Since this is likely a long term project, I will begin with my rationale for the changes, followed by story ideas and their explanations for inclusion. Lastly will be the individual film plots themselves, with detailed scenarios. There will likely be many changes as I write this across many months. Please understand that I approach this as if I was preparing future audiences never exposed to the saga, when Yoda and Darth Vader are not as prevalent as they are in current media. Imagine your unborn child being introduced to all 6 films without ever having been seen the characters before. I hope you leave a comment on whether you agree or disagree, and perhaps what you would do differently. Thanks for reading!
Rationale
- The most important rationale for a prequel revision in my mind, something that Lucas did not have enough faith in his abilities to do, is to preserve the story surprises and revelations of the original trilogy (OT) as they were presented to audiences. I desperately wanted my daughters (and all children, and anyone exposed to the films in the future) to experience the incredulity of Yoda's size in TESB; wait, this swamp frog is a powerful jedi master? I want Darth Vader to be the evil murderer of Luke's father until finding out... that he actually IS Luke's father?! Furthermore, it's important that future audiences are just as surprised as Luke is to find out Leia is his sister. Other, smaller things shouldn't be shown in the prequels until their important cinematic reveals in the OT (for example, Tusken Raiders and Jawas, or more generally, the prevalence of aliens- more on this soon). It's not easy to write 3 prequel films this way, but it's so worth it for future generations to enjoy the 6 films as one large story, without sacrificing the surprises that enthralled and captivated those of us who were there for the originals.
- With this in mind, the first step is to eliminate the inclusion of several characters and many concepts. Yoda must never appear in the prequels (but he will be mentioned, in order to build the expectation of the viewer who will by Episode 5 believe that Yoda must be a grandiose figure. This will heighten- no pun intended- the revelation of Yoda's diminutive stature combined with his jedi prowess). Anakin's surname will not be given in the PT films- Yoda doesn't need a last name, so Anakin's will remain in secret as well. This will allow subtle storytelling that keeps the viewer unaware of Vader siring the twins. Aside from Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Palpatine, none of the other OT main characters will appear at all: not the droids, Chewbacca, Han Solo, Lando, etc. Their uniqueness should not be diminished or altered by inclusion (such as C-3PO's naked childlike nature in TPM) or simply because it is too forced of a coincidence (much like Chewbacca's contribution to ROTS).
- Aliens are a special characteristic of the SW universe, and should be treated characteristically. My philosophy is that aliens should have minimal inclusion in the PT, so that their iconic treatment in ANH and beyond can be preserved. For example, the cantina is perhaps one of the most iconic film scenes in movie history. Part of the reason that it works is because the viewer was exposed to primarily humans and a couple of droids up to that point (no one really knows what Sand People or Jawas really are). The Imperials on the Star Destroyer are all human, as are the troops and officials on the Blockade Runner- not to mention the Lars family and Ben Kenobi. The point is, all characters were human, so the cantina intro is meant to shock the viewer with the diversity of alien life in this universe. This needs to be preserved in the prequels, even though we know objectively that there are many more aliens than humans in this galaxy (the PT went much farther with alien life than the OT, which is a mistake in my mind; I believe aliens should be a special exception, not the rule). In fact, besides some obvious exceptions like Chewbacca and Yoda, the majority of OT aliens are presented as scoundrels (think cantina aliens and Jabba's goons). That is not to say that logically there SHOULDN'T be good-natured aliens; of course, but they needn't be shown to audiences, otherwise the frightening nature of a Jabba goon is diminished to a child watching the film. How are the ewoks special if we're inundated with alien jedi and Gungans and Wookiees and Kaminoans? Lucas did not need to make a political statement that all races are equal; it was fine in the 70s and 80s to show most aliens were just that: ALIEN and difficult to accept as equal and with similar motivations to humans. A monstrous character is supposed to evoke that sensation in the viewer. The "less is more" motto can be utilized here; just as fewer deaths in a film makes each death more significant and poignant, fewer aliens shown make each more unique.
- I believe Lucas tried to fit too much into the PT, across too many locales. This is more of a film structure criticism, but the OT films had approximately 3 major locales per film. For example, ANH was primarily a Tatooine/Death Star interior/Death Star assault, three-act film. Travel on the Millenium Falcon was primarily to get to act 2, and the Yavin base was essentially the beginning of act 3. TESB was Hoth/Dagobah/Cloud City for the most part, and so on. The PT jumped from locale to locale far too much, and was difficult to follow for it. Furthermore, it was too ambitious: in the OT, it was enough to get mentions of "the Imperial Senate" and "the Republic". We don't have to see every political step of the Jedi Council and Senate. Simpler is better in this case.
