Written by HawkeyeNextGen.
Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Opening Crawl:
Decades have passed since the battle of Endor. The New Republic has been established to bring an era of prosperity. A mysterious order known as the Legion Armada has appeared from the shadows.
Rumors have risen of a hidden weapon known as "Eradicator", said to house more firepower than the Death Star. A group of insurrectionists known as The Resistance has been formed to seek this superweapon.
On a lone planet called Jakku, the Legion continues to hunt down the Resistance, the deserts harboring a secret which will aid the fate of the galaxy…
Above the planet of Jakku, a Resurgent Star Destroyer of the Legion Armada comes into range, and deploys dropships, whose design is inspired by the outdated Imperial Dropship Transports used by the Galactic Empire long ago. Rather than Stormtroopers, the Armada consists of Legionnaires, who appear much more menacing to strike fear into their enemy. The scene plays similarly to that of the film, and Legion show and begin the attack. Resistance pilot Poe's escape attempt aboard his modified X-wing fails, and BB flees the village. No sooner does Kylo Ren appear and confront the headmaster of the village of Tuanul, accusing him of sheltering a pilot of the Resistance, and demands to know where their hidden outpost is, threatening to subject him to torture. The Headmaster, being a believer in the cause of the Resistance, accuses the Legion Armada of spreading their tyrannical influence over the free planets of the Galaxy, before mentioning the superweapon Eradicator. Kylo strikes him down and halts Poe's blaster bolt in mid-air before two heavily armored Centurions of the Legion Armada apprehend the pilot and take him aboard the shuttle. The villagers are executed under the command of Captain Phasma.
Rey is a nobody from nowhere. Scavenging is all she has been, all that she has known, and is certain it's all she ever will be. While it isn't much it has given her purpose. As far as she can tell, she has no past other than mere hints and blurs, nothing of significance to remember, no beliefs to encourage her to keep going other than the will to survive. In this story, she is meant to represent the audience and immerse them in the world of Star Wars; her lack of background makes it easier to step into her shoes wherein despite how much they've come to know of the world of Star Wars, they still intend to get lost within it. She, much like the audience, wants to become a Jedi, to seek the force and obtain enlightenment within their daily life. However, not only does her current living situation hinder her from doing so, but she lacks the will as well, as she's become so accustomed to this life that she's afraid of leaving it. In spite of her lack of background, this makes her a complex character. She later meets up with a wandering BB-8 and in spite of her solitary nature, decides to befriend the droid at her hideout.
Aboard the Star Destroyer, FN-2187 offers Poe an escape from the Star Destroyer. Poe admits as good as he is at flying an X-wing, he has no idea how to fly a Legion Tie Fighter. FN claims he can pilot one, so they do. What Poe doesn't know is that FN, now known as Finn, has only done simulations. The escape is superficial, and it doesn't take long for them to plummet back down to Jakku.
Kylo Ren converses with Lord Odarius, leader of the Legion Armada. Odarius is a human who is seemingly strong with the force, whose past is shrouded in mystery. Tensions between Hux and Kylo soon become apparent. Hux wants what's best for the Legion as a whole, while Kylo has little concern but for appeasing his master. The tragedy is that Odarius seems to favor Hux for his dedication to the Legion while he is brutally strict with Kylo Ren. All the while, Phasma appears and mentions about FN-2187's desertion.
Hux: "He is now by all means a lose end. We cannot have our intelligence compromised. Send in the fighters to hunt him down. If he resists capture, kill him."
Phasma: "Yes sir."
After Finn wakes up from the crash and searches for Poe, he later meets up with Rey and BB-8 just as in the original film. It doesn't take long for the Legion Armada to track them down. Rey and Finn attempt to outrun the Tie Fighters, trying to reach a freighter until it's destroyed. They spot the Millennium Falcon nearby and make a dash for it, of which they are oblivious to the fact it's already been occupied. A panicked Finn heads into the cockpit in attempts to get it off the ground, but clumsily drags it across the sand.
Rey: "I thought you said you knew how to fly!"
Finn: "I've done the simulations!"
Rey: "Oh that's just brilliant!"
Han: "Who in the blazes is trying to commandeer my ship!?"
Han Solo, awakened from his nap in the cabin barges into the cockpit with him and Chewbacca holding their blasters at point blank range at the two fugitives, demanding to know what's going on. Before they can start asking more questions however, the Falcon takes a hit, so Han shunts Finn into the co-pilot's seat before he tells Chewie and Rey to get in the turret gunners seats.
Han: "Watch and learn kid." The Falcon takes flight once more.
With the help of their new friends, Han and Chewbacca successfully evade and destroy the Tie Fighters before heading into orbit. Finn informs Han of the Legion's presence on Jakku, and his recent contact with Poe. He feels it only proper to notify the Resistance of this. Han, hesitant at first, claims to know a contact there who has connections to them. In the lounge, Rey asks Finn why he deviated from the Legion Eternal. At first Finn is hesitant to do so, but reveals his story. As a child, he was secretly abducted from his home on Naboo and inducted into the Legion Eternal. From that point he underwent training under the watch of Captain Phasma. Although he was trained to become a Legionnaire, he displayed poor blaster performance. Phamsa was displeased, and condemned him to more rigorous training under her watch. At first he thought there'd be no hope for him, until he met TK-8675, a fellow recruit who befriended him and encouraged him to search for his talent on his own accord. It didn't take long for Finn to discover that he would make a much better pilot than a Legionnaire, although Phasma already deemed him an omega of the pack. The attack on Jakku was their first ever deployment, wherein Finn and TK were eager to fight alongside one another. However, TK turned out to be the exact same Legionnaire who died in his arms that night. It was then Finn was disillusioned, no longer wanting to be a part of the cause after losing a friend. Rey, even though she had no friends, sympathizes with him, and offers to become his friend. Finn nods and accepts.
