Revisiting My "Empire Strikes Back" Hot Takes

  So just a little over two years ago now I wrote this four-part post about how I think The Empire Strikes Back is a little overrated, and how some of its story choices might have led to more bad than good for the Star Wars franchise longterm…

A lot has changed for me since then, with perhaps the biggest thing being that I’ve now self-published two space opera books of my own; Next Star Over and Sunrise Order. As a matter of fact, I recently tried writing a sequel to Next Star Over in particular, setting out to do exactly what I said Empire should’ve done. My sequel was going to be self-contained, light on its feet, and not “rock the boat,” or change the status quo of things too much… And you know what happened? I got bored. I got really, really bored… Now, before I go any further, let me make one thing clear; the Next Star Over sequel might still happen. I just still need time to try to get the story right, is all.

But anyways, around the same time my sequel ideas collapsed, I also came down with the flu (been going around here, lately). While I was sick over the weekend, I decided to turn on the television and saw that the TNT channel was marathoning all the Star Wars movies in chronological order. At that very moment, I told myself “Screw it, I haven’t seen any of these films in awhile, and I’m not gonna do anything else this weekend while I’m sick. Might as well watch this whole marathon!”

…And I ended up enjoying The Empire Strikes Back way more than I expected to. Mind you, there are still some small aspects of it I felt could’ve been better (3PO is more annoying than he needs to be, for instance). Additionally, I still feel that a small part of what Star Wars truly is was lost forever starting with this movie. That said, the combination of my regained appreciation for Empire and my own sequel collapsing around the same time got me thinking. Furthermore, I was reading through some Star Wars forums recently, and came across this comment that peaked my interest (I’m paraphrasing here):

“Yes, it’s true that Star Wars started as simply The Adventures of Luke Skywalker and then ballooned into the Skywalker family soap opera. But it’s also true that Middle-Earth started as a simple children’s fairytale with The Hobbit and then ballooned into a more serious war drama with The Lord of the Rings. Stories balloon all the time. That’s not the problem. The problem is that George Lucas denies it and then gaslights people when they try to call him out on it.”

This person is right about everything (including that last part, by the way, but that’s neither here nor there). So, with that all in mind, I decided to go back and read my big four-part post from 2020. Upon this re-read, I noticed how my main argument was that Empire “locked” Star Wars into too narrow of a direction by bringing in fixed episode numbers and retroactively making this all about just one family. And that this was the starting point as to why Star Wars is now “dead” post-Rise of Skywalker… Here’s the thing, though; Star Wars has “died” before, and it always comes back.

Starlog magazine had a whole article about Star Wars being “dead” way back in 1986 (shortly after the comics ended and there was nothing going on apart from the Saturday morning cartoons, which themselves didn’t last long). Then in 1987, someone from West End Games asked their boss if they could court Lucasfilm into letting them turn Star Wars into a table-top RPG, and their boss supposedly replied with “Why? That’s a dead license!” Mind you, they ended up agreeing to it, but that’s besides the point. The late 2000’s/ early 2010’s saw a similar “dead” period in between the prequels and the sequels. The Clone Wars was considered a joke by many at that time. It wasn’t until the third season of that show when fans started taking it seriously…

For about a decade or so, IV-VI were simply known as “the Star Wars trilogy,” and then got rebranded as “The Original Trilogy” and were grouped with the prequels as “The Complete Saga,” and then all six of those movies eventually were grouped with the sequels as “The Skywalker Saga.” The franchise is always rebranding itself. We’ve already heard rumblings about some kinda “Episode 10” being written by Damon Lindelof. When that project eventually gets officially announced, I wouldn’t be surprised if they include some kinda tagline like “the Skywalker saga may be over, but the Star Wars cycle continues.” And then all Star Wars films with episode numbers in their title (including I-IX) will be known as “the Star Wars cycle,” or something to that effect.*

So little-by-little, I’m starting to become glad again that Star Wars evolved into “something grander” beginning with The Empire Strikes Back. Yes, some bad came with it. The fanbase is way too generational now, and everyone takes the franchise way too seriously. That said, it’s equally true that the alternative would’ve been more boring. In hindsight, I was probably too harsh when criticizing certain aspects of Empire (the Han and Leia romance, the love triangle in general, etc.).

