Duel of the Fates: The "Star Wars: Episode 9" we would have wanted
Colin Trevorrow was actually supposed to direct "Star Wars: Episode 9". He was fired in 2017 due to creative differences with Lucasfilm. The script, which he had written himself at the time, is said to have been leaked.
What would "Star Wars: Episode 9 - The Rise of Skywalker" have looked like if director and screenwriter Colin Trevorrow had not been fired by Lucasfilm in 2017? First of all, the film would have been called something else.
"Star Wars: Episode 9 - Duel of the Fates".
In January, the rejected script is said to have been leaked by Youtuber Robin Meyer Burnett. Since the leak, concept art - handmade drawings to visualise the script - has surfaced. It fits perfectly with the alleged Trevorrow script. In fact, the disgraced director has verified the drawings: "Yes, these drawings are real and are from 'Duel of the Fates'."
Trevorrow not only confirms the authenticity of the drawings, but also the title of his film - "Duel of the Fates". However, he does not confirm the authenticity of the leaked script. At least not directly.
However, unless someone told us what was in Trevorrow's script before the concept art was released, the evidence suggests that the script is genuine. I'll say this much: his Duel of the Fates script, which you can download here, is "Star Wars" through and through. Maybe even better than "The Rise of Skywalker". Pretty sure, in fact.
Let's take a look.
Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away...
Episode IX: DUEL OF THE FATES
The iron grip of the FIRST ORDER reaches into the furthest reaches of the
galaxy. Only a few scattered planets remain unoccupied. Traitorous acts
are punishable by death.
Determined to nip growing unrest in the bud, Supreme Leader KYLO REN
has cut off all communication between neighbouring systems.
Under the leadership of GENERAL LEIA ORGANA, the valiant resistance has planned a secret mission to escape annihilation and find a final path to freedom...
The planet Kuat is located in the centre of the infinite starry carpet of the Core Worlds. A gigantic metal ring surrounds it: the most important shipyard of the First Order, where the largest fleet the galaxy has ever seen is under construction. Its fuel comes from the planetary refineries. In exchange for apparent safety and food, civilians from all worlds are forcibly recruited to work there under the most adverse conditions - a cruel picture of oppression...
. and the secret goal of our heroes.
Their plan is to sneak into one such refinery - with the help of Biss Kova, a hairy alien and overseer, but secret ally of the resistance. Once there, they plan to smuggle a remote-controlled bomb into a turbolift leading to the orbital metal ring. An explosion is intended to trigger a chain reaction that will not only cut off the fuel supply but also destroy the entire fleet.
A transport ship touches down in the canyon of white-blue sedimentary rock. Stormtroopers wipe the swirling silver sand from their visors as the ship unloads a new shipment of immigrant labourers.
One of them is FINN, hidden under rags.
FINN
I'm at the checkpoint. Keep your heads down.
A man, his face covered by his dusty robe, nods. A bottleneck forms in front of the security checkpoint. Aliens shout in dozens of alien languages. A beast-like Drovian bumps into FINN.
FINN
Whoa, hey. We don't want any trouble.
The Drovian grabs Finn by the back of the neck and lifts him up with one hand, snarling.
FINN
Anger. ANGER!
The man in the robe tries to get between them. POE DAMERON.
POE
Take it easy, mate.
Poe pulls a dried three-eyed peckto fish from the leather pouch under his robe.
POE
Here. Couldn't finish it.
The Drovian eyes the fish, drops Finn and eats.
Poe's hand still rests on the hidden blaster as Finn regains his balance and rubs the back of his neck.
FINN
Thank you
The first part works: Finn, Poe, Rose and BB-8 overpower a group of mechtroopers and smuggle the bomb into an orbital lift. The lift explodes. But the chain reaction fails to materialise.
OFFICER
Shields have contained the explosion, Admiral. All systems are stable.
Through the viewports of the metal rings, Admiral Vonn looks down at Kuat with a sneer.
ADMIRAL VONN
Her predictable tactics are... pitiful.
Stormtroopers soon surround Finn, Poe, Rose and BB-8. Above them, the orbital ring of Kuat - intact. The mission - failed. The stormtroopers' blasters - aimed at the heroes.
A deadly shadow flits out of nowhere.
It is an unknown Tusken raider, swirling above the troopers. He holds a double lightsaber. Light-footed and prancing, he picks off one white-armoured man after another until none of the troopers are left standing. Finally, the Tusken bandit drops his mask. Then his sand-grey robe.
It's Rey.
She presents herself in a new look - all in black, just like Luke Skywalker in "The Return of the Jedi". Her new weapon is made from the remains of Luke's lightsaber and her old fighting stick.
More stormtroopers appear. Too many of them. But the workers have realised by now that Rey, the Jedi, is there. They cheer, hopeful, and stand in the way of the troopers: rebellion.
