"The Emperor Doesn't Care About Law": Star Wars' Most Brutal Rebel Has A Point, As Lucasfilm Tease The Ultimate Andor Prequel

The key leaders of the future Rebel Alliance are left reeling with the dawn of the first Galactic Empire in four key extracts from Star Wars' upcoming Andor prequel novel. The Star Wars Disney+ series saw Genevieve O'Reilly and Forrest Whittaker reprise their roles of Mon Mothma and Saw Gerrera to cover the period leading up to Rogue One. Alongside the other characters of Andor, Mon Mothma grapples with financing an unorganized fledgling Rebel Alliance alongside Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), as the latter tries to convince Gerrera and other Rebel Cells to take a stand against tyranny.

Ahead of Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear's release in February, Star Wars Books on Twitter/X share several key quotes from the book's three point-of-view characters -- Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Saw Gerrera -- highlighting their reactions to the recent declaration of the first Galactic Empire following the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.

In Mon Mothma's extracts, the Chandrilan senator reckons with how quickly the galaxy has changed under the Empire's reign, as she is forced to let go of the ideals and systems that she once believed in:

"Maybe her accepting the truth was the start. Her fear was her only source of reassurance. Her fear told her she hadn't yet become numb to atrocity and injustice. So she wrapped her fear around her, clung to it like hope, and watched the city in the night."

"Mon told herself that in the morning, when the sun rose and it came time to work, she would let it all go - her fears, her dreams, and her love for the Republic she believed in. She would leave it behind, and the galaxy would be different, and she would remain unbowed, unyielding, indomitable..."

Meanwhile, Bail Organa's (Jimmy Smits) extract sees Alderaan's representative question what methods of fighting are right in the new landscape of the galaxy:

"We tried hiding everything good and decent under a cloak of self-interest, and we failed because we never gave people a reason to do what was hardest, to fight for what really mattered. There may be times that deception is necessary, but it's not how we win."

Finally, Saw Gerrera's extracts see the revolutionary calling out the flawed ideals of the diplomats, calling their ways and desires to achieve peace through negotiations pointless, especially in the face of an emperor that has no opposition to his reign, no matter what rules might exist:

"You debate in the Senate while people are dying. You have the habits of a people at peace, but there is no peace! You talked about treaties with the Seperatists, but the Separatists never wanted a treaty. Now you seek to remove the Emperor's power through law, but the Emperor doesn't care about law."

It's Time To See The True Birth Of The Rebellion

The Rebellion's Origins Lie In The Clone Wars' Dying Days

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While the Rebel Alliance's formal formation was shown in Star Wars: Rebels season 3, other pieces of Star Wars media have shown that the resistance had already begun to form long before Mon Mothma's declaration over Dantooine. Andor showed Luthen bringing together individual cells and pushing the Empire further, while The Bad Batch saw key figures like Gerrera, and Hera and Cham Syndulla, begin to oppose Imperial rule. At the time of writing, Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear is set to be the earliest exploration of rebellion against the Empire.

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Though it was ultimately removed from the movie's final cut, Bail and Mon Mothma's early resistance against the Empire would have been witnessed in Revenge of the Sith. They, along with Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), signed the Petition of 2000 to bring the Clone Wars to a close with a ceasefire and force Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) to relinquish his wartime emergency powers. While the scenes were removed, the narrative itself is still considered canon. The Mask of Fear will build and further enshrine these elements into canon, giving a true origin for the Rebel Alliance.

Our Take On Star Wars' Ultimate Andor Prequel

The Mask of Fear Promises A Deep Character Study

Though Star Wars' 2025 publishing slate is focused on the end of the High Republic and the ending of the Galactic Civil War, The Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear stands out as one of the most highly-anticipated novels of the year. Alongside its Andor ties ahead of season 2's release, the novel is written by Alexander Freed, author of the Alphabet Squadron trilogy. Telling the tale of a squadron of misfit New Republic pilots, the series is celebrated for its explorations of morality, redemption, and tense showdowns from the view of a cockpit.

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As his previous Star Wars novels have left such an impression, many look forward to seeing how Freed explores key Rebel leaders' struggles. The book should fill in key character details that will only enhance their onscreen appearances. With Andor exploring the Rebellion's battles, The Mask of Fear is the perfect complementary tale to the second season.

Source: Star Wars Books/Twitter/X