"Orientation" by John Jackson Miller

"Orientation" written by John Jackson Miller

     Let me start by saying I absolutely love John Jackson Miller. He is a wonderful author and penned my favorite, albeit not canon, piece of Star Wars literature ever - Lost Tribe of the Sith. It is a brilliant work that tells the ancient story of a group of Sith on a long lost planet. Unfortunately it is, like I said, no longer canon, but it still holds a special place in my heart as we even get to see the Sith species. He also wrote the canon novel A New Dawn which tells the story of how Hera and Kanan hooked up - a worthy read.
     Anyway, on with "Orientation." This is a short story in issue #157 of the Star Wars Insider released in May/June of 2015. It exists as a prequel to the novel Lords of the Sith by Paul S. Kemp - which isn't the best canon book out there, but it's worth a read for the view into Hera Syndulla's papa and the Free Ryloth movement. I again digress.
     "Orientation" is fabulous and even introduces us to a cadet Rae Sloane!! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the last name Sloane and then became super excited when her first name was confirmed. So we now know the origins of Grand Admiral Sloane from the Aftermath trilogy and elsewhere in canon. She's an intelligent cadet who knows what she's doing and gets berated by her commanding officer as he attempts to plot against the Emperor...I won't say just how - you'll have to read to find out. But she knows she's right and Vader does, too. He stands up for the cadet and takes an obvious interest in her. I'd love for us to see even more of Rae Sloane's origins in future tales. She's such a wonderful character.
     So this tale takes place as Vader and the Emperor make their way to Ryloth. During the trip, the Emperor decides to hold a meeting with heads of the navy to discuss his plans for a more streamlined Imperial Academy set up. We meet Commandant Baylo, the commanding officer of the Defiance, an Imperial cruiser molded into a mobile flight school - a really intriguing premise. He has a back injury and is defiant to the last (just as his ship's name suggests) against the Emperor. Baylo's words to the overlord are insanely surprising and direct. I found myself sucking in my breath at his audacity. He's a type of character you certainly don't see often during the Galactic Empire era of Star Wars.
     This story holds so many brilliant little tidbits, I found myself frequently smiling at all the connections and extra details. There's even a simile incorporating a Toydarian whose wings had been clipped. "'a not unpleasant comparison,' Vader thought." I love the reference to Watto and the prequels here. It was perfect.
     We also get a glimpse into Vader's thoughts on being an apprentice and how having one Sith master is not unlike having many Jedi masters, although he concedes that his current master has far more secret knowledge than his previous masters. Apparently Vader takes issue with being relegated to "petty" tasks. Which, with everything we know about Anakin, certainly feels in character.
     In summary, this was an engaging, quick read that got into Vader's head and introduced us to one of my favorite current canon characters - Rae Sloane. I was quite pleased.