Open Letter to the Air

Now nobody knew quite what to make of him or quite what to think, but there he was and in he walked.

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Location: Scottsdale, Arizona, United States

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

A New Hope

I haven't been this excited in a very long time.  Oh sure, I've joyfully anticipated upcoming films in the recent past, but nothing comes close to the excitement I have about yesterday's news.

George Lucas sold Star Wars.

It's as though the Emperor himself just handed over the keys to the Empire to the Rebels.

Episode 7 is now in the early stages of development for a 2015 release.  I'm awash with wonder about who will direct, who will write, who will score, and most importantly - what story will they tell?  After all, the first six films were the story of Anakin.  Where do they take it from here?  I have some ideas, but I'm too uncertain to put anything down here about that yet.  Watch this space.

In the meantime, I will share a little fun project I did back in 2005.

Ever since the Episode1 trailer included a clip of Obi-Wan screaming, "NO!" thereby revealing to all in advance that something horrible would happen to Qui-Gon during the climactic duel with Darth Maul, I have detested movie trailers for giving away too much plot. For that reason, before the theatrical release of Episode 3, I decided to put myself on a media blackout for all teasers, trailers, posters, etc. The only thing I allowed myself to know was the name of a new character Grevious that was being introduced.

Inspired by a challenge from a friend, I decided to try to guess what the movie would be like by attempting to "connect the dots" between Ep2 and Ep4. I summarized each character's story arc from 2 to 4, then wrote my summary of how the movie could seamlessly weave these things together.  I'll let you be the judge of how this compares to the real deal.

EPISODE 3 - REVENGE OF THE SITH

For three grueling years, the Jedi have engaged the enemy in numerous battles but never seem to get the upper hand in the war.  Anakin has grown stronger in the Force and ever more headstrong against his master’s instructions.  Tensions mount as Anakin subtly challenges the balance of power between Master and Padawan.

Palpatine has been waging war, pitting different sides of the galaxy against each other.  The years of war have drained the resources (and the resistance) of the entire galaxy.

Ever since Dooku told Obi-Wan that a Sith Lord named Sidious had infiltrated the Senate, the Jedi have been quietly observing the actions of the Senate for signs of a hidden threat.  Over the years they have grown confident that the Senate has been compromised.  They have a name: “Grievous”, but they don’t know the culprit’s true identity.  The Jedi have been combing the galaxy for news that will lead to Grievous.

Anakin has kept his marriage to Padme a secret, knowing that disclosure would ruin his chances of becoming a member of the Jedi Council.  Because of this fear, Anakin trusts Obi-Wan less and less.  Meanwhile, Anakin has continued to build a relationship with Palpatine who has been filling Anakin’s mind with the poison belief that he should be recognized as the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy.  Palpatine gives Anakin a secret mission to prove this once and for all.  Anakin is sent to end the Clone War by destroying Count Dooku.  Anakin leaves without anyone’s knowledge.  When Obi-Wan discovers Anakin is missing, he takes Padme and the droids in pursuit.

Anakin finds Dooku right where Palpatine said he would be - on the volcanic planet Mustafar.  When confronted by Anakin, Dooku tells him that Palpatine is really a Sith Lord.  Dooku encourages Anakin to join him in defeating Darth Sidious, but Anakin is too enraged at the Count for the loss of his arm years ago.  Fueled by his anger and tempted by Palpatine to prove his supremacy, Anakin lashes out at Dooku.  Dooku falls just as Obi-Wan and Padme arrive.

The death of Dooku fills Anakin with such delusions of grandeur that all semblance of pecking order between himself and Obi-Wan is lost.  Anakin is now fully convinced that he has rights to the claim of Master of the Jedi Order.  Obi-Wan insists that Anakin is still a Padawan, still has rank over him, and orders him to submit and return to Coruscant.  C-3PO (trying to talk some sense into Anakin) tells him that he should stop this nonsense and return home with his wife.  The cat is out of the bag.  Obi-Wan now knows that Anakin has willfully betrayed the Jedi order with his clandestine marriage and can no longer be a member of the Jedi order.  Enraged by this, Anakin slices Threepio in two and the climactic battle between Master and Padawan begins.

