Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker must stem the tide of the raging Clone Wars and forge a new bond as Jedi Knights.
The Clone Wars have begun. Battle lines are being drawn throughout the galaxy. With every world that joins the Separatists, the peace guarded by the Jedi Order is slipping through their fingers.
After an explosion devastates Cato Neimoidia, the jewel of the Trade Federation, the Republic is blamed and the fragile neutrality of the planet is threatened. The Jedi dispatch Obi-Wan Kenobi, one of the Order's most gifted diplomatic minds, to investigate the crime and maintain the balance that has begun to dangerously shift. As Obi-Wan investigates with the help of a heroic Neimoidian guard, he finds himself working against the Separatists who hope to draw the planet into their conspiracy—and senses the sinister hand of Asajj Ventress in the mists that cloak the planet.
Amid the brewing chaos, Anakin Skywalker rises to the rank of Jedi Knight. Despite the mandate that Obi-Wan travel alone–and his former master's insistence that he listen this time—Anakin's headstrong determination means nothing can stop him from crashing the party, and bringing along a promising but conflicted youngling.
Once a Padawan to Obi-Wan, Anakin now finds himself on equal—but uncertain—footing with the man who raised him. The lingering friction between them increases the danger for everyone around them. The two knights must learn a new way to work together—and they must learn quickly, to save Cato Neimoidia and its people from the fires of war. To overcome the threat they face they must grow beyond master and apprentice. They must stand together as brothers.
Brotherhood was known as "Playground Fight" during production. It was announced by StarWars.com on October 7, 2021, along with other upcoming titles. During its development, Chen worked closely with fellow Star Wars author E. K. Johnston, whose novel Queen's Hope is set slightly prior to Brotherhood. The two authors ensured their stories synced together and created ties between them. Chen based the mannerisms, voice, and outfit of the character Ruug Quarnom on Kira Nerys from Star Trek. The Korgee beast got its name from the corgi.
The mission to Cato Neimoidia featured in the novel is the same incident first mentioned in the 2005 film Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. "Anakin Skywalker," a 2021 issue of De Agostini's Star Wars Encyclopedia series, had previously stated that Kenobi and Skywalker undertook an operation on Cato Neimoidia shortly before the Battle of Yerbana, which it claimed to be the event referenced in Revenge of the Sith. The encyclopedia's account roughly corresponds to the Star Wars Legends continuity's depiction of the event from the 2005 novel Labyrinth of Evil, written by James Luceno. Due to his love of Labyrinth of Evil and because his book takes place much earlier in the timeline, author Mike Chen has stated fans are free to continue to view the events seen in Labyrinth as "that business," even stating the two stories can co-exist.
Another connection with a Legends novel comes with a tie to the Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matthew Stover: while that novelization sees a mission to an unidentified dead star system from Anakin Skywalker's point of view, Chen included a re-canonization of the scene, but now from Kenobi's perspective. The image of Anakin and Obi-Wan running together on the inside cover of the book is sourced from the cover of the 2002 Legends comic book Practice Makes Perfect.
A portion of the Clone Wars duel between Skywalker and Ventress in which the rain hammers against both opponents, a key part of Mike Chen's assumption of how the duel could occur in canon.
With the personal mission to reference it as much as possible, Chen also included a number of references to the Star Wars: Clone Wars microseries. Chen considered that the microseries could be seen as representing a HoloNet-dramatized versions of actual events—meaning that while liberties were taken for audiences, the bones of what had occurred were still accurate. He felt this was partially due to the stylized way action is portrayed in the Clone Wars series feeling disconnected to the films. The author also noted that his personal approach helped him consolidate what had happened in the films to what had happened in the series effectively during the novel's planning process.
The phrase "Like fire across the galaxy" is from Clone Wars. Windu's role in the fighting on Dantooine and Grievous's battle with Ki-Adi-Mundi were also referenced in the novel. Chen purposely alluded to the duel on Yavin 4 between Skywalker and Ventress shown in Clone Wars, with, in his words, "some caveats." The mention he included that agents of Count Dooku had been sent after Skywalker previously referenced the duel. Assuming that the Clone Wars duel occurred in a dark, rainy environment, Chen posited that Skywalker could have fought Ventress previously without realizing who she was or getting a good look at her. Skywalker also presumed he had bested the enemy. Still, he recognizes her Ginivex-class fanblade starfighter, while Ventress is more than aware of who the Jedi is. The book did not go into more detail because it would have taken too much exposition.
The events of Brotherhood see Kenobi and Skywalker adopt appearances that match their Star Wars: The Clone Wars designs, suggesting all appearances that stray closer to their Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones designs to be before the events of Brotherhood. However, the novel also establishes itself as the first time Kenobi and Padmé Amidala have seen each other since the Battle of Geonosis. Such would suggest that the events of Hyperspace Stories 1—in which Kenobi and Skywalker, who is a Jedi Knight judging by his lack of Padawan braid, are closer to their Attack of the Clones designs—must occur after the events of Brotherhood due to Kenobi and Amidala's interactions. Additionally, Hyperspace Stories 5 depicts Skywalker as familiar with Ventress, thereby placing it after Brotherhood despite using the Attack of the Clones inspired design. "Practice Makes Perfect" depicts Kenobi with his longer hair and Skywalker with a shorter haircut than normal during Ahsoka Tano's apprenticeship to Skywalker. As such, Kenobi and Skywalker must adjust their clothing and hairstyles several times over the course of the Clone Wars.
The claim that Kenobi and Amidala had not seen each other since the Battle of Geonosis would later be contradicted by Star Wars: My First Comic Reader 1, which, judging by Skywalker's Padawan braid, is set during his apprenticeship to Kenobi. As the events of Brotherhood pick up sometime after Skywalker's apprenticeship is over, Kenobi and Amidala cannot meet for the first time since Geonosis during the novel.
- ISBN 9780593358573; May 10, 2022; Del Rey; US hardcover
- ISBN 9780593358580; May 10, 2022; Del Rey; eBook download
- ISBN 9780593499153; May 10, 2022; Del Rey; US paperback, export edition
- ISBN 9780593358597; May 16, 2023; Random House Worlds; US trade paperback