What if Rey isn’t as good of a pilot as she thinks she is? We get an alternate ending to The Force Awakens!
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Star Wars Episode VIII: Leia “Written out in Opening Sequence”
Update (June 20, 2016): Mr_Ghostface_Lives has suddenly backtracked from his assertions and deleted his posts. See the latest news here.
A couple of days ago, Star Wars fans were on fire after the return of an IMDB user called “Mr_Ghostface_Lives”, who was an influential poster in the run up to The Force Awakens.
In a June 8 post entitled “Two Facts in Episode VIII“, Mr_Ghostface_Lives claims that:
- Luke is not Rey’s father
- Leia gets written out early on, and only survives after using the Force.
Today June 10, Mr_Ghostface_Lives gave a further update:
(In response to a comment on Leia’s Force use) Yes I agree, TFA implies that she never looked into the Force at all, which I found disappointing and very unlikely from a story point of view. Given that she and Luke, to the best of our knowledge, were the last Force users at the end of Jedi, how likely is it that she’d never explore it with Luke?
So yes, she uses the Force in Episode VIII, which I think is a phenomenally good move. It’s just too bad that they’re minimising her part again. She’s absent for most of the movie after the opening sequence.
With regard to whether Leia will survive, he replied:
Yes, as far as I know she is in Episode IX. She doesn’t die in the script for Episode VIII as it stands. But it’s still disappointing that they’re minimising her screen time. Despite her personal problems, Carrie Fisher is still a very good actress.
And as for the Rey Skywalker issue:
Well, I don’t know whose child she really is, just that she isn’t Luke’s daughter and it certainly wasn’t Luke or Leia who abandoned her on Jakku.
Update (June 11 1 pm EST):
Question:
1. You know who actually left her on Jakku? Some other reason that excludes the possibility of Luke or Leia being the ones who left her?
2. Also, does what you’re seeing line up with the MSW leaks? Have you got any sense of where the big scene of Kylo and the Knights of Ren arriving on Ahch-To takes place (i.e. first/second/third act)? Don’t worry if you can’t answer, but I thought I’d try my luck.
I don’t actually know who left her because I haven’t read anything that reveals it, but I have read enough to know who it isn’t, if that makes sense. And it’s neither Luke nor Leia.
Regarding all the leaks, there was a great deal revealed there, and some of it I can neither confirm nor deny, but yes, there is certainly truth to some of it.
Let’s analyze:
Leia is absent after the opening sequence
- The last we saw of General Leia Organa in TFA, she was in the Resistance Base on D’Qar.
- If Mr_Ghostface_Lives is a credible source, then there will probably be some sort of reprisal attack on D’Qar. This isn’t a stretch, given that the First Order now knows the location of the Resistance base, and they’ll be hungry for blood after the destruction of Starkiller Base.
- We might even see a modern adaptation of the Hoth battle, where the First Order arrives just as the Resistance is packing up and preparing to switch bases.
Remember, a few months ago there was a rumor that Laura Dern’s character would replace Leia as leader of the Resistance after being severely injured. The scene supposedly occurs “just after an evacuation”, implying a battle with the First Order that the Resistance will lose.
Leia’s grave situation might also serve as segue to the galaxy’s political situation. Episode VIII director Rian Johnson helped shape the TFA prequel novel Star Wars: Bloodline, including the state of the new Republic and the two ideological factions vying for control. With Leia out of the way, the audience will see the effects of her absence, as well as the tiny cracks in the Republic’s facade.
In fact, as early as now Disney is already prepping us for the larger view of the galaxy outside of the Resistance:
Whereas Episode 7 was a clear conflict between good and evil, Episode 8 could delve into the gray area, and how the good guys aren’t as united as they seem to be.
Incidentally supporting Mr_Ghostface_Lives assertion is the fact that Carrie Fisher seems to have a lot of downtime. While Mark Hamill has been putting in 6 am call times at Pinewood Studios, Carrie found the time to launch a new advice column on The Guardian yesterday. Her column is appropriately called Advice from the Dark Side.
