About a year ago, my Star Wars Book Club decided to have some fun and create our own fan treatments of what we would have done with an Episode IX of Star Wars. All of them were different, because we each took widely varied approaches – from “hit similar themes” or even “very slight script doctoring” to “do whatever the hell you want” – but we enjoyed them much more than the often-confusing retcon that was The Rise of Skywalker.

I have not previously shared this treatment outside of the book club, because mine is EXTREMELY inside-baseball, loaded with references to books, series, and games across the Star Wars canon. But given the recent JJ interview in which he admits that “having a plan probably would have been better” (OH REALLY JJ?), I want to show you that it isn’t even necessary to have a trilogy-crossing plan. All it takes is trusting other Star Wars creators and giving their additions the respect they were due.

And if you don’t like my treatment, I bet you would have liked at least one of the others. Or make your own. I bet I’d like it better than JJ’s. Anyway, here we go with the opening crawl:

Star Wars

Episode IX: The Balance Restored

The RESISTANCE lives! For months, General Leia Organa and Admiral Poe Dameron have been searching the galaxy to gather what few allies they can.

The FIRST ORDER, led by Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, continues to crack down on any worlds that harbor rebel sympathizers.

Needing a victory wherever they can find it, the Resistance throws their meager remaining forces behind Commander Rose Tico’s ambitious plan to liberate the casino planet of CANTO BIGHT….

—

Opening – The liberation of Canto Bight, led by Commander Rose Tico, with Lieutenant Commander Finn overseeing the ground troops and Admiral Dameron running the fleet operations. Nien Nunb is now the wing commander of Black Squadron, and he gets some featured dialogue in subtitles. Finn and Poe have some gentle flirtatious ribbing over comms. Dross Squadron (led by Shriv Suurgav and Zay Versio) also makes an appearance, with references to the fact that they are flying cobbled-together fighters. The Resistance struggles somewhat because they are short on crew and equipment, but they are only fighting local defense forces. As they are leaving the system, General Hux’s Dreadnought jumps in, and he can do nothing but survey the burning casino wreckage. On the bridge, he opens a holo-channel to Supreme Leader Ren.

HUX: Supreme Leader, I’m afraid we were too late. Canto Bight has fallen.

KYLO: [barely looking up from whatever he is doing] It doesn’t matter.

HUX: Sir, I must strongly disagree. The Resistance stole millions of credits that are desperately needed to fund our pacification efforts.

KYLO: Money is irrelevant next to the power of the Force.

HUX: [extremely flustered]: I understand that, Supreme Leader, but most of us do not have access to that power. We must rely on military might, which…requires credits.

KYLO: Your lack of faith is… [he pauses, seeking the right word] …noted. I’d like you to rejoin my expedition fleet. Bring your Dreadnought. [He cuts out, and we close on Hux barely containing his frustration.]

—

Meanwhile, Rey is on Jedha, a world that has remained almost completely uninhabited since the destruction of NiJedha City. She looks out over the crater, which has since overgrown with vegetation. She hears a voice behind her ask, “What do you seek?” It is a human woman with long grey hair who nevertheless carries herself like a warrior, wearing dark leather under her cloak.

REY: My master’s books led me here.

WOMAN: [narrowing her eyes] Who is your master?

REY: Luke Skywalker.

WOMAN: [pause] So it is true, then. He has left us.

REY: You knew him?

WOMAN: He came here after the fall of the Emperor, seeking enlightenment, as I did. Though we…disagreed on how best to attain it. He wanted to share what he had learned, but I told him that could only lead to further conflict, that his training had been just as destructive as…as mine.

REY: I’m Rey.

WOMAN: I am Mara, the last Guardian of the Whills.

