NeverarGreat

One idea - There’s a new version of the main theme in the Rise of Skywalker end credits, it might be worth using that for the beginning of TFA’s crawl in place of the anemic one currently there.

JEDIT: It’s lacking the opening sting which is the main issue with TFA’s fanfare, but the Rise of Skywalker’s fanfare sting is quite strong in comparison to TFA and TLJ (which I think they just copied?). Anyway, I spliced that opening note into the TFA fanfare and I think it’s an improvement:

https://mega.nz/file/2EsXGLjS#7Ve8Pdy2i_SGdpjCkAVKs2ATJ9FqbuKxl2GZefzLYAk

Terminator 2: The Dark Future
Terminator 2: No Fate
Terminator 2: Machine Boogaloo

Ed Slushie said:

Knight of Kalee said:

Hal, I remember you or someone else here thought of changing the music that plays over the ending Rey Skywalker/Binary Sunset scene, as to avoid repeating the Force theme across three movies. Have you though of putting some version of Rey’s theme instead? I believe it might be the most fitting, because it reaffirms Rey’s identity above all else, and is very much the central musical theme of the sequel trilogy. I personally like this track (originally from TFA end credits): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bJpmMwrabo.
Not the full theme, but some snippets of it, like that transition between the Force and Rey’s motifs. If you plan to end the scene with a fade to black, maybe the peaceful version of the SW main theme that plays at the end of the track could could fit better instead of a more bombastic piece, as it has much of a “final farewell” feel to it.

I had the opposite idea: I rearranged tRoS’ final scene to better fit the music, and put Rey’s line at the very end, as if it’s what the music was building towards:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10HInO4Ox36-rbOv2ef1WAfN7Uxfw77mi/view?usp=sharing

I feel like it would be better if we didn’t even get the final line, just a shot of the sunset instead. Since the title is Rise of Skywalker that name is implied, and it prevents the awkwardness of her actually saying it.

Not actually saying the last name could also be a way of acknowledging all of the names, Solo, Organa, heck even Palps.

I don’t think many people would disagree that First Contact is the best TNG movie. It’s not like it has a lot of competition.

There’s also a concert ending version of this theme in case anyone was unaware, though I am partial to the peaceful version.

I had a lot of fun writing this section, since it’s a whole bundle of scenes full of Pirate Politics and Jawa Jedi. Enjoy!

…

Connix relays this latest development from Coruscant to Poe and Maz. Poe muses that they have the ships to challenge Thrawn, but if Hux goes through with the broadcast their attack will be in vain since he will have gained a propaganda victory even Palpatine never had; the First Order will have a Dark Jedi Order. They need to take control of the broadcast and transmit their own message to the galaxy. He asks Ben if he could do this, since he is still technically the Supreme Leader by right. Ben refuses to be known by this title any longer, instead saying Rey should do it. He says that he would rather aid in the attack on Thrawn. Poe asks why and he says it’s personal. Connix says that they will need some sort of master codebreaker to hack into the holonet relay at the Jedi Temple, and Poe says that it sounds like a job for a certain pirate captain.

…

From the bridge of the pirate vessel Maz announces the change of leadership. She is stepping down and promoting her first officer to captain so that she can accompany Rey on her mission. The crew loudly disagrees, saying that only trial by combat decides the leadership. Maz narrows her eyes, asking if anyone dares question her ability to deal death and they all shrink back. The first officer, a massive alien who looks like he has a skull for a head, takes the throne. Rey entreats the new captain to help them in their attack but the new captain glowers at them, saying that pirates do not fight for lost causes. He points to Ben, saying that they will take him as crew however. Ben merely turns away. Maz has already left for the hangar, and Ben and Rey follow.

In the lift with Rey and R2, Ben says that Rey should really tell Poe and the Resistance about their problem with the Force, but Rey says that she can’t, it’s all that is keeping the spark of hope alive in the galaxy. She tells R2 to keep an eye on Ben for her. Ben stares, saying that he’s with Rey to the end. She says that it’s too dangerous, especially with the danger of the Sith. She says for him to wait on the pirate ship until her return. R2 objects to being left behind, and Rey says that they don’t need a mechanic. R2 trills and Rey says that no, she doesn’t even need Jedi lessons from Yoda.

