Hey all, I wanted to give you an update on where I currently stand with Star Wars: Episode I – The Chosen One and a few things to come in the future.

First, I want to show you a humorous quote about why I should really be writing TCO faster than I am now. This came from a conversation Squishy Vic and I had the other day on Facebook.

Brandon: “I’m getting worried about my promise to finish TCO by the apocalypse. With all these earthquakes, that giant meteor (Revelation 8:10? Anyone?), and f***ing Iceland and their stupid volcano, that could be soon. I may have to follow through on that.”

Vic: “O_O You’re right. We’re f***ed.”

Brandon: “Lucifer walks free, and he demands TCO.”

— Me and Vic

So maybe I should hurry up….

ANYWAY, that aside, I’m still working on Chapter 17. It’s one of those chapters that intimidates me, since it’s a major chapter, so I’m taking it pretty slow, but it’s coming along nicely. A lot of big stuff happens and, if it comes out well, it should be pretty powerful, at least that’s my goal. I’d like to get this out within the next two weeks.

One thing that’s changed since my last updates is that Chapter 17 will now be the END of part 1. It’s a great place to end it, and it ties things up (like the Ophuchi storyline) as if Part 1 were a novel in and of itself (and it’s certainly long enough to be one). Want a spoiler? Here’s the last sentence of Part 1: “This time, things would be different.”

ooooOOOoOoOOoOOOOOooooOooOOOoooo

The events of Chapter 18 will now be tied in with other events for that chapter, and it will be the first chapter of Part 2.

So once Part 1 is finished, I’m going to do my own personal review of everything in the book so far, and I’ll ask a few other people to do it too if they’re willing. I’ll clean up any typos and the like, I may beef up a few descriptions (particularly in the initial Utapau invasion), and there are just a few story elements I’ll be changing. This is NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT a rewrite again. These are just some improvements and tweaks to make part 1 the best it can be before moving on. It’s easier to get it the best it can be now instead of waiting until the whole book is finished, because that would be a HUGE review.

So again, THIS IS NOT A REWRITE. Don’t get worried that I’m going to go back and rewrite the whole thing. Hell I’m halfway done with these tweaks anyway, since I’ve been working on them on and off. When I release them, I’ll post a list of changes chapter by chapter.

Also between the writing of part 1 and part 2, I’m going to be writing another short story. This is going to be called Beauty That Belies a Dark Nature, set between The Tragedy and TCO, and it’ll put focus on the Guardians of Lettow. Characters include Lilith and Darth Maul. It’s a character exploration like Star Wars: The Tragedy, though it’s not a big event like The Tragedy was. This is a minor event but it helps in the grand scheme of things. SPOILER ALERT: There are no surprise appearances by Ussej Padric Bac in this one. =P

As far as ASWS SWF articles are involved, I’ll also be working on some new featured articles. These will include:

• Darth Plagueis (ASWS)
• Darth Maul (ASWS)
• Ophuchi Clan

And a few others.

So that’s basically all I have to say. Feel free to comment!

Until next time,

Brandon

Beginning today, April 2, 2010, my latest short story, Star Wars: The Tragedy, is being showcased as a featured work on Star Wars Fanon, which will last throughout the month of April. The following is the excerpt currently being shown on the wiki’s main page:

“It’s tragic, really, seeing you like this,” the man’s voice called out from behind, one so full of sadness, of regret over what could have been but wasn’t. “It’s not too late, you know. You’re the shatterpoint for everything destiny says is supposed to happen. Do the right thing and fate can be irrevocably changed from this point on.”

Plagueis couldn’t deny that, even if he’d wanted to. His old friend had told him about the coming days so long ago, but he’d dismissed it as a foolish man’s deluded fantasy. Yet over the years, as events began to unfold, he’d come to realize that maybe everyone’s fate was set in stone, that he’d been unknowingly guided down this road by the Force despite what he may have wanted.

And yet even so, part of him felt like he truly did want what was coming to him. Was that the Force playing with his mind, or did he have his own part to play in his ultimate destiny? He felt like he was making decisions, and his own wants and desires seemed to come from within, yet here was a man telling him that someone, or something, had decided that for him, but at the same time he could change it. It was enough to drive a man mad, though he’d already made his choice, even if it was futile.