Rey and her new friends soon arrive at a junction on the planet of Trandosha, a forest planet located within the Kashyyyk system. This planet is home of the Trandoshans, a species who has a fierce rivalry with the Wookies, something Chewbacca does not appreciate. There, Han meets up with an old nemesis, Bossk, who survived the catastrophe aboard Jabba's sail barge on Tatooine. Upon hearing about the Legion Armada's presence on Jakku, Bossk agrees to put old grudges aside, as the desert planet is said to be close to the territory of the Galactic Alliance. He too has heard rumors about the superweapon known as the Eradicator. Finn confirms that those rumors are true, as that is where he became a Legionnaire. Han threatens to kill him upon hearing that, asking if that's the reason why the Tie Fighters were hunting them in the first place, speculating if the enemy still has a fix on him. No sooner does the Legion Armada appear with Kylo's Shuttle en route. Hastily, Bossk heads downstairs into the vault, which houses many objects both familiar and new; a virtual memorabilia to the entire Star Wars universe. He's currently traded his life as a Bounty Hunter for a Treasure Hunter. From inside a small box he presents Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber. Bossk claims that ever since Luke Skywalker's wife Mara Jade passed away, the lightsaber was lost, and became a prized possession, making its way around the black market before appearing on Trandosha, where he kept it safe all this time. He is about to entrust it to Rey until she touches it, and is granted a force vision, her very first just like in the original film. Shaken by this, she refuses to accept it. Finn decides to hold onto it for the time being. The Resistance arrives on Trandosha to combat the Legion Armada and Rey is taken captive by Kylo.
After the Resistance drive off the Legion Armada, a familiar face appears from an escort shuttle, Leia Organa, former Senator of the New Republic. At first Han is confused wondering as to why she's choosing to aid the Resistance, as they were considered a group of insurrectionists. Leia reveals that the world of Jakku was destroyed by the Eradicator not too long ago. She briefly saw the superweapon slip into hyperspace before gazing in horror upon the remains of the planet. In the face of a surmounting threat, the New Republic has decided to give the remnants of the Resistance fleet sanctuary to combat the Legion, without directly risking the welfare of its citizens. Poe and Finn meet up with them and question how they're going to rescue Rey, especially when they don't know where the Eradicator is located.
Rey wakes up in a central interrogation chamber on Eradicator base, its location still unknown. Rey resists Kylo's influence, suggesting she is unknowingly strong with the force, and Lord Odarius assigns General Hux to interrogate her using an alternative method of torture; drug induced electrocution. By accident, Rey succeeds on electrocuting Hux just before she herself is subjected and breaks free. She steals his authorization key to aid in her escape, reaching a communication post and decides to send a signal out to the Resistance to target Eradicator. It is soon revealed that the planet Hoth was Eradicator the entire time, hiding in plain sight, named after the weapons of the ancient Sith Empire. The Legion Armada dug and built into the dead planet itself, not adding a planetary shield in order to mask their presence. For years the galaxy thought the Empire or Legion destroyed Hoth, but it was never destroyed.
Han, Finn, and the rest of the team receive this information on the Resistance home base on the lush ancient planet of Lehon, or Rakata Prime; located within the inner rim of the unexplored region of the Galaxy, the Resistance has remained well hidden from the Legion Armada. There, they plan to stage the attack, while Han and his team will slip under to rescue Rey. Han, Finn, and Chewbacca temporarily split up to search for Rey and meet back at the rendezvous point. All the while, Kylo senses their presence and is on the prowl. Rey tries to use a c1 persona comlink (a relic from the original trilogy) to try and get into contact with her friends. Much like a radio, she tries to tune the transmitter, but accidentally gives away her position when speaking into a few of the wrong channels. Kylo picks up these transmissions on his helmet. Rey first runs into Chewie, and Finn, who offers her the lightsaber once more, having realized from earlier that upon coming into contact with it, she felt the force awaken within her. Han and catches up, only for Kylo to suddenly appear from the shadows and strike him down. In a fury, Chewbacca fires at him, only for Kylo to deflect the blaster rounds. They make their way towards the exit and towards the Falcon.
As the Resistance uses and old trick from the book to stage and all-out attack the Eradicator, the trio find themselves once more cornered by Kylo, as he knows the base better than any of them. Rey ignites Anakin's lightsaber and insists the others make a run towards the Falcon. The scene plays out in a similar manner as it does in the movie, but instead of successfully defeating Kylo, Rey outlasts him just enough for the Falcon to reach her and provide covering fire. In an attempt to hinder their escape, Kylo uses the force to stall the Falcon, only for the crumbling planet to force him to break his grip and evacuate. The trio successfully escape.
After the Eradicator is destroyed, the Resistance returns to Rakata Prime where Leia receives a transmission from an ancient and familiar planet; one of the only places in the galaxy strongest with the force; Dagobah. The sender, is one other than former Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker who wishes to speak with Rey and grant apprenticeship. Chewbacca and Finn fly towards the location in the Falcon with Rey, anxious to meet him. The map navigates them through the misty skies of the swamp planet. They land at the feet of a Jedi Temple so ancient, it predates the First Jedi Order. As Rey climbs the steps of the temple, the sun breaks through the clouds to reveal a lone hooded figure meditating at the top. Luke Skywalker.
