Rebel Rising is a novel for young adults penned by Beth Revis and brought to shelves by Disney–Lucasfilm Press on May 2, 2017. The story spans thirteen years in the life of Jyn Erso, specifically the time between the beginning and the primary events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, detailing her period as a rebel combatant alongside Saw Gerrera and her subsequent survival on her own. Simultaneously, an audiobook adaptation was launched, with Beth Revis lending her voice as the narrator.
At the tender age of eight, Jyn Erso experiences the tragic murder of her mother and the abduction of her father, forced into service for the Empire. However, despite enduring the profound loss of her parents, she finds herself not entirely alone. Saw Gerrera, a figure prepared to take any measure to oppose Imperial tyranny, embraces her as his own daughter, providing her with both a home and the essential skills and resources to evolve into a rebel.
Jyn fully commits herself to the cause—and to the man leading it. However, engaging in combat alongside Saw and his followers introduces peril and raises the critical question of how far Jyn is willing to go as a member of Saw's forces. When confronted with an unforeseen betrayal that shatters her world, Jyn must reconstruct her sense of self and discern her true beliefs…and who she can genuinely place her trust in.
When just an 8-year-old, Jyn's mother met her end at the hands of the Galactic Empire on Lah'mu, and Orson Krennic strong-armed her father, Galen Erso, into Imperial service. At the age of eight, Saw Gerrera took Jyn to his Wrea base and nurtured her. He imparted combat and marksmanship skills to her. She would eavesdrop on his discussions with other anti-Empire factions.
By the time Jyn reached 14, Saw's stance had hardened, tilting towards terrorism against the Empire. As Jyn increasingly integrated into Saw's group of partisans, she gained entry to her inaugural mission. At 15, Saw included Jyn in a mission to Inusagi. Although her involvement was limited to the distribution of counterfeit clearance codes and passes, she bore witness to Saw and his team massacring a ballroom filled with Imperials, Inusagians, and other civilian attendees. Saw resorted to any tactic to oppose the Empire, a methodology Jyn found objectionable.
Saw was unwavering in his dedication to safeguarding Jyn's identity at all costs. He eliminated potential informants within their own ranks. Nevertheless, he failed to anticipate Reece Tallent's act of treachery during a reconnaissance mission to Tamsye Prime. Reece conspired with an Imperial officer to facilitate the arrest of Saw and Jyn. Saw retaliated and successfully extracted them from the situation. With Jyn's identity as Galen Erso's daughter exposed, Saw made the difficult decision to abandon her to ensure her safety. Jyn escaped and sought refuge on Skuhl, where Akshaya Ponta took her in. Over the course of a year on Skuhl, Jyn formed a close bond with Akshaya's son, Hadder. When the Empire's presence reached Skuhl, they promptly initiated a search for Jyn. Akshaya and Hadder perished during their attempt to evade the Empire. Jyn successfully reached Five Points, a space station known for its inaccessibility. With scarce financial resources, she was compelled to remain on the station, engaging in the creation of counterfeit casino chips for a morally corrupt Imperial officer.
The Imperial officer and the local crime boss arranged for Jyn's participation in smuggling slaves away from the Five Points space station. Jyn outwitted the crew aboard the slaver's vessel, liberated the enslaved individuals, and fled the system. Now at the age of 18, Jyn traversed the Outer and Mid Rim regions of the galaxy, undertaking various occupations until she reached 21. One such job led her back to the Five Points system, where she contributed to the creation of codes for a rebel faction. An Imperial admiral orchestrated her arrest and coerced her into infiltrating and spying on a rebel group, promising amnesty in return. Despite the promised amnesty, the admiral apprehended the crew, and Jyn was arrested, leading to her confinement in a labor camp on Wobani.
Jyn's hope diminished significantly within the confines of the Imperial Detention Center & Labor Camp LEG-817 on Wobani, where she witnessed the demise of numerous cellmates due to despair or acts of rebellion. After a period of six months, Jyn was liberated from a transporter en route to performing field work. She was presented before Mon Mothma and Bail Organa, who requested her assistance in locating her father to uncover the truths surrounding the project he was involved in, a request she accepted.
While the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story novelization had previously indicated that Jyn Erso had her kyber pendant smuggled into the Detention Center, Rebel Rising portrays a scenario where Jyn is permitted to retain her pendant after stormtroopers misidentify it as a piece of glass.
- ISBN 9781484780831 ; May 2 , 2017 ; Disney–Lucasfilm Press ; US hardcover [1]
- ISBN 9781484786857 ; May 2, 2017; Disney–Lucasfilm Press; US eBook [2]
- ISBN 9781405285070 ; June 1 , 2017; Egmont UK Ltd ; UK paperback
- ISBN 9781368026505 ; August 7 , 2018 ; Disney–Lucasfilm Press; US paperback [3]