Anakin is violently proficient, and Obi-Wan nearly loses the battle.  Just as Anakin is about to finish Obi-Wan, Padme intervenes and distracts Anakin with the announcement that she is pregnant.  The shock distracts Anakin long enough to give Obi-Wan the upper hand to "dis-arm" Anakin.  Anakin falls and is nearly consumed by lava, but is saved by Obi-Wan.  The damage is too severe however, and Anakin is moments from death.  As Anakin lay dying in Padme’s arms, he bequests his saber to his unborn child.

Grievous emerges from the shadows.  Obi-Wan recognizes Grievous as none other than the elderly Master Sypher Dias – the Jedi responsible for ordering the clone army from the Caminoans a decade before the start of the Clone War and presumed killed.  Grievous admits to faking his own death and working with Darth Sidious to undermine the Senate’s actions in the Clone War.  He has been monitoring Anakin’s movements on the behalf of his master.  Obi-Wan tries to attack, but Grievous critically wounds Padme.

Obi-Wan rushes to her aid allowing Grievous to steal the dying Anakin away.  Obi-Wan races back to Coruscant and places Padme and the droids under the care and protection of Senator Antilles.  The Senator enlists the aid of a local Wookie mechanic to reassemble C-3PO.  In the end, Threepio gets a new golden exterior, but his memory is wiped clean of all knowledge, including that of his origin, his relationship with Obi-wan Kenobi, and his time on Tatooine (although he maintains fluency in over six million forms of communication).

Anakin is also “rebuilt” – kept alive with a special life support system developed by Wat Tambor of the Technical Union under the watchful eye of Grievous.  Upon awakening, Anakin is brought before Palpatine who congratulates him for defeating Dooku and ending the war.  Palpatine offers Anakin a choice to either return himself to the Jedi where he will be disciplined and expelled from the Jedi order or he can join forces with the Supreme Chancellor and “restore order” to the galaxy.  Anakin’s thoughts turn toward his bride, Padme and his unborn child.  Grievous announces that he killed them both.  Anakin is shattered.  The rage is too intense for restraint, and he lashes out at Grievous with fury.  Anakin finally succumbs to the dark side of the Force.

Arriving at Coruscant, Obi-Wan meets with the Jedi council who are told of Anakin’s treachery and subsequent “kidnapping” by Grevious.  Mace Windu goes before the Supreme Chancellor to inform him of the news.  When he reaches Palpatine he learns that the war is over and Palpatine has elevated himself to Supreme Emperor of the galaxy.  Windu steps forward to challenge the Emperor and finds himself before a dark figure with a blazing red blade.  Windu falls, and Darth Vader is born.

The Senate is shocked when Palpatine declares martial law.  Weakened by years of war, the galaxy can do nothing to stop him.  Members of the rebellious systems that survive make up the beginnings of the Rebellion against the Emperor.

The Jedi are dismayed as news of Mace Windu’s death reaches them.  Yoda and the Jedi work to formulate a plan to attack the Emperor.   Meanwhile Obi-wan is charged with escorting Padme, the droids and Senator Antilles to Alderaan.  He changes his name to Ben Kenobi as he travels with Padme and the droids to what will become her new home planet where she is nursed back to health.

The remnants of the rebellious clone war armies gather.  Jedi knights come together to join the fight.  They storm the Emperor’s tower and a huge battle ensues.  As the Jedi approach the Emperor’s chamber, Vader emerges, catching all by surprise.  When they demand to know what happened to Anakin, Vader replies that he is dead.  He single-handedly takes the Jedi.  His training completed by the Emperor, he is in full control of his dark powers, and he easily takes the knights.

Yoda, shocked by Vader’s power now knows that he cannot be stopped.  He calls for a retreat of the scant remaining forces and instructs them to go into hiding to prepare for another day.  He retreats to Degobah to hide from Vader & the Emperor.

Padme delivers her twins.  A “beautiful but sad” Padme cares for her daughter on Alderaan under the watchful protection of Senator Antilles (next in line to be King of Alderaan) - who promises Padme that if anything happened to her he would raise Leia as if she were his own.

Ben Kenobi takes Luke to Tatooine to be raised by his only relative – his step-uncle Owen Lars.  As Ben tucks away Anakin's saber hilt, he professes his belief that this child – the spawn of Vader – will be a new hope – the last hope – of the galaxy.

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