Before the Awakening

As a companion to the Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens series of character-focused novels, Star Wars: Before the Awakening_ is an anthology. It delves into the backgrounds and experiences of Rey, Finn, and Poe before the story of_ Star Wars: The Force Awakens_ unfolds._

The tale of Finn commences with a simulated training exercise for First Order stormtroopers. Finn, then known as FN-2187, is engaged in an assault on a Republic base alongside Nines, Zeroes, and Slip. Slip finds himself pinned down and seemingly vulnerable. Zeroes and Nines insist that Finn should prioritize the mission objective and abandon Slip. However, Finn instructs Nines and Zeroes to separate, drawing enemy fire and enabling him to rescue Slip. This maneuver also creates an opportunity for Finn to reach the Republic base and eliminate the remaining soldiers with a grenade, achieving a decisive victory.

Captain Phasma offers congratulations to the squad for their successful mission. However, she cautions Finn against aiding weaker cadets, arguing that it ultimately weakens the group. Finn begins to experience inner turmoil and a sense of detachment from his comrades.

Subsequently, the trainees engage in combat using vibro-axes and other close-quarters weapons, some capable of withstanding lightsaber strikes. Slip sustains an injury during the training, and Finn easily overpowers him in their confrontation. Instead of harming Slip, Finn attempts to shield him from further injury. Phasma intervenes once more, questioning Finn's actions and ordering him to desist.

Zeroes, Nines, and Slip are elated to discover that their suspicions were correct: they are to be deployed to a mining colony in the asteroid field called Pressy's Tumble. Phasma states that Republic agents are inciting unrest and disruption within the mining operation. In reality, the mining negotiators initiated a strike to protest the oppressive working conditions. Phasma commands her stormtroopers to execute the negotiators. Finn refuses to fire his weapon and witnesses his fellow stormtroopers carrying out the executions. Upon returning to their ship, Finn opts for additional training simulations instead of joining in the celebrations with the others, further intensifying his feelings of isolation.

As Captain Phasma prepares to receive Kylo Ren, she decides to give Finn one last chance to prove his worth as a stormtrooper on Jakku.

Rey's narrative starts with her scavenging parts from a derelict battle cruiser. A powerful storm forces her to seek refuge inside the old walker she uses as a home. It is revealed that Rey has become proficient in a flight simulator, mastering various scenarios involving different spacecraft.

The following morning, after trading salvaged parts for food rations at Niima Outpost and observing the arrival of a Hernon Class Light Freighter, Rey ventures deep into the desert on her speeder. She decides to ascend the Spike, a keel line from a crashed starship that is partially buried in the sand. From the Spike's summit, she spots a crashed ship, a potentially valuable find that she could exchange with Unkar Plutt for additional rations.

Despite the dwindling daylight, Rey resolves to investigate the crashed ship. She discovers that it is a 690 light freighter, also known as a Ghtroc 690. Inside, she finds food supplies and confirms that the reactor is still functional. Although the ship is generally in good condition, it requires extensive repairs. Rey decides to spend the night in her newly discovered ship due to the approaching darkness.

Rey dedicates a significant amount of time to repairing the ship on her own. While in Niima, she encounters Devi and Strunk, who inquire about her project. They reveal that they have noticed her acquiring wiring and other supplies without reselling them, leading them to suspect that she is constructing something. Rey denies their assumptions, but they warn her that others may have also taken notice of her activities.

Eventually, Devi and Strunk discover her working on the ship. They offer their assistance in restoring it. Rey is reluctant to accept their help, as she considers the ship her own, but she fears that they might steal it or attempt to claim the finder's fee. To her surprise, they prove to be invaluable in the restoration process. One night, a group of Teedos attempt to steal the ship, but Devi and Strunk, who have been guarding it at night, thwart their efforts.

Ultimately, the group conducts a test flight and determines that the ship is ready for sale. They fly it to Niima to find a buyer, and Rey triumphantly rides out on her speeder to the cheers of the other salvagers. When she informs Unkar that she intends to sell the ship, Devi and Strunk fly away with it, having always desired to escape Jakku, a dream Rey could not share.

Poe's chapter commences with a flashback in which Dameron reflects upon his decision to pursue a career as a Starfighter pilot within the New Republic. Having grown up in a colony on the jungle moon of Yavin 4, Poe was raised on tales of his mother, Shara Bey, and father, Kes Dameron's, heroic actions during the Galactic Civil War. Years later, Poe holds the rank of Commander in Rapier Squadron, a four-member T-85 X-wing squadron within the Republic Navy. His constant companion is the astromech droid BB-8, who accompanies him on routine patrol missions.

