Guest Post: How Christopher G. Nuttall Would Have Done STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

Ben before his fall, a more seductive neo-Empire, both Rey *and* Finn are Force-sensitives, and more! Also a new show April 4-6 in Duluth.

The fundamental problem with The Force Awakens is that it is pretty much a beat-for-beat reprise of A New Hope, an attempt to reboot the universe in a manner that is simply impossible after the success of both the Original Trilogy and the Prequel Trilogy. The OT was exploring virgin territory, and characters such as Obi-Wan Kenobi were very much undefined — to the point they were plot devices rather than actual characters — which meant he could be killed off without negatively impacting the story itself. Kenobi’s importance and backstory was filled in by the prequels, but at that point his ultimate fate was well known and indeed allowed a certain degree of foreshadowing and irony. When Anakin declared that Kenobi’s fate would be the same as both his and Palpatine’s, he was entirely correct, allowing fans a little smile at the thought that all three of them would meet their ends on Death Stars.

Disney cannot be faulted for wanting to introduce new characters. However, the Sequel Trilogy was no longer set in a virgin universe, and I think there was a very strong expectation that the original characters would play major roles even if they eventually handed prominence over to their successors. This expectation was not met. Han Solo plays the role of Ben Kenobi, a role for which he is not only profoundly unsuited but also requires him to give up his relationship with Leia and return to the life of a smuggler. Worse, Leia herself remains a bit character and Luke has nothing more than a cameo at the end. To compare The Force Awakens to Heir to the Empire is to compare excrement to cream.

Worse, perhaps, The Force Awakens does not build on the political themes of the prequel and original trilogies. The prequel covers the decline and fall of the Old Republic and its replacement by the Galactic Empire. The original trilogy covers the resistance to the Galactic Empire and the eventual death of Emperor Palpatine. As I wrote earlier, the third trilogy should logically cover the rise of the new Republic and the defeat of the remnants of the Galactic Empire, of everyone who attempted to take power and create an empire of their own. Instead, the authors jump through hoops to return to the themes of the original trilogy, right down to the creation of a whole new Death Star. The series tried to appeal to both new fans and old, but it wound up alienating both. There was too much background for the new fans, and too little respect for the source material for the old.

Put bluntly, the problem with The Force Awakens was not the black stormtrooper, or the strong female character, or even the fact that their presence was used as a club to beat anyone who dared question the movie’s direction. The problem was that it was a very poor reprise of a far older and far more popular movie. It just was not what the fans wanted, leaving them feeling cheated and then insulted.

How would I have done it?

My first inclination would be to say “film the Thrawn Trilogy” and that would have been, I think, a very good idea. It was certainly plausible decades ago, when the major stars were still in their prime. The trilogy is far better at exploring the idea of the post-Return Of The Jedi universe and both the stresses and strains of forming a new government, as well as introducing new and beloved characters. Assuming that was not possible, how would I have remade the sequels to make them actually palatable to both fans and newcomers alike?

It is an interesting challenge. How do I keep Finn (the character who showed the most promise), Rey (a poorly conceived character who suffered badly from bad writing), Poe (ditto) and Kylo Ren/Ben Solo (ditto once again)? How do I make them worthy heirs to the original’s heroes and villains? How much of the original plotline do I keep? What do I do with Snoke? Do I try to bring in other characters from The Clone Wars and other animated series, or do I keep them out in hopes of drawing in new fans?

I do have one advantage here. Star Wars has – had - one hell of a fan base. I do not need to bring in complete newcomers, not to any great extent. I should not let myself get too lost in fan service, but I do not need to sacrifice it either.

And so we begin:

The Force Awakens opens in Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Academy, with Ben Solo — the son of Han and Leia — studying how to be a Jedi. Ben is discontented and impatient, openly wondering when he gets his knighthood and when he gets to fight for the New Republic. Luke is trying, very patiently, to give him the lessons he needs, but it isn’t going very well. In many ways, Ben has inherited the strengths and weaknesses of both of his parents. He combines Han’s sheer daring and ruthlessness with Leia’s determination to fight for the right, a dangerous combination.

We switch scenes to Jakku, where Rey – a young scavenger - tries to eke out a living amongst the ruins of fallen Star Destroyers while evading the criminal gangs that will enslave, rape, or murder her if she falls into their hands. The planet is on the border between the Republic and the Unknown Regions and therefore is effectively lawless. She takes her goods to a fence, only to discover the man has sold her out to local gangsters. She is taken prisoner after a short fight and threatened with slavery.