The lift opens onto the hangar and Rey rejoins Maz beside the rusty ship. Maz makes for it and Rey says that surely they aren’t going to take this marked ship to the Jedi Temple. Maz walks around it, saying that of course they aren’t taking it. She says that she has another ship which she captured and was holding for a friend, but now that the owner is no longer around she doesn’t feel too bad commandeering it. It’s Xindo’s ship, formerly stolen by DJ. Maz says that an upshot of this ship is that it’s already got code clearance for the First Order so they should have no problem infiltrating the planet.

Ben and R2 stand before the sea of stars watching the ship disappear into Hyperspace. Ben turns towards the rusted ship and opens the hatch. R2 follows, burbling a question. Ben sits in the pilot’s seat and says that he doesn’t speak droid. R2 plugs himself into the ship and scrolls some helpful text onto the screen. Ben says that he’s following Rey to Coruscant. R2 notes that the ship is marked, and furthermore doesn’t even know if this rust bucket can get them all the way to the core. Ben turns off the startup sequence and sits in silence. A voice seems to echo through the ship and Ben turns in his seat, asking who is there. R2 looks around confusedly. Ben searches the empty compartment with his eyes, seeing nothing. He storms out of the ship.

…

On the bridge, the captain is discussing their next move with his mates. They note that this period of unrest has turned many worlds into ripe targets, with rebellious worlds in particular devastated and defenseless. Just as they decide to set course for one of them Ben storms in. He asks to be made a member of the crew, and after sizing him up the captain consents. He tells him that there’s a spare bunk in the crew galley and a weapons locker he can choose from. The captain turns back to his mates to give the order for hyperspace when Ben challenges the captain to single combat. The captain turns slowly in his chair and stands to his full height, at least a head taller than Ben. He smiles, mates bringing forth a chest containing two swords seemingly made of metal and bone. They both take up a sword and the battle commences.

They activate the blades of the swords, blue energy crackling down the side of the bones. They circle each other, then in a swift flurry of action Ben attacks. The large alien is faster than he looks, parrying each blow. Ben becomes winded as the captain goes on the offensive, driving him up to the throne. A sound like laughter in a vast room fills Ben’s ears. Ben explodes with anger and rage, driving the captain back. The sword flies from his hand and it lands in Ben’s own hand. He crosses the swords before the captain, who has his head bowed. He hears a voice. ‘Why do you hesitate? Finish it!’ He obeys, decapitating the alien. The searches the crowd for the source of the voice, but no face matches that elderly rasp. He collapses onto the throne.

Ben makes his first pronouncement as captain. He says they will capture a new vessel for the pirates, a First Order Star Destroyer. He asks if there are any who will oppose him on this, raising his sword in menace. The first mate doffs his cap, saying that he is the captain.

…

Poe walks the hallways of the destroyer, officers handing him inventory lists and fuel calculations. Threepio reports that most of the guns are not functional and they lack the crew to man them anyway. Their fuel is almost gone, and supplies of any kind are running dangerously low since they haven’t had access to First Order supply lines.

A voice crackles on the radio, informing him of a transmission from Ben. He says to put it through down here. Ben reports on becoming captain of the pirates in exchange for a Star Destroyer. Poe says that they probably don’t want this one, since it’s about ready to fall apart. Poe says that they might be able to get a better one, and Ben says he has a bad feeling about their plan. Poe says that it’s almost like fate, these twelve fleets, and he says he has a good feeling about it. Ben says that this is why he mistrusts it. He says that whatever plan they have, Thrawn will have thought of it. The transmission ends.

