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Wannabe Scholar

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3-May-2014
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Post
#1459178
Topic
Flickering Swords: A Strange Star Wars AU Fanfic
Time

Alright, my unease with the entirety of SW hasn’t been going away, even despite me really liking “The Village Bride” from SW Visions. Given that it perhaps is one of the few ties, if only the only one, I have left to liking this dumb franchise, I came up with this weird AU fanfiction idea where “The Village Bride” is pretty much the only good thing I can think of in recent years (though cherry-picking bits of the old EU and Disney canon). Everything else in SW (its story, products, its makers and managers, and the fan in all of us) gets the biggest middle finger I can give. I have no idea if I will actually write it, but I hope it’s interesting.

The premise is that it takes place in an AU SW galaxy that criticizes EVERYTHING I find wrong with the franchise as a whole. The main character would have been F (the masked Jedi from “The Village Bride”) traverses a galaxy now ruled by the Empire. Sounds familiar, of course, but there are major differences about the galaxy’s history, which would be reflected throughout the story. The more F travels from planet to planet, the more she realizes just how things are different than from what she initially assumed (just as the readers would realize that later down the line). It takes place 10 BBY-15 ABY, beginning with F’s planet-hopping adventures, continuing into another great galactic conflict where she finds herself helping certain parties involved in said conflict, bringing about a reformed Empire, and ending her journey by having helped to restore the Jedi Knights (she does not overshadow or replace Luke, mind you).

Like I said, this is an AU (alternate universe) so there would be major differences. There would no doubt be more, but here is what I have so far:

  • Have Vader NOT be a Chosen One and just have him be an egotistical maniac. Maybe the Chosen One thing is really from the Sith - Look, as much as I might have been okay with him in the EU, I don’t really like Anakin in the prequels. I also don’t like how so much emphasis of SW’s entire narrative has been placed on Anakin/Vader (what with the whole Chosen One aspect), practically making the galaxy revolve around him. It’s not helped that he was shown to be a crazy maniac in AotC, having killed an entire village of women and children. Thus, I’m writing in this story that Vader was always just some egoistical maniac who wanted power (maybe he was once bullied but has thus become the bully himself), with the Jedi unable to limit his ambitions. The point he is awful, mostly irredeemable, and should not be given much sympathy.

  • Have Obi-Wan, an old man here, be done with it all - Look, Obi-Wan has been called out as a liar and hypocrite, even if you just look at the OT (and it’s not far of a stretch). That being said, the ways his deeds have been called out make it seem like what he has done is worse than Vader in the long run. At the same time, it makes me wonder just what exactly Obi-Wan was doing on Tatooine, let alone having Luke being on the same planet Anakin knew of (without any real explanation given in the movies and not much of a better one in the EU). I’m tired of seeing this, so I just want put it like this: Obi-Wan was a Jedi who found Vader (maybe with Qui-Gon if you want to keep him in) and trained him to be a Jedi but failed to foresee Vader’s ambitious nature. Also, Obi-Wan possibly could have been manipulated by Padme, as well, but he recognized it and got out with the then-baby Luke. As such, Obi-Wan could simply want Luke to have a normal life in the midst of the craziness, going as far as to threaten Owen and Beru to take him in.

  • Make Palpatine a good guy, or at least just a dude with compelling points - Yeah, this one is more for myself. I get Palpatine’s supposed to be Satan/Hitler in the SW galaxy but the way he runs his Empire makes me wonder how he even could do so in the first place (especially with the mismanagement of funds regarding the superweapon projects). Plus, there’s this whole thing about Palpatine coming back from the dead (which the sequels took from Dark Empire-a bad move nonetheless) and being this an incredibly evil guy who follows the ways of the Sith (to that, I’d say he was already bad and didn’t need to adhere to the Sith nonsense to do so in the first place), so I’m just done with that. In the end, I’m writing it so that Palpatine did try to use the Republic’s corruption to his benefit but never foresaw himself becoming emperor, let alone being controlled by the very corrupted Senate members he once used to strengthen his terms as Chancellor. He is unable to do much for many years as emperor, until he finally notices F and convinces her to work for him in some small capacity by gaining information and unveiling the Empire’s corrupt officials.

  • Have Jar Jar actually be good - I don’t think I have to explain why. In this story, I might make him a military commander or politician who gets stuff done. He won’t be comic relief anymore, let alone Lucas’ so-called “key to everything.”

  • Simply have the Empire be evil and EFFICIENT - Again, I shouldn’t have to explain why. Empire’s supposed to be evil but we don’t really see much of their oppressive rule on a galactic scale in the movies (and that’s not going into how the sequels tried to recreate that stupidity with the First Order). As such, the Empire is more or less like you’d expect: a tyrannical version of the Republic from the time of the Clone Wars (which here, would have began with the Separatists being squashed swiftly to the Republic expanding their rule to other unruly planets). Only here, they’re actually shown to be competent with logical methods to their ruling, efficient ruthlessness in disposing enemies and traitors, and so on and so forth. The stormtroopers would be made of an elite clone corp and everyday footsoldiers to help “maintain the peace.” Vader here could be the public face of the Empire, as he already was, but more in the public eye as many could fear him using the Force to bombard their planet with asteroids (more on that further down in the list). In fact, Vader could create the First Order as a rebellious splinter of the Empire, causing civil war across the galaxy using terror tactics.

  • Debase SW’s so-called mythic status - What I say next may be blasphemy but it’s also very true: As much as it helped to inspire other creatives to do their own thing and make other sci-fi franchises, Star Wars as a whole isn’t special like Lucas and Lucasfilm hype it up to be (at least not anymore). I can appreciate the original film being a passion project and the rest growing from that, but a modern myth? Not so much. This could be conveyed through the Republic/Empire, with many people believing it the greatest thing to exist in the universe when there is clear evidence to suggest otherwise.

  • Debase Jedi vs Sith, and light and dark - This is a problem that may have started in the prequel, but it really took form in the EU before appearing in the sequel trilogy. These days, you can’t look at SW without seeing this show up even in something like the High Republic. I’m just tired of seeing it so much (just as with another “versus” thing I will mention later on), so I’m writing it in such a way that the whole Jedi vs Sith hasn’t really happened that much to the point it is mentioned very little, along there being no more Sith for many centuries (meaning Palpatine and anyone else are not Sith).

  • Debase TCW, by pretty much having the Separatists be completely destroyed by their incompetence - The Separatists were idiots. They were that in the prequels and certainly were that in the 2008 Clone Wars cartoon. We rarely got to see a long-lasting victory on the Separatist side, or any sympathetic military commanders (heck, we barely got to see a thing of the Separatists’ view aside from an episode or two about the Separatists parliament with Mina Bonteri). There is no way a group like that would have lasted long, so I’m writing in this fanfic for the Separatists to not have lasted even a year, even with Dooku leading them. This could be due to the government being divided by personal grudges and biases towards each other, very much to a racist degree. Though being swiftly and soundly crushed by the Republic, the rest of the galaxy would look onto the Republic in fear as a result.

  • Maybe Padme is an unfaithful, manipulative woman who fed Vader’s horrible attitude - Okay, I may not necessarily mind Padme as her role is more or less to explain why Luke and Leia are around, and I have nothing against the actress, but there is just not enough done with her character in the movies (heck, the most she does anything is in TPM!). So, I’m writing Padme to be this woman who (after seeing her planet being invaded and no one in the Republic Senate caring at all) learns to manipulate people and pretty much help to bring about the Empire. Maybe she is in exile on Naboo within this AU’s story but she still manipulates people.

  • Have the Jedi Code so broken that everyone agrees it’s ridiculous - I get certain religious groups and orders have a rule of celibacy (which I don’t agree due to my own religious beliefs), but the idea just doesn’t make sense in SW. The lack of clarity and the problems such a rule brings (to not only the canon of the extended material as so many retcons have been made to accomodate for that but in universe with the rule being a major reason why Jedi fall to the Dark Side in the place!) makes me roll my eyes. Therefore, I’m writing it so the Jedi themselves see it that way too, often questioning the necessity of a rule on no attachment. Heck, maybe in the High Republic era (for this story, which is 200 BBY), the Jedi were facing low funds so a few on the Council could have made a rule in which the Jedi would whore themselves around to get some funding from some planets, which would lead into more Jedi wanting to marry and such. Doing so did get rid of the rule but may have also upset Yoda to the point he went into hiding and rarely appeared until around the invasion of Naboo (32 BBY).

  • Simply have the Force be broken, resulting in fluctuations of power depending on who uses it - Okay, can we all agree the Force is absolutely bonkers? I understand it can pretty much be whatever the writers want it to be, but the fact there is little-to-to cohesion in a lot of SW media (from the crazy stunts and powers in Disney material and others like TFU to) just shows it makes no sense. To that extent, I’m writing the Force in a way that it “fluctuates,” and its users have to figure out how and when to use their power at the right time (also connecting to the title “Flickering Swords” as the Force is used to control, if not just power, a lightsaber through the crystal). This would also dispel the notion of the Force being some god as material over the past decade or so wants to propagate.

  • Take a snipe at Han Solo - Let’s face it. Ford never cared for the character, and I always saw the guy overrated to begin with. Heck, I’d probably kill him off in this story like Ford originally wanted in RotJ (he went out like a sucker anyway in TFA).

  • Keep saber duels to something more like in ‘To the Death’ or the OT - Seriously, SW duels are just fancy baton twirling these days. I understand the choreography that goes into it, and that you need to suspend your disbelief at times, but sometimes, the stuff that we see on screen doesn’t make sense and kinda loses their meaning. Keeping “realistic” enough for it and having it make sense for the universe can give that sense of danger, as seen in “To the Death” a “realistic” lightsaber duel made by the Corridor crew (look it up on YouTube).

  • Include time travel and a multiverse - I often quite seen fans and general viewers not want to include time travel, let alone branching timelines in a multiverse. However, I think it can be done by having people from the past (appear as Force Ghosts and projections, or be kept on stasis in a lightspeed/hyperspace incident) and from the future (World Between Worlds and Flow-walking). This could allow for characters to see and maybe even interact with figures from the past and future, learning from old mistakes and preventing mistakes-to-be.

  • There is no Rebel Alliance - Yeah, I’d be crucified for this one, but there is a reason why the Rebel Alliance in the OT has been scrutinized by other fans. We’re not really given a reason what the Rebels’ goals (we just know they’re fighting the Empire and nothing else), nor do general understand its inner-workings that well for many years (sure, there are the books but movie goers won’t spare a glance at them, nor are the extended material meant to justify the movies’ mistakes). There’s also the whole Rebels vs Empire schtick going on in the franchise, showing up in Disney Star Wars as The First Order vs the Resistance and the Empire in the tv shows, as well as existing even the 90s (which Timothy Zahn thankfully ended with his Hand of Thrawn duology). I’m tired of it all, so there is no grand rebel alliance (at least not in the beginning). There are just rebel star systems fighting against the Empire while other worlds try to make change from within it, and both groups see their opportunity with Vader’s First Order causing civil war in the galaxy (which may lead the two groups to join up?).

  • Have Leia and Han NOT hook up - Seriously, in both Disney and the EU, the couple is cursed to have a son fall to the Dark Side, and given how their characters have been treated, why NOT keep them apart? In fact, I’m thinking of killing them both off.

  • Luke’s journey but better - Alright, Luke Skywalker had been one of the few good things I liked of the OT and even parts of the franchise, before TLJ that is. Even then, there are bits of character I do question throughout the entirety of the OT (questions which include “How good of a pilot is he if we don’t really see it before the Death Star trench run?”, “Why is he so adamant that his father is still good when the guy destroyed planets, hurt his friends, and cut off his hands, let alone even forgive the guy?”, and so on). This is meant to showcase that as Luke does still leave home to become a Jedi (albeit under different circumstances as Obi-Wan could be forced to train Luke despite his hesitation), learn about his parents (both of whom are terrible people here), and figure out his emotions about them. In the end, he would ultimately replace Palpatine as the new emperor, instilling reforms, removing the Empire’s corruption, and even helping planets to become independent if they want to.

Post
#1445978
Topic
I Spent 10 Years Rewriting the Prequels to Match the OT | "Prequels SE"
Time

Taking ten years to work on something does show dedication. Heck, I took years of revisions, redrafting, re-conceptualizing, etc. just to get the version of the prequels and sequels I wanted. And I admit I was a bit intrigued after reading through your intro for your trilogy.

That being said (and I’m sorry if I sound harsh in what I’m about to say), what I’ve seen is kinda a mixed bag for me. Part of that is because of tastes, as I wish to spice things up a bit after seeing dozens upon dozens of PT rewrites that keep a lot of the same things from Lucas’ PT (which may be alright to some, but doesn’t work for me). Another part of me says this rewrites SHOULD NOT borrow at least a few of those things (at least, not in the same way as Lucas showed them in his films), as I feel they miss some nice opportunities.

For instance, the overall structure does feel similar to Lucas’ PT. While not bad in of itself, it felt a bit hampered in some cases. Episode 1 did build up the world and whatnot, but I felt it missed the chance to actually start off the Clone Wars right then and there, as well having Anakin activate the Skywalker saber (at least make it flicker for a time) and building up his romance with Aeris. When I got to Episode 2, I was wondering why these important moments weren’t in Episode 1 and why Episode 2 didn’t go straight into the Clone Wars to begin with. Not to mention, Episode 2 was more build up (which Episode 1 should have fit the role) to the actual conflict, pushing it closer to the end like Lucas’ AotC, and while it wasn’t as bad as in Lucas’ PT, I felt Maul was killed off a bit too soon since the lack of an overall villain was felt in Episode 3. Speaking of which, it feels kinda close to Lucas’ RotS (which I guess was the point), and it does make sense for there to be tension between Anakin and Obi-Wan, but I wish it had more to do with how to handle the war effort a little more.

I think I outlined my problems in the last paragraph, so I think I’ll stop there. Again, it is a mixed bag for me. I do think there are wonderful moments like Anakin able to activate the saber in episode 2 (but again, I thought he should have done that in episode 1 and then use it in episode 2), as well as having to kill Maul to save Aeris (though I wish Maul had survived to be the “final boss” of the trilogy and for us to have seen Anakin and Aeris build up their relationship in episode 1 first).

Now, these are just drafts and only just synopses so there are plenty of room to improve. Plus, I mentioned my criticisms were influenced by my tastes (and by the fact, I had been really close to the idea of ending my PT rewrite with Anakin handing his saber to Obi-Wan and flying off just after accepting the Dark Side, abandoning his friends and loved ones to take his dark path). Again, sorry if I was a bit harsh. Thanks.

Post
#1441787
Topic
What if... no prequel trilogy or, no sequel trilogy? Just the EU?
Time

Man, it has been a long time since I touched this site. I guess that what happens when you try to give up on SW altogether. While I don’t know if I can say I’m a SW fan anymore (at least as much as I used to be), I couldn’t get this out of my head:

What would have happened to SW and the EU if Lucas and Lucasfilm in general never made anymore movies after the OT (no prequels, sequels, Rogue One, Solo, etc.), instead allowing stories in the SW galaxy to be told through the books, comics, games, and even cartoons (good ones, that is)?

Immediately, I thought the EU would grow to the point it could possibly become as well-known as the original movies (given time and good stories), taking a lot of elements and maybe in the style of the 90s EU. I was very fond that kind of EU content (aside from stuff like Palpatine coming back from the dead), since we got to see not only how the New Republic and the new Jedi start but go into millennia before the OT (before the craziness of the Del Ray books). As such, these types of stories I kinda liked would continued to be told and maybe even make SW into a full-on multimedia project that could become as well known as the OT to a general audience.

Going off this idea, there are potential stories to tell. This could happen around the start of the old Jedi to millennia after the OT (to actually show how long the Jedi has lasted). I actually thought of a couple stories to tell in this hypothetical universe:

  1. Repurpose the NJO books-what with major characters dying, worlds being ravaged, etc.-into telling the Clone Wars. The Vong would be replaced with the clones and the Clonemasters mentioned in the Thrawn trilogy, attacking worlds and destabilizing the Old Republic. They would devastate the Republic, leaving its remnants to eventually form the Empire (or what would becoming it with its former enemies (in place of the New Republic and Galactic Alliance, respectively). Luke Skywalker and his Jedi would be replaced with Obi-Wan Kenobi and his fellow Jedi, which can include Anakin Skywalker and another Jedi student (named Vader?). Speaking of Anakin, he would meet a female clone spy, who would become Luke and Leia’s mom as she and Anakin would have a forbidden (off-and-on again?) romance. Maybe Beru (acting in place of Jaina from NJO) and the Vader character (acting in for Jacen) confront Anakin, who could wound the latter in his anger. Obi-Wan could be shown as defeating the Clonemasters’ head, but Anakin defeats the real leader. Obi-Wan is the one recognized, leaving Anakin in his shadow and hinting at the young Jedi’s eventual fall to the Dark Side.

