The High Republic: The Edge of Balance: Premonition is a volume in the manga series Star Wars: The High Republic: The Edge of Balance. The volume was written by Daniel José Older, illustrated by Haining, and published by Viz Media on April 8, 2025. It was first announced on June 14, 2024.[5]
Publisher's summary
A massive, interconnected cross-publisher initiative focused on an all-new era of Star Wars storytelling.
The galaxy has been plunged into darkness as the fearsome Nihil continue their destructive advance from the Outer Rim!
As brave Jedi Knights fight to protect the Jedi Temple on Banchii in the battle against the Nihil, Jedi Master Yoda must find a way to protect the younglings who call the planet home. But the fearsome Marchion Ro, the Eye of the Nihil, has other plans for the Jedi Master, as he unleashes his most terrifying weapon against the champions of justice yet…
Opening crawl
| STAR WARS THE HIGH REPUBLIC TRIALS OF THE JEDI |
|---|
Plot summary
Evacuating the younglings
While Jedi Knight Lily Tora-Asi and the Drengir fight to hold back the Nihil, Jedi Master Yoda lead the Jedi younglings Nima Allets and Viv'Nia Nia'Viv to safety. Though the Jedi younglings want to help fight the Nihil, Yoda warns then to flee because more Nihil reinforcements are coming. He uses the Force to throw several pursuing Nihil acolytes to the ground. Outnumbered by the Nihil, the three seek shelter in a hut.
Inside, Allets tells Yoda that she and Nia'Viv. In response, Yoda asks her how long it takes to harvest wheat plants on the planet Banchii. Nia'Viv responds that it takes four months and two weeks. Yoda then asks what happens if they harvest the wheat prematurely. Allets responds that it will be useless and they cannot make bread. When Yoda asks why, Allets replies that the wheat plants have not received enough nutrients from the sun, water and soil. Yoda uses this analogy to explain why the younglings are not ready to fight against the Force. Through the Force, Yoda senses the presence of the Shrikarai or Nameless creatures, which eat the living Force in other beings. The Nihil have used the Nameless as living weapons against the Jedi with a devastating impact. Only Burryaga had succeeded in subduing a Nameless through empathy.
With the three Jedi reacting adversely to the effects of a Nameless, Yoda leads the group in fleeing their shelter. Shortly later, Niv Drendow and several Nihil arrive outside the shelter. Drendow chastises one of his subordinates for not referring to him by his full name. The group leave to reinforce Baron Boolan at the battlefield. Before leaving, Drendow sends the Nameless Deblindrix IV to hunt for prey. The Jedi trio reach a shuttle and Yoda says that he will take them to a safe area in Banchii. Through the Force, Yoda experiences a vision of a Quarren. The trio board the ship and escape before the Nameless creature can catch up with them. After calming the younglings, Yoda flies the shuffle into the air.
Yoda contacts Tora-Asi via holoprojector and warns her about the second Nameless creatures. Tora-Asi tells him that the Nihil are in retreat and tells Yoda to take the younglings to a small Banchiian village at the foot of the tallest mountain in the south. Yoda promises he will deliver the younglings there. Through the Force, Yoda experiences a vision of three Twi'lek younglings in danger.
A cry through the Force
After dropping the two younglings at the Banchiian village, Yoda resolves to investigate the disturbance in the Force. Meanwhile, Tora-Asi's message is intercepted by several Nihil including Marchion Ro and a female Nihil named Thaya Ferr. Ro orders Fere to contact Baron Boolan and inform him that their seeds have reaped a harvest. While reflecting on the Jedi commitment to the light side of the Force, Yoda experiences visions of the three Twi'leks and the mysterious Quarren. He traces the source of the Force disturbance to an abandoned satellite above Banchii. Aboard the wrecked satellite, he finds the three Twi'lek children who tell him that their mother was kidnapped by a "strange man."