- In my treatment, the force will remain mysterious and ambiguous. I would love for Ben and Yoda's explanations in episodes 4 and 5 respectively be the audiences' first knowledge of it, but the concept and inclusion of the force is one thing that really cannot be ignored in the prequels. However, it can be presented simply as advanced human abilities that the viewer questions the nature of, and is finally satisfied in later episodes by the aforementioned explanations of its nature. Along with a minimalist presentation of the force itself, I intend to hint at the number of Jedi but "show" very few. Clearly Lucas tried to capitalize on the immense popularity of Jedi characters and lightsaber battles by oversaturating the PT with them, but I believe they have diminished the importance of those same things in the OT. A wise storyteller once said, "don't give the audience what they think they want." Lucas did just the opposite- he gave too much of what we thought we wanted, and the result was a twirling, leaping mad frog of a Yoda battle (which is perhaps the worst offense to me of all the PT's "failings").
- The development of Palpatine in the prequels was one of the better aspects I thought, and would therefore change just a few specifics. I believe a good start to the saga would be a clue to his motivations, as well as introducing him as a military man first, before the politician. This seems in line with the real path that he (and the empire) are loosely based off of: Hitler's Germany. A military origin for Palpatine gives some rationale to the very strict structure and discipline of the later-formed Empire. My first scene of the first film will depict Palpatine as Captain of a Republic cruiser, pursuing the menace of the early prequels- that of pirates. I think a simpler enemy than the complex corporations of TPM would serve to satisfy viewers. Piracy of merchant vessels presents a very clear "bad guy", and avoids the political differences of how the public should view legitimate corporations. The pursuit will culminate in a disabling of the pirate vessel above an unimportant planet (paralleling the intro scene from ANH somewhat). Aboard the bridge, Palpatine will sense/hear/feel a beckoning that no other of the crew receives. He determines that it originates from the planet, which will be revealed as Dagobah. He will then take a shuttle to the surface, discovering the abandoned Sith temple (where Luke was tested in TESB). The scene will end as he is confronted by a Sith apparition, presumably searching for a disciple to continue the long dead teachings, though audiences will not be privy to that. The use of Dagobah will help provide some explanation for Yoda's later exile there; the strong dark side location masks Yoda's benevolent life force should the Emperor or Vader pass near the system.
- Palpatine will never wield a lightsaber in my treatment; in fact, the only reason Vader does is because he is a former Jedi who was corrupted. The lightsaber is a noble, limited range, defensive weapon (compared to a blaster), and makes no sense to be wielded by evil beings like the Sith who want dominance in combat as opposed to a "fair fight". The Sith would simply utilize the telekinetic, telepathic, and lightning effects of the dark side for combat (and the dark side should in fact be more powerful than the light side abilities, at least in aggressive abilities. This gives a small-numbered Sith cult some advantage against more numerous Jedi knights. In TESB, Yoda answered Luke's question about the strength of the dark side a little too quickly to be believed that it is NOT stronger).
- Obi-Wan will be the first protagonist introduced soon after the Palpatine prologue, approaching on foot a Pirate camp/stronghold in order to come to some diplomatic solution to the piracy raids. This scene will be presented as the "Cantina/Jabba's palace" act of the first film. Obi-Wan at this point is somewhat older than his Ep3 appearance, and is without an apprentice. His former apprentice has left the Jedi order, and is an important character and theme that will be discussed next. It is within the pirate stronghold that he encounters Anakin, a late-teen, rough-natured pilot for the gang (it is my feeling that Anakin should never have been portrayed as a benevolent little kid that is turned so dramatically to a mass-murderer. There must have been something wrong from the start- and in fact, he should be an orphan with no knowledge of his parents, which could provide some believability to his emotional issues). Obi-Wan is the only person who can sense the strong emanations of the Force coming from him- and it explains his excellent piloting skills for so young a man. It is Obi-Wan's loss of his former apprentice that motivates him to redeem himself by recruiting Anakin from this pirate gang and teach him everything (Ben Kenobi's line: "I thought I could teach him as well as Yoda. I was wrong.")
