Rough Draft of a prequel rewrite. Apologies in advance for wonky formatting -- best I can do to preserve screenplay format in this context. Will be uploading in installments to skirt character limits. It's pretty long!
Oh, and I should point out that I'm only using the first three films as canon. Looked up a thing or two on a wiki (e.g., dactaries, Chandrilla), but otherwise, all characters, continuity, and lore are my inventions based on the events of Episodes IV-VI.
Feedback more than welcome.
A LONG TIME AGO, IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY...
STAR WARS EPISODE ONE: A FALSE DAWN
CRAWL:
The Galactic Republic is in decline, assailed from within as
well as without. An all but entirely corrupt senate enriches
itself at the expense of the people, even as it loses control
over its vast holdings. Regional governors do what they will,
free from the strictures of Republic law. And, more and more,
petty warlords claim Republic space for their own.
The Jedi, in ancient times the protectors of peace and
justice in the Republic, have faded into legend and rumor.
Called charlatans, wizards, or outright myths by most, there
are still those, even in the highest echelons of the Senate,
who believe in the Jedi, and the mystical power they wield,
known as The Force.
On the edge of space, in a free system, a mysterious and
monstrous armada is gathering to some evil purpose. The dark
fleet is a threat only the Jedi can meet. And, if a lone
pirate vessel, in the wrong place at the wrong time, can
escape with the news...
EXT. SPACE, THE JATARI SYSTEM
The blue and orange orb of Jatari II is enveloped by
starships, dark, sharp, and glossy amidst the wreckage of
what might have been an orbital defense force. If there was a
battle, it's over now, and invader transports are shuttling
back and forth between the planet's surface and a strange
hulking vessel -- not a battle ship, but something else.
Suddenly, a frigate, boxy but fleet, gayly decorated -
clearly not a unit in the dark armada -- screams past, and
the camera follows it, landing in a shot that mirrors the
opening of A New Hope.
But, in pursuit is not one massive Star Destroyer, but five
capital ships, one of them a massive dreadnought, and
multiple squadrons of interceptors. Laser fire lights up the
star field, but the Falling Star, for that is this frigate's
name, is no sitting duck. Nimble for its size, armored,
shielded, and heavily gunned, it returns fire on the
interceptors even as it outpaces the capital ships.
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
This is a pirate's cockpit, rich and eclectic with the spoils
of numerous conquests.
At the helm, Captain Renzo Kitch, as handsome as a humanoid
mollusk can be, strains at the ship's controls, navigating
this very dicey escape. At his side, first mate Manx Orulian,
a cute tomboy, flips switches, turns dials, monitors gauges.
CAPTAIN KITCH
(in an alien tongue)
Where the hell is he?!
MANX
Stay focused Captain, whaddaya say?
CAPTAIN KITCH
I'll kill him.
MANX
Sure thing, Cap. But first, we
gotta -- INCOMING!
Kitch takes evasive action. The ship rolls, and then shudders
with the impact of a near miss.
CAPTAIN KITCH
Damn it, Manx! How long until
you've got the jump plotted?!!
MANX
Well, if you'd shut up for two
seconds...
Kitch flips a switch on the ship's intercom.
CAPTAIN KITCH
Damage Report.
INT. FALLING STAR, ENGINE ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Heph Tosca, the ship's mechanic, a big guy with round pecs, a
rounder gut, and bionic arms, welds for his life. A small
crew of astromech droids scurry about him, sparks flying.
HEPH
Under control, Cap'n.
(to the droids, almost
threateningly)
Right boys?
A string of beeps and whirs signal assent.
CAPTAIN KITCH (O.S.)
Whatever you do, keep that
hyperdrive online.
HEPH
(sweat beading on his
brow)
Aye aye, Cap'n.
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
CAPTAIN KITCH
(muttering to himself)
All trouble, no profit. This is the
last blasted time! He's a dead man.
(to Manx)
I said how long until we can make
the jump?!
MANX
T-minus three minutes.
Kitch hits the intercom again.
CAPTAIN KITCH
Gunners, give them everything
you've got!
INT. FALLING STAR, SWIVEL GUN TURRET ONE
ALIEN GUNNER ONE
Aye aye.
