"There comes a time when refusing to stop violence can no longer be called nonviolence. We cease to be objectors and become bystanders. At some point, morality must be wedded to action, or else it's no more than mere…vanity."
hen Mon Mothma first appeared in 1983's Return of the Jedi, we knew nothing about her, but we could tell she was important. Her flowing white robes gave her a regal air in a sea of well-worn flight suits and combat fatigues (and Crix Madine's regrettable beard). In her few somber lines of dialogue, she clearly establishes the stakes of the upcoming battle over the forest moon of Endor. Her voice is almost haunting as she underscores the price of the information she and the Alliance's senior officers share with the assembled Rebels.
No one on-screen tells us she is the leader of the Rebel Alliance. They don't have to.
Later on, in Canon, she leads the New Republic as its first Chancellor. She finally retires from public life sometime before the events of Bloodline, 24 years after the Battle of Endor.
She appears briefly in the background of a scene in 2005's Revenge of the Sith with other senators in the waning days of the Republic. A short speaking role, sadly, was deleted from the final theatrical cut. We see and hear more of her in The Clone Wars animated series, where she is a colleague and legislative ally of both Padmé Amidala and Bail Organa. Unsurprisingly, she and Bail work closely together in 2016's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
She also figures prominently in the Disney+ series Andor. Starting five years before Rogue One, the spy thriller tells how Cassian Andor becomes the intelligence agent we see in the film. But it also shows the early days of the Rebellion and how Mon Mothma, publicly a senator and secretly a key figure in the quietly growing movement.
Beyond the political intrigue and covert dealings, the series also shows us her home life. Her husband seems perfectly comfortable in the Emperor's New Order, and her teenage daughter is both rebellious and resentful. It's not immediately apparent that her double life is the source of tension in her home, but it certainly can't help. After all, building a rebellion under the Empire's watchful eye must be difficult.
As a pivotal figure in the Rebellion since the franchise's first trilogy, it's no surprise she also figures prominently in Legends. Building on Episode III's deleted scene, The Force Unleashed shows us her founding the Rebel Alliance with Bail Organa and Corellian Senator Garm Bel Ibis. In Heir to the Empire, she becomes the New Republic's Chief of State. In Dark Force Rising, we learn that over the years, her relationship with Bel Ibis had become strained to the point that he ultimately withdrew from the Alliance. In the Jedi Academy trilogy, she survives a nasty assassination attempt and prepares Leia to become her successor.
Peer and friend to Padmé Amidala, confidant and mentor to Leia Organa, Mon Mothma is one of the few characters whose arc extends from before the Republic's fall through the Empire's defeat. Consequently, she appears often in both Canon and Legends books as leader of the Rebellion and, later, the New Republic. Some of those roles are bigger than others, and our list doesn't include some of the more minor appearances. But if watching Andor leaves you wanting to see more of Mon Mothma, any of these books would be a fine place to start.
Coming Soon
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Books in this Collection
Queen's Shadow
What does one do after ruling an entire planet? For Padmé Amidala, that answer came easily: move on to even bigger things. However, transitioning from the throne on Naboo to a seat in the Galactic Senate is not without challenges, especially at such a young age. Uneasy alliances, ruthless media, and hidden agendas not only leave her wondering how she can possibly hope to instate positive change in the galaxy, but also how she can survive long enough to do it.
EK Johnston’s story bridges the gap between the Padmé fans see in The Phantom Menace and the one they see in Attack of the Clones. It largely expounds upon Naboo culture, including the fashion, government, and the role of the handmaidens.
Written by the #1 New York Times best-selling author of Ahsoka! When Padmé Naberrie, "Queen Amidala" of Naboo, steps down from her position, she is asked by the newly-elected queen to become Naboo's representative in the Galactic Senate. Padmé is unsure about taking on the new role, but cannot turn down the request to serve her people. Together with her most loyal handmaidens, Padmé must figure out how to navigate the treacherous waters of politics and forge a new identity beyond the queen's shadow.
Leia: Princess of Alderaan
In keeping with Alderaanian tradition, Princess Leia undergoes her Day of Demand, where she claims her right as heir to the throne and sets forth how she will prove herself worthy. Yet things have been tense between her and her adopted parents, Queen Breha and Viceroy Bail Organa. As Leia - also a member of the Empire's Apprentice Legislature - undertakes her challenges of the Body, Mind, and Spirit, she learns more about her adoptive parents than she ever suspected and begins her own journey that will forever change the galaxy.
Claudia Gray excels at taking on the challenge of portraying one of the most important and beloved characters in the entire Star Wars mythos, and along the way treats us to compelling depictions of other on-screen characters as diverse as the former Captain Panaka, the future Vice Admiral Holdo, and Bail Organa. This book presents the not-to-be-missed backstory of how Leia became the fearless rebel we meet, and love, in the films.
