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Post #1253893

Author
NeverarGreat
Parent topic
The Original Trilogy Radical Redux Ideas Thread
Link to post in topic
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/1253893/action/topic#1253893
Date created
3-Nov-2018, 2:20 AM

You could combine ESB and ROTJ:

It is a dark time for the
Rebellion. Although the
Death Star has been all but
destroyed, the Rebellion is
scattered to the far reaches
of the galaxy by the dreaded
Imperial Starfleet.

Guided by the voice of
his master, Luke Skywalker
journeys in search of Yoda,
a warrior with the power
to defeat the Emperor and
his sinister agents.

With the Starfleet deployed
against Skywalker and his
friends, Darth Vader awaits
the arrival of his dark
master aboard the Empire’s
ultimate weapon…

-Open with the Emperor arriving on the Death Star, where they talk of Vader resuming his search for Skywalker. Omit talk of Luke getting stronger. Cut to establishing shot of Emperor’s tower, and Vader asking of the reports of the Rebel fleet massing near Sullust. The Emperor dismisses this talk and tells Vader to go to the command ship.
-Luke arrives on Dagobah, and meets Yoda.
-Establish Hoth, and Han deciding to leave. They discover the Probe droid and destroy it.
-On board the Command Ship, the Imperials find the Rebel Base. Vader doesn’t suggest that Luke is there.
-The Rebels evacuate the base under duress, without Luke’s presence (This incidentally avoids the issue of Luke escaping with ease while his friends are chased).
-The asteroid chase is cut, going straight into docking on the Star Destroyer bridge. There is no Emperor hologram, since he’s already been established.
-Luke trains, fails, etc etc.
-Much is the same until the Carbonite, where Han dies.
-Shortened fight with Vader, leading to the revelation and the end of Act 2.
-There is a single establishing shot of Yoda’s hut, and a robed figure materializes out of the mist in front of it, making its way forward as darkness surrounds the hut.
-Vader returns to the Death Star, using the scene from the beginning of ROTJ, shortened to simply that Vader will motivate the workers.
-Luke returns to Dagobah to find Yoda already in bed and at death’s door. He admits that Vader is the father, then insists that Luke not underestimate the powers of the Emperor. Luke’s sister is not mentioned.
-The fleet is assembled, and Mothma explains the attack. Han is not present, and it is edited to make it seem like Leia is joining Lando’s attack force. Luke joins as well. They take off in the shuttle.
-The landing and speeder chase happen, sans Han. Leia meets the Ewoks, who recognize her from the Rebel base previously on the planet.
-There is no roasting of Luke and Chewie, instead 3-PO tells the story and they are admitted to the tribe, then Luke and Leia discuss Luke’s parentage. Luke turns himself in.
-The ending happens pretty much the same, except without Han.

There could be a short version of this, however:

-Emperor’s arrival on the Death Star
-Events of ESB as described above, except that Luke allows himself to be taken prisoner by Vader after the revelation.
-Leia and Lando escape with the help of R2.
-Closeups of Luke in the Bacta tank, colored with an evil red light signifying Vader’s dark purposes for him.
-Vader returns to the Death Star to much fanfare, cutting right to Vader and Luke in the elevator to the tower. Vader hands a lightsaber to the Emperor, but this is Obi-wan’s blue lightsaber, not Luke’s. Luke says that he’ll soon be dead, and the Emperor suspects that there is an imminent attack, which then emerges from hyperspace.
-The shield around the station is generated from within. As the Imperial fleet engages the Rebels, the Emperor orders the station to fire, destroying a capital ship.
-As the ships keep going down, Luke becomes more and more angry, until he attacks the Emperor. They fight and then Luke disengages, going into hiding.
-Vader reads Luke’s thoughts, saying ‘Your feelings for them are strong, especially for…’ (We see an image of Leia, and the exact Rebel ship which holds her. ‘…so, your feelings have now betrayed her too.’ Luke snaps, cutting of Vader’s hand. He then realizes what he has done, looking at the hand that Vader bequeathed him, which in this version is cold, metallic, and lifeless.
-Ackbar orders the Command Ship be brought down. When it crashes into the station, it does enough damage to shut down the shield protecting the station. The fighters go in.
-Vader is redeemed, the Emperor defeated, Luke escapes, the station explodes for good, and Luke takes Vader into the forest on Yavin 4 for a proper funeral.
-The final scene is from ESB, where Luke gets a more human hand and Lando leaves in the Falcon, now truly redeemed by his heroic acts. He could even be searching for Han, if it is decided that he doesn’t die in Carbonite.