“Once you start down the dark path,” Plagueis told him, “it will forever dominate your destiny. You can’t stop it from consuming you. My fate is sealed, not because someone wrote it thousands of years ago, but because I want this. I’m tired, and now I’m done.”

Click here for more information about the story, and here to read the story itself. Also be sure to check the Star Wars Fanon main page throughout the month of April to see the story featured there!

Today on the Star Wars Fanon wiki, my short story Star Wars: The Tragedy received featured work status! A featured work on that wiki is defined as a “work of fan-fiction, in narrative or graphic form, that exemplifies quality.” Stories need to receive at least two out of four votes from the Archivists, the review board in charge of maintaining the featured works, and five additional votes, whether they be from other Archivists or non-Archivists. Featured works are displayed for at least one month on the Star Wars Fanon main page (though it can be longer if there are no new featured works available, which is often the case), and they are denoted by a featured works icon on their article’s.

Voters who reviewed The Tragedy described it with comments such as “Brilliant,” “Excellent,” “Really good,” and a “sure bet for FW status.” One longer review came from Atarumaster88, a member of the Archivists and the creator of the featured works program. Giving The Tragedy his support, Ataru said:

The Tragedy is possibly the shortest fan work you’ll ever read by veteran author Brandon Rhea, and yet it sticks to the tried and true philosophies that have long-governed the works-in-progress that Rhea is writing. The focus is on the characterization, with a deep and introspective look into the mind of a Sith Lord who isn’t obsessed with power or conquest. Instead, in an “alternative” perspective, the Sith Lord is less concerned with galactic conquest and the destruction of the Jedi Order and is more resigned to his fate. It’s an interesting take to see how a Sith could be so resigned to his fate, and it’s certainly contradictory to many of the portraits of Sith characters that have been painted in canon. However, this is fanon and so I digress.

Fans of the Alternative Star Wars Saga will enjoy the tie-ins with one of the central (and longest-lived) characters while those who prefer their Sith Lords more subdued and less pure evil will appreciate the melancholy nature of Plagueis. The descriptions are well-constructed, the characterization is fairly deep for a story of its size, and the plot keeps the reader interested, and certainly doesn’t disappoint with various twists. The main complaint is that some of the dialogue is reminiscent of some of the cheesiest Star Wars cliches, though whether these are intentional homages or not will be up to the reader to decide. Aside from a few other minor technical issues and a bit of forgivable melodrama, this is a good story. 4 out of 5 narrative, 4 out of 5 technical.

I really appreciate all of the enthusiasm and support this story has received. Ussej Padric Bac, one of the central characters in the story and, indeed, the Alternative Saga, was the first character I created, all the way back in 2005. As a role-playing character, he interacted a lot with Damien Nightblade, so being able to write this story and having it so well-received means a lot. Thanks to everyone who voted to make this happen.

Click here for more information about the story, and here to read the story itself. Also be sure to check the Star Wars Fanon main page throughout the month of April to see the story featured there!

Late this evening, Dalton Wylind—the author and creator of the fan fiction series Darth Wylind Productions—was kind enough to share with the Star Wars Fanon blog his thoughts on my latest story, Star Wars: The Tragedy. Rather than paraphrasing Wylind, I’ll quote his review. It was very generous and I was happy to see that he really enjoyed the story. I want to thank him for taking the time to review the story, as The Tragedy really means a lot to me. Here’s the review (SPOILER ALERT):

Immediately upon reading the first section of the story, I began to feel a sense of “oh, boy, grandpa’s drunk during story time again.” The beginning recited a couple lines from Episode III of the canon Star Wars film series, which I found interesting in the sense that it reminds you that the ASWS isn’t something on its own entirely, but rather a re-imagining of the canon Star Wars saga.

The “real” story itself begins with astonishing attention to emotion and feeling that remains with the reader throughout the course of the entire story. Rather than simply putting “It was raining,” for example, Rhea went above-and-beyond to capture the reader’s interest through the means of explaining and giving detail, as well as showing the emotions of a fictitious character to the point where they are able to be related to.