The planet is invaded by the First Order, the reformed and revitalized remnants of the Empire. Finn and the rest of the Stormtroopers land to impose order, crushing the criminal gangs like bugs and bringing the planet under their control. Rey is freed in the chaos and offered a chance to join up, along with many other prisoners, but refuses. She is separated from the prisoners who choose to enlist and remains in custody.

Finn is pleased, at first, with what he sees as a civilizing mission. The planet is a horrible mess and the First Order, as bad as it is, is actually an improvement. His enthusiasm fades rapidly, however, as he realizes that the Stormtroopers have orders to execute anyone who resists them, including former prisoners who refuse to sign up. Finn finds himself taking part in the mass execution, having flashes of conscience as he pulls the trigger. Unable to continue, he makes a bid to escape, stumbling across Rey’s cell as he goes. He frees her, and takes her with him. He needs her knowledge of the planet to hide out long enough to escape.

Word of the invasion reaches the New Republic. The government is divided. The issue of the border planets has been a problem for quite some time, the politicians unsure if they should intervene more openly or if doing so would be seen and/or become a pretext for de facto annexation. The First Order is broadcasting propaganda about the situation on the border worlds when they arrived, insisting that their invasion is for the good of planets that would otherwise be at the mercy of criminal gangs. They make a show of inviting people dissatisfied with the New Republic to join them, an invitation that appeals to far too many who feel nostalgia for the Empire. Divided, the New Republic cannot decide what to do.

Leia volunteers to investigate, after her attempt to convince the New Republic to prepare for war fails. Han and Leia will head to the nearest invaded world, after visiting Luke and asking for his advice. Luke tells them that he has visions of a great darkness, but nothing else. They leave the Academy and jump into hyperspace, discovering - too late - that Ben has stowed away on the Millennium Falcon. Leia is furious at her son, while Han is a lot more understanding. He tells them he can accompany them as long as he behaves himself. Father and son have a long talk about growing up and learning the world is not a game.

On Jakku, Rey and Finn are being hunted. Finn is mystified by the First Order’s determination to find Rey. It makes little sense — she’s just a junkyard scavenger. They keep hiding, as the search intensifies. Things happen to reveal that both are Force sensitive, tipping off the viewers if not the characters.

The Millennium Falcon arrives. They start to investigate. Jakku seems peaceful at first, but they rapidly discover the peace is kept at gunpoint. The First Order is rounding up children and shipping them further into the Unknown Regions, sorting out in a manner that makes no apparent sense. Ben gets into a fight that leads him to Rey and Finn, his lightsaber tipping off the First Order that there are Jedi on Jakku. He takes his new friends back to his parents, who are more than willing to listen. Leia realizes that both Rey and Finn are Force-sensitive — and that the First Order is looking for potential Force users. The local Stormtroopers attack, forcing them to take off and run. They send a message back the New Republic, then shadow a transport as it flies further into the Unknown Regions.

Ray, Finn, and Ben bond. Ben is shocked by their treatment and swears to do something about it, angrily asking his mother why they didn’t finish off the Empire while they had the chance. Leia cannot give him a good answer.

They come out of hyperspace near an uncharted world. It is a fortress, surrounded by a giant fleet of Star Destroyers. The planet itself reeks of the Dark Side. They follow the transport to the loading bay, but – after getting a force vision of the fate of the prisoners – Ben abandons cover and attacks, setting off a running fight that forces his friends to steal the transport in hopes of getting it clear. He is contacted by a mysterious voice, promising to let the transport go if Ben stays behind willingly. Ben agrees, and the voice keeps its word. The transport is allowed to go.

Leia and Han are horrified, and after dispatching the transport back home start planning a rescue mission.

Ben is taken before Supreme Leader Snoke. Snoke confronts him with the failures of the New Republic, and spends a dream of an Empire that generally does keep the peace, root out criminals, and ensures everyone has a good life. His promise sounds good, his visions tainted by darkness … a darkness Ben cannot see. He offers Ben the power to make the world better, inviting him to serve as his apprentice. The Jedi will not make the universe a better place. The Sith can and will. Ben hesitates, is tempted, and finally falls. Snoke anoints him Kylo Ren, the new leader of the Knights of Ren, and commands him to prepare for the invasion of another world.