But Rey can't stay and fight for the oppressed, perhaps even free them. Plagued by feelings of guilt, she and her friends are forced to flee. The plan to sneak out of the refinery unnoticed and disappear from a nearby colony comes to nothing. A new plan is needed.
Poe looks up at the orbital ring.
POE
We need a new ship.
His eyes flash, lingering on a gigantic Star Destroyer - an ivory-coloured colossus in space.
REY
You can't be serious!
FINN
That's a Eclipse-class star destroyer. You can't fly it.
POE
I can fly anything.
Rose hacks into the systems of the turbolift to the ship.
ROSE
We're in!
The plan works. Rey manipulates the ship's crew on the bridge via mind control, Poe takes the pilot's seat. Together they manoeuvre the ship out of the danger zone: an unexpected victory for the Resistance.
Admiral Vonn, on the other hand, is killed for his failure by the Knights of Ren, who arrive too late. Unlike in "The Rise of Skywalker", the Knights of Ren have names and some dialogue scenes: There's Hattaska Ren, the leader, Ott and Lorl Ren, the twins, and Jaedec Ren, the assassin.
Coruscant, a central setting in "Duel of the Fates"
It's a grim picture that Coruscant reveals. The First Order has built a gigantic, floating capital over the ruins of what remains of the Republic and the Galactic Empire. Below, the population lives in poverty, mostly as scrap metal collectors.
General Hux is now Chancellor Hux. Like Supreme Leader Snoke once did, he rules the population via gigantic holograms. Tough and without mercy. Public executions in large squares are the order of the day. The regime of the First Order almost makes people wish for the Galactic Empire back.
Chancellor HUX (HOLOGRAM)
Once again, a conspirator is accused of high treason.
The guards remove the conspirator's hood and reveal BISS KOVA, the alien from the Kuat colony.
Chancellor HUX (HOLOGRAM)
Though his betrayal has had little effect, we must not forget the consequences for those who defy our Supreme Leader.
The guards lead Biss Kova to a guillotine with a hissing laser blade. Biss stares up in silence.
Chancellor HUX (HOLOGRAM)
But Kylo Ren is not without mercy, just as the traitor is not without remorse. The Supreme Leader therefore offers this man's life in exchange for the location of the Resistance base.
Biss Kova remains defiant. Hux's hologram is irritated.
BISS KOVA
Kofa rebiva tora famlia...
Chancellor HUX (HOLOGRAM)
So be it.
The guards place Bite Kova's neck on the scaffold.
BITE KOVA
Kofa rebiva tora famlia...
Kofa rebiva tora famlia...
The laser blade falls.
Hours later. At a richly laid table, the First Order warlords and Chancellor Hux enjoy a lavish dinner. Kylo Ren is not present; the fate of the First Order has been transferred to Hux in his absence.
But the Warlords fear unrest and revolt, fuelled by the spark of hope that Luke and Rey ignited in "The Last Jedi".
JOR NULT
It's Skywalker that people believe in, not the law. And in his pupil, this girl. This Jedi. She has become a symbol of hope.
RAYKAR SHEN
People think she's going to destroy you, Hux. You and your master.
Chancellor HUX
Kylo Ren is not a master. And certainly not mine.
UGGMOT
We must kill the last Jedi!
Chancellor HUX
The Knights of Ren were created to eliminate them.
LORD GHERLID
Our fate in the hands of religious zealots? You ask us to trust you, but give us nothing to earn it. Where is Kylo Ren?
Chancellor HUX
The Supreme Leader will return as soon as he has gained the Sith knowledge he seeks.
Hux is convinced that Kylo and Rey will soon destroy each other - just as the Jedi and Sith once did in their everlasting battle. Then he and the First Order would take control. Restore order - real order.
What the Warlords don't know: Hux keeps a ceremonial box of ancient Jedi relics; lightsabers of once fallen Jedi Masters. Hux is obsessed with using the Force himself to rule the galaxy - like Kylo Ren. But his previous attempts to move anything with his mind have failed miserably.
This is wearing Hux down.
When asked when Kylo Ren would return from his quest, he replies contritely: "Soon."
Kylo Ren is haunted by Luke Skywalker on Mustafar
On the lava planet Mustafar, a bearded, worn-out Kylo Ren enters Darth Vader's palace. Months have passed since "The Last Jedi". Maybe even years.
Kylo searches for an ancient Sith holocron that promises him more power than any Jedi or Sith before him has ever possessed. But Kylo is not alone. He is haunted by Luke's Force ghost.
KYLO
Leave me alone.
LUKE (VOICEOVER)
This is where the path of the Dark Side leads. Into an empty tomb.
KYLO
And where did your path lead you? You are a ghost.
LUKE (VOICEOVER)
I know what you're looking for, Ben. Your old master promised you strength, but you feel empty.
KYLO
Soon I will be more powerful than any Jedi before me. Even more powerful than you.