Rey isn’t a Skywalker
- Disney producer Kathleen Kennedy already stated the new trilogy will be about the Skywalkers. So if Rey isn’t part of the family, there’s still Ben (though redemption seems far-fetched at this point).
- If Rey isn’t a Skywalker, where did she come from? Because of her incredible Force potential, fans are theorizing she came from an equally powerful lineage.
- Another theory is that she is a “child of the Force”, like Anakin.
- Then again, she could just be a random scavenger who was somehow on the same planet as the Millennium Falcon, Lor San Tekka, and the map to Luke Skywalker. If so, then the Force really works in mysterious ways.
Stormtrooper Larry has his own theory, but we’re too lazy to get up from the couch and share it just yet. All we can say is we agree that Rey is probably NOT a Skywalker.
As for the credibility of Mr_Ghostface_Lives, it’s up for debate. Some credit him to be a reliable source on TFA, while others scoff at him for his off-mark assertions like Finn being Lando’s son.
Who knows, he might be the real thing, and his missed predictions might be from an early script. After all, Making Star Wars claimed that TFA’s opening scene would be Luke’s hand floating in space. Half a year later, they were vindicated after Mark Hamill confirmed that an early version of the script did open with his severed hand.
Either way, you can judge for yourself by reading Mr_Ghostface_Lives’ leak history.
While this will stoke debate among the Reywalkers and the Rey-nots, we can all agree on one thing: with Episode VIII more than a year away, half the fun is in speculating!
UPDATE (June 16):
Mr_Ghostface_Lives seems to have backtracked on Rey’s parentage. See the latest post here.
UPDATE (June 2o):
He now claims all the information he posted is false.
Star Wars Collectibles: Ultimate Studio Edition Launched!
Star Wars collectors, hold on to your wallets: Disney and Lucasfilm have just launched a new line of Star Wars memorabilia aimed at the premium segment.
Star Wars Collectibles: Ultimate Studio Edition are high-end prop replicas specially made to order. They will be crafted at Pinewood Studios, the same studio where The Force Awakens, Rogue One, and now Episode VIII are being shot.
The replicas will be made from digital scans of authentic props used in the film, and produced using 3D printing technology. They also come with custom display pedestals and wooden crates modeled after the real crates used to ship the film props.
According to Disney, even the wooden crates will be custom-tailored for the replica. You know you’re dealing with serious stuff when even the packaging itself is hand-tailored.
The initial lineup will consist of eight replicas:
- Darth Vader’s melted helmet post-Endor -$3,500 (limited to 500 units)
- Rey’s lightsaber hilt (presumably Anakin’s) – $1,250
- FN-2187’s First Order stormtrooper helmet – $1,750 (limited to 500 units)
- Kylo Ren’s helmet – $2,000
- Poe Dameron’s Black Leader helmet – $1,500
- Chewie’s bowcaster – $2,500
- Kylo Ren’s lightsaber hilt (no blade) – $1,250
- Rey’s iconic staff – $1,250
That’s substantially more than the 60 portions we’ve saved up.
The replicas themselves will be made by Propshop, a production company contracted by Pinewood Studios to produce film props for the Star Wars franchise. So start selling those Master Replicas and extra kidneys, the Ultimate Studio Editions have arrived!
Lower Standards
Every Saturday, we feature photos of Stormtrooper Larry from the Outer Rim!
After being selected for Basic Training, Stormtrooper EG-N0G was fortunate to join the First Order at the right time.
After the Empire fell, stormtrooper standards are no longer what they used to be.
VIDEO: The Running Trooper Challenge!
Stormtrooper Larry takes part in the running man challenge… to the horror of Star Wars characters!
Don’t forget to subscribe for more Stormtrooper Larry videos!
Snafu
Every Saturday, we bring you snapshots of Stormtrooper Larry!