  2. Going off the initial concepts for the NJO series, the Jedi and New Republic would have to face the return of the ancient Sith (the red-skinned Sith from the Tales of the Jedi comics who are native to Korriban, that is). It was the initial concept for the NJO books, but I think it could done different here. I did gush about 90s EU, but I’d probably take certain aspects or themes that stories like the KotOR/SWTOR games share and played around with. Perhaps, the old Sith Lords fear that the returning Sith Empire is too sadistic, or perhaps because the new Sith have learned ways of possessing people’s bodies (think Callista Ming), an abomination to the old Sith ways and to the Jedi. Fighting them would more or be Han and Leia’s adult kids of Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin (at least in their 30s), aided by their own children, student, and allies in the New Republic and Imperial Remnant. Perhaps end it with an alliance with both becoming protectors of the galaxy, similar to how the Jensaarai were brought into the Jedi. This would separate the new Jedi from the old by their ideas of the Force and how to use it.

Would these stories turn out good? I dunno.

Would I ever really write any of this this? I want to say “heck no,” but who can tell.

Post
#1384771
Topic
The Star Wars 12 Movie Saga Project (Need feedback desperately)
Time

Space Medievalist said:

Thank you for your feedback!
I’m going to just post summuries not full blown scripts so the workload shouldn’t be that much
Having Lara in The OT is interesting and maybe I could use that.
The parralell stories thing with Luke I definitely plan with Mara Jade
As for Obi Wan wanting to overthrow the Republic I was going to have him reluctantly go along with the plan only because of the danger of Sidious
Also what do you think about my clone body Idea?

Eh, not really sure. The clone body idea is different, but I don’t know what to think other than that. Sorry if I can’t give anymore.

Post
#1384411
Topic
The Star Wars 12 Movie Saga Project (Need feedback desperately)
Time

Sounds like an interesting idea. Certainly bold, if you ever plan to go through with it. If that is the case, I would suggest to show bits, like the Kenobi brothers adventures and the Jedi Civil War, in flashbacks. That way it would cut down at least a little bit of the workload by combining certain story elements. Another way I think could help (and this is only if you really want to differ in style from the actual movies) is to have Lara and intertwine her story with Luke’s, e.g. you could have your OT be about the twins on parallel journeys that eventually lead up to the two meeting or you could have Lara start out as a minor character in the beginning before she joins the main cast. Of course, that could get rid of the the whole time-dilation planet.

For the prequels, it might be alright as is. It is like we talked about in another of your threads, where Obi-Wan is frozen and released by Anakin. Very interested to see how that would go, but I personally am not sure about Obi-Wan being directly involved in overthrowing the Republic to establish a Jedi theocracy (that’s more based on my presumption that Obi-Wan would have a different mentality he had from the High Republic than the “current” ideology of his fellow Jedi). You could still go for it, but maybe Obi-Wan’s reluctantly going along with it and/or he wishes to join to sway the other Jedi’s minds (or some other hullabaloo).

For the OT, Lara’s the only major change I recommended. Other than that, I can’t think of anything else. If you want to, maybe hint at the emperor surviving in spirit form or something akin to it.

For the epilogue stories, what you plan feels like a HUGE stretch, but it might work with the right tweaks and revisions. If you want to keep Lara there, maybe you can keep the time dilation planet or use carbonite instead. Luke’s ghost could guide Lara into rescuing the few who survived and taking them to Earth, which could be more hinted at than directly shown (so to keep the mystery).

That’s all I have. I dunno if it’s any good, but I hope it helps. Take care.

Post
#1381518
Topic
What if the Sequel Trilogy was made in the 1990s? REWRITE
Time

FarinaArtist said:

Additionally, I find it interesting that the actual Sequel Trilogy is loosely based on George’s original plans but with a female lead: VII: Rey searches for Luke (Luke searches for sister), VIII: Rey is trained by Luke (Sister is trained by Luke), and IX: Rey and Ben fight Palpatine (you get the point.)

I think that was just more of a coincidence, seeing how there wasn’t a plan. Still, it is interesting.

I actually wanna include characters from all eras from Star Wars, EU and Disney and created ones. And I do have a few title ideas for Episode VII based on an ACT I outline of Episode VII outline I did just a few days ago before starting this:

Episode VII: The Emperor’s Heir
Episode VII: Throne of the Empire
Episode VII: The Empire’s Shadow
Episode VII: The Glove of Power
Episode VII: Terror of the Empire
Episode VII: The Dark Shadow

Personally, I like the first three, but that’s my own bias…

I’d go with The Empire’s Shadow, as I believe (and correct me if I’m wrong) our heroes are still fighting the long shadow of a now-dead Empire.

Post
#1381487
Topic
What if the Sequel Trilogy was made in the 1990s? REWRITE
Time

FarinaArtist said:

I’m thinking more of pushing the Prequels to later on like 2005 to 2011 and maybe the Sequel Trilogy being released from 1991, 1994, and 1997.

Also let’s just think if the Thrawn Trilogy never happened and if we can incorporate some elements of those stories: Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command. A few other sources of inspiration of how I could see the basis of a Sequel Trilogy in the 1990s being played out is The Mandalorian, The Clone Wars TV Show and Movie, the Jedi Prince books and the actual Prequels and Sequels themselves.

Awhile back I read this: https://www.reddit.com/r/fixingmovies/comments/i27pr4/what_if_the_sequel_trilogy_took_place_immediately/
and that’s what got me into starting this chat and maybe writing up a 90s Sequel Trilogy of my own.

Okay, that’s interesting. I skimmed through the reddit post, and it reminded of one of Lucas’ ideas for the saga. I think this was before RotJ (maybe even before ESB), where Lucas planned for Luke’s twin sister to be a separate character whom Luke would find and train after the defeating Vader. Together, Luke and his twin would go on to to face the emperor. If you want to go that route, that could work. Carrie Fisher would have been 35 by the release of your proposed sequels. Additionally, I think having Leia having kids could add a new element to the story of balancing her Jedi training while being a mother (this is a personal bias as the EU character Nomi Sunrider is one of my favorites as she was a Jedi and a mom, yet more could have been shown of her struggling to balance both).

Post
#1381454
Topic
What if the Sequel Trilogy was made in the 1990s? REWRITE
Time

Well, there are a lot of things to consider, like “what would the release date have been?” and “would this have been made instead of the prequel trilogy?” I think there are some advantages, as having the old cast and crew would rein back a lot of Lucas’ control and possibly prevent his more poorly-received decisions while making the prequel trilogy. Yet, I am a bit skeptical, as the EU was booming at the time thanks to the Thrawn Trilogy and whatnot. Would those stories be included or not?

But let’s say if you want to ignore those, then what would have the story been like? I think it would be more or less what the Sequel Trilogy should have been: focusing on the New Republic and the OT cast (now acting as the mentors) as the new generation of heroes would try to maintain it. Seeing how we won’t have too much of the whole “Skywalker Saga” that I believe Lucas pushed for during the actual prequels, we could have a new cast of characters not related to the old heroes. We can still include the Skywalker-Solo kids and maybe one or two could be part of the main cast, though. As for the villains, it would be easy to use the Imperial Remnant or something akin to it, but I’d try more anti-human aliens and/or a group who wants revenge on the remaining Imperials for the Empire’s oppressive laws on them in the past. If you want, the one leading the group could be a Jedi who was kicked out (either from the old Jedi or Luke’s) or the descendant of one. This can push for the idea of redemption and forgiveness among those who have suffered under evil, as well as following up RotJ with the message that “the father’s sins are not the son’s.”

But that’s just me.

Post
#1378519
Topic
Star Wars fanfic ideas (up for adoption)
Time

Alright, back with another discarded story. This one was called Oddly Familiar, where the shattering of the Skywalker saber in TLJ (not a fan) sends Rey and Kylo Ren to the EU/Legends, where the EU and Disney are compared to one another. It was meant to be a short crossover of the EU and Disney canons, poking fun at both side’s flaws. Of course I didn’t get far, especially when a lot of the stuff I wrote became out of date due to TROS (also not a fan).


Rey: A New Galaxy…

It was only half. Rey thought that as she looked down at the lightsaber hilt in her hand. Her fingers traced around the pommel, careful not to reach the exposed middle. The bits of the outer shell had been removed, revealing the wires and the blue crystal that once powered the weapon. At one time, it belonged to the famed Jedi Luke Skywalker and his father before him.

Now, it was only half.

Rey stared at the saber until someone else spoke. “You probably should relax a little more.”

Rey whirled her gaze to the woman entering the chamber. The newcomer wore a simple outfit, not too similar to Rey’s own Jedi uniform. Not to mention the silver lightsaber hilt jostling on the belt as the stranger strode across a familiar floor to a familiar lounge.

The woman, who looked a lot like a young General Organa up close, held up a steaming cup. “I brought you something.”

“Thank you,” Rey said as she took the cup in her other hand. She glanced down at it, then at the woman. “How did you…?”

“A little secret,” smiled the Organa look-alike, sipping her own cup. “We Jedi have a way of feeling other people’s emotions.”

Taking in the words, Rey put her cup on the table. She had seen it many times aboard the Millennium Falcon. In fact, it was the same table, with its holochess display, but it wasn’t at the same time.

“Sorry,” the woman apologized. “It probably isn’t easy for you.”

“No, it’s okay,” Rey assured. “It just takes some time getting used to…”

That was quite the understatement. If someone was to ask Rey about other universes, she would have scoffed at the mere idea. However, she could not deny it. Here, there was no First Order or Snoke, and the Jedi were thriving as the New Jedi Order. This was certainly not her galaxy. She was not even on her Falcon. This Falcon definitely had some upgrades, unlike the ‘garbage’ she tinkered with on Jakku. She didn’t know the thing could even fly until she and Finn were escaping the First Order days ago.

Rey stopped for another thought. Days. It had been days since she left Jakku. Days since she went to find and learn from Luke Skywalker. Days since she even learned the Force was even real. Days since…

The red flash roared as it pierced through his chest, the blade sparking like a wild flame…

Rey pushed the image away. “Jaina,” she asked, “do you know when they will finish?”

Jaina Solo, daughter of this universe’s Han Solo, put down her mug. “Hard to tell. Uncle Luke and the other masters have been talking for a while now.”

“It’s a bit strange you call him uncle. I’ve only known mine as ‘Master Skywalker.’ No offense.”

“None taken. To be honest, it’s always a bit weird calling him ‘master.’ He’s always Uncle Luke to me, even when he was training me and Jacen.” Jaina took another sip. “From what I heard, you didn’t really receive much training from your Luke.”

Rey hesitated to answer that. “My Master Skywalker was…”

‘Unwilling.’

“… not able to fully train me.”

“It couldn’t have been that bad.”

“He only gave me three lessons… I’m not sure if there was a third…”

Jaina blinked. “When you put it like that, it doesn’t sound like Uncle Luke.”

“Maybe not,” Rey admitted, finally taking a sip of her cup. Her eyebrows perked up before her lips parted from the mug. “Hmmm, what is this?”

“Hot chocolate.”

“Really? Never heard of it.”

“You probably wouldn’t have. Uncle Luke, on the other hand, can’t seem to get enough of it… and it looks like you can’t either,” Jaina said with a wink.

“It certainly beats the portions I had on Jakuu,” Rey murmured.

With both hands, she eagerly downed whatever she could of the beverage and enjoyed its creamy, smooth taste. She only stopped when a new and masculine voice spoke again, “Easy. Drink like that, and you’ll be staying up all night. Trust me, I know from experience.”

That voice. It sounded too familiar, yet too different at the same time.

Rey looked to the new figure entering the hold. His Jedi robe followed behind, and he stood calmly before the Rey with a smile on his face. It was a face Rey had seen a few days ago, when she left the watery world to pursue Kylo Ren.
“Luke?” she repeated, not knowingly she said it aloud.

The man smiled and waved his gloved hand. “Grandmaster Luke Skywalker, at your service, but I guess you’re already familiar with me…”

Rey did not respond. She could not. There was no way this was Luke Skywalker. He should have been gray and old. Instead, he looked blond and young, like she had seen in the old holoimages General Organa had shown her.

Only Jaina’s voice snapped Rey out. “Hey, Uncle Luke. Is the council ready for her?”

“They are. I just came by to personally see Rey,” said ‘Luke’ to Jaina, then to Rey, “I understand if you’re not able to speak. All of this must be a lot for you.”

“Believe me, it’s the same for us,” Jaina playfully interjected, and her uncle smiled at her.

“I…” Rey tried to speak, but the words were jammed in her throat.

“Take your time to think,” Luke-no, Master Skywalker answered after a moment of silence. “You’ll need to save your answers for when you speak to the whole council.”

At last, Rey was able to force her voice out. “How much do they know?”

There was no snappy comeback or comment from him. “Only everything you told my niece. Some are surprised. Others are… bewildered.”

Blinking her eyes, Rey thought back to what she told Jaina beforehand. Not about coming from another universe-their reactions were understandable. She explained about the First Order rising and the Resistance fighting to stop it, about Finn deserting the First Order, about fighting against and later alongside Kylo, and about finding Luke. She did omit certain details-she did not have the heart to tell them-but she explained the general situation of the galaxy. What about any of it did not make sense?

Before Master Skywalker could answer, a small form popped its red head from behind. Jaina had noticed the boy before Rey did and said, “Ben? What are you doing here?”

“Just curious,” answered the redhead boy, no older than seven. “I wanted to see what’s the fuss is about. Everyone’s been talking at the academy.”

Rey again was dumbfounded. Another change that was too different, yet similar, and it took her by surprise. She was not sure if she was broadcasting her thoughts, like she had been earlier, but Master Skywalker gave the introductions with his ever-kind smile. “Meet Ben Skywalker, my son. Say hi Ben.”

“Hi,” waved Ben Skywalker.

“Um, hello,” Rey returned awkwardly before she looked at Master Skywalker. “If he’s here, where is his mother?”

“Aunt Mara is with my brother,” Jaina spoke up. “They’re looking for that guy that came with you, Kylo…”

“Ben,” Rey said before she realized she had not revealed that bit of information. “I mean, Ren. Kylo Ren.”

As she hoped, no one asked or seemed to notice a thing. Master Skywalker, unfazed as ever, looked to Jaina again. “Jaina, you should meet with your father. He’s down by the memorial again.”

“I’ll be there,” and Jaina stood up to leave. She stopped momentarily to look at Rey. “You want to meet him after seeing the Council, Rey? I think he would like to hear about his other self.”

“I…” The image of the red saber burned Rey’s words to ash. Forcing a small smile, she said, “… maybe another time. Sorry.”

Jaina gave a smile and a light shrug before she went off, leaving Rey with the grandmaster and his son. “We probably should get going, too,” said Master Skywalker. “They want to meet you. I think some might take an interest.”

“You probably should watch out for mom, though,” blurted Ben Skywalker, not Solo.

Getting up, Rey glanced down to the little redhead. “I should?”

“A-hem,” the grandmaster coughed awkwardly. “Compared to the others on the council, my wife is… a bit critical of your situation.”

“About what?”

“I’d rather let her say.”

Rey frowned a little. “And… what do you think?” she asked quietly.

Master Skywalker did not reply. He smiled and glanced at the half-empty mug. “You should finish that. It might be strange if you take that into a meeting with the council.”

“You do it every time, dad,” retorted the master’s son. “You know mom says you can’t drink too much.”

“Privileges of being a grandmaster, Ben. Besides, it only happens once in a while. And it’s not that much.”

Rey held in a giggle and downed the drink again, but not so fast. Soon, the empty mug clanked on the tabletop, and Rey followed behind Master Skywalker and his son out of the Falcon.


Mara: The Questioning Hand

Mara Jade-Skywalker worryingly twirled a finger around her long fiery hair. A lot of things had surprised her since she first met her husband: insane Jedi clones, ancient Sith spirits, rogue Imperial warlords… and the Vong from over five years ago. Each of them was stranger than the last, and the less said about the Vong, the better.

This, or rather she, was something else altogether.

“I don’t like it,” Mara told the newly-formed Jedi Council. “This girl is hiding something.”

“You don’t need to tell us,” answered Master Kyle Katarn, his hologram flickering every now and then. “We all know she is. The question is what she’s hiding.”

A few more nods came from the council’s holograms, all projecting from the Ossus Academy. Mara frowned from the comfort of her ship. Everyone had heard the story from Jaina: another universe where the Jedi were dead, the Empire was on the rise again, and the New Republic was destroyed, leaving only a bunch of rebels to stop them. It was basic information with the tiny details missing, and Mara learned at a young age that the tiniest details could be the most important.

“Corran, can you get anything on her?” she asked.

Former Rebel pilot and current Green Jedi of the council, Corran Horn shook his head. “Afraid not,” he said. “To me, it’s like her mind is there but isn’t at the same time. I can get bits and pieces, but not enough to find anymore than what she already told us.”