LUKE (VOICEOVER)
Are you sure about that?
Kylo draws his lightsaber and swings it furiously into the void. A gust of wind. Luke's spirit seems to have vanished.
LUKE (VOICEOVER)
Go back home, Ben... Go back to Leia...
At last, Kylo Ren finds the Sith holocron. It contains a message that Emperor Palpatine left for his apprentice Darth Vader decades ago.
IMPERATOR PALPATINE (HOLOGRAM)
Lord Vader. Young Skywalker will join us soon, just as I predicted. But we must prepare for the unlikely. Should he strike me down, you will take him to the Remnicore system. There you will find Tor Valum, the master of the Sith Lord who once instructed me.
From the blue glow of the holocron comes a red laser that scans Kylo Ren's body.
IMPERATOR PALPATINE (HOLOGRAM)
In this place, the son of Skywalker will gain manifold abilities - abilities that you could never control in your damaged state. With these abilities, he will master the untapped powers of Mortis. In the end, we will...
The holocron shrills - Kylo Ren is not Darth Vader. Palpatine's image flickers. A beam of red light pierces Kylo Ren's eyes. A pulsating energy flows through his face like poison. Horrible purple veins glow through his skin. Kylo screams - unbearable pain.
Kylo survives - just barely.
Back on Coruscant, what can be saved is saved: Steel plates from Beskar hold together what's left of Kylo Ren's face.
A mask is put over it - like Darth Vader once did.
Kylo is weakened. But he now knows his next target: the Remnicore system.
Another planet is destroyed
Far away from Mustafar is Korilev, a jungle planet and the last base of the resistance. It is still led by Leia - older, more tired, but still as determined as the day she refused to hand over the Death Star plans to Vader.
Rey, Finn, Poe, Rose and BB-8 return with the Star Destroyer. Leia is actually angry. She fears that the First Order might be following the ship via a tracking device. Then Chewbacca discovers that there are hundreds of thousands of decommissioned Imperial landing craft, fighters and other weapons on the ship - enough to attack the First Order on Coruscant.
POE
See? When have I ever come home empty-handed? This - this was the plan.
ROSE
Was that it?
POE
We have ships. We have weapons. All we need now is an army.
FINN
How are we supposed to get one? No one can hear us. We're sitting in the dark.
Silence. But then Rey takes the floor.
REY
Unless we don't.
Rey has an idea on how to outsmart the First Order's suppression of communication in the galaxy: In her Jedi writings recovered on Ahch-To, she has discovered a communication device powered by Force crystals - the Jedi Force Nexus. It is thousands of years old and is located beneath the ruins of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Back in the days of the Old Republic, the Force Nexus helped the Jedi spread news across the galaxy. But also when Obi-Wan Kenobi warned the surviving Jedi about Order 66.
The plan: A small task force is to get to Coruscant undetected in order to use the communication device. Rey wants to go along, but has a vision during her Jedi training - she trains blind, with a blindfold to sharpen her senses. Unlike in "The Rise of Skywalker", it is not Leia who trains Rey, but Luke's Force ghost.
LUKE (VOICEOVER)
What did you see?
REY
I saw a mountain. Autumn and winter. There were two thrones made of stone. Kylo Ren was there too... changed.
Luke Skywalker steps into the light. His Force spirit seems tangible. Much like the projection of his self on Crait.
LUKE
You have seen the future
REY
Kylo saw it too. I could feel him. Like he was... there, with me.
LUKE
Where?
REY
On Mortis.
Luke's face darkens. He sits down next to Rey like Obi-Wan once sat down next to Luke.
LUKE
What do you know about Mortis?
Mortis. A planet hidden in the Unknown Regions, through which the Force itself flows. Once upon a time, beings chosen by the Force - the Ones - provided the balance in the Force that the Jedi prophecy speaks of. Then the beings perished. Their successor should have been Anakin Skywalker - the Chosen One - before he fell to the dark side.
In the vision, Rey fights Kylo Ren one last time.
Luke is convinced that she must go there to face Kylo Ren. Because there is a power hidden on Mortis that should never fall into Kylo's hands. But Rey refuses to kill Leia's son. Also because she doubts the concept of good versus evil, of light versus dark.
LUKE
The Force speaks to you, Rey.
REY
Maybe I'm not who the Force thinks I am.
LUKE
Then who are you, Rey?
REY
I am nobody.
LUKE
If that's what you believe, then the last Jedi has indeed already died.
Rey puts her training stick away next to the others.
REY
Maybe that's him.
Despite her doubts, Rey knows Luke is right. Whoever she thinks she is, Kylo must not gain the power of Mortis. Apart from that, she would only jeopardise the task force on Coruscant: The danger that the Knights of Ren would follow her is too great.
