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Welcome
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Roderick Vonhögen's
Virtual Edition
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| April 2006 |
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Leia's identity as a Jedi and a Skywalker.
8th April 2006 |
| In drafting a plotline for the VE-ST, it dawned on me that a very significant character point that will impact on the overall plot for Episode VII will be that of Leia's heritage. In other words, following the destruction of the Second Death Star, who will know that Leia is a Skywalker and who will know that she has the Force with her ? |
| By the end of Episode VI : Return of the Jedi, it's a given assumption that Leia Organa would marry Han Solo. The galaxy at large would know her as the tragic Princess of Alderaan, and even friends close to her may not fully appreciate that Bail and Breha Organa were not her biological parents. Other than the Force Ghosts and Artoo, only Luke is privy to his sister's heritage, and presumably she would reveal this to Han too. However, it's conceivable that characters such as Chewie, Lando, and Mon Mothma may be ignorant of the fact that Leia is a Skywalker. |
| Master Yoda directed Luke to "pass on what he had learned", and the young Skywalker confirmed as much to his sister. How would Leia feel about this, not to mention Han ? Would she embrace the truth and readily train as a Jedi, visibly dressing in the formal robes, and thus making a statement to the galaxy - friends and foe alike - that she carries their heritage ? Or might this acceptance be a difficult issue for her ? Would it be to the Twins' advantage to retain Leia's secrets for as long as possible ? And as the other offspring of the Chosen One, may her abilities and fate lay down a path different to that of her brother ? |
| Similarly, the other 'bombshell' revelation about the Skywalker heritage is that the Twin's father, Anakin, did not in fact die during the course of 'Order 66' over twenty years previously, but was in truth Darth Vader, right hand to Emperor Palpatine and the scourge of the Galaxy ! If this came to light, how would that heroic Jedi be viewed, and how would his offspring, vital warriors in the rebellion, now be seen ? Would the Twins be regarded with sympathy and a sense of 'moving on', or would the stigma of the Dark Lord remain hanging over them, perpetuating the fear and the distrust ? |
| In fact, how far did Darth Vader's own fearsome reputation stretch ? He was certainly notorious within the military and political ranks of the Imperial Empire, acting as a leader and "motivator" for Palpatine's projects. But how far was he known to be a lightsabre-wielding 'Sith Lord' or was he simply regarded as an 'agent' acting solely for the Emperor ? |
| Leia recognised him aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer Devastator from previous fleeting encounters on her so-called "mercy missions" ; one has to assume that if Vader was pursuing her on such missions then these were occasions when she was blockade running for the rebellion under the cloak of 'diplomatic immunity'. Certainly, following the destruction of the first Death Star and the deaths of many military admirals who had been aboard the battle station, Vader's prominence and visibility grew, and he earned respect from Tibana Gas administrators to bounty hunters. |
| In turn, how would the Galaxy view the prospect of a returning Jedi Order, and headed, no less, by Luke Skywalker, son of Anakin, who became Vader ? The Empire had done a pretty successful job in eradicating the Knights of the Old Republic to the status of mere "crazy old men" with fictional "mystical powers". Would a warrior class be welcomed back in the wake of their namesake having led millions of clone soldiers into battle and attempting a rebellious assassination of the Supreme Chancellor ? Or might the leaders of the galaxy prefer a non-military pacifistic approach ? For sure, threats exist, but should the forces policing the galaxy be now accountable and tangible ? |
| Such issues are paramount to drafting ideas and plotting a story line. They may only appear in the finished treatment as secondary concerns, yet they will have had a bearing on how the Sequel Trilogy episodes play out. |
| Remember Ralph McQuarrie's early artwork for a grass planet with 'beehive' rock outcrops ? |
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| Well, that concept art is being used to help visualise the VE-ST world of Townowi, a name from Lucas' old story drafts.... |
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| At the end of the month I will be getting married to Joanne ! There will be a discreet presence for Star Wars, among other things table 'names'. Our 'top table' will, of course, be called the 'Skywalker' table, whilst our guests will be sat at such tables as 'Rebels', 'Imperials', 'Royalty', 'Droids', 'Jedi', and yes, 'Sith'. I have created small fold-over collages to be the table cards, like the 'Skywalker Family' one below, and they can be viewed here. |
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| Nathaniel Reed, 8th April 2006 |
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