Red leader joins them, saying that her squadron will be fighting exposed above Coruscant and won’t last long against Thrawn without cover. Poe looks out a window at the nebula, considering Ben’s misgivings. He sees the swirling gas beyond them and notes that it’s a shame they can’t bring some of it with them, since this is where they have trained. He stops and stares, as if an idea has just occurred to him. He snaps back into action, ordering everyone to main hangar for a new briefing, that there’s been a change of plan. Threepio and Red leader ask about the men making repairs and the flight crews but Poe just repeats ‘Everyone!’

…

Maz asks Rey to go over the plan one final time. Rey explains that they will infiltrate the Jedi Temple and they will free the Knights, Finn, and Rose. Together they will all take the broadcast center and hold it while Poe’s destroyer engages with Thrawn’s ship and the fleets of the twelve systems battle Thrawn’s fleet across the galaxy. While Poe is engaged with Thrawn, the last of their ground soldiers will board Kylo’s vessels over Coruscant and liberate the captive fleet. The battle should turn quickly with the recapture of this fleet and they will win Coruscant. The proximity indicator beeps.

Xindo’s ship falls out of Hyperspace above the ecumenopolis, sliding into a line of traffic entering the planet’s atmosphere. The voice on the comm asks for their clearance and Maz transmits DJ’s code. She is all self-confidence while Rey stares out the window at the sight of the city planet, wondering at how many trillions of people must live there. Maz says that she remembers when Coruscant still had green places, and Rey can’t imagine that.

As they get closer to the administrative sector of the planet, Rey sees the fleet of Star Destroyers massed in space. She notes how small they look next to the vastness of the planet and Maz says that this is the true scope of the First Order’s power; they need only be stronger than any with the will to oppose them.

They move into another line of traffic cutting closer to the temple, but Maz notes that it is being diverted long before they get near. A perimeter of First Order support ships and local police craft surrounds the temple complex. Rey says that there’s no way to get near the Temple now. Maz counters that they merely need to use the old roads.

…

Xindo’s mother stands in one of the temple spires overseeing the preparations down below. A flash of white catches her eye from the police perimeter, a familiar spaceship. She follows its progress as it descends beneath the building level on a beeline to the temple. She leaves the spire, suspicion etched on her features.

…

Maz takes the ship down between two massive apartment complexes, descending hundreds of stories to the older sections of the city. Here there are still checkpoints for the local traffic and Maz dives again. The sun seems to dim as they pass more industrial building fronts and areas that seem only partially lit by artificial light. Maz continues her descent. The sun disappears almost entirely and they turn on the exterior lights.

Around them lie massive empty shells of buildings riven through with the durasteel supports necessary to support thousands of levels of habitation above. Rust and dirt surround them, vehicles and trash from all eras lie scattered in mountainous heaps around the durasteel supports and through the gaps in these trash piles Rey can see that the true street level lies beyond her sight in the darkness below. Maz says that it certainly doesn’t look like she remembers, but Rey says that it feels like home. Dark figures scurry in the shadows, avoiding the ship’s light.

They pass into a vast durasteel shell of a building and Maz brings the ship to rest, saying they should be directly under the temple but they will need to climb thousands of stories to the top or find some smaller vehicle. Rey says she has plenty of experience with this. Maz warns that there will be no quick way of escape if their complicated plan doesn’t work, and Rey says that it must work.

They exit the ship wielding searchlights, Rey looking around for a way up. A shape moves in the beam of light, causing a clatter of metal around them. The two shift into a battle-ready stance back to back and move back toward the hatch. Rey asks what that could be, Maz says that it could be one of a thousand species from across the galaxy. There are more rustlings and clatters of metal in the darkness. Suddenly a burst of blue light blinds them and knocks them both out cold.

…

Rey comes to beside Maz. They are lying on the bed of a massive repulsorlift which also contains their ship. It is being pulled deeper into the vast structure. All around them are dim lights and flickers of movement, sparks and arc lights from welders glancing around the beams. A cloaked figure sits next to them, its ion blaster aimed menacingly at Rey’s heart. Maz gets up groggily, complaining about her head. ‘Jawas!’ She exclaims.