—

Supreme leader Kylo Ren is going through the archives of information about Snoke and discovering the true history of the First Order: Yupe Tashu’s original plan to locate the Sith homeworld and rebuild a Dark Empire. (Many of these archives are in the form of holographic records made by Palpatine.) Unfortunately, all of this was spoiled by Rax’s betrayal at the battle of Jakku, which left Brendol Hux’s group with no information except to seek out the darkness in the outer regions on this map from Thrawn. That darkness, it turns out, was the Grysk, the master manipulators who have been infiltrating the Republic since before the Battle of Yavin. Snoke was a rare force-sensitive Grysk, and he had presented himself as a Sith master to co-opt the First Order. In the midst of this research, Kylo tries to connect with Rey so he can track her, but she manages to shut him out. As Hux arrives, Kylo decides that he needs to be stronger in the Force, so he orders his fleet to set course for the Sith homeworld, Moraband.

—

The Rebel forces are meeting with General Organa. The attack on Canto Bight was the signal that it’s time to unite the Resistance cells who have been preparing in secret. The largest of these is on Corellia. Finn points out that they’ll need a lot more ground troops to take a planet as populated as Corellia. Maz says she knows just the people to talk to. The main characters fly the Millenium Falcon to Bespin. They are greeted at the landing pad by Lando Calrissian.

MAZ: Lando knows almost as many people as I do. This mining colony has been a gathering place for smugglers and bounty hunters since the battle of Endor. He can get us who we need.

LANDO: Maz, I’m retired. If you want soldiers, you’ll need to speak to the lady in charge.

FINN: Why? Who’s in charge now?

At that, several guards in Mandalorian armor emerge onto the platform and gesture for everyone to enter Cloud City.

—

Mara directs Rey to the last remaining cache of kyber crystals on Jedha. Rey goes through the ritual, connects to a yellow crystal, and builds a double-bladed saber from the handle of the staff she has carried since Jakku. As she does, Mara tells her not to ignore the Dark Side. She tells her that the Light has its own flaws, and the tension between the two is what continues to rend the galaxy in half. As Rey prepares to leave, Mara gives advice on where to go next.

MARA: Unite all the lost traditions – not just the Jedi and the Sith, but the Nightsisters, the Whills, and those who seek the middle path between the Light and the Dark. You have enough of both in you that perhaps he will help you.

REY: He? Who do you mean?

MARA: Bendu.

—

In the First Order fleet, General Hux is holding secret meetings with various officers. He expresses his concern that the Supreme Leader is losing focus, that his doubts about the First Order’s history are making him less committed to its present mission. He points out that they should be finding new suppliers after the attack on Canto Bight, not chasing after ancient ghosts. He forms a conspiracy that quickly enacts a plan – when Kylo and the Knights of Ren are on the surface of Moraband, Hux destroys the shuttle from orbit, and the fleet starts jumping out. Kylo grabs a Star Destroyer with the force and starts pulling it down. In a panic, Hux orders all ships to fire on the one that Kylo has grabbed. The rest of the fleet finally leaves Kylo stranded on Moraband. With grim determination, he leads his knights into the Valley of the Dark Lords.

—

Cut back to Maz arguing with Lando.

MAZ: You sold your station to the Mandalorians?

LANDO: Hey, I’m getting too old to run everything. Besides, I turned a nice profit, I still get to live here, and they definitely don’t like the First Order.

ROSE: Why’s that?

LANDO: Let’s just say their leader was raised by…rebellious parents.

[They step through the door into an audience chamber, at which point an unhelmeted Mandalorian gestures towards a Togruta woman in a colorfully-painted Mandalorian breastplate.]

LANDO: May I present Ursa Tano, scion of Clan Wren.

—

Cut to Rey making her way across the barren landscapes of Atollon. She finds the lair of Bendu, the ancient being who claims to stand in the center of the Force. As she approaches, she hears a deep voice speaking.

BENDU: Peace through passion, little one.

REY: Hello?

BENDU: You come here for the strength of knowledge, do you not?

REY: Perhaps. But also the knowledge of strength?

BENDU: Ahhh, very good. Then let me share with you the serene power that is the Force. In harmony, you will find victory. You are one who has tasted both the Light and the Dark and found them lacking. I see you, and I can tell that you are ready.

REY: Ready for what?

BENDU: [stepping into the open] The truth.

—

Kylo leads the Knights of Ren deep into the ancient Sith temple on Moraband. Giant, menacing statues surround the path, including two that are recognizable as Vindican and Darth Malgus. Strange sounds echo throughout the chambers, and the Knights of Ren draw their weapons and watch carefully on all sides.

