Alternative Star Wars Saga
Register
Advertisement
Star Wars: The Alderaan Affair
Attribution
Author(s)

Wayne Lipman III[1]

Editor(s)

Solus[1]

Publication information
Publisher

Star Wars Fanon Wiki[1]

Chronology
Canon

Non-canon (Star Wars canon)[1]
Canon (Alternative Star Wars Saga)[1]

Era

Rise of the Empire era[1]
Alternative Star Wars Saga[1]

Timeline

7 BBY - 2 BBY[1]

Series

Alternative Star Wars Saga[1]

Preceded by

Star Wars: Episode III

Followed by

Veil of Darkness

Star Wars: The Alderaan Affair is an Alternative Star Wars Saga fan fiction novel written by Wayne Lipman III, with fellow Alternative Saga author Solus providing feedback as the story progresses. Co-winner of the Best Fan Work Award in the Fourth Star Wars Fanon Wiki Awards, the novel has been in production since late 2008 and is currently being released chapter-by-chapter as each is finished on the Star Wars Fanon Wiki. Since production began, seven chapters have been released, each one having received at least one rewrite during the production process.

Set a few years before the Galactic Civil War, the novel re-imagines the early years of Princess Leia Organa on Alderaan and focuses on how she meets a young nerf herder named Epin Lanmaw. Although other characters and their feelings on various situations may be explored, Lipman devotes most of the novel to exploring the relationship between Epin and Leia. It also details Epin’s relationship with his abusive father, as well as Epin’s involvement in the Black Manka fight club and the effects that each has upon him. Epin also learns that he has sensitivity to the Force from Darth Traya, who is somehow connected to his family, by giving him guidance and focusing on what she tells him is his powerful family and the bloody history of his ancestors.

After completing the novel, a sequel and a prequel are set to be written. The sequel, Veil of Darkness, will explore Epin’s involvement with the Galactic Empire while Betrayal, the prequel, will tell the story of Darth Traya and her place in the Lanmaw family. A release date for either of the novels, both set to be written by Lipman, has yet to be determined.

Synopsis[]

In Aldera, the capital city of the Core World Alderaan, twelve year old nerf herder Epin Lanmaw is confronted by a gang called the Sons of Alderaan in the streets. The leader of the group, Arod Vekkar, beats Epin up, but the gang is chased off by Alderaanian Princess Leia Organa, the adopted daughter of Queen Breha Organa and former Imperial Senator Bail Organa.[2] Leia, who was walking home from Madame Vesta's Select Academy, helps Epin up, and Epin tells Leia that he thinks she is pretty. Embarrassed by the admission, Epin agrees to walk the princess back to the royal palace.[3] When they arrive, Senator Organa offers Epin medical care, but Epin refuses it and instead returns home.[4]

When Epin returns home, he is chastised and abused by his father, a former Jedi named Sadvo Lanmaw, for being beaten up by the gang. Epin later tells his family that he and Leia are friends. Meanwhile, Leia tells her adoptive sister, Winter Celchu, about what happened with Epin, and Leia says that she is attracted to Epin. Winter makes fun of her until their mother, Queen Breha Organa, enters their bedroom to say goodnight to them. That same night, at the Lanmaw residence, Epin and his mother, also a former Jedi named Lania Lanmaw, discuss an upper class social event called a “matching”, and Epin decides to go with his father to load nerfs in the morning for a delivery.[5]

The next morning, Epin wakes up from a dream he had of being confronted by the Sons of Alderaan, and he immediately sets out to work with Sadvo. Later that day, Sadvo and Epin make a delivery of nerfs to the royal palace, where they are greeted by Queen Breha personally. The queen thanks Epin for walking Leia home, which she says lifted Leia’s spirits from a small bout of depression.[6] As Epin and his father are returning home, Sadvo stops their speeder and mocks his son for what happened with the princess, abusing him once again.[7]

Meanwhile in the palace, Bail Organa has a conversation with Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi from the time of the Clone Wars who is now going by the name “Ben”. Organa tells Kenobi about Leia and Epin, and Kenobi recalls knowing Epin’s parents while they were still Jedi. Kenobi could not, however, go into any more detail without retrieving information from the archives in the Jedi Temple, which Kenobi says is impossible. Organa agrees to keep Kenobi posted and they then end their transmission.[7]

While Epin is lying on the side of the road where his father abused him, he has a vision of a woman who tells him to go to the Ophuchi Mountains, although he brushes it off as just a dream. After returning home, he has another vision of him climbing the mountains, although he is woken up by his twin sister, Rena, who tells him that he has to do his chores. As Epin is working on his chores, Leia arrives with her father, and Leia and Epin begin talking about the upper class matching. Neither of them like the idea of it, and as they are talking Epin gives Leia a cardiff flower. Leia kisses him in thanks before leaving with her father.[7]

When Leia and her father leave, Organa tells her that the Lanmaw’s were invited to dinner at the palace. He also reminded Leia that, despite the fact that she kissed Epin, she was still royalty and had to attend the matching. At that same time, Epin tries to convince Rena that Leia kissed him, but it is to no avail. Later that night, the Lanmaws arrive for dinner, and Leia gives Epin a tour of the palace. After the tour, the group begins their dinner. During the meal, it is revealed by both Rena and Leia that Leia kissed Epin earlier that day. After dinner, as the Lanmaw's leave the palace, the Organas are happy to see that Leia has found someone that she likes,[8] although Sadvo is much less happy for Epin. As the Lanmaw's drive home, Sadvo tells Epin that he is not good enough for Leia, prompting Lania to take a stand and defend Epin against Sadvo.[9]

Release[]

Star Wars: The Alderaan Affair is currently being released chapter-by-chapter as each is completed on the Star Wars Fanon Wiki. As of February 16, 2009, seven chapters have been completed and each one has gone through some form of rewrite. Production has temporarily halted due to author Wayne Lipman III's hectic work schedule, although production is expected to resume in the very near future.[1]

Table of contents[]

Appearances[]

Development[]

In late March 2008, fan fiction authors Squishy Vic, Wayne Lipman III and Brandon Rhea merged their respective continuities into one fanon continuity, calling it the Alternative Star Wars Saga. Squishy Vic and Rhea both had fan fiction novels in production at the time; Squishy Vic had been working on Star Wars: Knighthood, now called Acceptance, while Rhea was writing the first episode of a Star Wars film re-imagining called Star Wars: Episode I - The Chosen One. The entire Alternative Saga also served as a re-imagining of the Star Wars canon continuity.[10]

A few months before Squishy Vic left the project, Lipman began working on his own novel. The Alderaan Affair, which became the first novel put into production and release after the establishment of the Alternative Saga, was officially announced by Lipman on September 30, 2008. The first two segments of the novel were released that same day.[11] As of February 16, 2009, seven chapters of the novel have been released, the latest chapter having been released on November 16, 2008.[12] Around this same time, fellow Alternative Saga author Solus began consulting Lipman on the story as it progressed, and Lipman released some rewrites to the seven chapters in late December 2008. The production of the novel is currently in hiatus, as Lipman has been busy at work.[1]

Lipman has had many influences when writing The Alderaan Affair, particularly in the form of media sources. He enjoys reading Stephen King novels, enjoying “a good horror [or] violent story” to help him write, and he is also influenced by the music he listens to. This music includes bands such as Slayer, DevilDriver and Slipknot, and Lipman uses them to convey anger and aggression in his characters. Lipman also listens to Killswitch Engage’s album "The End of Heartache", as he believes many songs on it deal with pain and loss. This allows him to portray such emotions in the narrative.[13]

While developing the novel, Lipman also chose three themes for the novel. The first is loyalty to family, which Lipman states is exemplified in Epin’s constant struggle to gain acceptance from his father. Loyalty to friends is the second theme, illustrated by Leia and Epin’s friendship that develops throughout the novel. The third theme is compassion, which Lipman says is shown by Leia helping Epin in the story, particularly in the first two chapters when dealing with the Sons of Alderaan gang members.[13]

Reception[]

As of February 2009, reviews for The Alderaan Affair have been relatively positive. Joe Butler, a former user on the Star Wars Fanon Wiki, praised Lipman, for his work on the novel, saying that Butler could “feel the emotion [and] the adrenaline”, even though Lipman was not “fluffing up [the] writing with cotton”.[14] Although fellow Alternative Saga founders Rhea and Squishy Vic noted a certain lack of detail in some points of The Alderaan Affair, they nonetheless praised the work as well.[15] On February 15, 2009, The Alderaan Affair was given, along with The Drewton Legacy photonovel series by fan fiction author Andrew Barton, the Best Fan Work Award in the Fourth Star Wars Fanon Wiki Awards. The Alderaan Affair and The Drewton Legacy both received three votes out of a total eight votes cast in the Best Fan Work category. The Alternative Saga novel Star Wars: Episode I - The Chosen One also was in the running and received one vote.[16]

Notes and references[]

Advertisement