Poe Dameron, who realises that Rey is about to set off in search of Mortis, wants to accompany her. Over the past few weeks, a romantic relationship has developed between the two. Which complicates everything. After all, according to Rey's ancient writings, Jedi are forbidden from any intimacy.
But Rey agrees to Poe's offer to accompany her. Poe knows a powerful Force user on Bonadan who could show them the way to Mortis. Her decision to disregard Jedi rules and allow herself to be accompanied by Poe could thus be justified.
LEIA
Rey, be careful.
REY
Master Luke has trained me well.
LEIA
There are some things you can't train.
Rey follows Leia's gaze towards Poe, who stares back, lost in thought, until Chewbacca throws a spanner at his head.
REY
I don't understand...
LEIA
Come on. I know how complicated it is.
REY
I can't. There are rules. Jedi rules.
LEIA
Written by whom? By old men, thousands of years ago, before you were even born.
Leia speaks to Rey as if she were her own daughter.
LEIA
My whole life I've only ever heard one word. Balance. I never understood what the word meant. Until I saw you for the first time. I heard the word again then. As if it had been whispered to me. Balance.
Leia takes Rey's hand. Gently. Close.
LEIA
You're not like my father. Or my brother. You're new to this story. And whatever happens, Rey, never forget: the Force has chosen you. Your story is written by no one else.
An explosion shakes the base. Dust crumbles. An alarm shrills. Korilev is under fire.
The events come thick and fast. First Order star destroyers have appeared. Leia's fears have been realised: They were able to follow the stolen Eclipse Star Destroyer after all.
A new, planet-destroying cannon destroys Korilev. But our heroes escape. Leia and the captured Star Destroyer too. They all set off to fulfil their missions. And the Knights of Ren follow on the heels of Rey, Poe and Chewie unnoticed.
Kylo Ren meets Darth Vader
Kylo reaches the ancient Sith planet Remnicore. Its surface is completely covered in pitch-black obsidian, interrupted only by silver veins. There he encounters Tor Valum, a 7000-year-old being of unknown origin.
KYLO
You trained Darth Plagueis, Emperor Palpatine's master?
TOR VALUM
These names have no meaning for me.
Kylo Ren draws his lightsaber. Only a few centimetres separate the red pulsating blade from Tor Valum's taut, leathery face.
KYLO
And your life?
Tor Valum scrutinises Kylo, smiling with sharp teeth.
TOR VALUM
You're threatening me with death? How amusing.
KYLO
You are weak. I don't feel anything -
Tor Valum interrupts him.
TOR VALUM
You feel what I allow you to feel, child!
Kylo's jaw tenses. Something is wrong.
TOR VALUM
Kneel down.
Kylo kneels. Not by choice.
TOR VALUM
You call yourself a Sith. But Sith are unrepentant. Ruthless. You, on the other hand, are haunted by your past - your very existence.
After Kylo reveals that he needs Tor Valum's training to gain the power of Mortis, Tor Valum agrees to accept Kylo as his new apprentice. Only if Kylo gained the power of Mortis could the Sith continue to exist, according to Tor Valum.
In the weeks that follow, Tor Valum teaches Kylo to suck the living Force from other beings - initially the planet's flora and fauna - and use it to heal himself. At least a small part of his injuries.
Then the cave.
A wind blows from an ice cave behind Tor Valum's temple. A faint glow is visible in it.
KYLO
What will I find there?
TOR VALUM
A vergence.
KYLO
I can feel it.
TOR VALUM
There is more. Go.
Kylo puts on his mask and enters the cave. Then he encounters a Force ghost.
Darth Vader.
They fight. Kylo, unsure, tries to fight back. But his grandfather is merciless. Brutal. Kylo fends off one blow. Then the next. Until his strength leaves him.
He is too weak.
When Vader strikes Kylo down, the Force ghost disappears - and the seemingly fatal wound. Kylo is alone again. Confused about not being dead.
Distraught but furious, Kylo confronts his new master.
KYLO
Where is Mortis?
TOR VALUM
Ah, the fountain of living power. The source of the birth of the universe itself.
KYLO
I must become stronger than those who came before me. Where is it?
Kylo's eyes glow. Hungry.
TOR VALUM
You are not worthy of the power of Mortis. Not yet.
Kylo stretches out his arm and holds Tor Valum with the Force. Tor Valum's smug smile disappears. His teeth grind painfully as Kylo digs deep into Tor Valum's mind.
TOR VALUM
Let me...
KYLO
I see it
TOR VALUM
Traitor... I gave you knowledge...
KYLO
A mountain in winter. No. Autumn.
TOR VALUM
I gave you everything...
KYLO
I know. You've given me a lot.
The light of the Living Force and all its power flows from Tor Valum's body to Kylos. Tor Valum dies.
KYLO
Thank you
Kylo Ren is stronger than ever. And he has new knowledge. The knowledge from thousands of years of Sith history: Kylo Ren knows where Mortis is.
