Book 2:

The Last Jedi

Chapter 1: The Adventure Continues

The FIRST ORDER reigns. Having decimated the peaceful Republic, Supreme Leader Snoke now deploys his merciless legions to seize military control of the galaxy.

Only General Leia Organa's band of RESISTANCE fighters stand against the rising tyranny, certain that Jedi Master Luke Skywalker will return and restore a spark of hope to the fight.

But the Resistance has been exposed. As the First Order speeds toward the rebel base, the brave heroes mount a desperate escape...

….

We see D'Qar once again. A huge Resistance cruiser vessel called the Raddus, which is named after the Mon Calamari Admiral Raddus, himself, ascends from the planet, accompanied by an escort of smaller spacecraft.

On the planet's surface, Lieutenant Kaydel Ko Connix and her tall colleague Jones oversee the frantic evacuation of the rebel base.

Jones, "we're not clear yet! There's still 30 pallets of cannon shells in C bunker."

Connix, "forget the ammunition, there's no time. Just get everyone on the transport", she hears a distant boom, "oh, no."

Connix and Jones look up and see two Resurgent-class Star Destroyers appear in the cloudy blue sky, quickly joined by the Star Destroyer Finalizer.

….

On board the bridge, Captain Edrison Peavey of the Finalizer watches the Raddus in the distance, then turns to General Armitage Hux.

Peavey, "we've caught them in the middle of their evacuation."

Hux, "I have my orders from Supreme Leader Snoke himself. This is where we snuff-out the resistance once and for all. Tell Captain Canady to prime his dreadnought. Incinerate their base, destroy their transports and obliterate their fleet."

The enormous Mandator IV-class Siege Dreadnought known as the Fulminatrix, owned by Captain Moden Canady, pops out of hyperspace from the far reaches of space. Two massive cannons slung beneath the ship's belly begin to lower and take aim.

In the destroyer's bridge pit, a beautiful yet stern monitor eyes a red X shape on her radar screen, her surroundings lit red for ideal visibility during battlefield conditions.

She says, "General, Resistance ship approaching. Launching shields in attack mode."

Hux is incredulous, "a single light fighter?"

The X-wing ship faces off with the Fulminatrix. BB-8 occupies the tailseat with Poe up front.

Poe, "happy beeps here, buddy, come on."

….

In the control room of the Resistance ship, Leia monitors him from the control room.

Poe speaks over the intercom, "we've pulled crazier stunts than this."

Leia, "just for the record, Commander Dameron, I'm with the droid on this one. Even Mara wouldn't be this reckless, and she's always ready to fight!"

Poe, "thank you for your support, General."

Poe, "happy beeps. Attention", he flicks a switch, "this is Commander Poe Dameron of the Republic fleet, I have an urgent communique for General Hux."

….

Lank Paze, "patch him through."

Hux, "this is General Hux of the First Order. The Republic is no more. Your fleet are rebel scum and war criminals. Tell your precious princess there will be no terms... there will be no surrender."

Poe, "hi, I'm holding for General Hugs."

Hux, "I just said, this is Hux. You and your friends are doomed! We will wipe your filth from the galaxy."

Poe, "okay, I'll hold."

Hux, "h-hello?"

Poe, "hello? Yup. I'm still here."

Hux looks to Paze, "can you... can he hear me?"

Paze nods from the bridge pit.

Poe, "Hugs?"

Hux, "he can."

Poe, "with an 'H'. Skinny guy. Kinda pasty."

Hux, "I can hear you. Can you hear me?"

Poe, "look, I can't hold forever. If you reach him... tell him Leia has an urgent message for him."

Peavey, "I believe he's messing with you, sir."

Poe, "about his mother."

Hux, "that little…. Open fire!"

….

Poe's ship's display is beeping rapidly.

Poe, "BB-8, punch it!"

BB-8 beeps excitedly. As the X-wings rear nozzles fire, it hurdles forward. The velocity causes BB-8's head to slip back from his round body.

….

Peavey, "he's going for the dreadnought."

Hux, "ha! He's insane."

….

Poe, "wa-hoo! That's got a kick."

Poe's fighter soars atop of the Fulminatrix's hull, weaving and rolling throughout the aircraft's laserfire.

Poe manages to fire the Fulminatrix's enemy cannons with fire of his own.

….

Hux watches with the grim expression.

