The Republic is gone...The faith of the galaxy is terror

I believe that balance will be restored by the universe, or by the force. Just as there is balance in nature, balance of emotions, balance of power...The scales can tip in either direction but balance is an inevitable characteristic of, well...existence in general. Yin/Yang, positive/negative, Light/dark, every action has an equal and opposite reaction...there really is no escaping the fact that balance makes everything possible.

By the way, I voted before reading your post. I got a little too poll-happy. ;___;

 

I find it weird that all the Republic was concentrated only in Hosnian Prime. There should be some remnants of the Republic in the other core worlds, maybe not military but some government entities.

 

i suspect there are remnants of the republic still floating around even if the senate itself has been destroyed.

the destruction of the senate vs. the destruction of Starkiller base levels the playing field in terms of leadership/order. the galaxy is up for grabs, but both sides now have limited resources to snag it. the FO has the technological advantage perhaps, even with Starkiller gone, but i suspect more systems will align with the Resistance in response to the senseless slaughter of billions.

Rey is going to set things right ultimately, but it will be an ensemble effort: she can't do it alone.
i also suspect she will have some unlikely allies before all is said and done.

 

With all the threads here I'm sure someone has discussed this but I haven't seen it yet, and what I am talking about is this:

With the Republic gone, with no governing body, shouldn't we expect the rest of the system fall to lawlessness and Civil War? Isn't that usually what happens when a governing body is suddenly ousted and there is a power vacuum?

 

Remember this. Rey, Ben and Luke will show the true power of the force.

 

Sorry read "Civil War" and I thought of the Marvel Universe. Darn pop culture.

My guess is that a lot of the planets will align with the Resistance and resources will start helping up to rebuild the government of the New Republic.

 

Now wouldn't THAT make for an interesting setting for a show or a game?... with each system resorting to privatized fleets and bounty hunters and gangs terrorizing the galaxy? Like 1313 on a galactic scale.

Yes please

 

I hope it can be shown, in the end, compassion, love, forgiveness, and wisdom can overturn evil.

So much has to be overcome to get there.

I could imagine a scene -- a final conflict -- where Luke and Rey along with possibly Fin and perhaps a converted-back-to-Light Ben face off with a torrential-Force-wielding and maybe even a somewhat revitalized Snoke, who they have tracked down to some lair on his remote ship:

. . . . . . .

Snoke circles them viciously, vows to destroy them, but they all cast down their lightsabers.

Snoke: What is this? Surrender? I accept.

Rey: We will not fight you.

Snoke: But you must! You have no choice.

Luke: We choose to forgive.

Finn: In spite of everything.

Ben: Absolution.

Snoke: Forgiveness? Well, then you will, of course, forgive me for doing this!

Snoke ignites their lightsabers remotely, lifting them, and whirling them closer to Luke, Rey, Finn, and Kylo.

Luke, Rey, Ben, and Finn stand together, remain calm, and close their eyes.

The lightsabers swing and jab furiously but ricochet off of them. Snoke does not understand.

Snoke: But... how?

Luke: Compassion. The only way.

Snoke reigns down massive bolts of lightning onto them. They barely budge.

Snoke: Hate me!

Snoke tears and hurls pieces of the ship at them.

Snoke: You must hate me!

Rey: No, we mustn't.

Snoke: Hate me as I hate you!

Fire and light encircles Snoke as he concentrates all his power on the group with no effect. He stops, drained.

Luke: It does not have to end this way. Come with us.

Snoke: Never!

Snoke resumes his attack -- lightsabers, rocks, debris, fire, lightning all whirling about the scene, but he is inflamed, smoking, sparking, cracking, desperate, decaying quickly.

Snoke (screaming in pain): Why... will... you... not... hate me?

Ben: It was never the way!

Snoke drops to the ground, and the room goes dim and still.

Luke approaches Snoke, who senses and turns to Luke weakly. Snoke is scarred, blind, near tears if he could cry.

Snoke (wheezing, whispering): But... how... how, Luke... how did you know?

Luke: It was always there, the answer.

Snoke: Is it? Is... it true? That I am... truly... forgiven?

Ben: Yes.

Rey: Yes.

Finn: Yes.

Luke nods yes.

Snoke: Then perhaps... peace... is not... a lie... after... all.

Snoke breathes his last breath.

The Force is at peace again.

Luke: Can you feel it?

Rey: So clearly now.

Finn: Yes.

Ben: Like the lifting of a great weight.

Rey (turning to Luke): You were right.

Luke: We were right. Together. Guided by the Light of the Force.

Ben: May the Force be with us.

Finn: Always.

Rey and Luke: Always.

The group remains, regarding Snoke with amazement and compassion.

. . . . . . .

(addendum: for my related idea about Luke's nonviolent turning of Ben, please follow this link)

JediMasterRobert

 

Seems plausible. Also seems plausible that other planets will decide, now is their chance to seize power and rule over the galaxy. Could make for a mess.

 

As a "postscript" to my scene above, I wish to reiterate something I wrote in another thread, which perhaps helps illustrate the thinking behind my proposed nonviolent conclusion for this Sequel Trilogy:

Symbolicly seeing a "third Death Star" in the Starkiller Base tends to underscore the absurdity of evil returning again and again and again to the galaxy simply to reiterate a cycle of fear, destruction, and failure. While Snoke seems unfazed, I would think some of the older Imperials recast under the First Order must be growing tired of the pattern now, given the Resistance's "victory" over Starkiller in The Force Awakens. Where does it end?

The ending of Episode IX could benefit from bringing a true "end" to "this destructive conflict" (to quote Vader, of all people, in The Empire Strikes Back), ushering in a new era not immediately menaced by yet another phantom.

Even in this scenario, people wondering what this might mean for "future Star Wars films" have nothing to worry about: there will always be eventual disagreements, ideas and ideologies and movements, diverging interpretations, politics, and fresh conflicts (intellectual and military) emerging over generations. There will always be a "war" of some form, brewing or underway, in the "stars," be in one star system or galaxy or another.

Such is the very sinusoidal flow of reality in this imperfect material realm. There is a point, in that sine wave, when everything intersects at zero -- the balance -- neutrality -- peace. Episode IX could conclude on such a point, demonstrating, within this trilogy and the larger saga, good and evil can rise and fall and yet there still can be peace when all the factors in play (and the Force itself) collectively will peace to exist.

A "Sequel Sequel" trilogy could extrapolate future conflict in bold new ways beyond the familiar Death Star/Alderaan scenarios, the turning-of-Good-Jedi, etc.. For example, imagine the opening crawl of Episode X, its first words being, "THE FORCE ITSELF HAS VANISHED!" Suddenly, now the entire galaxy faces a Force-less future. Former Jedi/Force sensitives race across the galaxy in frantic search of the cause as everyone waits in desperate hope for answers...

UN LIMITED POSSIBILITIES

JediMasterRobert

 

That "NOOOOOOO!" way better than this one: