Star Wars Episode IX: A New Order (Rise of Skywalker rewrite)

Chapter 2: Trials of the jedi

We then cut to Kashykk, home of the New base of the Republic Navy and where Luke has decided to train his new Jedi order. we see Rey, Finn, and seven Jedi Younglings: Temiri Blagg (a white human boy with brown hair and eyes), Arashell Sarr (a white human girl with red hair and blue eyes), Oniho Zaya (black human boy), Iska Sa (blue twi'lek girl), Qonn Dri (green rodian boy), Gann Enn (Ithorian boy), and Lowbacca (Wookie boy and Chewbacca's nephew called "Lowie" for short) as they run through the forest while getting shot at by practice droids, Rey igniting Anakin's lightsaber while Finn and the younglings ignite their training lightsabers as they try to deflect the blasts while Jedi Master Luke Skywalker watches from atop a rock, Luke lecturing to them "The trial of Skill is the first test of your knighthood, you will need all of your skill to survive". Luke then tosses each of his padawans their blindfolds, telling them that their test is to dodge and deflect without using their eyes, instead by seeing with the force. once the padawans put on their blindfolds, wookiee warriors (including Chewbacca himself) armed with bowcasters emerge from the bushes and all roar in unison before opening fire on our heroes. the blindfolded younglings charge in and swing their lightsabers aimlessly only for Arashell Sarr, Oniho Zaya, Qonn Dri, and Gann Enn to get knocked out cold one by one, leaving Rey, Finn, Temiri Blagg, Iska Sa, and Lowie as the only ones left. Lowie roars in confusion as Rey readies her lightsaber. Rey tells Finn, Temiri, Iska, and Lowie to follow her lead, Rey sensing the incoming attacks through the force and deflecting the blasts with Anakin's lightsaber while the other three duck behind Rey. two wookiee warriors sneak behind Finn, Iska, and Lowie aiming their bowcasters, and Rey warns the two allowing them to ignite their training lightsabers to deflect the blasts. the padawans all take their blinders off with Luke congratulating Rey, Finn, and Lowie for passing the trial of Skill telling the three that they are qualified to to move on to the next challenge followed by Chewie hugging his nephew to show how proud he is of the little wookiee. Luke tells the other younglings that they're disqualified from the trials, Qonn Dri shouting "Oh come on!" in frustration. Luke tells the younglings that they're gonna have to work harder and take their training seriously if they're gonna catch up with the others as he helps them back up on their feet one by one. we then cut to Rey, Finn, Temiri, Iska, and Lowie being lectured by Jedi Master Ezra Bridger about the trial of Courage as Luke and the other padawans watch, Ezra telling the three "the trial of Courage is about finding your strength in the face of danger, just as how my master Kanan Jarrus bravely sacrificed his life to save me and my friends. Courage is a vital quality in a Jedi, which is why you must prove yourself with this next challenge" Ezra then summons a giant Shyyyo bird that lands in front of Rey, Finn, and Lowie and roars at them, forcing our heroes to scatter as it tries to snap at Finn, Rey, Temiri, Iska, and Lowie with his giant beak. Lowie tries to grab the large bird's tail to give Finn and Rey some time to escape, but the creature whips its tail into a nearby rock knocking Lowie out cold. Temiri trying to distract the bird then shouts "HEY BEAKY!" at the bird causing it to turn its attention to the Jedi youngling before picking him up with his beak only for Finn to force-push the bird causing it to drop the knocked out Temiri. Iska rushes to Temiri's aid begging him to wake up, only for the Shyyo bird to fly into the air send Iska crashing into a nearby tree with a gust of wind from its massive wings. the beast then turns its attention to Finn who runs through the forest while the bird flies after him. Finn then looks at Rey and tells her to grab him by the hand. Rey then grabs Finn's hand and he tosses her into the air, Rey grabbing the beast by the leg causing the Shyyyo bird to turn his head and snap at Rey, however while the creature is distracted it spins out of control and crashes into the forest below, Rey letting go of the bird's leg before it crashes and she is caught by Finn. the two then approach the injured bird which is trapped under a fallen tree. Rey walks up to the creature with Finn warning her if she's crazy. Rey notices a deep gash wound on the creature's wing, Rey telling him that the creature's hurt and they just can't let it die. Rey pulls one of the Jedi texts from her backpack and turns the page on the different force abilities. Rey then places her hand on the beast's wing and closes her eyes. we then see the bird's wounds disappear followed by the Shyyyo bird flying off. Finn asks Rey how she did that, Rey tells him that it's force healing, something she learned about from the Jedi texts while studying new force abilities, Rey handing Finn the book. Finn flips through the book, asking her "you got all that from some old book?" followed by Rey grabbing the book from Finn's hand telling him that those are the benefits of reading before putting it back in her backpack before turning her head to see