Bloodline (novel)

"The sun is setting on the New Republic. It's time for the Resistance to rise."

- Leia Organa

Bloodline is a canon novel written by Claudia Gray. The story takes place six years prior to Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens and centers on Princess Leia Organa as she serves as a member of the Galactic Senate of the New Republic. Throughout the novel, Princess Leia contends with different threats to the Republic, both internal and external, in a series of events that ultimately leads to the formation of the Resistance that appeared in The Force Awakens.

The novel, which was released on May 3, 2016, was first announced on October 10, 2015, before the premiere of The Force Awakens. It was originally given the title New Republic: Bloodline before it was shortened to simply Bloodline. Rian Johnson, the director of Star Wars: Episode VIII, contributed some ideas to the novel.

Publisher's summary
WITNESS THE BIRTH OF THE RESISTANCE

''When the Rebellion defeated the Empire in the skies above Endor, Leia Organa believed it was the beginning to a lasting peace. But after decades of vicious infighting and partisan gridlock in the New Republic Senate, that hope seems like a distant memory.''

''Now a respected senator, Leia must grapple with the dangers that threaten to cripple that fledging democracy&mdash;from both within and without. Underworld kingpins, treacherous politicians, and Imperial loyalists are sowing chaos in the galaxy. Desperate to take action, senators are calling for the election of a First Senator. It is their hope that this influential post will bring strong leadership to a divided galaxy.''

''As the daughter of Darth Vader, Leia faces with distrust the prospect of any one person holding such a powerful position&mdash;even when supporters suggest Leia herself for the job. But a new enemy may make this path Leia's only option. For at the edges of the galaxy, a mysterious threat is growing....''

Development
"And I can't say it enough. [Claudia Gray] took a page full of ideas that we passed along to [Jen Heddle] and turned it into amazing novel."

- Pablo Hidalgo, Lucasfilm Story Group creative executive

Bloodline was first announced on October 10, 2015 with the title New Republic: Bloodline, as was the involvement of author Claudia Gray. Several of the ideas that Gray incorporated into the novel were developed specifically for the backstory of the film Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, which is set six years after Bloodline. The character of Ransolm Casterfo existed in various forms in the earliest versions of The Force Awakens. Rian Johnson, the writer and director of Star Wars: Episode VIII, also proposed a number of ideas that made it into the novel. These ideas include the disposition of the New Republic's government and the makeup of its political factions.

A prominent part of the novel's story involves the revelation that Darth Vader was Anakin Skywalker, and that Leia Organa is his daughter. This was part of a proposed animated short, which would have been set before The Force Awakens, that was pitched in 2012. The short was titled "Scandal of Blood," which Lucasfilm Story Group creative executives Pablo Hidalgo and Rayne Roberts called 'Star Wars House of Cards.' Both Hidalgo and Roberts hoped to see the story turned into a novel. This, like many other ideas that the Story Group presented to Senior Editor Jennifer Heddle, were incorporated into Bloodline.

A description of the novel along with an excerpt of its thirteenth chapter was released by USA Today on February 4, 2016.