Star Wars: Episode VII. (Selected Scenes)

PT thought it'd be cool if we all wrote our own ideas for what Star Wars: Episode VII should be.

PT was right. Here's mine.

SCENE: Interior starship, looking down a boarding ramp.  The ramp leads onto a desert landscape that is empty but for dunes in the distance.  All is quiet, at first, but we hear a rising sound, slowly growing louder.  As the sound swells we realize it is voices, screaming and yelling, and from offscreen a woman [UKENA ARTON] strides into view, her back to the camera.  As she arrives at the top of the boarding ramp a gigantic crowd of people, thousands, comes over the top of the dune.

UKENA [speaking into commlink on shoulder]: ...said we've got only 35 more minutes before the corona reaches us and this planet really is charcoal and BANTHA FODDER LOOK AT THEM ALL.



[OVER THE COMMLINK]: Patch me through your vislink... oh, oh.

UKENA:  We don't have anywhere near enough ships for this.

[OVER THE COMMLINK]:  Save as many as you can.

UKENA: That's not even going to be 10% of what's coming here.

THE CROWDS ARE NOW SURGING AROUND, AS UKENA HAS MOVED DOWN THE RAMP.  SHE IS IN THE MIDDLE OF A WILD MOB OF PEOPLE AND ALIENS SHOUTING AND SCREAMING, WITH HERE AND THERE A UNIFORMED PERSON HELPING TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE ONTO SPACESHIPS, WHICH WE SEE NOW ARE LINED UP TO THE HORIZON.

UKENA: [SHOUTING ORDERS}: Get onto a ship.  We have 20 minutes. In 20 minutes these pads are up and we're exiting atmosphere.

THE CROWD BUFFETS HER, AND WE HEAR INDISTINCT MURMURS FROM HER COMMLINK. THE SCREAMS GROW LOUDER.  PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO TRAMPLE EACH OTHER.

UKENA: Calm down! I said...

A LARGE ALIEN PUSHES HER DOWN AND SHE DISAPPEARS INTO A SEA OF LEGS AND ARMS AND TENTACLES AS THE SURGE GOES UP THE RAMP BEHIND HER.  THE COMMLINK ROLLS FREE AND THE CAMERA ZOOMS IN ON IT AS FEET OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES TRAMPLE PAST.  WE SEE A HAND TRYING TO GRASP THE COMMLINK.

[OVER THE COMMLINK]  Ukena! Ukena! Do you copy?

THE HAND CANNOT REACH THE LINK.  THE FEET ARE FASTER AND MORE INDISTINCT.  WE SEE THE FINGERS STOP REACHING AND RELAX, AS IF UKENA HAS DIED.  THEN, WITH A FINAL TWITCH, THEY STRAIGHTEN OUT AND THE COMMLINK DIVES INTO HER HAND AS IF PULLED BY INVISIBLE STRINGS. AS THE COMMLINK DISAPPEARS WE HEAR THE ROAR OF THE CROWD BECOME EVEN GREATER AND THEN SUDDENLY STOPS, AS THE CAMERA PULLS BACK AND WE SEE THAT THE STARSHIP HAS BEEN LIFTED 20 FEET ABOVE THE HEADS OF THE CROWD, AND THE CROWD HAS BEEN LIFTED 10 FEET OFF OF THE SAND.

UKENA STANDS BELOW THEM, HER BROW FURROWED WITH CONCENTRATION, HER ARMS OUTSTRETCHED.

UKENA: Now let's have some ORDER, people.  [INTO THE COMMLINK]: We'll be taking off in 18.

* * * * * *

SCENE: INTERIOR OF A STARSHIP, THE VIEW FROM BEHIND TWO CHAIRS LOOKING AT A CONTROL PANEL AND OUT THROUGH THE GLASS AT THE STARS BEYOND IT.  THERE ARE CRIPPLED STARSHIPS WITH FLAMES SHOOTING OUT OF THEM, AND AS WE WATCH, TWO HEADS COME INTO VIEW, BOTH SEEN IN SILHOUETTE.

DENGAR: The only readings I'm getting from...

THERE IS A CRUSHING, BOOMING THUD AND A SPACE FIGHTER COMES CARTWHEELING OVER THE TOP OF THE SCENE, SPINNING INTO ANOTHER SHIP DEAD AHEAD AND EXPLODING.

HAN SOLO: Transfer all power to front shields...

DENGAR: There's no time...

HAN SOLO:  Doomsday devices... why'd it have to be doomsday devices?

* * * * * *

SCENE:  A LONG BRIDGE THAT EXTENDS OVER THE HORIZON IN EACH DIRECTION, WITH NOTHING BUT WATER AND OCCASIONAL MISTS IN SIGHT.  A MAN STANDS ON THE BRIDGE, FACING OFF TO THE SIDE.

DIMO: Hello, Uncle Luke.

LUKE:  Your sensitivity was always very good, Dimo.

DIMO: There's nothing I can do to stop it.

LUKE: We both know that's not true.

DIMO: There's nothing I will do to stop it.

