STAR WARS: EPISODE VII - THE LAST JEDI (with a better story)

Twelve - The Last Jedi

The Chimera

"The doors have been destroyed!" The officer related to Thrawn.

"Tell our troopers to move in," Thrawn replies, steepling hands. " There is a girl in there that the Supreme Leader wants. All but her are to be killed."

"Yes sir I- hold on..." The officer looks closer at his display. "We're detecting an X-wing."

"Just one?" Thrawn asks.

"It just jumped in. Its approaching the planet now."

"Have our fighters bring it down. And pull up visual."

The feed switches to that of an battered old X-wing, flying over Crait's surface. Kylo Ren steps forward.

"No...it couldn't be..."

"This fighter looks familiar to you, Kylo Ren?" Thrawn asks.

Kylo doesn't reply. A group of TIE fighter begin tailing the X-wing.

"Its headed for the base. It'll be there in moments." The officer relates.

"Shoot it down before then." Thrawn orders. "I don't know what that pilot is planning but I don't want them stalling us."

The TIEs begin to fire their laser cannons. The X-wing bobs, weaves, and straifs around all the shots.

"Just who is this pilot I wonder..." Hux says. "Could it be that Poe Dameron?"

"Unlikely," Thrawn says. "His fighter, in all probability, was the epicenter of the pulse."

Kylo Ren stares without comment. Several more TIEs join the chase. Soon there is over a dozen firing at the X-wing, but still it persists. Finally a shot hits the X-wing. It begins to trail smoke and spin erratically.

"They're at the base now," The officers reports.

The X-wing pulls into an attempt at a soft landing. In reality, it crashes across the ground in a spray of red soil, before dragging to a stop in front of the breached wall.

"Well that was...unexpected." Thrawn says. "Tell one of our walkers to-"

The top of the X-wing cockpit flies off. The cloud of red soil obscures the view at first. The pilot's silhouette climbs out of the ship, and steps out onto the salt ground. The dust is blown away by a gust of wind, revealing the pilot's face.

"Grand Admiral Thrawn!" Kylo shouts. "If you have even a fraction of the intelligence you are supposed to, you will have every gun we have fire on that man!"

"Why? Just who is that?" Thrawn asks, with confusion.

"That!" Kylo Ren declares. "Is Luke Skywalker!"

"Oh."

***

"He came." Leia says, a smile growing on her face.

"Is that...?" Finn asks.

"...Luke Skywalker." Rey's face splits into a wide grin. "The Last Jedi."

***

Luke walks out onto the salt ground, leaving the X-wing behind. He stared down the AT-ATs as he marches forward. The XT-XT is still a ways behind them, unmoving. The AT-ATs turn to aim at Luke. He finally stops, standing tall before them.

***

Thrawn stares at the feed.

"Fire."

***