….

Poe, "all right, taking out the cannons now. Tallie, start your approach."

Tallie, "copy that."

….

On the dreadnought bridge.

Hux's hologram appears.

Hux, "Captain Canady, why aren't you blasting that puny ship?"

Canady, "that 'puny ship' is too small and at too close range. We need to scramble our fighters! Five bloody minutes ago."

Goneril, "he'll never penetrate our armor."

Canady, "he's not trying to penetrate our armor. He's clearing out our surface cannons."

….

Poe, "there's one cannon left. And here comes the parade."

A squadron of TIE fighters swoop over in pursuit. BB-8 chirps nervously at the sight.

Poe, "yeah, yeah, I see 'em!"

As one of the TIE ships opens fire on Poe's X-wing ship's, sparks fly.

Poe's ship's cockpit machinery begins sparking.

Poe, "no no. Dammit! BB-8, my weapon systems are down. We gotta take out that last cannon... or our bombers are toast. Make your magic work, buddy."

BB-8 drops down from the socket to a cable-filled hold. His head hovers from his body as he searches the craft compartment. He sees the problem, and uses the appendages on his telescoping arm to plug some damaged panel sections, but more begin to spark as BB-8 chirps nervously.

….

Canady paces aboard the Fulminatrix.

Canady, "are the auto cannons primed?"

Goneril, "primed and ready, sir."

Canady, "what are we waiting for? Fire on the base!"

….

The Fulminatrix's cannons unleash a barrage of laserfire down to the planet below, where one last Resistance lifeboat is left.

Connix, "punch it!"

Connix's U-55 orbital loadlifter speeds to safety, narrowly avoiding the artillery blasts which strike D'Qar's surface.

….

In the Raddus control room.

Connix is heard over the intercom, "the last transport is in the air, the evacuation is complete."

Leia, "you did it, Poe. Now get ready for phase two of the plan!"

Poe, "Roger that General. Send in the bombers!"

….

Tailing Poe's X-wing ship through an antenna on the Fulminatrix's hull, one of the TIE fighters crashes and burns.

Poe, "these things are fleet killers. We can't let it get away, or we're all doomed."

Leia, "I may not care for the plan, but it may be able to help in our escape."

Poe flips a switch on his cockpit's console and continues on.

….

In the control room.

C-3PO the golden droid from Tatooine stands next to Leia

Leia, "wipe that nervous expression off your face, Threepio."

C-3PO, "oh. Well, I'll certainly try, General. Nervous?"

…

A target lines up in Poe's cockpit's viewfinder.

Poe, "let's go, BB-8... It's now or never!"

….

BB-8 chirps as with inventiveness born of desperation, he has lowered the elevator he used to assume his station in the droid socket halfway, which requires that he erases three improper-operation alerts from the X-wing, and rolls into the cavity of the fuselage, as close to the short in the junction box as possible. His arm retracts into his body. Then, he uses the welding arm to swing the head out and down, like a man doffing his hat, shrieking. It smashes into the sparking junction box, the primary photoreceptor swirling with electronic feedback.

Poe squeezes his weapon's trigger, destroying the last cannon on the Fulminatrix's hull.

The X-wing zooms to the fiery cloud, then banks around. Two pursuing TIE fighters collide and explode, then BB-8 pops up, crackling with energy and exclaiming softly.

Poe, "yeeeaaahh-ho! All clear, bring the bombs!"

….

On the dreadnought bridge.

Bascus, "Captain... Resistance bombers approaching."

Canady, "of course they are."

….

A squad of heavy bombers and A-wing ships known as Colbrat Squadron and Blue Squadron approaches the dreadnought, resembling World War II aeroplanes, with long virtual compartments extending from their fuselages like magazines from automatic rifles. Lieutenant Tallisan Lintra, the beautiful young blonde pilot hovers on board her blue A-wing ship.

Tallie, "alright, let's keep the bombers in that tight formation. Fighters, protect the bombers. It's not every day we get a shot at a dreadnought, so make this count."

Dallow, "copy that Blue Leader! If you get us there, we'll give it to them."

Teene, "fighters incoming."

A squad of First Order TIE fighters approach the squardon.

Tallie, "gunners, look alive."

The TIE fighters fire.

A furious battle ensues, with both sides taking heavy fire as the bombers slowly move towards their target.