Rey fights against the Knights of Ren
Rey, Poe and Chewie reach Bonadan, the planet of eternal sunset. Lakes and valleys surrounded by cylindrical mountains span its surface. Thousands of lights from the "night markets" enliven the scenery.
While Chewie stays with the Millennium Falcon, Poe and Rey go in search of Nomi, the Force user who is neither Jedi nor Sith. But she can help Rey find the way to Mortis. Bonadan itself, however, is not free of the First Order: Stormtroopers scour the night markets, always on the lookout for lawbreakers. When their attention falls on Rey and Poe, Rey abruptly kisses Poe - a tactic to make observers look away in embarrassment.
REY
Did it work?
POE
I mean... I think so.
Rey looks past Poe to the stormtroopers. They run off.
POE
Oh, you didn't mean...
REY (lying)
No.
They look at each other sheepishly.
REY
We should...
POE
Right. Yes.
At last, Rey and Poe meet Nomi. The Force user helps Rey relive her vision. This time, the Force is supposed to show her the way to the Unknown Regions of Mortis.
MORTIS.
The birthplace of the Force. The first place where good was born. And bad.
NOMI (VOICEOVER)
There the two will meet. Brought together by the Force.
Snow on the peaks. Autumn in the valley. A temple. Two thrones of stone. A fountain of light, the water flows from the depths of the mountain.
NOMI (VOICEOVER)
The dark side and the light side.
Kylo stands before Rey. Even his mask can't hide Kylo's unmistakably evil intentions.
NOMI (VOICEOVER)
There she will make the sacrifice.
A red lightsaber flashes. Fierce. Brutal. Kylo strikes Rey down.
Rey is startled out of her vision.
At last she knows where Mortis is. But she realises that she has to go there alone and will die. Before she can tell Poe, the Knights of Ren turn up.
Escape.
The Knights of Ren pursue Rey and Poe through the night markets of Bonadan, on sailboats across the great lake to the Falcon's hangar. Once there, the Knights of Ren surround the ship.
Although Chewbacca is able to overpower a Knight of Ren, their escape seems hopeless.
Rey surveys her attackers, bracing herself for immediate defeat. Suddenly, she has another vision: darkness, rain and hideous masks - she has encountered the Knights of Ren before, a long time ago. She doesn't know in what context, but suddenly all she feels is rage.
Rey rushes forward - the Knights of Ren don't stand a chance.
Except for Hattaska, the leader and last survivor. As she tries to kill Rey with a mighty final blow, the Jedi stretches out her hands. Her eyes glow. Fury fills them. Her fingertips spray sparks. Then: purple flashes of power. They roll over Hattaska like a cascade. She screams as the silhouette of her skeleton shimmers through her mask. Lightning burns her from the inside out.
Hattaska Ren dies an agonising death.
REY
I... I had no choice.
POE
It's okay. Jedi do things like that. Right?
REY (shaken)
I've seen these masks before. All of them.
Poe and Chewie make their way to the Falcon... But Rey doesn't follow them.
POE
Rey, we have to go.
REY
No. You can't come with me where I have to go.
POE
What are you talking about? That was the plan!
REY
The Resistance needs you. Finn and Rose need you.
POE (desperately)
Rey. Come to the ship. Please...
Rey knows what she has to do. She hates it.
After the battle, Rey manipulates Poe's mind to force him to return to Coruscant, where he is to help the Resistance overthrow the First Order.
Rey captures the Knights of Ren ship. She is alone and sets a course: her destination is Mortis.
Leia's last conversation with Luke
Leia's face shimmers blue in the vortex of hyperspace, which she observes from the bridge of the stolen Star Destroyer. Her destination: Coruscant. Her expression is dark. But contrary to what the bridge crew suspects, it is not the imminent attack on the capital that worries her.
Leia enters her private cabin. Restless. As the door closes behind her, she hears a voice she last heard in the decommissioned rebel outpost on Crait.
The voice of her brother.
LUKE (VOICEOVER)
He is in pain.
She replies as if Luke often speaks to her.
LEIA
I feel it too.
Luke's power spirit appears, steps to Leia's side. Sits down next to her.
LUKE
Soon he will be more powerful than our father.
LEIA
Just like them.
LUKE
She feels too much. Love. Anger.
LEIA
Don't we all?
LUKE
This is why the Jedi lived in isolation. Pain and loss only lead to the Dark Side.
LEIA
I have lost everything, and everyone. Still, I would always choose love.
Leia turns to her brother. She misses him.
LEIA
Trust her instincts. She may not follow the Jedi path, but she is our only hope.
Rebellion on Coruscant
Finn, Rose, C-3PO and R2-D2 reach Coruscant. The former city planet is a shadow of its former self. A distant memory of the glorious days of the Republic. The capital of the First Order hovers in the distance.
FINN
So many people live underground. So much suffering.