INT. FALLING STAR, SWIVEL GUN TURRET TWO
ALIEN GUNNER TWO
Aye, Captain.
INT. FALLING STAR, SWIVEL GUN TURRET THREE
ALIEN GUNNER THREE
Giving them the goods like a pack
of holbets on Gurshan Eve!!
EXT. SPACE, THE JATARI SYSTEM - CONTINUOUS
The goods are most definitely given. Interceptors exploding
hither and thither. Strafing runs aborted.
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
Kitch and Manx are lit up by the glare of nearby explosions.
KITCH
Hahaha! The Falling Star hasn't
been caught yet!
MANX
Aye Cap, and she never will.
KITCH
(growling)
Damn right!
(intercom again)
Alda! I need you to find our
passenger.
INT. FALLING STAR, MAIN BATTERY - CONTINUOUS
Alda Contana, a lithe, laconic humanoid, reclines with his
booted feet up on a console, smoking from a lean space pipe.
ALDA
Nothing to broadside right now
anyway, boss. Those capital ships
are all on our six.
Alda stands, taking a blaster off the console and sliding it
into a hip holster.
CAPTAIN KITCH (O.S.)
In two minutes, I'm going to give
you a nice fat target to starboard,
but right now...
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
CAPTAIN KITCH
GET ME KENOBI!!!!
INT. DARK DREADNOUGHT, BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
The Falling Star can be clearly seen through the bridge's
expansive viewing panel as it dives and rolls, surrounded by
exploding fighter craft.
Observing the situation with chilly concern is Otto Rohn --
tall, powerfully built, of black beard and hair, commander of
this fleet.
An officer approaches Rohn hurriedly -- pale white skin,
almost translucent, hairless, something like a seam running
down the middle of his face -- humanoid, but somehow...
unfinished.
OFFICER
(in a gurgling hiss)
Commander Rohn, scans indicate that
the ship is preparing for the jump
to hyperspace.
ROHN
Our quarry must not be allowed to
escape. They have witnessed too
much.
Rohn's eyes stray to that mysterious hulk of a ship, visible
through the panel.
OFFICER
A lone pirate ship, Commander, out
matched and out of its depth. What
have they witnessed, but a glimpse
of their own future?
ROHN
Out-matched, and yet about to
escape! Or have you already
forgotten what you came to report?
The officer cowers in shame and fear.
ROHN (CONT'D)
No matter. This is a perfect
opportunity to test our Hawker
Class gunships. Give the order.
OFFICER
Immediately, Commander.
The officer departs with haste. Rohn closes his eyes, inhales
through his nose. Reaches... out. He smiles ever so slightly,
a menacing smirk, and then opens his eyes again.
ROHN
(quietly, deeply)
Fly if you can. Jedi.
INT. FALLING STAR, AFT VIEWING DECK - CONTINUOUS
A man's silhouette against the imposing picture of the
pursuing fleet. It is none other than a young Obi Wan Kenobi,
looking like a dashing rogue in his tight clothes, half cape,
and high boots.
Kenobi ignores the sights and sounds of the battle, analyzing
the colossal mystery ship receiving its planetary shipments
of.. what?
Then something catches his eye - a deployment of a half dozen
gunships from the invader flagship.
KENOBI
Hello, what's that?
He closes his eyes in a ritual that mirrors that of Commander
Rohn. Then his eyes snap open, and he frowns.
KENOBI (CONT'D)
And, who are you?
Suddenly, behind him, Alda appears in the doorway.
ALDA
Come with me, Kenobi.
Kenobi doesn't turn around - just points out the window.
KENOBI
You see that gigantic ship there,
Alda, the one surrounded by all the
traffic? What do yo make of it?
(pointing straight ahead)
And how about that squadron there?
It's approaching rather quickly,
eh?
Alda's blaster is in his hand, pointed at Kenobi's back.
ALDA
Now.
KENOBI
Put the blaster away, Alda.
Alda complies. Seemingly against his will.
ALDA
I... Captain Kitch wants to see you
in the cockpit.
KENOBI
Yes, yes. Maybe after we've
escaped. Now run along back to your
post.
ALDA
I'll just run along back to my
post.
And he does.
KENOBI
Good boy. Now let's see what we can
do about those gunships.
