Next week will see the release of the third audio drama in Lucasfilm Publishing’s ambitious initiative Star Wars: The High Republic (after 2021’s Tempest Runner in Phase I and 2023’s The Battle of Jedha in Phase II), entitled Star Wars: The High Republic – Tempest Breaker. Below are my mostly spoiler-free thoughts on this exciting Phase III installment.
Ever since the initiative’s launch nearly four years ago, the character of Lourna Dee has made herself known as one of the more enigmatic and unpredictable elements of Star Wars: The High Republic. While she started out as a high-ranking member of the malicious band of marauders known as the Nihil, she has since gone her own way, becoming more of a rogue antihero. And now, with The High Republic – Tempest Breaker, prolific author Cavan Scott (Star Wars: Dooku – Jedi Lost) has given Lourna her second starring role in an officially sanctioned audio drama. This release once again brings together a full cast– including Star Wars audiobook regular Marc Thompson in a trio of featured roles– to perform Scott’s script, which will be released in printed form at a later date (next May) like Tempest Runner was.
Tempest Breaker is couched in the bookend device of an interview taking place between Lourna Dee and GoNet reporter Rhil Dairo, and the first few chapters consist of a recap of Lourna Dee’s current status in the galaxy and how she got there, from her rise through the ranks of the Nihil to her conflict with that faction’s leader Marchion Ro, to her eventual not-quite-face-turn to the point where she has formed an uneasy alliance with the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic. We most recently saw the character as a regular presence in Cavan Scott’s Phase III Star Wars: The High Republic comic book from Marvel, wherein she acted as a hesitant ally to Jedi Knight Keeve Trennis in her hunt to recover her wayward Master Sskeer from the Occlusion Zone. And once Lourna’s flashbacks reach that point in the story here, we start to get some forward momentum in the form of that fragile cooperation continuing in an effort to curtail the spread of the so-called “Blight” across the galaxy.
Along the way Dee reunites with a number of acquaintances, both friends and enemies, with the most significant example being Ro himself, who finds his former Tempest Runner to be a formidable foe now that they’ve started to butt heads directly. Other supporting characters who flesh out the cast of this story include Jedi Master Avar Kriss (with whom Lourna Dee also shares a tumultuous past), the Nihil mad scientist Baron Boolan (who may or may not hold the key to defeating the Blight once and for all), former Guardian of the Whills Tey Sirrek, Nihil operative / Lourna’s love interest Quin, and poor Master Sskeer, who has been through an awful lot lately and is still suffering from the Trandoshan Magrak Syndrome that has severed his connection to the Force. I don’t want to spoil too much else about the plot except to say that there’s plenty of planet-hopping in true Star Wars style, and that fans of Lourna’s will find a lot to enjoy about her continued misadventures through the galaxy.
But the real stars here are Scott’s always-reliable writing alongside the talented voice cast, who deliver lively, entertaining performances that occasionally border on hammy overacting, but even that feels right in line with the spirit of the audio drama medium, which itself has roots deep in the Star Wars franchise’s past. There’s also wonderful production design work done by Lucasfilm Publishing in cooperation with Random House audio, incorporating familiar Star Wars sound effects as well as the iconic musical score by John Williams that has been recycled (to great effect) from his work on the numerous films in the franchise. These audio plays have become such a key part of The High Republic that it would be difficult to imagine one of the phases going by without one, and now that the initiative is approaching its endgame it does feel like Scott boasts a bit more freedom to have fun with the characters and their fates. There are a few big plot points here that devotees are not going to want to miss, and I have a sneaking suspicion that the author is providing a few notable stepping stones for himself and the other High Republic writers in this narrative as the big finale approaches next year. For now, I’m glad to have followed Lourna Dee through her roller-coaster-like arc over these years, and I fully believe that other fans will get a kick out of her latest outing as well.
Star Wars: The High Republic – Tempest Breaker will be released in audio form next Tuesday, December 3rd. The hardcover printed edition of Cavan Scott’s script will be released on Tuesday, May 13th, 2025. Both versions are available for pre-order right now.