This brand-new Star Wars novel is the perfect Andor prequel, and it’s been released just in time for Andor season 2. The first installment in the Reign of the Empire trilogy of books, Star Wars: The Mask of Fear, has just debuted. The novel, set about 10 years before Andor in the Star Wars timeline, explores the early days of the Empire, before the Rebellion had truly been established.

Rather than an emphasis on the Skywalker family tree or the Jedi, The Mask of Fear focuses on Mon Mothma and Bail Organa as they navigate this new, treacherous terrain and grapple with their opposing viewpoints. What ensues is a fascinating exploration of the work of these dissenting senators back when it seemed as though politics could be enough. ScreenRant spoke exclusively to Alexander Freed, author of The Mask of Fear, and to Tom Hoeler, editor of the Reign of the Empire trilogy.

Order Star Wars: The Mask of Fear

The Mask Of Fear Is A Perfect Fit With Andor

“Reign of the Empire Is Deeply Indebted To And Inspired By Andor”

ScreenRant: The Mask of Fear feels so much like a prequel to Andor. How much did that TV show inform and influence your writing?

Alexander Freed: We always talked about the book as something that would (hopefully) appeal to fans of Andor, but not as an Andor tie-in per se. There’s plenty of character crossover—Mon Mothma and her husband Perrin, along with Saw Gerrera, all have important parts to play in the book. The тιтle draws from a quote from the show, “Oppression is the mask of fear” (and plays double-duty as something that sounds like pulpy science fiction—I wasn’t the one to propose it, but it works nicely on both levels!)

But in terms of tone and theme and mood, or even specific plot elements, it was less about drawing influence from Andor and more a matter of pulling from similar source material. Both stories are about life under an authoritarian regime, but while Andor shows the cracks starting to form, The Mask of Fear is set in the earliest days, when no one knows how bad things will get and certainly there’s no Rebellion, no sense of what it means to fight back.

ScreenRant: What was the inspiration for the Reign of the Empire trilogy, and how did you choose the writers?

Tom Hoeler: It’s absolutely no secret that Reign of the Empire is deeply indebted to and inspired by Andor. Even though we aren’t building direct tie-ins per se, it gave us something to strive for in terms of storytelling depth, a rich sense of place, and so much more. It’s certainly been an ambitious goal, but absolutely thrilling to be reaching for the stars like that (and quite a bit of self-inflicted pressure too!)

But, the broader inspiration is… well, all Star Wars stories in this Imperial era—from The Bad Batch animated series, Respawn’s excellent Jedi video-game series, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. While each has a focus (Bad Batch more on the military, others more about Jedi and the Force), all of them show / hint at the larger social and political changes that the galaxy experiences after the fall of the Republic. We really saw a space for this trilogy to complement all those stories by deeply exploring that social/political landscape and turmoil in the galaxy.

Specific to The Mask of Fear, there’s also clear inspiration drawn from Revenge of the Sith itself given that the book opens literally with Palpatine’s speech (and Padmé’s response). And there are even some amazing story tidbits drawn from the film’s deleted scenes and Matthew Stover’s legendary film novelization that we were able to capitalize on.

In setting such ambitious goals for the series, we really wanted to find authors who had compelling points of view and ideas around stories of rebellion, socio-political change, etc. We’ve worked with Alexander Freed, Rebecca Roanhorse, and Fran Wilde before and knew they were as excited about exploring the journey of the Rebel Alliance as we were.

ScreenRant: You’re touching on so many similar characters to Andor. How closely did you work to make sure everything tied together? And how did Andor influence and shape the themes and tone of Reign of the Empire?

Tom Hoeler: Throughout the process of developing the trilogy, we have repeatedly studied elements of Andor – dialogue, visuals, worldbuilding, etc. Not to mimic or parrot, but to really build continuity of so many elements of storytelling. Since both stories are deeply immersive about life under an Empire (one when it’s emerging, the other when it’s established), we absolutely wanted the reading experience to feel like the viewing experience as much as possible. We also wanted all of our characters to have that same dimensionality we see in Andor. From the main cast, right down to the folks who drop into the story for just a single scene! And even characters you may think you know well, like Bail Organa or Mon Mothma or Saw Gerrera. We really wanted the stories to present them as people—in all their complexity, with traits, flaws, fears, wants, etc.—rather than merely “mythic” heroes.

The Mask of Fear is over a decade before the beginning of Andor, so plot-wise, that space gave us room to explore a far different set of galactic circumstances, even for many of the same characters. But to still imagine and understand that many years down the galactic road, these characters will become the ones you see in Andor and beyond.

