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Terry Brooks1999 – Del Rey32 years before The Battle of YavinSite Rating =
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SPOILER ALERT: This Will Spoil The Plot of the Book!
Anakin Skywalker, a nine year old slave on Tatooine, is engaged in a pod race. He is the only human that has successfully competed in these types of races. As he flies frantically through the valleys and caverns of the desert planet he can almost sense where his competitors are and would have won the race were it not for the scheming of Sebulba who knocks him off course. After the race, Anakin is scolded by his owner, Watto, for wrecking another pod and demands that the pod be repaired immediately.
Anakin has a sense of things before they happen, a secret only his mother is aware of. That evening, Anakin and his friends head off into town where they meet an old Republic spacer who was impressed by Anakin’s skills in the race and offers to buy them desserts. He regales them of tales of flying Jedi Knights and Anakin wishes he will one day fly into the stars, but his friends laugh since a slave is not likely to reach that goal. The spacer gives him hope and tells him not to be dissuaded.
Back at home, Anakin enters his room and sees the parts of a protocol droid he’s been working on for his mother. His mother begs him to quit podracing, but knows Watto will make him do it anyway.
Around the planet Naboo, Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, lead by his Jedi Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, are granted permission to land on a Trade Federation cruiser that is leading a blockade of the planet. The Neimoidians on board grow nervous with their arrival and they contact Darth Sidious who tells them to begin invading the planet and kill the two Jedi! He tells them he will make their actions legal within the Senate.
Poison gas begins pouring into the waiting room on the two Jedi. A group of battle droids await them outside, but the Jedi easily dispatch them and begin cutting their way into the bridge. Before they can gain access, however, they are chased away by several destroyer droids.
Queen Amidala of Naboo contacts the Neimoidians and tells them the blockade will soon be over once the Senate intercedes.
Elsewhere, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon witness the battle fleet prepping for landing and they decide to hitch a ride down to the surface. After landing, they are forced to flee from the coming armada. Qui-Gon literally runs into a native Gungan named Jar Jar Binks and saves the creature’s life. Jar Jar then gives Qui-Gon a life debt and follows him, much to the dismay of the Jedi. Jar Jar takes the two Jedi into a pool that leads to his underground city. Once inside, Jar Jar is taken into custody and the Jedi are lead to Boss Nass. They try to convince him to help the reach the Naboo capital, but Nass refuses as the two cultures do not like each other. He does agree to give them a transport to go through the planet’s core to reach the city of Theed. As they leave, Jar Jar warns them the core is really a trap. Qui-Gon, much to Obi-Wan’s disapproval, invokes the life debt and Boss Nass begrudgingly permits Binks to go with them.
Neimoidian Viceroy Nute Gunray and Rune Haako again speak with Darth Sidious who tells them that the Queen will be easily manipulated. Fearing his reaction, they do not reveal that the Jedi have gone missing.
As the Jedi begin their journey, Obi-Wan wonders why Qui-Gon has brought along Jar Jar, who appears to be a worthless distraction. He continues by saying Qui-Gon is perhaps one of the greatest living Jedi, but will never be on the Jedi Council as he continually disobeys their wishes in all types of matters. Qui-Gon tells him to have patience as Jar Jar may have a future use as yet unseen. He should never stray from a secret that needs to be revealed. Inside the core, they are attacked by numerous creatures that eventually disable their ship. Once power is restored, the Jedi are beset upon be even more creatures.
In their next transmission, Sidious chastises the Neimoidians over the missing Jedi and says he will handle them.
Watto sends Anakin out to trade with the local Jawas for parts. As he heads out, Anakin thinks about the secret podracer he’s been building and decides he’ll take his protocol droid, C-3PO, along with him. Anakin successfully barters for many droids as well as a damaged hyperdrive system. On their way back to town, Anakin spots an injured Tuskan Raider who is trapped under a boulder. Rather than leave him there to die, he uses the droids and a speeder to pull the boulder off the raider and help set its broken leg. The raider awakens, but Anakin is not afraid of anything, except perhaps harm coming to his mother. As night falls, Anakin sleeps and dreams of being a Jedi and a star pilot. When he wakes up, he is surrounded by raiders, but the injured one tells the others to leave him alone.
