‘Star Wars’ Reveals The Reason Why The Hutt and Jedi Alliance Ended During The High Republic
WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER FOR THE HIGH REPUBLIC #8- 10
A Jedi and Hutt alliance sounds like a perfect definition of an oxymoron. For decades, the Hutts were known to fans as being slimy, double-crossing, no-good swindlers. However, that is part of what makes The High Republic series so fascinating. The High Republic introduced new threats to the galaxy like the anarchistic marauders (aka. space Vikings) known as the Nihil, and the monstrous Drengir. The threats are coming during a period of peace spreading chaos across the galaxy in what is known as the Great Disaster. To help combat these threats, the Jedi made an unlikely alliance with the Hutts. Alas, it was not meant to be.
The initial cracks in the alliance first appears in The High Republic #8 because the Jedi does not believe in carrying out genocide while the Hutts are all for it. The Jedi and the Hutts manages to capture the Great Progenitor, the Drengir hive mother, cutting off her connection with the rest of the Drengir, and sending them into hibernation. Myarga the Hutt, motivated by fear and revenge, wants the Great Progenitor dead. As a result, the alliance between the Jedi and Hutts is severely strained.
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The Jedi's next step is a bold one. Instead of waiting, Jedi Master Avar Kriss sanctions an undercover mission led by Keeve Trennis and Terec. If they choose to accept it (and they did), their mission is to work undercover as Nihil, and find out anything they could that could be used against the Nihil. While undercover, Keeve is asked to prove her loyalty to the Nihil by killing a prisoner, who funnily enough turns out to be Myarga. The tension builds! The sweat drips from my forehead! What is so striking about this is how beat up and broken she looks. I actually felt bad for her. I literally felt sympathy for a Hutt. That is brilliant writing by Cavan Scott!
Of course, killing anyone unless as an absolute last resort goes against everything a Jedi believes. On top of that is the frayed relationship between the Jedi and the Hutts. What will she do? Keeve, always thinking on her feet, convinces the Nihil that Myarga's alliance with the Jedi might mean she possesses valuable information. It buys Myarga time, but it also means she will likely be tortured for the info.
This does not end well for the young Jedi. To save her own life Myarga betrays Keeve by telling the Nihil that Keeve is an undercover Jedi. Jerk move. This backfires on Myarga because now she has outlived her usefulness, and gets a blaster bolt through the head by Tempest Runner Lourna Dee. Such a sad story.
The Nihil are no joke. They have no reservations when it comes to killing others or their own kind. The Hutts are ruthless but in a different way. They are motivated by money and power, The Nihil just want to rule. Myarga's death could re-unite the Jedi and the Hutts, or it could be the chasm that keeps on growing.
In the ensuing conflict, Lourna Dee releases the Great Leveler on Keeve and Terec. The Great Leveler essentially cuts them off from the Force. Terec’s twin Ceret loses connection, traumatizing both of them. Avar Kriss attempts to comfort Ceret to no avail. Hope is fading for the Jedi, and for the galaxy.
With Myarga's death and possession of the Great Leveler (think ysalamiri), the Nihil have put themselves in a great position to defeat the Jedi. However, right when the galaxy is down, a zillions of ships appear out of nowhere to help, or perhaps not. This is The High Republic, and Cavan Scott loves to do what AT-AT's do to crashed snowspeeders.
All in all, the Jedi-Hutt alliance was never expected to last. Peace and prosperity threatened Hutt ambitions, so the alliance was merely self-serving at the very least. It was like the alliance between the United States and the Soviet Union during WWII. They had a similar goal, and once that goal was achieved, the alliance split and the relationship turned cold. Through the coming century, the Hutts will continue to align with whoever benefits them After all, business is business.
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Source(s): CBR