the continued conflict between the Jedi Order and the Nihil.

References