Luke: "So you're the once I have sensed the force awaken within. Tell me young one, what is your name?"
Episode VIII: The Jedi Legacy
Opening Crawl:
With the annihilation of Jakku, the New Republic declares war on the Legion Armada, aiding the Resistance in driving back their relentless expansion and destroying The Eradicator.
With the aid of her newfound allies, Rey from Nowhere has located Luke Skywalker on Dagobah, who agrees to train her in the ancient ways of the Jedi, just as his masters had done before.
The Resistance's victory however is short lived, as the Legion Armada has finally located their outpost on Rakata Prime and plans to smother them once and for all…
The Resistance begins its evacuation from Rakata Prime as the Legion catches them off guard. They send in the Dreadnaught just as in the original film in attempts to obliterate their fleet. Poe with his outboard accelerator thruster, advances on the Dreadnaught, outmaneuvering the turret cannons of the Dreadnaught and starts blasting them one by one.
Hux: "Captain, why aren't you blasting that petty X-Wing into oblivion?!"
Captain Moden: "That X-wing has an external thruster mounted on its stern! It's too fast for our turrets!"
Hux: "Send in the fighters!"
The scene plays out similarly as in the movie. After Poe manages to disable the turrets, Leia gives the green light. She sends in PTB-625 bombers; swift and brutal fighters from the days of the Rebellion. They start beginning to cripple the Dreadnaught as the rest of the Legion Armada sends in more Tie fighters to combat them. Little does the Resistance know that the seemingly outgunned cruiser has a trick up its sleeve. A series of elevators begin to lift up the orbital autocannons through its hull from the bottom of the ship, and lift the cannons to the deck, and begin to target the Resistance fleet in orbit. No sooner do they destroy a large transport ship much to the Leia's horror. The victory is hard won, but not without a significant loss as the Resistance makes the jump into hyperspace. Odarius is displeased with Hux and makes an example of him, but assures that with his help, the Legion shall follow their trail.
Meanwhile on Dagobah…
Luke: "Remember what I taught you. A Jedi can feel the force flowing through them."
Rey: "It controls your actions?"
Luke: "Partially, but it also obeys your command."
Rey: "So how am I supposed to complete my training if I can't see anything?"
Luke: "It is unwise for a Jedi to fully rely on their sight. Reflect on your training, focus on your instincts, stretch out with your feelings, and no peeking."
A blindfolded Rey stands upon the temple training grounds, igniting her new double-bladed blue/green lightsaber made from her quarterstaff. She has been training for quite some time. Two blaster spheres begin to levitate. She eventually overcomes them both, slicing through them. Luke applauds her and invites her for supper. They enter the temple wherein Luke has made himself a living quarters out of a similar material that Yoda used for his hut. Meanwhile, Finn is playing a board game match with Chewbacca aboard the Falcon. The Wookie makes a move. Finn smirks before he makes his own, which eliminates one of the projections. Chewbacca has a mild tantrum. Rey has her first force connection with Kylo that night.
Finn: "C'mon Chewie, you could've seen that coming from miles away."
R2: *beeps to Finn*
Finn: "Seriously? You're telling me I should let him win?"
R2: *explains what happens when a Wookie loses a game*
Finn: "They do what when they lose?"
R2: *further explains*
Finn: "Oooh." *gulps* "Alright man…sure. I'll just uh…" He makes a move to give Chewie a shot at winning.
As the Resistance exits hyperspace, they believe for the moment they are safe. But it isn't long until the Legion Armada tracked them through light speed, a method previously and currently deemed impossible even with the technological advances made. The Legion sends in Kylo Ren, piloting the Tie Silencer to disable lead transport ship dubbed The Endurance, where Leia Organa Solo awaits her death. Even while Kylo blasts the command bridge into space, Leia feels no fear, knowing she will become one with the force and reunite with Han.
Luke senses a disturbance, and fears that his time too is drawing near. He instructs Rey with one final task. He guides her to a hole in the temple, where a Force Nexus is said to be housed, where Rey shall face what she carries with her, just as Luke had with Yoda long ago. The scene plays out similarly like in the original source material; several mirror images of Rey. In this script this scene is a metaphor of the recycled heroine trope; someone who's been stuck doing the same acts time and again in different realities, which mirror her own; and it's what Rey has dreaded even if she barely knew of it. She walks up to a mirrored panel and asks to see her parents again, she has always yearned to know who she really is, and where she comes from, and what she can build upon. She's briefly met with disappointment when all she sees is another image of herself. Suddenly, her mirror image grins sinisterly, and ignites a red double bladed lightsaber of her own, whose edge breaks through from the other side; shattering the mirrored environment. A startled Rey abruptly finds herself in an eerie forest, face to face with another version of herself, cloaked in umbral robes, and possessing menacing glowing eyes.
Dark Rey: "Well well…there's a face I have not scene for quite a while. Look how much you've grown, look how far you've come, only to face me."
Rey: "Who are you?"
Dark Rey: "Oh don't be daft. You've always known who I am. I just happened to lurking within the shadows, waiting for your naive brittle mind to let me in."
Rey: "I won't give into you."
Dark Rey: "So sure are you? I daresay you aren't. Look at you, frightened, feeble, distraught, all because you've gotten a glimpse at what you really are. Then again I'm not surprised, it happens to more people than you might realize."
Rey: "If you're attempting to persuade me to join you, it'll have to take more than that."
Dark Rey: "Oh no, not join; become. All your pathetic little life you've merely existed in a place known to many as nowhere, living as an insignificant nobody."