KYLO: What are you doing? There hasn’t been anything alive here in thousands of years.

KNIGHT 1: My lord, we fear nothing living.

One of the Knights screams and is yanked into the darkness. Kylo ignites his saber and they all prepare to face this threat. Unfortunately, it is not a physical threat, and their weapons are ineffective. Enraged ghosts of past Sith lords tear through the Knights, who try desperately but in vain to fight back. Kylo manages to defend himself with force pushes, but the battle is too frantic and only he is left alive. He holds back the ghosts as they circle him.

GHOST CHORUS: This one is strong. His hate and ambition may make him worthy.

KYLO: Who are you?

GHOST CHORUS: He asks the names of the dead, but the dead have lost their names. What is his name?

KYLO: I am Kylo Ren.

GHOST CHORUS: Bah, this name means nothing. He forsakes his given name but does not take up a proper name of the Dark. He has no true name.

KYLO: The one who trained me was no true master of the Dark. He was a deceiver, and the name he gave me is a lie.

GHOST CHORUS: Still, he killed his master, so he has earned the right to a name.

KYLO: I don’t need a name, just power.

GHOST CHORUS: He is mistaken. He has power, but he needs conviction. A name will give him that.

KYLO: Prove it. Name me.

GHOST CHORUS: Go forth, Darth Vertus. Go forth and restore the Sith to their full glory – not this weak bureaucracy, but a true Dark Empire.

—

Back to Bendu and Rey.

REY: The truth?

BENDU: The Force need not be split in two. It has not always been this way. Your master Skywalker saw part of it – he knew that life, death, fear, and hope were all interconnected pieces. But what he did not know is that the ancient Sith and Jedi had torn the Force in half. At first, all those who accessed the Force did so in the same way. But over countless millennia, two sides set themselves as opposites. Each side left half of their power behind, and their practices began to divide the Force itself, creating Light and Dark.

REY: How can I bring them together again? If they have been divided for eons, what can I possibly do?

BENDU: The Force can heal itself, young one. It is conflict that divides it. You must end that conflict. Victory in battle will not close this rift, only a peaceful end to the battles between the Light and the Dark.

REY: Peace feels like a lie.

BENDU: In unity you will find peace. You must unite the scattered, but first you must know them. You know many, but not all.

REY: Tell me where I can find the rest.

—

On the First Order flagship, Hux is working to solidify his mutinous authority.

HUX: From Vader to Yupe Tashu, from Snoke to Ren, the Empire and its First Order have far too long suffered under the yoke of those who think themselves better than us. But no more! We will no longer bend ourselves to the whims of mystics. From now on, law is the only order we will obey! The galaxy will bend to OUR will, not the will of worn out religions!

Pull back to reveal that the flagship and two destroyers are approaching a planet that is covered in oceans and cities.

—

The Millenium Falcon is in hyperspace. Lando and Ursa Tano have joined the crew. Ursa advises Poe and Chewbacca on coordinating the landing for her ground assault team. She tells Finn and Rose that the shipyards are their highest priority – they won’t be able to get the Resistance sympathizers off-planet without those ships.

As soon as they come out of light speed, we see a dreadnought and two First Order destroyers over Coronet City. Poe gets frantic calls from the Corellian Resistance saying that there are First Order troops swarming the capital. They need help now.

POE: All wings, stay away from those destroyers. Break towards the poles and make your approach in atmo.

LANDO: You’ll never get to Coronet City in time.

POE: That’s why we’re not following the rest of them. Chewie, take us directly in. Ursa, can your squad handle a high-altitude deployment?

URSA: We’ve been living on a gas giant, Dameron. Of course we can.

C-3PO: [as the Falcon dodges TIE fighters and destroyer flak] Oh, why don’t I ever get the safe mission?

ROSE: I guess you were just made for action, Threepio.

C-3PO: I beg your pardon?

—

Big battle on Corellia with paradropping Mandalorians and X-Wings dodging TIEs through the industrial cityscape. They connect with local Resistance forces and manage to steal a bunch of ships, but we don’t yet get to see what kind. Cut to Hux on the bridge of the flagship.

