Star Wars: Episode VII - The New Awakening

[SWSF Hale]

This following storyline will be a fan fiction re-imagining of Episode VII. A friend asked me recently what I thought Episode VII needed in order to be "more of a sequel than a reboot", and I listed off a few plot points or scene revisions that probably would've made the film even better (imagine that!), anyway, these ideas have been bugging me, so I figured I'd put them to pen and see what happens. Most of the characters, places, and events will stay the same, but perhaps go down differently or take different form.

To be continued...

A LONG TIME AGO, IN A GALAXY, FAR FAR AWAY

[SWSF Hale]

OPENING CRAWL:

It has been thirty years since the BATTLE OF ENDOR.
Although the REBEL ALLIANCE was able to achieve victory,
the scattered remnants of the IMPERIAL FLEET were able
carry the fight to a stalemate, leaving the
OUTER RIM TERRITORIES in complete ruin.

The restored GALACTIC REPUBLIC has been able to usher
in an era of hope, with the help of LUKE SKYWALKER
and a new generation of JEDI KNIGHTS who have been
working to restore peace and justice to the galaxy.

However, SUPREME LEADER SNOKE has been able to consolidated
the resources of the former GALACTIC EMPIRE into the SECOND ORDER,
largely due to work of SNOKE's apprentice KYLO REN -
who claims to be the new DARK LORD OF THE SITH!


ACT I

SCENE 1 --- The large vestage of a Mon Calamari cruiser appears overhead, with the camera scrolling down to reveal Coruscant - the capital of the Galactic Republic. The Millenium Falcon zooms into view, with Han and Chewie onboard. Dozens of starfighters follow closely behind it with a Corellian Corvette. The Millenium Falcon lands on a platform. Han and Chewie get out with a small team, greeting Princess Leia - who is now referred to as Madame Secretary.
Han: "We saw him Leia... and the Starkiller. It's true. All of it."
Leia: (Looks very concerned.)
Ackbar: "If the Starkiller is truly operational, we are defenseless."
Leia: "But we're not hopeless."

SCENE 2 --- Fade to Tatooine. Rey is looking out onto the horizon with binoculars over the twin sunset. BB-8 comes rolling in beeping at her.
Rey: "I know I know. It's time to go." She climbs into her landspeeder and leaves what appears to be Obi-Wan's old home. The landspeeder races through some Tatooine scenery. There is sign of an epic battle that once took place there, as wrecked Star Destroyers and starfighters line the Jundland Wastes. The landspeeder parks at what looks to be Jabba's Palace... only this time it has been remade into a Jedi Temple. There are lots of guards, pilots, and staff in the Temple. It is clearly more of a Republic military base than a Jedi training ground, but nonetheless, Luke prefers Tatooine for its isolation and desolation.
Luke: (Meditating.)
Rey: "Uncle, when are we leaving this place."
Luke: "You went by Old Ben's place again, didn't you."
Rey: "You've told me all these stories. How come we aren't out there helping..."
Luke: "I..." (interrupted)
Staff: "General Skywalker, our sensors just detected a Star Destroyer exiting hyperspace!"

SCENE 3 --- Cut to spaceside. Sure enough a Star Destroyer is over Tatooine. It launches a handful of shuttles and a bunch of next generation TIE Interceptors. Cut to Jabba's Palace/Jedi Temple. Anti-SF cannons are deployed, but a bunch of X-Wings are launched as well. Kylo Ren lands and leads the assault force. Although it looks like the X-Wings are fending off the TIE Fighters somewhat, the Stormtroopers penetrate the Palace and begin raising hell.
Kylo Ren: "The Son of Vader is here. I sense his presence. Split up. You four come with me."

SCENE 4 --- A squad of Stormtroopers are seen approaching Luke's vicinity. He and Rey are hiding. From around the corner, Luke does a Jedi mind trick on all of them: "this area is clear. Skywalker is not in audience chamber."
Troopers: "This are is clear. Skywalker isn't here."
Luke: "Move out."
Troopers: "Move out."

SCENE 5 -- Luke and Rey make it to a launch bay with an X-Wing primed and ready for launch. Kylo Ren and his troopers show up ready for battle.
Luke: "Rey, you need to alert the Republic."
Rey: "What about you? Let me help you! I can fight!"
Luke: "There are alternatives to fighting! I'll take care of Kylo."
Rey gets onboard the X-Wing while Luke fights Kylo and the troopers. The troopers get taken down very quickly.
Ren: "At last, the Son of Vader is before me. I've been waiting too long for this moment! Ever since I learned the truth!" Kylo gets ready to swing his saber but Luke lifts him up with the Force and begins to choke him. Kylo Ren does a Force push and it breaks the hold, but by the time Kylo recovers Luke is nowhere to be found. More stormtroopers enter the launch bay.
Ren: "Spread out."
Meanwhile Luke is seen leaving the area and he gets onboard an empty stormtrooper shuttle, throws the pilot out, and takes off. Later Ren is shown entering a chamber, which has Vader's burned mask. Ren looks onto it fondly and takes it into hand.
Ren: "I have returned my master. Help me finish what you started..."