Rey: "You're lying."
Dark Rey: "Then why am I here? The so-called Force Nexus? It's simply a place which channels the Dark Side you fool, you're the conduit."
Rey: "I'm…a beacon…of the dark side?"
Dark Rey: "Yes…you're starting to see it now aren't you? It's always been there just as I have. Now the time has come to change that. Take my place, and you won't be a nobody anymore…you'll be someone greater, someone more powerful."
Rey: "I don't need to become you. I was never a nobody to begin with. A scavenger perhaps, one who's been living a solitary life, abandoned by her loved ones…but I've left that life behind me."
Dark Rey: "You're making a big mistake. Without me you're nothing, you need me!"
Rey: "No, I don't. I only ever need the force, and with it I shall become a Jedi."
Dark Rey: "Then you shall die."
After a duel ensues, Rey successfully defeats her dark version by sheathing her weapon and kneeling down to meditate. Dark Rey becomes enraged and attempts to strike Rey down, only for her lightsaber to go right through her. Infuriated, Dark Rey swings at her again and again, growing weaker with each, until she evaporates entirely, leaving behind only her red lightsaber. This scene is meant to symbolize that when one offers no sovereignty to their inner darkness, its influence will gradually shrink and eventually will cease to affect you, even if it's still a part of you. Rey opens her eyes and finds herself back atop the temple where Luke congratulates her, and with his green lightsaber, he knights her as full-fledged Jedi.
As the Resistance fleet continues to outrun the Legion Armada, the crew all hold a funeral for Leia. Leadership is transferred to commander Holdo, who at one point in time was Leia's apprentice in diplomacy. She and Poe are butting heads on what decision needs to happen next; and more importantly whose leadership is sounder in a time such as this. Both opponents are affected in their own way at her loss. For Holdo, she looked up to Leia like a bigger sister, for she was an orphan in her younger days. Now that she has been given command over The Endurance, it feels like an overwhelming responsibility for her, especially given her mentor is dead. For Poe, the loss of his fellow pilots had given him a sense of hypervigilance. He'll do whatever he can to protect the rest of his teammates even if it means staging a mutiny.
After Luke notices Kylo and Rey connecting through the force, Rey demands to know the truth about him and why he turned to the dark side. Luke reveals to her that like Luke before him, Kylo was a prodigy, one of Luke's last apprentices. Despite the established trust between teacher and student, Luke refused to reveal to Kylo the truth of his past; he is a clone. Odarius used stolen technology from Kamino to create Kylo and empower him with the long lost rituals of the ancient Sith Dread Masters. One of his followers however stole him away and came to Luke Skywalker for assistance. Luke decided to relocate them to Dagobah to keep them safe. Whenever he'd visit, he'd train Kylo to harness the force and calm his inner turmoil while the deviant fostered him. But Odarius plagued Kylo's dreams replacing them with nightmares and visions, including that of his past. Eventually, this drove Kylo over the edge, leading him to kill his guardian and flee the planet, joining the Legion Armada. Despite this, Rey is still convinced that there is still good within Kylo, just as Luke has found within Darth Vader. Luke applauds her for this and wishes her well as she, Finn, Chewbacca depart the planet leaving R2-D2 to keep Luke company.
Poe and his crew stage a mutiny, but when the Falcon appears on the radar of The Endurance, Poe and his mutinous crew stand down, Holdo orders her remaining loyal crewmen to establish contact by using C-3PO as a makeshift antenna. With the aid of the Falcon, Holdo plans on performing one last desperate attempt to halt the Legion Armada, and asks the crew of the Falcon if they can infiltrate the Supremacy and deactivate its shields. Although Poe is against this, Holdo persuades him to trust her by preemptively granting him her status, should her plan fail and the Resistance is left leaderless. Finn remarks that due to his time in the Armada as a legionnaire, he can easily imitate one which will give him and Chewbacca an advantage to play an old trick from the book. Rey in the meanwhile will confront Kylo Ren.
Upon arrival, Rey surrenders herself to Kylo while a Centurion searches the Falcon. Chewie make short work of him and Finn adorns the armor before placing Chewie in cuffs and leading him into the ship to search for the shield generator. Kylo escorts Rey into Odarius's throne room wherein he grants them audience. Rey's attempts to resist him fails and; Odarius seizes her lightsaber and places it at his side, leaving her at the mercy of Kylo. Odarius reveals the truth, there is no device on the Supremacy which helped them track the Resistance through light speed. It was Odarius all along, as his strength in the force virtually guided them to hunt down the Resistance fleet. All that remains now, is for the dark apprentice to kill her. Rey's breath becomes shallow as she is faced with her death. As Kylo seems prepared to strike her down, Odarius suddenly seizes Kylo, holding him in a force choke while dropping Rey.
Odarius: "So…this is the path you've chosen."
Rey looks towards Odarius, and sees her own lightsaber shaking, as Kylo in a turn of events attempted to assassinate him by using the force upon the saber, which his master hindered. Rey hastily reaches out and draws her lightsaber back to herself, wherein upon seizing it, she is overcome with a force vision. In truth, Odarius is an individual long thought to be dead; Taron Malicos, a fallen Jedi who survived Order 66, fleeing to Dathomir, where he was driven mad by the malevolent forces of the planet. He was punished for his massacre against the Nightkin and entombed within the surface of planet. However, in the brief time he was confined, he tapped even further into the dark side of the force, and with this unnatural strength virtually rose from his grave. Seeking to establish a new order to outlast and crush both the Jedi and Sith, he traveled to a remote planet called Exegol. There, he gained a cult following and subjected the mysterious nocturnal natives of planet to enslavement, forcing them to build a great temple before wiping them out entirely and giving himself the alias Odarius. The Knights of Ren had since then guarded the ancient Temple on the barren planet; their order named after an individual known as Ren, the first apprentice of Malicos, who aided him in constructing the Legion Armada from the remnants of the Galactic Empire. During this transition the audience hears the legendary quote from Palpatine, "The Dark Side of the force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be... unnatural."