In addition, as I read back through those old connected posts of mine, I found myself regretting a few other things here and there that I had said. As a matter of fact, I look back at all those old posts of mine from late 2020/ early 2021, and they kinda make me cringe. My rhetoric was pretty over-the-top back then, and I complained too much (still do). In my own defense, however, it was simply a different time, and I can only rewrite my own history so much. I was in between jobs, new to blogging, and hadn’t started self-publishing my own stories yet. I’ve learned a lot since then, and hopefully, I keep learning more…

Peace!

UPDATE: I also think I’m starting to grow out of the mindset that Star Wars always has to be for kids first and foremost. Different age groups/ generations can get into it through different entry points.

*2024 UPDATE: Called it! Fucking called it!!

Star Wars Fan Fiction: Breaking the Cycle

          So as I mentioned two posts ago, a Star Wars-themed discord server that I’m part of announced a three-round writing contest. The third and final round ended the other day, and this time, between myself and three other contestants, I came in second-to-last place (with a score of 8.25/10). That said, I still want to share my story from that final round here.

        NOTE: The prompt this time said to write about whatever we wanted, as long as it was related to Star Wars in some shape or form. 1200-1500 words.

        So, without further ado, here’s my third and final Star Wars fan story!

Breaking the Cycle

Rey looked deeply into the vastness of space, as her ship dropped out of light speed…

The Unknown Regions looked like any other part of the galaxy, at least at first. She took another look at the ancient star map that led her here, just to make sure she was in the right place.

“This is it, alright!”

With that, she landed on the world closest to her, a forest planet filled entirely with leaves of red, yellow and orange. An eternal autumn. As her vessel touched ground, she began to meditate, tapping into the Force. The voice of a Jedi from before her time suddenly echoed in her mind;

“For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the old Republic… Before the dark times… Before the Empire!”

Through the Force, she looked into the past. She could see dozens upon dozens of Jedi being killed, across multiple generations.

The ruler of that evil Empire happened to be her own grandfather, Darth Sidious. Each and every day, she recalled their fateful meeting, the night she defeated him, in his layer of darkness;

“Long have I waited,” the hideous, cloaked man had growled, “for my grandchild to come home!”

She couldn’t help but sigh at the recollection. She hated being reminded of her dark ancestry, and did her best to bury it in every way she could, even taking on another family name. Nevertheless, the memories of her twisted past still remained.

“He’s long gone, Rey,” the voice of her dead Jedi master, Luke Skywalker, said from the netherworld of the Force.

“And you’re one of us, now,” added his sister, Leia, also speaking from beyond the grave.

It was true. That evil Empire was gone, as was the dark soul who ruled it. And despite her heritage, Rey was one of only two Jedi left. It was up to her now to help restore the fallen order to what it once was… But first, she needed answers.

With a deep breath, Rey opened her eyes, stood up, and left her ship.

Carefully, she trekked up a hill, until she reached its surface, covered in stone ruins. The remains of a Jedi temple long gone…

Suddenly, a spirit of sorts faded into existence, emulating the familiar blue glow of Jedi ghosts. The figure bore brown robes, complete with long, graying hair and a beard.

“Welcome, Rey,” he said with a smile.

She took a few steps back, “Who are you?”

“My name is Qui-Gon Jinn. I was once a Jedi in life, and have always been the guardian of your family.”

Rey raised an eyebrow in confusion, “My family?”

“That’s correct, Ms. Skywalker.”

“Oh, yeah.” She rolled her eyes and laughed, “That…”

“What brings you to this world, young Rey?”

“I need answers. If I’m going to be starting a new Jedi order then I need to know as much about the history of the Jedi as possible, to try to prevent another downfall from happening.”

He shook his head, “The cycle of good and evil is destined to repeat eternally, my friend. Balance is always temporary.”

“I know,” she sighed. “But there must be something we can do! Just for the sake of trying to be better, even if it doesn’t last.”

“Well, you won’t find any answers here, in the ruins of this long forgotten temple.”

She sighed once more, “Well then I guess I came all this way for nothing.”

He smiled again, “Oh, well don’t be so sure!” He pointed to a nearby bed of flowers, “You may be able to find something of interest over there.”

Rey walked over to the purple plants in question, but upon looking closer, all she saw was pollen, being moved around by small, flying insects.