“Noooooooooo!! I’ve been away for too long!!!!”
Don’t forget to check out Stormtrooper Larry’s heroic actions during the raid on Jakku!
Star Wars Episode 8 Leak: The Major Characters
Recently, the holonet cesspool of 4chan has alerted us to intel supposedly about Star Wars Episode VIII.
While the original thread has since been taken down, we managed to secure the Death Star plans alleged leak for your tactical analysis.
So belly up to the table and get your fill. Begun the leak war has!
WARNING: Possible spoilers ahead.
Benicio del Toro: Said to be a former bounty hunter turned politician in the Republic. He survived because he was offworld during the destruction of Hosnian Prime. According to the leak, Kylo Ren will kill him off later in the movie.
Laura Dern: Take this one with a massive grain of salt, her character is one Asala Qurd. She plays the role of a Republic military officer commanding a capital ship. She reportedly butts heads with Leia Organa, including a scene where she says “The daughter of Darth Vader has no right to lecture me!”
As one of the senior surviving brass, Laura is said to take command of the Resistance after the Republic world falls and Leia gets severely wounded during the evacuation. According to a previous leak, she and Poe will then have a confrontation about their future course of action. Laura wants to hide and consolidate forces, whereas Poe wants to rescue a captured Finn and take the fight to the First Order.
Kelly Tran: Rumored to play the Resistance spy Shtala Zi, she is Leia’s contact on the relocated capital of the Republic. Shtala has evidence linking Del Toro’s character to the First Order, and Poe and Finn are tasked with making contact.
Later on, Shtala and Finn will have a romantic adventure in the city. Finn will fall for her, only to be betrayed by Shtala as she is revealed to be a double agent for the First Order.
Anakin Skywalker: Hayden Christensen was spotted filming a night scene at Pinewood Studios. This is rumored to be the scene where Anakin talks to Luke and Rey.
Yoda: Similarly, there are reports of Yoda puppeteer Frank Oz appearing at the London studio. According to the leak, Yoda will talk to Rey alone, but as a voice instead of a Force ghost.
Captain Phasma: Shtala will lure Finn to a trap, where Phasma will be waiting. Phasma nurses a deep grudge against the former stormtrooper not only for betraying the First Order but for forcing her to deactivate the shield on Starkiller Base.
This time, she returns the favor and has Finn lower the Republic capital’s shields at gunpoint. Finn will then try to escape in the ensuing chaos, and Poe will come to his rescue.
Poe Dameron: During the First Order invasion of the Republic world, Poe will lead a ragtag assortment of fighters against the full might of the enemy fleet.
However, Poe also gets more screen time on the ground compared to his fighter jock scenes in TFA. Poe will be instrumental in cornering an aide of Del Toro who holds evidence tying the politician with the First Order. Poe will also come to Finn’s aid in a chase scene against Captain Phasma.
According to the leak, Poe will get shot at the wrist, though it’s unclear whether it will be a glancing wound or his hand will get blown off (in the Star Wars tradition of losing a limb in each episode). This gives Phasma the opportunity to capture Finn and take off.
Rey: Portrayed as being extremely gifted in the Force, she is also erratic. In one sparring scene with Luke, she almost delves into the dark side, which makes Luke hesitate to train her. The Force ghost of Anakin will supposedly make him change his mind.
Luke Skywalker: He is shown as a haunted Jedi master, not only because of the death of his students but because he nearly gave in to the dark side during the slaughter. Luke is also accompanied by a small furry animal on his exile island, which reportedly looks like a cross between “a dog, an Ewok and a lizard.”
Leia Solo: Leia will return to the Republic Senate where she will plead with the surviving leadership for war against the First Order. She and Benicio del Toro will clash because of this, since Del Toro argues they need time while Leia wants to seize the moment.
She will suffer grievous wounds during the evacuation from the Republic planet, after the First Order attempts to deal the death blow against the weakened government. Luke will sense her peril, and he will join Rey in the Falcon as they race back to the galaxy.