Sixteen-year-old Princess Leia Organa faces the most challenging task of her life so far: proving herself in the areas of body, mind, and heart to be formally named heir to the throne of Alderaan. She's taking rigorous survival courses, practicing politics, and spearheading relief missions to worlds under Imperial control. But Leia has worries beyond her claim to the crown. Her parents, Breha and Bail, aren't acting like themselves lately; they are distant and preoccupied, seemingly more concerned with throwing dinner parties for their allies in the Senate than they are with their own daughter.
Determined to uncover her parents' secrets, Leia starts down an increasingly dangerous path that puts her right under the watchful eye of the Empire. And when Leia discovers what her parents and their allies are planning behind closed doors, she finds herself facing what seems like an impossible choice: dedicate herself to the people of Alderaan--including the man she loves--or to the galaxy at large, which is in desperate need of a rebel hero...
The Princess and the Scoundrel
The Princess and the Scoundrel
You are cordially invited to the wedding of Princess Leia Organa and Han Solo.
The Death Star is destroyed. Darth Vader is dead. The Empire is desolated. But on the forest moon of Endor, amongst the chaos of a changing galaxy, time stands still for a princess and her scoundrel.
After being frozen in carbonite, then risking everything for the Rebellion, Han is eager to stop living his life for other people. He and Leia have earned their future together, a thousand times over. And when he proposes to Leia, it’s the first time in a long time he’s had a good feeling about this. For Leia, a lifetime of fighting doesn’t truly seem over. There is work still to do, penance to pay for the dark secret she now knows runs through her veins. Her brother, Luke, is offering her that chance—one that comes with family and the promise of the Force. But when Han asks her to marry him, Leia finds her answer immediately on her lips . . . Yes.
But happily ever after doesn’t come easily. As soon as Han and Leia depart their idyllic ceremony on Endor for their honeymoon, they find themselves on the grandest and most glamorous stage of all: the Halcyon, a luxury vessel on a very public journey to the most wondrous worlds in the galaxy. Their marriage, and the peace and prosperity it represents, is a lightning rod for everyone in the galaxy—including Imperial remnants still clinging to power.
Facing their most desperate hour, the soldiers of the Empire have dispersed across the galaxy, retrenching on isolated worlds vulnerable to their influence. As the Halcyon travels from world to world, one thing becomes abundantly clear: The war is not over. But as danger draws closer, Han and Leia find that they fight their best battles not alone but as husband and wife.
Heir to the Empire
Heir to the Empire is essential reading material because without it, the rest of the Expanded Universe might not exist. In this book, Zahn manages to construct a new type of Star Wars villain in Grand Admiral Thrawn who defeats his enemies with superior intellect that is every bit as overwhelming as Vader’s Force choke. Luke, Han, Leia, and the entire cast of the Original Trilogy make their triumphant return and must find a way to deal with this new threat who is poised to bring back the Empire even stronger than it was before.
Timothy Zahn has arguably crafted some of the most important books in the Expanded Universe and they all started with Heir to the Empire.
The Force Unleashed
What if Vader had taken on a forbidden apprentice with whom he planned to overthrow the Emperor’s reign? The Force Unleashed answers this question by following the story of the nameless apprentice as he carries out several missions at Vader’s bidding. However, as he explores the galaxy and builds new relationships with those other than his merciless master, the apprentice begins to question his own role in the fate of the galaxy.
In The Force Awakens, Sean Williams composes a brand new story perfectly wedged into a well-known time period complete with a full cast of refreshing new characters. As a stand-alone or a part of the larger saga, this story is a fun read for any fan.
The overthrow of the Republic is complete. Absolute power now rests in the iron fist of Darth Sidious–the cunning Sith Lord better known as Emperor Palpatine. But more remains to be done. Pockets of resistance in the galaxy must still be defeated and missing Jedi accounted for . . . and dealt with. These crucial tasks fall to the Emperor’s ruthless enforcer, Darth Vader, who in turn has groomed a lethal, nameless Sith apprentice to secretly dispatch the last of his masters’ enemies. This acolyte’s journey will take him across the far reaches of the galaxy and test him with shattering revelations that strike at the very heart of all he believes, stirring within him long-forgotten hopes of reclaiming his name . . . and changing his destiny.