They reach a point where the industrial activity seems to stop. Before them is a set of steps made of scrap metal leading up to a doorway many stories high but clearly made by the creatures. The Jawa with the gun motions them off the repulsorlift and they follow it up the steps. As Rey looks back already they see the ship being stripped for parts. She shouts at them to knock it off but they ignore her. The gun-toting Jawa waves it menacingly at her again and she follows it into the great space.

Rey marvels at the space inside, for once appreciably illuminated. She says that the Jawas must be mimicking something, since they have never on Jakku shown a sense of architectural grandeur. Maz sees it first, and says ‘The Jedi Temple’. Indeed there are columns and buttresses and stained-glass windows made of plastic. The Jawas populating this temple also seem different, but she can’t at first identify why. Then she sees that below their ragged robes they are wearing what look like the cream-colored undergarments of the Jedi Knights, perhaps even the same ones only cut and ripped to size. Many also carry what look like lightsabers at their belts and in their hands, but crudely made of metal tubing.

They are taken up a turbolift into a tower within this structure, exiting out into a wide circular room in a rough imitation of the real Jedi council chambers. Sitting in plush vehicle seats and couch cushions are the most serene Jawas that Rey has ever seen. Their lightsabers look more convincing than the others, though Rey doubts that any of them actually work. Their leader, a Jawa even smaller than the rest, stands on his pillows and pronounces that there is a Jedi in their midst. Rey can understand enough Jawa to get by and plays along. She bows to the leader and thanks her fellow Jedi Masters for allowing them into their Temple. The Jawas seem to get a kick out of this, chittering screeching. Some even fall off their pillows. The leader says that she makes a good joke but they are clearly not Jedi. He shows her his cobbled-together lightsaber hilt, then throws it on the floor where it lands with a hollow clank. The others again roar with laughter. He says that a real Jedi doesn’t belong here, but rather belongs in the real Temple above. Rey replies that they must not get out much because there haven’t been Jedi in that temple for going on sixty years.

The demeanor of the Jawas becomes serious. The leader says that this is why Rey was brought before them. He says that for many power cycles the Jedi were the leaders of the big scrap heap, but now there are no Jedi. He says this is a problem for Jawas because without Jedi above to lead, the Jawdi below will not lead either. He says there’s talk that the Jedi are never coming back, especially now. This is a crisis for him. He asks if Rey is a Jedi, and if she will protect the Jawdi.

Rey takes the saber from her belt and breaks it, casting the pieces to the floor. The collected Jawdi stare. She says that she once believed that she was a Jedi, tasked with returning the galaxy to order, but now she is again nobody. She is merely a scavenger as they are. She has fallen, as have the Jedi. However, she says that the Jawdi might be able to help save the last of the Jedi Knights who are at this moment in the temple above. The Jawdi declare that they do not help, they merely replicate the existing order. Rey says in that case they had better redecorate down here. She says they can keep the saber, if they would but point them in the fastest way to the Jedi Temple basement.

…

Rose and Finn sit in the makeshift cell in the Jedi Temple awaiting the ceremony. Rose asks if Finn is afraid, and Finn says that he isn’t afraid of death. Rose says that it isn’t death she’s afraid of either, but of never getting to see the ones she loves ever again. She looks meaningfully at Finn and Finn draws her into a close embrace. He says that it’s been an honor to fight with her and says she taught him the value of his own life, something he wouldn’t trade for anything. Rose says she hopes that somehow Finn sees Rey again. Finn looks at Rose as if to confess something, but Rose continues that she could never measure up to Rey’s greatness and speculates that Rey could surely break them out of this prison single-handed without breaking a sweat.

The ventilation duct behind them swings open and Rey’s head appears, motioning at them to follow her.