According to the leak, all of these intel comprises only the second act of the movie. The third act is reportedly under heavy guard tighter than a Death Star convoy.
Once again, take these reports with a healthy dose of skepticism. We did our homework by trying to verify the alleged names of Laura Dern and Kelly Tran. “Asala Qurd.com” and “Shtala Zi.com” are still available domain names, whereas “Jyn Erso.com” is already taken, so there’s that.
It may end up like the Rey debacle from last year, where Daisy Ridley’s character was supposed to be named “Kira” because of an earlier script. We’ll do our best to uncover more leaks from the Disney Empire, so make sure to subscribe to receive the latest intel!
Meanwhile, try to judge whether this supposed plot of Episode VIII is the real deal or not!
VIDEO: Happy Star Wars Day!
Don’t just watch his slick dancing moves! Read about Stormtrooper Larry’s heroic actions on Jakku too!
The Jakku Incident
The whine of the sublight engines ceased, replaced by the throb of the repulsors. They were in atmosphere. One minute to deployment.
Onboard the squat transport, white-armored figures checked blaster rifles and power packs. On top, the dorsal gunner began blasting away at unseen targets.
Touch down. The ramp drops. Fires. Shouting. Brilliant beams of energy crisscrossing through the night. Moving as one, the stormtroopers rush out of the transport and into the fray.
Stormtrooper FU-1287, aka “Larry”, pays no attention to the firefight. He has more important things on his mind than some stupid battle.
Last night, the dreaded Internal Security Bureau discovered his hidden stash of smut holozines. It won’t be long before the ISB traced it back to him. In fact, he had volunteered for this mission in order to desert and preempt their inevitable dragnet.
According to the mission briefing, they were to raid an inhabited area of Jakku, a backwater planet. Never one to volunteer, Stormtrooper Larry jumped at the chance — he expected to find a dingy city of scum and villainy where he could disappear. Instead, what he found was a ramshackle group of huts in the middle of the desert.
He really should pay more attention to those mission briefings.
A disappointed Larry scanned his surroundings. Around him, white armored soldiers exchanged blasterfire with civilians. Flametroopers torched huts while the heavy gunners laid down withering covering fire to allow the squads to advance.
One stormtrooper smeared with blood stood motionless in the middle of the shootout. What the hell was this guy thinking? Larry tackled the idiot to the ground.
“Dammit man, don’t be a nerfbrain!” The dimwit didn’t respond. Larry could see the soldier was traumatized, his helmet still marked with a bloody handprint. It was probably the kid’s first combat deployment.
“Just stay low, okay? It’s gonna be alright.”
“Keep your head down man! What are you, Boba Fett or something?”
With a pat on the back, he left the shellshocked idiot to find someplace where he could think. A war zone made a poor place for contemplation.
Crouching low, he made his way to the back of the village, skirting around the residents who were busy welcoming the intruders with blaster bolts. He couldn’t find even an old speeder or swoopbike to escape in. This place really was a dump, and he had been to many hell holes.
Larry broke into a tent, but found it occupied by an old man who was frantically burning some tattered books and ancient-looking stuff. “Oops. Sorry old timer!” Nope, he couldn’t stay here either. It was probably the village hoarder and his load of junk.
“And no offense, but you gotta air this place out. It smells like a Hutt.”
At the edge of the village, he finally found an outcrop of rocks where he could sit and concentrate.
Ten full crates of Twi’lek Dancers Monthly were stashed in the main hold of a broken transport. Thanks to First Order bureaucracy, that transport ship sat neglected and unrepaired for over three years. This made it the ideal warehouse for Larry’s bootleg operation — smuggling sexy holozines for his captive (and very eager) market, the bored stormtrooper contingent of the Star Destroyer Finalizer.