- Our third main protagonist is Ben Lars, Obi-Wan's former apprentice. Ben is a navigator on a spice freighter (Luke's line from ANH), brother to Owen Lars (though Owen will not be shown or more than mentioned in passing), who has left Obi-Wan's mentorship in the Jedi order so that he can be with his love (who I am naming Lara). Ben Lars will dress and have a demeanor similar to Biggs at Anchorhead; a role more disciplined than the "Han Solo" type, but clearly no longer a Jedi. Audiences viewing ANH for the first time will believe that Ben Lars was father to Luke for several reasons: 1) Ben and Lara are still together in my Episode 3, past when it is revealed that she is pregnant, 2) Luke calls Owen Lars "uncle" in ANH, suggesting that Owen's brother Ben was in fact his father (I chose the name Ben so that Obi-Wan can be thought to take his name as a way to honor his former apprentice who was "betrayed and murdered" by his next disciple, Anakin/Darth Vader. This is yet another reason why Owen doesn't like Obi-Wan and wants Luke to stay away from him), and 3) Obi-Wan's deceptive explanation that Luke's father was killed by Darth Vader.
- The fourth protagonist is Ben Lars' love, the eventual mother of Luke and Leia, named Lara. I think the name is a nice nod to the four-letter "L" names of her two eventual children, and is more "real world" compared to the exotic-sounding Padme' Amidala. After all, the protagonists of the OT have recognizable names such as Ben, Owen, Luke, Han, Leia, and so forth. In my mind, she is not a Queen or even a senator. I like the rogueish role of spice freighter captain, which could explain why Ben Lars left the Jedi order to become a navigator on her ship. In ROTJ, Luke asks Leia to tell him about her "real" mother, and she responds by stating that she died when Leia was very young and that she just remembers feelings (very kind, but sad). The death of Padme during childbirth in ROTS does not support this, another inconsistency. Leia's statement suggests to me that Lara and a very young Leia were together for perhaps a year, and that Bail Organa then raises her with his wife after Lara's death. Leia believes that Bail is her real father, so presumably she sees Bail's wife as her stepmother (the woman Luke excluded from his question by saying "real" mother). The viewer must not know, in my prequels, that Anakin is the father nor that Lara has twins- in fact, the viewer shouldn't see Lara with a girl baby (Leia) at the end of Ep3 at all, otherwise when Luke is introduced in ANH and Ben Kenobi gives us some history, the viewer will be confused. Instead of a birth scene, the last scene of my Ep3 is a brief sensing by Obi-Wan of what is growing inside Lara and suggests a surprise revelation (but not actually revealing twins)- Obi-Wan's intrigued expression will leave the scene ambiguous, as he states, "oh my."
- How, then, is Anakin the father? What will not be shown in detail, but briefly suggested, is a single physical confrontation between an envious Anakin and Lara in the third film. From the scene they first meet, and throughout all three films, Anakin will clearly desire Lara, but she will reciprocate only flattery since she is committed to Ben Lars. Though it will never be revealed exactly how it occurs, it is likely that Anakin forces himself on her (the "viewer" would later wonder, after discovering in TESB that Vader is Luke's father, if it was a consensual encounter or if it was against her will).
- Darth Vader should never have experienced true love (which can be part of the reason for his later move to the dark side). After Lara spurns Anakin and he forces an encounter, the final evil act that cements his acceptance of the dark side is Anakin's killing of Ben Lars. When Obi-Wan explains to Luke in ROTJ that what he told him was true "from a certain point of view", Lucas meant that the evil personality of Vader killed the good personality of Anakin (all within the same individual). But with my explanation, the good, loving, potential "father figure" of Ben Lars was literally killed by Darth Vader, Luke's actual biological father (therefore, Kenobi's lie in ANH was to perpetuate the idea that Ben Lars was Luke's "true" father who was killed by Anakin, which is a better explanation than "the bad part of your dad killed the good part of your dad" when he says that Luke's father was betrayed and murdered by Darth Vader).
