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The Rise of Skywalker: Ascendant (Released) — Page 690

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Having Rey’s parents be cultists that grew a heart just seems the most “Star Wars” to me.

I 100% think that is the angle that should be taken with this plot thread.

The whole “filthy junk traders who sold you for drinking money” in TLJ was what Kylo saw in a vision of Rey’s parents. And if his vision was just what he saw from her parents with Unkar on Jakku, anyone would make that same assumption.

Why would the Sith trust junkers to raise an Emperor clone? That just makes zero sense.

The ONLY way for this to work is:

  • Rey is created from Palps’ DNA, maybe not refer to her as a clone but a creation. Leave it more vague.
  • Rey’s “parents” were cultists who grew to love Rey and wanted her safe from Palps.
  • They stole Ochi’s ship and escaped. If the cultists got to Exegol they should know how to get out, an easy assumption for general audiences. It also makes them more heroic and essential to the story even though they are “nobodies”.
  • Rey’s “parents” seek Luke and Lor San Tekka’s people for protection.
  • Palpatine sent his assassins to Jakku and Rey’s parents are killed.
  • Ochi at some point travels to Pasanna while Luke is hunting him down after he is follwing the lead from Lor San Tekka.

The Star Wars Saga:
I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX | Rogue One · Solo
What was first just a dream has become a frightening reality…

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 (Edited)

I don’t disagree with anything you’re saying, DZ. But I do still think it’s important to maintain the junk trading aspect of her parents, mostly because we don’t know the exact nature of Kylo’s vision from TLJ. Was he merely shown that scene, or did the Force show him glimpses of their life? You can’t say one or the other for sure, so you have to account for both.

I think you can still have a “growing a heart” moment by having them stop selling old Star Destroyer parts from Jakku to the Sith Eternal and choosing to prioritize Rey over money. Like I said in my last post, all I’m missing is a decent reason for why they’d give a child to a couple they regularly conduct business with. That reason would have to replace the following line: “In exchange for a bonus on their hauls, they were assigned with raising you."

So something along the lines of: “Exegol’s danger required outsiders to raise their young. As trusted suppliers, your parents were chosen.”

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Too bad to make Rey’s mother barren because she looks a great deal like her.

I know I’ve made some very poor decisions recently.

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Hal 9000 said:

Nev, that’s a real nice mock-up for using a bit more of the buffalo with the chess game. I’m not entirely sure I’ll want to use it, as I’ve gotten used to the more striking introduction to these characters with, “T minus five!” But your approach adds a nice little callback aspect to the ending.

Yeah, that’s me, the whole buffalo guy 😃

The intro to our heroes in Ascendant definitely works as-is, even if their scene is very short. But what I like about splitting the scene is that beyond just being a nice bookend for their adventure, it transforms what in the theatrical version and Ascendant is still a glorified memberberries moment into an actual setup and payoff, even if it’s simple. In their introduction, Poe and Finn are annoyed at how Chewie can beat them in this game, and by the end their frustration is vented and resolved, while explaining why Chewie always beats them. This sort of thing is so basic that it almost doesn’t need explaining, but I think it’s important to remember that it’s no less satisfying for its simplicity.

Anyway, that concludes my monograph, back to the regularly-scheduled Rey Clone discussion 😉

You probably don’t recognize me because of the red arm.
Episode 9 Rewrite, The Starlight Project (Released!) and ANH Technicolor Project (Released!)

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Another shot. Tried to make things more blatant. Also tried to work in a more clear separation between the Dyad and the connection Snoke initially made.

“Rey… wherever you are… you are hard to find.”

“You are hard to get rid of.”

“I pushed you in the desert because I needed to see it… I needed you to see it… who you are. I know the darkness that lives in you, Rey…”

“You’re lying.”

“You were right… your parents were no one. But they did not start out as junk traders.”

“Don’t!”

“As loyal subjects of the Sith, they were first assigned with raising you…"

“I don’t want this!”

“…and then killing you."

“No!”

“But they’d grown to care for you, so they hid you from Palpatine.”