What he didn’t count on was the unwelcome arrival of General Hux and some kind of space magician onboard the destroyer. Within a few days, all of the sloppy mess on the Finalizer was cleaned up… including Larry’s smut ship. After the crates were cracked open to reveal an avalanche of porn, the ISB was called in.
As Larry sat brooding, a yellow ball raced past him into the desert. He ignored the twittering droid and focused on his situation.
If only all his porn could fit in that droid, he wouldn’t be in trouble.
The good news is, he had the foresight to name the shipment after an old training sergeant that he hated. The bad news is, once the ISB unraveled the false trail, Larry only had three days before they caught on to him… perhaps five days at the most. Those ISB thugs may be mindless brutes, but they were ruthlessly efficient brutes.
A crackle in his commset interrupted his thoughts. “FU-1287, what’s your status? Get back here!”
Larry ran back to his squad, firing in the air for effect.
A pauldroned officer confonted him. “Where the hell were you?”
“Uh, I looped around back and shot a whole group trying to escape sir!”
“Yeah? Well get back in formation, space Rambo. We have visitors.”
A menacing command shuttle circled over the assembled troops and touched down. It was the magician from the Finalizer, followed by that bitchy stormtrooper in chrome, Captain Asthma or something. The battalion snapped to attention as the black figure strode dramatically down the ramp. These First Order bigwigs loved their grand entrances.
The old hoarder he encountered was taken before the magician, and the two began to talk. They were probably haggling over the old man’s wares. Larry tuned them out and looked around for ways to escape.
All of the civilians were being herded in the village square. Unless there was a mass breakout, there was no way he could disappear. He couldn’t even hide, since the whole area was surrounded by nothing. A white-clad stormtrooper in the middle of the desert would stand out like a nude Twi’lek dancer in a Jedi temple. Why does it always have to be a desert planet?
There was a commotion. The black magician stopped a blaster bolt in mid-air, seizing Larry’s attention back to the present. Wow, cool trick! It was probably magnets or something. He watched as a scruffy-looking civilian was brought before the space wizard, get beaten up, and then was hustled off into custody.
Larry gulped. That would be his own fate a few days from now.
“Shit. I don’t even have a jacket like that.”
After a few minutes, Captain Asthma took over. “On my command.”
As one, the line of stormtroopers raised their rifles and aimed. Larry mimicked them.
“Fire.”
The troopers began shooting. Still distracted by his predicament and unsure what he should be firing at, Larry shot at the straw huts, the dirt barricades and some of the rocks. He also shot at a dead mynock, wishing it was the ISB agents who were at this moment hunting for him. Finally, the blasterfire ceased and the firing line dispersed.
Larry approached the magician. “Hey man, that was a neat trick! How’d you do it?”
The black-robed figure didn’t respond. He was staring intently somewhere else. All of a sudden, the frozen blaster bolt was released, impacting into a nearby post with a loud bang. Larry was stunned — this guy should have his own holonet show!
“Awesome dude! So where are the magnets??” But when he turned around, Mr. Magic was gone. He had already returned to his ship. Larry didn’t even get an autograph.
His headset crackled. “We captured a Resistance pilot. FU-1287, take a squad and search his ship for the map. Get moving.”
“Umm.. roger that!”
Accompanied by a handful of troopers, he trudged off to carry out the task. What map?
The ship turned out to be a damaged Incom T-70 snubfighter. Obsolete by galactic standards, the old X-wing was being phased out in favor of the newer T-75. While the others searched the hold and access panels, Larry climbed the ladder and plopped down into the cockpit.
It was a filthy mess. The tiny space was littered with empty ration bars, holo-selfies, a stained jumpsuit, hair gel, and a map of the D’Qar system. Was that their objective? Larry tried hard to remember. Oh yeah, they’re supposed to be looking for the Skywalker system. He tossed the map aside and rummaged behind the seat.
Just behind the headrest he found a couple of gay holozines and some empty water bottles, while he discovered dried gum stuck under the seat and even more discarded wrappers. Disgusted, he climbed out of the cockpit.