HUX: We may not be able to stop them all, but we can make them pay dearly. Their command staff will be aboard the Millenium Falcon. Destroy it.

GUNNERY OFFICER: Which one is that, sir?

HUX: What do you mean, “which one?” It’s the old YT-1300 freighter.

GUNNERY OFFICER: I know sir, but…which one? [points]

We see the view from the bridge as dozens of YT-1300s harass the flagship. Cockpit shots to show that they are all being flown by individual pilots. Chewie is in the Falcon, Lando has one with an intact escape pod, each of the Mandalorians are flying one, and even Artoo is flying one with Threepio in the navigator seat. The YTs make it past the blockade and jump out.

HUX: Well that couldn’t have gone worse.

COMMS: Incoming message, General Hux. From Moraband.

HUX: Oh dear.

KYLO: [hologram] General Hux, my business on Moraband is finished. Come retrieve me.

HUX: I’m afraid I—*hruk* [starts choking]

KYLO: You will come get me now, Hux. Or you will be replaced by someone who will follow my orders.

HUX: [choking] Yes, Supreme Leader.

KYLO: [releasing him] That is no longer my title. From now on, you may call me Lord Vertus.

—

There is a big Resistance meeting on Yavin IV. People are celebrating the successful Corellian operation, but General Organa has called together a strategy session to discuss their next steps. Rey arrives and asks to speak to everyone.

REY: I have traveled and studied for many months. I have learned many lost mysteries of the Force, and I finally understand that the only way to lasting peace is to end this war.

POE: Uh…no offense, but isn’t that what we’ve been trying to do?

REY: No. We’ve been trying to win it. Just as the Rebellion, and the Republic, and the Jedi tried to do for millennia. But they failed. And if we keep trying to win, we will fail too.

LT. CONNIX: Are you asking us to surrender? That’s not peace, that’s slavery.

REY: Not at all. We cannot win, but we also cannot allow the First Order to win. I have sensed Kylo Ren growing even darker and stronger, and he certainly cannot be allowed to win. I believe I know how to balance the Force, but I do not know how to break the First Order’s military grip without more war.

WEDGE: I think…I might have an idea.

POE: Yes, General Antilles?

WEDGE: What if we were to…set a trap?

[NORRA WEXLEY laughs]

—

Meeting on the First Order Flagship. Lord Vertus is admonishing General Hux and the rest of the officer staff about their failures on Canto Bight and Corellia.

VERTUS: You seek to rule, to subjugate, but even that is not enough. You must destroy all opposition. Only then will the galaxy fall into place.

HUX: My Lord, how can we do this? There will always be pockets of rebellion. Even power as great as yours cannot be everywhere at once.

VERTUS: That is true. In ages past, there was an entire empire of Sith Lords, each one strong in the Force. The strength of the Sith was lost for thousands of years, but I have discovered that many of those spirits still sleep in agony, hungering for revenge—thousands of generations of Sith, just waiting for…hosts.

The Knights of Ren enter—or rather their bodies do. They have all clearly been killed (one has a hole through his chest) and are now animated as Sith Force zombies.

VERTUS: Wherever you go, whenever you destroy our enemies, take their corpses to Moraband. Soon, my unkillable army of Sith Knights will rise and forge the greatest Empire the galaxy has ever seen!

Pan to Hux’s look of revulsion.

—

Back with the Resistance, Temmin Wexley and Poe Dameron are arguing as they weave through people breaking camp on Yavin IV.

TEMMIN: Admiral, this is insane! We need you leading the main operation, not this side mission!

POE: I know you think that, Snap, but a good leader knows when he’s not the right person for the job. You heard Wedge’s plan – this is definitely more of a…Rogue Squadron thing.

TEMMIN: I mean, you’re not wrong…

POE: You’ve got people who can handle this.

TEMMIN: But we need someone coordinating, someone who has worked with both the veterans and the new squads.

POE: You know what? You’re right.

TEMMIN: Thank you.

POE: Temmin “Snap” Wexley, I hereby grant you a field promotion to Vice Admiral of the Resistance Fleet. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a Jedi waiting for me.