After the invasion, the Neimoidians capture the Naboo Queen, and they are surprised at her youth considering she was actually elected and not simply given the Queen position by right of family. Gunray suggests they sign a treaty, but she flatly refuses and is taken into custody. As they head towards the detention camp, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan intercept the group and free them. They find the Queen’s personal transport and Qui-Gon convinces the Queen to head to Coruscant and plead her case to the Senate directly.
In space, they take heavy fire from the Trade Federation ships that knock out their deflector shields. The captain sends several astromech droids out to repair the ship. All but one are destroyed, a blue unit that gets the shields back up and running. Their hyperdrive, however, is damaged and they decide to head to Tatooine for repairs despite protests from the Queen’s men that the planet is controlled by the Hutt gangsters.
Sidious receives the news that the Queen escaped with the help of the Jedi. Incensed, he tells Gunray his apprentice, Darth Maul, will pick up the pursuit from here on.
Captain Panaka commends the blue droid, R2-D2, to the Queen and she thanks it for saving the ship. Later on, Jar Jar finds Padme, a handmaiden that is cleaning R2, and the two talk briefly.
After arriving on Tatooine, Qui-Gon tells Obi-Wan to remain with the ship as he senses something is not quite right. He takes R2 and Jar Jar into town. The Queen sends Padme with them to the protest of the Jedi. They quickly find a dealer whose owner, Watto, is eager to sell to them. He tells his slave, Anakin, to mind the store while he and Qui-Gon go look for parts. Anakin stares dreamily at Padme and says he’ll marry her someday, but Padme tells him she doesn’t think that’s possible. Outside, Qui-Gon offers Republic credits for the part, but Watto says credits are no good and kicks them all out of the shop.
As they enter the streets, Jar Jar disrupts Sebulba’s lunch and the creature attacks him. Anakin arrives and convinces Sebulba to leave him alone. They catch up the others just as a sandstorm flares up and Anakin invites them to wait it out at his home.
Back on the ship, the governor from Naboo makes a desperate plea to the Queen to sign the treaty, but Obi-Wan tells them it’s a trap and to hold off on all replies so as not give away their location.
Anakin’s mother, Shmi, is taken aback by the motley crew her son brings home for dinner, but she warms to them quickly especially when Qui-Gon tells her that Anakin is indeed a very special boy. Anakin shows Padme his droid C-3PO and introduces the droid to R2-D2.
As they sit down to eat, Anakin musters the courage to ask if Qui-Gon is a Jedi and tells them about the dream he had of becoming a Jedi himself. They explain their situation to Shmi and Anakin reveals that he has been secretly building a podracer that is capable of winning the upcoming Boonta Eve Classic. The winnings will more than pay for the parts they need. Shmi is reluctant, but believes that perhaps her son is meant to help them and agrees.
Sidious looks over Coruscant and thinks about the history of the Sith and its formation by rogue Jedi seeking the power of the Dark Side of the Force. In the end, the Jedi overcame them and all were killed but one, Darth Bane. Bane invented the rule of two and Sidious knows that the time of the Sith uprising is now at hand. Darth Maul approaches and tells him that he’s traced the ship to Tatooine and he’ll make his way there to reveal their presence to the Jedi.
Back on Tatooine, Qui-Gon ponders Anakin’s place in the Force and there is definitely something about the boy. He knows his view of the Force differs from many other Jedi as he tries to remain focused on the present and not always look to the future. His Padawan has yet to embrace the same philosophy.
The next day as they return to Watto’s shop, Padme questions the intelligence of putting all their hopes onto a boy they’ve just met. Qui-Gon tells Watto he has his own pod, and Watto agrees to front the entry fee and will keep the winnings or Qui-Gon’s ship if they lose. If they do win, however, he must give them the hyperdrive they need. Qui-Gon contacts Obi-Wan who, like Padme, thinks the plan is a bit fool hearty.
Qui-Gon tells Shmi that Anakin is strong in the Force and she reveals that Anakin has no natural father. Qui-Gon senses a connection with the boy, but he knows Anakin is far too old to be accepted into the Jedi Temple for training.
Darth Maul lands on Tatooine and scans the area sending probe droids to search the three nearby cities.