These Resistance scum probably lived in their ships full time. As much as he wanted to escape, it would never be in this filthy craft, even if it wasn’t damaged and even if it was the last ship in the whole galaxy. As soon as he was shipboard, his gloves were going in the incinerator.
Larry signaled to the heavy gunners. “Nothing here, go ahead!”
“Filthy space hobos.”
He ran back to the lieutenant. “The enemy ship was uh, clean, sir.”
“Get back to your transport. We’re pulling out.”
As Larry walked dejectedly back to the dropship, he passed the shellshocked idiot he tackled earlier. He wasn’t sure if it was one of his porn buyers.
“Hey, what a mess right? We’ll get out of it somehow.”
The blood-smeared trooper stared blankly at him. Maybe not one of his customers then.
Stormtrooper Larry looked back at the burning village, as the first rays of dawn broke through the dark. He had less than a week to escape from the First Order and the merciless ISB, all because some pasty general and a space wizard ruined his sweet smut racket.
Yes, he would get out. Somehow.
Itching for the next part? Stormtrooper Larry will return in Escape from the Finalizer. Subscribe now so you don’t miss out!
In the meantime, check out this other stormtrooper who didn’t keep his head down.
Could This Be the Entire Plot of Star Wars Episode 8?
Earlier today, our Bothan spies alerted us to a trending topic on the Holonet…. someone has supposedly obtained the script and leaked the entire plot of Star Wars Episode VIII.
This alleged leak not only has the title of Episode VIII, it also features massive plot twists bigger than a Star Destroyer.
If you really want to spoil yourself, read on.
WARNING: Once you cross this line, it will be like the dark side. There will be no going back.
Ready?
Okay, you asked for it.
Star Wars Episode VIII:
Echoes of the Dark Side
- The camera pans down on a green-brown planet, pockmarked and mottled with toxic pollution. It is eclipsed by a looming shadow, either a massive ship or an orbiting base of some kind. A lone shuttle is seen making its way to this immense construct.
- The ship lands. General Hux disembarks, followed by a pair of stormtroopers supporting a wounded Kylo Ren. They are taken to a cavernous room bathed in shadows to see Supreme Leader Snoke. While Snoke grills Hux over the fiasco on Starkiller Base, he has only one line for Kylo, “It is time you complete your training.”
- The camera then turns out the window. Outside, we see a massive battle fleet assembling. Scores of Star Destroyers and other capital ships are converging from all points of First Order territory to strike the final blow against the weakened Republic.
- We pick up on the last scene in The Force Awakens. Luke takes the lightsaber, then hands it back to Rey. It is a symbolic passing of the torch, where Rey becomes the latest force wielder and Luke is the Jedi Master.
- In a flashback, Luke reveals that Snoke was able to seduce Kylo Ren and some of the other students to the dark side. Snoke then ordered them to massacre the entire Jedi academy. Only Luke and a few others survived, including a young Rey who was subsequently dumped on Jakku to hide her from the growing First Order.
- Rey is angry at Luke, not just for abandoning her but because she guesses that he is her father. Luke turns to her and says, “No, you are my father”.
- It turns out that Rey is the reincarnation of Anakin Skywalker, or more specifically “the Chosen One”. Luke found that the spirit of the chosen one is reincarnated by the Force every time the universe is thrown out of balance, which apparently happens on a regular basis.
- Luke learned all these after isolating himself from the galaxy. He searched for the first Jedi temple to understand how it works, and in the process discovered the cyclic history of the Jedi throughout the millenia. The first Jedi temple itself has the same layout as the one on Coruscant, based on these leaked photos of the set being constructed.
- There’s another reason for Luke walking away from the galaxy: seeing the brutal death of his students nearly made him succumb to the dark side, which may have been one of Snoke’s aims. After all, if you want to get rid of the galaxy’s last Jedi, there are other ways to achieve it besides killing them.
- The reported “space casino” scene is actually a flashback from when Luke was running from the First Order and searching for hints of the Jedi homeworld.