- The Clone Wars will occur during the second and beginning third film in my prequels just as they did in the actual prequels, but will be vastly different in details. I had never envisioned the CW the way Lucas showed it: clone soldiers created from a bounty hunter who become the army of the Republic and eventually morph into the Stormtroopers of the Empire. It didn't feel right to me; in fact, I thought clones would be the REASON for the wars, rather than the majority participants of it. In ANH, Leia's message states that "years ago, you [General Kenobi] served my father in the Clone Wars." This suggests that Alderaan is a primary participant; furthermore, Leia tells Tarkin prior to his destruction of her planet that "Alderaan is peaceful, we have no weapons" which could be the reason why Bail Organa needed Obi-Wan's help as General in the CW. I felt that Lucas' portrayal of the CW was far too large- in fact, it was shown to be much larger in scope than the rebellion against the Empire. To be designated a war on Earth only requires a couple countries at least, with perhaps a few hundred thousand or a few million soldiers. To have a galaxy-spanning war, with thousands of worlds and billions of participants was overkill in my opinion. I decided to make the Clone Wars a conflict that would envelop a couple of star systems, namely Alderaan and a neighboring system. The conflict will begin because the aggressive star system (an ore-mining and ship-producing system) illegally creates a clone slave work force to mine the ore from their rocky planets and moons. The inhumane treatment of these cloned humans spurs the "civil rights"-minded Alderaanians to protest. The aggressor system (they will be the location of one of the corporations that eventually produces the Empire's vessels and machines of war) attacks Alderaan in response (think Pearl Harbor, an attack by the Japanese on an embargo-creating US). Palpatine will secretly encourage the action from behind the scenes, since his growing faction of militarists require the weapons to eventually assume control of the Republic.
- Lucas stated that there were approximately 10,000 Jedi during the prequel era, which can seem few or many depending on your view. Personally, I think 10,000 diminishes the uniqueness of the order, so I would likely reduce the number to under a thousand. The means of their elimination in the PT was pretty clever: a subconscious trigger in the clones that could be activated when Palpatine desired it. Though the sudden turn of clone allies into executioners has strong emotional impact, I thought Jedi were killed far too easily by these clone soldiers. Before Episode 3, I used to speculate how the Jedi would possibly be killed off, and I had an idea that I still prefer over the turned-Clone method. It came from a scene in Godfather 3: a meeting in which all of them (except for Yoda and Obi-Wan) would be trapped and eliminated at once. But what could do it? An orbital ship's attack on the meeting facility? That could work, but would not be guaranteed to get the job done. Then it came to me: an operational but incomplete first Death Star. After all, we know from ROTJ that the superlaser works even before the superstructure is finished; I think use of a superlaser that fractures moons or small planets, but does not yet have the power seen in ANH to completely obliterate a planet (the power requirements to do so come from the superstructure size) is believable and around the timeframe for its construction. This event in my episode 3 will occur from the superlaser structure only, as it fires on a moon where the Jedi are meeting to plan how to stop Palpatine's military faction from taking over. It is sufficient for the job, but incomplete, prompting Palpatine to continue construction until its ultimate form in ANH.
- Droids are another aspect of the PT that is bothersome to me; except for the familiar R2 and protocol designs (which really shouldn't be seen at all so that C-3PO and R2-D2's later ANH introduction is preserved), most of them are gravity-defying, impossibly locomotive (uni-wheel droids), and too easily mobile (battle droids and Grievous and his bodyguards). Furthermore, they appeared more advanced in nature/function than droids appearing 30 or so years later. Droids in the OT were presented as awkwardly-moving bulky automatons, with the more aggressive designs seen in IG-88 and 4-LOM (and both look incapable compared to the smoothly-ambulating battle droids of the PT). I've always thought that films taking place before the OT should feature older/inferior designs for vehicles and droids, and instead we had chrome Naboo ships and hovering droids throughout. I'm going to include a limited-function R1 droid as part of the crew of Lara/Ben's spice freighter, which will satisfy the need for droid inclusion, but not diminish the uniqueness of the OT droids. It just "felt" to me that 3PO and R2 were caught up in the events of ANH rather than having been involved in the story from the beginning. R2 should never have been Anakin's droid, and 3PO should never have been rebuilt by Anakin nor a servant of Luke and Leia's mother.
