WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows by Justina Ireland and Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm by Cavan Scott, on sale now.
As the Star Wars universe has expanded, so too have the Jedi's abilities as they deal with new difficulties and challenges in an ever-changing galaxy. In Justina Ireland’s Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows, Vernestra Rwoh, a young Jedi Knight, reveals she has another ability: hyperspace visions.
These visions seem to be a twist on the Force visions Star Wars has included in the past, but a possible extension of these abilities -- the ability to navigate hyperspace using only the Force -- could be considered a new ability in its own right. And while Vernestra resists this ability at first, her visions may be the key to stopping the Nihil from destroying the galaxy.
At first, Vernestra is reluctant to acknowledge her hyperspace visions. At the beginning of the novel, Vernestra and her Padawan Imri Cantaros are called back to Coruscant from the Starlight Beacon, the space station in the Outer Rim Territories, and they travel with Master Cohmac Vitus and Padawan Reath Silas. Vernestra has another vision when their ship goes into hyperspace, and her first reaction is to panic. The text states, "Oh no, she thought, alarm surging through her. It's happening again." Vernestra eventually calms down, and the vision shows her a Nihil attack on a desert planet. She also sees a Holocron-like artifact, and an unknown voice, later revealed to be Mari San Tekka, tells Vernestra to take the artifact and find her.
Almost immediately after Vernestra has the vision, the Jedi receive a distress signal from Tiikae and choose to help the settlers against the Nihil. Vernestra quickly realizes that the planet is the same one from her vision, and while working with the planet's deputy, Jordanna Sparkburn, Vernestra finds the artifact from her vision, making this the instance that Vernestra has had one come true. And while she shares the artifact she finds with her fellow Jedi, she doesn't reveal her Force vision. This decision, in conjunction with her secrecy over her lightsaber modifications, shows Vernestra's growing tendency toward secrecy that could prove dangerous in the future.
Even with this new vision, Vernestra is reluctant to acknowledge her ability. She previously believed her visions to be flukes best left behind in childhood, despite her former Master Stellan Gios’ enthusiasm. While these hyperspace visions seem to be a variation of Force visions, Gios believes that if Vernestra hones her ability, she might be able to navigate through hyperspace using only the Force. She reflects that "Before, when she was still a Padawan, having one of her attacks left her feeling scared and shaken, like she was somehow misusing the Force." The language Vernestra uses to describe her visions as "attacks" shows that the ability has never been a welcome one to her. She further elaborates that many Jedi view the ability to have visions as more of a curse than a blessing.
On Coruscant, Vernestra and her Jedi companions are tasked with a diplomatic assignment to accompany Xylan Graf and Sylvestri Yarrow to investigate the Berenge Sector and determine whether the Nihil are using the sector to test a new weapon, created by the presumed dead Chancey Yarrow. On the way, Vernestra has other visions from Mari San Tekka, and she confides in Imri about her ability. Since Imri has his own special ability, Force empathy, the two are able to bond over their shared struggles, but Vernestra still insists upon secrecy from the rest of the Jedi Order.
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When the Nihil attack their ship, Vernestra's visions ultimately lead her to the dying Mari San Tekka. Mari has been a prisoner of the Nihil for decades, and she is unwittingly responsible for the hyperspace paths that the Nihil use to wreak their havoc. In Cavan Scott's Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm, Loden Greatstorm, also a prisoner of the Nihil, is able to reach Mari and helps her realize the destruction that the Nihil have caused using her hyperspace path. But Loden dies before he can tell the Jedi about Mari, meaning Mari's attempts to reach Vernestra are a desperate final call for help.
Once Vernestra finds Mari, Vernestra senses that Mari's spirit already left her body, but Vernestra still is able to connect with Mari. Vernestra sees flashes of Mari's life, and then, Mari bestows upon her one final hyperspace path. The narrator states, "Vernestra felt the memory of [the Path] being carved on her mind. No matter what happened, she would know how to get there, the place beyond the edge of the galaxy, a place where no living thing should go and no one had gone for a very, very long time." With this final act, Mari's spirit lets go, finally at peace. This moment also shows how Vernestra's hyperspace visions might evolve into a new, hyperspace navigation ability, that may either still be classified under the Force vision category or might be a new ability on its own.
Vernestra's hyperspace visions provide her with key information about the Nihil and allow her to give Mari San Tekka some measure of peace before she dies. However, Vernestra decides to keep the information to herself and Imri for now, and her secrecy also shows a growing rift between her and the rest of the Order that could either be necessary or lead to danger. While she is currently uncertain of what to do with Mari's final Path, it is likely that Vernestra will eventually have to embrace her visions to use the Path and its mysterious destination to end the Nihil’s attacks throughout the galaxy.