- Rey was the product of a virgin birth — Luke says “you are a child of the Force”. This explains how she was able to mind-control the stormtrooper, wield a lightsaber and almost kill Kylo Ren without Jedi training.
- Luke faces an internal struggle whether to train Rey or not. Based on what he learned of the Jedi’s history, the chosen one always struggles between the light and dark side of the Force. He is afraid that Rey could become another Darth Vader and do more damage to the galaxy than Kylo or even Snoke could ever hope to accomplish.
- The ghosts of Yoda, Obi-wan and Anakin appear (hence why Hayden and Frank Oz were spotted filming). This makes Luke change his mind and decide to train Rey.
- In one scene, Rey has a vision of Anakin telling her she is him, in a new life. Then we see a vision of hundreds of other Force ghosts who are heavily implied to be the past chosen ones. Rey also encounters Maz Kanata, although it is unclear if they are actually communicating by telepathy or if this is dream sequence. Maz repeats “The lightsaber chose you.”
- On the other side of the galaxy, Finn is revived from his coma… to wailing sirens and mayhem. He wakes up just in time to witness the First Order strike back on D’Qar. Following the destruction of Starkiller Base, Snoke dispatched a considerable fleet to wreak vengeance on the Resistance base. As he is hustled off one of the last transports from the planet, an exasperated Finn asks, “Why is it that we’re always running from something?” Poe quips “To stay alive, buddy!”
- Onboard a cruiser, Finn and Poe receive their new orders: Accompany General Leia Organa to the Republic’s new seat of government and bolster their plea for war against the First Order. We are then introduced to Laura Dern’s character, a Resistance officer who is distrustful of Finn. Poe staunchly defends his friend, and we see the friction between Poe the intrepid pilot and Laura the straight-rule officer.
- The Republic’s temporary government has relocated to an old city (which is why the crew filmed in Dubrovnik, Croatia). The elegant but sinister city echoes Bespin’s Cloud City in The Empire Strikes Back.
- The Republic is in turmoil, and Lord Vikram (played by Benicio Del Toro) is the interim leader. It is implied that he isn’t the best choice as leader, and only got promoted because he happened to be offworld during the capital’s destruction. There is a memorial service of sorts for all of the victims (which includes much of the Republic leadership) who were killed in the Hosnian system.
- During the ceremony, we also see an honor guard taken from Ralph McQuarrie’s Royal Guards concept from the OT:
- Leia pushes for war while Vikram argues they need more time. The Hosnian system’s annihilation disrupted galactic communications, and they aren’t able to contact the majority of the Republic. Ships have already been dispatched to the rest of the galaxy, and they anxiously await the response of the member worlds.
- Vikram wants to wait for communications to be restored and for an army to be assembled, which will take time. Leia disagrees and wants to take the war to the First Order now while they are still reeling from the destruction of Starkiller Base. Both argue their case before the Senate, or what remains of it.
- Vikram effectively shuts Leia down by telling her she’s letting her personal emotions over Han’s death rule her need for revenge. The Senate is swayed by his argument.
- After the stormy scene, Finn and Poe are tasked by Leia to poke around the city. One of Leia’s contacts says the First Order have spies embedded in the upper reaches of the Republic, and Leia strongly suspects it to be Vikram.
- Leia’s contact turns out to be Chala (played by Kelly Marie Tran). She tags along with the Finn/Poe bro-ship, and Finn quickly warms on to her.
- One of the subplots has Finn and Chala having a flirty adventure in the underbelly of the urban planet. This develops the relationship between the two, and it’s probably where the that alien horse in the Dubrovnik filming fits in.
- Afterwards, Poe, Finn and Chala corner an aide of Vikram, who has evidence of contact between Vikram and the First Order.
- Leia and the Resistance confront Vikram. Vikram denies everything, and Leia orders him jailed for treason. The Republic leadership is stunned — Leia has effectively carried out a coup. She orders the system to prepare for war.