(Rey sees the vision of her parents and her abandonment.)
“Rey, my love… be brave.”
“You’ll be safe here… I promise.”
“Come back! Nooo!”

“They paid for your protection… in more than one way.”

“Stop talking.”

“Rey… I learned what happened to them.”

(Cutaway to heroes capture)

“Your parents sought Luke’s protection, searching the Jakku desert for his allies… but Palpatine’s assassins tracked them down. They resisted fiercely, only to be forgotten by the sands of time."

(Rey sees her parents get killed.)

“So that’s where you are.”

“You know why the Emperor’s always wanted you dead. I’ll come tell you.”

…etc

“Why did the Emperor come for me? Why did he want to kill a child? Tell me.”

“Because you were one of many experiments, Rey… Modeled after the Emperor’s genetic code, meant to host his lingering essence… Which chose another vessel,…”

“To them, you are nothing more than a leftover liability. But what Palpatine cannot see is that we’ve become a Dyad in the Force, linked by Snoke, but grown beyond that. We can end him and the Sith, and create something new, together…”

(Removes his helmet)

“You know what you need to do. You know.”

“I do.”

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Hal 9000 said:

Too bad to make Rey’s mother barren because she looks a great deal like her.

Oh believe me, I know. I have an idea for how to fix this with a simple deepfake but then the alternative audio track idea goes out the window.

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Dimitrios, I love everything you just wrote except for the last two paragraphs lol. The beginning of it all is straight and simple to the point. Even though I do really like the idea that they were getting parts of old Star Destroyers for the fleet. Then again, that could still be a part of their assignment with Rey.

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Jar Jar Bricks said:

If we go for a genetic experiment instead of direct clone angle, it could still work.

Also: What if they just posed as simple junk dealers as a cover for the Sith cult?

edit: How do you feel about seperating the Connection made by snoke more directly from the Dyad in general?

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What if we simply merged our ideas at the beginning?

“You were right… your parents were no one. Initiates scavenging parts for the fleet on Exegol.”

“Don’t!”

“With their loyalty to the Sith proven, they were first assigned with raising you…"

“I don’t want this!”

“…and then killing you."

“No!”

“But they’d grown to care for you, so they hid you from Palpatine.”

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 (Edited)

Let’s combine all of the ideas put forward so far:

“Rey… wherever you are… you are hard to find.”

“You are hard to get rid of.”

“I pushed you in the desert because I needed to see it… I needed you to see it… who you are. Darkness is in your blood, Rey…”

“You’re lying.”

“I’d never lie to you… your parents were junk traders, bartering Star Destroyer parts for favor within the Sith fleet…”

“Don’t!”

“Ascending the ranks of the cult, they were honored with raising you."

“I don’t want this!”

“You grew unnecessary."

“No!”

“Palpatine ordered your death, but they’d grown to care for you.”

(Rey sees the vision of her parents and her abandonment.)
“Rey, my love… be brave.”
“You’ll be safe here… I promise.”
“Come back! Nooo!”

“They paid for your protection… in more than one way.”

“Stop talking.”

“Rey… I learned what happened to them.”

(Cutaway to heroes capture)

“Your parents sought Luke’s protection, chasing rumors of a congregation in the Jakku desert… but Ochi tracked down the ship he’d gifted them. They resisted fiercely, only to be forgotten by the sands of time."

(Rey sees her parents get killed.)

“So that’s where you are.”

“You know why the Emperor’s always wanted you dead. I’ll come tell you.”


“Why did the Emperor come for me? Why did he want to kill a child? Tell me.”

“Because after his full return, he saw his experiments as threats to his rule. You were designed from the blood of the Emperor. You… are a Palpatine.”

“The only purpose for your creation was to be one of his hosts on the Sith throne. But what Palpatine cannot foresee is that we’ve become a Dyad in the Force, Rey… two, linked by raw power. We can end him and the Sith, and create something new, together…”

(Removes his helmet)

“You know what you need to do. You know.”

“I do.”

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TheDimitrios said:

Another shot. Tried to make things more blatant. Also tried to work in a more clear separation between the Dyad and the connection Snoke initially made.