Rey: Stands and stares at Taron. "You…you were a Jedi…"
Taron: "That life…foolish child, is long behind me. I've become something far more powerful than they could ever have conceived. For you see it was my hatred for their failure which empowered me to become…this." He lowers his hood, revealing to everyone that he truly is none other than Taron Malicos himself, older; but no less powerful. With a wave of his arms, a pair of massive doors open behind him, and his throne slides back into a hidden sanctum. "Dispose of them both if you can. Whether you survive or not matters little. I have plans elsewhere." The doors close, and Rey and Kylo prepare themselves. After they combat the Praetorian guards, Kylo and Rey have a heated debate.
Rey: "Kylo, the Resistance is still under attack. Order the Legion to stop firing. Please…there's still time to spare the fleet."
Kylo: "I'm starting to see the bigger picture now. The Sith, the Jedi, the Resistance...there doesn't need to be any further conflict. Rey, I want you to join me. We can rule together, we can wipe the history of the galaxy clean and bring about a new age."
Rey: "Kylo….please. You've been led astray. Odarius is not the man you think he is, you can still end this."
Kylo: "No, no, no! You're still holding on! Just let them go! All the Resistance has done for you is risk your life for their own cause! Do you still want to know the truth about your parents? Or have you always known who they truly were?"
Rey: "They were my parents…"
Kylo: "Yet you can't even remember their faces. They left you stranded in a harsh desolate world under the watch of a twofaced glutton who cared nothing for you as did they. The Legion Armada did you a favor by blasting Jakku to smithereens!"
Rey: "Kylo…"
Kylo: "You've seen it on Dagobah too haven't you? All your life you've felt like a nobody. You cannot afford to continue living like this Rey. I'll make you into someone greater."
Finn and Chewbacca succeed in locating the ship's shield generators as Kylo and Rey wrestle over her lightsaber with the force, similar to the film. In that moment, Holdo prepares to ram the Supremacy at light speed, hoping her plan would have worked. Finn and Chewbacca disable it just in time before she makes the jump, splitting the ship and crippling the fleet. Hux looks down upon an unconscious Kylo in disappointment. Behind him two Centurions apprehend him and placed him in force-resistant cuffs. Hux orders them both to prepare him for his untimely departure and permanent exile.
Finn and Chewie start heading to the Falcon amidst the crumbling ship only to be halted by an enraged Phasma, who reveals a combat staff made of cortosis, a metal so strong it can resist lightsabers. Finn readies his weapon and tasks Chewie to find Rey and duels her among the collapsing ship. As they clash, Phasma declares time and again how utterly disappointed in Finn she is, as she dedicated much of her time and effort to train him to become the perfect example within the Legion. Finn confidently retorts saying how he always made a better pilot than a soldier. No sooner does a platform collapse under Phasma and she loses her footing. Finn looks over the edge to see her still hanging on, no longer adorning her helmet, revealing her true self. The moment she loses her grip, Finn seizes her hands and pulls her up with all his strength. Captain Phasma is dumbstruck for a moment, and pulls out her blaster ready to kill him. Despite this Finn remains calm, as he potentially foresaw that. Phasma demands to know why he saved her despite the fact he deviated and became a member of the Resistance. Finn smiles and replies, "You were the one who always taught me to surpass your expectations." Just then, the Falcon bursts through from the opposite hangar to pick him up. Phasma stands and contemplates as they make their escape.
The Resistance holds their position in an abandoned outpost on the barren planet of Crait, as Hux; still determined to finish them off, sends in AT-M6's. The scene plays out similarly to that in the film, with Finn flying the Falcon with Chewie while Rey provides covering fire. Poe leads the assault on speeders. As Poe speeds through the laser battering ram, ready to sacrifice himself, the Falcon returns just in time to spare him. Rey uses the force and aims the turret guns at the nozzle, disabling the battering ram. Poe diverts and heads back to base thanking the Falcon as it provides cover for the surviving members. Hux is greatly angered. For the moment, the Resistance is safe, but not for long, as the Legion Armada are still determined to catch them. So they prepare for another evacuation which Rey assists in. As the Resistance flies en route to their new location, Taron flies in Kylo's shuttle, towards an undisclosed location, planning his next move. The film ends on an ominous note.
Episode IX: The Age of Resistance
Opening crawl:
The Resistance successfully flees the relentless pursuit of the Legion Armada with the sacrifice of many brave souls and set up their new hideout on the planet of Endor.
But in their hour of triumph, Odarius, now revealed to be the fallen Jedi Taron Malicos escapes to an unknown location, hidden somewhere in the darkest reaches of the galaxy, plotting to smother the light.
Kylo Ren, now exiled from the Legion Armada, seeks to usurp Taron on his own agenda, while the Resistance prepares for the final conflict…
The skies of Dagobah are thundering. There, Luke Skywallker, stands upon the top of the temple, his eyes fixed on a shadow that is moving through the clouds, feeling an ever familiar presence. Facing down the temple stairs, he ignites his lightsaber. Down below at the foot of the temple, another figure ignites his own lightsaber; cross guarded.
