Head of the Class

"You got your spot back. Head of the Class!"
"Mom, why do you even have this?"
"I had to go by your school. Just be sure not to let it slip again."

―Undersecretary Fara and her daughter Fern^[1]

The position of Head of the Class was held by select students at At Attin Middle School Gamma, an educational facility on the isolated planet of At Attin. Heads of the Class wore distinctive badges on their rucksacks. During the New Republic Era, the title was held by the human girl Fern.

Overview

"I worry because there's not a place for everyone at the top."
"I know."

―Fara to Fern, the former pointing out the prestigious dimension of the function^[1]

The position of "Head of the Class"^[2] alternatively spelled as "head of the class,"^[3] was a prestigious position held by some At Attin Middle School Gamma students from the isolated planet of At Attin,^[1] a Jewel of the Old Republic^[4] whose sentient inhabitants were committed to the so-called "Great Work."^[1] A distinctive marking of their position, Heads of the Class would adorn their rucksacks with unique badges bearing Palmarish numerals.^[4] Some holders of the position, however, were not enthusiastic about this prestigious function.^[1]

History

"What, what? What's that symbol? Here, on your rucksack."
"It's 'cause I'm Head of the Class. My mom makes me wear it."

―Astronomer Kh'ymm to Fern, intrigued about the Palmarish numerals^[4]

Fern was Head of the Class in the New Republic Era.

In the New Republic Era, the position of Head of the Class was held by the human^[1] girl^[5] Fern. At some point, however,^[1] she^[5] was relieved of this function. To^[1] her^[3] daughter's dissatisfaction, Undersecretary Fara, Fern's mother, visited At Attin Middle School Gamma and had her child restored to the position. When Fern came back home, Fara shared the news with her, handing her the badge. However, she warned her daughter not to let her intervention slip.^[1] From then on, Fara made Fern wear the badge on her rucksack.^[4]

Fern happened to wear her rucksack when she accidentally left At Attin aboard^[4] the Onyx Cinder,^[6] a pirate starship she had excavated in the woods with her peers.^[1] On their galactic journey, the younglings joined forces with former pirate Captain Jod Na Nawood, who took them to the Observatory Moon. There, the astronomer Kh'ymm noticed Fern's badge. By recognizing the inscription in Palmarish numerals, she managed to pinpoint the location^[4] of At Achrann,^[7] mistakenly assuming it was At Attin.^[4]

Behind the scenes

Fern, the only known Head of the Class, is one of the protagonists of the live-action television series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, which premiered on December 2, 2024.^[8] The function was first identified in the pilot episode of the series, "This Could Be a Real Adventure,"^[1] and the badge representing the function played a crucial role in the episode "Very Interesting, As an Astrogation Problem," where it provided Kh'ymm with a clue to establish what she believed was the location of At Attin.^[4]