During a routine patrol in the Mirrin sector, Rapier Squadron responds to a distress signal originating from the freighter Yissira Zyde near Suraz 4. They soon discover that the freighter is under attack by First Order stormtroopers. Rapier Squadron is swiftly engaged by eight TIE fighters. During the Suraz engagement, Lieutenant Muran perishes when his starfighter is caught in the hyperspace wake of the Yissiria Zyde. Subsequently, Poe reports the incident to his commander, Major Lonno Deso, at the Mirrin Prime Republic base. Despite Poe's urging to pursue the freighter, Major Deso vetoes the idea, unwilling to incite conflict between the New Republic and the First Order.

Disobeying Major Deso's orders, Poe undertakes a clandestine mission to locate the Yissira Zyde, with the tacit approval of his fellow squadron pilots, Lieutenants Karé Kun and Iolo Arana. After examining the cargo freighter's manifest, Dameron deduces that the First Order's interest lies in the ship's high-capacity charging arrays, which could be repurposed as military-grade turbolasers. Poe successfully traces the stolen freighter's coordinates to the remote OR-Kappa-2722 system, where he uncovers a substantial First Order fleet. Poe manages to locate the freighter within one of the Star Destroyers, but he is pursued by First Order TIE fighters.

Following a brief dogfight, Poe manages to escape into hyperspace and return to the Mirrin system. However, he is promptly apprehended by New Republic shore police under the command of Major Caluan Ematt. Poe is summoned to a meeting with General Leia Organa, the leader of the Resistance, a splinter group of the New Republic Defense Force dedicated to monitoring the First Order's activities. General Leia persuades Poe to join the Resistance, as the New Republic military is reluctant to acknowledge the threat posed by the First Order. Poe and his remaining Rapier Squadron members join the Resistance and are transferred to the refitted MC80 Star Cruiser Echo of Hope.

As a member of the Resistance, Poe is personally selected by General Leia for a covert operation known as Operation: Sabre Strike, aimed at stealing Senator Erudo Ro-Kiintor's luxury yacht, Hevurion Grace. General Leia suspects Senator Ro-Kiinto of secretly collaborating with the First Order but lacks concrete evidence. She intends to seize the ship's computer to uncover the truth. Since the Resistance cannot be officially involved, Poe and his comrades Iolo and Kare disguise themselves as members of the Irving Boys, a criminal syndicate. To conceal their identities, they wear bulky EVA suits and pilot three vintage Z-95 Headhunters.

Poe's strategy involves intercepting the Hevurion Grace as it exits hyperspace in the Uvoss system. They must commandeer the ship within eight minutes before a Republic patrol arrives. The operation unfolds as planned, and Poe successfully disables the yacht with two concussion missiles. Poe then boards the ship and forces Senator Ro-Kiintor and his crew to evacuate into the escape pods at gunpoint. While restarting the hijacked ship's engines, Poe and his fellow pilots are attacked by a First Order fleet that emerges from hyperspace. The Resistance members quickly realize that Senator Ro-Kiintor had contacted the First Order for assistance.

Despite Poe's orders for his comrades to jump to hyperspace, Iolo and Kare remain behind to fend off the First Order TIE fighters while Poe repairs the yacht's engines. Together, the Resistance fighters manage to destroy nine of the eighteen TIEs. However, they soon find themselves trapped between the gas giant and two First Order Star Destroyers and a Nebulon-K frigate. To avoid being pulled into the gas giant, Poe and his comrades decide to confront the First Order warships and then make a jump to hyperspace. Following a daring maneuver, the three pilots successfully escape into hyperspace with the Hevurion Grace.

Back at the Echo of Hope, General Leia commends Poe and his squadron mates for their bravery and success in capturing the Hevurion Grace. The operation confirms Senator Ro-Kiintor's treason and his dealings with the First Order. Leia fears that there are more traitors within the New Republic government and that the threat of the First Order is escalating. While examining the ship's computers, C-3PO discovers a piece of a puzzle related to Leia's ongoing search for her brother, Luke Skywalker. She dispatches Poe on a mission to find Lor San Tekka, a man who can assist them in locating Luke.

• ISBN 9781484728222 ; December 18 , 2015 ; Disney–Lucasfilm Press ; US hardcover [4]
• ISBN 9781405280518 ; December 18, 2015; Egmont UK Ltd; UK hardcover [8]
• ISBN 9781368108218 ; September 2 , 2025 ; Disney–Lucasfilm Press; US paperback [9]