That night, Qui-Gon takes a small blood sample from Anakin and sends it to Obi-Wan to test his midi-chlorian count. He finds that the boy’s count is higher than any known Jedi! That night everyone pitches in to finish off the podracer, including the two new friends R2 and 3PO. Anakin knows that the next day will change his life.
In the morning, Qui-Gon and Jar Jar find Watto at the arena. Watto is over confident that Sebulba will win the race, and Qui-Gon offers to bet on Anakin in exchange for Anakin’s freedom if he wins. Watto agrees. Neither notice the Sith probe droid nearby.
As the race nears, Sebulba sabotages Anakin’s pod by damaging a stabilizer. Qui-Gon tells Anakin to trust his instincts and let the Force flow through him and guide his actions. The race begins!
Anakin gets off to a rough start, but is able to catch up quickly. Sebulba does much of the work for him by destroying many of the competitors. By the third lap, only Anakin and Sebulba remain in a battle to the finish line. The broken stabilizer fails, but amazingly Anakin is able to fix the problem and continue on. After the two bump against each other furiously, their pods actually become joined together. Finally, the pods separate and Sebulba’s pod careens off the course and crashes leaving Anakin to win the race!
As the others celebrate, Qui-Gon finds Watto who tries to renege on the bet, but after Qui-Gon threatens to go the Hutt’s he concedes.
Qui-Gon leads the group back to the ship and tells Obi-Wan to work on the hyperdrive as he returns to retrieve Anakin.
Anakin longs for Padme as another young boy comes by and accuses Anakin of cheating to win the race. Anakin attacks him before Qui-Gon intercedes. He councils Anakin on his actions before revealing he sold the pod and gives a bag of money to Anakin. They head back to the Skywalker’s home and Qui-Gon gives them the astonishing news that Anakin is free. While he is thrilled at the prospects of being a Jedi and seeing Padme again, he is devastated to learn that his mother will not be coming with them. Anakin packs his things, and tells C-3PO to take care of his mother for him. As he leaves he runs into his friend Kitster and the two say goodbye. He hugs his mother and, after a tearful goodbye, tells her he knows he’ll see her again and turns to leave with the Jedi Master.
As Qui-Gon brings Anakin back to the ship, he senses danger and Darth Maul attacks them. Anakin runs to the ship while Qui-Gon holds off the Sith. He reaches the ship and they fly towards the fight and both Qui-Gon and Maul jump on the loading platform. After a few exchanges, Qui-Gon knocks Maul off. They head to Coruscant and Qui-Gon introduces Anakin Skywalker to Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Back on Naboo, Nute Gunray continues to push Governor Sio Bibble to end all the actions against them and sign the treaty, but he refuses. Some of the Trade Federation droids say they will begin to search for the hidden underwater cities.
Back on the ship, Anakin is haunted by dreams and misses his mother dearly. Padme enters and watches a holo message from Bibble pleading for the Queen to contact him. Both of them are sad for different reasons and they comfort each other. He gives her a pendant carved from a japor snippet.
They reach Coruscant and while the Jedi meet with Chancellor Valorum, Anakin and Jar Jar go with the Queen’s entourage which includes Senator Palpatine. In their chamber, Palpatine lays out a grim situation for the Queen. He says the only option may be to vote for no confidence for the Chancellor, unless they are willing to accept Federation control. She is doubtful about the first and refuses the second.
Inside the Jedi Council chamber, Qui-Gon gives his report including the attack by a Sith Lord. This unsettles the room and they decide that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan should remain with the Queen for the time being. Before he leaves, however, he tells them of Anakin and his miracle birth. The Council is stunned and Master Mace Windu suggests that Qui-Gon believes that Anakin is the prophesized Chosen One that will bring balance to the Force. Qui-Gon presses and they agree to test the boy.
In the Senate Chamber, the Queen pleads her case, but when the Trade Federation demands an investigation, the Chancellor concedes. Dismayed by the politics being played, she calls for a vote of “no confidence”.
Anakin busts into the Queen’s chamber looking for Padme, but only the Queen is there. He tells her that he is going to be tested as a Jedi and she wishes him well.
As Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon await the Council’s decision, Obi-Wan wonders why his master continues to defy the Council and not follow the Jedi Code as closely as he should. He knows that no one is allowed to be trained after the age of one and Anakin is nine. Qui-Gon says Anakin will be trained as a Jedi, and they he only pushes what he knows to be right in the living Force.
Anakin faces the Jedi Masters and handles their basic mind tests easily. He admits to missing his mother and Yoda tells him that this attachment is a grave concern for them. He must let go of his fear of loss.
In her quarters, Jar Jar tells the Queen that the Gungans won’t go down easily and that they have a grand army. They are interrupted by the return of Palpatine who has been nominated to succeed Valorum. The Queen is unimpressed and decides, against their advice, to return to Naboo.
The Council tells Qui-Gon that Anakin will not be trained. He has too much anger in him already. Qui-Gon is incensed by this and says he will take Anakin on as his Padawan! Obi-Wan is shocked, and Qui-Gon follows by saying the Obi-Wan is ready for the Jedi Trials. Yoda and Mace are not convinced and decide to send them all to Naboo with the Queen. Anakin’s fate will have to wait. As they leave it is clear that a rift has formed between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.
Sidious contacts Nute Gunray on Naboo and learns that the planet is secure. Sidious says the Senate will not intercede, but Darth Maul will be joining them to handle the Jedi.
On their return trip to Naboo, Qui-Gon is still upset by the Council’s rejection, but he tries to move past it. They all question the Queen’s intentions upon returning to her planet. She calls on Jar Jar for help.
On the surface, they wait for Jar Jar’s return from the underwater city. Anakin tells Padme of the Council’s decision. She tells him not to give up and that even the Queen changes her mind. She is now planning to attack the Trade Federation!
The two Jedi still are not speaking to each other. Obi-Wan decides he doesn’t want to throw away twenty years of history over this. He knows that Qui-Gon has never been more passionate about anything. The two men talk and Qui-Gon reiterates his belief that Obi-Wan will be a great Jedi. The two men shake hands.
Jar Jar returns and says that the Gungan city is empty, but he knows where they have gone. When they arrive at the Gungan sacred place, Boss Nass is not pleased to see them. As the Queen speaks, Padme steps forward and reveals that in fact she is the Queen! Her handmaiden Sabe has been acting as a decoy! She bows before them and begs them to help. Boss Nass is pleased by this and agrees.
Impressed that Jar Jar helped bring the Gungans and Naboo together, Nass promotes Jar Jar to a general. Scouts return and bring leaders of the Naboo underground resistance. The plan is for the Gungan army to fight the main battle, while the Queen and the Jedi sneak into the Palace to capture the Viceroy and Naboo fighters try to knock out the droid control ship in orbit.
Inside the Palace, Gunray tells Sidious of the army massing nearby, and Sidious gives him the go ahead to wipe all of them out.
As the battle begins, Anakin is glad that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan have made up as he did not want to come between them. He and Padme talk briefly about their feelings for each other.
Outside the Gungan shields are holding off the heavy fire, but the battle droids are able to make it through and the Battle of Naboo begins in earnest.
Nute and the other leaders are fearful upon learning that the Jedi have breached the Palace. Maul says not to worry and goes off to meet them.
Anakin watches in amazement from his hiding place as Padme fights like a trained soldier. Just as he hides inside a fighter ship, a door opens revealing Darth Maul! The Jedi engage the Sith as the others take the long way around.
Anakin had vowed to protect Qui-Gon and Padme and now his chance is upon him. He and R2-D2 open fire on the nearby droids as the ship goes into autopilot and takes off. It heads into space with a nervous boy at the controls and streaks right into the battle overhead.
The Jedi battle Maul hard and as a team. Maul kicks Obi-Wan off of a bridge and Qui-Gon continues the fight on his own. They head down a hallway, but a laser field cuts the three men off from each other.
Trying to avoid entanglements, Padme leads her team through underground tunnels and secret passages through the Palace. Eventually they reach the throne room and are subsequently surrounded by droids. Padme calmly tells her men to drop their weapons.
The Gunguns are able to hold off the droids at first but are now falling fast and the call for a retreat is given out.