the Shyyyo bird get back up and walk up to Rey, lowering its massive head so that Rey can touch its beak while Finn watches in awe before turning his head to see Luke, the wookies, and the other padawans applauding the two. Ezra then shows up to congratulate the two for passing the trial of courage, telling Finn that he showed true bravery facing danger head-on. he then congratulates Rey for healing the Shyyyo bird, something that it takes true courage to forgive an enemy while Ezra scratches the feathers on the bird's neck. Ezra hops on the Shyyyo bird's back and tells Finn and Rey that they may move onto the next trial before flying off. we then cut to Chewie helping the injured Lowie back up on his feet, Lowie letting out a sorrowful roar while Luke helps Temiri and Iska back up on their feet. Luke tells the three that it's okay, telling them that he just needs to keep honing their force abilities. Temiri and Iska hug Lowie to comfort him, Temiri telling Lowie it's okay, Iska saying they'll make it eventually. after that, We then cut to Finn and Rey getting lectured by Ahsoka Tano on the trial of the spirit, telling them "To pass the Trial of the Spirit, apprentices had to look deep within their souls, on a quest of self-discovery. This test was designed to pit a potential Knight against their most dangerous enemy: the darkness within themselves. such as myself when I had to confront Darth Vader which nearly cost me my life, and being forced to come to terms with what became of my former master Anakin Skywalker". Ahsoka tells the two to enter the Origin tree, a sacred tree with a strong spiritual connection. there they will be forced to confront their inner fears and demons. Finn and Rey both nervous hold hands before entering the tree while Luke watches along with the wookies and Jedi younglings, Luke asking Ahsoka if Rey's going to be okay, saying that she has a lot of inner turmoil that she's been going through and as her father he's concerned if this trial will be too much for her to bear. Ahsoka tells Luke that his daughter is a brave soul, saying that she has a fiery spirit, much like Anakin once did. Luke looks at Ahsoka and tells her "you knew my father much more than I did, so I'll take your word for it". Ahsoka apologizes to Luke, telling him "I'm sorry I couldn't have saved him". Luke holds Ahsoka's hand, telling her "I saved him, Ahsoka. thanks to me he returned to the light. and I got to see him, the real him, with my own eyes" Ahsoka smiles at Luke, telling him "I'm glad to know that he died a good man, thank you". we then cut to Rey and Finn inside the tree where the two go in separate directions. Finn is confronted by an illusion of Captain Phasma along with a quartet of Black-and-red armored stormtroopers, the four of them taking their helmets off revealing them to be Finn along with his deceased teammates Zeroes, Nines, and Slip, a reflection of his past and the evil he once served. the reflection ignites a red lightsaber and tells the real Finn "you let your brothers die when you deserted the First Order, the day you turned traitor we paid for your treachery with their lives. the blood is on your hands, FN-2187!" Finn is in denial, saying "that's not true, and my name is Finn!" igniting his training saber and locking blades with his dark reflection causing the illusions to quickly disappear, Finn realizing that none of this is real and it was just an illusion. after that, we cut to Rey coming across a child version of herself, Rey following her younger self deeper into the tree when she suddenly hears a voice whisper "Kira..." and the child version of Rey turns into a cloud of black smoke that morphs into Rey's adult self, now clad in black robes and with the glowing yellow eyes of the sith. Rey ignites Anakin's blue lightsaber, asking "who are you?" Dark Rey then tells her "I am your destiny". Rey shakes her head, saying "none of this is real, you are NOT me!" Rey swings her lightsaber at Dark Rey, but Dark Rey blocks it by whipping out and igniting a red saber staff. Dark Rey tells her "Your father was the son of Vader, Your mother was a former Sith Inquisitor, and your grandfather, Darth Vader himself, was both a sith lord and a creation of Plagueis. face it, the dark side runs deep in your family. Don't be afraid of who you are". Rey then shouts "NO!" and slashes at Dark Rey's stomach, only for her azure blade to phase right through her, making her realize that it was all an illusion. Dark Rey then disappears only for Finn to arrive on the scene, the two hug happy to see each other. the two exit the tree with Ahsoka congratulating the two with passing the trial, saying that they are free to move on to the next challenge. we cut to Finn and Rey being lectured by Jedi Master Cal Kestis on the trial of the flesh, Cal saying "The Trial of the Flesh was the most trying test given at the Temple. Involving the apprentice overcoming great physical pain, hardship, or loss. I experienced this trial when my master Jaro Topal was killed during Order 66 and I was forced to spend my remaining years in hiding during the rise of the empire, not to mention that I nearly died fighting TWO Inquisitors" the younglings going "oooo" as they watch while Luke and Ahsoka watch with