Episode 8: The Last Jedi Part 1

Skywalker Saga

The Shadows of the Past Trilogy

Episode 8: The Last Jedi Part 1

                Movie opens with the following crawl:

                The First Order has decimated the New Republic.  What remains of its government and military is fragmenting as those secretly loyal to the old Empire now join forces with the new regime.  The galaxy is plunged into chaos as individual star systems begin to frantically prepare themselves for the inevitable invasion.  Some begin forging their own alliances.  Others begin seizing as many planets as they can to strengthen their own militaries.  But overall, terror has struck at the hearts of many, and rather than dare to challenge the might of this new threat, a large number of planets immediately pledge their loyalty to Supreme Leader Snoke.

                But there are those who have heeded the warnings of General Leia Organa.  These individuals have secretly amassed their own forces, as she had.  Some are loyal to the Resistance, but many have their own agendas in mind.  With no central government to stop them, these factions begin conquering planet after planet, increasing their own borders while the Resistance and the First Order focus on one another.

                Meanwhile, the scavenger Rey has located the Last Jedi, Luke Skywalker, on the planet of Ahch-To.  Certain that he is the last spark of hope that will unite the fragmented forces of the New Republic and Resistance, Rey meets with the self-exiled Master, delivering to him the mysterious lightsaber of Darth Vader…

                The typical star field remains.  Then it drops to the planet Ahch-To.  The Falcon flies into view heading for the planet.  We then see the ship land on the island where Luke is.  Then we see Rey head out of the ship.  “Better stay and watch over the Falcon,” she says to Chewie and R2.  Then to R2, she says, “You can’t make the climb, and…” now to Chewie, “who knows if there are any dangers around here.  I’d rather not be stranded.”  Chewie nods, and then she rushes to make the climb.

                The scene then replays the final moments of the Force Awakens, but this time it continues right where the first ended, with Luke holding his father’s lightsaber.  He glances back up at Rey after examining the saber for a moment.  Then he replies, “I’ve been expecting you.”  Without another word, he turns towards his hut and pockets the lightsaber.  Rey, stunned, remains standing there for a moment before realizing that she should follow.  She hastens to catch up to him.

                When Rey does catch up to Luke, she is about to ask him something but Luke cuts her off.  “We have no time to discuss this at the moment.  I know you have a lot of questions, but the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance.  I need your help, and you need mine.  If you want me to train you, as I suspect that you do, then you need to do exactly what I say…whether I give you answers or not.  Are we clear?”  Rey, still shocked at his behavior, and a bit nervous that she might upset him or disappoint him, agrees quickly.

                Luke leads her into his hut and there are several packs stuffed to capacity with items.  “This is all that remains of the Jedi Order.  Over the last thirty years I have gathered as many artifacts as I could.  Here, on Ahch-To, I found the very first temple.  There was something here that has changed my perception of... everything.”  He then trails off, as if there is this deep, dark secret that haunts him.  “I thought it would save us all.  Now…”  He trails off again.

                Then he snaps out of it, suddenly very urgent.  “We’ll discuss it later.  We have no time!  I’m glad you brought the Falcon.  I needed a bigger ship to haul all of this.  My X-Wing isn’t big enough.”

                Rey then stops his frantic preparations to depart.  “Master Skywalker!” she shouts loudly.  “Please…let me just…I have something I must tell you…about…”

                “Han,” Luke says, reading her thoughts.  “I know…” and he trails off for but a moment.  “But I have grieved as much as I can for him at this point.  Trust me, Rey.  We will be fortunate if we make it out of this alive.”

                “Out of what exactly?” she asks, completely mystified.  They step outside and a view of the sky is shown above them.  There, three Resurgent Class Star Destroyers suddenly drop out of hyperspace, followed by Snoke’s capital ship, the Supremacy.

                “That,” Luke says with a sense of foreboding.

                Then the scene cuts to the throne room aboard Snoke’s ship.  Hux, Kylo and Phasma are there, kneeling before Snoke.  The Knights of Ren are also present along with Snoke’s Royal Guard.  There is also another figure that has not been in any movies.  I created her when I wrote my own story-line for Episodes 7-9.  She is a tall, dark-haired human female.  The entire right side of her body is riddled with cybernetics, with her long, dark hair flowing over the cybernetics on her face.  Her right eye is cybernetic, emanating an eerie red glow.  On her right shoulder there is a laser mounted weapon built into her cybernetics.  Her entire right arm is cybernetic.  At her hip is a strange, twisted-handled lightsaber, looking almost like three metal branches intertwined with one another.  She stands near Snoke’s throne, even as Vader once stood next to the Emperor.