TO BE CONTINUED


Commentary: So in this first act, I felt that by replacing Jakku with Tatooine, TFA would've had a lot more credibility as a sequel rather than a reboot.  Why not revisit a planet that has been the location of so many events in the Saga? The possibilities for easter eggs would've been endless. They could've even teased Boba Fett's armor.

I also wanted to establish the logical flow from VI to VII by taking us back to Coruscant. All of that conflict in the original trilogy now means something since we get to see that the Rebels actually succeeded in restoring the Republic. They may not be powerful, but at least they won. My complaint regarding VII was that it came across as "nobody likes the Prequels, the Prequels had politics, therefore we will not discuss politics in TFA...in fact we will go one further by blowing up the politics so that it will never be discussed". The reality is even that round table discussion with Tarkin and the other Moffs in Episode IV painted the picture and filled in the gaps between III and IV. There was none of that for VII.

A confrontation involving Kylo and Luke might seem rushed and early, but clearly it shows Luke doesn't want to face Kylo, or is somehow holding Rey back from facing him together with him until she's ready. Lots of questions, but all in all this sequence could be similar to the Darth Maul vs Qui-Gon scene on Tatooine.

[SWSF Hale]

ACT II

SCENE 1 -- Rey Solo lands on Coruscant with other troopers and mixed bag of starfighters. She rushes to a briefing room where Ackbar, Leia, Han, and Chewie are at a round table discussion. She busts into the room.
Rey: "The Second Order! They attacked the Jedi Temple on Tatooine!"
Han: "Where's Luke?"
Rey: "He stayed behind to make sure the rest of us got out safely.."
Leia: "He's safe. I can feel it."
Ackbar: "If the Second Order attacked Tatooine, they must be preparing to make their next move now."
Leia: "Which is why we need the Republic Fleet."
Ackbar: "We're spread too thin across the galaxy on peace keeping missions."
Han: "How about Rogue Squadron?"
Chewie: RAWR
Ackbar: "General Solo, Rogue Squadron was deactivated years ago."
Han: "What if me and Chewie can find some pilots?"
Leia: "I suppose the qualification is that they be just as crazy as you two?"
Chewie: (Laugh)

SCENE 2 -- Kylo Ren is now back onboard his Star Destroyer. HOLONET conference with Snoke. Only this time, Snoke isn't some giant Gollum and the hologram is actually blue instead of full color HD. Snoke is referred to as Darth Snoke... not Supreme Leader.
Kylo Ren: "Darth Snoke... I have retrieved Vader's helmet."
Snoke: (Appearing slightly cyborgish and disfigured from force lightning, and also his voice has some digital/synthetic tone to it) "Good. Then you are closer to fulfilling your destiny. Now return to the Starkiller and prepare it for a demonstration of our power."
Kylo Ren: "What of Luke Skywalker?"
Snoke: "The Son of Vader must not be allowed to survive our attack. In time, he will seek you out. When he does... destroy him!"
Kylo Ren: "It will be done."
Snoke: "Go now."

SCENE 3 -- Luke returns to Dagobah to his old training ground. Yoda's ghost appears to him.
Luke: "Master Yoda..."
Yoda: "Seek me out, you have. But why?"
Luke: "There has been a great disturbance in the Force..."
Yoda: "Very little I can feel now. My ability to appear before you is diminishing. Soon I must rejoin the Force, as Obi-Wan has, and become one with it..."
Luke: "I have failed the Jedi, Master Yoda. The Sith have returned, all because I was unable to stop Snoke."
Yoda: "An old foe, Snoke is. A powerful Jedi was he, though he became too interested in the Sith knowledge. Confronted him I did, when I was a Jedi Knight 500 years ago. I hoped showing him mercy would bring him back..."
Luke: "How can I stop him."
Yoda: "Neither Sith nor Jedi is he, but something greater and more sinister. In the end, you will need the Light and the Dark to destroy him. Carefully, you must tread..."
Cue music.

SCENE 4 -- Kylo Ren arrives onboard the Starkiller. It is housed within a Hoth/Canada-esque planet which has been industrialized around its equator. Clearly, this is where the SECOND ORDER constructed the Starkiller in order to keep it secret (because in my story, the Second Order = the Third Reich, whereas the Galactic Empire = the Roman Empire). The Starkiller itself is a massive Star Destroyer, NOT a planet sized weapon that defies the laws of physics.
Kylo Ren: "Admiral Thrawn, it is time for our maiden voyage. Launch the ship."
Thrawn: "Right away, my lord."
Cue Imperial March. The ship achieves orbit.
Thrawn: "All systems are online my lord. What are your orders?"
Kylo Ren: "I have instructions to test the weapon. Set your course for the Kashyyk system."
Thrawn: "Yes, m'lord."

COMMENTARY: So in Act II, I replace General Hux with Grand Admiral Thrawn (#realfanservice). Starkiller Base is actually a massive military-industrial planet and not Death Star 3.0. The Starkiller SSD will have the capability to blow up stars, literally a "star killer". There's no need to suck an entire sun just to use its energy to blow up a planet. If you have the power to blow away a sun, nature will run its course. It's a far more simpler and perhaps crude weapon, but at least its within the purview of science fiction physics. Supreme Leader's Snoke identity is also revealed here, and we also get to see what happens with all the Force ghosting due to Yoda.