Temmin is completely flustered. Poe walks up the gangplank into the Falcon. Inside, Rey is talking to Ursa Tano. Finn, C-3PO, and R2-D2 are also onboard. Chewie is in the pilot’s seat, and Poe sits down in the navigator’s seat. They fly away from Yavin IV past the rest of the Resistance Fleet that is gathering to leave.

—

On the Dreadnought, Hux is reviewing a datapad. As Darth Vertus enters, he quickly changes to a different screen. Vertus tells him that he needs a world that can act as an example, one that they can use as fodder for his new Sith Army.

HUX: Perhaps…Ryloth, sir? They claim to be neutral, but they have recently harbored Resistance fighters, including General Organa herself. [Hux looks for a reaction to this name, but Vertus does not give him one.]

VERTUS: That will do. Take the fleet and prepare the assault. My Knights will go with you. I am returning to Moraband to prepare another set. I will meet you on Ryloth.

HUX: Oh…good. Thank you, my Lord.

—

The Millenium Falcon comes out of hyperspace and lands on a barren and desolate planet. The crew makes their way through a wrecked village toward a cave that is sealed with boulders. Rey clears the entrance with the Force. As they head into the cave, they find that it was once furnished. Finn asks C-3PO to translate the symbols decorating the walls.

THREEPIO: Certainly. These markings indicate that we are walking in the historical dwelling of a group called the Nightsisters. In the days of the Republic, they were the caretakers of this world. Dathomir was independent until the Separatist General Grievous…killed all but a few of them.

REY: The Nightsisters were strong in the Force, though they wanted nothing to do with either the Jedi or the Sith. We need to convince them to work with us.

THREEPIO: Mistress Rey, may I ask – how can that be if they are all gone?

REY: They are dead, Threepio. They are not gone.

Deep in the cavern, Rey summons the spirits of the Nightsisters. She speaks with Mother Talzin, who is initially very hostile. Talzin calls Rey “Jedi” repeatedly and demands that she leave. But then, Ursa steps forward, and there is a stir among the spirits. The spirit of Asajj Ventress leans forward and asks her if she is the child of Ahsoka. Ursa says she is, and Asajj convinces Talzin to listen to their request, saying that these are no pawns of the Jedi.

—

The First Order fleet comes out of hyperspace and takes position over Ryloth. General Hux makes a grandiose speech demanding that the planet stand down all defenses and bow to the will of Darth Vertus, high lord of the First Order. One of the Twi’lek leaders responds via hologram to tell him that they will do no such thing, and because the population of Ryloth lives mostly underground, the First Order should not expect to take them easily.

The First Order starts landing troops near the main entrances to Ryloth’s underground cities. As the stormtroopers begin to storm the caves, Rose and the Resistance ground forces emerge from hidden positions behind the First Order transports, while the Twi’Lek forces start firing from the caves at the same time.

COMMS: General, I’m getting reports that the Resistance is here.

HUX: What do you mean? How could they be on Ryloth? Their fleet isn’t even here!

COMMS: Sir…[gestures as the viewscreens show hundreds of freighters and fighters dropping out of hyperspace]

HUX: Calculate an escape vector!

COMMS: But sir, all our ground troops…

HUX: Tell them to evacuate immediately! We jump as soon as we can, with whoever is on board!

—

The Battle of Ryloth seems to be going well for the Resistance at first. The planet-side trap works exactly as expected, and their new fleet of YT-1300s supplements their fighters and bombers very effectively. But then, the Knights of Ren arrive at the ground battle, all of them wielding ancient Sith lightsabers and using the Force. They begin turning the tide, forcing some of the YTs to support a retreat on the ground, which then tilts the space battle towards the First Order. Things begin to seem desperate…

—

Chewie drops the expedition team off on Moraband and then flies off on another errand. As they enter the Sith Temple, they are attacked by fresh Sith-possessed corpses, and quickly discover what the Ryloth forces have already discovered – blasters have very little effect. Rey is having trouble protecting everyone with her staffsaber, when suddenly Ursa ignites two sabers of her own: one pure white, and one an incandescent black. The two of them clear the way to the throne room, where they find Darth Vertus sitting on the throne of the ancient Sith Empire.

