Star Wars: Heir to the Sith (Part 1) (#Wattys2018 shortlist)

A forward by the author

Hello! Welcome to my Star Wars story: Heir to the Sith.

Before you begin, I would like to introduce myself and explain why I wrote Heir to the Sith.

My name is Tom Church and I have published a few books to date: namely the RuneScape series of fantasy novels which have achieved quite a popular following amongst their readers. Heir to the Sith is my first attempt at a Watt Pad feature however. To make the best of it I have already completed the novel, which means I can be sure of publishing regular updates -  a new chapter will be released every 2 days at 20.00 UK time.

This means that I have more time to spend discussing things with readers, which is one of the great glories of being a writer.

And as I write this, with the chapters loaded up, I have to admit to a feeling of nervous excitement. That's what the cumulation of two years of part time work will do to you!

So why did I choose Star Wars as a setting? As this is my first plunge into the world of Watt Pad, I felt I needed to have a 'big name' behind me to make the most of it. As a child of the 1980s I grew up with this universe, and in the nineties I followed the Expanded Universe novels, as did many of my friends. The love of George Lucas's creation inspired us to make our own stories too. I grew up with it. I loved it. And I always wanted to explore it in my own novel.

Furthermore, I wanted to set an adventure in an entirely new part of the Star Wars galaxy, with brand new characters and locations and creatures. I wanted to stand back from the traditional heroes of Star Wars: so no Han Solo or Luke or Leia, but rather characters who view their actions from afar and see their impact on the galaxy as a whole. I also wanted my readers to see the Empire in a different light, as a political construct and what that would mean for the people who operate in its fleets and armies.

At this point, the novel isn't just space fantasy, it is also an exploration of dictatorships and how they maintain control. The paranoia and fear that runs through such organisations would impede their functionality across all levels - and this is a key element that I wanted to display in the story - how dictatorships, ruling through fear and the threat of execution for its own operatives, stifle their own performance.

And to exacerbate this further, I chose to set it directly after the events in Return of the Jedi: the reader knows the Empire has suffered a key defeat. They know the Emperor and Darth Vader have perished. But the characters don't. Who can trust who in a political system based on deceit, corruption, and cold self advancement?

Sometimes, giving the reader more knowledge about the universe than the characters can work very well. It helps expose character motivations and highlights their uncertainty.

And the four characters I have chosen to view this story through are ideal for this: Captain Pina represents the traditional form of Empire, a young captain from minor noble stock on Coruscant, becoming increasingly aware of the true nature of Empire. Assayer Neerada, brainwashed since she was a child to commit atrocities in pursuit of a greater good by hunting down those with Force abilities, and who seeks out the memory of her life before. Princess Tayre Garrand, heir apparent to Farsalt, schooled in diplomacy and longing for the return of the Republic. And her adopted sister, Princess Ella Malquet, whose secret history will return to endanger all she has come to love.

The book also adheres strictly to Star Wars lore, with one exception: my introduction of Force Assayers, those Dark Side adepts who are brought into service by Vader after the destruction of the first Death Star to continue the hunt for Force sensitive enemies. In continuity, they replace the Inquisitors, who were present in the Rebels TV show but vanished just before the time of A New Hope.

This is a work of fanfiction, and the intellectual property rights with regard to the characters and settings mentioned obviously belong to Disney. 

If I can conclude with a quick word on the cover art: I put it together myself, using an image of Darth Vader from a clip art library site (just Google "Darth Vader clip art" to find several versions of the same image).

I hope you all enjoy the story and its fast-paced adventure: and I look forward to discussing it with you in the comments section below each chapter and on Twitter and Facebook or anywhere else. Oh yes - and please spread the work if you like this story.

May the Force be with us!

TS Church 12th March, 2018.