Inside the maintenance room off the ventilation ducts the group is reunited. Finn asks how she managed their escape and she says she had a little help. He then asks about Rey’s scar and she introduces Rose to Maz. Rose says that they’ve met, sort of. Rey says the scar is from Hux, and Finn snarls in anger at that bastard. The wizened alien looks at Rose and Finn and tells Finn that she sees in his eyes a man who is far braver than the one she met those months ago in her castle, but even so there’s still something he fears. Rey looks at Finn, questioning. Before he can answer Rose remembers Thrawn’s plan and tells Rey that the fleet above them presents deadly peril for Poe. Rey looks stricken and Finn says that he has to warn him. Rey says that the only way to do that is by way of the communication center, but she has to free the knights first, and Finn’s commando unit. Finn says he doesn’t know where they are, and could still be on Thrawn’s ship. Rose says that they should split up, that she can help Maz and Finn can help Rey. Finn asks why he can’t help Maz with Rose helping Rey, and Rose looks at him as if trying to solve a trigonometry problem in her head. Light dawns and she laughs. She says for Finn to trust her, they will contact his boyfriend in time. Maz says they need to hurry. She and Rose take off for the comm center.

Rey and Finn stand in the hallway for a moment at a loss for what to do. Rey asks if Finn was really going to desert her for Poe and Finn starts to answer, but Rey interrupts him saying that this is a very important mission. He snaps back to the moment and they take off in the opposite direction to free the knights. Above them, sitting on the decorative molding of the temple hallway, sits the furry creature. It scurries off in pursuit of Maz and Rose.

Some early scenes in the Temple are improved by the CG Yoda but the ‘hate leads to anger’ bit I feel is more expressive in puppet form. Similarly, in the ‘your apprentice Skywalker will be’ scene, the puppet feels more lifelike and present in the scene. Note also in the final shot of that scene how the puppet’s face is illuminated by a soft cool light while the CG model has almost no definition. Finally, the CG in the funeral scene and the celebration scene looks egregiously bad. It almost feels like the animators got more and more pressed for time as the film went on because the first scene of CG Yoda actually looks great.

Guys. They’re both equally bad, just in different ways.

RogueLeader said:

Here is my test track (music only): https://streamable.com/pwg1wp

I really like that change, and it actually makes more sense for this dramatic swell of music to accompany their connection. I never really bought Rey’s 180 insistence that Kylo could be turned since their moment of connection didn’t feel ‘big’ enough to drive the rest of the story, but here I finally buy it.

https://imgur.com/gallery/rUv6O4k

Personally, I thought Children was better than Messiah and rounds out the trilogy nicely. God Emperor jumps thousands of years into the future though, so it was too far removed to really engage me.

You could write a book about the wasted potential of Hux’s character.

…

Thrawn sits in the apartment office of Hux, holographic images of the Rebel worlds arrayed above the surface of his desk. Around each one is the image of a Star Destroyer. He zooms into one of the images and there is resolved a Resistance satellite in orbit. He marvels at the ingenuity of the Resistance operation to monitor these worlds while sabotaging Kylo’s battle fleet and commends Finn and Rose for their work. They sit before the desk. He goes on that the fruits of their long labor are about to be harvested, as these renegade ships are now delivered back to their worlds complete with their rebellious soldiers. All that the Resistance has accomplished is give the First Order a fleet full of hostages, which the Resistance falsely believes are part of Thrawn’s battle fleet.

He tells the duo that if the Resistance dares to interfere with the ceremony today that these hostages will be the first casualties they will incur. Rose says that the Resistance won’t throw their lives away on useless attacks, and Thrawn responds that they already did when they attacked the shipyards. He examines Rose’s medallion between his fingers, saying that it’s only half of a medallion from the Otomok system, a system blasted by the First Order. He knows that she, and many in the Resistance, are defined by those they’ve lost and would give their lives for even a chance of saving those they love. Finn bites back that Poe is smarter than that, and he will not only see through this deception, he will have a plan to save these crews. Thrawn says that he has given Poe a plan already, which he believes Poe will follow. Finn looks confused.

