WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland and Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures #5 by Daniel José Older, Harvey Tolibao, Pow Rodrix, Jake M. Wood, Rebecca Nalty, Elizabeth Brei and Riley Farmer, on sale now. The article also contains spoilers for Star Wars: The High Republic: Race to Crashpoint Tower by Daniel José Older, on sale June 29.
Currently, wave two of the Star Wars: The High Republic subseries reportedly focuses on the Republic Fair on the planet Valo. However, the planet Dalna appears to be moving into the spotlight as well. First mentioned in Cavan Scott’s Dooku Lost, the planet is an agricultural world located in the Dalna sector of the Haileap system. While the system may appear humble, there are indications that its importance may rise due to multiple Nihil plots.
The planet’s first major appearance is in Justina Ireland’s Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage. At the beginning of the novel, Honesty Weft accompanies his father, a Dalnan ambassador, as part of a delegation from the Dalna sector traveling on the Steady Wing to Coruscant to negotiate the possibility of joining the Republic. From Honesty’s point of view, the audience learns that the Dalna people eschew frivolity and prefer practicality. When children on Dalna reach twelve years old, they take a vocation test to determine what job they will perform in the future in a trial known as The Metamorphosis. While not exactly the same as the Jedi trials Padawans undertake to become Jedi, it still prepares Dalna children for their future.
While Dalna seems like an unlikely target, the Nihil are against any part of the Outer Rim joining the Republic. Therefore, the Nihil attacked the Steady Wing, and the Dalnan ambassadors were assassinated. The attack left only Honesty behind to plead their case to the Republic. While this meeting has not happened yet, it may play a key role in the events to come.
At the end of Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage, Kara Xoo, leader of a Nihil storm, decides to recruit children to the Nihil, starting with those from Dalna. While her annoyance with Honesty might be a factor, there are other reasons why she might turn her eyes toward the planet. Even though Dalna had known peace for decades, many of the children still trained in combat and warfare due to a previous war on the planet over a century ago, meaning any child recruited from Dalna might already have combat training that the Nihil could use.
Dalna makes another appearance in Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures #5. At the end of the issue, Yoda accompanies Elder Tromak, a member of the Elders of the Path, to the planet to recover a mysterious artifact that could spell doom for the Republic if it gets into Nihil hands. However, their ship is shot down when they arrive, leaving Yoda’s whereabouts a mystery at the beginning of the next wave.
An excerpt from starwars.com for Star Wars: The High Republic: Race to Crashpoint Tower reveals that Vernestra Rwoh has been investigating Yoda’s mission to try to find the Jedi Master and Jedi Master Kantam Sy and their two Padawans, Lula Talisola and Zeen Mrala, are aiding in the investigation as well. While the excerpt does not specifically mention Dalna, the planet may play a role in the investigation since it was Yoda’s destination.
All of these factors indicate that Dalna may rise to prominence as the Star Wars: The High Republic subseries progresses. Some of these threads may be addressed in wave two of the subseries, with Yoda’s disappearance the most pressing of the Dalna threads. However, other plotlines, like the recruitment of Dalna children for the Nihil, may play out over multiple waves and phases of the High Republic project. Therefore, even though Dalna may seem less significant, it could be the center of the action in novels and comics yet to come.
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