The opening crawl and first chapter to the first book in the new Star Wars: The High Republic era has been revealed.
The publishing project has been delayed until January 5th 2021 due to the pandemic but to give fans a taste of what to expect, the opening crawl and first chapter of Charles Soule’s Star Wars: The High Republic – Light of the Jedi has been shared with IGN.
As with the films, the opening crawl here sets up the state of the galaxy, giving readers an understanding of what is going on:
“The Force is with the galaxy.
“It is the time of The High Republic: a peaceful union of like-minded worlds where all voices are heard, and governance is achieved through consensus, not coercion or fear. It is a time of ambition, of culture, of inclusion, of Great Works. Visionary Chancellor Lina Soh leads the Republic from the elegant cityworld of Coruscant, located near the bright center of the Galactic Core.
“But beyond the Core and its many peaceful Colonies, there is the Rim—Inner, Mid, and finally, at the border of what is known: The Outer Rim. These worlds are filled with opportunity for those brave enough to travel the few well-mapped hyperspace lanes leading to them, though there is danger as well. The Outer Rim is a haven for anyone seeking to escape the laws of the Republic, and is filled with predators of every type.
“Chancellor Soh has pledged to bring the Outer Rim worlds into the embrace of the Republic through ambitious outreach programs such as the Starlight Beacon. Order and justice are maintained on the galactic frontier by Jedi Knights, guardians of peace who have mastered incredible abilities stemming from a mysterious energy field known as the Force. The Jedi work closely with the Republic, and have agreed to establish outposts in the Outer Rim to help any who might require aid.
“The Jedi of the frontier can be the only resource for people with nowhere else to turn. Though the outposts operate independently and without direct assistance from the great Jedi temple on Coruscant, they act as an effective deterrent to those who would do evil in the dark.
“Few can stand against the Knights of the Jedi Order.
“But there are always those who will try….”
SEE ALSO: Meet the Jedi Knights of Star Wars: The High Republic
This is certainly a tantalising intro to the events of The High Republic and paints an intriguing wild-west like vibe and a galaxy quite different than what we have seen before.
You can read the entire first chapter over at IGN.
The Star Wars: The High Republic publishing initiative is set to launch in 2021, having been delayed from this year due to the global health crisis.