But what the First Order didn't know was that all but one of the bombers were decoys. The bomber that was actually manned was right smack dab in the middle of the other bombers that were on auto-pilot.

Canady, "recharge the auto-cannons. Target their cruiser."

Poe, "I see it. Tallie, they have targeted the fleet and begun the priming sequence."

Tallie, "copy that. We are almost there. Bombardier... begin your drop sequence."

Nix, "I've got a visual on the target. We are approaching the point of attack. The bombs are armed."

….

Bascus, "auto cannons aimed."

Goneril, "40 seconds to full charge."

Canady, "destroy that last bomber!"

….

Poe, "Paige, come in. We're over the target. Why aren't your bay doors open? You're the only one that's not a decoy!"

Paige, "Nix!"

Poe, "Paige! Drop the payload, now!"

Dallow, "look out!"

Paige, "no!"

The bomber is nearly destroyed, but Paige sacrifices herself to drop the bombs. Taking one last look at a necklace she has before she drops the bombs.

Tallie, "bombs away!"

….

A Resistance Monitor, "Direct hit! Dreadnought down!"

Most of the crew cheer at the success, but Leia seems to be in pain over the lives they lost.

There weren't as many if they had put someone on every bomber, but it still pained Leia.

….

A monitor says, "General, Supreme Leader Snoke... is making contact from the ship."

Hux, "excellent. I'll take it in my chambers."

Snokes hologram appears right before Hux.

Snoke, "General Hux."

Hux, "ah, good. Supreme leade-"

Snoke smacks Hux to the ground using the force.

Snoke, "my disappointment... in your performance can not be overstated. You are lucky that my own Master does not know about this failure of yours."

Hux, "they can't get away, Supreme Leader. We have them tied on the end of a string."

….

Back with the Resistance. Finn is in the med bay, sleeping. Suddenly, he shoots up in alarm!

Finn, "Rey! Jace!"

Finn clumsily makes his way out of the medbay, passing a confused looking BB-8.

The droid dashes to Poe who says, "well done, pal. 'Finn naked leaking bag?' What? Did you fry a chip?"

Both turned to see Finn walking down the hall.

Poe, "Finn", Poe runs to his friend, "hey, buddy. It's so good to see you. What? Let's uh... We need to get you dressed. Come on. You must have a thousand questions."

Finn, "where are Jace and Rey?

….

Rey walks towards Luke with the lightsaber.

Owen stands with Mara and Padme. Mother and son were both in awe. Being in front of their missing family.

Rey held the lightsaber before Luke, offering it like a holy relic.

Luke took it, showing his robotic hand.

He studied the lightsaber for a moment….

And simply dropped it, as if it were a diseased stick.

It rolls down a bit as Rey grows a confused look.

Owen and Mara were shocked to the core, while Padme held a sad look upon her face. Rey looked extremely confused as Luke walked right past her, with a sour and pained look upon his face as he passed by his family as if they weren't even there!

Rey, "Master Skywalker?"

Owen looked at Padme and asked, "Padme, what's going on? Why is dad acting like this?"

Padme sighed in pain, "ever since the temple, he's been like this. Reclusive and depressed. I won't sugarcoat it Jace. He'd be worse if I weren't here."

Mara, "one thing's for certain; he's not the same man I remember."

Owen, "no. He acts more like Kenobi or Yoda. Old men, haunted by their mistakes."

The small group went over to where Luke had tossed the saber.

Near it were three of the small bird-like creatures, known as Porgs.

One flew up to Padme's shoulder as they approached. She used her finger to scratch their little belly, making its foot thump over and over again.

Mara, "what are these things?"

Padme, "they're called Porgs. I love the little guys. And they seem to really like me. Especially this little one. I call him Thumper."

Owen, "heh, you would pick a name like that Jaina."

Padme punched her brothers arm. He'd call her by her middle name to mess with her.

One was tapping its foot on the saber before Rey picked it up.

Owen, "mom, you go get Chewie from the Falcon. We'll try to get to dad."

Mara nodded and went off.

Padme turned to Owen and said, "you guys found the Falcon? But, wait…. Where's Uncle Han?"

Owen and Rey both gave pained looks.

Padme could instantly put it together.

Tears threatened to spring forth, but she kept a stern face.

Padme, "it was Ben, wasn't it?"