“Do you see now?” Qui-Gon asked.

“No,” she shook her head. “Sorry, I don’t.”

“Hm…” He stroked his chin for a second, before looking beyond the hill, “Well perhaps you should journey deeper into the forest. There’s a village beside a river, not too far away. I believe you may find something useful there.”

Rey shrugged, “Well, if you say so.”

Qui-Gon then faded away, as Rey made her way down the hill. Soon enough, she reached the small riverside community, complete with wooden huts, and primitively-dressed people, many of whom looked at her with shock.

“It’s alright,” she smiled and raised her hands in defense. “I come in peace.” She had to remind herself that those native to worlds of the Unknown Regions were usually hesitant towards visitors…

Looking ahead, she noticed a teenage boy holding a bow and arrow in one hand, and a caught mammal of some sort in the other. He walked towards an older man who had a bow and arrow of his own.

“Well done,” the older one nodded in approval. “You’re a true hunter now… Which means the time has come for me to go.”

“What?” The teenager tilted his head in confusion, “But why?”

“Because my work here is done. Now I must go to the next village down the river, and teach someone else to hunt.” He smiled at his pupil, “Perhaps you should do the same.”

“Do you see now, Rey?” Qui-Gon’s voice echoed in her mind.

“Yes,” she nodded with a smile. “I see now.”

***

“Well, here it is!” Finn produced a small device from his pocket. With the click of a button, a large projection of the galaxy suddenly filled the air, complete with red dots scattered about. “These are all the worlds where I was able to find others strong with the Force,” he said, as he and Rey stood there in the room that once belonged to the Jedi Council, on the city world of Coruscant.

Rey looked around at the empty red chairs all around them, each in front of a large window that exposed the metropolitan landscape beyond.

Finn went on, “With these kinds of numbers we should be able to build a new council in no time, especially if we bring in multiple kids to train at once.”

Rey shook her head, “We’re not going to build a new council, Finn.”

“What?” Finn shut the projection off, placing the holo-chip back in his pocket, “What do you mean?”

“We’re not going to take these kids away from their homes,” she looked at her partner directly in the eye, “We’re going to travel to all of their planets, one at a time, and train them individually. We’ll go in separate directions, to speed up the process.”

He shook his head in disbelief, “But I thought we wanted to stick together now.”

“Believe me, I would like to,” she said with a sigh. “But if the Jedi are going to evolve for the better then we need to decentralize. We need to pollinate. Bring the ways of the force to the people, not the other way around.”

Finn looked downward, before nodding in agreement, “I understand…” He picked his head back up, “So, where are you gonna start?”

“Don’t know yet,” she shrugged. “How about you?”

He smiled, “There’s a kid on Canto Bight I’d like to start with…”

Click here to read my story from Round 1!

Click here to read my story from Round 2!

Related: Fiction Repository

Star Wars Fan Fiction: There Is No Try

         So as I mentioned in my last post, a Star Wars-themed discord server that I’m part of announced a three-round writing contest. The second round ended the other day, and this time, between myself and two other contestants, I came in last place (with a score of 7.75/10). That said, I still want to share my story from that round here.

        NOTE: The prompt this time said to write about spending a day with Yoda and learning some kind of lesson from him. 1200-1500 words.

        So, without further ado, here’s my second Star Wars fan story!

There Is No Try

“Pay attention, you must!” Master Yoda pointed in my direction, “When gone, am I, the last of the Jedi will you be.”

But I knew that wasn’t true. It had only been five years since the Jedi order fell, and I knew there were plenty of other survivors out there, hiding from the ever-growing evil Empire, all across the galaxy…

I raised an eyebrow at him, “Is that just something you say to people to motivate them?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, the little green man pointed to a large boulder on his left, “Your next challenge, young one.”

I recoiled at the sight of the natural structure, taller than I even was. Up until then, I had only lifted objects that were a mere fraction of that size.

“Alright,” I sighed. “I’ll try.”

“No,” the ancient one shook his head. “No try! Do, or do not… There is no try!”

I couldn’t help but scoff, “What’s that supposed to mean? Whatever happened to trying your best?”

“By saying try, quit before even beginning, you have.”

