Does Orientation also refer to a genre outside of space opera?

It is very much a military school story.

It takes place at the equivalent of an Annapolis or West Point for the Imperial Navy.

There are parallels to that in history.

There were various sailing schools and technical, navigation schools in British naval history.

So it should feel similar to other stories in that regard.

What kind of ideas lead to the development of Baylo?

I wanted him to even predate the Clone Wars.

We might ask ourselves whether Palpatine had some involvement in that or not.

The navy very much serves as a bodyguard for the commercial transit lanes, for the hyperspace lanes.

So I figured that [Baylo] would have come from a similar time.

He wouldve been protective of the traditions that had come before him.

He believes that there is a role for the military, but ruling people is not that role.

Did you intend to make, or continue to make, a statement about Imperial bureaucracy in Orientation?

Theyre opposites, arent they?

Hes using the navy pretty much as we might expect the Republic industrialists would use the navy.

This is the hired muscle to see to it the pirates dont come along to take things away.

A younger Rae Sloane appears in Orientation as a student.

Whose idea was it to include her and thereby tie the story to bothA New DawnandLords of the Sith?

Im trying to remember.

I think it was probably mine.

I knew I had already planted that element inA New Dawn.

I think its right there in chapter one, where I said that she has met Darth Vader.

Im trying to remember when I wrote that.

I left that hanging out there and did not have the time on the page to deal with it.

I thought, I can deal with it in the next arc or the next arc.

So it became a running joke, you know, what happened to Gryph on Serroco?

The Palpatine of Orientation matches the voice of Palpatine in Lords of the Sith so exactly.

Did you read Kemps book before writing Orientation?

I did have a copy of one of the drafts ofLords of the Sith.

It was in many ways very similar because it took place on the bridge of a Star Destroyer.

We also see here that his impulse is to kill.

This is Vader being schooled in the same way as Rae Sloane is being schooled.

The first story arc inKnights of the Old Republicwas Commencement.

Then there was Homecoming.

Were going in reverse order here.

I put a lot of thought into the titles.

Someone asked why I do that and I said I have to live with them for a long time.

What is your modus operandi when writing Vader?

This line is very Sith.

Remember, the Sith are self-centered beyond measure.

Darth Vader is not allowed to be sullen.

Hes not allowed to be disinterested by the Emperor.

Next for you is a short story in theRise of the Empirebind-up, along with your novelA New Dawn.

Can you tell us anything about the new short story?

Just that it was announced officially about an hour ago!

Would you take on another big comic book project likeKnights of the Old Republicif you were asked?

If I were asked and if it was something that made sense for everybody, certainly.

My heart is certainly still close to comics as well as to prose.

Also, on July 1, Marvel is collectingKnights of the Old Republicin those Legends Epic Collections.

People can even start pre-ordering that now.

What would be a dreamStar Warsproject for you?

Getting to write any of this has all been a dream.

Almost all of my work has still been outside of the movie eras.

These are all things that would be on the to-do list at some point.

Where else can people find your current work?

I will eventually do more in that [Overdraft] universe.

Its just a matter of getting the time.

Thank you, John Jackson Miller!