“Rey… wherever you are… you are hard to find.”

“You are hard to get rid of.”

“I pushed you in the desert because I needed to see it… I needed you to see it… who you are. I know the darkness that lives in you, Rey…”

“You’re lying.”

“You were right… your parents were no one. But they did not start out as junk traders.”

“Don’t!”

“As loyal subjects of the Sith, they were first assigned with raising you…"

“I don’t want this!”

“…and then killing you."

“No!”

“But they’d grown to care for you, so they hid you from Palpatine.”

(Rey sees the vision of her parents and her abandonment.)
“Rey, my love… be brave.”
“You’ll be safe here… I promise.”
“Come back! Nooo!”

“They paid for your protection… in more than one way.”

“Stop talking.”

“Rey… I learned what happened to them.”

(Cutaway to heroes capture)

“Your parents sought Luke’s protection, searching the Jakku desert for his allies… but Palpatine’s assassins tracked them down. They resisted fiercely, only to be forgotten by the sands of time."

(Rey sees her parents get killed.)

“So that’s where you are.”

“You know why the Emperor’s always wanted you dead. I’ll come tell you.”

…etc

“Why did the Emperor come for me? Why did he want to kill a child? Tell me.”

“Because you were one of many experiments, Rey… Modeled after the Emperor’s genetic code, meant to host his lingering essence… Which chose another vessel,…”

“To them, you are nothing more than a leftover liability. But what Palpatine cannot see is that we’ve become a Dyad in the Force, linked by Snoke, but grown beyond that. We can end him and the Sith, and create something new, together…”

(Removes his helmet)

“You know what you need to do. You know.”

“I do.”

Very nice…it fits really well with pre TROS continuity, making the Palpatine connection much easier to swallow.

Peace is a lie
There is only passion…

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I dunno, it seems kinda cheap that they only became junk traders for a couple days out of sheer desperation. Especially when there is a compelling reason why the Sith cult would WANT tons of people to be doing that as their regular job.

They have hundreds upon hundreds of aging Imperial Star Destroyers that need regular maintenance and parts for the dreadnaught canon upgrades (according to our new explanation). And there are tons of downed Star Destroyers on Jakku to make this possible. People in a cult don’t just sit around all day doing rituals. They have to contribute to their mini society in some way. It makes sense to me that they would send their members to retrieve these parts, and those that did the best would be “rewarded” with raising a child based on Palpatine’s DNA.

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I feel like this concept of them being surrogate parents deviate too much from canon.

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Maybe just cleaning up the canon is the best thing…


“Rey… wherever you are… you are hard to find.”

“You are hard to get rid of.”

“I pushed you in the desert because I needed to see it… I needed you to see it… who you are. I know the darkness that lives in you, Rey…

“You’re lying.”

“You were right… your parents were no one. They chose to be, to keep you safe.

“Don’t!”

Your parents barely escaped from Exegol.

“I don’t want this!”

Palpatine wanted them dead!

“No!”

And soon after he learned of you.

(Rey sees the vision of her parents and her abandonment.)
“My Love… be brave.”
“You’ll be safe here… I promise.”
“Come back! Nooo!”

“They paid for your protection… in more than one way.”

“Stop talking.”

“Rey… I learned what happened to them.”

(Cutaway to heroes capture)

Your parents wanted Luke to protect you, searching the Jakku desert for his allies… but Palpatine’s assassins caught up to them, they wouldn’t say where you were… so he gave the order.

(Rey sees her parents get killed.)

“So that’s where you are.”

“You know why the Emperor’s always wanted you dead. I’ll come tell you.”

“Why did the Emperor come for me? Why did he want to kill a child? Tell me.”

Because he no longer needed your father. After his return his clones became threats to him, as well as their offspring. You don’t just have power, Rey… you have his power. You are a Palpatine.

My mother was the daughter of Vader. Your father was a clone of the Emperor. What Palpatine doesn’t know is that we’ve become a dyad in the Force. Two that are one. Together we can end him and the Sith, and take his power to forge something new…

(Removes his helmet)

“You know what you need to do. You know.”