The "strange man" turns out to be the Nihil Brezark. One of his subordinates tells him that the Jedi has reached the station. A pleased Brezark decides to spring their trap which consists of a chained Nameless known as the Great Leveler. He tells his Nihil followers that they will clean up what is left. The Twi'lek children say that they have to find their mother and save her from the "shadow thing." Yoda tells them that he will take them to his ship and find their mother. Through the Force, Yoda senses the presence of the Nameless creature. He uses the Force to levitate debris to block the path of the Nameless. Yoda finds the children have fled.
Springing the trap
Aboard the Gaze Electric, Ferr informs Marchio Ro that Yoda has entered the satellite and that Brezark has released the Nameless. Believing that the end of the Republic's most prized Jedi is imminent, he says he would like to watch the chase and asks her to patch him through to the satellite comm system.
Through the Force, Yoda senses that the satellites is enveloped by fear but also senses that there is a deeper truth below. Seeing the Twi'lek children, he tells them not to be consumed by fear. The four run into the path of several Nihil. Yoda draws his lightsabers and cuts down several of the marauders. He then locks the marauders behind a blast door and uses the Force to damage the control panel. The eldest Twi'lek girl thanks Yoda for saving them. When he asks the children if they can tell him what is going on, Ro speaks over the intercom and reveals that he engineered the trap and will be watching the hunt.
Yoda responds that Supreme Chancellor Lina Soh was correct to be wary of his peace offering. Ro counters that he has never lied to the Galactic Republic and adds that he doesn't owe anyone anything including the whole truth. Yoda ignores Ro and leads the children a Nihil ship with the intention of escaping. However, Yoda quickly discovers that the Nihil have sabotaged the controls. He asks the children to repair the ship while he re-enters the satellite to rescue their mother, resolving to face the Nihil and the Great Leveler.
The hunt for Yoda
Yoda eludes several Nihil marauders and ventures deeper into the satellite, seeking to avoid the Nihil holorecorders concentrated in the main area of the structure. Yoda sets a trap by covering a deep hole with a large fabric. He steels himself to face the approaching Great Leveler. As the Nameless approaches him, Yoda is plagued by feelings and visions of fear and torment. The creature slips through the fabric and falls down the hole. Before Yoda can study the Force eating creature, the Nihil marauders catch up with him.
Meanwhile, Ro grows impatient and orders Ferr to patch him through to Brezark. When the Quarren Nihil reports that the Jedi Master has banished, Ro warns him that he spared him from Boolan's experiments for one reason. Brezark responds that they are close to finding Yoda. When Ro asks about the Great Leveler, Brezark claims that the Nameless creature is safe. The Twi'lek Nihil lieutenant Vrak informs Brezark that they have cornered Yoda on the bridge. Brezark vows to finish off Yoda and tasks the subordinate with dealing with the Great Leveler.
Yoda deflects the Nihils' blaster bolts with his lightsaber, reasoning that the Nihil are too eager to face death. He cuts several Nihil down with his lightsaber. He then uses the Force to push the horde of Nihil onto the other side of the pit. Retreating to the bridge, the Jedi a master vows to find out more about Brezark before escaping with the Twi'lek children. The Great Leveler survives its fall and resumes its hunt for Yoda.
Yoda gathers the remaining Nihil marauders and tells them to listen if they want to survive. Having fought Jedi before, Brezark tells the Nihil that Jedi like Yoda do not want to hurt people and will try to avoid hurting them. He advises them to use the Jedi unwillingness to hurt others against Yoda. He tells the Nihil to attack Yoda in waves from all directions, overwhelming him. When Brezark takes his leave, one of the Nihil asks where he is going. He replies that he has gone to find the Leveler, describing it as the only thing that can neutralize Yoda.
In private, Brezark plans to use his Nihil minions as cannon fodder against Yoda so that he can take the overwhelmed Jedi Master to Yoda. He enters a platform where the bound Twi'lek mother sits. As Vrak relays Brezark's orders, Ro bellows to his subordinates that the Eye of the Nihil sees all. Yoda ambushes the Nihil marauders by exiting through a ventilation tunnel. He uses the Force to dodge blaster bolts fired by a masked Nihil and Force jumps to avoid his opponents. Against the objections of Ro and his comrades, Vrak throws a thermal detonator at Yoda. Yoda uses the Force to hurl the detonator up the ventilation shaft, which explodes. Several Nihil are killed or wounded. Vrak survives the explosion and expresses exasperation at Yoda's escape.