“That’s not true! I-” But before I could even finish, I suddenly felt a strange, unnerving sensation all around me. A tremor in the Force. I looked around at the misty swamp that surrounded us, “Something’s not right… I feel cold.”

Yoda pointed to a manhole on the ground, about a dozen feet away, “That place… Strong with the dark side of the Force, it is. A domain of evil… And in it you must go.”

I looked at the strange cave entrance, and then back at him, “What’s in there?”

“Only what you take with you.”

I wanted to ask so much more, but refrained. This wasn’t the same Yoda I once knew, back when I was just a youngling at the Jedi temple. That Yoda told me time and time again that someday I would be assigned a Master, and that together we would travel the galaxy, bringing peace to every world we would visit, all while unlocking more and more secrets of the Force. That Yoda was long gone. The fall of the order had changed him…

I had spent years trying to find him, the wisest of all Jedi, after hearing rumors that he was still alive. Whomever I found instead was someone else. You would think trauma wouldn’t have such an impact on a being who had been alive for nearly a millennium. Guess we all have a breaking point…

But who could blame him, really? He was the grand master. Every Jedi was once his student, at some point or another. One could only imagine what he felt when the purge happened…

So I didn’t ask any further questions. I simply did as he requested, and made my way towards the manhole. As I dropped into the cave below, the first thing I noticed was more mist, identical to that of the surface, still somehow illuminated.

Suddenly, a serpent-like creature, hissing as loudly as it could, slithered out of the fog, towards me. To defend myself, I raised my arm towards it. Tapping into the Force, I gained full control of the serpent’s body, which then began to slowly rise into the air, still a few feet away from me.

As I tapped deeper and deeper into the Force, I began to feel the creature’s throat through my mind. For a second, I thought about choking it, but held myself back. I then let it go, allowing it to drop back down to the ground. Immediately after, the creature turned itself around, darting straight back into the fog from which it came.

A few moments later, I began to hear human voices, a man and a woman, coming from the very same mist. My curiosity getting the best of me, I walked deeper in, until I was surrounded entirely by the heavy steam. For a second, my eyes watered up, but soon cleared. As my vision restored itself, I noticed a middle-aged couple, the source of the voices, now standing before me. I didn’t know their names, yet they seemed familiar…

They continued their argument, staring directly at one another, completely oblivious to my presence. This was clearly a vision of another place and time…

“Ever since we gave the baby to the Jedi you’ve become more and more of a mess,” the woman said. “If you keep chasing this crazy music dream of yours we’ll end up on the streets! I can barely support myself with my job, let alone the both of us!”

“I know,” the man sighed. “I’ll find a way to keep us stable. Please, just let me try!”

And then, out of nowhere, the vision vanished, replaced by a new vision, deeper in the mist. I walked forward once more, only to find the same couple, now slightly older, dressed in dirty rags and sitting down. They each had a pan in their hands for collecting change. They were homeless…

The woman looked over to the man, placing a hand on his shoulder, “It’s okay. You tried.”

He shook his head, “No… No I didn’t… Not really.”

SIX YEARS EARLIER

Yoda wandered through the desert, unsure where he would arrive…

Centuries of training had allowed him to see the future far more clearly than most other Jedi could, but the last few years had been different. The war had allowed the dark side to grow stronger, clouding his vision…

His ship had been hit by the enemy in the middle of the air, causing him to be separated from his battalion. Now here he was, trying to find them… So on and on he went, growing more tired with each and every step, slipping into moments of unconsciousness. Even beings strong in the Force like him could still succumb to the challenges that come with age…

Nevertheless, he trekked onward, until he noticed a tall, hooded figure in dark robes, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Was this figure really there? Was it an illusion from the dark side? A guiding vision from the Force itself? Perhaps nothing more than a mirage? No matter what it was, Yoda knew he had to face it, so onward he still went, until he was merely a few feet away from his new acquaintance of the desert.

The figure pulled back their hood, revealing the face of an elderly human male, complete with a white beard and slicked-back hair.

“Dooku…” Yoda sighed at the sight of his fallen pupil.

“We meet again, Master.” Dooku smiled, tauntingly, “The end of the war is near, Yoda, and with it, the end of the Jedi. For you, all is lost!”