Rey suddenly wakes up, feeling a disturbance. She walks out of her sleeping quarters and into the open towards her training grounds to calm herself and finish repairing her lightsaber. After a brief warm-up she meets up with Poe and Finn to discuss that an anonymous spy; a whistleblower, has sent a slip of information to the Resistance, claiming it contains information that could help them win the war. In a later scene, it is revealed that spy is none other than former Captain Phasma. She is held in a torture chamber, crestfallen and lacking her armor, and endured countless scars and yet she has refused to succumb. General Hux enters and berates her for betraying the Legion Eternal. Phasma rebukes him by arguing that mercy is not an act of cowardice, but strength. In the end, she had also become disillusioned as Finn had on Jakku. "In that case, consider this an act of mercy." Hux says before killing her. At this point Hux has now become obsessed with appeasing Taron, the same way Kylo had. Only this time, he's determine to finish the job.
The Resistance is hesitant to act as in their previous evacuation have lost a significant amount of members, and their leadership has fallen to Poe. The information received from Captain Phasma reveals to them the location of a Legion Ambassador on the planet Balosar. Upon arriving, they soon gain assistance from an old friend, Lando Calrissian, who's been acting as a saboteur against BioTech which in the absence of the Galactic Empire recently has been re-selling narcotic deathsticks to the public to distribute their products. They soon find a Legion Ambassador negotiating with representatives of BioTech and a chase ensues. Lando, knowing the streets better than the rest of the Resistance helps capture him and they escape with the Legion hot on their trail. Rey uses her newfound Jedi Mind Tricks to force the Ambassador to reveal the location of a planet long forgotten; Mustafar.
Before they head there, Rey insists they fly to Dagobah, feeling the disturbance from earlier. The Falcon lands at the temple and she runs outside. She finds R2-D2 who's been hiding out of fear of Kylo. Rey asks him where Luke is, only for the astromech droid to lead her to a pair of robes laying on the temple ground along with a lone lightsaber. Upon touching the saber, she has a force vision, of an event that happened not too long ago. In the vision, she sees Kylo Ren and Luke Skywalker clashing furiously, just as Obi-Wan and Vader have before. And just as before Luke believes his time has come, as he admittedly has grown weak. He senses an ever familiar presence off-screen. He smiles, closes his eyes, and raises his lightsaber before Kylo strikes him down, and the robes fall to the temple ground. Rey is shaken by this revelation, and in an act of frustration the throws the lightsaber, only for it to halt in midair by none other than an ever familiar specter.
Kenobi: "A weapon for the more civilized age deserves more respect, wouldn't you agree?"
Rey: "Master Kenobi?"
Kenobi: "In the spectral husk." *they sits down upon a rock*
Rey: "I can't believe he's gone."
Kenobi: "He isn't. He's become one with the force. No Jedi who dies is ever truly gone."
Rey: "Is that…what shall become of me when I die?"
Kenobi: "That depends whether or not you let your fear of death control your actions."
Rey: "Anakin Skywalker suffered a similar fate, didn't he?"
Kenobi: "Indeed. Anakin had visions of the death of his wife, Padme. He let his fear consume him and cloud his emotions."
Rey: "Because he loved Padme."
Kenobi: "A common belief within the Jedi code is to love all things. Admittedly, within the ranks of our order, we were gravely mistaken to believe that peace could ever be achieved in the absence of emotion. Peace is not the lack of emotion, but the balance of it, just as it is in the way of the Jedi to achieve balance within the force. This is wisdom we want you to carry forth."
Rey: "I understand."
Kenobi: "Speaking of which, I believe my old friend has a surprise for you."
Rey catches glimpse of an old X-Wing fighter being raised from hiding within the undergrowth. She smiles as she watches Specter Luke use the force to place it down in the opening. Rey expresses her gratitude and flies it alongside the Falcon to Mustafar. "She is our last hope to defeat the Legion Armada." Luke says to Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan: "No. There is another." Quoting Yoda.
After touchdown at the landing bay on Mustafar, the group enter Darth Vader's temple across the bridge towards the inner sanctum. Rey finds a hidden passageway and uses the force to move the door aside, revealing a chamber few have entered even among the ranks of the Sith. There she finds various objects related to her search, including one archive which catch her eye. The archive reveals late Emperor Palpatine's involvement with the Separatists during the Clone Wars; and his unrivaled deception on both sides of the war. She realizes that exposing this could not only discredit the Legion Armada given its influence from the Galactic Empire, but can also aid the Resistance to gain enough numbers to combat the fleet on Exegol.
Rey decides to pass this information along to the Resistance before heading out with her friends, but she declares that there is much dark knowledge she came across in the inner sanctum which must be destroyed to prevent it falling into the wrong hands. Lando suggests that since a river of lava runs right through the foundations, disabling the repulsor fields and using a few well-placed Thermal Detonators could send the temple into the pit below. They head back across the bridge towards the engineering level to start the process, only to find their path blocked by Kylo Ren. Rey confronts him at the circular connecting platform, and walk in a counterclockwise motion just as Anakin and Obi-Wan had long ago.
Rey: "You know why I'm here."
Kylo: "Then you know what I must do."
Rey: "I cannot allow you to do that."
Kylo: "You don't think I have the strength to face him?"
Rey: "I'm unsure you have the will to resist him."
Kylo: "This is the only way the war ends, with the death of Odarius and the peace of the galaxy in my hands." Despite the face reveal from last time, Kylo still is oblivious that Odarius is really Taron Malicos.