ROSE
The rich don't care about what they trample underfoot.
Finn looks at the old Jedi temple in the distance.
FINN
We are here. Drop Erzwo and Dreipeo off at street level.
Finn and Rose infiltrate the main tower of the old Jedi Temple, find the Force Nexus and make it work with the help of Force crystals. On the ground floor of the temple, R2-D2 connects to both the main console and BB-8 - he and Leia are in orbit around Coruscant on the stolen Star Destroyer. There, Leia records a message - just like when she asked Obi-Wan Kenobi for help.
LEIA
This is Leia Organa, General of the Resistance. The time has come. The forces of oppression have ruled the galaxy for too long. We must unite and fight.
Send your fastest ships. All your warriors. Our voices will not be silenced. We will no longer stand in the shadow of the First Order. We will step into the light.
The message feeds BB-8 back to R2-D2, who in turn feeds it into the main console of the Jedi Temple.
A huge beam of light shoots out of the Jedi Temple's main tower. Like a giant arm, it reaches into Coruscant's night sky, splits and spreads like a net across the entire galaxy. On numerous planets, ancient, hidden or thought destroyed transmitters are activated. Millions of living beings see Leia's hologram. At the same time.
A new hope.
But the message is interrupted: The First Order surrounds the Jedi Temple with Tie-Fighters and blows up the tower. Rose is captured. Finn is buried under the rubble but survives. Scrap collectors free him. Arriving at their headquarters, he realises that the oppressed population of Coruscant is preparing for a rebellion. Tens of thousands - an army. But they don't have enough weapons or ships. And no leader.
Finn knows what to do.
FINN
My name is Finn. I come with a message from the resistance.
An older woman looks at Finn. She looks tired and exhausted, dejected from the war that has never really stopped since the days of the Rebel Alliance.
FINN
The First Order rules through fear. They build huge ships to intimidate us. Their soldiers wear masks to scare us. But in truth, they are the ones who are afraid.
The woman picks up her wooden spoon, banging it rhythmically against a repurposed AT-ST - an Imperial Battlecruiser.
FINN
This is not the time to hide underground. If we conquer the capital, the whole galaxy will join our mission!
An alien joins in with the rhythmic tapping of the woman. Then another.
FINN
Together we can fight back! Together we can resist!
Hundreds, then thousands, join the rhythmic knocking. Together. In unison.
First traitor, then deserter, now revolutionary leader. This is where Finn's path has led him.
News of Coruscant's impending rebellion spreads. Soon, stormtroopers who, like Finn, were once kidnapped by the First Order and trained as child soldiers join the resistance.
RK-514
It is you. You are the traitor!
FINN
That's right. We are brothers. All of us.
Finn throws the Stormtrooper's helmet out of reach.
FINN
Stormtrooper to be. It's not what they said it would be, is it? The things they told us to do. It's not right.
RK-514 listens. Torn up inside. Broken.
FINN
You used to have a name. Do you remember it?
The stormtrooper shakes his head.
FINN
Find yourself one. That's the first step.
RK-514
And then what?
FINN
Then you'll find something worth fighting for.
The war of the stars begins.
The First Order falls
The resistance takes up arms. To the ships and weapons that Leia brings in the stolen Star Destroyer. At first, the battle between the oppressors and the oppressed seems even.
Then, the fleet built for the First Order in Kuat's orbital shipyards arrives.
The First Order is now vastly superior.
Poe in the Falcon and Chewbacca in an X-Wing - without helmet - also face a superior force.
In the midst of all the commotion, Rose wakes up in captivity - tied up on a First Order torture rack. Chancellor Hux sits enthroned above her. A brief exchange of words with Rose enrages him.
CHANCELLOR HUX
You think I'm joking? Well then.
Hux stretches out his hand. Closes his eyes. Concentrates.
ROSE
Really? Are you trying to use the Force right now?
KANZLER HUX
Silence
ROSE
Oh no... you see? You're not exceptional. I mean - not extraordinary at all.
KANZLER HUX
Shut up!
Chancellor Hux calms down, tries to hold back.
CHANCELLOR HUX
We have other ways to get the information we're looking for.
Hux unveils a series of electronic torture devices. New technology. Built to work fast.
But Hux fails to break Rose. In a moment of inattention, she manages to free herself. Left to her own devices, she discovers that the capital is in fact a gigantic spaceship that could flee to safety at any time until the unrest is over.
This must be prevented. She could disable the capital's hyperspace drive if she could get hold of Imperial codes. Codes that R2-D2 once collected on the forest moon Endor during the final battle of the Rebel Alliance. So if R2 could transmit the codes to her...
Happiness is not on Rose's side, however. On the ground, R2-D2 is hit by a deflected laser shot. The damage is extensive - perhaps too extensive. It could be the end of the astromech droid. C-3PO refuses to leave him alone.
