STAR WARS EPISODE III: THE LAST STAND
The Rebellion has been pushed to the brink of extinction. Though many support secretly support its cause, they are unwilling to put their lives on the line.
To facilitate his final victory, the heinous EMPEROR has begun construction of two additional DEATH STARS at an undisclosed location.
With time running short, the Last Jedi embarks on a daring mission to find the hidden shipyards…
Pan down to Had Abaddon, an urban hellscape. The Empire has put the city on lockdown.
A speeder flies overhead and two bounty hunters and an R2 unit climb out. They’re sneaking around a restricted area, masterfully taking out Stormtroopers without any notice. Having reached their destination, they cut a path through a ventilation shaft and head towards the center of the building.
Finally, they reach it: the Holocron Vault. This is the Old Jedi Temple. The two bounty hunters unveil their masks to reveal Luke and Leia.
Luke explains to Leia that the Emperor keeps his top intel here, rather than the Imperial Databanks, and are only accessible by someone in tune to the Force. Leia asks if they should take all of them, but after some moments of temptation, Luke refuses: most have been corrupted, and contain such ghastly details he would rather not know.
In classic adventure fashion, the plan goes awry. Right as they leave, the alarms siren on and the trio must blast their way out. Luke shows off his lightsaber. There is a tense point where it appears R2 can’t override the doors in time, but they eventually get to the docking platform. Luke leaves Leia and R2 to distract the Stormtroopers, much to Leia’s distraught.
The Falcon, piloted by Lando and Chewie, arrives just in time, picking up Leia and R2 before following after Luke, now engaged in a massive cinematic chase with the Security Forces.
Just when he’s surrounded, the Falcon arrives, and Luke gives a sarcastic wave before force jumping out.
Lando asks if they got it, and Luke confirms: with this Jedi Holocron, they will know the location of the hidden shipyards. Luke opens himself up to the force… and is suddenly thrown into a rendition of the past!
Luke is invisible, watching a scene of his father Anakin Skywalker loving who he can only assume to be his mother. She tells him she is pregnant, and he is at first overjoyed… before turning to concern over what the Jedi will say.
The entire scene distorts itself for a moment, and then Luke is watching the Jedi Council, Obi-Wan and Yoda included. They are debating over the next course of the ongoing “Clone Wars”. Anakin suggests perhaps now is the time for compromise – this fight is drawing on too long – but Yoda stubbornly refuses, citing the dark side is the quick and easy path, and they must root out all evil once and all. The conference ends, and Anakin meets directly with the two masters. Anakin roundabout asks what the council’s view on external relationships is… and both Obi-Wan and Yoda stubbornly argue any “selfless” relationship, period, leans towards the dark side.
Luke comes out with nothing, only a tired mind and a radically different perspective on what he thought of the Jedi. When Leia consoles him, Luke walks off.
At the Rebel Headquarters on Sullust, leadership is pleased by the Holocron, even if it couldn’t be opened yet. Leia speaks with Mon Mothma and Gial Ackbar, who need her help in the recruitment of more star systems. The death of Leia’s father Bail on Alderaan lost one of their best speakers – both Mothma and Ackbar have been disgraced and have little political ties, but almost everyone agree that Bail was unjustly killed and his daughter would likely hold significant weight. But Leia refuses, saying she’s not like her father and is much more a rebel than a politician.
Mothma inserts a disc into a nearby droid, which shows a hologram of Bail speaking directly to Leia, explaining they just acquired it a week ago. It shows Bail speaking directly to Leia, explaining that in the event this “Death Star” should ever fire on Alderaan, he wants her to know he is very proud of her, and that she has a great future ahead. Leia agrees to the mission: if they are going to attack these shipyards, they will need all the allies they can get.
Luke heads to a cave to meditate with the Holocron. Then Vader appears, startling Luke but then assuring he isn’t actually present, rather this is a Bond through the Force. Vader explains both he and his master are fellow aware of the stolen Holocron, and he has reached out to Luke to ask him what he saw. Vader explains the Holocron will force the opener to see through the past, in order to understand it, and he hopes now Luke understands why the Jedi is a failed religion. Luke admits the Jedi made one mistake, but that’s nothing compared to the horrors of the Empire. Vader tempts Luke to look into the Holocron again and then vanishes.
Luke looks. He finds a slightly older Anakin speaking with an old friendly man, Chancellor Palpatine. Palpatine explains that he is worried of the Jedi’s insistence on fighting the Droid Foundries in the name of the “Light Side” and “Dark Side” and only wants what is best for the Republic. Anakin tells the Chancellor he overheard Master Windu speaking with Yoda and Obi-Wan of possible plans to use overthrow him should he push forward with the vote for political compromise. Palpatine appears unmoved, stating he will not be bullied, and will only do what he feels is right.
The scene shifts. It is now night, and Anakin is with Luke’s mother. They are talking about “the baby” when Anakin explains he can’t handle this political and social mindgames they always play to hide from the Council. He decides he is going to walk out of the order.
The scene shifts again. Anakin is speaking to the Council. Mace Windu, one of the Jedi, seems very angered by Anakin’s betrayal and is happy to see him gone. Yoda looks concerned but stays quiet. Obi-Wan, though, pursues Anakin and tries to make him reverse his decision. Anakin refuses, goes on a mini-rant on all the things the Jedi have ruined, and how Palpatine seems to be the only real friend who cares about someone other than themself before leaving without saying goodbye.
The scene shifts a final time. Anakin and Luke’s mother are packing their bags to leave from Coruscant, with Padme visibly pregnant. Then, a great “boom” is heard from the Senate Building. Anakin sees Jedi ships arriving amidst laser fire, and runs off. He enters the Chancellor’s office just in time to see Mace Windu holding Palpatine at saber point… and stabs him in the heart, dead. Anakin screams and charges at Windu, who not expecting someone from his side is immediately killed. Anakin grabs the dying Chancellor, who tells him in his final moments that he was right, the Jedi refused to cooperate with the Sith, and calls on Anakin to avenge him.
Luke falls out of the force vision. The Holocron has been opened, but at what cost? Luke is now re-evaluating every decision that he has taken. Was the Empire right? Luke gives the Holocron to the alliance, which decodes the data as Kashyyk – where Chewebacca’s people are being used as slave labor to construct the two battlestations. Lando and Chewie rally for battle while Leia sets off on her own quest for much-needed reinforcements, but Luke doesn’t help either. Instead, he heads to Dagobah – for answers.
End of Act One.