Thrawn seemingly changes the subject, pacing behind the table and musing about who will be sent to rescue Finn and Rose and the Knights of Ren. Surely they would send a few handpicked elites led by their champion in the Force, Rey. He half-turns, reconsidering. He says that perhaps this will not be so since their champion has lost all ability in the Force. Finn can’t help but look shocked, and Rose glances at him fearfully. It is too late. Thrawn smiles. He sees that this is news to Finn. He sees that if Rey didn’t deign to share this information with her closest friend, she would certainly not choose to share it with the rest of the Resistance. He thanks Finn for his help in this matter.

Finn demands to know what Rey’s abilities have to do with Thrawn’s little plan and the Grand Admiral responds that the Resistance is still caught up in the delusion of the Force. Those that cling to superstition and magic will see numerology as destiny, coincidence as fate. The Knights of the Twelve Systems will be lending their aid to the Resistance in their final hour, and with twelve rebellious planets at risk they will take the bait, dispersing these twelve fleets and shattering their strength before it is formed. These fleets may do the work of Thrawn for him, destroying the renegade soldiers in a devastating act of friendly fire. Furthermore, with the bulk of their strength wasted on these fronts, the Resistance will have only a single battered Star Destroyer and whatever squadrons they have managed to salvage with which to launch an attack on Thrawn’s entire battle fleet.

There is an alert from Hux telling Thrawn that they are bringing the Temple’s broadcast system online. He closes the holograms and moves to the door, Finn and Rose being taken by a squad of Death Troopers to their holding cells at the Temple. He says that he will eagerly await the final attack of the Resistance on board his ship, expressing sadness that he will not be present in Finn and Rose’s final moments. He returns the amulet to Rose, stating his sincere regret at her loss.

…

The interior of the Jedi Temple Archives has been turned into a massive communications hub, with satellite dishes and antennas welded to the graceful spires of the structure. People begin to gather on the colossal platform in front of the temple and to fill the stadium seats on the edges of the structure, ushered into place by legions of Stormtroopers in riot gear. At Hux’s command the generators rev into action and the broadcast system goes online, transmitting test signals to every civilized planet in the galaxy.

DominicCobb said:

NeverarGreat said:

Maybe it would work better if you kept the line where it was originally but just zoomed in on her enough to crop out her mouth and/or added more flashes of light obscuring it. Then as she says ‘no one’ you pull back and match it up to the existing camera move in that shot, essentially making the entire shot a more dramatic zoom.

An interesting idea. I tested it and it doesn’t not work, but I’m also not entirely sold. I’d certainly need a 4K file for the shot too because you need to zoom in at least 200% to make it work.

Yep, this assumes 4K material. I think it would be more in keeping with something that would have actually been filmed.

IlFanEditore said:

I’m trying a new sun effect for Endor?
Thoughts?

I notice that the lighting on the Death star feels too Dark to be realistic. This isn’t a critique of your correction but more an issue that has been present since the film was released.

Here’s my attempt at fixing this issue using the overly dark 4K version as a base, brightening the Death Star highlights more than the rest of the image:

http://www.framecompare.com/image-compare/screenshotcomparison/7DK7PNNX

I also toned down the blue slightly and flipped the cruisers so that their highlights matched the lighting of the shot.

It looks pretty good to me. The ‘I’m no one’ feels odd though, mostly due to it being in the center channel when she’s speaking the line off-camera.

Maybe it would work better if you kept the line where it was originally but just zoomed in on her enough to crop out her mouth and/or added more flashes of light obscuring it. Then as she says ‘no one’ you pull back and match it up to the existing camera move in that shot, essentially making the entire shot a more dramatic zoom.

It might also be worth looking at other sources for ‘no one’ since it feels a bit less intense than her inflection in this scene. You could also try using the line ‘nobody’ from TLJ (‘They were nobody’).

'Thank you for coming to my Sheev Speaks, I’m cultist 2307 and today we’ll be talking about: Wayfinders. Yes, There Are Only Two, And No It’s Not Your Turn To Use One. But Sith science is showing great promise in dagger-based wayfinding systems…

Exactly.

Since Exegol is a whole planet, it stands to reason that it has its own sports team. He could have been watching it in person.

So…has anyone seen a Podrace?

