The Romulan Republic wrote: ↑2020-05-11 08:12pmThat's all well and good, but to really parallel the modern world, it wouldn't be a huge fleet of space Nazis somewhere Out There, especially not backed by literal resurrected Palpatine. It would have been Neo-Imperial sentiment taking over the Republic from within, corrupting the government and the fleet, forcing Leia out, turning Jedi, with Luke's struggle being whether to stay neutral and keep the Jedi a-political, and eventually realizing that he can't. Which would have risked being a Prequel rehash, but at least not an OT rehash.
Yeah, I was thinking along the lines of a Prequel rehash as well; but the spin would be substantially different.
In the Prequels, the protagonists are trying to keep a state together.
In the OT, the protagonists are trying to bring a state down.
The ST should have focused on the protagonists trying to build a state up, and the difficulties of such a mammoth endeavor. That would have allowed a markedly more intriguing story than "bring down the Empire Reborn".
While I would have some timeline concerns, I think that a few decades of anarchy would be believable, especially if the New Republic was unwilling to frock Imperial governors and was unwilling to be generous with amnesties.
MKSheppard wrote: ↑2020-05-11 09:28pm
A friend pointed this out to me:
Just how many New Republicans are really Imperials AND Old Republicans; and they don't see a discontinuity.
Under Chancellor Valorum, they paid taxes to Coruscant
Under Emperor Palpatine, they paid taxes to Coruscant
Under Chancellor Mon Mothma, they pay taxes to Coruscant
I agree completely with this point of view. With a taste of autonomy under an anarchic transition period, why should the newly-minted robber barons of say, Empress Teta or Kuat continue to pay taxes to Coruscant? Why should the Galaxy even be united under one government? How much control should the Coruscant be allowed to exert? What does a New Republic based in the Outer Rim have to offer large, established states?
Also, the new factions (Hutts, Chiss, Killiks, Yuzhen Vong, Kuat, Dark Empire whatever I don't care) would offer plenty of juicy spaceship and action figure designs for the merchandising! MERCHANDISING!
There are very good answers to these questions (sapient rights, galactic trade, wars, etc.), but people need to be reminded of them. The ST could have explored the benefits of galactic government, or the limitations thereof.
And what of the role of the Jedi in such a situation? Do the Jedi necessarily need to back the New Republic? Even the extremists like Saw's successors? They are peacekeepers. They're supposed to help all people, and do good - regardless of creed, color, or flag. The Prequels established what happened when the Jedi got too wedded to the Old Republic - surely Luke Skywalker will learn lessons from this? And what will his good-intentioned but less-experienced pupils think, when the Jedi decide not to pick sides or don't back the NR (Spooky dark side stuff... the path to the dark side lies in intolerance and only Sith deal in absolutes...)? How will this affect Luke's relationship with Leia or Han?
Lessons from history should be learned by everyone. Leia will try to moderate centralization (that's how the Empire and Seps came about), there will be crypto-Imperialists waving NR banners, there will be opportunistic Robber Barons, warlords, etc, and maybe the undue influence of a misguided Jedi or evil Sith Lord cackling in the background.
Prequel mimic option:
1. Introduction to setting. Big space battle. Simple objective. Begin fall to dark side by pupil. Uneasy victory. Superweapon captured intact at Maw. (TPM-ish, I know... and I don't particularly like superweapons, but a World Devastator or Sith-tek seems fun and can involve the Jedi)
2. Emperor Palpatine emerges at Byss with a fleet of World Devastators, rallies Imperials to his side. Imperial Remnant splits. NR extremists try to push for superweapon use against Palpatine and allies. Someone learns about parentage (nostalgia points, completely optional). Jedi try to mediate with IR/Chiss/Allies to break up Palps alliance.
3. Resolution: More big space battles. Climactic encounter by good Jedi. Emperor Palps is a fake clone, with flash imprinted partial memories. Evil Jedi/Evil Corporation/etc, etc. is responsible for trying to pull a Palps and play both sides against the middle. Thanks to a knowledge of the past, Luke and Leia skirt around the trap. Good guys win. Fireworks.
Less constrained option:
1. Setting introduction. Escalating conflict and further galactic destabilization by [event/technology/shifting alliance/outside enemy/new faction]. Temptation by dark side/Jedi distancing from NR
2. Open conflict. Conflict within Jedi. More dark side.
3. Resolution. Conflict within Jedi resolved. Jedi Order's role firmly established. Dark side vanquished. New stable Galactic government (centralized/decentralized, depending on story).