LUKE: I hope that's also not true.

DIMO: Why should I?

LUKE: What do you think will be left, if you continue along this path?

DIMO: Nothing.

[HE PAUSES AND FOR A MOMENT NOTHING HAPPENS. A LONG, LOW MOAN SOUNDS FAR IN THE DISTANCE, SOME ANIMAL IN THE WATER]

LUKE: What would you rule, then, if you destroy the galaxy?

DIMO: Who says I want to rule anything?  [HE TURNS TO FACE LUKE AND IGNITES HIS LIGHT SABER, WHICH IS YELLOW].  They let her die, Uncle Luke.

LUKE: There was nothing anyone could do.

DIMO: THEY LET HER DIE!

HE SLASHES WITH HIS LIGHTSABER.  LUKE AVOIDS IT EASILY.  DIMO PULLS BACK AND SLASHES FROM THE OTHER SIDE.  LUKE JUMPS ABOVE THE LOW SWING.  HE STILL HAS NOT PULLED HIS OWN LIGHTSABER OUT.

DIMO: Games, old man.  Games.  I can do this all day.  HE SWINGS AGAIN, A Z-SHAPED ARC.  LUKE FEINTS AND THEN JUMPS OVER HIM, SPINNING INTO A SOMERSAULT TO LAND ON THE OTHER SIDE.

LUKE: So can I.

DIMO TURNS SLOWLY, THEN SMILES.  HE SWINGS THE BLADE DOWN AND SLICES THROUGH THE LOGS OF THE BRIDGE.  AS LUKE TUMBLES TOWARDS THE SIDE DIMO DIVES TO HIS LEFT, GRABBING A STRUT WITH ONE HAND AND SWINGING HIMSELF UP TO THE RIGHT AND BEHIND LUKE.  HE SWINGS AGAIN AND THE SECTION OF THE BRIDGE THAT HAS BEEN CUT FREE FALLS.

LUKE STANDS IN MIDAIR, STARING SADLY AT DIMO.

LUKE: There is more than one way for this to end, Dimo.

DIMO:  There is only one way I will ALLOW this to end, Uncle.

LUKE: You can't win.

DIMO [SUDDENLY TURNS HIS LIGHTSABER OFF]: Dad told me about the Death Star. How you guys fell into a trash bin or something, and there was some kind of monster in there that almost ate you.  Remember that?

LUKE: Of course I do.

DIMO: Did you know this is the planet those animals come from?

HE FLICKS HIS HAND AND TENTACLES SHOOT UP FROM THE WATER BELOW, IN A GIANT FROTHING MASS, GRASPING AT LUKE AND PULLING HIM UNDER BEFORE ANYONE CAN REACT.

DIMO WATCHES AS THE BUBBLING AND SWARMING SUBSIDE, LEAVING THE WATER CALM AGAIN.  AS HE STARES DOWN, A SINGLE BLACK GLOVE FLOATS TO THE SURFACE.  HE GESTURES, AND IT FLIES UP TO HIS HAND.

DIMO: I will determine how this story ends, Uncle.

* * * * * *

SCENE: THE EXTERIOR OF A SPACE STATION, SILHOUETTED AGAINST A GIANT RED STAR.  THE FAMILIAR SHAPE OF THE MILLENNIUM FALCON IS DOCKED AGAINST THE PORT, CLEARLY BEING RESTRAINED THERE.

CUT TO FALCON INTERIOR.  WE SEE TWO RAGGED INDIVIDUALS WALKING INTO THE OPEN HATCH FROM THE SPACE STATION INTERIOR.  BEHIND THEM, DIMO IS TALKING.

DIMO: Check again.  He was on the ship as it came out of hyperspace.

CUT TO INTERIOR OF SHIP, A SMALL CUBICLE.  HAN SOLO, DENGAR, AND R2D2 ARE HUDDLED WITHIN IT.

HAN: [whispering] I told you these old smuggling cubicles would come in handy.  I guess it's a good thing Leia would never let me tell Dimo about what I did before the war.  They'll never find us--

THE FRONT OF THE CUBICLE OPENS AND THEY ARE STARING AT THREE BOUNTY HUNTERS HOLDING RIFLES ON THEM. THE TWO GROUPS STARE AT EACH OTHER FOR A MOMENT, AND THEN HAN WAVES A HAND AT THEM.

HAN:  These aren't the fugitives you're looking for.

THE BOUNTY HUNTERS GRAB THEM AND THROW THEM TO THE FLOOR, HANDCUFFING THEM.

HAN: Can't blame a guy for trying.

* * * * * *

SCENE: AN EERIE FOREST SUNK IN THE WATER; A SMALL WOODEN HUT SITS ATOP STILTS AND THE CAMERA CLOSES IN ON THAT AS WE HEAR THE SOUND OF A BOAT BEING POLED FORWARD.