Showdown with Brezark
Meanwhile, the Great Leveler enters a pond full of a viscous liquid. Elsewhere, Brezark chains the Twi'lek mother to himself and the two jump down a trap door. Through the Force, Yoda senses something shifting and huge torrents of a viscous liquid being rerouted. He senses the fear of the Twi'lek mother and rushes to the center of the Nihil satellite to face the threat. There, he finds Brezark standing on a platform in the center of the satellite with his Twi'lek hostage. Brezark tells Yoda that he knows that he cannot defeat the Jedi Master on his own so he has decided to neutralize his advantage by involving a hostage.
Brezark offers to release the Twi'lek mother if he surrenders himself to the Nihil. To emphasize his point, he throws the mother into mid-air, leaving her suspended by a chain. Yoda is about to consider Brezark's offer in order to save the mother's life. The Twi'lek mother tells Yoda to release the switch on the wall. A torrent of viscous liquid flows from the top of the space station. Watching the confrontation from afar, Marchio Ro tells Yoda over the intercom that Brezark is a Force-sensitive master trapper who assassinated the entire royal family of Burundang. Ro reveals that the viscous liquid is Slythiant solvent, a decay agent that is toxic to most beings.
Brezark threatens to throw the Twi'lek mother into the vat of Slythiant solvent if Yoda does not surrender. He reiterates his offer to spare her life if Yoda surrenders. Ro backs up his subordinate by initiating a countdown to five. Rejecting the Nihil ultimatum, Yoda uses the Force to suspend the mother in mid-air while he Force jumps to confront the Quarren Nihil hunter. As Yoda charges, he is plagued by a disturbance in the Force. The Great Leveler surfaces amidst the the pool of solvent, seemingly impervious to the decay agent. With much effort, Yoda ascends up the platform.
The arrival of the Great Leveler also weakens the Force-sensitive Brezark, who reacts with fear and alarm. The Twi'lek woman uses her chain to pull Yoda up to safety. He tells her that they must leave. When she asks what is the Nameless creature below, Yoda responds he has no time to explain and closes the switch. Yoda offers to help the incapacitated Brezark, much to the Twi'lek mother's surprise. Brezark spurns Yoda's offer and screams about the "teeth that walk." The Twi'lek mother pulls Yoda to safety while Brezark begs for forgiveness for his failure. The Great Leveler consumes Brezark, turning the Quarren into a lifeless husk.
Confronting fear
While fleeing through the corridors of the satellite, Yoda tells the Twi'lek mother to go to the hangar and flee with her children. He says that he will face the Leveler himself. When the Twi'lek suggests working together, Yoda warns that they would both be destroyed. Yoda tells the mother that the creature will not pursue her if he is in the way. The woman runs off while Yoda steels himself for the imminent encounter with the Nameless. From afar, Ro eagerly watches what he believes will be the Jedi Master's last stand.
Yoda responds that the answer to the Nameless is Wookiees, which puzzles the Eye of the Nihil. Yoda clarifies that he does not fear Wookiees. As the Great Leveler approaches, the Jedi Master sees visions of several Jedi being killed by the Nameless including Padawan Kevmo Zink and Master Loden Greatstorm. Ro taunts Yoda about his perceived past mistakes. Yoda calms himself and quotes the Jedi teaching that the Force flows through him. Yoda flees the approaching Great Leveler. As he Nameless approaches, his vision grows muddled.
Yoda then experiences a vision of the Wookiee Jedi Burryaga Agaburry, who discovered that empathy helped him defeat the Nameless. Yoda decides to show empathy to the creature and attempts to use the Force to communicate with the Great Leveler. As the creature charges at him, Yoda draws his lightsaber and dodges its fangs and claws. Yoda is haunted by a vision of the fallen Master Ravna Abronsa, one of the Leveler's first Jedi victims. Undaunted, he continues with his plan and tells the Great Leveler that it is haunted by the screams of its victims.