And once again, Kenobi closes his eyes.
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
MANX
Cap, six on our six. Heavy gunners,
looks like, and fast.
KITCH
Yeah, I see 'em.
MANX
If we can slow 'em down just a
little...
KITCH
Then we'll ditch them like a bad
memory.
Kitch hits the com.
KITCH (CONT'D)
Alda, are you back on the cannons?
ALDA (O.S.)
Aye, Captain.
KITCH
Then where the hell is Kenobi?
ALDA (O.S.)
I... he... I left him at the stern.
KITCH
You what??!!
INT. FALLING STAR, MAIN BATTERY - CONTINUOUS
Alda looks confused.
ALDA
I dunno Captain, I had him at
gunpoint, and then, next thing I
know I'm manning my post...
KITCH (V.O.)
That sneaky, conniving, chicaning,
prestidigitating...
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT
Kitch and Manx exchange a knowing, irritated look.
KITCH
Never mind. I'm about to go hard
starboard. If you're not too far
gone, I need you to scatter those
gunships, and see if you can give
one of their big boys something to
remember us by while you're at it!
ALDA (O.S.)
YES SIR!
BOOM. The cockpit shakes violently. Sparks fly. Boom. Boom.
Boom.
KITCH
Ow!
EXT. SPACE, THE JATARI SYSTEM - CONTINUOUS
The Hawkers let loose a barrage of laser fire, rocking the
Falling Star with multiple small explosions.
INT. FALLING STAR, ENGINE ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Heph Tosca strides across the room to put out a fire.
Kneeling, he swings up his extinguisher. An astromech has
followed him and begins repairing one of his robotic arms.
KITCH (O.S.)
Heph?! How are we looking?
HEPH
(shaking off the
astromech)
Leave me alone!
(beat)
Not you Cap'n.
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
MANX
Cap, one of those heavy gunners is
peeling off. Almost looks like he's
drifting.
KITCH
About time he joined the fight.
INT. FALLING STAR, AFT VIEWING DECK - CONTINUOUS
Kenobi's body is taut. His right arm is extended - the
drifting gunship visible through the window, and apparently
under his control.
INT. DARK FIGHTER - CONTINUOUS
The pilot, a pale soldier just like the officer on Rohn's
ship, tries to steer his ship back on course. His comms
crackle.
DARK PILOT (O.S.)
Alpha three, you're drifting into
my flight path. Alpha three,
correct course!
EXT. SPACE, THE JATARI SYSTEM - CONTINUOUS
The two ships collide in a hail of sparks and small
explosions. The damaged vessels spin out, their pursuit
ended.
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
MANX
Two down, Cap -- ran into each
other, looks like!
KITCH
Hahaha. That son of a gundark!
MANX
Thirty seconds, Cap.
KITCH
Here we go.
(to Alda)
Cannon's ready!
Kitch jerks the stick hard.
EXT. SPACE, THE JATARI SYSTEM - CONTINUOUS
The Falling Star fishtails, showing it's starboard side, and
two rows of cannons, to the pursuing fleet with no apparent
loss of speed.
INT. FALLING STAR, MAIN BATTERY
Alda leans into a set of wall mounted goggles, not unlike the
sight of a periscope.
In the gun sight we see one, no, two heavy gunners, and
behind them, one of the pursuing capital ships.
ALDA
Gotcha.
EXT. SPACE, THE JATARI SYSTEM - CONTINUOUS
A thunderous broadside from the Falling Star obliterates one
of the gunships, sheering the wing off another, and
scattering the other two.
And then, in the distance, a series of explosions rock the
bridge of the targeted capital ship. It sinks out of
formation in slow motion.
INT. FALLING STAR, COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS
MANX
Three, two...
Kitch is laughing maniacally.
MANX (CONT'D)
PUNCH IT!
INT. INVADER CAPITAL SHIP, BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
While Otto Rohn is forced to take evasive action, his quarry,
The Falling Star, appears to elongate, and vanishes in a
flash of light.
Through the viewing panel, he watches the two remaining
Hawkers regroup.
And suddenly, they too make the jump to hyperspace.
Rohn nods tersely, turns his back to the viewing panel, and
stalks off.