“I know."

The Star Wars Saga:
I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX | Rogue One · Solo
What was first just a dream has become a frightening reality…

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I’ve already ditched this idea, check out Nev’s thread for the newer one.

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Jar Jar Bricks said:

I’ve already ditched this idea, check out Nev’s thread for the newer one.

I did. Not a fan to be honest. Having Rey be a Palpatine force creation is just too much in my opinion. It makes Anakin even less special, more than the OG film does…

The Star Wars Saga:
I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX | Rogue One · Solo
What was first just a dream has become a frightening reality…

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 (Edited)

Unfortunately it’s the only thing that makes sense to me at this point. Clone bodies clearly aren’t working for Palps, and the only way Daisy would be a female version of him anyway is if she were a ginger.

This other reveal is also one that makes everything that happened in the prequels and originals fall under a different light, which is something you want for a grand finale - encouraging subsequent rewatches. It answers unanswered questions in the saga. Palpatine’s fingers touch everything from Anakin’s mother’s death, Padme’s death, and even his own creation. Yes, it makes Anakin less special but it’s cool that he was chosen by the Force to bring balance despite his nature. It’s both ironic and also compelling to the idea of bad things being used for good for the benefit of everyone.

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krlozdac said:

I feel like this concept of them being surrogate parents deviate too much from canon.

I agree. I hope that there does end up being a Starlight version of TROS from Nev, and I will be very happy to help with it any way that I can. But I don’t think for Ascendant it makes sense to deviate very far from the original story (or, more to the point, plot).

I know I’ve made some very poor decisions recently.

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I genuinely think the only thing that would need to be changed to create a vastly superior version of this film with my idea would be to take this edit, change Kylo’s dialogue in the hangar and bond-duel, revert Palpatine’s line about his spirit going into Kylo to its original location, and some new dialogue of Luke explaining Leia’s thoughts and Jedi path to Rey. Doing anything more than these things risks things getting too inflated with AI lines and hard to understand. And I don’t really see how these (almost entirely) audio changes would warrant an entirely separate project.

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If it can be audio-only, I’d be okay with trying to make it a separate track. But unless Rey’s mother is biologically hers, I’d think some visual alterations would be necessary.

I know I’ve made some very poor decisions recently.

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Yes, in this other idea on Nev’s thread she’d be biologically related to her mother, like Anakin is to Shmi. It’s the only way to preserve most of TLJ’s reveals as her parents being nobody (and herself to a certain extent) while also having Rey be viewed as a Palpatine.

In fact, I could do without the shift of Palpy’s “kill me, and my spirit will pass into you…” line going back to where it was (since that would obviously require video). It would just be cool to reinstate a reference to a ROTS scene that would become extremely important in this context.

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DZ-330 said:

Not sure if this could be relevant for V5 Ascendant, but the AI lines and concept are pretty cool!

https://youtu.be/nWgweAQLCmI?si=srSqX2D9WlqYCiTR

That was a sort of thing I was considering for this scene in an earlier idea, except instead of Luke Kylo is conversing with Han in order to establish his later scene with Han’s memory.

You probably don’t recognize me because of the red arm.
Episode 9 Rewrite, The Starlight Project (Released!) and ANH Technicolor Project (Released!)

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NeverarGreat said:

DZ-330 said:

Not sure if this could be relevant for V5 Ascendant, but the AI lines and concept are pretty cool!

https://youtu.be/nWgweAQLCmI?si=srSqX2D9WlqYCiTR

That was a sort of thing I was considering for this scene in an earlier idea, except instead of Luke Kylo is conversing with Han in order to establish his later scene with Han’s memory.

I do like it being Luke though to better callback to TLJ. Having it be Han doesn’t really make sense to me.

The Star Wars Saga:
I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX | Rogue One · Solo
What was first just a dream has become a frightening reality…

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It would if you just had Kylo remembering Han’s words in TFA. You could potentially have Kylo hear both of their voices, like stream of consciousness.