Yoda closed his eyes for a few moments, attempting yet again to see the future, to see if what his former apprentice had been saying was true. Alas, he saw nothing. Only black. He opened his eyes again, looking straight at the man he once thought of like family. Foolishly, he hoped to see the good-spirited student he used to know. Instead, he only saw a being of pure evil. An individual who had been changed, right to their very core.

Dooku went on, “You seem distressed, old friend. What seems to be the trouble? Are you sad that you failed to make me like you?”

“No,” the ancient Jedi shook his head. “Sad that I tried.”

Click here to read my story from Round 1!

Click here to read my story from Round 3!

Related: Fiction Repository

Star Wars Fan Fiction: A Bowl for a Blaster

        So recently a Star Wars-themed discord server that I’m part of announced a three-round writing contest. The first round ended the other day and, between myself and four other contestants, I won (with a score of 9/10), so I thought it’d be cool to share my story here.

        NOTE: The prompt said to write about someone sneaking into the Death Star and uncovering a secret about the Empire. 1200-1500 words.

        So, without further ado, here’s my first Star Wars fan story!

A Bowl for a Blaster

Little Cole hugged his twin sister tightly…

“It’s going to be okay,” he said, as they quivered there in the darkness. He wanted to believe in his own words, though deep down, he feared the worst…

Despite being a desert world on the outer rim, Garel was usually pleasant, complete with a purplish sky, an eternal mix of sunset and sunrise. Cole and Flora had been lucky enough to live in the capital city, where most buildings had been decorated with golden lights and symbols. While some crime occurred here and there, most days were peaceful for the two of them… But not this day.

The boy and girl, both dressed in gray rags, sat there in the alley, shaking as a pair of super battle droids approached them slowly, their blaster hands ready to fire. Unlike their standard counterparts, these silver droids were bulky, and far more intimidating…

Cole began to whimper, believing this moment to be his last… Until suddenly, as if out of nowhere, the droids ceased to walk, and instead began to float, just a few feet above the ground. The children looked past the droids, only to find there behind them a man with his gloved arm raised in the air. He sported brown robes, with his hair long and unkempt. A scar could be seen across one of his eyes. Cole could tell that, whomever he was, he had certainly been through a lot…

“A Jedi,” Flora smiled in awe.

Her brother couldn’t help but smile as well, having always wanted to see a Jedi with his own eyes…

The man clenched his raised hand into a fist. Instantly, the droids collapsed onto the ground, falling forward as their chests imploded. They each let out a dying roar, before shutting down completely…

The children breathed heavy sighs of relief, as the Jedi approached them.

“Don’t worry,” he smiled, in a way that felt warm and sincere. “You’re safe now.”

Cole quickly brought himself to his feet, overcome with joy, “We sure are lucky that you came along!”

The Jedi laughed, “There’s no such thing as luck, kid. Nothing happens by accident.”

TWENTY YEARS LATER

General Draven raised an eyebrow, “Are you listening to me?”

Cole nodded in assurance, though he hadn’t truly been paying attention. He was tired. His last mission had ended just the night before. He barely had any time to make it back to base and rest, before being pulled into yet another debriefing…

The young assassin now found himself fatigued by the dark meeting room, the only light being that from the green holo-display table, there in the center. Draven stood right across from him, his aging hair slicked back, like always, a far cry from Cole’s messy mop. In fact, the only visual link between the two were their matching beige jackets, a common clothing article for Rebels…

Cole eyed his superior directly, “Are you sure I’m the only man for the job, sir?”

Draven sighed, “If Andor were still here I’d send him instead, but…”

“I understand,” Cole interjected. The Rebellion had seen enough casualties as is. Continuing to dwell on all of them would be futile…

“Very well.” The General cleared his throat, “Let’s get right to it.” He then pressed a button on the table there before them, which instantly projected the image of a spherical space station, “The Empire calls this The Death Star. It has already destroyed a city and a base, and we believe it may have the potential to do far worse.”

Cole felt his gut twist…

Draven went on, “An ally of ours recently returned to Alderaan and sent his daughter on a mission to retrieve the station’s blueprints, as they may reveal a weakness that can be exploited, but we have yet to hear from her.”

“So I’m the fallback.”

