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- "Ten sectors were sealed away behind a barrier that prevents hyperspace jumps into the Exclusion Zone. Communications in and out of this region have failed, and the Nihil have begun to expand their presence in the Outer Rim. Wherever they rule, horrific brutality follows."
- ―Harli Cogra about the Occlusion Zone sectors, in Chronicles of the Jedi
The Merel sector was a sector in the Outer Rim Territories that bordered the Lol, Skine, and Tolonda sectors. During the High Republic Era, the sector fell within the Galactic Republic's Galactic Frontier exploration region. The Merel sector became part of the Occlusion Zone following its formation in 230 BBY as one of ten sectors sealed behind a barrier preventing hyperspace travel.
Description[]
The Merel sector was a space sector located in the Outer Rim Territories. The sector bordered the Lol, Skine, and Samix sectors.[1]
History[]
Harli Cogra documented the formation of the Occlusion Zone, of which the Merel sector was part of, in Chronicles of the Jedi.
During the High Republic Era, the Galactic Republic designated a section of the Outer Rim—which included the Merel sector—as the Galactic Frontier, locations considered removed far enough from the galaxy's center to send explorers there.[2] In 230 BBY, the Nihil marauder organization formed the Occlusion Zone—an area of space in the Outer Rim's Frontier that was situated behind the Stormwall barrier preventing hyperspace travel.[3]
As one of the ten sectors forming the boundary of the Occlusion Zone, the Merel sector was cut off from the rest of Republic space[1] and the worlds within it were forced to pay tributes to the Nihil.[4] Weeks afterward, in 229 BBY,[5] the Vurk Jedi Master Harli Cogra wrote a book titled Chronicles of the Jedi, which detailed the Jedi of the High Republic Era. In the book's afterword, Cogra lamented the formation of the Nihil's region and the ten sectors it affected.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
In the current canon, the Merel sector was first identified in the first issue of the 2023 Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures comic series.
In the current Star Wars canon, the ten sectors forming the Occlusion Zone were first mentioned, albeit unidentified, in a flashback in the second issue of the Star Wars: The High Republic: Eye of the Storm comic-book miniseries. The issue was written by Charles Soule and released by Marvel Comics[6] on March 2, 2022[7] as part of the Star Wars: The High Republic multimedia project's Phase I.[8] The Merel sector was later identified by name and specified to be one of the Occlusion Zone sectors via a map in the first issue of the 2023 comic series Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures. The issue was written by Daniel José Older, illustrated by Harvey Tolibao and Nick Brokenshire, and published by Dark Horse Comics[1] as part of Phase III on December 6, 2023.[9]
The Merel sector originated in the Star Wars Legends continuity, where it was first mentioned in Galaxy Guide 9: Fragments from the Rim, a 1993 sourcebook written by Simon Smith and Eric S. Trautmann for West End Games' Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game.[10] In 2012, the sector was first visually depicted on a map designed by Modi and published in The Essential Atlas Extra: Outer Rim Sectors, a feature of[11] the StarWars.com Online Companion to the 2009 reference book The Essential Atlas.[12]
Appearances[]
- The High Republic: Eye of the Storm 2 (First mentioned) (Indirect mention only) (In flashback(s))
- The High Republic: The Eye of Darkness (Indirect mention only)
- The High Republic: The Eye of Darkness audiobook (Indirect mention only)
- The High Republic Adventures (2023) 1 (First identified as Merel sector)
Sources[]
- Star Wars: The High Republic: Chronicles of the Jedi (Indirect mention only)
- Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia (Indirect mention only)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 The High Republic Adventures (2023) 1
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Star Wars: The High Republic: Chronicles of the Jedi — Based on corresponding data for the Occlusion Zone
- ↑ Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia
- ↑ The High Republic: The Eye of Darkness
- ↑ Star Wars: The High Republic: Chronicles of the Jedi establishes that the in-universe book Chronicles of the Jedi was written weeks after the destruction of Starlight Beacon, which Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia dates to 230 BBY. The issuing of the Guardian Protocols, dated by The High Republic Character Encyclopedia to 229 BBY, are depicted in The High Republic: Shadows of Starlight 1 as taking place one week after Starlight Beacon's destruction. With this, Chronicles of the Jedi must have been authored no earlier than 229 BBY. Chronicles of the Jedi further establishes that Pra-Tre Veter is still a Grand Master of the Jedi Order, meaning it was written before his death, which The High Republic Character Encyclopedia states took place in 229 BBY. Therefore, Chronicles of the Jedi must have been written in 229 BBY.
- ↑ The High Republic: Eye of the Storm 2
- ↑
Star Wars: The High Republic - Eye of the Storm (2022) #2 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)
- ↑
Star Wars: The High Republic Chronological Reader's Guide on StarWars.com (article) (backup link)
- ↑
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures Phase III #1 on Dark Horse Comics' official website (backup link)
- ↑ Galaxy Guide 9: Fragments from the Rim
- ↑ The Essential Atlas Extra: Outer Rim Sectors on StarWars.com (article) (backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars: The Essential Atlas Online Companion on StarWars.com (article) (backup link)