- Episode 1
- A Republic cruiser commanded by Palpatine pursues a pirate vessel that has raided a commercial liner; after a short chase and firefight, the pirate vessel is disabled and boarded by Republic security troops; Palpatine senses a calling that he doesn't understand, emanating from the planet below- Dagobah; he takes a personal shuttle to the swamp surface and discovers a temple hidden within the trees; entering it, he discovers strange writings on the walls and artifacts strewn about; a presence materializes and beckons him to listen
- Obi-Wan Kenobi walks through the rocky surface of a moon of Kessel, approaching a small fortress nestled in a canyon; guards warn him off, but he uses the Force to allow his entrance; inside, he encounters a gang of pirates and their leader; one of the young men is Anakin, a pilot of pirate craft who emanates strong Force waves that Obi-Wan can feel; the pirate gang subdues Obi-Wan and forces him to fight their best thug
- Obi-Wan wins, and boss orders him killed; Republic troops storm the fortress as pirates scatter
- Obi-Wan follows after Anakin, who boards a small fighter and departs; he gives chase in his own vessel, unable to stop the excellent piloting skills Anakin displays
- Cut to interior of the spice freighter where Ben and Lara are introduced; they deliver goods to a city and are accosted by thugs nearby; Ben tries to protect her but is overwhelmed; the spice delivery is stolen
- Cut back to Obi-Wan who enters a crowded spaceport; Anakin sees him and follows, Obi remains calm and rests at a cafe, blocking Anakin's exit; panicking, Anakin attacks Obi from behind with a large tool, Obi slices it with his lightsaber; Anakin is dumbfounded- Obi offers him a "job" just as he did the pirate gang
- Ben and Lara are in the office of the Spice shipping company that employs them, explaining the theft; the boss threatens to take their ship if they don't allow the Republic to intervene; the Senate votes to allow Jedi marshals to accompany shipping vessels until the threat can be eliminated; Ben protests but is given no alternative
- Obi is contacted by the Jedi council and tasked with accompanying Lara's ship; they meet at a spaceport and Ben and Obi have an uneasy reunion; Anakin takes an obvious interest in Lara
- Act 3 is entirely on and around the spice freighter's newest delivery during the Kessel Run; Obi teaches Anakin aboard, Ben is conflicted between his love for Lara and Obi's teachings; the ship is assaulted by numerous pirate fighters and eventually disabled; pirates board and the heroes fight them off; Anakin repairs the drive which allows them to escape into hyperspace just as the primary pirate vessel commanded by the pirate leader fires proton torpedoes meant to destroy the bridge of the ship
- Episode 2
- Palpatine is directing a naval assault aboard the first Star Destroyer vessel, against one of the last small fleets of pirate vessels; the pirate leader is ultimately disabled and taunts Palpatine to destroy his ship; Palpatine orders his troops to capture him instead, and take him into secret custody; he orders a garrison established in the Kessel system and communicates with his top officers his intention to transition from military to politics in order begin his influence on getting control of the Senate
- Obi-Wan and now-apprentice Anakin arrive on Alderaan to meet with Senator Organa; he explains that a nearby system run by Baron Tagge has increased production of military equipment by mining moons and planets in the local cluster without Alderaan's permission and the Senate's knowledge; Organa explains that the Senate is lately having difficulty with consensus decisions due to the large variety of parties involved, so he appealed directly to the Jedi
- Palpatine is elected regional governor due to his military actions in the Kessel system and surrounding systems
- The Jedi pair travel to the shipyard and discover that much of the work force are cloned humans treated poorly so that the corporation and citizens benefit; the supervisor meets with the Jedi and is questioned about the clones; when he is alone he contacts security and orders them captured; the Jedi battle and evade the security troops and are eventually captured
- Cut to a small wedding ceremony between Ben and Lara on Corellia, among local freight crews
- Baron Tagge interrogates Obi and Anakin in captivity; Anakin is independently tortured by security troops as a means to get Obi to talk; Anakin is shown to be angered by his ordeal, admitting Alderaan's role in the investigation and losing some sanity in the process; Obi uses the force to communicate telepathically with Ben, who must interrupt his honeymoon travel to aid him; under the guise of a legitimate spice delivery to one of the planets, Ben and Lara search for the Jedi using his enhanced senses
- Bail Organa pleads with regional governor Palpatine to investigate the aggressive moves of Tagge's system and the missing Jedi; Tagge's secret military forces strike an Alderaan city killing hundreds; Palpatine pledges to send his forces to assault Tagge's complex