Finn, meanwhile, leads the resistance. The losses are heavy. The war seems lost.
Somewhere on the horizon, a spaceship appears. Not a First Order starship. But not one of the Resistance either.
It is the "Lady Luck", Lando Calrissian's personal ship.
LANDO
I thought someone here could use some help.
Another ship flashes out of hyperspace. Another one. Then hundreds. Thousands. Leia's message has had an effect: Led by Lando Calrissian, the galaxy strikes a final blow against the First Order - united.
On the ground, BB-8 finds the two stranded C-3PO and R2-D2.
BB-8 rescues R2-D2's memory, which contains the Imperial codes. He manages to get to safety and transmit the codes to Rose.
Chancellor HUX
Bomb the city! Extinguish every damn life!
COMMANDER SELLIK
You're outnumbered, sir.
Hux realises the tragic truth. He has lost the war of the stars.
Hux storms into his lavish chamber. Reaches for his antique suitcase. Takes out one of his antique lightsabres.
He activates the one that has always been his favourite and pierces himself.
Hux kneels down. The glowing purple blade protrudes from his back. Through the window, First Order ships can be seen crashing in fire and smoke.
The remaining warlords try to get the capital to safety. They prepare to jump into hyperspace - the former occupiers are to land safely in the orbit of a new planet and continue their work.
Before the city jumps, Rose escapes in a captured escape pod. In the ever-shrinking shadow of the rising city, she looks up into the sky - and grins. Although she was unable to deactivate the drive with R2-D2's codes, she was able to manipulate the navigation systems.
The city jumps - and lands directly in the core of the nearest uninhabited planet.
The explosion can be seen for light years.
For the first time, the sun shines again on Coruscant, previously obscured by the First Order. The Resistance has won. But the battle for power itself is still to come.
The "Duel of the Fates"
Rey reaches the legendary Mortis, a place of geographical impossibilities. Autumn and winter alternate before Rey's eyes. A long staircase leads to the Temple of the Force, where the two thrones and the Fountain of Light await her - and Kylo.
But first a vision passes through her mind. One last vision...
She is once again the small, frightened child on Jakku. The massive hand of Unkar Plutt clutches her elbow. In the distance: a man and a woman. Her parents. They don't want to leave. But they have to. It's for Rey's protection. They get into a ship and fly away. Rey screams.
The vision ends abruptly. But Rey remembers every single detail. Enraged, she climbs the stairs to the temple - and meets Kylo Ren.
REY
My parents weren't drunks. They didn't sell me out. They wanted to hide me
From you.
KYLO
So you do remember.
Rey sees the Knights of Ren in the rain again in her mind's eye - the image from Rey's vision, the first time she touched Luke's lightsaber. In the distance, a child screams.
KYLO (VOICEOVER)
Snoke's mission was clear. To find anyone powerful enough to destroy him. It didn't take long to find you.
REY
Did you kill my parents?
KYLO
You blame me for your life on Jakku? You should thank me for that. You were safe there.
REY
Say it! Did you kill my parents?
KYLO
I did.
A powerful shockwave, fuelled by rage, blasts every loose stone around Rey.
REY
You murdered Han Solo...
KYLO
I'm not here for you, Rey.
REY
Millions of living beings...
KYLO
All I want is behind that gate.
Rey activates her double lightsaber.
REY
Then you'll have to kill me.
Kylo draws his own lightsaber.
KYLO
I know.
They fight.
The fight is fierce. Merciless. Pressure waves from the impact of lightsabers crumble ancient statues that stare down at Rey and Kylo. Rain beats down on cold, grey stone that shimmers alternately blue and red in the light of the lightsabers.
But Rey is getting tired. Begins to doubt herself. She stumbles - and falls. Kylo's final blow leaves a cauterised scar on Rey's face. The blow costs her her sight. Her lightsaber falls to the ground. She collapses unconscious.
Satisfied, Kylo enters the Temple of Mortis, ready to absorb the powers that lie dormant in the Fountain of Light.
But the fountain is empty.
LUKE (voiceover)
You've lost, Ben.
Luke Skywalker steps into the light. A blue shimmer frames him.
KYLO
You are dead! The Jedi are ghosts!
LUKE
The Dark Side has betrayed you. Just like my father once did.
KYLO
Your father was weak!
LUKE
His love for his family saved him. I wish it could save you too.
Luke looks deep into Kylo's pain-filled eyes.
KYLO
I did what I had to do.
LUKE
You chose hate.
KYLO
I chose power!
Kylo attacks Luke with his lightsaber. But Luke holds onto the blade - with his hand. Luke is more powerful than Kylo could ever have imagined.
KYLO
I will be more powerful than any Skywalker before me!
LUKE
You are no Skywalker.
Luke's Force ghost disappears. In his place comes Rey: blind, injured, but determined. With the last of her strength, she pulls herself together and binds her injured eyes.
