CANON
Written by: Mike Chen
Published on: February 3, 2026
Published by: Random House Worlds
Pages: 384
Timeline: 19 BBY
Key characters: Jaylen Barsha, ND-5
Era: Reign of the Empire
Buy the Book: Amazon | Bookshop.org
Publisher’s Summary
Jaylen Barsha, heir to his family’s immense power and wealth, had his life charted out for him neatly and meticulously by his parents, even though he suspected his neglected half-brother Sliro would be a better fit for the bright corporate future his parents envisioned. Then the Empire stripped it all away on trumped-up charges of conspiracy against his family. Before he can reach Sliro for help redeeming the Barsha name, a battle droid arrives at the family compound with a mission: to kill every single last member of the Barsha clan. Jaylen manages to fend off the attack as the sole survivor, but realizes the droid, who he reprograms, is his only chance to stay alive. But he can no longer be Jaylen Barsha—he’ll have to live now as Jaylen Vrax.
Former Separatist battle droid ND-5 knows he should be scrap metal, all things considered. He was a proficient contributor to the Separatist cause, but what is a soldier without a war? A trigger without aim? Loyalty is in his programming, and Jaylen, who treats him as more than just a weapon, has earned it. Perhaps, the droid thinks, with a partner he can be more. ND-5 just has to earn Jaylen’s trust.
With the threat against the Barsha clan still shrouded in mystery, the pair has no choice but to leverage the chaos and disappear. They find sanctuary in the anonymity of the underworld, building their reputation among scoundrels, bounty hunters, and crime syndicates. But when their latest score gives the first real clue in years to who sent ND-5 after Jaylen’s family, their biggest opportunity presents a new kind of risk. Do they give up this chance at the wealth and power Jaylen was denied to pursue answers? Or will ambition and the weight of the past shatter their unlikely partnership?
Quick Summary
Jaylen Barsha and ND-5 disappear into the underworld and become an unlikely team. But how long can they hide from the lives they knew before?
Book Details
Audience: Adult
Author: Mike Chen
Publisher: Random House Worlds
Publication date: February 3, 2026
Language: English
ISBN-10: 593874498
ISBN-13: 978-0593874493
Pages: 384 (hardcover)