“We all share the same concerns,” the Mon Calamari Cilghal said, blinking her bulbous eyes. “However, we can’t press her for more information. We can only let her tell us in time.”

“Maybe,” Mara murmured, unfurling her hair, “but there’s something important she’s not telling from us. I wouldn’t be asking this in a normal situation.”

“I don’t think this is normal for anyone, including our visitor,” Corran interjected.

“For once, I agree with Corran,” Kyp Durron, the youngest of the masters, said. He blinked a pair of eyes as dark as his Jedi cloak. “I can’t believe I said that.”

A new voice, one Mara recognized, joined in with a chuckle. “Well, these are strange times,” said her husband as he joined in the council session.

Rey, the subject of the discussion, entered alongside Luke. Her eyes darted around, looking at the other masters. Luke whispered something to her, some words of encouragement, maybe, before he took his seat among the council.

Mara wasted no time. She quickly inspected Rey’s holographic outline, taking note of how tense Rey’s body language was despite the occasional flicker of her blue image. She was obviously overcompensating for her nerves. “Ah, the girl we’ve heard so much about. I’m Mara Jade-Skywalker. How are you, Rey?” Mara said, doing her best to come off as friendly.

“Good I think, all things considered,” Rey replied. “I appreciate the hospitality.”

“Of course,” Mara said. “As Jedi, it is our duty to assist all who are in need.”

Rey sighed a bit and allowed her shoulders to relax. “Thank you for being so understanding. Your son said you probably wouldn’t like me, so I thought you would-” Rey immediately tensed up at the realization of what she was saying.

“What?” Mara snorted, clearly changing her demeanor to that of annoyance. “You thought I would what?”

“I… uhh…” Rey averted eye contact and rubbed her own arm nervously.

“Maybe you should just tell us what you know instead, hmm?” Mara said, her teeth slightly gritted. A few chuckles could be heard among some of the council members, which Mara decided to pay no mind to.

She eyed Rey’s expression carefully. Her mouth was open even before she spoke. “I… yes…”

“Don’t worry, Rey,” Luke assured. “Take your time to answer.”

Rey nodded to Luke. The center of attention, she cleared her throat and began. “I… I was told you were skeptical about my situation. To be honest, I can hardly believe it myself. A whole other galaxy that I was told was like mine in the past yet is so… different. I’ll admit it’s a little nerve-wracking.” Rey chuckled awkwardly. She no doubt hoped the masters around her didn’t think she was too weird, despite current events.

“It is, and we can understand,” Mara nodded, trying to be as gentle as she could, “… However, while we now know it is possible to travel from one galaxy, or rather, universe to another, we are certain that the Force must be responsible. Do you have any ideas on how such a feat was accomplished?”

Rey shook her head. “I’m sorry, I honestly have no idea. The Force, the Jedi, most people back home think it’s all just myth. I’ve only just started learning about myself a few days ago.”

“Only a few days ago?” Mara raised an eyebrow. “The presence I, and all of the other Jedi that have encountered you, don’t sense the Force signature of a mere novice. Have you trained at all in the past or experimented with your powers, even as a child?”

Rey only shook her head again. “Never.”

“Then how long did you train with…” Mara took a quick glance at her husband, whose face straightened as he realized what she was about to mention. “…how long did you train with your Luke Skywalker?”

“For about… three lessons?”

“Three lessons? And what were you able to accomplish as a result of these lessons?”

“I-” Rey began, but quickly halted herself when she realized she couldn’t give a clear answer. Her head lowered with her voice. “… I don’t know…”

Mara gave another glance at Luke, who, while keeping his composure, wore a noticeable expression that blended what looked like sadness, pity, and perhaps a sense of disappointment. Mara decided to continue.

“What about what you’ve been able to accomplish without the ‘training’ you received?”

This time, there was a confident answer. “Right before finding myself here, I defeated several of Supreme Leader Snoke’s bodyguards in combat.”

“Bodyguards? Were they clad in red armor?”

“Yes,” Rey replied, “and they carried weapons that could fight against a lightsaber.”

Mara’s thoughts were correct. To her knowledge, this “Snoke” took the role of emperor in all aspects aside from the title itself. That meant his guards would likely take after Palpatine’s own, and Mara knew how deadly those warriors were. No novice girl could hold their own against a group of fighters like that. “And you have no combat training to speak of?”

“I fought off thugs with a staff a lot back on Jakku.”

There was a snort from Kyle right after Rey had said that. Mara herself would have been impressed if the implications of such swift progress weren’t worrisome. “A staff to a lightsaber and desert thugs to royal guards within days?” she inquired.

“I mean…” Rey paused. “…yes?”

“Tell us, how did you become so capable so quickly?” Mara said, this time more aggressively than before.

“Well, I’ve always been self-sufficient when I lived on Jakku-”

“I’m afraid that answer isn’t going to cut it. What happened that made you achieve a power in the Force in days that many train for years to accomplish?”

Rey was quiet once again. Mara glanced over to Corran peering at the girl and silently asked what he could find. Catching Mara’s look, Corran shook his head a little in both knowledge and confusion. It might have simply been stress, but Rey seemed like she honestly couldn’t think of any answers. Perhaps, nothing had happened to her, and she just did things. However…

“Well… maybe ever since that mind bond…”

Mara sat up straight at Rey’s words. “Mind bond?” She repeated. “You didn’t say that before.”

Rey winced upon realizing what she had let out. “I…” she began before returning to her shy and awkward ways. No one else dared to speak up, and Mara would have continued her questioning if not for her husband.

“Rey,” Luke spoke after breaking his prolonged silence. His voice was calm and warm. “We only mean to help you. We cannot do that if you don’t tell us everything.”

A brief moment, anger flickered across Rey’s eyes. “It doesn’t feel like help.”

Mara frowned. “I might come off as harsh, but I’m like this because of what you told us.”

The anger dissipated as Rey asked, “What do you mean?”

“Should you tell her, or should we?” Kyle told the grandmaster.

Luke sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Rey, the problem isn’t your power. It’s how you mastered it so quickly,” he explained. “We’ve seen it happen many times before, and there was only one way of accomplishing that…”

“The Dark Side,” Kyp said the words in a sad and deep tone, not needing to remind everyone of his own experience with it.

Rey’s eyes widened at the accusation. “But… but I haven’t fallen!”

“No, it doesn’t look like it,” Mara conceded, only a little though. “But there’s an issue with this bond.”

Kyp continued from thereon. “This Kylo Ren you’ve told us is still out there, and he could be benefiting from the bond as much as you might be, if not more. That makes him dangerous, especially if he can do the things you said you could do. The only way we can stop him from hurting anymore people is if we know more about him.”

“Kyp is right, Rey. Please, we need an answer,” Mara pleaded, cracking her hardened mask.

Rey, having cornered herself, glanced down for a second. Then, she took a deep breath and began to explain everything. Well, it was everything the council had heard before. She told them of Kylo Ren, everything she knew that he did, from Ren’s slaughter of his fledgling Jedi and apparent obsession with Darth Vader to how he captured and interrogated her. Her voice stuttered slightly when she mentioned how Ren injured her friend, the Stormtrooper deserter. Even when Mara heard how the First Order’s Dark Side adept had been bested, it was clear for all to see Luke’s expression of shame grow alongside Rey’s own frustration.

After the long-winded story, a silence hung in the air. Luke sat with his hand to his mouth, likely contemplating where his alternate universe self had “gone wrong,” if that was even the question to ask. After some time, one of the masters broke the quiet. “You believed he can be saved. Why do you think so?” Cilghal inquired.

“I…” Rey began, then she hesitated.

Mara glanced at Corran, who opened up with a question of his own. “Did you see good in him?”

“…yes,” Rey replied meekly. “Even after everything I’ve seen, I saw good in him… I can’t say for sure why I did, but… I thought if he returned then… then…”

“You would have saved him… and saved the galaxy,” Luke finished quietly.

With a soft sigh, Mara gave Rey the benefit of the doubt. For all the seeming leaps in logic, she couldn’t blame the girl. “Then, we’ll find him,” Mara assured Rey. “We’ll bring him back and send you both home.”
Rey momentarily met Mara’s gaze with a soft and grateful stare. “Thank you…”

Mara nodded before she cut the connection. The council, her husband, and Rey were all gone from her ship, leaving her all alone. As much as she would have loved to ponder about, she rose from her seat to attend to the more pressing matter. She was about to call Jacen waiting outside the ship, reaching a hand to the comm system…

“You will kill Luke Skywalker!”

Mara’s finger froze a centimeter from the console. She had not heard that in twenty five years. Not since Grand Admiral Thrawn, the greatest threat to the galaxy at the time. Then, she had been a lost woman with a single command from a dead emperor, and that command died with a false face. Mara did not know, nor want to know, why she was hearing it again.

“The sooner we find this guy, the better,” Mara murmured, her hand unconsciously touching the whole and undamaged Skywalker saber on her hip as her eyes peered out to the burning city on a hill.


Leia: A New Face Among Old Ones

The academy on Ossus looked the same as ever. After the destruction of her brother’s old Praxeum on Yavin IV, Leia did her best to help move the New Jedi Order to a world once filled with them in the days of the Old Republic. That was a mere four years ago, and the only new addition was the girl currently walking beside Luke through the academy’s green gardens.

“So, that’s her?” Leia asked, and Jaina nodded. “She’s very strong in the Force. Reminds me of…”

“Yeah, I know… It’s not just with the Force.” Jaina laughed with nostalgia. “You should have seen her on the Falcon, mom. After she calmed down, she, hah, wanted to tinker every little thing she could get her hands on. I had to keep dad back so he wouldn’t go insane!”

Reminded of a younger Jaina and a little boy doing the same, Leia softly giggled. “Is that true? Now, I really should meet her.”

And so, mother and daughter strolled out from behind the tall bush. “Hey!” Jaina called out to the pair. “How did the meeting go?”

“It went as well as it could have,” Luke smiled sheepishly, and Leia could sense something off about her twin. It would be a question for another time, after Luke gave the introductions. “Rey, this is my sister, Leia Organa-Solo. Leia, meet our guest from another universe.”

Rey’s eyes widened. “Leia? You look… young…”

“Why thank you,” Leia smiled at the unintentionally backhanded comment. “You must be Rey. Jaina has told me a lot about you.”

“Uh, thank you general… I mean, princess.”

“Please call me Leia. There’s no need to be finicky about it.” Leia looked to her twin, “I hope you don’t mind if I talk to Rey for a bit…”

“Not at all. Don’t hesitate to call if you need help, Rey,” Luke smiled before he made his way out.

With Luke gone, Leia turned to her guest. “So, why don’t you tell us what’s bothering you?” Rey opened her mouth, but Leia cut in, “I can see it on your face. I don’t need the Force to know that.”

“I…” Rey’s eyes shifted a little, “it’s just… I’ve been thinking about…”

“Aunt Mara said something?” Jaina guessed.

“Yes… she and the others…” Rey nodded, looking at her hands. “Is it true… that the Dark Side is quicker… easier…?”

“Yes,” Leia frowned, having an inkling of the real truth. “Almost everyone you’ve met here probably has brushed with it or had fallen completely at one time.”

“Did you fall?”

“Thank the Force, no,” she replied, and Rey’s eyes went over to Jaina.

“And what about you, Jaina…?” Leia felt her daughter’s regret as the young woman shifted uncomfortably, followed by Rey’s astonishment. “You… did you…?”

Jaina sighed. “Not exactly. I was close… very close… but I came back though…”

Standing by her daughter’s side, Leia told Rey, “Jaina’s one of the many who have come back from the Dark Side. My… father did the same, and even Luke. Our family is proof enough that no one is beyond redemption.”

“… I see… thank you…” Rey said quietly. Hope fluttered in her and spread across her lips in a tiny smile. “I guess it is true about Jedi able to sense things…”

“Oh, Luke has taught me a couple things here or there, but I’m no Jedi.”

“Really? Have you thought about being one?” asked Rey, who received her answer from Jaina.

“Oh, she has. Countless times. It’s kind of hard when you’re juggling so many other jobs at once. Senator, then leader of the New Republic…” Jaina said and listed off those “other jobs” on her fingers.

“Leader?”

Leia smirked mirthfully at the surprised Rey. “That and being a mother. It was never a dull moment, I can tell you, but I don’t have to worry about it anymore. Being close with my family is my concern now.”

Rey’s smile faltered. “Family… I’ve never really had anything close to friends or family… At least not until recently, and I…” her voice trailed off.

Sensing it again, Leia turned to Jaina, who silently affirmed that she sensed it too. “Is there something else on your mind, Rey?” Leia inquired.

Rey hesitated for a second. Then, she asked, “Did you ever lose someone close to you?”

Leia frowned and glanced down. “Yes. I thought after the Empire, we had lost enough, but…” she almost whispered, and the memories drowned away her words.

Jaina stepped in. “Maybe we should show her, mom.”

“Show me what?” Rey asked.

Leia and Jaina silently led the way through the garden. Rey trailed behind them, her curiosity easily felt by the two Solos. They also felt her surprise when they came across a small clearing where a number of giant bronzium statues stood. “Is that…?” Rey said, recognizing the Wookie among the statues.

Her eyes on statue, Leia somberly nodded. “Chewbacca. You said he’s alive in your universe… Han would be thrilled to hear that.” She turned to Rey. “After everything I’ve heard from Jaina, I bet your Han needs a good friend at his side.”

Rey visibly gulped with the uncomfortable feeling that Leia had sensed before. “What happened to him? Your Chewbacca, I mean…”

“I’m sure you’ve heard of it by now. The Vong War.”

“I heard a little from Master Skywalker… Invaders from beyond the galaxy?”

Jaina took over for her mom. “Yeah…” she smiled sadly. “Chewie was among the first of us to fall. And dad, he… he didn’t take Chewie’s death well.”

“I… I had no idea…” said a shocked Rey.

“It wasn’t just that…” Leia whispered as her hand rested at the base of another statue, one of a teenager. “We lost more than we could have ever imagined.”

“A lot more…” Jaina too touched the same statue’s base. Her fingers trailed over the words written on it.

Anakin Solo:

A beacon of light for the ones he loved.

Rey let out a tiny gasp. “… I’m so sorry… Was he…?”

“The youngest…” Leia nodded. “Out of us all, he was the strongest in the Force…”

“… And the smartest…” Jaina continued, her smile nostalgic and eyes still on the name. “ He couldn’t stop tinkering with things sometimes…”

Silence fell over the three women. However long it felt, the moment was cut short by a cry that didn’t come from Rey, Jaina, or Leia. “Hey!”

The trio of women turned to the newcomer at the memorial site. Leia recognized him immediately for his white shirt and jacket, even if he had grayed hair and was sagging a little. “I thought you were at the Falcon,” she told her husband.

Han Solo, former general of the Rebel Alliance and New Republic, shrugged in that typical Solo fashion. “I was getting bored, so I was looking around for you. I didn’t think you two would still be here,” he said, briefly eyeing the statues.

“We were just talking with Rey here, dad,” Jaina said.

Leia sensed the spike of anxiety as her husband turned to face Rey. Han, not able to sense the Force, still saw the tension in Rey’s face. He rose a hand towards her direction, saying, “We didn’t get a proper introduction earlier. I’m-”

Rey cut him off. “Han Solo. Captain of the Millennium Falcon. You made the Kessel Run in fourteen parsecs.” She quickly shook her head and corrected herself. “Twelve. Sorry.”

Han lowered his hand. “Alright…" he said aloofly, though Leia knew he was equally perplexed and concerned.

“Han,” Leia told him, “you and Jaina can get the ship ready to leave. I want to talk with Rey for a second…”

“Sure… See you soon,” Han waved at her and Rey, sparing a curious glance at the latter before departing with Jaina.

Leia waited patiently until both her husband and daughter couldn’t be sensed within the confines of the garden. Once sure they were alone, Leia turned to Rey and said, “Well, we’re alone. I suppose you could tell me about the other thing bother you.”

Eyes widened, Rey opened her mouth, then she closed it. “… Right,” Rey murmured then clear her throat, Leia hoping that she would open up. “… I guess there has been something else… I haven’t really told Jaina about this but… do you know anything about minds being bridged with the Force?”

“I do. We call them Force bonds here. Luke and I have one, and so does Jaina and Jacen. They’re really useful, especially in a tight situation.” Leia paused to notice Rey’s glance. “But I think that’s not what you’re asking about.”

Rey rubbed at one arm. “… You see, I have one…”

“And it’s with this Kylo Ren?” Rey’s hesitancy answered the question. Leia recalled about the darkside adept Jaina informed her.

“I told the other masters about this, but I don’t know how to control it…” Rey frowned a little.

Leia took Rey’s hands in hers. Perhaps, this would be a way to strike two birds with one stone. “I think I can help. Why don’t you sit down?” She sat with Rey, their legs crossed on the stone. “This is one of the things Luke taught me. First, close your eyes, Rey, and breath.”

