Episode 8- what could've been

Rating: 3/10 (2 August 2018)

After the Starkiller base's destruction, the Resistance regroups, knowing the First Order will soon arrive and seek vengeance. As the Resistance fleet is organizing, First Order capital ships arrive. Captain Phasma capably leads a ground offensive against the Resistance base. Nevertheless, the entire Resistance fleet successfully abandon the base and quickly enters hyperspace to their designated rendezvous point. -- Luke accepts the lightsaber (recovered from Cloud City) from Rey, regards it, then hands it back to Rey, stating he's already got one (the one he built himself from ROTJ). Rey updates Luke of the current situation. He knows of the great loss of life as well as the death of Han. Rey was there, and informs Luke that Han died at the hands of his son. Luke is utterly devasted. He has failed to revive the Jedi Order, unwittingly turning Ben Solo to the Dark Side, and yet he has not received guidance from Yoda or Obi-Wan since the end of Battle of Endor. He came to this island to learn more about the Jedi Order past. In deep meditation, he has heard a voice guiding him from time to time, but a voice unfamiliar to Luke. Similar to Obi-Wan's but calmer. There is a place on the island he wishes to show her. He does not seem too surprised that Rey is there and asks her if she knows anything about her parents or her origin. -- Back on the Resistance main ship, Leia, Admiral Ackbar and Poe discuss the next move. The New Republic is destroyed, and no centralized power exists in the galaxy except the First Order. The Resistance can rally the free systems, and they will listen now that the First Order threat is known to all and the Resistance has demonstrated the capacity to disrupt their murderous plans. It is agreed that Leia must personally meet with the most powerful free systems and recruit them to the Resistance cause. The Resistance fleet drops out of hyperspace to begin sending their message to the other systems. Before they can, the First Order fleet arrives and immediately attacks, without deploying their TIE fighters. Also, some of the capital ships of the First Order hyperspace away. This development is baffling to the Resistance leadership. They push back, but while the sensible strategy is to hyperspace again, Admiral Ackbar has a terrible realization. The First Order is following the Resistance fleet through hyperspace! How?! Are they tracking the fleet with a planted subspace beacon? Is there a mole within their ranks giving away their position? Has the enemy broke their communications code? With no other option, Admiral Ackbar communicates a new rendezvous point to the Resistance fleet and orders an immediate re-entry to hyperspace. At that moment, the First Order Capital ships that seemed to have abandoned the battle actually arrive from another point in space, clearly an attempt to block their escape. Luckily, the direction the Resistance fleet seeks to escape is a direction orthogonal to the First Order ship positions (similar to the Millennium Falcon dodge of the Star Destroyers in Empire Strikes Back). The Resistance again enters hyperspace, and the First Order fleet, with Hux knowingly, goes in pursuit. -- Luke takes Rey to a cavern on the island. Luke informs Rey this is the first Jedi temple. A solid wall of black is seen, and the floor is white and circular with a dull gray semicircle near the black wall. Luke says this place is the strongest with the Force he's ever felt, but he cannot determine its purpose. Luke is already standing on the floor, but as Rey steps on the floor, it glows (Bane: Rule of 2). Suddenly, the black wall turns slowly misty white, and from the mist appears Yoda. Luke tells Yoda about his hope to restore the Jedi Order and apologizes for his failure. Yoda tells Luke that the Jedi Order should never be restored, as Yoda has come to realize the failure of the Jedi. Yoda explains that the Jedi Order grew to fear the Dark Side. Hate and anger are of the Dark Side, but so is fear. And pride. The Jedi Order suffered from hubris. Mace Windu appears, telling Luke that the Jedi High Council wore simple robes but sat in a high temple. Jocasta Nu appears, telling Luke the Jedi collected and presumed to have all the wisdom from across the galaxy. Obi-Wan Kenobi appears, saying the Jedi claimed to preserve peace, yet made themselves generals of an army they barely understood or controlled. -- But most importantly, the Jedi neglected to realize the importance of love. The Jedi took children from their family to teach them the Force. But love is a part of the Force, both the light and the dark side. The Jedi failed to see this. But Anakin Skywalker revealed this truth. Anakin turned to the Dark Side because of fear for the death of his mother and wife. Yet, he turned back to the Light Side because of fear for the death of his son. Love, can push a person to the Light side or the Dark