Aftermath: Life Debt
While the Emperor and Vader have been defeated, Imperial strongholds still prevail throughout the galaxy. One such stronghold is none other than Chewie’s homeworld of Kashyyyk, which has been transformed by the Empire into a world-wide labor camp. After a failed attempt to free the Wookies from slavery, Chewbacca is imprisoned in Ashmead’s Lock. Han Solo, Norra Wexley, and a handful of other rebels must undertake the mission to free not only Chewbacca, but all of Kashyyyk.
Chuck Wendig continues the post-ROTJ storyline with this, the thrilling middle chapter of his Aftermath trilogy. The book also stars fan favorite characters, including Wedge Antilles, Han Solo, and Chewbacca.
The galaxy is changing, and with peace now a possibility, some dare to imagine new beginnings and new destinies. For Han Solo, that means settling his last outstanding debt, by helping Chewbacca liberate the Wookiee's home world of Kashyyyk.
Meanwhile, Norra Wexley and her band of rebels pursue Admiral Rae Sloane and the remaining Imperial leadership across the galaxy. Sloane, increasingly wary of the mysterious fleet admiral, desperately searches for a means to save the crumbling Empire from oblivion. Even as Imperial forces fight to regain lost ground, Princess Leia and the New Republic seek to broker a lasting peace.
But the rebel's hunt for Admiral Sloane is cut short after the disappearance of Han Solo and Chewbacca. Desperate to save them, Leia conscripts Norra, Sinjir, Jas, and the rest of their team to find the missing smugglers and help them in their fight for freedom.
Aftermath
What many still don't know about the Empire is that it did not instantly crumble with the destruction of the second Death Star. For a long time, those who remained loyal to the Emperor held on, refusing to surrender and accept defeat. In the aftermath of the Battle of Endor, there is still a war to be won. And it's not just up to the high-profile heroes we know and love to get the job done.
Follow an unlikely team of rebel heroes, from old heroes like Wedge Antilles to new ones like Temmin Wexley, as they struggle against what remains of Palpatine's forces and try to save the galaxy from coming undone again.
As the Empire reels from its critical defeats at the Battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance—now a fledgling New Republic—presses its advantage by hunting down the enemy's scattered forces before they can regroup and retaliate. But above the remote planet Akiva, an ominous show of the enemy's strength is unfolding. Out on a lone reconnaissance mission, pilot Wedge Antilles watches Imperial Star Destroyers gather like birds of prey circling for a kill, but is taken captive before he can report back to the New Republic leaders.
Meanwhile, on the planet's surface, former Rebel fighter Norra Wexley has returned to her native world—war weary, ready to reunite with her estranged son, and eager to build a new life in some distant place. But when Norra intercepts Wedge Antilles's urgent distress call, she realizes her time as a freedom fighter is not yet over. What she doesn't know is just how close the enemy is—or how decisive and dangerous her new mission will be.
Determined to preserve the Empire's power, the surviving Imperial elite are converging on Akiva for a top-secret emergency summit—to consolidate their forces and rally for a counterstrike. But they haven't reckoned on Norra and her newfound allies—her technical genius son, a Zabrak bounty hunter, and a reprobate Imperial defector—who are prepared to do whatever they must to end the Empire's oppressive reign once and for all.
Rogue One
Plucked directly from the opening credits of A New Hope, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story brought us exactly the type of adventure that fans had been longing for. The dark yet hopeful tone of the film is mirrored beautifully in the words of Alexander Freed in this novelization as he weaves the tale of Jyn and her compatriots.
As opposed to some other film adaptations, Freed uses this opportunity to create a novel that can truly stand on its own regardless of the reader's previous history with the film. And if you loved Rogue One as much as we did, you'll be awed by his masterful characterizations of the beloved team as they're plunged into the most harrowing moments of their lives.
As the shadows of the Empire loom ever larger across the galaxy, so do deeply troubling rumors. The Rebellion has learned of a sinister Imperial plot to bring entire worlds to their knees. Deep in Empire-dominated space, a machine of unimaginable destructive power is nearing completion. A weapon too terrifying to contemplate . . . and a threat that may be too great to overcome.
If the worlds at the Empire’s mercy stand any chance, it lies with an unlikely band of allies: Jyn Erso, a resourceful young woman seeking vengeance; Cassian Andor, a war-weary rebel commander; Bodhi Rook, a defector from the Empire’s military; Chirrut Îmwe, a blind holy man and his crack-shot companion, Baze Malbus; and K-2SO, a deadly Imperial droid turned against its former masters. In their hands rests the new hope that could turn the tide toward a crucial Rebellion victory—if only they can capture the plans to the Empire’s new weapon.
But even as they race toward their dangerous goal, the specter of their ultimate enemy—a monstrous world unto itself—darkens the skies. Waiting to herald the Empire’s brutal reign with a burst of annihilation worthy of its dreaded name: Death Star.