                “Four Death Stars!” Snoke bellows in barely controlled fury as he rises from his throne.  “You lost our Four Death Stars to a bunch of rabble!  Did I not tell you?  You should not underestimate the power of the Skywalkers.  The Light Side’s strength is unity!  Thirty years of preparation…all gone in one battle!  If it wasn’t for Phasma’s quick thinking, I’d kill you all here and now!”  He then turns to look at Phasma as he approaches them.  “We are also fortunate that the Resistance was in too much of a hurry to find Skywalker.  They didn’t even think of the potential that you might have slipped a tracking device aboard the Falcon while they were off saving their precious little “friend.”’

                “Which brings me to my next point,” Snoke continues, turning to Kylo.  “A SCAVENGER!  How could you let some snippet of a girl with no training defeat you... “Oh Great Master of the Knights of Ren,” he says, the last part dripping with sarcasm.  Kylo doesn’t respond, for it is obvious that Snoke is venting.

                Snoke lets silence hang in the air for a moment.  Then he turns his back on them and towards the woman who is standing by his throne.  He then walks back and sits down as he says to the woman, “Status report, Lady Saydra.”

                “We have arrived on Ahch-To,” the woman replies coldly, her voice a bit tinny and her expression blank.  “All forces have been unleashed.  Skywalker will not escape.”  She does not speak this part with any confidence.  It is only spoken as if it is a simple fact; as if Skywalker’s capture or death has already taken place.

                “What about the Resistance base on D’Qar?” Snoke adds as he leans back in his throne.

                “The rest of the main fleet has been deployed along with the Fulminatrix.  The Mandator IV-class Siege Dreadnought’s orbital autocannons will make short work of their base and the remnants of their fleet.”

                “Good,” replies Snoke, “and with Skywalker trapped on the planet below, perhaps we can salvage this mess.”  Then he becomes hostile again.  “Hux!  Phasma is now promoted to the rank of general.  She will now command the First Order in your place.”

                Hux, alarmed, tries to say something, but Snoke cuts him off with a raise of his hand, choking Hux with the Force.  “Your failure at the Hosnian system is the cause of this demotion…Captain.”  He emphasizes “Captain” sharply.  “Phasma has brought me both the Resistance base and Skywalker.  She deserves to lead us to victory against both.”  Then he suddenly releases Hux, dropping him to the floor gasping for air. 

                “Thank you, Supreme Leader,” Phasma remarks softly.

                “Now!  Leave us!” snaps Snoke.  Kylo begins to rise with them, but Snoke stops him short.  “Not you, Ren!  I’m not finished with you.”

                Hux and Phasma exit the throne room, Hux staggering along behind a very confidently striding Phasma.  As soon as they are gone, Snoke continues, berating Kylo as he did in the original when he mocked his helmet and his failures.  At various moments, the other Knights of Ren that are standing in judgment around him laugh in subtle, mocking tones.  “Now get out of my sight!” Snoke concludes their encounter, and Kylo storms out into the turbolift, slamming his helmet into the lift as he did in the original movie.

                The scene then shifts to show the massive swarm of First Order ships descending to the planet of Ahch-To.  The Falcon is hovering in the clearing where Luke and Rey first met.  “Keep holding her steady, Chewie!” Rey cries out as the Falcon hovers just above the ground, unable to make a true landing because of the rocky terrain.  “Just a little longer!  We have just a few more things.” 

                Then Luke returns with a final pack just as the First Order ships begin to orbitally bombard the island.  “That’s the last if it,” he tells Rey as explosions tear into the island.  “Let’s get out of here…Fast!”

                They board the Falcon and it tears away from the island at breakneck speeds.  Just as it does, the first wave of TIEs closes in on them.  We then see Luke and Rey running through the Falcon.  As they come to the gun well for the ship’s turrets, Luke pauses for a moment.  “Just like the old days,” he comments.  “You take that one.  I’ll take this one.”  Then Rey climbs into the turret that Han once used in Episode 4 while Luke takes the one he had once used.

                This leads to an intense chase scene as the Falcon screams over the oceans of Ahch-To with First Order ships following in hot pursuit.  Rey and Luke exchange fire with the fighters, and at one point Luke says, “We’re not going to be able to escape the planet just yet.  There’s just too many of them.  Chewie!  Take us towards that storm cloud on the horizon.  We’ll lose them in that.  Rey, continue to lay cover fire for just a bit longer.  I’ll take the Falcon’s controls.”  He then throws off his headset and climbs out of the gun well.

                Chewie roars in protest as Luke hurries into the cockpit.  “Don’t worry, Chewie,” Luke replies.  “The Force will guide us.”  Then the Falcon disappears into the lightning-strewn hurricane.  The TIEs follow close behind and vanish as well.  There are several moments when the Falcon is seen rocketing through the fierce storm.  Lightning is blasting all around them.  Several TIEs are struck by the lightning and they either explode or drop out of sight as electricity sprays all over the ship.  Luke is then seen, fighting the controls, but his eyes are closed and he seems completely calm.  Then, the Falcon is seen again for a brief moment before the hurricane engulfs it completely.