AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Okay, I know I should be working on other pieces (cough, More Man Than Machine and Frozen: Hunters, cough) but after watching TFA I couldn't help but come up with Episode VIII in my head. So, here it is, the continuation of the Sequel Trilogy, by to you by me!
Have fun!
Jigsaw 13327
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...
STAR WARS
EPISODE VIII
THE SHADOWS OF EVIL
A year has passed since the destruction of the Starkiller Base. The First Order has been in relentless pursuit of the fledgling Resistance, driving them from their base on D'Qar and scattering their remaining forces across the galaxy. LUKE SKYWALKER, the last Jedi, has returned from exile to reluctantly train REY in the Jedi Arts. But even as the Light Side begins to regain its strength, the Dark Side continues to grow unmatched in power, threating to destroy all hope.
Hoping to bolster the shattered Resistance forces, General Leia Organa sends the two Jedi to the lava world of Mustafar on rumors of a unactivated battalion of CIS BATTLE DROIDS. Through his seemingly endless network of spies, Supreme Leader Snoke learns of the treachery and dispatches his dark apprentice, Kylo Ren, to Mustafar in order to stop the Jedi and crush the Resistance once and for all...
I
Where Jedi Go to Die
The void of space was infinitely black, with pinpricks of light representing the nearby stars. In this blackness, a small ship appeared. It was a modified YT-1300 Corellian Crusier, capable of completing the Kessel Run in twelve parsecs. It was the Millennium Falcon, fastest ship in the galaxy, formely owned by Captain Han Solo. Inside the cockpit sat Rey, now a Jedi Padawan, Chewbacca, and BB-8. Rey passed the controls of the Falcon over to Chewie and strode onto the main deck, her new Jedi robes brushing against the floor. She found Luke Skywalker on the floor of the passenger hold, cross-legged, deep in meditation.
"Sir?" she said. In the past year he had taken her under his wing. Not without a great deal of convincing, of course. The man was as stubborn as a wild luggabeast, and, desperate not to repeat his mistakes, he brushed her off. After several weeks of refusing to leave, he had finally caved in, and began to train her in the ways of the Jedi. It wasn't so much the physical, "swinging around a lethal glowstick and doing headstands for hours upon hours" that he trained her in. Her time on Jakku had already made her strong in that area. It was more so the spiritual "getting in touch with the Living Force and quiet meditation" part of being a Jedi that he taught her. Of course, that didn't mean they completely neglected her physical duties.
She waited for him to respond. A few seconds passed, and his brittle voice spoke up: "Yes?"
"We're approaching the Mustafar system" she responded.
A pause, then: "Contact the General and let her know that we're close."
"Yes, sir." She started to walk away, but Luke spoke up again:
"I sense your worry. What is troubling you, my apprentice?"
She hesitated, then said: "This planet, sir. It is strong in the Dark Side. I am afraid of what may lie ahead."
"Do not be afraid. Let the Force guide you and support you. I too feel its evil presence, but we must stay strong. We cannot let a planet scare us off. This mission is crucial to the Resistance's survival. We must not fail."
"Yes, sir" Rey replied, then returned to the cockpit. She sat down in the chair next to Chewie, who acknowledged her with a grunt. She was starting to understand more and more of the Wookiee's dialect. A few seconds later, he roared lightly.
"Yeah, I know big guy. This planet doesn't feel right." That was a bit of an understatement. It felt flat-out wrong. The closest thing she could describe the feeling as was being fully submerged in an ice-frozen lake. She tried her best to conceal the feelings, but they still continued to wash over her unabated. Rey punched in a few buttons on the Falcon's dash. A few seconds later, the voice of General Leia Organa filled the cockpit.
"General Organa speaking" Leia said tentatively.
"It's the Falcon. We are approaching Mustafar, General" Rey responded. Warmth filled Leia voice. "Good. Is Luke alright?"
Rey paused, and opened her mouth to speak, but Luke's voice cut her off: "I'm fine, sister. Just meditating." Rey spun around in her chair to see the wizened Jedi Master standing in the doorway.
"Great. I hope you both have a safe trip. Contact me when you find the droids." Turning back around, Rey leaned in close to the dash and whispered. "Are you sure there will be droids? The scanners aren't picking up any cities. And this is just a rumor, correct?"
Leia sighed. "Yes, this is just a rumor. But this rumor was brought to us by a good family friend who usually isn't wrong. Of course, his intel could be off and I would have to slap him, but he's right about things most of the time." Rey nodded in a small relief.
"Thank you General. May the Force be with you" she said.
"And with you too, Rey." The communicator clicked off. Rey turned the chair back around to face Luke.
"Now what?" she asked him. He stoked his beard for a moment.
"We should search where the Force is strongest first." After a moment of meditation, Rey spoke up. "The far side of the planet. I saw a series of buildings, like they were forgotten. Abandoned."
"Then take us there" Luke said. The Falcon dipped, then continued speeding towards the fiery planet.
From the bridge of the Finalizer, Kylo Ren, Knight of Ren, listened to General Leia Organa and the scavenger finish their conversation. Ren turned to the communications officer who had traced the message to the Mustafar system.
"Is there more?" he rasped through the mask. Since the destruction of Starkiller Base, he felt himself relying more and more on his mask and suit. In some small part of his mind, he wondered if Vader had felt the same way.
"No, my Lord. Our technicians are determining where General Organa recieved the message. Her location was incrypted, so it will take some time" he spoke, Adam's apple nevously bobbing up and down. He had heard of the Knight's legendary temper, and decided that the next time he was on shore leave, he was jumping ship faster than one could say "manaical dictatorship."
"Excellent. Contact Captain Phasma and notify her to prepare her best squad." He turned to the pilots. "Set your course for the Mustafar system." Choruses of "Yes, sir!" and "Right away, sir!" echoed through the bridge. A few seconds later, the black of space melded into the blue of hyperspace, and the Finalizer disappeared from its orbit above Vjun. Ren strode to the turbolift, but not before turning his head and addressing the communications officer.
"If you as so much think about desertion one more time, I will personally behead you in front of the Supreme Leader himself." He fingered his lightsaber, making a show of it. "Do I make myself clear, Officer?"
The communications officer swallowed again, visibly sweating. Ren smirked at the man's fear. "Crystal" he responded.
"Good" Ren purred viciously, and stepped into the turbolift, heading for his private quarters. He needed the comfort of his grandfather's mask after dealing with these insolent lackeys. The turbolift swallowed him whole, and plunged him farther into the belly of the Star Destroyer.
Rey thought she knew scorching heat from all her time on Jakku. But the dry desert heat was nothing compared to the heat of Mustafar. It was a wet, suffocating heat, one that threated to clog her pores and kill her without any show of mercy. Silently, she wished Finn and Poe were here with her. Her friends always comforted her, and she hadn't seen them in a week, ever since she and Luke had left their new base on Naboo. She clutched at her survival suit and shuddered. Force, this place was dark. The Falcon had touched down near a lava bank, about two clicks away from their destination.
She heard footsteps behind her. Rey turned around to see Luke and Chewie strolling down the Falcon's boarding ramp.
"Chewie, stay with the ship" Luke said. Chewbacca began to roar in protest, but Luke raised his hands. "We won't be here long. We'll need a quick exit as well." The Wookiee closed his mouth and sauntered back up the ramp, mumbling to himself. Luke turned to Rey. "Lead the way, my apprentice." She nodded, and the two Jedi began to make their way towards the abandoned city.