WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: The High Republic: The Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule, Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm by Cavan Scott, Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows by Justina Ireland and Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner by Cavan Scott, on sale now.
From the beginning of the Star Wars: The High Republic subseries, Marchion Ro has been the leader of the Nihil, but there has been constant scheming among the rest of the Nihil’s upper leadership, the Tempest Runners. Thus far, these fractures have not been evident to the Jedi or the Republic, who are unaware that Marchion even exists at this point. Still, with the Jedi's numerous victories against the Nihil in the aftermath of the attack on the Republic Fair on Valo, there could be a power shift in the Nihil as a result.
Thus far, Marchion seems to have the loyalty of most of the lower-level members of the Nihil. In Charles Soule's Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi, Marchion's two main assets that help him cement his leadership as the Eye of the Nihil are his charisma and his possession of Mari San Tekka's hyperspace paths that the Nihil use to quickly and effectively take down their targets. He has a particular ability to inspire an almost cult-like fervor in his followers, gaining their loyalty even though his own reflections reveal that Marchion cares little for anyone but himself.
Unfortunately for him, Marchion loses one of his main sources of power, Mari San Tekka, in Justina Ireland's Star Wars: The High Republic: Out of the Shadows. Since Mari was very old, Marchion was already making plans to overcome her death. Marchion works to assemble an ancient artifact throughout the first arc of the Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures comic series by Daniel José Older, Harvey Tolibao, Pow Rodrix, Manuel Bracchi, Jake M. Wood, Rebecca Nalty, Elizabeth Brei, Heather Antos and Riley Farmer. In Star Wars: The High Republic: The Rising Storm, Marchion reveals that the artifact allows him to control the Great Leveler, a creature that attacks Jedi through the Force and is capable of turning them to stone. Both the Nihil's destruction at Valo and Marchion's control of the Great Leveler seem to keep him firmly rooted as the leader of the Nihil for now.
However, Marchion may face competition for leadership of the Nihil from Lourna Dee, one of the Nihil’s Tempest Runners. At the beginning of the subseries, Lourna was one of three Tempest Runners alongside Kassav Milliko and Pan Eyta. In Light of the Jedi, Marchion killed Kassav and his Storm because he believed that Kassav was responsible for his father Asgar Ro's death. In reality, while Kassav and Pan were conspiring to murder Asgar, Cavan Scott's Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner reveals that Lourna was probably the one to actually kill Asgar because she felt that he had personally betrayed her.
The murder of Asgar Ro is the first of many acts that show that Lourna ultimately works for herself and her own goals. Throughout the subseries, Lourna has been creating her own schemes and plots, including, notably, a partnership with the Graf family and Chancey Yarrow in Out of the Shadows, and Chancey has recruited Nan, a young Nihil, to spy on Marchion, possibly on Lourna's behalf.
Lourna also serves as the public face of the Nihil, making her the Republic's main target. At the beginning of Tempest Runner, the Republic captures Lourna, and it seems like her time in power is at an end. However, her quick thinking keeps her alive. She disguises herself as Sal, a lower-level Nihil, and the Republic believes that Lourna perished. Still in her disguise, Lourna is taken to a women's correctional facility ship, the Restitution.
During her time there, Lourna almost decides to reform and become a part of the Republic, but a string of betrayals, both against her and by her, ultimately lead her back to the Nihil. Pan Eyta, almost murdered by Marchion and betrayed by Lourna, becomes obsessed with killing Lourna in revenge, but his attack on the Restitution ultimately leads to her escape and his own death. By the end of the audio drama, Lourna has taken over the Restitution, renamed the ship the Lourna Dee and created a new Tempest combining the surviving members of Pan's Tempest and her fellow former prisoners.
Currently, Marchion Ro is technically still in charge of the Nihil for now, but the Jedi's victories in the wake of the Republic Fair are weakening his leadership. Lourna seems to be willing to work with Marchion and Zeetar, the other surviving Tempest Runner, but on her terms. She is now more powerful than before and more sure of her right to power. Therefore, Marchion's time as the Eye of the Nihil may soon come to an end, and Lourna Dee may rise in his place.
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