“I think I can do that,” Rey smiled a little, and she did.

Leia mirrored Rey’s movements and continued, her voice low in a soothing tone. “Now, focus on the Force. Feel it…”

“… I think I-”

“And best keep quiet. You might lose concentration,” Leia smiled. She didn’t need to look to see Rey’s embarrassment. “There… Now, focus and listen… When you hear it, start searching…”

Rey, keeping quiet, fell into the Force and fell in deep. Leia could sense it and followed her on the path, making sure had the help she needed. Rey’s self almost departed the academy’s garden. Leia found it impressive for someone like Rey to have such a strong affinity to the Force.

‘Like Anakin, indeed.’

Leia banished the thought of her late son. She concentrated on the now, and the garden was out of sight. She knew it was still there, blurred like an object out of focus in a scope. Rey twitched a little as she searched through the Force.

Suddenly, Rey stood up. Leia wondered why before she saw him in the Force.

There he was, standing across the garden. A figure with hair as dark as his clothes. With that chin and piercing eyes, he almost looked like Han. That frown and those boyish looks were the opposite of what Han even was.

There was also someone else, staring at the dark man. This person looked more like Han, especially with his curling hair and cheekbones that once grinned too often as a child. This one, Leia knew all too well.

“Jacen?”


Jacen: Son of Solo

Several emotions struck Jacen at once. He and Aunt Mara had followed a faint trail in the Force, leading them to this planet on furthest edges of the galaxy. It was there, they found a burning city filled fear.
There had been living beings, humanoids with red skin, blue skin, and shades in between. The dead among them, the ones the lower class hobbled around, were men and women in fine clothing of the elite… and once armed with red lightsabers.

Sabers of the Sith.

There were too many questions with few clear answers. So, on the edge of that chaotic city, Jedi Knight Jacen Solo, son of Han Solo and Leia Organa-Solo, tried to find solace in the Force. What he found was a man in black standing before him. Everything else blurred around, and even sound was muffled until Jacen only heard the other man.

“Who are you?”

Jacen met the piercing glare with his own. Using the Force, he searched the other mind reaching out to his. “I should be asking you that,” Jacen said to the other man evenly. “but I think I have a pretty good guess. Kylo Ren?”

Kylo frowned. “How much did Rey tell you?”


And that’s all I got. Again, I had a few ideas to go with this, but they all were overturned by TROS (like I said, not a fan).

Post
#1378258
Topic
Star Wars fanfic ideas (up for adoption)
Time

Okay, back with another idea. This was actually inspired by another fanfiction which delved into the original concept where Vader and Anakin were separated and the former murdered the later. I initially planned for this story to delve into that. First, here is the chapter going into Anakin’s death.


“How did my father die?”

“… A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights… He betrayed and murdered your father…”

“… betrayed and murdered your father…”

“… betrayed and murdered…”

“… and murdered…”

“… murdered…”

“… murdered…”

“Murderer!”

The scream and the hum of a lightsaber rang over the erupting lava. Vader raised his own over his head, crossing yellow against blue. He struggled to keep his defense up and drew in more of his inner hatred.

Past the bright intersection, Anakin Skywalker glared with teary eyes. His fair complexion, his very being, screamed of righteous anger. It wasn’t surprising. After all, Vader had betrayed him and everyone in the Jedi Order, the guardians of the Republic. Vader had let the clones, soldiers of the Republic, inside the Temple to slaughter unsuspecting Masters, Knights, Padawans, and even Younglings.

Anakin, one of the few survivors and witnesses to Vader’s betrayal, roared, "They were your friends! Why did you do it?! Why?!

Vader dug his heels into the ashy ground and pushed. “I don’t need to explain myself to you,” he declared through gritted teeth and threw Anakin back with all he had.

The Jedi staggered only a few steps before he came back at Vader. Brown cloak fluttering behind him, the ex-Jedi in turn stepped backwards to defend himself from Anakin’s blows. He barely kept up with the blue lightsaber hammering at every angle. His yellow blade parried a strike to his head, blocked a slash to his right side, and then caught a stab to the heart and brought it to the side. Every other attack in between and after, Vader dodged, rearing from a swipe at his stomach, bringing up his left leg to avoid a swipe, sidestepping another strike at his side, and tilting his head away from a thrust.

Vader hissed as the last one burned under his left eye. He drew his face away and on the Force, grabbing it in his free hand and throwing it at Anakin. The Jedi was blown off his feet, and his back collided on the bank of the lava river below. Vader frowned when Anakin stood again, not even coming close to touching the lava.

Vader, breathing in the ash, touched his burned cheek. It stung but not too much. Good. It was another reminder, another push to keep on fighting. However, that insipid Jedi part told Vader to wait. He did listen to it, if only to ask the question: “I know you weren’t alone. Where is Kenobi?”

Anakin glared, the same ash covering his once-wet cheeks. “He’s safe. Everyone else is safe from you and Palpatine,” he said with pride and the tiniest of spite.

Vader felt them both through the Force, and he fed on his swelling irritation. “Not forever. The Empire will find them, soon enough,” he said and held his saber as he grinned. “And when they’re discovered, they will be wiped out. Kenobi, that apprentice of yours, and even your wife-”

A blade of blue anger cut Vader off. He swung back, batting the thrown saber into Anakin’s gloved hand. Both hands on his saber, Vader met the Jedi’s charge. He took a pre-emptive strike, fainting right to draw the blue blade from his target’s head. Anakin didn’t fall for it and swept Vader’s blade aside to strike with his own.

Back on the defensive, Vader felt the emotions in Anakin’s strikes. There was no sense of calm or serenity. Only hate. Only rage. And they all came from the supposed epitome of the Jedi Code. Vader would’ve cried hypocrite, but it was nothing new. He had seen it before and he saw it now. He would use it against Anakin, just as he had used the fool’s so-called friendship with Palpatine.

After blocking a flurry of strikes going for his head and upper torso, Vader breathed in and struck back. Switching from the defensive Form III to the Form V, his attacks were fueled by Anakin’s anger and the anger inside of himself. They landed upon the Jedi and struck at every side, as yellow now fell on blue.

Now, Anakin was on the defensive. Now, he was barely beating back the storm of Vader’s slashes and hacks. Vader also felt Skywalker now unbalanced by his own anger turned against him. Such was the way of dun möch, and Vader planned to use that to finish the fight.

Vader’s saber slammed against Anakin’s, knocking it out of the Jedi’s hands. The blow also knocked the Jedi back against the lava stream. Vader stood on the higher ground, looked down with a smug glare. After all this time, he couldn’t hold it back as he pointed his saber at the weaponless Skywalker and spoke.

“When I’m done, I will take your head and display it for the galaxy to see. All will know what happens to the greatest of the Jedi and anyone who stands in the Empire’s way.” Vader grinned. “I look forward to giving it to Padme before I take hers.”

As expected, Vader felt the swell of anger rise in Anakin. For all that foolish Jedi preached on patience and serenity, he could never keep his own temper in check. What Vader didn’t expect was the sudden pressure on his neck.

Vader grasped at his throat, glaring at Anakin who raised a clenched hand. Vader rose with it, and his feet left the ground. Already, black spots clouded his vision, the muscles in his neck began to twist upon Anakin’s command. It wouldn’t be long before Skywalker would put an end to Vader.

Vader would not let that happen. Out of all the Jedi, this one had been on his mind. This one, Vader hunted all over the galaxy to find. This one, he sought to completely and utterly destroy. And he would do so. Here, on this lava world of Mustafar.

With that conviction, Vader threw his saber. The yellow blade soared, following his slight command. Vader didn’t care where it went, as long as it hit his target.

And it did. Right through the heart.

Vader dropped on his hands and knees, taking in as much air as he possibly could. Then, he looked up. His initial surprise turned to satisfaction at the sight of a shocked Anakin falling to his knees and staring helplessly at the yellow saber in his chest. It then slid out and flew back into the hands of a rising Vader.

Anakin looked up, those eyes full of so many emotions. Vader took in the look as the light faded from it and Skywalker plopped onto the ashy ground. Across from the corpse, eyes burned with the same color as the yellow saber.

“And so, the Chosen One falls,” said Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith, standing victoriously over the dead star of the Jedi Knights.


And that is what would’ve been the prologue or first chapter of the story. Of course, I planned to continue it by immediately placing Vader in his suit, yet wielding Anakin’s blue saber for a time (referencing McQuarrie’s concept art). He would hunt down and kill Padme (who has already given birth to Luke and Leia), using the blue saber as seen below:


Gripping the saber, Vader activated it.

Padme’s eyes widened at the sight of the blue blade. Her shock, her horror, her anger sated Vader’s palette as she said, “Anakin?”

“Yes,” Vader said, stabbing the lie and the saber into Padme’s heart.

He devoured the skyrocketing emotions Padme let out in a gasp. She whispered, “I’m sorry… Luke… L…”

Vader pulled out the blade, and Padme’s sentence died with her.


From thereon, Obi-Wan would gain the saber back, and Vader would eventually make his red one. Of course, I wasn’t sure what else to put in between, so I just wrote tidbits, like this one below which occurs in ESB.


“What is that bidding, my master?”

Though a hologram, the emperor’s presence hung over Vader like a mist in Coruscant’s morning. “There is a great disturbance in the Force.”

“I have felt it.”

“We have a new enemy: Luke Skywalker.”

Luke. Again, that name. “Yes, my master.”

“He could destroy us.”

“He is just a boy. Obi-Wan can no longer help him.”

“The Force is strong with him. The son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi.”

It took everything Vader had to suppress the part of him that wanted to puke. The emperor had confirmed his suspicions, the very thing he wanted to prove all those years since he heard that name from the dying fool of a woman’s lips. The boy very much had his father’s look. He even wielded the same blue lightsaber.

But he is not his father, another part of him said.

Vader agreed with slow realization. He had seen holograms of the boy’s actions. Despite acting like his father, the boy showed signs that said otherwise. Humility, instead of arrogance. Uncertainty instead of conviction. Weakness, instead of strength.

Not like his father, at all.

“If he could be turned,” Vader proposed, “he would become a powerful ally.”

“Yes. Yes… he would be a great asset. Can it be done?”

“He will join us or die, my master.”


And that’s that. Sure, there were some more tidbits, integrating Legends and Disney continuities together, i.e. showing Starkiller clones working with the Inquisitors, etc. Of course, I had to put it aside after losing interest with it and dealing with other stories at the same time. Hopefully, someone else can use this in their own story.

Post
#1377198
Topic
Star Wars fanfic ideas (up for adoption)
Time

Welp, looks like I didn’t have to search for long. Here is an old AU of TCW I wrote years ago, called Just a Soldier. I only ever wrote the one bit below, as I thought I’d just retread old ground if I wrote anymore than this. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy it. Thanks.


“You’re nothing, but a slave, boy! You won’t be entering anymore races!”

“Sorry, but I have to pay my debts. Don’t worry, he’s a good man. He’ll take good care of you both.”

“I now name you husband and wife…”

“Join the Republic! Help fight the Separatists!”

“What are you thinking?! You’re going to get yourself killed?!”

“I am… so proud of you… my son…”

He jostled awake and was rewarded with a splitting headache and blurry vision. The respirators in his helmet made his breathing drum loudly into his ears, so much so he ripped it off. He caught a glimpse of the white plasteel before tossing it aside, having the helmet clatter on something.

After regaining some clarity, the young man looked at his surroundings. He was in a cockpit-an ARC starfighter, to be precise. The window was cracked, and something was clearly burning, given the awful smell of lubricant fuel. When he looked back at his controls, his white helmet rested on it, and the orange visor stared back at him in silent contempt.

Breaking off eye contact, he looked forward at the seat in front of him. Slump in the seat was another body, wearing the same gray armor and uniform. “Hey, Dodge?! Dodge!” he shouted, shaking the body in the front seat, but there was no response.

He backed away from his friend’s corpse, a little shocked. He had known his fellow co-pilot a little. Unlike himself, a recruit for the army, Dodge was a clone from Kamino, fresh out of the vat and ready for combat. The two met briefly during their mission debrief and quickly got to know each other. He still remembered the grin on Dodge’s face as the maniac itched for excitement.

Now, Dodge was dead.

He wanted to sit back in his seat. Maybe give a moment of silence for a fellow soldier, even if he only had known Dodge for a short time. However, he had no time to mourn, as a voice cried from the comm, “Lieutenant!”

Leaning more, he struggled to reach the comm in front of Dodge’s body. His finger was a centimeter away from the answer button when he heard, “I repeat, this is… aurek-niner! Is anyone there?!”

At last, he pressed the button. “Aurek-zero-zero here, general,” he answered.

The harsh voice of General Lark barked from the damaged comm. “Where are you?! What happened?!”

Trying to find an answer, he quickly looked around at his surroundings. Dusty sand rocks dotted every corner on his starfighter’s viewport, rays of sunlight shone through the spaces in between, and there was clearly a strange blue tint to what was supposed to be a green sky.

More memories came to the forefront. The mission was simple: get behind enemy lines and disable the shield generator that kept allied forces out. Clearly, he got in, but at a price.

“Somewhere past the barrier,” he reported and quickly glanced at Dodge’s bloodied face. “Fighter’s down, co-pilot is KIA. Exact coordinates, unknown.”

“You made it through?! Did anyone else get in?”

“Negative, sir,” he replied, remembering the other fighters that tried and were shot down. “Orders?”

There was silence for a second, then, “You shouldn’t be too far from the target. Scout the area and locate the shield generator. Destroy it, if you can.”

He bit back his tongue. Was this man seriously going to send him in the middle of enemy territory by himself? Whatever his thoughts were, he humbly agreed, against his own sanity. “Understood, sir. Aurek-zero-zero, out.”

Able to relax his muscles, he leaned back in his seat and met the orange glare of his helmet. He took the blasted thing and fastened it back on his head with a tiny click. “Sorry, Dodge,” he apologized sadly to his co-pilot before he headed out.

(LINE BREAK)

As he was ordered, the lone soldier began scouting the area around his crashed starfighter. The desert surrounding it had rocky terrain several meters high. With all the sand, finding the enemy’s generator would was like looking for a need in the middle of a haystack. Of course, there were other ways.

Closing his eyes, he began to concentrate. Back at boot camp, he heard Jedi could sense their target from star systems away. He was no Jedi. He was never discovered by them, and by now, he’d be too old to join, but he managed to catch on a couple of tricks. Like sensing things, for instance.

And sensed his target, he did. Less than a couple of klicks from his position. Hopefully, it would not be too hard to notice.

So he went down the barren landscape. Just as he sensed, the enemy’s shield generator was only a couple clicks away from his crashed fighter. The Separatist base near it was just as close, sticking out like a sore them from the rocks… and the generator was perfectly open for an attack.

The soldier stopped taking a step forward and hide behind a giant boulder. Within seconds, battle droids of the Separatists marched their way near him, their clanking announcing their arrival. He spotted only five of them, no six! However, the sixth was not a droid.

It was man, perhaps in the fortieth year of his life. He stood tall and proud, his beard and hair combed to a fine point. His posh look was completed with a fine gray outfit more befitting of a nobleman than a soldier. “Scout the perimeter,” ordered the man, presumably the leader. “Inform Commander Tambor of the shield generator.”

“Roger, roger,” acknowledged one droid, a yellow-striped commander, and it fanned out with the other droids.

The Republic soldier frowned under his helmet, hearing the clanking of battle droids come closer to hiding spot. He did not want to draw out a firefight, but he guessed there was no other option now. Unholstering his blaster, he prepped himself and focused on his enemies.

Two of the soldier’s red bolts struck one battle droid. “Intruder! Shoot him!” shouted another droid as its comrade fell.

The soldier did not give his enemies anymore time. Behind his rock, he fired a series of consecutive shots, going from one droid to another. The sounds of blaster fire drowned out whatever sound the fancy man was shouting into his commlink. The soldier ducked another an enemy shot and rolled out into the open before shooting down the remaining two droids. He whirled his blaster around to the other man.

Blaster drawn and aimed, the Separatists man declared proudly, “You won’t win, Republic scum! I’ve already informed Commander Tambor! He’ll be sending droids down to stop you!”

The soldier cursed himself, but said nothing to the other man. Fingering his trigger, he fired at his enemy in front of him. The man dodged and fired back, only for the soldier to dodge. The two exchanged in a brief flurry of blue and red. When one bolt struck near his foot, the soldier stepped back behind his rock.

He had no more time to waste. He had to finish this. Taking out three small grenades from his utility belt and cupping them in one hand, the soldier shot back using his other. The Separatist was good dodging the shots, but he could not shoot while being so preoccupied. With that, the soldier tossed the grenades to the shield generator a few meters away and began his countdown.

Three…

The grenades rolled near the shield generator, each one beeping away the time.