Owen gave a solemn nod as Padme took a moment to mourn her Uncle's passing.

Owen rubbed her back as Rey said, "he was a good man. He treated me almost like I was family. Even in his last moments…."

Owen finished, "... he believed he could save Ben."

Only then did Owen and Rey see the X-Wing sitting in the water, along with a red and white starfighter.

Later, we see the group all approaching the hut Luke was in.

Chewie and Mara arrived right behind them.

He was surprised to see Padme, and gave her a bone crushing hug.

Padme, "it's great to see you too Chewie. I'm sorry about Uncle Han."

Chewie simply nodded with a sad groan.

Rey knocked on the door, "Master Skywalker? I'm from the Resistance. Your sister Leia sent me. We need your help. Hello?"

Luke, "go away."

Owen, "Chewie, do it!"

Chewie broke down the door and growled at his old friend.

Luke, "Chewie, what are you doing here?"

Rey, "he said you're coming back with us."

Owen, "whether you like it or not dad!"

Luke, "how did you find me?"

Mara, "it wasn't easy, let me tell ya!"

Rey, "long story, we'll tell you in the Falcon."

Luke, "Falcon? Wait. Where's Han?"

Everyone looked down.

Luke could read their expressions like an open book.

He started to shake, his hands almost vibrating.

Rey looked at Chewie, "let's give him a moment."

Chewie nodded as everyone but Luke, Mara and Owen left.

Luke sat down on his bed, a look of shock on his face.

He asked, "how? How did it happen?"

Owen took a breath as he said, "it was Ben. Ben killed him. He thought Han was the only thing holding him back from being a Sith Lord."

Luke had tears beginning to form in his eyes.

Mara sat down next to her husband.

Mara, "he did all he could to help us find you."

Owen knelt in front of his father and said, "Uncle Han went out of his way to save us. Me and my friends."

Luke simply looked at his family. He was grateful someone was there to console him. He hadn't seen his family in years. But being there with them now, it was as though no time had passed at all.

He gave his son and wife each a compassionate hug.

But, the moment had to end as Owen said, "c'mon, we've got someone you need to meet."

Luke, "I know who she is."

They both looked at Luke in confusion.

Mara, "how?"

Luke, "long ago, I was told of a girl, strong in the Force, who would cross my path. A girl with family strong in the force. Two grandfather's, with a strong connection to it."

Owen asked, "who are her grandfather's?"

Luke, "I'll tell you in time. For now, I'd like to meet the girl herself…."

….

We find Hux and Ren standing before Supreme Leader Snoke.

Snoke, "tied to a string, indeed, General Hux. Well done. The Resistance will soon be in our grasp."

Hux, "thank you, Supreme Leader."

Hux turns and leaves Snoke and Ren there.

Snoke, "you wonder why I keep a rabid cur in such a place of power? The cur's weakness, properly manipulated... Can be a sharp tool. How's your wound?"

Kylo, "it's nothing."

Snoke, "hmm. The mighty Kylo Ren. When I found you... I saw what all masters live to see. Raw, untamed power. And beyond that, something truly special. The potential of your bloodline. Potential that your cousin, Jace SkyWalker, could not not fullfill. A new Vader. Now I fear... I was mistaken."

Kylo Ren looks up at Snoke and says, "I've given everything I have to you. To the dark side."

Snoke, "take that ridiculous thing off."

Kylo Ren takes off his helmet/mask, revealing his scarred face.

Snoke, "yes, there it is. You have too much of your father's heart in you, young Solo."

Kylo, "I killed Han Solo. When the moment came I didn't hesitate."

Snoke, "and look at you, the deed split your spirit to the bone. You were unbalanced... Bested by a girl who had never held a lightsaber, and a boy with no proper master! You failed!"

In an angry state, Ren gets up. Snoke shoots lightning at him, sending him back down.

Snoke, "Skywalker lives. His progeny lives. The seed of the Jedi Order, lives! As long as it does, hope lives in the galaxy. I thought you would be the one to snuff it out. Alas, you're no Vader. You're just a child in a mask."

A moment later, in the elevator, Kylo Ren lets out a breath. He then turns to his mask. He proceeds to bang it against the wall in pure anger and rage. He pauses, his eyes holding pure hatred. He proceeds with destroying his mask, leaving it in pieces. The elevator opens, revealing two officers.

Kylo, "prepare my ship."