Bail Organa And Mon Mothma Get Their Time To Shine In The Mask Of Fear

“The Mask Of Fear Is Not The Story Of Bail And Mon Working Together”

ScreenRant: We’ve never had such a great window into Bail Organa. What differentiates Bail from other Rebel leaders like Mon Mothma?

Alexander Freed: My read on Bail Organa is that he’s a genuinely great leader and a merely good politician. He’s pᴀssionate and charismatic, righteous and brave, and an inspiration to those around him. These are all traits he pᴀsses on to his daughter, and they’re laudable. But Bail isn’t a master gamesman. He can be impatient, arrogant, and blind to his own faults, and he struggles when placed into situations where it seems he must compromise his principles to achieve his goals.

Mon Mothma complements Bail well in those regards. She’s a great politician and a merely good leader. She’s more comfortable cutting backroom deals than making morale-raising speeches, and she can be all too willing to compromise. She has her own blind spots, but she can see angles very few other people can.

The Mask of Fear is not the story of Bail and Mon working together, hand-and-hand, and relying on one another’s strengths. It’s the story of what happens when, in a time of crisis, they find themselves at odds and their paths diverge.

ScreenRant: Why is Bail so committed to clearing the name of the Jedi, and how does that quest drive the plot of The Mask of Fear?

Alexander Freed: Bail is out to prove that the Jedi were manipulated and framed by Palpatine—that Order 66 was a genocide, unforgivable and unprovoked. Bail sees it as the right thing to do and also a means of exploiting one of Palpatine’s vulnerabilities. He’s one of the only non-Jedi to know that Palpatine is a Sith Lord!

But it’s also personal for him. Bail was close to the Jedi. He had dear friends in the Order, and he saw Padawans slaughtered. Most importantly, his daughter carries the Jedi legacy. If he doesn’t do right by the Jedi now, he’s terrified that the burden will pᴀss to Leia.

So he’s going to do his best to show the truth to the galaxy, but finding proof is going to take him strange places and force him to work with stranger allies.

ScreenRant: Book one largely focuses on Bail, Mon, and Saw; will we be keeping with those characters throughout the trilogy?

Tom Hoeler: Those three characters are our series “pillars” because of the role they all play in the eventual formation of the Rebel Alliance. Seeing them in each story helps us chart the changing galaxy and how close we are to the Rebel Alliance truly emerging. But Book 1 also establishes many original characters, some who will grow and change across the trilogy in surprising ways that perhaps our pillar characters, with more established fates, cannot.

And, you know, it’s Star Wars. So you never know who might show up in the series over time…

ScreenRant: I love Perrin’s role in the story, which I felt really helped me better understand the character in Andor. Can you share how you developed his character?

Alexander Freed: Perrin was a joy to write! My first draft of the novel used him sparingly, but during revisions and editorial discussions we decided to add even more Perrin. So I expanded the role just a bit and I tried to show all the human complexity of his relationship with Mon. They are, like many couples who marry young, struggling with how to change together as they change separately; and they’re struggling, too, from the burden of all their past struggles, all the unhealthy patterns their relationship has developed. But Perrin isn’t a monster and there’s still hope for the marriage.

Perrin also gets along very well with Bail! They share a lot in temperament and hobbies, so Mon is happy to foist Bail off on her husband at social gatherings.

Padmé’s Legacy Lives On In The Mask Of Fear

“Padmé’s Absence Is Instrumental In This Story”

ScreenRant: What influence do you feel Padmé had on your core characters, and on the birth of the Rebellion?

Alexander Freed: Padmé’s absence is instrumental in this story. Bail and Mon are both affected by her death on a personal level, but Padmé also helped to bridge their ideological and strategic differences. Without her gravity, the two senators are flung out in their own directions. Bail and Mon both know that. They’re not oblivious to what Padmé did for them. But they can’t undo what happened, either.

The Rebellion would look as different without the legacy of Padmé as the Empire would without Anakin. She laid the groundwork, and she’s a guiding light for those who follow.

Freed Discusses His Track Record With Stories About Non-Force Users

“I’ve Been Typecast!”

ScreenRant: You’ve consistently done an incredible job showing there’s more to the galaxy than Jedi and Sith. What draws you to the stories of non-Force-sensitives in the Star Wars galaxy?

Alexander Freed: I’ve been typecast! When people ask me to write for Star Wars projects, it’s almost always for projects about non-Force-users. I can’t help it!

That said, I’m not complaining. One of the compelling things about Star Wars is that it’s a universe with forces of absolute good and absolute evil. There’s no mistaking what Palpatine represents, or the Jedi at their best. But Star Wars also supports stories set in-between those polarities, about ordinary people whose uncertainty, whose moral grayness, stands in stark contrast to those bright lines at either end of the spectrum. That’s the stuff of good drama—the interaction of absolute good and absolute evil with a society that lacks the clarity (or the depravity) to embrace either.

