Given how Rian Johnson screwed up the momentum of the third Star Wars Trilogy with Episode 8, I came up with a potential way to get the story flowing again.

It will be interesting to see how it compares to what actually finally happens in the real Episode 9.

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Ep 9 Star Wars

Kylo Ren fumed as he sat in the command seat of his shuttle. His crew worked with their customary efficiency, but he could sense their normal belief in his abilities had waned.

His never-be-damned-enough uncle had shattered the aura of power and control that Kylo had spent years crafting. Although the elderly Skywalker was undoubtedly deceased due to the strain that using the Force Projection technique imposed on the user, he had done it so masterfully that Kylo had no clue that he had not truly been standing there.

Although the damned Rebellion had been reduced sufficiently that they could flee on but a single ship, the ship in question had been the Millennium Falcon, the vessel that Kylo had grown up on and had searched for after learning that Han had lost it in a game of Sabacc.

"…sir?"

Kylo glared at the co-pilot. "What?!"

"Sir… you need to see this…"

Kylo followed the trembling finger and his eyes widened as he saw the two Mega-class Star Destroyers bracketing the bisected Supremacy. Beyond them, visible only due to its running lights and the way it was backdropped by the local moon, was a triangular ship almost as long as the Supremacy had been, but with a keel that stretched far deeper.

"…what is that?" Kylo whispered, then the comm-system of the shuttle squealed as it was over-ridden.

"Upsilon-class shuttle Prime-Two, you are directed to change course to zero, zero eight, elevation zero four two. Use beacon one-six-six-eight-alpha and land in the Eclipse's primary bay. Your escort will be waiting."

"Do we comply, sir?" The pilot asked and Kylo gave him a look of disbelief.

"Of course we comply!" He snapped. "The First Order strained itself to the limit to build the Supremacy and whoever this is has two of them plus whatever that third one is!

"Understood, sir. Changing course."

Kylo stared at the mysterious vessel as it centered itself in the forward view-screen.

"Eclipse." He whispered the name almost reverently. "Eclipse…"

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"Ten-hut!"

The massed formation of Stormtroopers snapped to attention as Kylo Ren strode down the ramp. Waiting for him was an officer wearing not the uniform of the First Order, but one that looked almost exactly like the uniform of the long-fallen Galactic Empire. The officer saluted him and Kylo responded with a nod of acknowledgement, his eyes taking in the man's rank badge.

"Lord Kylo Ren, welcome aboard the Eclipse."

"It is a very impressive ship, captain." Kylo admitted, glancing around the cavernous bay, the roof of which was cluttered with launching racks filled with what appeared to be TIE Defenders and Missile Boats.

"Grand Admiral Thrawn is waiting on the Bridge, sir." The captain turned and Kylo matched his pace. When Grand Moff Snoke passed away, we knew it was time for the Ascendant Imperium to come and take its rightful place."

"I was under the impression that… did you say Grand Moff?" Kylo's ire briefly vanished in the confusion he felt at the Captain's comment. "He always insised on being called Supreme Leader."

"He did lead the scouting elements of the Ascendant Imperium as their supreme commander." The Captain allowed as a blue-skinned Lieutenant tapped the control to open the turbolift ahead of them.

"I see you have a mult-species crew." Kylo noted after the doors closed.

"Primarily Humans and Chiss, yes." The captain noted. "Grand Admiral Thrawn is a Chiss and is the one who oversaw the reformation of the Galactic Empire, reforging it into the Ascendant Imperium. Even now, task forces are moving to re-integrate the other portions of our forces into a unified whole. Shame about the Supremacy, it will take quite a bit of work to get that Fleet Command Ship back into combat readiness. What happened to cause that?"

"Hyperspace ramming." Kylo growled and the captain shook his head.

"That shouldn't have worked. With the shields up, it would have either deflected the craft onto a random vector or simply destroyed it and even with the shields down, the normal structural bracing and inertial dampeners would have limited the damage, assumign that the vessel doing the ramming didn't simply transition to Hyperspace."

"Yet it happened." Kylo pointed out.

"We've already begun downloading the tactical data." The captain shrugged, causing Kylo to once again feel shocked. "We'll figure out just what happened soon enough."

Before Kylo could respond, the doors opened onto a Bridge as large as Snoke's throne room. Standing on a raised platform, surrounded by various holographic screens, stood a dark-haired, blue-skinned man in a whie uniform.

"…is that…?"

"Grand Admiral Mith'raw'nuardo of the Ascendant Imperium." The captain pronounced the alien's name without a single hint of hesitation. "Many humans have trouble with his name, so you may refer to him as Grand Admiral Thrawn."

"Indeed he may." Thrawn said from ahead of them. "So, Kylo Ren, formerly Ben Solo, nephew of Luke Skywalker who is almost certainly deceased… do you know where he was?"

"I… no." Kylo admitted.

"Shame. Retrieving his body could have proven useful, although we already have several of his clones as part of the Imperial Guard."

Kylo blinked. "Clones? How?"