THE CAMERA PULLS BACK AND UKENA, IN TORN AND RAGGED CLOTHING, IS TYING A BOAT TO THE HUT.  SHE CLIMBS UP THE SMALL LADDER AND LOOKS WARILY UP OVER THE PLATFORM, BUT IT IS SILENT.  SHE MOTIONS TO SOMEONE BEHIND HER, AND A TOYDARIAN [LOLO] FLOATS UP BEHIND HER.

LOLO: [whispering] Is he in there?

UKENA: I don't think so.

LOLO HOVERS HIGHER AS UKENA PULLS HERSELF UP ALL THE WAY ONTO THE PLATFORM, GOES TO THE DOORWAY, WHICH IS COVERED BY A BLACK BLANKET OR CLOTH.  SHE REACHES HER HAND OUT, PAUSES, AND LOOKS AT LOLO, WHO NODS.

BOTH ACTIVATE THEIR LIGHTSABERS.

UKENA PULLS THE BLANKET ASIDE BUT ALL WE SEE IS AN ASCETIC INTERIOR: A BOWL, A BLANKET, AND A STOOL.

UKENA: Not here.

THERE IS THE SOUND OF A LIGHTSABER SWINGING BEHIND HER AND SHE SPINS TO SEE DIMO COMING DOWN FROM THE TREE ABOVE THEM, JABBING HIS LIGHT SABER AT LOLO.  UKENA JUMPS TOWARDS THE TWO FROM THE DOORWAY BUT DIMO WAVES HIS HAND AND SHE IS FLUNG INTO A TREE TRUNK, AND STARTS TO FALL TOWARDS THE WATER, WHERE A TENTACLE SHOOTS UP.

UKENA PUTS HER ARMS OUT AND STOPS HER FALL. THE TENTACLE GRABS HER LEG. STILL HOVERING SHE SLASHES AT IT WITH HER LIGHTSABER WHILE ANOTHER TENTACLE SHOOTS UP TO GRAB AT HER ARM.

THE CAMERA PANS BACK TO WHERE LOLO IS DARTING AROUND AND OVER DIMO, WHO IS TRYING TO FEND OFF LOLO'S VARIOUS ATTACKS.  LOLO IS JABBERING IN HIS OWN LANGUAGE.  DIMO IS NOT TALKING.

BACK TO UKENA, WHO HAS TWO TENTACLES ON HER AND IS TRYING TO GET TO THEM WITH HER LIGHTSABER.  ANOTHER TENTACLE GRABS HER ARM AND THE LIGHTSABER BEGINS TO DROP.  WE CAN SEE THE STRAIN ON HER FACE FROM USING THE FORCE TO RESIST BEING PULLED UNDER WATER.

UKENA:  DIMO! Call them off!

DIMO IGNORES HER, BACKING UP ON THE PLATFORM TO THE VERY EDGE UNDER LOLO'S FURIOUS ATTACK.  HE TAKES ANOTHER STEP AND IS STANDING HALF ON THE AIR AND HALF ON THE PLATFORM.  LOLO SWINGS DOWN AND DIMO'S OTHER LEG COMES OFF THE PLATFORM.  HE FALLS BACKWARD BUT SPINS IN THE AIR AND STOPS HIMSELF JUST ABOVE THE WATER.

UKENA, MEANWHILE, HAS PULLED HER LIGHTSABER BACK UP AND IS WIELDING IT WITH HER MIND, SLASHING AT TENTACLES.  ONCE SHE IS FREE SHE SPINS AROUND AND HER LIGHTSABER FLASHES TO HER HAND. SHE GRABS THE NEAREST TREE TRUNK AND PRACTICALLY RUNS UP IT, AWAY FROM THE REST OF THE TENTACLES.

DIMO IS STANDING BELOW HER ON THE WATER.  LOLO IS HOVERING ABOVE THE PLATFORM.  DIMO IS SURROUNDED BY A PROTECTIVE WALL OF TENTACLES.

DIMO: [LOOKING UP AT THEM]: Do you think I care if I live or die?  I don't.

UKENA: Then why fight us?

DIMO: [LAUGHS] You know the answer to that already, Jedi.  Every one of my heartbeats causes a star in the galaxy to go nova. The longer I live, the more I assure that the galaxy will first burn with my rage, and then pass into the cold nothingness of the void.

[HE FLINGS HIS HANDS UPWARD OVER HIS HEAD, REACHING THEM AS HIGH AS HE CAN AND SPLAYING HIS FINGERS]

DIMO: But you will not live to see that.

[THE CAMERA SWITCHES TO A VIEW FROM DIMO'S FEET, LOOKING UP PAST HIS HANDS.  WE SEE GLOWING PINPOINTS IN THE SKY GROW LARGER AND LARGER UNTIL IT BECOMES APPARENT THEY ARE METEORS, WHICH BEGIN TO SPLASH INTO THE WATER, HISSING, AND CRASHING INTO THE TREES]

... TO BE CONTINUED, IN EPISODE VIII.

Briane Pagel always identified WAY MORE with Luke than with Han.  He blogs at Thinking The Lions, publishes short stories (and will pay you for yours) at lit, a place for stories, and has some amazing books available on Amazon, all of which cost only $0.99 and which you can find by clicking here. .