“That’s right.” Draven then pressed another button on the table, causing the projection to change to that of an elder imperial officer, green suit and all, “You’re target is this man here, Grand Moff Tarkin. We believe that he is the one leading the charge on this battle station in question. If we take him out, the crew of this Death Star, as they call it, may be left temporarily directionless, which could buy us some time, even if brief…”

The assassin examined the hologram carefully, making sure to commit Tarkin’s sharp facial features to memory…

“One of our U-Wing pilots will hand you your stormtrooper armor in a duffel bag and deliver you to a docking bay near an Imperial checkpoint. We anticipate a squad to be picked up there and brought onto the Death Star. That’s your way in.”

“And where exactly is this checkpoint?” Cole asked, bluntly.

“Just outside the capital city of a desert world called Garel.”

Cole immediately felt his whole body freeze, his eyes widening in shock…

Draven tilted his head in confusion, “Is there a problem?”

It took Cole a few seconds to answer, “No sir… No problem at all.”

The General still seemed perplexed, for a moment or two, but then merely shrugged, “Very well. You may proceed to the lobby, then. And remember; terminate whomever else you need to along the way.”

***

Garel was exactly as Cole remembered it…

He did his best to walk through the city with haste, though he was slowed by the weight of the brown duffle bag on his back, its strap around his shoulder. Nevertheless, he pressed on, looking for an alley he could use to change into his disguise…

“Come on,” he suddenly heard one child call to another, “Flora’s expecting us!”

Instantly, Cole stopped dead in his tracks and sighed. He knew he couldn’t avoid his past any longer. He had to go see her…

Carefully, he followed the pair of children into a small, dimly-lit canteen, one he knew all too well. Just as he expected, the place was full of men, women and children of all kinds, all down on their luck, all eating from matching bowls.

There in the central bar was a woman about his age, dressed in gray rags, serving everyone. With a deep breath, he walked up to her, “Hey…”

Flora looked upward, her eyes widening for a quick second, “Oh, hey… What brings you here?”

“Had to come out here to do a job.”

“What job?”

He shook his head, “Can’t say.”

She shifted her eyes, taking note of the strap around his shoulder, “What’s in the bag?”

“Like I said, can’t say… You should’ve come with me. The Rebellion could’ve really used you.”

She pointed to a bowl there on the counter before her, “You should’ve stayed here. Could’ve used your help running the place.”

He rolled his eyes, “You still don’t get it! What The Rebellion is doing will help the entire galaxy.”

“At what cost?” She pointed to his blaster, strapped to the side of his belt, “That right there is the reason I stayed behind.”

He merely shrugged, “The Jedi killed people too. Did they all deserve to be wiped out, like they were? Don’t you ever think about that Jedi who saved us? I’m pretty sure he’d want us to be fighting the good fight, like he did…”

She ignored all of his questions, instead pointing to a bearded man slightly older than them, sitting alone at a table, eating from a bowl, “See him over there? He was TK-059. He defected from The Empire just a few years ago.”

Cole took a quick look at the former stormtrooper, and then faced his sister once more.

She went on, “If he could change, why can’t the rest of them? Why take that chance away from them?”

The assassin shook his head once more, “I can’t let a one-in-a-million chance like that stop me.”

***

Cole could barely see through the stormtrooper helmet…

Nonetheless, he did his best to navigate through the bleak interiors of The Death Star, gripping his blaster rifle tightly…

He could see Tarkin just down the hallway, about to enter the main lobby, where a row of TIE Fighter ships were sitting, waiting to be hijacked. He would likely have to take out a few other Imperials along the way.

It’s worth it, he told himself…

Suddenly, he heard a chilling, robotic breathing, creeping up behind him…

Quickly, Cole swung himself around, only to find standing there a tall man in black, his face hidden beneath an angular helmet. He appeared to be evil incarnate. As evil as someone could be…

“You seem lost, trooper,” the dark figure spoke in a deep, terrifying voice.

“S-Sorry, sir,” Cole stuttered. “Was asked to go check on the trash compactor.”

“That would be on the detention level.”

“T-Thanks,” Cole stuttered again. “Lucky I ran into you, then!”

What the masked man in black said next shook Cole to his very core;

“There’s no such thing as luck, trooper. Nothing happens by accident.”

Click here to read my story from Round 2!

Click here to read my story from Round 3!

Related: Fiction Repository