Rey: "Odarius has greatly deceived you Kylo, yet you refuse to listen to reason!"
Kylo: "You rejected my offer when you had the chance! The Republic will fail like it always has. The galaxy cannot rule itself, needs a new leader."
Rey: "And yet, you fear your strength will fail you."
Kylo: "I'm stronger than I have ever been. Only I have the strength to kill Odarius. You've seen where Exegol lies, I've felt it aboard his ship. The only way you're getting there is with me!" Kylo stops to face her, and ignites his lightsaber.
Rey: "Try as you might." She ignites her own. Kylo uses a force sprint and lunges at her. At that exact moment, Rey backflips, seemingly falling into the lava below, with Kylo shortly following after.
Finn: "Rey!"
Poe: "We have to go, now!" They head towards the engineering levels to disable the repulsor fields and trigger the detonators.
The next scene reveals the both Kylo and Rey landed onto a sub-level platform below. They begin to duel furiously, mirroring the duel that Anakin and Obi-Wan performed long ago, the hellish scenery encompassing them. Rey strategically retreats step by step as Kylo keep dueling her, determined to bring himself to Exegol even if it means holding her hostage. He is greatly angered by her rejection. Eventually the duel leads them to a stalemate, with the two of them barely escaping the crumbling temple and into the outdoors, right below the landing platform. Rey has gained the high ground with Kylo below her. She subtly shakes her head side to side, as a gesture of discouragement, as if to say, "Don't try it." Kylo wrathfully leaps forth raising his lightsaber above him. Just as he is about to strike, Rey times her movement. She sidesteps, aiming her swing of the saber. Just before Kylo's feet touch the platform, she slices off right his hand, just as before with Anakin and Luke. Kylo topples to the ground and kneels in defeat facing away from Rey. But then he senses a more sinister presence. He hallucinates a vision of Darth Vader standing behind him in Rey's place, towering above him.
Kylo: "Stay away from me!" He says hysterically. Here we see him at his lowest, his weakest point, where we realize how truly broken he is and how tormented he feels. Rey stands alongside him.
Rey: "I can no longer help you." She said before walking forth to reunite with her friends. She advises them not to follow her as she climbs into her X-Wing fighter and flies to Exegol.
Finn: "What's happening? Why is she going alone?"
Lando: "History is repeating itself…" Lando looks down in horrible realization. They get into the Millennium Falcon and fly back to Endor.
Kylo Ren continues to kneel as he witnesses the Falcon taking off, holding his wounded arm, and looks down in regret and shame at his defeat. Suddenly, he feels a presence.
Anakin: "Hello there."
Kylo: He slowly stands and turns to see a force specter of Anakin Skywalker. "You're…you were the chosen one…weren't you?"
Anakin: He crosses his arms. "A lot of fellow Jedi referred me as such." He looks around the area. "This place brings back many painful memories. And even among them, I sense great conflict in you."
Kylo: "I wanted to be strong, but Odarius…he showed me so many terrible revelations. I joined the Legion Armada to prevent history from repeating and bring peace to a galaxy torn apart by these ancient religions."
Anakin: "When Palpatine promised me a place at his side, I made a vow that I would do anything to restore balance to the force, but not once did I allow myself to ponder the consequences of the choices I made. I let my fear and resentment cloud my judgement. It pains me to see that you followed a similar path under that…of Taron Malicos."
Kylo: Utterly shocked by this discovery and putting two and two together, Kylo finally succumbs to the weight of his actions, kneeling. "Forgive me…" His voice become shallow now realizing he has truly been deceived the entire time and refused to listen to Rey. Anakin places his hand upon his shoulder in an act of empathy. Kylo looks up to reveal him shedding tears.
Anakin: "The Chosen One was both a blessing and a curse, something I struggled to maintain when I was Jedi. Had things turned out differently, Obi-Wan would be dead, Galen Marek would never inspired the Rebellion, Ahsoka Tano would not have faced me, and my son Luke would not have brought me back to the light. Don't you see Kylo? The fate of the galaxy never rested upon the shoulders of a single Jedi or Sith. Anyone can be The Chosen One, even you. You can still seek out Rey, help her defeat Taron, and bring balance back to the force."
Kylo: "It's too late. She's gone. I know what I must do. But I fear I've lost the strength for this undertaking."
Anakin: "You still have the strength Kylo. You're strong, stronger than any Jedi could've ever hoped to be. The Dark Side is not a curse, it's a choice. It always is, even if it doesn't feel like it, I promise. Even now you still have the choice to make things right, to walk a different path."
Kylo: throws his lightsaber far into the lava below.
Anakin: "Remember, the force will be with you, always." He fades away.
Meanwhile, back on Endor, the resistance argues whether to respect Rey's wishes or follow her to Exegol. Poe quotes Rogue One and says, "Rebellions are built on hope". Lando Calrissian proposes a plan to rally others to their cause. With this, the resistance agrees to launch a final daring attack on the Legion Armada stationed at Exegol. The only problem is nobody else but Rey knows where it is. Lando revealed that he put a tracker on the X-Wing while they were on Mustafar, because he had a gut feeling that Rey would pull something off, and with that in mind he plans to rally up as many allies as he can. "History can teach you what to expect." He quotes.
Rey arrives at the temple on Exegol, unnerved at the fact that the Legion Armada had not attacked her. Passing through ancient halls, she encounters Taron upon the ancient throne, and the Legion cultists begin to chant. Upon arrival, the resistance fleet begins to combat the Legion Armada. Rey and Taron watch from below.
