WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the prologue of Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows by Justina Ireland, releasing July 27, 2021.
In the second episode of Star Wars: The High Republic Show, host Krystina Arielle revealed an exclusive look at the concept art for Sylvestri Yarrow, the main protagonist of the upcoming young adult novel Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows by Justina Ireland. By focusing on Sylvestri, Ireland will be able to further illustrate the devastating effects of the Nihil and the Great Disaster on ordinary citizens in the Outer Rim.
In the episode, Arielle explains that Sylvestri Yarrow is the captain of the Switchback, alongside her Sullustan co-pilot Neeto Janajana and her security droid, named M-227. Arielle further explains that a Nihil attack “[leaves] her in over her head facing off against not only the Nihil, but the Jedi knights of the High Republic and her ex-girlfriend. Awkward.”
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First, with the mention of Sylvestri’s ex-girlfriend, Arielle confirms that Sylvestri is a lesbian, which Ireland backed up in a tweet. This refreshing, casual inclusivity is found throughout the Star Wars: The High Republic subseries. Second, this blurb confirms just how chaotic the conflict is. The previously revealed cover art shows that Sylvestri will be encountering Vernestra Rwoh and Reath Silas. For the Outer Rim, the Jedi are a lesser known entity, and while their intentions are good, most people do not know what to make of the Jedi Order yet.
In the prologue to Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows, released with Star Wars: The High Republic: Into the Dark, readers are introduced to Sylvestri in the midst of the action. Worrying over the costs of her cargo business, she reflects that “the rising cost of fuel and the Nihil threat [are] forcing them to alter their routes,” and these issues are presumably affecting other citizens as well.
Sylvestri is also new to being in charge; the ship and M-227 are her inheritance from her mother, Chancey Yarrow, who died in a Nihil raid a few months earlier. Sylvestri also reveals that her mother had been trying to get the planets of the Outer Rim to unite against the Nihil before her death. The Great Disaster might have brought the Republic’s attention to the issue, but the people of the Outer Rim have been dealing with the Nihil long before the Republic and the Jedi even realized they were a major threat. While the subseries has focused on many larger scale disasters, Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows shows a continued commitment to spotlighting the devastating effects of smaller scale disasters, like the Nihil raids, as well.
In the midst of her reflections, Sylvestri’s ship is kicked out of hyperspace by the Nihil — an ability that is not yet common knowledge — and her co-pilot Neeto quickly realizes that their best chance of survival is to evacuate. The decision to evacuate the ship is complicated by Sylvestri’s grief. She views the ship as all she has left of her mother, and she cannot imagine leaving. Neeto finally convinces her by explaining that other ships are unaware of the Nihil’s new abilities, and other people will die without this information. Thus, their survival becomes important on a larger scale. They do escape, but Sylvestri vows to get her ship back. Throughout the excerpt, Sylvestri’s grief is a driving factor for her actions, and it is reasonable to assume that Justina Ireland will continue to show how that grief affects her throughout the novel.
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