REY
Our masters were wrong. I will not deny my anger. But neither will my love.
Her lightsaber, fallen to the ground, flies back into her hand.
REY
I am the darkness. And the light.
KYLO
You are nothing! You are nobody!
Rey activates her lightsaber.
REY
Nobody is nobody.
Rey has accepted both the Dark and Light sides of the Force. In the centre of the two thrones, representing light and dark, is she, Rey. In between, she has found the balance of the Force, becoming the symbolic fountain of light of her visions. The living Force itself flows through her, making her stronger than any Jedi or Sith before her.
Rey is now a Grey Jedi.
With a wrathful cry, Kylo lunges at Rey. Like shadow against light. The crackling of their clashing blades is deafening. Rey, blind but guided by the Force, gains the upper hand. Metre by metre, she pushes Kylo back. With a brutal slash, she cuts straight through his sword hand. The sword falls to the ground, destroyed, along with severed fingers.
In disbelief, Kylo looks up at Rey - she is shimmering. The Force itself fills her. The living Force... Kylo reaches out with his hand still intact. Reaches for this power. Sucks it out of Rey. And heals his wounds - all of them.
KYLO
They were wrong. All of them. The power of this place cannot be taken away.
REY
Ben...
KYLO
But she's nothing compared to you!
Rey is almost dead. The life sucked out of her. With the last of her strength, she reaches for Ben through the Force... reaches out. Just like Kylo Ren once did in Snoke's throne room.
REY
Ben... please...
Light years away, Leia feels a tremor of the Force. She feels pain. She whispers her son's name.
LEIA (VOICEOVER)
Ben...
Kylo pauses. Senses his mother, as if she were right there with him.
LEIA (VOICEOVER)
Ben... Come back. Come home.
Something happens to Kylo as he hears her words. He feels what he thought once destroyed Anakin Skywalker. But it has actually strengthened him. Love.
He looks to Rey's outstretched hand... and grabs it.
Kylo reverses the flow of the Force. Releases it back to Rey. All of the Force. Then he slumps down, letting her catch him, forehead to forehead. These are the last moments of Kylo Ren's life. Something like love in his gaze. Then he whispers something in her ear:
"Rey Solana."
Her name. And the last words of Ben Solo.
Rey Solana slumps and closes her eyes. Her body dissolves.
On Coruscant, Finn and Poe look at each other. Something is wrong. They may not be Force-sensitive, but they can still feel it:
Rey has left.
The end of "Star Wars"
Light - pure light - surrounds Rey's field of vision as she opens her eyes. Slowly, her vision becomes clear again. Glimmers of energy flicker like fireflies in the darkness. She moves towards them. The outlines become clearer. Two large and one small one.
They are Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda.
REY
Am I dead?
OBI-WAN
This is the astral plane. There is no such thing as death here.
REY
I understand...
YODA
Taught us a lot, you did.
REY
Did I?
YODA
Mmm. You have succeeded where we have failed. Our view has been too narrow.
LUKE
You chose both the Light and the Dark side of the Force. You chose the balance in between.
YODA
They must coexist, these feelings that lie dormant in all of us.
REY
But when I'm here... with you...
YODA
A choice you must make. To return home, or to stay.
Rey is faced with a choice: In the Astral Plane, serenity, knowledge and peace reign. Here she is with the lost, but not forgotten. If she were to return, however, a galaxy in turmoil, pain, suffering and the loss of those she loves would await her. However, she would live and love.
Rey smiles and makes a decision.
Years pass.
Poe and Chewbacca criss-cross the galaxy, still searching for Rey. Instead of Han Solo's lucky dice, the tracker that Leia once used to guide Rey to Crait is dangling in the Cockpit.
The tracker begins to glow for the first time in years.
POE
Chewie, turn the ship around!
CHEWBACCA
Rwwwooorrrrwwggghh!!!!
POE
I know, just turn the ship around!
Light years away. Finn and Rose, now a couple, have founded a home for homeless Force-gifted children on the planet Modesta. Their medals of honour hang on the wall. Finn remembers the ceremony, which was also attended by the repaired R2-D2 - thanks to the memory saved by BB-8. The children's favourite story: that of Rey, the last Jedi, who must have become one with the Force.
Finn sends the children outside to play with BB-8. In the sunset, the droid spots a familiar silhouette.
Rey Solana.
Full of joy, he rolls towards her. For Rey will found a new Jedi Academy here and pass on what she has learnt as a Grey Jedi: finding the balance between the Light and Dark sides of the Force.
Rey will not be the last Jedi.
End
I'm an outdoorsy guy and enjoy sports that push me to the limit – now that’s what I call comfort zone! But I'm also about curling up in an armchair with books about ugly intrigue and sinister kingkillers. Being an avid cinema-goer, I’ve been known to rave about film scores for hours on end. I’ve always wanted to say: «I am Groot.»