Streaming series, weekly, 20 eps/year.
Framing device:: C-3PO and some of the droids teaching the children of Luke and Mara the history of the skywalkers, from their point of view...
Throw out Eps 2-3.
Rework ep 1. Keep the Padme, Anakin, romance...
Trade Federation Rebellion vs The Republic.
First Clone War - from the dark quarter.
Palpatine president; Padme to senate.
5th Mandalorian War (Mandos just wanna be free) vs the Republic. As others join, it becoems the grounds for declaring the Empire.
Jedi slowly being marginalized as the 2nd Clone War starts. it's a squeaker. 3PO is with Bail Organa. He's the young prince of Alderaan. And he's in love with Padme. As is her not-quite-a-stalker, Anakin. We also see a young sergeant, one Owen Lars, of Alderaan.
Anakin and Padme find out the clones are actually answering to Palpatine. Anakin goes to confront him... Palpatine gets him alone, in the recycling center and says, "Go ahead, boy! Kill me. Let your rage flow! You'll Only make me Stronger. Hahahah...." Vroom goes the lightsaber, while Palpatine uses force lightning to blow the cameras... we end a season with him falling into the smelter in pieces.
And next season opens to him waking in his clone, amid stormtroopers.
He destroys Anakin's reputation, and that of the Jedi. Padme and he go into hiding... with Bail. Padme carries Anakin's Twins, and Bail marries another. Anakin decides he must convince the council, and reaches out to Obiwan... Anakin also goes all emo. Obiwan and he go to find the cloning center, do so, find a clone of Palpatine, destroy it, and head for Coruscant. Anakin helps start the Rebel Alliance.
Again, He's gotten alone. But this time, big saber duel, long lasting, while a young apprentice keeps Obiwan busy apart... This time, Anakin goes in the smelter... but is saved by Palpatine... again, just as the cameras go out... A burned off stump of an arm is left for Obiwan to find... while the barely alive Anakin is secreted away.
Obiwan will not see him again for thirty years... and at the same time, a Sith tries to kill Padme, but is stopped by Bail and another jedi... Yoda. Said Sith, tho', is a recent convert, and is still dressed and known as a Jedi. Three Knights of the Jedi attempting to overturn the will of the Senate? Time to purge them. Padme is braindead, but Yoda keeps her alive to get put into a stasis box. Bail cannot let her die, but also knows that she's wanted, and any major medical center will turn her over. Obiwan arrives from the capital, with news that Anakin is dead, escorted inn by Major Lars. Yoda warns that, "If love her you do, let her go you must. But now Not. There is new life within her. Hold onto it we must, if the Republic we'll restore. Strong in the Force. Stronger than I. Stronger than Anakin. Avenge him we must. Avenge freedom's end we must!" pause as a shocked Bail looks dumbfounded. "But now not. When king you are, then avenge we can."
The last scene of the season is an armless, legless Anakin, begging to die.
"I can teach you to be reborn, Anakin. I feel your hate, you have already turned to the Dark Side. let me teach you its power. Let me teach you how to find your dead Padme, who died fighting us."
Anakin just sobs... "Answer now, my Young Apprentice..."
Anakin, "What must I do... Master?" he spits out...
Cue surgery montage.
After, "I cannot call you Anakin. Anakin is dead. He died in Treason. In the Smelter. nothing left but half an arm. I shall call you Vader. And for once, the Apprentice shall be public. Lord Vader, swear your loyalty to MY Empire."
"I shall serve it until the day we die!" comes out of the mangled face.
"Then let the armor be mounted, Lord Vader!" Arms and helmet descend.
Lord Vader is publicly acknowledged as the Minister of Loyalty, and the killer of Anakin Skywalker.
Fast forward a decade. King Bail and his wife fake a pregnancy, and Yoda helps nurture the life in the now thawed Padme.
Owen is near, but for the first time, not in uniform. Owen looks burnt-out; unshaven, unkempt. He, Yoda, Obiwan, and Bail agree the twins must be separated for their own safety. If they live.
Owen and Ben agree that they should go to the Hutt held territories, one of the few places an undocumented man can truly make a new life. With his stepson, and his trusty droid, he heads to Tatooine. Ben does as well, but not with Owen's knowledge.