- Lara meets with Tagge's security chief to talk about a fictional threat to her spice delivery, providing a distraction for Ben to infiltrate the detention center; he locates the holding cells and disarms the security men with his lightsaber (Luke's eventual 1st one); he releases an injured and scarred Anakin and goes to free Obi; Anakin turns on his captors and slays them in cold blood
- Act 3 begins as Tagge's fleet departs for the Alderaan system and beyond; the scenes switch between the early stages of the Clone Wars and the heroes' escape from the detention center; Alderaan's main capital is bombarded and ships attacked by fighters; the heroes reach the freighter and depart, Lara charged with tending to the wounded Anakin as Ben and Obi pilot the ship through resistance to their escape
- Governor Palpatine and Senator Organa visit the Jedi and Lara in a medbay on a capital ship outside the Alderaan system; Palpatine praises their actions and takes particular interest in Anakin (some of their exchange is heard, and the rest is observed from a distance by Obi-Wan, who is curious/concerned as to the nature of the discussion)
- Episode 3
- An occupied Alderaan surrounded in orbit by a small fleet of capital ships is approached by a Star Destroyer commanded by Tarkin, Palpatine's former junior officer; exchange of fire begins as Tarkin deploys fighters against Tagge's fleet of early-design TIE fighters
- Cut to surface of the planet as General Kenobi readies his men to storm a garrison as they approach in speeder transports; the troops disembark and fight a combination of security and clone forces, but are clearly outnumbered and must eventually retreat
- In the capitol building, Ben monitors activity of the war with Bail, deciding how much he will involve himself in the events; Lara leaves his side to check on a recovering Anakin who required minor prosthetics; Anakin makes romantic advances towards Lara who lightly spurns him, angering him
- Obi-Wan returns to the capitol building to warn everyone of an impending assault and asks Ben to help him since Anakin is not fully recovered; hostile troops enter the building and the Jedi protect Bail as they withdraw deeper within; the end seems close until shock troops commanded by Yularen storm the building and liberate it
- Yularen communicates with Tarkin, who requires assistance with an assault on Tagge's main fortress; Obi-Wan insists Ben accompany him, which Lara protests but eventually acquiesces; the forces depart Alderaan in shuttles for Tagge's planet; after they leave, Anakin becomes increasingly suggestive to Lara and appears to the viewer to use the influence of a Jedi mind trick (it will be ambiguous, but following this "off-screen" will be the intimate event leading to Lara's pregnancy)
- Cut to Governor Palpatine addressing a crowd of officials on the events of the "Clone Wars", explaining how his local forces are dealing with the situation, and exaggerating the danger of Tagge's forces; a Jedi knight in the crowd senses deception and is concerned
- Obi-Wan and Ben liberate a Clone workcamp on one of Tagge's mining moons, aided by some of Yularen's shock troops; Obi contacts Tarkin in orbit, who declares martial law there
- Anakin angrily departs the palace on Alderaan, the viewer convinced he has been rejected, but unaware of what he has done; he docks with Tarkin's cruiser and insists on joining the Jedi in bringing Tagge to justice; Tarkin allows it and contacts Palpatine with the information after Anakin leaves
- Cut to Palpatine once again, as he is viewed onscreen by a group of senators, announcing a final push against Tagge's forces and criticizing the Chancellor of the Senate for not providing aid in Alderaan's plight; the Jedi knight who was in the crowd earlier watches with 2 other knights (as does Bail Organa on Alderaan) and they agree that Palpatine is using some sort of suggestive technique during his speech, and one agrees to bring the info to Master Yoda
- Shock troopers infiltrate corridors of Tagge's main fortress, Obi and Ben close behind; as they prepare ways to get through the blast doors, Anakin arrives to their surprise; against their wishes he assaults the door head on and is met with blaster fire as he enters (some of it injures him further); shock troops disable security guards as Anakin approaches an armed Tagge and slays him
- Martial law is declared on Tagge's system by Yularen; scientists, technicians and engineers are seen being interrogated and detained; Anakin is being treated for his injuries by a medical droid as Obi-Wan criticizes him for his aggression (Ben is also in the room, which heightens Anakin's resentment); they are interrupted by Obi's comlink transmission from Bail who informs him of his concerns of Palpatine's speeches and the extent of his local military size
