In an excerpt exclusive to StarWars.com, fans of The High Republic era are treated to Chapter 1 of Star Wars: The High Republic: The Temptation of the Force. A mere five and a half months have passed since The High Republic: The Eye of Darkness was released in late November 2023, but the ongoing saga of Jedi fighting the villainous marauders known as the Nihil is one of great tension. Finally reunited, star-crossed ex-lovers Avar Kriss and Elzar Mann wish to spend time together in this excerpt. The next installment will be published on June 11.
Author Tessa Gratton takes the reins from George Mann and has this to say about the story’s nature:
"I like to joke that, at heart, Temptation is a bunch of really intense conversations wrapped up in action, banter, and Burryaga being quietly stressed out in the background. But honestly there are four conversations between Avar and Elzar that make up the emotional spine of the book."Tessa Grafton
Jedi Masters Avar Kriss and Elzar Mann reunite at the Jedi Temple one year after the events of The Eye of Darkness. In spite of Guardian Protocols recalling the Jedi to Coruscant, it’s mentioned that Avar has only been back for six weeks as she had been stuck behind the Nihil Stormwall. The protocols that have been invoked again put the Jedi Order in a state of flux, with accelerated training and early Padawan trials, but also forbidding Jedi from traveling alone. The Guardian Protocol has been explored in other media like the comic miniseries Shadows of Starlight. Meanwhile, Elzar speaks of being of service to Chancellor Lina Soh but yearns to be of more use in the war that other Jedi are waging.
The scene, brief as it is, begins this new installment of Phase III of The High Republic with some low-stakes emotional conflicts that are just as present as the frustrations and setbacks of the ongoing war. Here's a bit of the excerpt below:
Avar waited, studying the thin lines of stress at his eyes, the way those eyes focused on her, unblinking. His beard had grown full, though he kept it trimmed shorter than Stellan’s had been. He wore only the innermost layer of his temple robes — white tunic and white pants — and his feet were bare. When he noticed her glance down, he moved his toes against the thin carpet.
“Can I come in?” she asked. She wanted to add, The last time I left you, I did it badly. I don’t want to leave without you again. Without us.
“Of course.” Elzar backed up and Avar followed, pushing the pastry box against his stomach.
What is to follow will come on June 11, but this exclusive content is sure to whet the appetite for an intense adventure. Read the entire first chapter here on StarWars.com.