Two…

The Separatist turned to the unprotected shield generator, eyes wide with horror.

… One!

The soldier rushed to the safety behind another rockface, right before the grenades went off. Even though his helmet deafened the loud booms, it did not hide the wave of fire and electrical surges that went past him. Even the rocks, for all their sturdiness shook.

He waited another few minutes before he was sure of coming out. The result of his sabotage was devastating, or “effective” in General Lark’s language. Metallic shells and electrical wiring were spread out all over the rocky ground. Flames wreaked the air with their heat, and lying by the ruined generator was the body of the Separatist.

The soldier stood over the scorched body. The fancy clothes had been partially burnt away, all the way down to the skin, so much that the body was almost unrecognizable. Most of all, the man not breathing.

Catching a shining glimpse of metal, the soldier knelt down and took the object. It was the dead man’s metal tag. The first name was melted, but the last was still visible: BONTERI.

The soldier suppressed the ounce of guilt that threaten to swallow him. He turned his attention to his commlink, tuning it into the right frequency. “This is aurek-zero-zero, reporting. Shield generator is down. I repeat, shield generator is down.”

After a few minutes, he saw Republic fighters and frigates emerged overhead, barely visible over the clouds. The enemy seemed to mobilize their forces, but they were too late as blue turret fire rained down on the base. Its shields and anti-fighter guns were useless against the overwhelming onslaught.

He tore his eyes away from the “spectacle” when his commlink chimed again. He answered, and the tiny and bald General Lark popped up. “Sir,” he saluted.

“At ease. The base is ours,” the older man said with a wide grin. “You did commendable work, son. The Republic is forever grateful.”

“I’m sure, sir.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll be rewarded for it. I’ve already put in a recommendation. You’ll be moving to a new fleet. It’s a change, but one I’m sure you’ll like… Also, in light of your actions, you’ve been promoted.”

Promoted? He did not bother to question, but he did not take any pride in it either. “I hope I am suited for the task,” he said.

“Oh, you will be. You can count on that. Congratulations, Captain Skywalker.”

“Thank you, sir,” the new captain said stoically.

As the line was cut, he looked down at the body of Bonteri with pity. The man needed to be sent back to his family and given a decent funeral, at least. He decided that would be his first order of business.

But for now, Anakin Skywalker, Captain in the Grand Army of the Republic, watched Republic warships raze the Separatist base to the ground.

Post
#1377188
Topic
Star Wars fanfic ideas (up for adoption)
Time

Alright, I really haven’t been feeling anything for Star Wars in a while, and ever since I decided to give up writing my Star Wars ideas, I’d thought to post them all here (whether they would be previews of chapters, snippits of notes, or both). This can include rewrites, crossovers, time travel stories, etc., etc. Not sure when I’ll actually start posting them but hopefully soon (and after I make them more presentable to post here). Until then, take care.

Post
#1373940
Topic
What stories/intellectual properties (other than Star Wars) would you like to retell/rewrite?
Time

Okay, it has been a LONG time since I touched, but I’m back here to add some idea rewrite ideas. Don’t know if they’re any good, but I’ll leave that up to you

  1. Chronicles of Riddick - The sequel to “Pitch Black,” it wasn’t as successful. Honestly, I think it’s okay as an action flick but it could use more. I remember little from the original film, so I think I could get a better idea after watching it. For now, I’d try to keep a bit of the religious aspects that were introduced in the original film. I like seeing New Mecca in “Chronicles of Riddick,” and I’d like to go into that, where the Necromongers (the villains) are trying to incite religious upheaval between different groups by feeding into growing tensions. Riddick would have to stop them while dealing with his own thoughts on god and such. I’d also like to go more into the character dynamics that I remember from the original film.

  2. Robotech - I honestly haven’t watched this story or its source material, but I was pretty interested in the story after hearing about it from the YouTube channel RetroBlasting (see playlist link below). It seems like a pretty interesting story, but there would be problems in trying to connect and adapt three separate animes into one story, like the ones stated in the videos I’ve mentioned. I haven’t watched the actual shows, and I’d probably get a better idea fater doing so, but I couldn’t help think about how it could be better. Given the criticisms, it would make sense to intersperse unrelated scenes together to convey ideas of the show, e.g. explaining the Invids to the mcs, explaining the landing site of the SDF-1 (and this is within the context of taking the actual show and intersplicing it like how Harmony Gold did with Captain Harlock and Queen Millennia in “Captain Harlock and the Queen of a Thousand Years,” but done more competently if possible). First off, the original Robotech (Macross) would only have tiny tweaks that include more information about the Robotech masters that can lead into the sequel, as well as ending it where it gets good (e.g. where Rick hooks up with Lisa). Speaking of which, Robotech Masters (Southern Cross) seems to have the most problems, and most things could be fixed by stating that the series took place a couple generations after the original Robotech instead of 15-17 years, to explain why things look different along with some better writing, like by integrating the war-like Zentraedi tech with human tech and having Dana be the greatgranddaughter/granddauhter instead of daughter of two characters from the original Robotech, as well as being more hot headed like her Japanese counterpart who grows slightly more mature (maybe some editing of Southern Cross could help show that). As for Robotech The New Generation… heck I dunno. Personally, I feel like it could be left out or replaced with another series (maybe use another series instead to give more interesting characters). Again, I should watch the entire series, and I am basing it off another’s POV, but I just had to get this out of my head.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZIxaT6XsvKrYP6q17L5fPvxMUi-_A-2p

  1. VR Troopers - Now, this one, I have seen and am more familiar with the source material. Taking three different shows of the tokusatsu genre (known for guys dressing up in rubber costumes to fight monsters, i.e. Kamen Rider and Super Sentai), VR Troopers just used the suits and footage to tell a story about 3 teens fighting monsters in the virtual world. Made by Saban, it was made to ride the hype of Power Rangers in the 90s. Now, I don’t think the story’s premise and concepts were bad, just the execution. To me, it felt more pretty repetitive, and it didn’t do a good job of splicing together the three shows (Metalder, Spielban, and Shaider from the 1980s no less). I’d probably keep the original premise, following Ryan Steele who is looking for his father when he’s brought together with two others, J.B. and Kaitlin (maybe boyfriend and girlfriend). The trio could be captured to be brainwashed by the main villain, but the heroes escape and try to fight off the villain’s monsters (may have taken a bit too much from Kamen Rider there). The twist is the trio would have to split up every now and then to combat the villain in different points all over the globe, instead of focusing in one specific area. This would lead to the discovery of other factions, leading to more usage of footage from more (relatively recent) shows that would end up with an all-out war between the villain factions that our heroes destroy in one fell swoop. Not sure if I’ll keep the whole VR aspect, though.

  2. Bubblegum Crisis 2040 - A reboot of the original Bubblegum Crisis of the 1980s OVA, it told the story of four women donning special armors to fight rogue automatons called “Boomers.” I heard quite a lot about the original OVA as well as a bit of the reboot (with less than stellar reviews), and I eventually gave it a watch when it was available on Crunchyroll. Though I haven’t watched the original OVA, I get the feeling something was a bit off in almost everything aspect of the characters, and the tone took a strange turn at the end, showing the (stereo)typical over-the-top anime reactions and humor interspersed just before the final battle. It almost felt like the fun was drained out of the characters, so I’d first and foremost put that into my rewrite. The main characters would be given that spark which attracted so many fans to the OVA series, and the story would be rewritten to combine the original Bubblegum Crisis and Bubblegum Crash series together into a more streamlined story.

  3. Jojo’s Bizzare Adventures - Okay, okay. I might be committing heresy to manga/anime fans, and I admit to only seeing Parts 1-4, but we all know there are some continuity issues with the story. There is a reason why Jojo fans pass along the phrase “Araki [Jojo’s creator] forgot.” Honestly, I’d keep a lot of the overall story arcs, and even tinier details, but just change the continuity issues/nitpicks that appears throughout the series (e.g. how could Dio get back in his coffin if Erina used it to sail away, why was it so hard to guess Dio’s Stand power in Part 3 when it was easy to determine Jotaro’s in Part 4, why not use Joseph’s stand to locate the villains in Part 4, why not simplify King Crimson’s powers, etc).

Post
#1372883
Topic
Random non-SW story ideas
Time

Wow. I haven’t touched this in over a year. Welp, hopefully, this goes well.

The following was an old story idea I had many years ago (basically, a young girl finds herself in the care of the young sons of a dragon chief, whom she doesn’t like), so I thought I’d just put up what little I wrote for it.


The smell of mud lingered in the air from the recent rain shower. Dôn carefully trailed over the muddy field, wrapped in a brown cloak she borrowed from one of the peasants under her, a trusted ally. Thankfully, the tears and holes were more than enough to make her look like a mere monk or a traveler, which also helped while traveling under a cloudy sky at night.

Continuing on her path, it was not long until Dôn finally came across the rocky caves, far outside the territory of any human king. One such cave, Dôn approached only to stop just short of entering it. Still, she hid herself in the shadow of the rocky outgrowth and kept watch for anything. There was something.

Dôn.

As the old voice rumbled in her mind, Dôn stared into the mouth of her cave. “Hello again,” she addressed the being inside with all the posh and dignity for a royal such as herself.

I thought… you would not come.

“What makes you say that?” she asked.

You rarely visit these days… I have not heard a word from you… or your court,” the voice replied in low spirits.

“You know how it is. The people might talk if they see what I do in my free time.”

They talk… nonetheless.

Dôn’s wry and wrinkled smile hid her welling concern. “As much as I enjoy our old banter, tell me why have you brought me out of the middle of nowhere? Surely, a meeting at your fort would do.”

No… it would not.

“And why is that?”

Because… there is no one else… I can trust…

As the words were spoken, Dôn saw a large form shift slightly in the cave. What little moonlight there was revealed ruby-colored scales as a pair of large eyes snapped open. They were as large as boulders, and the dagger-like pupils shone like stars at night. The color was something Dôn had not expected.

They were dull red.

For the first time tonight, the queen mother’s eyes widened. “No…” she gasped, then quickly composed herself. “Are you sure?” she asked, hoping her old friend was wrong

I am weakening… It will not be long… I will succumb to the Blood Wrath,” wheezed into Dôn’s mind.

For the longest moment, Dôn struggled to find the words. “What is it you need?” she finally inquired, her expression of the utmost seriousness.

My kin… they must be protected…

As soon as she heard it, Dôn feared the worst. Enemies would come at all sides, if they knew the truth. The clans, their races, and even the entire kingdom would be consumed in all out war again. Dôn immediately went through all the possible contingencies she had formulated for such a situation.

With one plan in mind, Dôn looked at the eyes and curtsied as she had several times in the past. “It will be done, your majesty.”

Post
#1372882
Topic
What If? Canon-Divergent Story Ideas Thread
Time

Right, so I made some What-Ifs for the sequel trilogy. Here are some for the prequels (which I’ve had for many months and only remembered I had them in the clutter of my other discarded projects).


Ep 1 TPM - What if Qui-Gon survived?

As Maul engages Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan uses the Force to stop Maul from impaling his master, but Maul pushes Obi-Wan down the shaft, making Qui-Gon believe him to be dead. Sensing Qui-Gon’s distraught distracts Anakin from the final blow as the Trade Federation ship fires on Naboo. The destruction helps Sidious-who wanted the treaty to create an alliance to fight the Republic-as Padme secedes and joins Dooku’s alliance.

Eight years later, Qui-Gon and his pupil Anakin try to convince Padme on Serenno to rejoin the Republic, but Maul appears to Padme with info on the Kamino clones, just as she and Anakin were getting close. The Republic defends Kamino from the Separatists, forcing many Jedi (including Qui-Gon) to remain neutral in the coming war.

With the CW raging, Anakin has been with Padme until he’s betrayed to the Republic and imprisoned with a mysterious figure. Qui-Gon tries searching for Anakin, wondering if he put too much on the boy, as he faces his old master, learning Anakin’s whereabouts on Mustafar and of the Sith’s manipulation. Meanwhile, Palpatine constantly pushes Anakin to the Dark Side and goes as far to bring his mother.

Together, Qui-Gon and Padme launch an assault of Jedi to rescue Anakin. They do and they also find the other prisoner to be Obi-Wan, who was being used to make cloned Jedi. Said cloned Jedi appear, as Qui-Gon get Anakin, Shmi, and Obi-Wan away in time to face Maul. As Anakin temporarily fights Sidious back, his overconfidence gets Qui-Gon (who beforehand asks Obi-Wan to train Anakin) and Maul thrown into the ocean below, with the heroes watching on before they retreat to Naboo to recover.

The End.


Ep 2 AotC - What if Obi-Wan joined Dooku on Geonosis?

Obi-Wan joins Dooku just before Anakin and Padme arrive to rescue him. However, the two are imprisoned and Obi-Wan is forced against his old Padawan in the arena as a test of his loyalty. The other Jedi watching are disturbed long enough for the clones to arrive and rescue Anakin and Padme, while a few Jedi have stuck around (either being captured or willing joined after seeing Obi-Wan).

The Clone Wars have carried with the Separatists taking Republic worlds. Anakin, now under Ki-adi Mundi, grows angrier throughout the few years of the Clone Wars, almost distant from his new wife Padme. Obi-Wan himself becomes greyer throughout the war, having connected with other Jedi who joined him than the Separatists and realizing he could’ve been a better teacher to Anakin after visiting Tatooine briefly.

The war eventually leads to the Separatists’ plan to attack Coruscant, something Obi-Wan draws the line at as he heads to warn the Jedi about it. Obi-Wan meets Padme and Anakin again after three years. At the same time, Anakin is about to accept the Dark Side when Padme tries to convince him to turn away.

Yet, the Separatists attack. Anakin and Obi-Wan fight, with Padme begging the two to stop fighting. Eventually, they are trapped, while Palpatine enacts Order 66 with the invasion to cover up destroying the Jedi. Anakin has killed Dooku, but it’s too late. WIth clones closing on the Jedi Temple, Anakin lets Obi-Wan and a pregnant Padme escape.

The End.


Ep 3 RotS - What if Obi-Wan went with Anakin after returning to Coruscant?

Following the crash landing, Anakin convinces Obi-Wan to join him in the celebration, but this turns out to be to his detriment, as Obi-Wan sees Anakin with Padme and learns of the pregnancy. Other Jedi Masters overhearing, Anakin is eventually forced to choose between the Jedi or Padme. Anakin feels stuck, not helped by Obi-Wan torn by his duty and friendship. It all ends when Padme divorces Anakin.

Months later, a growingly frustrated Anakin has dreams of Padme dying as he and Obi-Wan go to Utapau to stop Grievous, but Grievous is gone. Meanwhile, Padme speaks with the Jedi about her future children and possibly any connections to a proto-Rebel Alliance, but the arrival of Palpatine’s soldiers forces her to retreat to Naboo where she’s captured by Grievous.

Order 66 is unleashed, forcing him and Obi-Wan to hide and reunite with Yoda. They all rush to Coruscant to get to the Temple, while Anakin goes to find Padme yet he meets Palpatine in her ruined apartment. Palpatine/Sidious unveils his true intentions and offers Anakin to join, giving him the location of Grievous: Mustafar.

Anakin goes to Mustafar, carving up any enemies to get to Padme. Obi-Wan follows behind to help Anakin, but so does Sidious. The resulting battle is a bloodbath between any remaining Separatists and clones being gunned down. It all ends disastrously as Anakin, letting his anger get the better of him, unleashes his power on the volcano. As the lava engulfs almost everyone, Obi-Wan and Padme bring out Anakin yet are forced to hide from the now-changed galaxy.

The End.

Post
#1372881
Topic
Crazy Prequel Idea
Time

StarkillerAG said:

Maybe we could then rewrite the prequels to have mostly the same plot, just set 100 or 200 years before the original movies. Palpatine would be middle-aged, explaining his OT appearance with extreme old age rather than Force lightning. In Revenge of the Sith, Anakin wouldn’t be scarred by lava, and his state in the OT would be explained by him artificially prolonging his life using machinery. After the fall of the Jedi and the rise of Palpatine, Obi-Wan would cryo-freeze himself and Anakin’s children until about 20 years before the OT, when the time would be ripe for the Jedi to rise again.

It could work, except I personally would not cryo-freeze the kids. I think this is more of a nitpick than anything, but I always found it weird about cryo-freezing the kids (even when they’re in the womb, as seen in a draft of DuracellEnergizer’s Episode 3 rewrites). I guess it can be traced back to me wanting the kids to born in their natural period (as in, 20 BBY or 19 BBY) and grow up from thereon. That or I just prefer my discarded PT rewrite’s ending too much (basically, Anakin has accepted the Dark Side and flies off with a hesitant and non-pregnant Padme, leaving Obi-Wan with the Skywalker saber).