Side. Yoda did not realize this until Vader saved Luke from the Emperor. The Jedi took Anakin away from his mother and indirectly pressured him to hide his love for Padme. Luke pushed Anakin back by believing in him when no one else would or even could. (It should be noted that Anakin, himself, did the same for Ahsoka Tano a long time ago.) -- Suddenly, Anakin Skywalker appears, staring intently at Rey. He tells her that her cousin, Kylo Ren, needs to find him and that teaching the Force to others will fall on her and Kylo, and not her father. Anankin looks at Luke, and so now Rey knows who is her father. Luke, confused and frustrated, pleads to know what he is supposed to do. Yoda gestures to another Jedi that has appeared, Qui-Gon Jinn, and tells Luke that Luke has already spent time on this island preparing for his destiny. -- The Resistance is about to come out of hyperspace with a plan to send out multiple capital ships, each with X-Wing fighter escorts. Leia will secretly be on one of the ships. Poe offers to be an escort fighter for her contingent, but Admiral Ackbar also wishes to expel Finn (still recovering from his wounds) on an escape pod. As a former stormtrooper, there may be an undetectable beacon attached to him, even unknowingly to Finn, and Ackbar cannot take the risk of keeping him onboard. Poe argues against this, but the Admiral is understandable determined to send Finn off. Poe then volunteers to take a 2-person fighter and fly Finn himself from the fleet, with BB-8 along for the ride. Ackbar reluctantly agrees to losing his best pilot, given the circumstances. -- The fleet comes out of hyperspace, and deploys the multiple Corellian cruisers from the main flagship (reminiscent of the probe deployment from the ESB opening Star Destroyer scene). Fighters are launched, including Finn/Poe's ship. Quickly, the fleet realizes First Order capital ships are already waiting. It cannot be a subspace beacon the First Order is following, so their communications must have been compromised. This means Finn's expulsion from the flagship is unnecessary, but it is too late to reboard. The Resistance fleet has to adjust course to compensate for the First Order's presence, as the enemy chase fleet arrives. A grand space battle ensues. Seeing the Resistance's actions, Hux realizes this is where the chase ends, so the First Order deploys their fighters. Many Resistance ships are lost, but Finn/Poe/BB-8 are instrumental in Leia's escape. -- Luke and Rey have left the temple. Luke, realizing he no longer needs to be on the island, but also knowing he has no role in re-establishing the Jedi Order, is dejected. Luke is reunited with Chewy and R2-D2 on the island. Rey implores that Luke come with her and join the Resistance. Luke tells her he is an old man and would not be of much use. R2-D2 plays the Leia-Obi-Wan visual to make a point. Yoda Force ghost appears. Chewy says something. Luke is surprised that Chewy seems to recognize Yoda. Yoda encourages Luke to follow his path. Luke thinks this means become Rey's master. Yoda says no. Rey will learn from another. Luke suggests Leia. Again, Yoda corrects Luke. Obi-Wan thought that Luke was the only hope, but Yoda knew there was another. Not Leia, but Ahsoka, the apprentice to Anakin Skywalker. No person knows better the Jedi Order failure than Ahsoka, and she will be the best source of guidance for Rey. Before Rey can find out where this Ahsoka is located, Yoda disappears. -- Luke, Rey, R2-D2 and Chewy board the Falcon and receive a message from Leia saying the Resistance base is being abandoned and given rendezvous coordinates. They embark, not realizing the fleet has been chased away with First Order ships awaiting potential Resistance stragglers. -- Leia's ship comes out of hyperspace. No First Order ships have followed them. The coordinates were secret, even from Poe/Finn, so they are separated from Leia's group. Leia sends word to other powerful free systems for an in-person emergency summit. When asked for a location, Leia simply says that she knows a place. -- Luke and Rey arrive out of hyperspace, and are immediately set upon by First Order ships. Space battle. Luke, using the Force, determines where Leia is located with the aid of some connection related to their mother. The Falcon quickly enters hyperspace to go after Leia. -- Leia is holding an impromptu meeting in the old abandoned palace on Naboo. About a dozen representatives, various races, are seen in a round table headed by Leia. Half seem intent on joining Leia, but another half are reluctant. Some representatives are projections (not in person). Suddenly, a dark, very tall figure is seen approaching from a distance, accompanied by Kylo Ren. One of the in-person representatives welcomes Lord Commander Snoke to the meeting, indicating betrayal and that some of the free systems have already been influenced by the First Order. Leia has miscalculated who could be trusted.