- One of Palpatine's dignitaries enters a meeting room of the Republic security committee attended by Mon Mothma and several other senators as well as two Jedi Masters; there is debate on how to proceed as Mothma and the Jedi protest the militarization and martial law in several systems (as well as Palpatine's absence) but the majority of the committee agree with him based on their constituents' fear
- Obi-Wan asks Ben to return Anakin to the med facilities on Alderaan while he remains to investigate Bail's info and Tarkin's post-conflict militaristic moves on the planet; Ben and Anakin's trip is tense and awkward as Anakin hints at attraction for Lara and his opinion of Ben's inadequacy; they arrive at Alderaan and Lara is intent on leaving right away
- Anakin is receiving further prosthetic treatment for his injuries, clearly succumbing farther into his anger; Palpatine communicates with him directly to congratulate his actions at swiftly ending the conflict and asks if he would like to be part of upcoming important events
- On board Lara's ship, Ben and Lara watch a news bulletin of Palpatine's election to Chancellor of the Republic in the wake of his military actions; Lara seems worried and collapses; Ben carries her into the medbay of the ship and the med droid examines her to reveal that she is pregnant; they react happily but Lara has some noticeable hesitation
- Palpatine arrives on Tarkin's ship and meets with him in a conference room; Tarkin informs him that his communications officers have intercepted a message requesting all Jedi to meet in 2 days at a secret location to form a plan to deal with Palpatine's aggressive actions; Palpatine decides he must seize this opportunity though his secret weapon will not be complete for a number of years
- Ben receives the summons and is clearly unsure whether he should attend; Lara expresses her desire to travel to the outer rim until current events calm; Ben is conflicted but feels he must answer this one last request out of respect for Obi-Wan and Yoda
- Palpatine enters Anakin's room with two personal guards; he senses and uses Anakin's perpetual anger to influence him; his skill at persuasion convinces Anakin that those strong enough should take what they desire; he culminates his influence by acquiring the specific location of the Jedi meeting
- Ben and Lara disembark the freighter on the moon and are met by Obi-Wan; he confides in Ben his suspicions on Tagge's world; Anakin arrives and claims Lara for himself; Ben erupts in anger and Obi-Wan confronts Anakin, who shoves Obi to the ground; Ben jumps between them, shoving Anakin back, and turns to see if Obi is ok; Anakin ignites his lightsaber and pierces Ben through the back; the others scream in shock as Anakin moves toward Lara; Obi-Wan ignites his saber and intercepts Anakin, yelling for Lara to get to Alderaan in the freighter; they begin their saber battle as a crying Lara drags Ben up the boarding ramp of her ship
- A distraught Lara is at the helm of her ship, entering hyperspace, and contacts Bail Organa with recent events and that she is on the way there
- Tarkin arrives in orbit, tractor beam towing the superlaser into position; one of his officers updates him on the number of Jedi who have arrived (estimating that a small number have yet to arrive, including Yoda); Tarkin orders delaying the attack until they do arrive, but the officer informs him that a confrontation on the surface has the jedi moving to investigate; Tarkin contacts Palpatine with the info, and he decides that they must act now for maximum effect
- Cut to Anakin and Obi battling through and past the small spaceport of the moon, with many small craft around; a small number of Jedi knights can be seen in the distance running towards the combatants; a strange sound and glow in the clouds grabs the attention of these Jedi (but not the combatants, since presumably Obi-Wan is not aware of the Death Star until ANH), as an enormous blast strikes the ground a few kilometers away near the meeting site; Obi-Wan feels faint as hundreds are killed, and Anakin pauses with momentary doubt before delivering a killing blow; a second blast fires and shatters the ground all around them as well as destroying most of the craft
- Obi-Wan is purely defensive as Anakin backs him closer to a precipice, magma from the disrupted terrain can be seen around them; words of betrayal and anger are traded as a fully turned Anakin prepares to slay Obi, who backs and falls off the cliff; as Anakin looks over, Lara's freighter rises with Obi clinging to it (this is meant to parallel Han arriving to save Luke in the Death Star Trench in ANH); Anakin is trapped on a rapidly worsening surface of the moon as the freighter leaves orbit; as they enter hyperspace, the moon can be seen breaking apart behind them
- Epilogue: Obi-Wan pulls a sheet over Ben's face as Lara weeps; he struggles to understand what happened to the moon and all the Jedi; Lara informs Obi-Wan that she is pregnant and he rests his hand on her stomach, feeling with the force and surprised at what he finds- END