While reading, I was able to feel the emotions of Darth Plagueis and his knowledge and wisdom. In fact, it made me laugh when I found out he already realized his life was soon over, yet was going to take no action despite possessing knowledge about his impending death. I enjoyed reading a little bit about Plagueis’ back story and how he seemed somewhat able to be related to. His love for the princess that died and his life as a Jedi long ago show there is a softer, more personal side than just the cruel ways of the Sith Order—at least there was, of course.

You can tell this information wasn’t added just to be referenced to in articles on the wiki. It actually had a purpose: to tell the back-story of a Sith Lord that, in my point of view, wasn’t all that sadistic and evil as most Star Wars works portray them to be. In fact, I enjoyed that little difference; it’s nice when authors make readers aware that Sith are people, too. The fact that Plagueis is sitting in silence contemplating his life shows that he does have a mind and a conscious.

Just as any person who knows who Brandon Rhea is, I enjoyed the sudden appearance of Ussej Padric Bac into the story, and his tendency to pop-out of nowhere during the most important events in galactic history. The fact that he, one of the holiest individuals in the galaxy, was trying to save a Sith Lord was quite interesting. It goes to show the power of the friendship the two once held for one another. I enjoyed that inclusion.

Of course, one of the greatest parts of the novel is Plagueis’ murder at the hands of his apprentice, as is the way of the Sith. It is obvious that there is such malice to this unidentified Sith apprentice, who appears to be very brutish and—well—downright evil as hell. The detail in the murder is outstanding, as well as the portrayal of the apprentice’s emotions and thoughts. The apprentice’s desires and lust for power and control and mastership was what was bound to be found in most Sith. Perhaps what I enjoyed most about this scene was how Plagueis remained silent and pretended as though he hadn’t known about his own murder.

The coldness and the cruelty in the apprentice’s actions were very memorable, as was the appearance of Darth Maul, the new Dark Lord’s apprentice. The Dark Lord’s coldness and ruthlessness is once again displayed when he orders Maul to kill the pregnant woman who is to birth the Chosen One—though he does this without verbal communication written on the page, instead deciding to embrace the fact that he is all-powerful by speaking only through the Force.

Finally, the revelation that the murdered Darth Plagueis is none other than Damien Nightblade, formerly the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order during the Great Territorial War, was an absolutely shocking and beautiful twist. The sadness and regret Ussej feels regarding his now-deceased former friend is heart touching.

Overall, I believe that Rhea has truly created something amazing here. I find The Tragedy to be an outstanding story that is both memorable and capable of leaving readers begging for more. To put a numbered rating on it, I’d give this story 5 out of 5 stars, a perfect score. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it that I can find.

Thanks again to Wylind for the review! Click here for more information about the story, and here to read the story itself.

About a week ago, I released the final edition of a short Alternative Saga story I wrote called The Tragedy, which was edited, as always, by Solus. Set nineteen years before my novel Star Wars: Episode I – The Chosen One, the story focuses on the events surrounding the murder of Darth Plagueis the Wise and the ascension of his apprentice to the Sith throne, as well as the new Dark Lord’s desire to prevent the birth of Annikin Skywalker. The story also emphasizes the end of the former friendship of Ussej Padric Bac and Plagueis—formerly Jedi Grandmaster Damien Nightblade.

I originally published the story on Star Wars Fanon back on February 28th, but I released it just last week. Now it features new scenes and an expanded exploration of the characters. There are only four characters in the story (spoiler alert): Darth Plagueis, Ussej Padric Bac, the Dark Lord, and Darth Maul. Additionally, Solus not only edited the story, but she also provided the cover art (which you can see above, using an image by Belldandy1-Stock). Reviews for The Tragedy have been favorable, and it is currently nominated for featured work status on Star Wars Fanon.

