Today saw the release of the ninth issue in Phase III of Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures from Dark Horse Comics, and below are my brief recap and thoughts on this installment.
The High Republic Adventures (2023) #9 begins on the planet Eriadu, which in the previous issue was overtaken by the Nihil Stormwall, placing it within the occupied Occlusion Zone. Our Jedi (and Jedi-allied) heroes are being given a tour of Eriadu City by Sevran Tarkin, who warns them about complications within her family before they arrive at Seswenna Hall, where a big meeting is taking place. Inside, Sevran explains further that she was officially declared dead by the rest of the Tarkin clan after the Starlight Beacon catastrophe, and even having been rescued from the Nihil space prison has not alleviated the issue. Her uncle Tragkul Tarkin speaks to the delegation and declares that Eriadu has been abandoned by the Republic and the Jedi Order, to which Jedi Knight Farzala Tarabal (whose last name keeps getting mispronounced by the Tarkins present) takes issue. Meanwhile outside the hall, Zeen Mrala and her now ex-Jedi fiancee Lula Talisola reunite with Jedi Master Emerick Caphtor, who was featured in the Star Wars: The High Republic – Trail of Shadows miniseries, also written by Daniel José Older.
Emerick, Lula, Zeen, and Qort are suddenly ambushed by a gang of Nihil thugs, who demand that the Jedi and all representatives of the Republic get out of their way as the new occupiers of Eriadu. Back in the hall, Farzala requests an opportunity to speak, but he must first be recognized by two members of the “Quintad” (the five ruling families of the planet), though Sevran does not count because she is still legally considered dead and has not yet cleared the red tape of reinstating her status. Fortunately the elderly Lady Krevlin Tarkin and Sevran’s twin brother Navaj– who had previously been seen lurking in the shadows following our party– make themselves known as supporting the Jedi. But just when Tarabal has taken the floor to insist the Jedi are there to help in this time of need, the Warden from the Nihil prison demands equal time for an address. He of course puts a friendly face forward and insists that the Nihil are there in peace, but it’s when he suggests declaring war on the neighboring city of Bri-Phrang (for harboring insurgents and criminals) that the Quintad realize his intentions are not noble.
Just then, the scuffle from outside spills in through the front doors of Seswenna Hall, and as our protagonists continue to clash with the Nihil ruffians, Taisola urges everyone to get back to the base, as she essentially “has a bad feeling about this,” and the final splash page of the issue reveals a squadron of Nihil ships approaching the city. I thought this was another entertaining installment from Older and capable returning artist Toni Bruno (taking over for regular illustrator Harvey Tolibao once again), even though it mostly focused on the politics of Eriadu and its aristocratic families. I actually found it fairly interesting to learn a bit more about how this society worked a couple hundred years before Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin came into the galaxy. This chapter also further explored the rather compelling idea that not every member of a given society may be entirely opposed to Nihil incursion– a nuanced concept that I enjoy seeing expounded upon. As always, I’m curious to see where things go from here as Phase III of The High Republic continues.
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures #9 is available now wherever comic books are sold.