Post
#1371440
Topic
Crazy Prequel Idea
Time

An interesting idea. It reminds me of an idea where the Clone Wars were 100 prior to my prequels and Anakin rescued Obi-Wan from carbonite/stasis upon Yoda’s instructions. I think the only issue with this idea is that Obi-Wan in SW77 stated Vader destroyed the Jedi, hinting there were still some Jedi left. Maybe try to add some Jedi in mere handfuls or dozens that Anakin wipes out in his fall to the Dark Side.

Post
#1365709
Topic
Random PT ideas
Time

Okay, it looks like I probably won’t be writing Star Wars stories any time soon (heck, I may just give up writing Star Wars altogether at this point) due to the drama going on in and outside of the latest SW movies and media, so I’m thinking of just putting up whatever I had for my own Star Wars prequel rewrite. And this could mean ALL of them. With that out of the way, let’s get started with the latest idea I had, called The Dark Times: A Reimagining of the Star Wars Prequels.


Blurb:

“For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic… before the dark times… before the Empire…” – OBI-WAN KENOBI.

Decades before the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, the fires of the Clone Wars have engulfed the galaxy. In its center, apprentice Anakin Skywalker of the legendary-yet diminished-Jedi Knights finds himself against a strange and hauntingly familiar evil. An evil leading the clone armies in the name of revenge against the Jedi and shadows in the Republic.

Along with his master Obi-Wan, Owen and Beru, and several others, Anakin rushes along the path of war. What lies on that path is the beginning of the end. Loyalties will be tested. Many will die. The mantle shall be passed. And nothing will ever be the same.

These are the dark times.


The basic idea: Alright, so to shake things up a bit, I planned for the OT to be the trilogy in my personal Star Wars saga. Therefore, my rewrites of the prequels and sequels would be different. For my prequels rewrite (The Dark Times), it would be one long story told in almost episodic chapters, and the story itself could be imagined as split into three “seasons,” with interluding chapters in between each one. As the story progresses, it would also go backwards with flashbacks interspersed throughout the chapters to tell how the heroes met, what they were doing before, and what made them who they were.

The sequels would have been a bit similar to what the MCU has done: stand alone-ish installments with their specific MC, told into a more intertwined story that ultimately lead up to one giant crossover finale (at the time, I only had five stories-the fifth being the crossover).


The setting:

Factions:
Galactic Republic - The government of the galaxy that has lasted for at least 10,000 years.

Jedi Knights - The “guardians of peace and justice” throughout the galaxy for 1000 generations, they have trained themselves and others about the Force. Yet the centuries of peace after the Sith Wars left the Jedi unprepared for the Clone Wars as many knights fell due to a lack of complete training. So many deaths have disillusioned public opinion of the Jedi as “hallowed and unstoppable” warriors, when their main ideology is to inspire hope in others.

Additional note: The Jedi once had a rule of non-attachment but so many Jedi ignored it-mainly due to it being an incorrect interpretation of the Code-to the point that it was forgotten by the time Yoda came around.

Clonemasters - Rogue cloners who give their technology to worlds in exchange for new allegiances. They eventually were overthrown by their own clones under a new master, a mysterious clone named Ragnar.

Hutts and criminal orgs - the group’s whose bullying of the other systems led to them needing clones to defend themselves.

The Clone Wars:
What began as disputes between the Republic’s rich Core and the impoverished/vulnerable Outer Rim quickly escalated when the latter began using cloned soldiers to fend off raiding pirates after the Senate refused to send military or Jedi aid. War first broke out after the death of the famed Jedi Master Queten Qel-Droma at the hands of a supposed Mandalorian assassin, leading to the Republic to attack Mandalorian worlds upon the suspicion of helping the infamous Clonemasters (not helped that Jedi Qel-Droma was sent to stop the fallen Jedi Xanatos from conducting Clonemasters’ experiments to clone Jedi). Ultimately, the devastation and dispursal of the Mandalorians left the Outer Rim scared as they ally themselves with the Clonemasters to bulk up their forces.

It is during this time that our main heroes initially meet, as events pushed them to a supposed conference of the neutral world of Naboo. However, the conference ended in disaster the Clonemasters were captured/killed from a revolt of clones led by a being calling himself “Ragnar, True Son of the Sith,” who killed many Jedi and took Naboo in one fell swoop.


Characters

Main
Anakin Skywalker - Son of Shmi Skywalker, who went from place to place. Eventually, he joined the Jedi after seeing people getting constantly trampled on. In his early Jedi days, he unknowingly unleashed a monster-Ragnar-onto the galaxy and he bore witness later on to Leela (a Twi’lek Jedi and friend of Obi-Wan Kenobi) ‘dying’ at Ragnar’s hands. Anakin wields both Leela’s yellow saber along with this blue one to remind himself of his own oath to stop an evil that he let loose on the galaxy.

Obi-Wan Kenobi - Jedi Knight of the Republic, he serves as a commander under Bail Organa. Before meeting Anakin, he had lost his war early on in the Clone Wars and became a Jedi Shadow in order to control his darkness, leading to a black and white view on life. This is the same view he has tried to impart on Anakin over the years of training him, yet he is plagued with guilt of being unable to save his wife Siri on Galidraan or his friend Leela who died at the hands of Ragnar on Naboo.

Kara Lok Qel-Droma - The eldest child of the famed Jedi Quenten Qel-Droma, she grew up in her father’s shadow, especially since she lacked any connection with the Force. Her bitterness grew to a point that she ran away from home and joined the Republic military. Now in the Clone Wars, she has grown close to Anakin and Obi-Wan, yet it is a mere ploy to investigate Anakin’s growing strength for her real master.

Owen Lars and Beru Whitesun - The respective 3P0 and R2 of the story. Farmers from Tatooine, they grew up with help from Shmi Skywalker during hard times. In order to repay her (especially after her death), the two try to look out for her son, Anakin, who left Tatooine to join the Jedi. With little communication, they head over and constantly find themselves scooped up in adventures of Anakin, Obi-Wan (aka Owen’s older brother), and Kara.

Padme Amidala - The former queen of the neutral Naboo, she was forced to leave her home following the failed peace between the Republic and the Clonemasters. Staying on Coruscant with many others, she fell under the protection of the Jedi and became close to Anakin Skywalker, one of her Jedi guards (aka the very man who let Ragnar go). She even agreed to marry him when he asked.

Antagonists

Ragnar - A prisoner held by the Jedi, he has escaped (thanks to Anakin) and seeks revenge on his captors, going as far as to help the Clonemasters to fight against Palpatine. He ultimately turned on the Clonemasters, enslaving them and freeing the clones under them to serve him. He turns out to be a clone himself, made from ancient Sith DNA by Darth Plagueis, but Sidious informed the Jedi of Plagueis, leading to Ragnar’s initial capture and the death of his ‘father.’ He’s in dire need of Plagueis’ knowledge in order to make more Pureblood Sith clones as well as finding out how to extend his own limited life.

Omega-Nine-Nine - A clone saboteur under Clonemasters Atha Prime who served Ragnar as gratitude for being freed and treated better, becoming the Sith’s commander. One of the few clones to have an actual personality, he believes that under Ragnar he can ensure the future of his people by eliminating the Republic forces and Jedi who were hunting them down. He tracks the other clones who are under him to make sure they are thinking beings, not just machines.

Veila Bralor - A Mandalorian warrior who had lost her brother in the Jedi’s siege of Galidraan, aka the first battle of the Clone Wars, which resulted from the death of Quenten Qel-Droma. Vengeful and joining her sister-in-law’s Hounds of Ha’rangir, she eventually led the group following Raen’s death on Mustafar. Fighting alongside the clones, she has respect for them as warriors and has even begun to make a connection with the clone commander Omega.

Atha Prime - One of the remaining Clonemasters, he has been enslaved by Ragnar to work on making Force-sensitives clones. Despite it all, he does send out coded messages to the Republic, informing them of which targets are next and what facilities are still active.

Jedi Council

Sifo-Dyas (58) - The master of the Coruscant Temple and head of the Jedi Order. He was the one who sent Quenten Qel-Droma after Plagueis and had Ragnar imprisoned on Mustafar. Leading the Jedi in the Clone Wars, he has been trying to keep good relations by submitting to the demands of the Senate, yet keeping important information that is only pertinent to Jedi ideals. He is obsessed with visions, knowing it helped him to locate Plagueis, along with some push from Palpatine (aka Sidious, who implanted the vision, which Sifo-Dyas never figured out).

Adi Gallia (67) - Mistress of the Taris Spire Academy. She was the mentor of Siri, aka Obi-Wan’s wife, and she does at times hold him responsible for her pupil’s death, since Obi-Wan convinced Siri to join him in the war effort.

Plo Koon (72) - Master of the Tython Academy (a planet which would be later named as Byss), he is a semi-laxed Jedi who trains his pupils to resist the Dark Side as best as possible on Tython’s moon of Bogan, producing some of the best warriors the Jedi have in the Clone Wars, yet he himself appouses not to join the war effort. Being on the Jedi’s home of Tython, with the moons of Ashla and Bogan representing Light and Dark respectively, he firmly believes in the dichotomy of the Force yet as a means of balancing oneself.

Shadday (38) - Mistress of the Alderaan Enclave after Yoda left, she is the youngest of the Jedi Masters at age 35. Though appearing to be humble, she is very arrogant and prideful of her work, particularly using lightsaber crystals to act as cloaking devices for Jedi missions. This weaponization of lightsaber crystals against Ragnar is what leads to the prototype of the Death Star laser. Ironically, this is what kills her during the final battle on Alderaan as Ragnar’s troops take the weapon to use on the Republic and Jedi, leaving her for dead.

Yoda (865) - Jedi Master who remains hidden. Having fought the Sith a millennia ago, he knows the cost of war and believes there is a greater hand controlling everything. It is for this reason Yoda is one of the few masters who vehemently opposes fighting in the Clone Wars. He does appear to Anakin as a guide before he leaves, and when Obi-Wan calls for him through the Force, Yoda suspects a greater hand in this war.

Important note: Though he may appear, he will never be named Yoda to hide his appearance. Just as “master” to Obi-Wan and “troll” around everyone else.

Jedi Apprentice

Qai Qel-Droma (17) - Son of Quenten Qel-Droma, he grew up hearing stories of his father’s exploits. Years after his sister ran away and his dad died, he joined the Jedi as a young recruit. However, he’s soon captured by Mandalorians and clones during a terrorist attack on Coruscant and is the prisoner of the Clonemasters to be experimented on, but not before he briefly is reunited with his sister, Kara. He only survived thanks to his weak Force-sensitivity and working with the enslaved Clonemaster Atha Prime to send messages to the Republic.


Story

The story thus far:

It is about 37 BBY. The Clone Wars have already gone on for years. Serving Chancellor Vallorum and Vice-Chancellor Organa, Commander Obi-Wan Kenobi has been attacking worlds allied to the Clonemasters. Young Anakin Skywalker has excelled in the battlefield, using strategies and his piloting skills to overtake enemies. Kara Lok, a specialist in the Republic military, remains on Coruscant to help the guards watch over Vice-Chancellor Organa and former Naboo queen Padme Amidala (soon to be Skywalker) when she’s informed about two individuals who have been detains in Coruscant’s spaceport security.

Chapters

                  “Season 1” - Places include Bpfassh, Coruscant, Telos IV, and Mustafar

Prologue - On Coruscant, Padme says goodbye to her fiance, Anakin, who marches off to war with Obi-Wan.

Chapter 1: Explosive Greetings - Owen and Beru arrive on Coruscant to see Anakin and Obi-Wan when they’re almost arrested and freed by Kara. As she gives them the tour, they all eventually try to meet up (with Padme?) when there’s an attack.

Chapter 2: A Slight Ringing - On Christophsis (or whatever planet), Anakin and Obi-Wan are cleaning up a battle with fellow Jedi Knight Sian Jiesal before word gets back to then about what has happened, and Anakin contacts Padme, only to hear from Owen and Beru.

Flashback to include for chapter 2: After the disaster on Naboo that led to it falling in the hands of clones, young Jedi apprentice Anakin meets Naboo’s exiled queen Padme on Coruscant to guard her. Padme immediately notes Anakin’s messy hair and tries to clean it up, noting how it reminds her of her now-dead niece which makes Padme breakdown and have Anakin comfort her.

Chapter 3: Missing Piece - Bail has Kara look into the attack with the Jedi, and she learns of some info regarding Telos IV (which may be a combo to a lock or ancient knowledge that can stabilize the cloning process).

Chapter 4: Meeting with the Masters - Anakin and Obi-Wan meet with the Masters of the Academies who tell them to go to Telos IV.

Chapter 5: Telos IV - Obi-Wan leads the attack on Telos IV.

Chapter 6: A Lost Soldier - Anakin crashlands and contacts Obi-Wan before he heads out to destroy the shield generator. Despite the edge, Obi-Wan is suffering heavy losses, and Anakin is left behind after a sudden explosion.

Chapter 7: A Quiet Return - Forced to leave Anakin on Telos IV, Obi-Wan heads back to Coruscant to face Padme, Owen, and Beru. That is when he meets the council for his report. Obi-Wan prepares to head out but not before telling Kara to search for Anakin and about his search for a number of Jedi, including Qai Qel-Droma.

Flashback to include for chapter 7: Following Naboo’s capture, Obi-Wan takes Anakin under him after talking with a few other Jedi Master who are uncertain about him.

Chapter 8: Departures - After Obi-Wan informs Owen and Beru what’s going on, Owen sticks with Obi-Wan while Beru either a) lets Kara’s group (made of soldiers and Sian) get on her ship to head for Telos IV or b) stays with a recovering Padme as Kara gives her a communique to stay in touch just in case she needs an assist.

Chapter 9: Beck and Call - Anakin wakes up near the cloning base/facility/former Jedi Academy and he’s beckoned towards it by an old voice. Inside, he keeps seeing a figure until he meets Xek, a fellow Jedi Padawan whom he thought died during the disaster on Naboo.

Chapter 10: Old Friends - While Anakin and Xek learn about bits of knowledge from the old facility (Anakin sensing a Force Ghost presence), Kara and crew are attacked by Clonemaster ships and crash but not before Sian senses some dark presence (i.e. Ragnar) aboard one of the ships.

Flashback to include for Chapter 10: Having returned to Coruscant from Naboo, Kara meets her little brother at their father’s memorial.

Chapter 11: Lost Ones - Along with Owen, Obi-Wan heads into the underbelly of Coruscant to learn where the missing had all gone. It leads him to finding a spaceport where he comes face-to-face with Mandalorians from the battle of Galidraan.

Chapter 12: Reunion - Anakin, after leaving Xek for a bit, reunites with Kara and crew (including Beru?). The two heads towards the cloning facility after escaping some more clones. There, they find an old droid call 1L-Um which they begin to work on to get up and running.

Chapter 13: Making Contact - Focus on Padme on Coruscant as she and Bail notice the growing military power. That’s when someone (Beru?) comes in to inform the two about Kara’s reports of crashing and meeting Anakin. This leads them to setting up another rescue mission, yet they try to do so more discreetly.

Chapter 14: Ghosts - After escaping the clones, Kara, while haunted by her father’s ghost, reminisces how she and Anakin were in a similar situation years ago. Yet, everyone is surprised when they meet Xek, seemingly alive after the great disaster that was the bombing of Naboo.

Chapter 15: Shipped Off - Obi-Wan wakes up aboard a ship filled with captured Jedi, including Qai Qel-Droma. Alongside Owen (whom Obi-Wan has him pretend to be a Jedi) Obi-Wan explains to Qai what happened when Mandalorians come in.

Flashback to include for chapter 15: On Naboo (where all chaos breaks loose with the clones revolting), Obi-Wan feels Leela’s death, gets Anakin away, and leaves behind Xek, an apprentice of Jedi Knight Sian Jiesal.

Chapter 16: A Failed Retrieval - Padme’s ship arrives to help, but despite everyone’s best efforts, the crew is captured by clones in a tractor beam, and they face the leader of the group, Ragnar, who plans to use them all as hostages.

Chapter 17: The Vault - On Telos’ surface, Anakin tries to argue for the freedom of a tied up Xek while everyone else, including Sian (Xek’s master), keeps saying he’s too dangerous as they don’t know how Xek could even be alive. Yet, throughout the search, Anakin keeps hearing a voice telling him to beware the Dark Side. With the info from Kara and a reactivated 1L-UM, the group accesses a vault of Sith knowledge from which a bunch of clones (who are let in by Xek) loot. Anakin has to let them go with it and Kara in order for Padme to be freed.

Chapter 18: Ragnar - Kara wakes up aboard Ragnar’s ship, finding herself with a captured Obi-Wan who is brought aboard with the other Jedi, including her brother Qai. The entire group is sent to Mustafar to be tortured and used. However, Kara has left a tracker on, which Anakin notices and uses that as he’s picked up by Bail.

Flashback to include for chapter 18: As the clones break loose and revolt on Naboo, Kara sees Anakin’s power being unleashed in the streets of Theed as he wipes aside clones to chase after someone.