He senses that the Great Leveler is terrified of Marchion Ro and tells the creature that he does not need to fear this man anymore. He asks the Great Leveler what else he seeks besides the Force to devour. Through the Force, the Leveler tells Yoda that he wants to return to his homeworld of Sophros. Ro is enraged that the Leveler is not attacking Yoda and chastises the Nameless for not following his orders. Yoda vows to share this knowledge with the other Jedi and leaves the Great Leveler.
Hope and escape
Shortly later, Yoda encounters the Twi'lek mother, who waited for him against his orders. She shoots two Nihil marauders and they head towards the hangar. Inside the starship, two of the Twi'lek children debate whether Yoda and their mother are still alive. The third Twi'lek child senses someone approaching the gangplank. The trio are relieved and delighted to see Yoda and their mother. The Twi'lek mother notices that Yoda is hurt but the Jedi Master brushes it off and thanks her for saving him. Yoda tells them to set a course for the nearest Galactic Republic outpost so that he can share his knowledge about the Nameless with the other Jedi.
Media
Editions
- ISBN 9781974749980; April 8, 2025; Viz Media; US paperback[6]
Cover gallery
Appearances
| Characters | Organisms | Droid models | Events | Locations |
| Organizations and titles | Sentient species | Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
Characters
|
Organisms
Events
|
Locations
|
Organizations and titles
|
Sentient species
|
Vehicles and vessels
|
Weapons and technology
|
Miscellanea
|
Sources
SDCC 2024: The Acolyte Publishing Program and Other Reveals from the Lucasfilm Panel on StarWars.com (backup link)- "Launchpad" — Star Wars Insider 230
- Star Wars Celebration - DAY 1 Replay on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (livestream no longer available)
- Star Wars: The High Republic Chronological Reader's Guide on StarWars.com (article) (backup link)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4
Star Wars: The High Republic: The Edge of Balance—Premonition on Viz Media's official website (backup link)
- ↑ Daniel José Older (@djolder) on Twitter (post): "Very happy we have released @hainingart' epic cover for our book PREMONITION and the QRTs are why I love the High Republic fandom lmao yes grandpa finally left his apartment and believe me we put him to WORK in this comic 😂😂😂" (backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars: Timelines dates Starlight Beacon's destruction to 230 BBY. The implementation of the Guardian Protocols, which Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia places in 229 BBY, took place one week after Starlight Beacon's fall according to The High Republic – Shadows of Starlight 1. As The High Republic Adventures (2023) 4 takes place one year and two weeks after the destruction of Starlight Beacon, it must be set in 228 BBY. Since the events of The High Republic Adventures (2023) 6 are set immediately following the fourth issue and depict the expansion of the Stormwall, the expansion must have taken place in the same year. Meanwhile, the events of "Tales from the Occlusion Zone: No Big Deal" include the Stormwall's expansion and also depict the start of Pikka Adren's pregnancy. A later story, "Tales from the Occlusion Zone: Sparks Fly," states that Adren is eight months pregnant during its events, indicating that it is set eight months after "No Big Deal," and therefore one year, eight months, and two weeks after the fall of Starlight Beacon. "Sparks Fly" is set during the Battle of Eriadu, an event that begins in The High Republic Adventures Phase III - The Wedding Spectacular. As Star Wars: The High Republic Chronological Reader's Guide on StarWars.com (article) (backup link) places The High Republic: The Edge of Balance: Premonition between the events of "No Big Deal" and The Wedding Spectacular, its events must also be set in 228 BBY.
- ↑ Star Wars: The High Republic Chronological Reader's Guide on StarWars.com (article) (backup link)
- ↑ Viz Media (@VIZMedia) on Twitter (post): "Announcement: In this manga, the High Republic is plunged into darkness and the Jedi, led by Master Yoda, must protect the galaxy! Star Wars: The High Republic, The Edge of Balance: Premonition, with story and script by Daniel Jose Older and art by Haining, releases Spring 2025." (backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars: The High Republic, The Edge of Balance: Premonition on Simon & Schuster's official website (backup link)