intensity. Ahsoka asks Luke if they're ready for such an intense trial. Luke tells Ahsoka that his new order's methods aren't as harsh as the old order, such as the burning. Cal tells Finn and Rey that their test is to take as many hits from this training saber (which aren't lethal and only cause welts, bruises, and minor burns) as they can. the catch is that they can't fight back or else they won't pass the trial. Rey tells Cal "bring it on" only for Cal to strike Rey repeatedly with the training saber knocking her onto the ground her body covered in minor burns and her robes tattered. Finn shouts "REY!" and rushes to her aid, only for Cal to tell Finn "not so fast" and hit Finn repeatedly with the training saber. Cal tells the two of them that battle scars were seen as a rite of passage by the old Jedi order, saying that the point of this test is to see if they can of overcoming severe physical pain without breaking. Finn stands back up in front of Rey and tells him "do your worst" as he pants, using his body as a meat shield as Cal repeatedly hits Finn with his training saber, Finn still standing as he closes his eyes enduring the pain like a man. Rey is inspired by Finn and gets back up, standing in front of her closest friend and taking the last hit meant for him. Cal is inspired by both their moments of self-sacrifice and tells the two they are ready to proceed to the next trial, only for Luke to step in and use his force-healing to heal both Finn and Rey of their burns before they move on to the final trial: the trial of insight. we then cut to Rey and Finn walking up to four stone pillars with all four Jedi masters: Ahsoka Tano, Ezra Bridger, Cal Kestis, and Luke Skywalker standing atop the pillars. Luke lectures to Finn and Rey, telling the two "The trial of Insight is the last test offered as part of the Trials of Knighthood". Ahsoka then says "while a Jedi could take down a Sith, they could be undone by common thieves, this test helped a Jedi to see what was really in front of their eyes through use of the Force". Ezra then says "Seeing through illusion, evaluating an individual's true persona, and unveiling lies are essential to a successful mission" Cal then says "To complete your final test, you must find a grain of sand amongst this field of stones" with the four Jedi masters moving a field of stones with the force placing them in front of Finn and Rey, the two looking at each other in confusion. Luke then says "good luck you two, you're the only ones who made it this far, no turning back now. and may the force be with you, because you're really gonna need it". Finn scratches his head, saying "a tiny speck of sand? you must be joking. that'll take forever!" Rey tells Finn "you're telling me". Rey lifts one stone with the force, to see nothing underneath. Finn does the same, with just as little luck. the two upturn stones one by one, only for them to find nothing, saying that they looked under every stone and not a single grain of sand. Rey clutches her Kyber crystal necklace and closes her eyes, Finn asking Rey what she's doing. Rey tells Finn that she doesn't think the grain of sand is under any of these stones. Rey tells Finn to take her hand. the two of them hold hands, the two combining their force abilities to sense that the grain of sand is inside the hand of Luke Skywalker. Luke congratulates the two for finally figuring it out, opening his gloved prosthetic hand to reveal the tiny grain of sand in his palm which floats into Rey's hand. Temiri, Arashell, Oniho, Iska, Qonn Dri, Gann Enn, Lowbacca, Chewbacca, and the Wookies all surround our heroes. Luke, Ahsoka, Ezra, and Cal levitate off the stone pedestals and land in front of the duo, the four Jedi masters igniting their lightsabers. Luke uses his green saber to knight both Rey and Finn, referring to them as "Rey Skywalker, Finn Stormbreaker, by the will of the force, I hereby dub both of you Jedi knights of the new order, defenders of the New Republic" the padawans all applaud while the wookies (including both Chewie and Lowie) all let out a triumphant roar in unison while Finn and Rey look at each other and smile. we then cut to the two of them constructing their lightsabers: Finn constructing a green single-bladed saber, while Rey uses pieces of her staff along with the Kyber Crystal in her mother's betrothal necklace to construct a double-bladed lightsaber with a yellow blade, Rey telling Finn "this definitely suits my style". Rey hands Anakin's saber back to Luke, telling him that she doesn't need it anymore now that she has a lightsaber of her own. however Luke insists Rey she keep it as a backup weapon, just in case. Rey hugs Luke, telling her "thank you, father" before stepping back, apologizing for showing signs of emotional attachment, as the Jedi order forbid such things. Luke tells Rey that may have been the case for the Jedi order of old, but in his new Order such attachments are no longer taboo, saying that when he resurrected the Jedi order the first time he swore an oath to correct the mistakes of the past that drove his father to the dark side, saying that emotional attachments to our friends and families makes us stronger, not weak with Luke telling her that he is proud to have her as a daughter.