The Mask Of Fear Introduces New Characters, Too

“We Wanted To Show A Cross-Section Of The Galaxy”

ScreenRant: In addition to the main established characters, there are so many fresh and original ones. Could you tell us a little about some of these new characters?

Alexander Freed: There are a lot of characters in this book—partly because we wanted to show a cross-section of the galaxy and really sense of the breadth of the Empire’s impact, and partly to lay the groundwork for the series as a whole.

Soujen Vak-Nhalis is a cybernetically augmented Separatist agent who sat out the last days of the war only to return to claim vengeance on a Republic that no longer exists. Soujen is caught up in events with Saw Gerrera, who has very little patience for Separatists but who needs Soujen for a mission of his own.

Haki Zeophrine is an Imperial Intelligence agent well past retirement age who’s doing her best despite the new bureaucracy. She’s no fan of Palpatine’s, but she’s seen regimes come and go. She’s more interested in tending to her people and keeping the peace…

…which brings us to Chemish, Haki’s “apprentice” cultivated to (indirectly) spy on Senator Mothma. Chemish is young, working class, and mostly apolitical. Spying is a career for them and a way to live up to a family legacy, but they’re caught up in a plot involving pro-Empire civilian militias on Coruscant.

All of their stories weave together along with those of Mon, Bail, and Saw. And that’s without even mentioning folks like Karama (part of Saw’s band, an ex-military journalist who sees Saw with more skepticism than most; keep an eye on her!) or Tychon Nulvolio of the Separatist Parliament!

The Reign Of The Empire Series Is Truly Unique In Star Wars

“Reign Of The Empire Was Developed In Part To Deeply Explore Questions Around Where Rebellions Come From”

ScreenRant: Reign of the Empire is a very unusual series, and I’m really excited about it. What can we expect from the series as a whole, and how will it affect our understanding of the Skywalker saga?

Tom Hoeler: When we watch A New Hope, the lines are pretty clearly drawn between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire. We are quickly swept up into the story of heroes and villains, but little time is spent explaining or exploring how either enтιтy came to be. Then, in the prequel trilogy, George Lucas gave us a deep exploration of what circumstances (and people) conspired to create the Galactic Empire.

Real history teaches us that rebellions (like Empires) are not built overnight. So, Reign of the Empire was developed in part to deeply explore questions around where rebellions come from. How do they begin, falter, and ultimately endure so that someday they can triumph over an enтιтy like the Empire?

And while the big heroes like Princess Leia or Luke Skywalker ultimately “save the day,” there are also countless “ordinary people” involved in building or keeping hope alive so those heroes can emerge and triumph.

ScreenRant: Will Reign of the Empire all be set in the early days of the Empire, or will we get to see other parts of the timeline?

Tom Hoeler: Definitely not. From the beginning, we always wanted to take advantage of the scope of time—nearly two decades between Episode 3 and Episode 4. Life under the Empire evolves and changes, and so do the efforts toward rebellion. It creates amazing storytelling opportunities that just localizing a story in a limited time would not. The early days of the Empire let us tell a specific story perfect for Book 1 to really set the stage for the whole era. Book 2 will pick up quite a few years later, and Book 3 will jump forward from Book 2. Each book (and author) gets to tell an intentional and specific story that takes advantage of the state of the galaxy at the time and sees our characters adapt, change, and evolve. We think readers will be excited to go on this long journey with us.

Check Out This Exclusive Mask Of Fear Excerpt

As a collection of senators, led by Bail Organa and Mon Mothma, work to curtail the Emperor’s unchecked powers under the new Empire, the question of seeking justice for the Jedi Order threatens to rupture the coalition.

“What about the Jedi?” Bail asked.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Mon Mothma said. So go ahead and make your speech.

“The Supreme Chancellor—the Emperor—ordered the Jedi’s de­struction. He sent death squads against Republic citizens who volun­teered to serve their galaxy. He needs to be held accountable, for that if nothing else, and the Senate must put him on trial for—”

“Absolutely not,” Mon said.

But Bail wouldn’t be deterred. “For his crimes, during which we can show the people—”

“The Jedi are not popular right now, and tying ourselves to them would play into the Emperor’s hands. His supporters would say we were following in the Jedi’s footsteps, attempting to overthrow his le­gitimate authority, and that would be the topic of debate instead of . . .”

They talked over each other while the rest of the senators shifted un­comfortably. Mon forced herself to be silent at last. She couldn’t afford to look like she was bullying Bail or refusing to consider his concerns. It could cost her the sympathy of the entire group.