Chapter 19: Points of Convergence - Anakin and Bail meets with Tarkin and co. about attacking Mustafar. Arriving on Mustafar, Ragnar has the prisoners split up: Jedi are to be experimented on while regulars are to be cloned to make new agents to replace them and infiltrate the Republic (as the ones who attacked Coruscant did). Just as Ragnar accesses the loot from the vault (enough to receive a vision of the future), the Republic fleet under Tarkin arrives and engages his own.

Chapter 20: The Fiery Fall - Led by Anakin, the Republic fighters break through, yet they fire on the facility. After breaking free with everyone else who wasn’t taken away (including Qai), Obi-Wan and Kara has them escape the facility. Anakin crashes to reunite with this friend and leads them to Ragnar’s old prison for shelter. Xek himself wants to fight Anakin but loses control and falls to the barrage.

Chapter 21: Aftermath - As Sifo-Dyas oversees everyone’s recovery, he’s bombarded with questions. It’s not helped when the Senate arranges for the Jedi to move to Tython, as a political move to separate the Jedi from power. He goes to rest himself and wonders on the future as he sees another vision of Ragnar fighting against a figure of equal darkness.

Chapter 22: Qel-Droma - Kara, after seeing her father yet again and everything else that has happened, loses it briefly when she’s alone (can be seen when Anakin visits her and she says it’s nothing). She visits Obi-Wan and Anakin to console them, even admitting her last name “Qel-Droma.” Owen can talk to Obi-Wan about Anakin during a funeral service in which the soldiers release “firefly”-like machines to represent the dead.

Flashback to include for chapter 22: Anakin remembering the death of Jedi Knight Leela at Ragnar’s hands on Naboo, which triggered his rage and his powers.

Interlude 1: Sifo-Dyas - Show Sifo-Dyas trying to investigate the remaining lightsaber crystal underneath the Coruscant temple when Obi-Wan is there with Anakin, the latter there to gain a lightsaber for himself (and it’s more like how Leia got hers from ESB Infinities).

Interlude 2: Tarkin - Show Tarkin with Republic intel decoding messages (from Atha Prime).

Interlude 3: Jerec - Show Jerec and/or a fallen Bpfasshi Jedi being captured after being chased by Ragnar (who wants to use them to get into Tython).

                  “Season 2” - Places include Tython/Ashla, Alderaan, Tatooine, Taris, Galidraan

Chapter 23: Studies in the Dark - Anakin, helping with the move to Tython, tries to get more info on the Sith. He’s denied access by Master Shadday until a green troll helps Anakin to enter, wishing to study the Jedi to see what he does. The troll prevents Anakin from accessing any forbidden knowledge, giving only what he should know at his level, including talking to 1L-UM. Anakin is then sent back to Tatooine with Padme.

Chapter 24: The Shining Star - Kara is on Alderaan, meeting with Jedi to work on building a power source. Kara implants the idea of it being a powerful weapon, which Jedi Shadday initially refuses only to reconsider later down the line. Kara also gains knowledge of a crime boss selling weapons to the clones on Tatooine, which she informs Anakin about. She also visits her mom when she’s approached by Queen Breha, and the two discuss the war and its effects on the people as they see through the number of refugees. That is when Kara is told to head to Tatooine.

Possible quotes:
Kara, after talking to Shadday: (Kara) “Being a Jedi’s daughter has its days.”

Chapter 25: Like Siblings - For a month or two, Obi-Wan is Owen and Beru back on Tatooine. The trio do get into a scuffle with some local crime bosses, which Obi-Wan easily mind tricks away. That is when Obi-Wan notices a figure that resembles Leela lurking by, leading him to follow until he bumps into Anakin and Padme who just arrived. On Naboo, the clone Omega reports to Ragnar about what has happened. Ragar then sets his plan into motion as he eyes rows upon rows of clone vats, while the clone rejects lie at his feet.
Can show Atha Prime working to the bone, himself chained.

Chapter 26: Home Sweet Home - Padme is given a tour of Obi-Wan’s old home of Anchorhead as well as the grave of Anakin’s mother. Padme is a little shocked by the use of slaves and criminals on Tatooine, which Owen considers as “the place to go when someone wants to get away.” Then, the group is attacked.

Chapter 27: Rushing Along - Kara arrives on Tatooine, just after the crew is snuffed out of their dwelling. When asked by Obi-Wan and Anakin, she explains that she received a communique about someone wanting Obi-Wan. Given what has happened, the crew heads to Kara’s ship which is destroyed.

Flashback to include for chapter 27: Kara is with Rayner, a soldier whom she has grown close to, until he is revealed to be a sleeper clone agent as he pulls a gun on her.

Chapter 28: Escape - Escaping Tatooine on the Knight Errant, our heroes wonder what is going on. Owen wants himself and Beru to go home but our heroes state they’re a target too, so they first head to Taris for sanctuary.

Chapter 29: A City of Wastes - Arriving on Taris, Obi-Wan meets with Mistress Adi Gallia and reports to the other Jedi of what has happened. Kara, having been injured during the escape, focuses on getting herself healed. At the same time, Jedi Knight Sian is forced back after a failed attempt to retake Naboo and is chased with Ragnar coming after her.

Chapter 30: Ceilings and Floors - Anakin’s uncertainties grow, taking him away from Padme and the others as he tries to learn as best as he could about defeating Ragnar. Owen and Beru do get in his way. Something however is calling him, and it comes true when they notice ships landing in the wastes, bringing him and Obi-Wan to head towards it.

Flashback to include for chapter 30: A younger Anakin is confronted by Owen and Beru on Naboo in order to convince him to not become a Jedi.

Chapter 31: Face-to-Face - Kara wakes up, seeing her father’s ghost over her, in time to hear about what’s going on and comes across a cloned Leela. That is when Anakin and Obi-wan arrive at their area and come across Ragnar with several other Jedi to capture him after a great struggle. Obi-Wan and Anakin have to run back when they hear about clone Leela.

Chapter 32: A Haunted Victory - Kara, Padme, Owen, and Beru try to deal with clone Leela but are having trouble. Afterwards, Obi-Wan, Kara, and Anakin report to the surprised Jedi Council who tell them to bring Ragnar and Leela to Tython.

Chapter 33: A Quiet Shadow - Anakin is keeping an eye on Ragnar aboard the Knight Errant, trying to get answers (especially on Plagueis) and keeping Padme away from him. However, Ragnar states they both should wait until they arrive at their destination. At best, Anakin can only hear the Sith code as well as Ragnar winning. Anakin is about to scoff at the idea of freeing Ragnar when the Sith says he “wouldn’t be surprised if it happened again.” With Ragnar taken to Ashla, Anakin himself wonders if the same would happen to him, which Obi-Wan confirms that Anakin wouldn’t fall.

Interlude 4: Breha - As Sian is recovering and trains for a bit, Breha is on Coruscant, noticing the anti-Jedi fervor growing to see her husband. With his wife, Bail tries to run for Chancellor only to be met by Palpatine.

Chapter 34: Leela’s Light - On Tython, Obi-Wan tries to get a feeling of the cloned Leela, unable to figure out how to deal with the clone of his dead friend. Yet being with Leela makes Obi-Wan wonder about how Kara knew that he was under attack and who her source was. Things aren’t helped when Bail and Breha arrive on Tython, the former to discuss with the Jedi about gaining support from the Senate to reclaim Naboo (something which many Jedi are hesitant about since they already failed with that endeavour).

Flashback to include chapter 34: Watching over a young Anakin train, Obi-Wan meets with a living Leela and confides in her about his doubts of training Anakin due to the young man’s rashness and overconfidence. Leela of course brings up Obi-Wan being the same before Yoda trained him and now.f

Chapter 35: Sifting Through - Anakin confronts the Jedi Council on answers, with Obi-Wan to back him up. Ultimately, the Council explains of the old mission that led to Quenten Qel-Droma’s death and gives the two permission to sift through the Sith knowledge. Kara, still haunted by her father, is trying to investigate the findings from the Telos IV facility which is in the same area. Obi-Wan and Anakin join in to learn what exactly Ragnar was looking for and find a holocron no one can access. Yet, all three learn of the figure known as “Sidious” from a few recordings.

Chapter 36: An Old Darkness - Obi-Wan, Kara and Anakin call Ragnar’s prison on Ashla. Ragnar admits he let himself be captured to figure out Sidious’ real identity, believing Sidious will try to eliminate him. Just as Ragnar starts to explain how Sidious has an interest in Anakin’s powers and explains there are communications in his transport, Kara interrupts as she mentions the cloning techniques Plagueis used. Ragnar mocks Kara on how she’s a tool just like her father was and how her brother Qai will be, which forces Anakin and Obi-Wan to hold Kara back. Ragnar also mocks the two Jedi on how seeing clone Leela must be uncomfortable for them.

Chapter 37: Lingering Shades - After hearing Ragnar’s words of Sidious’ interest in Anakin’s progress, Obi-Wan investigates only to find no communications about Sidious. Remembering Kara’s interactions with Ragnar, Obi-Wan suspects her. Meanwhile, Anakin finds the holocron of Plagueis, only to hesitate and leave it, but not before he’s met by the green troll (Yoda) and by Dooku’s Force Ghost.

Flashback to include for chapter 37: After arriving on Naboo in time for a peace summit, Obi-Wan is with Kara and Anakin as they report to the Jedi Council who tells them to keep quiet about what happened. In that, Kara scoffs at “Jedi truths.”

Chapter 38: A Shaken Group - Bail, Breha, Sian, Padme, Owen, and Beru try to uplift Anakin, Obi-Wan and Kara, but there are growing underlying tensions between the three. Just as it’s revealed that Anakin is the one who unleashed Ragnar, Obi-Wan is given the order to go to Galidraan. Meanwhile, the clone Omega and Veila Bralor plan to draw the Jedi away to attack the Taris Academy.

Chapter 39: A Question of Belief - Obi-Wan, though shaken, visits Leela one more time. Anakin is there before him, wondering how he can face his own mistakes. Obi-Wan, acting as the master, assures him and even goes as far to take Plagueis’ holocron and gives it to Anakin, believing that his student is strong enough to resist it. Before he leaves, Obi-Wan has Kara come with him to ascertain everything.

Chapter 40: Doubts - Returning to Taris, Kara is confronted by a hesitant Obi-Wan about her loyalties, which Kara affirms her loyalty is to the Republic. Kara is watched over by Jedi Sian on Taris while Obi-Wan heads over to Galidraan to confront his own past.

Flashback to include for chapter 40: On the planet Katarr, a stranded Kara and Rayner are rescued by Obi-Wan and Anakin who picked up their signal and came to help them.

Chapter 41: The Clone Deception - After talking to Padme one more time, Anakin at last comes to Ragnar’s prison on Ashla and demands to know the knowledge inside the holocron. Ragnar explains only two Force-users with the Dark Side could access it. Together, they access it. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan realizes he’s facing the real Ragnar and escapes in time.

Chapter 42: Code to Destruction - At the same time, the Mandalorians arrive to destroy the Taris Academy. Adi Gallia helps Kara and Sian escape, sacrificing herself as the Academy is destroyed. Kara meets up with Obi-Wan and the pair head over to Tython for Anakin, who is now standing over the collapsed Ragnar clone whose mind went insane before able to complete the download from the holocron. Yet, his death causes an explosion that Anakin escapes, destroying the holocron in the process and distracting enough Jedi for clone Leela to escape.

Chapter 43: Through Victory, Freedom - On Tython, Anakin finds clone Leela holding Padme hostage. Clone Leela is on the verge of psychosis herself and will take anyone will her but Anakin appeasing to the real Leela’s memories lets him fight her. The two duel (clone Leela using the yellow saber of the real Leela, and Anakin using his blue saber) and Anakin barely wins, granting an insane clone Leela a quick death after falling into the Dark Side. Reunited with Padme, the two agree that they should get married now.

Flashback to include for chapter 43: Before Katarr, Anakin is taken through the Jedi Temple by Obi-Wan and is given the Jedi Code to learn from.

Chapter 44: Masters and Servants - As Ragnar addresses his men, Anakin and Padme’s wedding on Alderaan, via Obi-Wan’s eyes as he talks to Yoda (who mentions Anakin must face his own fears and may find it on Korriban) and notices Kara’s own attitude. Afterwards, Anakin visits the spot of Leela’s supposed grave, recalling the very events as he at last drops Leela’s yellow blade into the water and turns, not bothering to watch it go, as he recalls the line in the Sith Code, “Through victory, my chains are broken.” Meanwhile, Kara herself goes to talk with her own master, Sidious, to report her findings, and here, it is revealed Sidious has been keeping track of Ragnar’s progress and wants to ensure that Ragnar doesn’t outdo him in the long-run.

Possible dialogue:
Between Yoda and Obi-Wan: (Yoda) “Lies his true test does in the heart of evil… on Korriban.”

Interlude 5: Show a Mandalorian/clone trying to find info Sidious while on Caamas, but he’s stopped by Sian.

Interlude 6: Plo Koon - Focus on Plo Koon who trains Obi-Wan and Anakin on Bogan in preparation for the mission to Korriban.

Interlude 7: Veila - A bit focused on Clonemaster Veila Bralor and clone Omega on Naboo. They prepare for what’s to come and relax before the Republic appears.

                  “Season 3” - Places include Naboo, Korriban, Coruscant, Kessel, Tython, Alderaan

Chapter 45: Road to Reclamation - Meanwhile, Tarkin and Obi-Wan lead the assault, with Kara dropping off troops.

Chapter 46: Storming the Castle - Anakin storms through the remains of Theed City until he recaptures it. With victory at hand, the Jedi and Republic forces gather what Intel they can get from the leftover info.

Chapter 47: Names and Places - Kara goes through the list of prisoners left behind by the clones and is soon met by Palpatine, as Plo Koon, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and several other Jedi head for Korriban, with Jerec as a guide.

Flashback to include for chapter 47: Once flying her ship over Katarr, Kara and Rayner are attaceked by Ragnar, and the two are the only suvivors who escape onto Katarr’s surface in time.

Chapter 48: Heart of Darkness - Arriving on Korriban, the Jedi and Republic forces go through the Valley of the Dark Lords, some of whom are eaten by tukata and whatnot. At last, Jerec-who reveals himself as Ragnar’s spy and wishes to learn more of the Sith-escapes in the confusion and Anakin goes after him, while Obi-Wan leads his troops through the wastes.

Chapter 49: Jen’ari - Going into the tomb, Anakin has visions of the future by encountering ghost-like figures of people he does and doesn’t know fighting him, ending with a ghostly vision of twisted black figure emerging and attacking Anakin with a red saber blade, before he at last leaves the tomb to face Ragnar.

Chapter 50: Truths of a Sith - Ragnar brings Anakin to the tombs of ancient Sith Lords which recounts the first of them as Jedi Knights. Then, Anakin realizes Ragnar is dying and Ragnar tells him that the Sith must live one way or another before he ominously disappears. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan has captured Jerec but Anakin leaves him for dead-stating they have bigger concerns-before they head to Alderaan.

Chapter 51: A Black Stain - Returning to Coruscant, Anakin meets with Palpatine who informs Anakin that his source has caught Ragnar on Kessel.

Flashback to include for chapter 51: Having crash-landed on the planet Mustafar (in which Clonemasters are fighting Jedi and Republic forces above), Anakin comes across a prison and he accidentally frees Ragnar. Not to mention, this is his first act after being taken in by the Jedi.

Chapter 52: Pale Light - After Anakin talks to Palpatine, he goes to Alderaan, where Obi-Wan is talking to Plo Koon and the other Jedi (some of whom are calling in) of the situation at hand. Anakin then spends time with Padme, Owen, and Beru stays with Padme while Obi-Wan and Kara talk about the future.

Chapter 53: From Silver to Orange - The next morning, Bail, Breha, Owen, Beru, and Padme say goodbye to our heroes, with Anakin getting a kiss from Padme for luck and Obi-Wan getting handshakes from Bail and Breha. Leaving for Kessel along with several others, the trio prepare themselves for what to expect. Dropping out, 1L-UM lands the ship while the Jedi on board cloak themselves using the Force.

Chapter 54: Moon of Spice - Arriving on Kessel, Obi-Wan leads the heroes into infiltrating the spice moon where prisoners are being cloned and/or put to work with Omega and Veila watching them. Just as the two were about to find our heroes, Qai comes in to whisk them away to safety and reunites them with clone Rayner.

Flashback to include for chapter 54: Before Mustafar, Obi-Wan, clad in black, meets a young Anakin, clad in white, for the first time. The two discuss, and their friendship is hinted at as Obi-Wan believes he can train Anakin. Their talk is interrupted as Obi-Wan is sent to Mustafar, with Anakin serving under him.

