Jedi Apprentice: The Rising Force

The Rising Force by Dave Wolverton is the first in a series of young reader novels called Jedi Apprentice. All the other books in the series are written by Jude Watson. The series explores the adventures of Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi prior to Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

Editions

 * ISBN 0590519220 & ISBN 0439012864 June 1999, Scholastic, 171-page paperback
 * ISBN 0613168186, June 2001, Sagebrush, school/library binding

Publisher's summary
Peace over Anger Honor over Hate Strength over Fear

Twelve-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobi desperately wants to be a Jedi Knight. After years at the Jedi Temple, he knows the power of the lightsaber and the Force. But he cannot control his own anger and fear. Because of this, the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn will not take him on as a Padawan apprentice.

Now Obi-Wan is about to have his first encounter with true evil. He must face off against unexpected enemies—and face up to his own dark wishes.

Only then can his education as a Jedi truly begin.

Plot summary
Just before his 13th birthday, Obi-Wan Kenobi left Yoda and the other teachers at the Jedi Temple. But he wasn't supposed to become a Padawan, a future Jedi Knight, he was assigned to be a farmer! Jedi Apprentice: The Rising Force joins the headstrong Obi-Wan a few weeks before he's to turn 13, when he'll be too old to begin training as a Jedi Knight. Trying too hard to become Qui-Gon Jinn's Padawan, Obi-Wan shows his lack of discipline, and that—in addition to Qui-Gon's mysterious past—keeps them apart. But the Force keeps pulling the two together: Obi-Wan resigns himself to the Jedi Agricultural Corps on barren Bandomeer, only to find that Qui-Gon is on a mission to the same planet. Traveling there on a mining ship, the two must work together to forge a truce between the warring Hutt, Whiphid, and Arconan miners on board. The inexperienced Obi-Wan stirs up trouble but gets plenty of chances to redeem himself later—after the pirates attack and after the ship crash-lands on a hostile planet with the crew still at each other's throats.

An excerpt from Scholastic.com
Obi-Wan could sense the Force flowing around him, within him. He could feel the living Force in Bruck, the dark ripples caused by Bruck's anger. His impulse was to match that anger with his own. He had to resist it.

Obi-Wan assumed a defensive stance as Bruck lunged. He let the Force guide him as it had done earlier. He blocked the next blow easily. Then he jumped high to avoid another blow and landed behind a pillar. Lightsabers smashed together, sputtered and burned, then whisked apart. The air felt thicker, clogged with the energy of battle.

For long minutes, the two students fought as if in a graceful dance. Obi-Wan leaped away from every attack and blocked every jarring blow. He did not try to hit Bruck.

Let him see that I'm not clumsy, Obi-Wan thought bitterly. Let him see that I'm not stupid. Let him see it over and over again.

Sweat began to drench Obi-Wan's clothes. His muscles burned. He could hardly breathe fast enough to get the air he needed. But as long as he did not attack in anger, the Force remained strong with him. He tried not to think about the fight. He lost himself in the dance, and soon he felt so weary, he did not think at all.

Bruck fought slower and slower. Soon, Obi-Wan did not even need to leap away from Bruck's weary attacks. He merely blocked them, until finally Bruck gave up.

"Good, Obi-Wan," Yoda called. "Learning you are."

Obi-Wan switched off his lightsaber and hung it on his belt. He used the blindfold to wipe the sweat from his face. Next to him, Bruck was double over, panting. He did not look at Obi-Wan.

"You see," Yoda said. "To defeat an enemy, you do not have to kill. Defeat the rage that burns in him, and he is your enemy no longer. Rage the true enemy is."

Obi-Wan understood what Yoda meant. But Bruck's glazed glare told Obi-Wan that he had not defeated his opponent's anger. Nor had he won the boy's respect.

The two boys turned to Yoda and bowed solemnly. A vision of his friend Bant rose in Obi-Wan's head. One of the best things about beating Bruck would be telling her about it.

"Enough for one day," Yoda said. "Tomorrow, a Jedi Knight comes to the Temple seeking a Padawan. Ready for him you must be."

Obi-Wan tried to hide his surprise. Usually, when a Knight came to the Temple in search of a Padawan, rumors beat the arrival by days. That way, if a student wanted to earn the honor of becoming the Knight's Padawan, he or she could prepare mentally and physcially.

"Who?" Obi- Wan asked, heart racing. "Who's coming?"

"Seen him before, you have," Yoda said. "Master Qui-Gon Jinn."

Dramatis personae

 * Bant Eerin; Jedi Apprentice (female Mon Calamari from Dac)
 * Bruck Chun; Jedi Apprentice (male human)
 * Jemba the Hutt; Offworld Mining Corporation (male Hutt)
 * Mace Windu; Jedi Master (male human from Haruun Kal)
 * Obi-Wan Kenobi; Jedi Apprentice (male human)
 * Qui-Gon Jinn; Jedi Knight (male human)
 * Si Treemba; miner (male Arconan from Arcona)
 * Yoda; Jedi Grand Master (male)
 * and more

New characters

 * Aalto
 * Aggaba
 * Bant Eerin
 * Bruck Chun
 * Clat'Ha
 * Docent Vant
 * Garen Muln
 * Grelb
 * Jemba the Hutt
 * Reeft
 * Si Treemba
 * Xanatos

New creatures

 * draigon
 * Ithorian razor shark

New droids

 * Advanced Jedi Training Droid 6 (also AJTD6)

New food

 * Arconan fungi
 * dactyl
 * Dresselian beer
 * gorak bird
 * malla petals
 * pta fruit

New organizations

 * Agricultural Corps
 * Arcona Mineral Harvest Corporation
 * Offworld Mining Corporation

New planets and locations

 * Bandomeer
 * The Jedi Temple Map Room
 * The Room of a Thousand Fountains

New technology

 * thermocom

New vehicles and vessels

 * Monument

New unknown

 * daggerlip