WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: The High Republic #1 by Cavan Scott, Ario Anindito, Mark Morales, Annalisa Leoni & VC's Ariana Maher, on sale now
The Force is the mysterious bond between all living things within the Star Wars universe. Accessible by those attuned to the ways of the Jedi and the Sith, the Force is one of the most powerful concepts in western fiction. Now, Marvel has revealed a very specific aspect of the Force, and the effect it has on Force users.
Star Wars: The High Republic #1 features a brief sequence that explores how it feels to be connected to the Force, and which of the five senses are the most enhanced by the feelings.
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Star Wars: The High Republic #1 largely focuses on Keeve, a young Jedi who is training to reach the rank of Jedi Knight centuries before the events of Skywalker Saga. Training with Master Sskeer on the frontier world of Shurden, Keeve is tasked with making a difficult climb and recovering a hidden pendant. However, an unexpected complication comes in the form of massive and ravenous species of star-locust known as the Ridadi, who consume everything in their path and endanger the local species. Contacting the Jedi base known as the Starlight Beacon, Keeve receives the recommendation to reach out through the Force to communicate directly with the beasts. However, when she does, the story actually reveals what Keeve feels.
Connecting with the galaxy as a whole, Keeve can see across multiple places in space at once. The Force moves around Keeve like an ocean, opening up to reveal more as she delves deeper into it. Keeve is bathed in a soft white light around her, allowing her to see and hear and feel through the ether of the universe. Despite being in the depths of space, Keeve can actually hear the Ridadi moving through the cosmos. She can sense their feelings, and how they always move as one. Without hearing a single concrete word or even thought, Keeve is able to figure out that the Ridadi are actually being drawn to the Starlight Beacon, giving her the chance to alert them.
While other properties in the Star Wars franchise have touched on how the Force operates, this is one of the few times where the actual act of reaching out to the Force is shown within a sequence. It's a surprisingly serene moment, despite the chaos still erupting around Keeve. The Force is shown to be truly connected to all things, with what appear to be thin white lines of life moving through the cosmos. It's through these that Keeve is able to access the experiences of others and hear them above all else. It's made clear that it's a connection with the universe around them, not just them controlling the elemental forces of the universe. It's a concept that's been touched on by parts of the franchise like Star Wars: Rebels, but never so openly as here.
It helps make the Force feel more primordial than how some portrayals have shown it to be essentially telepathy or telekinesis. It's much more of a feeling that you attune yourself to, helping you understand the galaxy around the user instead of just having the information revealed to you. It all helps further establish how the Force can be an almost overwhelming sensation -- giving a clear idea of how overwhelming all that information and stimulus could be to the untrained user. It's an interesting way to portray speaking through the Force, and a memorable one.