A Jedi Questions Their Path in First ‘Star Wars: The High Republic – Midnight Horizon’ Excerpt
Previews for upcoming High Republic stories in the conclusion of phase 1 have been pouring out as of late. Claudia Gray’s The Fallen Star got its first excerpt recently along with the full first chapter of Justina Ireland’s Mission to Disaster. StarWars.com also revealed a chilling look at the next issue of the Trail of Shadows comic series, marking the last piece of High Republic storytelling before wave 3 kicks off. Now, StarWars.com gives us a first excerpt of Daniel José Older’s young adult novel Midnight Horizon.
The novel follows previously introduced Padawan Reath Silas and his Master Cohmac Vitas as they investigate the Nihil’s plan on Corellia. Among those joining them are Force-sensitive Zeen Mrala and Padawan Ram Jomaram from Older’s High Republic Adventures comic series and Race to Crashpoint Tower.
Older has been teeing up the events on Corellia as a big deal in the aforementioned High Republic Adventures comic and IDW’s annual issue released this week. Stay tuned for our review of that plus the other stories inside the issue, available soon!
The excerpt released focuses on Ram as he deals with the aftermath of being thrust into battle for the first time in Race to Crashpoint Tower. Here is a piece of the excerpt:
“Ram? What’s the matter?”
“Hm?” Ram Jomaram looked up from the tiny reactor core he’d been taking apart and putting back together for the past . . . he’d lost track of how long. The flickering hologram of his master, Kunpar Vasivola, blinked back at him, concern in his wrinkled old eyes. “Nothing,” Ram said, and went back to fiddling.
“Vakateebakbak!” one of the small furry Bonbraks — Tip, probably — yelled from across the room. False statement, basically, which normally would’ve riled Ram up, but he couldn’t be bothered. What was the point?
“Your little friend is right,” Master Kunpar said. “I’ve known you your whole life, Ram Jomaram. And I know when something’s wrong, even if you refuse to admit it.”
“I . . .” Ram stood and pulled his goggles up to his forehead. His Padawan robes were covered in grease, as always — no matter how many times he washed them, the stains stayed where they were.
“It’s just . . .” He’d fully intended to explain himself when he opened his mouth. But then, as had happened so many times recently, the words dried up and evaporated. Maybe language just couldn’t encapsulate what he felt and he should stop trying. But then he’d keep hearing about how he was stubborn from Master Kunpar and the Bonbraks and anyone else who felt like piling on, too, probably. V-18 was gone as usual, otherwise he’d surely join in. Since they’d left Valo, Ram’s droid had spent most of his time rummaging through Starlight’s scrap bin, looking for new upgrade parts.
Ram shook his head, trying to clear it. “I don’t know,” he finally said.
The old Ongree nodded sagely, stroking his face tentacles like he always did before saying something incredibly wise that would take Ram about eight years to untangle the meaning of. “That’s a good start!”
Ram scoffed, picked up the rusted metal casing around the core, then released it, letting the Force hold it midair in a slow spin. “It’s like . . . I’ve faced down Nihil, right?” he said, watching the core instead of his master. “And the Drengir. I’ve been shot at, almost eaten. Arrested. Had things exploding all around me more times than I can remember . . . and that’s just in the past couple months!”
He wasn’t even exaggerating. Ever since the Nihil had attacked the Republic Fair on Ram’s home planet, Valo, he’d been trying to stay alive and keep balance in a galaxy that had seemed to go from peaceful to war-torn overnight. In the midst of that battle, Ram had met Lula Talisola, a Padawan from Starlight Beacon, and she’d been so poised in the storm of fighting — somehow a compassionate warrior and the very essence of what Ram imagined the Jedi were supposed to be — he’d realized he had to do whatever he could to help make the galaxy safe again, just like Lula was doing.
So he joined her and her friend Zeen, who was Force-sensitive but not an actual Jedi-in-training like Lula and Ram, when they returned to Starlight, and he’d been with them ever since, running missions and making more friends than he’d ever thought he’d have in his life — and almost getting killed in every way imaginable (and a few more).
But somehow, none of that was the problem.
“It’s been a very difficult time for the whole frontier,” Master Kunpar said, “but especially you young people caught up in the fighting.” He shook his old head sadly. “It shouldn’t have been like this.”
“But that’s not it,” Ram said, trying not to let the frustration he felt singe his voice. After all, if he couldn’t find words or meaning behind what was wrong, how was his master supposed to? Ram sighed and the tiny core casing clattered to the desk.
“Fraka-botá!” yelled the other Bonbrak, Breebak. That was a Bonbreez word that was best left untranslated.
“Sorry,” Ram called. He looked back at the holo of his master, scrunched up his face, and spat out the words without thinking about them: “The problem is the opposite. I don’t feel anything, not right now. Not even when we got into battle. I don’t feel fear, I don’t feel sadness. I’m not excited when we win. I barely even . . .” He shook his head, letting the words turn to dust again, wishing the thoughts would, too.
You can read the full excerpt on StarWars.com. Star Wars: The High Republic – Midnight Horizon releases on February 1, 2022. You can preorder the novel here.
Nate uses his love for Star Wars and movies in general as a way to cope with the pain of being a Minnesota sports fan. When he's not at the theater, you can usually find Nate reading a comic, listening to an audiobook, or playing a Mario video game for the 1,000th time.