In space, R2 manages to get the autopilot turned off and Anakin engages in the battle. After successfully avoiding a few ships, he is shot and crash lands inside the hanger bay of the droid control ship. Droids descend on his location and his ship is overheating.
Obi-Wan is not pleased that Qui-Gon went on without him and he rushes to join him as laser walls turn on and off down a corridor. Obi-Wan is blocked, however, before he can reach them. He can only watch the duel taking place on the other side of the last wall. While he knows his Master is a very skilled swordsman, the Sith is much younger and faster. Eventually, Qui-Gon makes a mistake and Maul stabs him through the mid section and he falls to the ground as Obi-Wan screams!
Gunray believes this handmaiden in front of him is actually the Queen in disguise, but when another Queen in regal garb appears down the hallway he lets his attention slip from Padme. She retrieves two blasters from the throne and takes out the remaining droids. The decoy strikes again!
Enraged at his master’s death, Obi-Wan throws himself at Maul and the two fight furiously. Obi-Wan is wearing down and tries a final assault, but Maul easily turns it away and pushes Obi-Wan down the deep shaft in the middle of the room. Obi-Wan is just barely able to cling to the side!
R2 stalls the approaching droids until the ship is functional again. As power is restored, Anakin jumps up from the cockpit and begins firing blasters and missiles into the interior of the ship. With explosions all around, they head for the exit.
Maul looks down in satisfaction at Obi-Wan, but is taken by surprise when Obi-Wan leaps from the shaft and calls Qui-Gon’s lightsaber to him with the Force. Before Maul can react, Obi-Wan ignites his blade and slices the Dark Lord in half and he falls into the shaft!
As Anakin flies from the ship, the damage he’d inflicted pays off as the ship begins to explode. The other pilots react with screams of victory. Inside the Palace and on the Gungan battlefield, the battle droids suddenly switch off.
Obi-Wan runs to Qui-Gon’s side. The old master makes him promise to train Anakin and Obi-Wan agrees without a second thought as he watches his friend die.
The Battle of Naboo is won and the Trade Federation leaders are taken into custody for trial. Palpatine returns in triumph having been elected Chancellor. When Obi-Wan learns of Anakin’s actions in battle, he begins to believe that Qui-Gon may have been correct after all. By acting without thought, only on his instinct, and still winning the fight, Anakin Skywalker could be the Chosen One.
As Obi-Wan waits for Qui-Gon’s funeral to begin, Yoda arrives and bestows on him the level of Jedi Knight. He also says that Anakin is to be trained, despite Yoda’s own personal objection. He cautions Obi-Wan to take the greatest care as the boy’s future is clouded.
At the funeral, Obi-Wan knows his old life is over and a new one has begun. He tells Anakin that he is now his new master and the boy will be trained. Nearby, Yoda tells Mace Windu that while Obi-Wan is indeed ready to be a Jedi Knight; he may not be ready to train Anakin. Regarding the Sith, Yoda says that there can only be two at once, a master and an apprentice, but neither of them can say for sure which one was killed in the fight.
Sidious is disappointed that Maul was killed, but overall the mission was a success and the groundwork for the revenge of the Sith is taking shape.
Despite the celebration around him on Naboo, Anakin is still unsure of his decision to leave his mother, especially after the loss of Qui-Gon as well. Obi-Wan tells him that Qui-Gon would be proud of the boy, and so would his mother.
Comments
First, I do enjoy the film, but I must say that when reading the book it’s nice to be able to forget a few of the bad acting moments and Natalie and Jake not having a lot of chemistry. The story is overall very good.
The book fills in some good blanks and I was glad to see more of Anakin before he is met by the heroes.
Major Characters |
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Anakin Skywalker
Obi-Wan Kenobi Qui-Gon Jinn Padme Amidala Darth Sidious/Palpatine |
Darth Maul
Nute Gunray Jar Jar Binks Boss Nass R2-D2/C-3PO |
Why Should You Read This Book? |
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| More detail about the film’s story and a chance to paint the heroes however you’d like them to look and act. | |
Good Moments |
Bad Moment |
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Yoda’s Knighting of Obi-Wan and warning against Anakin |
Still hard to buy Jar Jar as a General
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Previous Novel |
Next Novel |
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Rogue Planet
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