CatBus said:

You were lucky. We lived for three months in a brown paper bag in a septic tank. We used to have to get up at six o’clock in the morning, clean the bag, eat a crust of stale bread, go to work down mill for fourteen hours a day week in-week out. When we got home, our Dad would thrash us to sleep with his belt!

Luxury.

…

The delegation stands solemnly as Denya floats in a medical capsule onboard the consular ship from Higara. Arrayed in the main hangar stand the crew of Maz’s ship in whatever finery they have stolen. The delegation comes to stand before Rey. She goes on bended knee before them and they look bemused. The leader bids her rise, and she stands awkwardly before them. He asks what she will do, what with the rest of the twelve taken. She doesn’t know but vows to fight to her last breath for their planet and the galaxy. He informs her that the People of Higara are with her in this fight, and until the ceremony of succession the People of the Peaceful Twelve Systems are with Ben, but again she declines their aid. Ben looks at her quizzically. The leader bows and the delegation return to their vessel. Maz and Ben stand to either side of Rey, and Ben asks her what exactly they are planning to do, take up a life of piracy? Maz says that with their scars they both look the part already. She leaves to return to the bridge, dismissing the gathered crew.

Standing in the emptying hangar, Ben says that this is their last chance to take action against the First Order. Rey argues that she’s gotten enough people killed for her and if she faces the First Order it will be alone. Ben shakes his head. He says that she’s a damn fool if she thinks he isn’t going to be with her. The consular ship takes to the air and the heavy blast doors of the hangar groan as the mechanism engages to open them to space. Ben moves towards the opening doors and says that she is also a damn fool if she thinks the people of Higara are helpless. They may be peaceful, he says, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t prepared. The doors open fully to reveal the massed battle fleet of Higara, dozens of fighters and support craft flying alongside the pirate vessel in strict military formation. He says that each system is so prepared. Rey’s eyes grow wide and she takes off toward the bridge, yelling at Ben to follow. He asks what the deal is and she shouts back something about transmission coordinates.

…

On the battered destroyer, Poe sits on a pile of debris in the middle of his bridge with BB-8 at his side, examining the good dozen images before him. Connix is on one of the viewscreens, feeding them reconnaissance images from Coruscant. She relays that Thrawn’s command ship seems to be in orbit around Coruscant, supplemented by Kylo’s fleet of Renegade soldiers. Poe asks if she is sure the other ships are of Kylo’s fleet and she says that the life signs are still clustered in the reconditioning areas.

The other images are taken by their satellites around the rebellious worlds Kylo sought to quell. Lying in wait in the darkness around each one is a Star Destroyer, their markings indicating that they are the rest of Thrawn’s battle fleet. Poe says that with all their strength they might just have a chance against Coruscant. Connix notes that even if they manage to defeat Thrawn on Coruscant, the dozen rebel worlds will be at his mercy. Poe sinks into his pile of debris, consumed with despair.

Suddenly a shout goes up at a console. They are receiving a signal from pirate space near to Gramelon. Poe says to place it on the viewscreen where it obscures one of the previous images of a destroyer. It is the image of the leader of the Higarans. He says that his squadrons stand ready to aid the Resistance. Before Poe can respond there is another ping and another image obscures a destroyer, this time of the planet Y’janis of the twelve systems reporting in. Another transmission and another follow until the board is filled with their images awaiting Poe’s response. Finally one appears from the bridge of Maz’s ship and he sees a very out of breath Rey and Ben standing too close to the camera with Maz on her throne in the background. A cheer goes up from the destroyer’s bridge and Poe shouts joyously that they’re alive. He asks them where they are and if that’s a giant bird in the background, and they say that Maz has come through again. Poe orders tactical maps of Coruscant and the rebel systems and BB-8 projects them across the bridge. He orders his men to get to work on putting together a battle plan. The bridge becomes a flurry of activity while he approaches the image of Ben and Rey. He asks ‘Where’s Chewie?’ Rey responds ‘Where’s Finn?’

Hehe.