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In Star Wars: The High Republic #14, Jedi Master Sskeer’s disconnection from the Force could help him save his fellow Jedi. Here’s why.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Star Wars: The High Republic #12-14 and Star Wars: The High Republic: The Fallen Star, on sale now.
Throughout the Star Wars franchise, a Jedi’s connection with the Force forms a crucial part of their identity and how they interact with the world. However, sometimes, a Jedi’s disconnection from the Force could be their salvation. For example, in the Star Wars: The High Republic comic series, Jedi Master Sskeer has been battling Magrak Syndrome. As a symptom of the syndrome, there’s a disconnection between Sskeer and the Light Side of the Force. While this disconnect haunted Sskeer throughout the comics, it actually may be the way that he saves his fellow Jedi.
Sskeer revealed his diagnosis to his former Padawan Keeve Trennis in Star Wars: The High Republic #12 (by Cavan Scott, Mark Morales, Victor Olazaba, Karl Story, George Jeanty, Jesus Aburtov, Carlos Lopez, and VC’s Travis Lanham). Sskeer kept reaching for the Dark Side out of desperation, leading to his probation with a possibility of expulsion from the Jedi Order. Sskeer agreed to a final mission while seeming resigned to his fate. That mission appears to be putting him at precisely the right place at the right time.
In Star Wars: The High Republic #14 (by Cavan Scott, Ario Anindito, Mark Morales, Carlos Lopez, VC’s Ariana Maher, Casper Winjgaard, Mike McCone, Guru-eFX, Carlos Lao, Danny Khazem, Mark Paniccia and C. B. Cebulski), the Jedi’s flagship the Ataraxia returns to the Starlight Beacon right before the Nihil sabotage the station and let loose multiple Great Levelers. The Great Leveler is a creature attuned to the Dark Side of the Force that psychically attacks Jedi and feeds off their fear until only a calcified husk remains. Unfortunately, the Nihil replicated the Great Leveler and now possess a Great Leveler army, placing the Jedi in even more peril than before.
When Keeve Trennis, Avar Kriss, and the rest of the Jedi onboard try to help evacuate the Starlight Beacon, they fall under the Levelers’ influence. Sskeer, on the other hand, proves immune to the monsters’ attacks because he has no current connection to the Force.
Typically, connection is portrayed as an unabashed good thing and, more importantly here, a way to save Jedi. For example, Terec only survived because of a psychic connection with their twin Ceret. The Force enabled them to, in essence, split the damage of the attack, leaving both free to fight again. Sskeer’s immunity to the Great Leveler indicates a new form of possible defense for Jedi. He may be able to resist the Levelers and save his fellow Jedi because of his suspension, not in spite of it. Jedi may also attempt to replicate his disconnection to shield themselves from the Great Levelers in the future.
With Sskeer’s perspective, readers might also finally see the Great Leveler’s physical appearance. While the creatures have attacked previously, their appearance was always unclear because of their psychic powers. They reflected their victims’ greatest fears instead of their actual appearance. However, as their abilities seem unable to influence Sskeer, it suggests that he possibly, if not likely, could be the first to see the Leveler’s proverbial true face. While it’s not a guarantee that this will give the Jedi an advantage, it will provide new information. The more information, the better off the Jedi are battling the creatures.
Claudia Gray’s Star Wars: The High Republic: The Fallen Star revealed Avar Kriss saved some refugees from the Starlight Beacon and got the Ataraxia away from the Starlight Beacon before the station crashed. However, the details of her escape remain unclear. This current storyline should fill in that particular gap. Given Sskeer’s developments, it seems a good bet that he may be the reason why the Ataraxia and many of the citizens of the Starlight Beacon escaped to survive the station’s destruction. Therefore, the supposed weakness that plagued Sskeer since the High Republic subseries began might become his greatest strength against one of the Jedi’s deadliest foes.
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