Rey: "It's over Taron, you've lost the battle."
Taron: "Foolish child, the war has only just begun." He laughs as the planet begins to quake.
To everyone's utter astonishment, Star Destroyers and other spacecraft from eras spanning the history of galaxy rise from the crust of Exegol to join the Legion Armada. This is Taron Malicos' final phase, where until now, his plans to conquer the rest of the galaxy through brute force virtually rested below the surface. The Resistance realizes too late how outnumbered they are. Looking above, Rey sees them getting destroyed one by one, with no escape. Malicos offers her his place to prevent further death, as he wanted her to figure out where Exegol lay the moment Kylo turned on Taron. No sooner does Kylo himself land at the foot of the temple with his wound now mended, as he trailed the Resistance not far behind. He is faced with the Knights of Ren, who all wield alternate, more perfected schematics of Kylo's former lightsaber. Using their ability to reach each other through the force, Rey gives him Luke's green lightsaber, while she uses her own to defend herself from Taron's specialized Praetorian guards. Kylo duels the Knights using just his left hand, allowing the force to guide him while using evasive actions to his advantage and takes them out one by one, displaying his newfound graceful strength. Kylo reaches Rey and they face an annoyed Taron.
Taron: "Must I do everything myself?" He ignites his twin red lightsabers. The great lightsaber fight begins.
Meanwhile, as Poe begins to lose all hope in surviving the onslaught, Lando finally arrives with numerous allies to aid the Resistance in an epic battle to finish the Legion Armada once and for all. Below within the Temple, the duel continues before Rey is knocked down leaving Kylo to face off Taron. Kylo makes a mistake which Taron blindsides him and thrusts his saber through his torso, just as Maul did with Qui-Gon.
Rey: "Nooooo!" She yells before dueling him furiously. Having enough, Taron projects his force lighting at her, weakening her significantly. Rey collapses.
Taron: "Fear not their attack my faithful followers, nothing shall halt the Legion from its ordained destiny!"
With his greater newfound power, Taron shoots lighting at the sky, disabling the Resistance's ships. Rey lies on the ground reaching out to the force for help. We, the audience don't hear voices, but we get a similar but shorter shot of space to symbolize the vast range of the force. As soon as Rey attempts to stand, Taron pauses and belittles her.
Taron: "Do you really think you can defeat me? Your days are numbered lowly scavenger! I am the nexus that has conquered mortality itself! I am the incarnate flesh of the unbridled potential of the dark side! I am the master of the force!"
We then see Rey using what little force she has to draw her lightsaber to her hands.
Rey: "And I am a Jedi." She smirks, before she ignites it. "Like my masters before me." Four familiar specters appear behind her.
Specter Yoda: "Much to learn you still had." He chuckles.
Specter Obi-Wan: "Strike us down..."
Specter Anakin: "…and we become more powerful..."
Specter Luke: "…than you can possibly imagine."
In blind rage and fury, Taron unleashes his lightning at her. Rey swiftly uncouples her saber and uses both blades to deflect it. All the while, more Jedi specters appear and use their own force to push her forth. Rey mentally converses with them.
Rey: "I don't understand. Why me?"
Yoda: "Passed to you, thousands of generations have." Yoda says.
Obi-Wan: "We reached out and chose you to fulfill our destiny, as well as yours."
Anakin: "Though orders will rise and fall, the force shall reign forever."
Luke: "And the force is with you, Rey from Nowhere."
With one final push, Rey defeats Taron Malicos, never to return. Rey has done the impossible; a supposed nobody from nowhere, defeating a powerful lord of the dark side. She is victorious and exhausted as the Legion cultists retreat and the temple crumbles. She sees Kylo's body and kneels down, begging him to wake up. Anakin, not wanting her to feel the same loss as him, uses his force energy to slowly revitalize Kylo, seemingly transferring his very essence into Kylo's body, while his own specter slowly begins to vanish entirely; the ultimate sacrifice. After a quick embrace, she pulls Kylo up and leads him out of the temple before taking flight. The allied Resistance fleet overpowers the Legion Armada, and we get a scene of Hux facing his death; utterly speechless before he is engulfed in flames. The Resistance celebrates their victory on Endor, just as decades before. Lando condemns Finn for his skills as a pilot and a gunner, and decides to pass the Millennium Falcon to him when he passes. Applauded for his newfound leadership, Poe states that for the time being, the Resistance ought to part ways to avoid inciting further conflict, as they have fulfilled their task. Finn argues that there are still enemies which fled Exegol and are likely planning to strike back. Rey remarks when that time comes, they shall unite once more. She then notices that Kylo is not present and finds him in her own meditating grounds. Kylo says it will take some time before the others will no longer see him as an enemy. He declares that he must make amends with his past and search for self-redemption. Rey faces him and expresses her gratitude for helping her defeat Taron. In a gesture of affection she hands him Luke's green lightsaber.
Rey: "Don't be gone for long alright?"
Kylo: "Wouldn't dream of it." They share a smile.
In the final scene, Rey decides to make her new home where it all began, at Luke Skywalker's former hut on Tatooine. She arrives in Luke's X-Wing with R2-D2 and decides to bury Anakin's and Leia's lightsabers beneath the sand. She's kept them with her all this time as souvenirs to remind her of their legacy, and her new place in the galaxy. Sensing a presence, she looks over her shoulder to see the force spirits of Luke and Leia smiling at her for her accomplishments. She smiles back and watches the twin sunset with R2-D2; she and the droid silhouetted by their glare. A new age in the galaxy has begun.