Chapter 55: Prime Maker - With clone Rayner, the heroes (Kara being uncomfortable as she had been the closest with Rayner) are to Atha Prime’s workshop, where a chained Atha Prime reveals Rayner is one of his agents, having been the one sending out secret messages to inform the Republic the going froms and tos of Ragnar as vengeance. Our heroes reluctantly promise Atha Prime freedom in exchange for knowledge of Ragnar’s fleet.

Chapter 56: Blocked Path - Our heroes initiate an escape plan, but it ends badly as Veila and Omega’s men catch them, with many of the fellow Jedi tag-alongs dead.

Chapter 57: Pull of the Maw - Our heroes are shown to Ragnar who orders them to be executed with Atha Prime, before he brings his fleet from the Maw. When Anakin feels Ragnar is heading on his way to the Core, and Omega’s men are about to execute Qai before Kara’s eyes, Anakin uses his anger to free himself and the others to escape.

Flashback to include for chapter 57: Many years before meeting Anakin, Obi-Wan loses his wife Siri on Galidraan in what would be the first battle of the Clone Wars.

Chapter 58: Breakout - After our heroes escape their cell, the ensuing escape from their captors is a bloodbath. Many more Republic troops and Jedi die, even prisoners as Kara causes a cave-in with detonators to trap the clones and Atha Prime inside. In the attack, Omega is wounded, and Veila tries to protect him, yet their forces leave them, under orders of Ragnar. Seeing their situation, Obi-Wan leaves Omega and Veila on Kessel, telling them to run and never look back.

Chapter 59: Invasion - Ragnar begins his attack by first bombarding Tython. Sifo-Dyas and Plo Koon help their fellow Jedi escape, but they themselves fall prey to the bombardment. Then, they head over to Alderaan, where Palpatine/Sidious is waiting.

Chapter 60: Bombardment - Anakin flies through the Maw to catch up with Ragnar’s fleet. To everyone’s shock, they find Ragnar’s ships barely scratching the planetary shields, but Ragnar’s crew has infiltrated the surface by going through a weakpoint to take Shadday’s weaponized lightsaber crystal cannon and fire on the Republic ships guarding the place (and less loyal to Palpatine).

Flashback to include for chapter 60: Years before meeting Obi-Wan, Anakin leaves his home against the wishes of his sick and dying mother and he escapes off-world.

Chapter 61: Into the Breach - Anakin and co arrive on their planet to take on the weapon after finding a dying Shadday and getting schematics from her. 1L-UM leads them inside, with Kara and Qai going to get the controls while Obi-Wan and Anakin buy them time by facing Ragnar and his troops.

Chapter 62: The Weapon - Kara and Qai go into the weapon’s controls, trying to figure out a way to shut it down when Ragnar’s troops come marching in and Kara is shot. Meanwhile, Ragnar, Anakin, Obi-Wan and a ruined 1L-UM are flung off the weapon which begins flying, with Obi-Wan and 1L-UM heading towards the palace where the civilian and others (including Palpatine) are taking refuge, while Anakin and Ragnar fight in the Jedi Academy.

Chapter 63: An Error of Judgement - Kara wakes up and helps her brother to defeat Ragnar’s troops by sucking them out into space. However, the weapon is damaged from Anakin and Ragnar’s fight (the two having pulled on the weapon with the Force), and Anakin tells Kara to take the weapon as far away as possible. Kara does so, but not before she ejects her brother into a nearby pod, telling him to stay safe.

Flashback to include for chapter 63: For her first mission for Sidious, after learning the Mandalorian ways and donning their armor, Kara is sent to Telos IV, where she finds her father and Qui-Gon dueling Plagueis (Sidious’ master). In the duel, Kara kills her father, starting off the chain of events that lead to the Clone Wars.

Chapter 64: Defenders - Meanwhile, Obi-Wan saves Breha, Bail, Owen, Beru, Padme, and Palpatine, yet Palpatine takes the glory by walking off and having Tarkin and his men show up. The rest go off to find Anakin in the mess.

Chapter 65: Mantle of the Dark Side - Though losing his lightsaber, Anakin Force-chokes Ragnar and kills him using the Sith’s own weapon. However, Ragnar uses his dying breath to foretell the future of the galaxy to Anakin. At the same time, Kara has the superweapon go into hyperspace but not before sending one last transmission to Anakin and Obi-Wan about the truth of her being Palpatine’s spy and Palpatine being behind the Clone Wars. A wounded Kara, seeing her father, asks him if she did good. Her father’s ghost, appearing in the window nods, and Kara smiles before she dies in the superweapon’s explosion.

Chapter 66: A Fading Star - In the aftermath, the Jedi have been all but wiped out, with only a few Jedi like Qai, Obi-Wan (who have discovered Qai), and Yoda, who all prepare to leave, but not before Obi-Wan picks up Anakin’s lightsaber and telling Bail and Padme to come look for him if they need help.

Epilogue - While the remaining Jedi prepare to leave with Owen and Beru, Anakin, having accepted the Dark Side, gives his saber to Obi-Wan and stays with an uncertain Padme.

THE END


And that is my prequel rewrite. It can be a bit confusing as to why I decided to end my story right there, but the main reason is this: when I was initially thinking of this idea (and it was a trilogy at the time), I wanted my story to stand on its own so its not too dependent on the OT as the actual PT ended being. The way to do that, I first thought (and I do mean first, because this is where this story and all its draft originated) of the idea of the story ending with Anakin giving his lightsaber to Obi-Wan after he has accepted the dark path, and he goes off to do his own thing while Obi-Wan goes into hiding with the remaining Jedi. Any amount of time between then and the OT could easily be guessed and/or implied upon for the reading audience to understand the basic gist, without having to spoil the OT.

Now, that I got this crud out of the way, I do hope you enjoy it. Sure, this is a freaking long post, but I hope you like it (I, at this point, have no interest in really writing this story out for what I have stated at the top). If you got any questions, let me know. Take care and stay safe.

Post
#1363823
Topic
What If? Canon-Divergent Story Ideas Thread
Time

I’ve had a few ideas for What-ifs of the sequel trilogy. I have no intention of writing them, but they’re right below if anyone’s interested.


Ep 7 TFA - What if Rey gave BB-8 to Unkarr Plutt?

Rey still gets the piece to the map, leading to the First Order cornering her. She’s saved when Han Solo crashes his barge into the First Order, but the two and the Falcon are taken away by Phasma. Finn, stuck on Jakuu, finds the piece and has the Resistance pick him up.

While Han and Rey are interrogated, the Resistance finds Luke but can barely get him to move. Eventually, Finn convinces him, especially when Kylo Ren contacts the Resistance to bargain for the chip. The two parties meet at Luke’s burnt down academy, Leia giving up the piece to Kylo and urging her son to return. Kylo is about to when Luke appears, enraging him as he leaves them to be destroyed by Starkiller Base. The new and old gangs escape and are united to put up a fight against the First Order.

A year later, Luke has trained Rey as a Jedi. Han and Leia work with the New Republic, but the FO has made a treaty with the NR, denying support for the Resistance. Meanwhile, Kylo trains until Snoke brings him to the clone Palpatine to plan the final move.

At the meeting, the clone Palpatine reveals himself to the galaxy and plans to take down the NR. While Luke, Leia, and Han fight Snoke and the clone Palpatine, Finn and Rey fight off Kylo. Together, the heroes win and are recognized as heroes by the rest of the galaxy.

The End


Ep 8 TLJ - What if Kylo killed Leia?

Kylo, after killing Leia, leaves the Resistance fleet. Feeling Leia’s death, Rey leaves to avenge her, which forces Luke to follow. The FO leaves the heavily damaged Resistance, as they are tracking them and will use the mini-Death Star laser to finish them off.

However, Luke and Rey’s arrival tips everything. They give the Resistance the chance to escape to a safe haven and mourn their losses while the First Order is trying to understand what is going on, especially a semi-distraught and numb Kylo, who is commended by Snoke and is sent to dispose of the rest.

A year goes by, and the Resistance is no more than just Luke, Rey, Finn, Poe, and crew. After training with all she has, Rey goes to fight Kylo against Luke’s orders. Kylo himself training meets Rey and the two fight (this would happen in a factory the FO has, hinting at the resources being sent to the Unknown Regions). Kylo would win but Leia’s spirit stops him, allowing Rey to escape with info where the weapons are going.

With that, our heroes go to stop Kylo who is growing insane. Luke defeats Snoke after admitting what he feared would’ve happened to Ben. However, he fails to stop Rey from killing Kylo in front of the Knights of Ren. As their new leader, Rey takes the Knights and heads off for the Unknown Regions to face Palpatine (who manipulated Luke this whole time) while Luke rebuilds the Jedi Order for real this time.

The End.


Ep 9 TRoS - What if Kylo Ren allied with the Resistance at the start to stop Palpatine?

Kylo Ren, hearing Palpatine’s call and confirming it with some forces, goes to the Resistance to take him down. Leia has found Lando and recruited him. Together they head out to Exegol to destroy Palpatine.

The brief alliance works in destroying some of Palpatine’s ships, but Rey is possessed by him when she strikes him down (not helped that Hux informed Palpatine of what is to come). Kylo is deposed and imprisoned by the Resistance/New Republic forces, with Finn berating him and Poe holding back Finn. Luke gives some hints of the Force to Finn, which leads to him gaining a lightsaber (yellow) of his own.

The possessed Rey leads an attack on the galaxy, striking at remnants of the New Republic. Sensing so much death and being talked to by Leia and ghost Luke, Kylo is forced to accept his evil deeds and to help the Resistance stop Rey before she becomes too powerful for even him to handle.

In order to stop the possessed Rey, Kylo increases the bond and lets her stab him. The wound shocks Rey Palpatine enough for Kylo to do the same to her. Trapped in a dying body, Palpatine’s spirit vanishes and the two die on the ground, having saved the galaxy from doom. This leaves Finn as the last Jedi left to be trained by two mentors, Leia and ghost Luke.

The End.

Post
#1347613
Topic
What other, non-SW stories do you want to write/tell?
Time

Okay, so I do have A COUPLE ideas to talk about (finally).

The first is actually based on a fanfiction of mine, a crossover between Avatar: The Last Airbender and Bionicle called Bending the Legend (https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13228605/1/Bending-the-Legend). Given just how the story is so different from either established franchise/story, I was thinking about making it into an original fantasy story/series. This original story can have science vs mystical elements, as a robot/ship crashes on a fantasy alien world that wield the typical four elements (water, wind, earth, and fire). Centuries later, a couple native kids of the alien world would come across a strange cyborg who can seemingly wield one of the four elements, except using scientific/technological means instead of mystical. Together, the trio would travel across this world to rescue a supposed chosen one (or avatar-like character) who was captured by the antagonists, members of a rival faction who wields one of the other three elements, and while doing so, our heroes would learn about this strange race of cyborgs from the stars called “humanity.” Just to change things up a bit, I’m planning to switch the genders and even elements of the characters from the original fanfiction (e.g. the female Waterbender Katara would actually be a boy who can use fire in the original story, and the villains would actually use the element of air). I’m thinking of calling the series Almanac of Almia, named after a supposed and missing “book of prophecy” (for a lack of a better term) that foretold a lot of the story’s events. I don’t know if I’ll actually get to it with my other stories, but hey it’s something in the works.

The next idea is somewhat of a fictionalized retelling of a famous Pre-Islamic poet named Antara ibn Shaddad. I admittedly only know what I can get from wiki, but the basic idea is that he is an Afro-Arab slave who was born to an Arab father and his Ethiopian slave. He grew to fame due to his strength and valor that won him his freedom as he sought the hand of a princess of his tribe, and his cousin, Abla in marriage. I honestly think it has enough potential to be an underdog story (personally, I could imagine John Boyega playing Antara if a fictional movie was ever made about him). I have been thinking doing such a thing, but I’m a bit conflicted on whether to use a historical setting with fantasy elements or a sci-fantasy retelling. The historical setting would place Antara around 550 AD as he goes out on adventures, deals with rival Arab tribes, is caught between the competing Sassanians and Byzantines, encounters magic-wielding occultists, and delves into Pre-Islamic culture of Arabia (mainly how just how disjointed the tribes were and whatnot, to be honest), e.g. destroyed kingdoms and different religions. The sci-fantasy version would have it either Antara be in a post-apocalyptic world OR an African-American in 1960s America when he’s whisked away into a grand space adventure - with lasers and swords of a typical pulpy space story - where he tries to return home to his sweetheart. I’m on the fence of which one to use but hopefully it will turn out good at the end.

Post
#1344398
Topic
What other, non-SW stories do you want to write/tell?
Time

Okay, I thought I’d write this to ask just what’s on the tin: what other, non-SW stories do you want to write/tell? It doesn’t have to be just retellings of an established franchise/product/story. This can include original stories, fanfictions, short stories, haikus, etc. (heck, it can even be non-fiction if you want). I’ve been having a few ideas here or there, and I’ll see if I can post them whenever I can compile them together. Until then, take care.

Post
#1339708
Topic
Doctor Who
Time

Anakin Starkiller said:

It’s one thing to say the individual who would one day become the Doctor had previous lives. It’s a whole other to say they were going around already fully formed as the Doctor with the police box and everything long before Hartnell.

100% agree! Personally, I would have preferred it if the Doctor was still a regular Timelord but the High Council had given him previous lives before Hartnell (and this would be before he called himself the Doctor). But given the way things are, I’d stick with my crazy idea of killing off the Doctor at Capaldi and having the Valeyard replace him as a “redeemed” figure.

Post
#1339640
Topic
Reimagining Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
Time

Alright, so there have been talks about redoing the prequels, sequels, originals, and even one for SW Rebels. Given The Clone Wars (TCW) is back for its finale, I thought I’d ask if and/or how you would want to reimagine TCW? If so, would you want to stick to the old EU continuity or follow what the show has provided? What tone would you want to use (something more like The Mandalorian or more kid-friendly)?

Now, I’m going to come out and say it: While I can enjoy bits here or there, I don’t really like TCW as everyone does (and this is ignoring how the show contradicted with pre-existing EU materials at the time of its initial airing). Personally, I never liked the show’s episode format (i.e. how it was drawn out or not put in chronological order at time) or how dumb down it felt in comparison to Tartakosky’s Clone Wars or the Clone Wars multimedia project, including-but not limited to-the heroes (Anakin and Obi-Wan, while given a bit of depth, felt a bit static in terms of their character growth; it took me A LONG TIME to care for Ahsoka’s character, etc.) and the main villains (Grievous and Dooku don’t need to be said; Ventress never killed a single Jedi throughout the entire time TCW had been on air; Mother Talzin’s plan barely made a lick of sense; etc.).

That being said, I do understand that the show did (re-)introduce Star Wars to a lot of people, and again, there are bits I like. It’s kind of why I want to discuss and see what anyone here can come up with. I personally think is more for fun than to prove one side is wrong or I can do something better.

As for me, whether or not I stick with the old EU continuity, I am doing this:

  1. Anakin and Obi-Wan are not the main focus of the show. I’m doing this because they already have an entire trilogy (one that didn’t flesh them out fully but still) and having them in the show would kinda take away any from wondering if they’re going to make it. They can still show up as recurring characters (maybe even dedicate a couple episodes to their bonding) and we can still see how their relationship grows (I believe TCW had done this with lesser known character, except it’s just Anakin and Obi-Wan instead). Ahsoka, or a character like her, would still be in the main cast, now comprised of less-known or original characters (probably consist of Jedi, Republic spies, soldiers, etc.) who doing their own things, but slowly gather together until mid-way or the end of season 1.

  2. Make the main antagonists (the Separatists) threatening. I already stated my thoughts on TCW’s villains. The main conflict of TCW is boiled down to Republic vs Separatists, and the Separatists were rarely-if at all-given any long lasting victories. Villains like Darth Maul are good in the show, but they should be acting as tertiary antagonists, not overshadowing the main ones (which happens in TCW due to the incompetency of the Separatists military leaders). If anything, the Separatists would be a little closer to what is seen in Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars. Plus, I’m thinking of using original villains that don’t take away from characters like Grievous but still stand on their own and add a bit of ambiguity to the war.

  3. Streamline the story and try to focus it on the main characters. Again, I’ve mentioned how I didn’t like TCW’s episode format. While it did show aspects of the Clone Wars, certain stories were unnecessarily drawn out over several episodes (did we really need three/four episodes dedicated to the antics of the droids and the frog Republic officer?). What I have in mind is something more like SW Rebels and The Mandalorian mixed with Avatar: The Last Airbender, showing more “episodic” stories that build into an overarching narrative. This could include stuff like: the Jedi being suspicious of the clones early on (something the actual show didn’t touch on until near the end), what the populace think of the war, etc. More than likely, the story itself would start from Geonosis or right after and continue way past Order 66 (to show the dark times).

That’s all I have for now. I think I might have more, but please let me know what you think and how you would you want to reimagine TCW yourselves. Take care.