Things are amiss in the newly formed Empire.
But a new upcoming trilogy ofStar Warsbookswill show the seeds of rebellion beginning to be planted.
For a safe and secure society!
Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma in ‘Andor’.Credit:Lucasfilm Ltd.
With one speech and thunderous applause, Chancellor Palpatine brought the era of the Republic crashing down.
In its place rose the Galactic Empire.
Across the galaxy, people rejoiced and celebrated the end of warand the promises of tomorrow.
‘Star Wars: The Mask of Fear (Reign of the Empire)’ book by Alexander Freed.Random House Worlds
But that tomorrow was a lie.
Instead, the galaxy became twisted by the cruelty and fear of the Emperors rule.
One day, they will be three architects of the Rebel Alliance.
Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma in ‘Andor’.Lucasfilm Ltd.
I promise, its entirely adequate, Lud Morrai said, pushing the gravy toward Mon.
Wipe the taste of Hesperidium right out of your mouth.
The rich, savory sauce dripped onto her chin.
Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma in ‘Rogue One’.Lucasfilm LFL 2016
She barely glanced about to check whether anyone had seen.
Maybe that was why shed stayed with Perrin all this time.
She looked up from the plate, caught Luds gaze, and rebuked herself.Those are dangerous thoughts.
Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma in ‘Andor’.Lucasfilm Ltd.
You really cant tell anyone about Hesperidium, she said.
Honestly, I shouldnt have mentioned
I heard yesterday.
There was speculation about you and the Commerce Guild .
Can we drop it?
Of course, Lud said.
But can I say one thing?
You dont have to tell me anything.
I just want
Theres a reason we dont talk about our projects.
He waved off her objection.
She looked around the restaurant.
It was packed with the lunch crowd, maybe a hundred dockworkers jostling over trays.
Two minutes, she said.
Lud steepled his hands and gathered his thoughts.
Youre whipping votes outside your usual coalition.
Everyone knows that, and certainly I respect the effort.
Its hard enough keeping my allies in lineI cant imagine winning over my opponents.
the people youre dealing with?
If youreand again, Im not asking you to give anything away.
I wont even watch your expression.
He turned to the stained wall as his voice fell to a murmur.
If youre building a coalition to oppose the administration, I wish youd consider the optics.
Theopticsof you assembling a group of the most privileged people in the galaxy.
You promised me two minutes.
Mon held up her hands in surrender.
Palpatine is a populist.
He cracked down on the corporations.
He ended the war.
Hes she began.Hes not giving power back to ordinary people.
Hes only shifting who holds it.
He and his cronies dont care about your world any more than they care about mine.
What youre doing, Lud said, is only proving him right.
The Delegation of Two Thousand was .
well, it was mad and foolish and an utter failure, but at least it was idealistic.
It was built on principle, and people saw that even if they didnt understand what the principlewas.
NowIknow youre acting in what you believe is the best interest of democracy.
I know you, Mon.
She pushed her chair back, and Lud turned toward her.
I think your two minutes are up.
He called her name and apologized as she stood.
She shouldnt have cared what he thought.
She shouldve had security with her.
The threats on her life were coming in rapidly since Zhunas death and Mons politicization of the tragedy.
She apologized instinctively as he caught her wrist to keep from falling.
There was a rash forming, blotchy and red, with each splotch centered on a darker brown dot.
She began to scratch, then abruptly stopped as she saw the red blotches spreading like a stain.
The brown centers grew larger and darker.
She needed a medic.
Shed been infected, she thought, poisoned when shed boarded the tram.
But there was no pain, only the faint itch, and even that hadnt increased in intensity.
The spread of the blotches slowed, creeping to a stop.
The dark spots were bleeding together, seeming to form patterns.
Someone was calling to her through the office door, asking whether she was all right.
She suppressed her trembling and called back.
I just dropped something.
The ink shifted and wriggled again, forming new words from the old: NO OBSERVERS.
Was it a statement or a demand?
The itch became a burn.
She wanted to clasp her wrist and squeeze, but she didnt dare touch the rash.
A few moments later the tattoo had fully expelled itself and drained onto the floor.
All that remained was the rash, already paler and less angry than it had been.
She dropped into a chair and caught her breath.
Her panicher fear that shed been witnessing her own assassinationcaught up with her.
She began shaking and tried to recall whether shed taken her anxiety medication.
People were trying to kill her, but this hadnt beenthat.
She permitted herself five minutes to pull herself together.
She drank a glass of water, though she wasnt thirsty.
She stuck her head outside the office to question her new aides calendar skills.
Then Mon Mothma began to plan.
Excerpt fromStar Wars: The Mask of Fear (Reign of the Empire)by Alexander Freed.
2025 by Star Wars.
Published by Random House Worlds, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