"Bespin. Skywalker lost his hand there. It was retreived and preserved. He is not the only Jedi to have been cloned, there are several clones of Ezra Bridger as well."

"I have never heard of him." Kylo admitted.

"He was before your time." Thrawn shrugged, still seeming to pay no attention to them. "He was rescued by two allies of his almost two decades ago, but not before we managed to create a dozen clones from him. I do believe that you were given training by Grand Moff Snoke? I understand that he was especially gifted in the telepathic arts… which may be how he was so easily controlled."

"…controlled?" Kylo felt numb from the repeated shocks. "Controlled by who?"

"Controlled by me." A voice said and Thrawn saluted the hologram that had appeared before him.

"Emperor Palpatine. I have already sent an update."

"I have read it, Grand Admiral. You have done an excellent job as always." The young-looking robed man replied with a smirk. "And I see you have a guest. One who is of interest to me. Kylo Ren, you will be brought before me to become my newest apprentice, as your grandfather once was. Snoke saw potential in you and though he was merely my unwitting tool until I finally reclaimed a body of flesh rather than circuits and alchemy, his instincts were sound. I should know, it was my former Master who created him with my aid."

Kylo gaped in shock.

"You will make the arrangements?"

"I will, my Emperor." Thrawn replied with a salute and the hologram vanished.

"I will detach the Vengeance-III-class Super-Star Destroyer Shadowblade to take you to Byss." Thrawn stated, half-turning so that Kylo could actually see the white-clad man's glowing red eyes. "I do trust that you will not attempt anything untoward?"

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The aura of power was almost solid as Kylo entered the giant hall. The structure stretched over a kilometer ahead of him and was nearly half that in width. Swallowing, Kylo stepped onto the moving walkway and began his journey towards the one who had apparently controled Snoke.

As he was carried through the hall, Kylo looked round at the various craft and objects set on display. One was a large, chrome-covered starship propelled by two engines mounted on wings near the back while facing it was the burnt-out wreckage of what had obviously once been a similar craft.

Past that was a starfighter that made Kylo's breath catch in his throat. A TIE Advancedx1, it still had a damaged solar panel and carbon scoring, indicating that it was indeed the fighter that Vader had flown in the battle which ended with the destruction of the first Death Star.

Other trophies were less obvious, although their value was obvious. An electrum-plated lightsaber embedded in a transparent block, a pair of lightsabers with transparent portions showing the energy-flow chamber inside, an angled display table showing an old rank plaque of yellow and red squares above a patch that looked like a facted crystal.

One trophy in particular caught Kylo's attention, it was a sleek, brown starship with a piloting bubble at the front, one occupied by a deactivated pilot droid. Set in front of it was another transparent block, this one with a curved lightsaber embedded in it. Having studied his grandfather's career, Kylo recognized it instantly, even though he had never actually seen it before.

The lightsaber of the Sith Blademaster, the Fallen Jedi, Count Dooku.

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"Welcome, young Ren." The powerful man in the understated command chair smiled down at him. "Did you enjoy my Hall of Memories?"

"I didn't understand the relevance of many of the items, but… it was impressive." Kylo replied as he dropped to one knee, then he glanced at the deactivated droid in an alcove behind the Emperor, a droid that looked like a man in red robes, but with a holographic display instead of a faceplate.

"Ah, you've seen my Sentinel." The Emperor noted. "Formed from technology and Sith Alchemy, they functioned as vessels for my spirit after my unfortunate demise. Using them, I was able to set in motion my plans to let the galaxy fall into chaos and weaken itself ready for my firm hand to take control once more. Plans which have led you here… my new apprentice."

Kylo bowed his head.

"Or should I say… my potential apprentice." The Emperor corrected himself and Kylo heard several sets of feet approach. "My Royal Knights are loyal to me, but they lack a certain something. Nevertheless, they are all trained in the Dark Side and simply need someone to lead them in the field. Rise and look upon your new Knights… Kylo, I present to you the Knights of Ren! Clones of Count Dooku, Mace Windu, Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Galen Marek and Ezra Bridger, these six will serve as your blade and shield as you pursue the last of the Jedi, Rey, and bring her to me."

"Do you wish her alive or dead, my Master?" Kylo asked and the Emperor shrugged.

"Either will do, my Apprentice. I leave the choice to you."

"As you command, my Master."

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Addendum - The Reference List

The large, chrome-covered starship– Royal Yacht (Star Wars I)

Burnt-out wreckage of what had obviously once been a similar craft. –Royal Yacht (Star Wars II)

A TIE Advancedx1 –Vader's TIE Fighter (Star Wars IV, but this was pretty much stated)

Electrum-plated lightsaber – Mace Windu (Star Wars I – III)

A pair of lightsabers with transparent portions showing the energy-flow chamber inside – Starkiller's Sabers (Game/Force Unleashed II)

Rank plaque of yellow and red squares above a patch that looked like a facted crystal – Galen Erso (Star Wars Rogue 1)

Sleek, brown starship with a piloting bubble at the front, one occupied by a deactivated pilot droid – Solar Sailer (Star Wars II)