Bail raises Leia as his own.
the Jedi have been (mostly) dead for 10 years, and Ben just blends in. We get a few years later, and Ben and Owen, along with his new wife, Beru, meet in the market. Hostile words in the alley: "Obiwan, if you honor our service, leave the boy to me. He's not your... " hushed, "Jedi savior." Still sotto voce, "he's a good farmboy, and he's got normal friends, Biggs, and Dobby. The Empire isn't taking back the Rim."
"Owen, you are his guardian. And please, call me Ben. But one day, he'll seek me out. Yoda taught me enough that I can live to that day..."
"He won't, Obi.. Ben. He won't."
"We'll see, Owen. Actually, I have seen, and you will see."
"Stop it with the mumbo-jumbo... Ben. "
Fast forward to a year before Ep IV. Cue scenes of teen boys on Tattooine, and Owen's old droid chiding, "Luke, your uncle wants your chores done. Similar scenes for Leia. Scenes with Han and Lando. Including a reshoot of Solo. And a clear view of Han hiding a skifter in his shoe, and testing it. He cheats Lando out of the Falcon.
Fast forward further, Han contracting with Jabba in desperation, then dumping the spice, They come out in a system expecting an imperial base, and find rubble.
Chewie hears a thunk, puts on a vac suit, and retrieves the item stuck to their sensor dish... a partial K2-unit. Chewie wires it up, looking to interrogate it, as they head to face the music, hoping desperately that there's useful data... time isn't on their side. as they land, a rebel ship is being shot at overhead.... and Greedo is about to get blasted. Greedo drew first, but Han Shot First....
When Ben is sensed by Vader... Ben stops, "Anakin? Here?"
When they meet. "Darth Vader... or should I say, Anakin Skywalker. Let them go, Anakin."
"Anakin died 30 years ago, old man."
"I still feel him in you. It's not too late."
"Once, you were the master. Now I am the Master! Submit!"
"Only a master of Evil, Darth."
"Fight or die, old man!"
"If you cut me down, I shall become more powerful than you can ever imagine!" Telepathically, "Fly, you fool. Get Leia and the droids to the Rebellion." Meanwhile Vader manipullates controlls with the force, closing the doors.
"Submit to the power of the Darkside, Obiwan. Wait... My son lives!" cue initial flurry, finally, as the ship exits, Obiwan pulls his disappearance act.
Rest of Ep IV as is.
a bunch of rebel missions follow, including the Ord Mantell incident. End a season wth Ep V first half... and statt the next with Ep V second half. We get a scene before Luke lands on Dagobah with ben and Yoda... "Tell him you should."
"No, my friend, I should not. It will not serve our cause. I failed his father. His father is no more."
"We shall see."
Rest of Ep V as before.
Some battles and adventures, and Luke finally returns to Dagobah.
Luke, of course, launches into a tirade about his father.
Ben calmly replies, "Until I faced him at the death star, I did not know that what was left of Anakin Skywalker was in the suit of Darth Vader. Vader was said to have killed Anakin and saved the Emperor."
"When I came here, you should have told me!"
Yoda, barely wobbling, pulls Luke eye-to-eye. "Enough you were told! Ready you were not! Our last hope almost you were. Almost."
"Leia?" blurts Luke.
"Your twin sister. Your mother was mortally injured; we put her in a medical stasis until Bail could revive her. He loved her enough to support her choice of Anakin over himself. And of active resistance to safeguard her, and you and Leia, for years, until he could save you two."
"And that got him, and Alderaan, killed!"
"No, Luke. Palpatine did that. Just not in time to destroy the targets."
"Know that, Obiwan, you do NOT!"
"It matters little. If the plans had been there, the Alliance would have been doomed. They were not. Luke, you and Leia must free the Galaxy."
back to rest of Dagobah portion of Ep VI.
A few rebel missions, grumbling about Luke's Absence.
Luke returns, just in time for Endor.
Then from endor, Courtship of Princess Leia, Truce At Bakura, and the thrawn Trilogy, then Dark Empire and Dark Empire II