- Poe suits up for battle, while Finn is put in charge of planetary defense due to his knowledge of First Order offensive doctrine. He is also entrusted with the shield codes.
- Before the impending battle, Finn and Chala have a tender moment alone. Finn wonders why Vikram didn’t just lower the shields for the First Order, since he was the Republic’s temporary leader. They walk into a room and suddenly we see Captain Phasma! Chala then pulls a gun on Finn, subdues him and takes the shield codes.
- It was Chala who was the First Order spy all along. She planted the evidence incriminating Vikram, and used Finn to get the codes. To add insult to injury, Chala tells him what she really think of Finn: that’s he’s a sickening traitor. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Captain Phasma steps in to ruin Finn’s day even more. She returns Finn’s favor from TFA and makes him lower the shields.
- The shield is deactivated just as a massive First Order fleet jumps out of hyperspace. Laura takes the opportunity to swipe at Finn’s distrustful character, while Poe says Finn wouldn’t have done it unless he was under duress. Their exchange is cut short as the orbital bombardment begins. Poe runs with the other pilots to their ships.
- The entire planet is thrown into chaos — it is a full-scale invasion. The Republic only has a token fleet to defend the planet, since most of the armada was wiped out on Hosnian Prime. Meanwhile, the First Order brought along its entire weight. While the capital ships slug it out, a motley assortment of starfighters led by Poe defend the planet and the ensuing evacuation. This is where the X-wing and the modified A-wing from Pinewood studios come in.
- In a montage of brutal battles in space, over the city and on the ground, the Republic defenders struggle against the full might of the First Order. Kylo Ren lands on the city and goes to Vikram’s holding cell. Kylo asks him for Leia’s location, and Vikram replies saying that while he hates Leia, he respects her and cannot believe she sired a monster like Kylo Ren. Kylo decapitates him in response.
- While all hell breaks loose, Finn tries to escape from Captain Phasma and Chala. In the ensuing chase scene, Phasma taunts Finn, calling FN-2187 a traitor to the First Order and a disgrace to the Resistance. He replies “My name is FINN!” and lunges at Phasma. However, he is no match for her. Phasma knocks him out just as First Order troopers arrive, and Finn is taken into custody.
- What is left of the Republic and the Resistance crumble under the assault and flee the planet. Leia is able to escape, however she ends up gravely wounded. Command of the Resistance then falls to Laura Dern. The remainder of the fleet, a ragtag group of battle-worn cruisers, scorched corvettes and snubfighters, retreat from the battle and jump to hyperspace.
- In the aftermath, Laura tells the assembled fighters that they are effectively the last of the Resistance. She then butts heads with Poe on their course of action, which leads to a tense standoff. Laura wants to hunker down and consolidate forces for the long term. Poe wishes to rescue Finn and take the fight to the First Order, as Leia had intended.
- Having failed to capture Leia and draw Luke out of hiding, Snoke falls on a backup plan. Finn is taken before Kylo Ren, who starts to torture him knowing that it will be felt by Rey.
- Across the galaxy, Rey feels Finn’s distress. Just like ESB, she says she needs to go and rescue her friend. Luke had also felt Leia’s peril through the Force. He tells Rey she isn’t ready yet, and how he abandoned his training with Yoda and rushed into a trap to save his own friends.
- Luke then says he isn’t Yoda, and he has his own way of doing things. Instead of remaining behind, he goes along with Rey to help.
Spoilers end
Holy nerf herder! We’re still reeling from the (possible) revelation that Rey is Anakin reincarnate! And even if all these isn’t true, that (possible) ending is enough to make us excited for Episode IX!
What do you think of this (supposed) leak? Does it really “echo with the Force”, or is it as hollow as a Gamorrean’s brain? I guess we won’t find out until December 2017!
If you can’t wait until then for more Star Wars action, then read this short story why FN-2187, Finn, has a conscience.