The Millennium Falcon returns, launching a desperate bid to rescue Ben. Finn uses his knowledge of the First Order’s systems to get inside the command fortress, while Leia uses her Force powers to hide their presence and Han and Rey look for Ben. They discover Kylo Ren instead, a conflicted Dark Jedi, torn between the impulse to embrace the dark side and to return with his family. Han tries to reach out to him, but Snoke overrides it and Kylo Ren strikes his father down. Rey tries to stop him with a borrowed lightsaber, only to start losing — badly. Finn saves her life, barely getting out in time. They get back to the Millennium Falcon and run.

Now wrapped in darkness, Kylo Ren leads his fleet to the new system. The fleet is engaged by New Republic starships, summoned by Leia, and after a long hard battle the First Order is forced to retreat. Snoke takes it remarkably mildly, merely remarking that one battle lost does not mean the end of the war and revealing that there is a far bigger fleet coming into service. The war might have started ahead of time, but the First Order will win and impose peace on the galaxy. And Kylo Ren will have the training he needs to become his successor.

Back home, a heartbroken Leia sends Rey and Finn to Luke, then stands before the Senate and calls them out, telling them that they have made a dreadful mistake by sparing the remnants of the Empire. They can no longer turn away from what they have allowed to linger in the shadows, and now they must prepare to fight. She asks for a declaration of war and it is granted.

And at the Jedi Academy, Rey and Finn start their training. And they swear they will, somehow, rescue Ben Solo from his damnation.

This outline addresses my main issues with the original movie. The revelation that Kylo Ren and Ben Solo are one and the same doesn’t have the impact it should have, because we don’t meet Ben as a young man before his fall to the dark side, nor do we grasp his connection to Han Solo. In this case, we see a troubled young man, facing the same torments and temptations as his grandfather, and eventually falling to the Dark Side for what he thinks is a good reason. He is, of course, wrong, and that is the tragedy.

Han gets a great deal more development too, as an older, more settled man happily married to Leia. The idea they both found happiness in each other, only to have it torn away by the Dark Side, adds a certain pathos, as well as making Han’s death more meaningful. It also gives Leia a reason to become a true war leader, which would put her at risk of falling to the Dark Side too.

It also addresses the issue of Rey being a Mary Sue. She is a scrappy little fighter, right from the start, but like Luke himself she has a long way to go before she is the equal of Finn or Ben Solo. Her early fights don’t go her way, although she learns more as she goes along. Bonding with both Finn and Ben gives her a family of choice, and a good reason to stay with them after escaping her homeworld.

Finn himself gets a great deal more development, as a Stormtrooper who defected after being forced to carry out an atrocity. The early hints that he is Force-sensitive will flourish in the later movies, as he learns from Luke. His relationship with Rey is more clearly older brother/younger sister in this universe, although there is certainly room for romance later on.

I haven’t decided on the back story of Supreme Leader Snoke. The idea of him being Darth Jar-Jar has a certain appeal, but it would probably kill the Sequel Trilogy. I don’t like the idea of him being a resurrected Palpatine in any shape and form, although it would hardly be out of character for Snoke to claim he was Palpatine, or that he was Palpatine’s son. That would certainly add to the theme of a whole new generation taking its place in the galaxy, while the older characters take their final bows and step aside.

Regardless of his origins, I have the impression he is a more controlled character than Palpatine, more understanding and tolerant of mistakes and less willing to discard his followers when they are no longer useful. This actually makes him more dangerous in many ways, because his people have a chance to learn from their mistakes and improve. He is also capable of understanding Ben’s feelings, and pitching his approach to match them. His seduction is terrifyingly effective because he is offering Ben precisely what he wants, and he is even willing to keep his side of the bargain. It’s just a shame that Ben is too inexperienced to see the trap.

What do you think?

If you like Star Wars, you should check out Christopher G. Nuttall’s military science fiction books, starting with the Morningstar series and going through the long-running Ark Royal and The Empire’s Corps series, featuring action and adventure in deep space and countless alien worlds. Or if you are more into fantasy, you should check out The Zero Enigma or the Schooled in Magic series.

I’ll Be Vending, Speaking at StellarFest in Duluth

StellarFest is a new scifi-focused convention taking place April 4-6 in Duluth, GA. It’s run by the same people as CONPossible, where many of you have gotten to know me already.

I’ll be on panels at that show as well as vending. The show already has recruited a number of guests — the actresses who played Judy Robinson in Lost in Space and the Salt Vampire in the original Star Trek as well as the actor who played young Spock in Star Trek III.

Come on down!