Bail had the grace not to look smug. “The Jedi deserve justice,” he said. “I realize the idea is controversial. I realize many people blame the Jedi for starting the war. But I believe a full investigation of what Palpa­tine has done will only gain support as the truth emerges. If we want to take back power, we can lay the groundwork by revealing the extent of his evils.”

Strictly speaking, it was nothing new. Bail had demanded answers about the Jedi before. But in public he’d avoided pointing a finger at the Emperor or painting the Jedi as martyrs, and to hear him speak bluntly was jarring.

Before Mon could decide on a response, Zar interjected, “The Jedi Council attempted to ᴀssᴀssinate Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, and he was within his rights to declare their Order an enemy of the state. The result was tragic and the tactics aggressive, but the Jedi cannot be taken lightly. What ‘crimes’ are you referring to?”

Bail shook his head, as if the question were contemptible. “Palpatine saw the Jedi as a threat, and he found an excuse to wipe them out. He planned for it, he waited, and then he murdered them while playing the victim. You know it in your heart, and there’s a path to showing the truth to everyone if we commit.”

There was silence in the room.

“Will you excuse us a moment?” Mon asked.

The others nodded or squinted warily or simply rose. The older sena­tors paused to gather their balance while the younger ones strode toward the doors. Bail kept his eyes on Mon, but she barely glanced at him, observing the progress of her colleagues until she and Bail were alone.

Bail was clever, and he was crafty. She trusted he knew—or believed he knew—more than he was saying. And while Mon wasn’t predis­posed to conspiratorial thinking, she suspected he was right about Pal­patine perceiving the Jedi as a threat. It was conceivable, albeit unlikely, that Palpatine’s people had baited the Jedi Council into attempting to oust him, then taken advantage of the situation to eliminate the Order as a whole—though the attempt on his life made it difficult to treat the Jedi purely as victims.

And although Bail was paranoid, although he’d expressed his dismay about the Jedi’s destruction publicly, and although she knew him for his obsessions and his intractability and his utter demonization of the ad­ministration, this was the first time he’d suggested anything so grand and sinister. She could afford to hear Bail out if it would bring the dis­cussion back on course.

“Tell me,” she said.

Bail looked to the doorways, ᴀssuring himself that the others were gone. “I believe Palpatine was planning the destruction of the Jedi for years. He feared them more than he ever feared the Senate. And if we can prove that, then we can incriminate his whole sordid administra­tion.”

“How would we prove it?”

He had the audacity to smile. “I’ve been badgering the intelligence services for weeks to show me evidence of a Jedi conspiracy, evidence that Palpatine was right to destroy the entire Order. But he overplayed his hand. The Jedi Council used force to try to stop him—it’s true. And he can try to spin that into something larger, act like that incriminates every Padawan, every six-year-old child in the Order—”

“I understand your theory,” she said. She’d heard the reports of ᴅᴇᴀᴅ children at the Jedi Temple, yet the deaths of children had never ended any war in history. “What’s your proof?”

“The administration finally caved and sent me documents implicat­ing the Jedi Order as a whole, claiming even the children were in on the Jedi plot,” Bail said. “I happen to know they’re fake. That’s all we need. We’ve found the loose thread, and we can tug until the entire tapestry of lies unravels. We reveal Palpatine’s true face. We clear the name of the Jedi—”

“No one cares about the Jedi!” she snapped, and it was heartless but it was true, and Bail needed to understand. “If the documents are fake, if we can prove it—you’re talking about a series of revelations we’d need to showcase for the public in the most convincing possible manner, and for what?”

“For justice, for truth, for the Republic, for democracy—”

“There are better ways! People don’t change their minds in the face of evidence. People look for evidence that fits what they believe. And they’ve already made up their minds about the Jedi. If we start—”

“Are the people who do still care about the Jedi irrelevant? Are the Jedi not people themselves? There are still Jedi Knights being hunted, and if we prove what Palpatine’s been up to, we may actually save lives—”

“No! Absolutely not!” She held up a hand, and to her surprise Bail stopped. He scowled as she caught her breath, closed her eyes, tried to refocus. “We need allies, Bail. We need votes. And the shortest path there is by appealing to the self-interest of our fellow senators. The Em­peror has taken away our power, and we want it back—simple and uni­versal. When you talk about Jedi and conspiracies . . .” She sighed, aiming for patience without condescension. “If we bring ideology into it, we’re adding needless difficulty. This will be hard enough as it is.”

“You won’t even bring it to the group,” Bail said.

“You already did that. Chasing after Jedi won’t get us the coalition we need.”

He was hearing her. He was angry, but he was hearing her. And she thought he understood.

“Are you in or out?” she asked.

“I’m out,” Bail said. “Padmé would’ve been out, too.”

He walked to the doorway with their ᴅᴇᴀᴅ friend’s name on his lips, and Mon knew he hadn’t heard anything after all.