Here is an excerpt from the story to wet your tongues a bit before you read it:

“It’s tragic, really, seeing you like this,” the man’s voice called out from behind, one so full of sadness, of regret over what could have been but wasn’t. “It’s not too late, you know. You’re the shatterpoint for everything destiny says is supposed to happen. Do the right thing and fate can be irrevocably changed from this point on.”

Plagueis couldn’t deny that, even if he’d wanted to. His old friend had told him about the coming days so long ago, but he’d dismissed it as a foolish man’s deluded fantasy. Yet over the years, as events began to unfold, he’d come to realize that maybe everyone’s fate was set in stone, that he’d been unknowingly guided down this road by the Force despite what he may have wanted.

And yet even so, part of him felt like he truly did want what was coming to him. Was that the Force playing with his mind, or did he have his own part to play in his ultimate destiny? He felt like he was making decisions, and his own wants and desires seemed to come from within, yet here was a man telling him that someone, or something, had decided that for him, but at the same time he could change it. It was enough to drive a man mad, though he’d already made his choice, even if it was futile.

“Once you start down the dark path,” Plagueis told him, “it will forever dominate your destiny. You can’t stop it from consuming you. My fate is sealed, not because someone wrote it thousands of years ago, but because I want this. I’m tired, and now I’m done.”

Click here to read the story. Feel free to leave comments and feedback!

You know how it ends. Now discover how it begins.

As of February 21, 2010, the Ophuchi Clan has a storyline on TheStarWarsRP.Com. So far, the only Ophuchi who has been introduced to the role-play is Elias, who was established in Star Wars: Episode I – The Chosen One as being the first leader of the Ophuhci Clan. This story will essentially play out how he created the Ophuchi Clan about 2,000 years after the schism that broke apart the Great Order (which *SPOILER ALERT* has been revealed to be the Order of the Jedi Bendu).

I’m looking forward to this story as I think it’ll be great to explore how this group came together. It’ll also be nice to see how the Clan was before Sarus became such a fanatic. Stay tuned, as I’ll update this as more information is known! Here is the only thread that’s available with Ophuchi stuff as of now.

Until next time,

Brandon

“If the Chosen One isn’t going to free himself, then we’re going to do it for him.”

Those ominous words are what ended the fifteenth chapter of Star Wars: Episode I – The Chosen One, a chapter that was released nearly three months ago, and now you’ll see the payoff to those words. Now, after this hiatus, I’m ready to release Chapter 16, fittingly called “Measure of a Man,” which is the climax of Part 1. There are still two more chapters left in Part 1 of the book, which I hope to have released by Sunday, February 28th, 2010, but this is what the Ophuchi arc has been building up to. I won’t say anything more because I don’t want to spoil anything.

Also on February 28th, I’ll be releasing an updated prologue to the book, which will have a significant change. The change will be a removal of a certain scene, but I’m still going to keep that scene as ASWS canon. It just won’t be in the book since it doesn’t fit like I hoped it would.

Anyway, without further adieu, here is the sixteenth chapter of The Chosen One:

• The Chosen One, Chapter 16

This chapter is a whopping 24 pages long, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time to read it.

Thanks to Solus for continuing her editing work, and thanks to Edward Oliver for the tremendous help he gave me with the battle scene. As always, comments and feedback are GREATLY appreciated.

Current stats:

• Page Count: 237
• Word Count: Approximately 136,100

Until next time,

Brandon

I swore I’d never make one of these, but in an effort to branch out to new readers beyond just TheStarWarsRP.Com and Star Wars Fanon, the Alternative Star Wars Saga now has a Twitter page! Click here to see it.

If you’re interested in the Alternative Saga, such as Star Wars: Episode I – The Chosen One or Star Wars: The Alderaan Affair, and you have a Twitter account, be sure to follow us for the latest updates on the project!

I know many of you have negative opinions about Twitter. I’m not the biggest fan of it either, but this is a good tool to try and branch out a bit. Try to do more in comments than just flame. =P

- Brandon

Rachel Hurd-Wood as Princess Leia in the Alternative Star Wars Saga

I’m writing this blog posting trying to figure out where the hell the last five years went, because they’ve gone by in a flash. There’s been hurricanes and terrorists, Al Gore and global warming, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain, Iraq and Afghanistan; it’s all a blur. Hell the Red Sox won the World Series after eight decades, and then they won it AGAIN. So much has happened over the last five years, but obviously I wouldn’t waste a blog posting to say that.