VERTUS: Why have you come? You’re far too late. My mastery of the Dark Side is complete. I have become the strongest Sith in ten thousand years. Palpatine was weak compared to me.

REY: No matter how much you may master, it will only ever be one side. Your piece of power can never be a match for the Unified Force.

VERTUS: What wishful thinking! Even if I believed you, I know that you have failed. You only have pieces yourself. You cannot unify the Force without the cooperation of the Sith, and I will never let that happen.

REY: You may be right. That’s why I did not come here seeking you. I came here for him.

Rey turns and looks over to a side entrance, and a ghostly form enters wearing a black cape and helmet.

VERTUS: Grandfather?

The spirit of Darth Vader removes his helmet, revealing the youthful face of Anakin Skywalker. Anakin looks sadly at Darth Vertus.

—

On Ryloth, things are not going well. Rose is trying to evacuate people onto the freighters, but the Sith Knights are tearing up the rear guard. She has a comms conversation with the Twi’lek leadership, including a man with green hair who seems to be half-human/half-Twi’lek. He says that they have additional reinforcements on the way, but they can’t hold out long enough if the Resistance leaves. Rose says that staying will just mean more people will die. They can’t fight unkillable Force users with blasters. A voice behind Rose says, “I may be able to help.”

ROSE: Who are you and…how did you get here?

MARA: Mara Jade. I’m a friend of Rey’s.

ROSE: And how can you help? [Mara draws a distinctive green lightsaber and wades into the fight.] Oh. That’s how.

—

Above Ryloth, the Resistance has cleared out many of the TIE fighters, but they’re having trouble getting close to the destroyers. They need some way to get past the gun batteries. Lando says to himself, “I didn’t want to have to do this,” and then he tells everyone he has an idea that will give the destroyers twice as many targets. All the YT-1300s fly towards the destroyers, release their escape shuttles, and fall back. Then they fly between the empty shuttles and attack the shield generators and nav systems on the destroyers.

—

On Moraband.

ANAKIN’S GHOST: Ben, set aside your fear, your anger, your selfish ambition. It will not make you stronger, only consume you.

VERTUS: But I’m already stronger than you ever were. You failed, but I will succeed.

ANAKIN’S GHOST: Failed to do what, Ben? To rule? To destroy? I did those things, but they brought me no happiness. I never knew my children. I turned on the woman I loved.

VERTUS: Because of the Jedi!

ANAKIN’S GHOST: Yes, but also because of the Sith. Like me, you may understand better in death what is confusing in life, but you have a chance. They are giving you a chance. Take it, Ben. Please.

Vertus unleashes lightning at Anakin, but it passes right through the ghost. He turns his lightning on the living instead, and Rey holds up her hand to create a shield. It seems as if Darth Vertus will win, but then Ursa, Finn, and Poe each put a hand on Rey’s shoulders and close their eyes. Rey’s shield grows stronger. We then see a montage of others lending their strength from across the galaxy: Luke’s ghost on Ahch-To, Mara pausing in the middle of battle on Ryloth, the Bendu on Atollon, Asajj’s spirit on Dathomir, Leia in a ship over Ryloth, and finally Anakin’s ghost on Moraband. The lightning dissipates entirely, and Vertus can no longer do anything to them.

—

On Ryloth, the Sith Knights collapse. When the First Order stormtroopers see that their main advantage is gone, they throw down their blasters and raise their hands in surrender.

—

Over Ryloth, the Resistance finishes disabling the Dreadnought. Tommen Wexley demands General Hux stand down and prepare to be boarded. General Hux splutters and asks how much of a boarding party he thinks the Resistance can muster. More ships drop out of hyperspace, all piloted by wookiees.

Wookiee-designed Auzituck Gunship (Rebels)

—

Denouement – lots of celebration. Rey, Mara, and Ursa make plans for a new center of learning that teaches the harmony of the unified Force. Finn isn’t sure what to do now, but Poe says he has a lot more galaxy to show Finn. Everyone else has moments, and the last shot is a sunset bonfire on Ryloth.

[Cue ending fanfare]