Outlaws: Low Red Moon is an upcoming Star Wars novel set to be written by Mike Chen and set to be published by Random House Worlds on February 3, 2026. The novel acts a prequel to the 2024 video game Star Wars Outlaws and features the characters ND-5 and Jaylen Vrax.
Publisher's summary
ND-5 and Jaylen Vrax embark on their descent into the galaxy's underworld in search of answers and opportunity, in this essential prequel to Star Wars Outlaws.
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?[3]
Development
ND-5, who serves as a protagonist in Low Red Moon
Outlaws: Low Red Moon was first announced during the Lucasfilm Publishing Panel at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 25, 2025.[1] The author Mike Chen first got the idea for the premise of Low Red Moon, during the writing of the 2024 Marvel Comics[5] novel Marvel: What If... Marc Spector Was Host to Venom? A Moon Knight & Venom Story,[6] when his editor Gabriella Munoz suggested that he'd write a novel from the point of view of a murderous droid character.[5] Chen believed Low Red Moon to be the first novel with a droid as a protagonist and as such he and his editors tried to establish lore about droid consciousness.[7] Apart from multiple short stories, 2024's Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss by Steven Barnes also featured chapters written from the perspective of the droid Maya-12.[8]
Chen described the phrase "Low Red Moon" as "the objective" connecting the story of both the two parts of the novel as well as the video game.[9] Additionally the title is partially inspired by the 1993 song of the same name by the alternative rock band Belly.[10]
According to Chen, Low Red Moon is intended to work as a standalone story to be enjoyed by both fans of the video game and readers unfamiliar with the characters.[11] He teased that the novel will feature multiple supporting characters from different Star Wars media, for one of which he consulted fellow author E. K. Johnston.[12] He also originally wanted to include the planet Ghorman in the novel, but was denied to use it as to not interfere with its appearance in the then-upcoming second season of the television series Star Wars: Andor.[13]
Media
Editions
- ISBN 9780593874493; February 3, 2026; Random House Worlds; US hardcover[3]
- ISBN 9780593874509; February 3, 2026; Random House Worlds; US eBook[3]
Cover gallery
Appearances
| Characters | Organisms | Droid models | Events | Locations |
| Organizations and titles | Sentient species | Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
Characters
Droid models
Events
|
Locations
|
Organizations and titles
Sentient species
Weapons and technology
Miscellanea
Sources
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13
SDCC 2025: Highlights from the Lucasfilm Publishing Panel on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑
Jason (@thisdadreads.bsky.social) on Bluesky (post) (backup link)
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 Star Wars: Low Red Moon on Penguin Random House's official website (backup link)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Mike Chen (@mikechenwriter.bsky.social) on Bluesky (post on July 25, 2025): "Here's some macro-level stuff for you: The book takes place in two parts. The first part is 19 BBY, months after Order 66. The second part is 10 BBY, months before Solo. ND and Jaylen alternate POVs the entire book." (screenshot)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Mike Chen (@mikechenwriter.bsky.social) on Bluesky (post on July 25, 2025): "The true origin story of this book actually goes back to my Marvel What If... Venom/Moon Knight book. Because @gmunoz6991.bsky.social was my editor for that, and she asked if I could take my voice work with Venom and create a murdery droid POV." (screenshot)
- ↑ Marvel: What If . . . Marc Spector Was Host to Venom? (A Moon Knight & Venom Story) on Penguin Random House's official website (backup link)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Mike Chen (@mikechenwriter.bsky.social) on Bluesky (post on July 25, 2025): "I believe this is the first novel with a droid POV in SW books. So we established things about interiority, awareness, memory, etc, which was a lot of fun. And ND gets to grow over the course of the book. As for Jaylen, if you've beat Outlaws, you know THE BIG TWIST. This traces back that history." (screenshot)
- ↑ Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss
- ↑ Mike Chen (@mikechenwriter.bsky.social) on Bluesky (post on July 25, 2025): "As Low Red Moon...well, it's the objective of the whole story. It ties together the first part, the second part, and the Outlaws game. I can't say anything more without spoilers. It was also used, though, intentionally as the title to give a sense of pulpy adventure vibe, similar to Outlaws." (screenshot)
- ↑ Mike Chen (@mikechenwriter.bsky.social) on Bluesky (post on July 25, 2025): "Full credit that I first heard the phrase in a 1993 indie rock song from one of my favorite bands though it's been used in a few different pop culture things since then. A gorgeous, haunting, dreamy song: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxQhRSTjJvI" (screenshot)
- ↑ Mike Chen (@mikechenwriter.bsky.social) on Bluesky (post on July 25, 2025): "PS - You don't have to play Outlaws to read this. It works as a standalone story pulling from a bunch of different between-trilogies elements for an underworld/droid protagonist story. So you can either know where ND/Jaylen end up or you can go in cold (but watch cutscenes later!)" (screenshot)
- ↑ Mike Chen (@mikechenwriter.bsky.social) on Bluesky (post on July 25, 2025): "I think I can tease that I pulled supporting cast from all areas of SW media. And several were pie-in-the-sky "no way they'll let me do this" requests. Different fans are going to be VERY happy for different reasons. (I consulted @ekjohnston.bsky.social for one, make of that what you will!)" (screenshot)
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Mike Chen (@mikechenwriter.bsky.social) on Bluesky (post on July 25, 2025): "Finally, I'll end on two little behind-the-scenes notes. This book takes place along the Corellian Trade Spine (where Barsha Corp was HQ'd). I needed a planet for a scene and picked Ghorman. Then I got a note: "don't use Ghorman, it's in Andor s2." As I watched I went "ohhhhhhh I see why" 😬" (screenshot)
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Mike Chen (@mikechenwriter.bsky.social) on Bluesky (post on July 25, 2025): "The first part (about 1/3 of the book) looks at the downfall of Barsha Corp, one of the most powerful corporations in the galaxy. It also gives a glimpse into the early workings of the ISB, post-war droid/clone fallout, and politics in a shifting galaxy." (screenshot)
- ↑ Mike Chen (@mikechenwriter.bsky.social) on Bluesky (post on July 25, 2025): "In the underworld, of course, are key players, from known cartels to smugglers and freelancers. All I can say for now is that I asked to use a bunch of names and all but one got approved. Remember the time period: 10 BBY. So you can think about who might be active around then." (screenshot)