This post is to commemorate December 13, 2009 – the fifth anniversary of the Alternative Star Wars Saga (note: I made a blog posting about this on 12/13 on the Star Wars Fanon wiki, but I forgot to add it here!). Five years ago I was working on a little website called Sequel-Trilogy.co.uk. The idea was to release fake spoilers and production notes as if the original Star Wars trilogy was being made after Revenge of the Sith. It wasn’t like SuperShadow where we’d be misleading anyone, but it was a fun idea where we would look at what it would be like if the originals were being made today. This website was founded by Michael Jones, who was also going to direct and do all the animation for the now-canceled animated movie about Star Wars: Episode I – The Chosen One, but the website (later renamed Sequel-Trilogy.Net) is now defunct.

On December 13, 2004, I received an e-mail from Gregg Tasoulas (known as Ker-Soth), one of the many people working on the “sequel trilogy” project. It said this (spelling and grammar has NOT been cleaned up):

Hi Brandon. You know drevilbob thought of creating a fake sequel trilogy site, a chronologicaly correct release for epIV-V-VI.

I was thinking about writing a completely new script for the episodes, mirroring the better knowledge we have about what happened before.No point in hiding Vader’s identity or the Emperor. Would you like to commit yourself to release a new epIV + one shot novels for the downtime after ROTS?

We’re thinking about creating something that will be completely new, and will have the feel that it is not a separate trilogy(maybe still thinking about that), rather it will continue to search the original characters and bring new ones. If you have any interest or idea please contact me again.

Ker-Soth

And so began the Alternate Trilogy, which later spawned Brandon Rhea’s Alternative Star Wars Saga, which in turn spawned the creation of the Alternative Star Wars Saga after merging with the Squishy Vic Series.

I’ve been going over a lot of e-mails and old production notes lately, so I’m planning on putting together a brief “making of” e-book about the development, writing, etc. of the ASWS up until this point. It’ll include original plot outlines and various other details and anecdotes about the creation of the ASWS starting all the way back on December 13, 2004. I’m really enjoying this walk down memory lane and I hope you do too. You’ll also get to see the development of a lot of ASWS characters like Kane Starkiller and the lovely lady whose picture is at the top of this blog posting.

I’ll keep you updated on the progress of this mini-book. Hope you enjoy it when it’s done!

Until next time,

Brandon Rhea

P.S.
Give Solus a big round of applause for that Leia image. It’s fantastic. All I did was supply the image of Rachel Hurd-Wood, but Solus made her Leia. It came out great.

This is pretty much a shameless plug and a pat on the back for myself, but I thought it’d be nice to mention that today, November 20th, is the two year anniversary of when I started releasing Star Wars: Episode I – The Chosen One. Ironically, this time last year, I was further into the novel than I am now, which is due to the fact that I began the second draft of the novel last January. I’m glad I did too, as it’s much better now than it was then.

I’m not going to ramble on with this, but I wanted to take this opportunity to mention the length of the novel and how it’s essentially progressed from being what was originally called “The Phantom Menace.” Yes, I was going to keep the title, but a change in the novel’s tone caused me to change to “The Chosen One.” That’s obvious now, since the focus of the novel is on Annikin Skywalker and his destiny.

Taking out the cover pages and all of the other non-narrative pages, the novel currently has exactly 200 pages (OK, so it’s actually 199, but who’s counting?), and that’s only with a prologue and 14 chapters. I’m literally only around a third of the way or so through this novel, and I’ve hit 200 pages. Assuming current trends hold, I’m looking at a 600 page novel with something like 350,000 words. I’m really surprised that my dinky little AU novel has turned into this seemingly never-ending epic. And I only say epic in regards to the type of story it is and not the quality of the story, but I can only hope that you’ll find the completed story to be epic as well.

Be sure to check out the upcoming content release scheduled for Sunday, November 29th!