He leaves, preparing for what he must do next….

….

Rey, "there is no light left in Kylo Ren. He's only getting stronger. The First Order will control all the major systems within weeks. We need your help. We need the Jedi Order back. We need Luke Skywalker."

Luke, "you don't need Luke Skywalker."

Owen, "did you listen to a single word she said?!"

Luke, "you think what, Jace? I'm gonna walk out with a laser sword and face down the whole First Order? What did you think was going to happen here? You think that I came to the most unfindable place in the galaxy for no reason at all? Go away."

Padme, "dad, I've gone along with this for a long time, but I'm with Rey and Owen. The Resistance needs a spark of hope!"

Mara, "we didn't come all this way to just leave you here Luke!"

Rey, "I'm not leaving without you!"

Luke, "I've lived with the shame of my failures for a long time. I can keep going."

As Luke walked away, Owen turned to Padme and said, "he's better with you here?"

Padme nodded, "if I weren't here, he'd be even more difficult.

For the rest of the day, Rey and the others keep following Luke wherever he goes. Padme is with him, helping him fish, and getting milk from a strange creature and so on.

Padme stopped her father from drinking the weird green milk, right there and then.

Soon, Rey and the others come across some form of wooden hut.

Rey and Owen go in as Mara decides to head back to the Falcon.

Rey and Owen find a stack of books, actual books, covered in dust from so many years gone by.

Luke, "you are wasting your time."

Rey and Owen turn to Luke.

Luke, "who are you?"

Owen knew the question was rhetorical. He knew who she was. He meant, does she know who she is?

Rey, "I know this place."

Owen, "both of us have seen it in dreams."

Luke, "built a thousand generations ago... to keep these. The original Jedi texts. Just like me, Owen, Padme and any other old masters, they're the last of the Jedi religion. You've seen this place. You've seen this island."

Rey, "only in dreams."

Padme, "dreams are important to members of the Jedi."

Luke, "who are you?"

Rey, "the Resistance sent me."

Owen gave her a look

Rey, "us."

Luke, "they sent you? What is special about you? Where are you from?"

Owen could tell that Luke was testing Rey. Seeing why she was there specifically.

Rey, "nowhere."

Luke, "no ones from nowhere."

Rey and Owen, "Jakku."

Luke, "all right, that is pretty much nowhere. Why are you here, Rey, from nowhere?"

Rey, "the Resistance sent us. We need your help. Owen and his mother can only do so much with their skill. The First Order has become unstoppable."

Luke, "why are you here?"

Rey, "... something inside me has always been there. Now it's awake. Owen saw it awaken."

Owen, "she has true potential with the Force."

Rey, "and I'm afraid. I do not know what it is... or what to do with it. And I need help."

Luke, "you need a teacher. I can't teach you."

Rey, "why not? I've seen your daily routine. You're not busy."

Owen, "Force knows that you and Padme haven't been doing anything in all these years."

Padme, "you think I haven't tried to get him to do anything?"

Luke, "I will never train another generation of Jedi. Padme and Owen are the last of my students I trained before everything happened. I came to this island to die, and it was Padme who kept me from even doing that. It's time for the Jedi to end."

Owen felt shocked by what his father just said.

The man who saved Anakin Skywalker from the dark side.

Who worked with his friends to end the Empire.

The man who brought the Jedi back from extinction.

He said that the Jedi needed to end.

Rey, "why? Leia sent me here with hope. If she was wrong, she deserves to know why. We all do."

Luke only looked at them with a pained expression before leaving the hut.

Padme ran after her father, ready to try and knock some sense into him for the millionth time.

Leaving Owen and Rey to look at one another, questioning what to do now…?

….

Reviews:

mmat: Padme has been with Luke for many years, and has managed to lighten him up a bit more than in the film.

Amanny: thanks. I hope the changes have been good so far.

….

The differences become even more noticeable here.

Such as Poe and Leia discussing the plan to use the decoy bombers that surround the real one. That way less people take a risk, and Poe doesn't have to learn a damned lesson.

Also, it was harder to find a decent transcript to aid me in writing this, since most of them are just the dialogue to the movie. I use transcripts for whenever I retell the events of a movie, since it's easier than watching the movie, and pausing every other moment.

So I'm using the graphic novel version, as well as using a transcript of the lines for The Last Jedi.