Luke Skywalker and the Jedi's Revenge

Luke Skywalker and the Jedi's Revenge was a holothriller produced prior to 6 ABY, which purported to depict the duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader aboard the second Death Star. Skywalker took exception to its historical inaccuracies, specifically its depiction of him killing Vader to avenge Palpatine's death at Vader's hands, which he characterized as "sick". In actuality the holothriller was created by Blackhole, in order to establish that Luke Skywalker was the next legitimate heir to the Empire as Blackhole was secretly planning on becoming Luke Skywalker during the Battle of Mindor.

Inception

Lord Cronal, codenamed Blackhole, was placed at the head of the HoloNet's operations during his brief tenure as the Director of Imperial Intelligence. After the Emperor was defeated at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, control of the HoloNet slowly returned to the people as free speech increased in the galaxy. Rather than threaten and intimidate citizens to return to the Imperial mindset, Cronal gave them what they wanted.^[2]

Rebel hero Luke Skywalker was thrust into the spotlight in the immediate months after the Battle of Endor thanks to his victories over Darth Vader, the Ssi-ruu, Nagai, and the Tof. Cronal exploited Luke's skyrocketing reputation and poll ratings by privately producing the holothrillers Luke Skywalker and the Dragons of Tatooine and Luke Skywalker and the Jedi's Revenge.^[2]

Synopsis

Luke Skywalker and the Jedi's Revenge presented a twisted retelling of the events that occurred between the Jedi Purge and the Battle of Endor. It was framed as a dramatization based on real events. The tale of Darth Vader's treason and the tragedy of Luke Skywalker were central to it's plot. Darth Vader was presented as a helpless cripple who's life was saved free of charge by the benevolent Emperor Palpatine at the Emperor Palpatine Surgical Reconstruction Center on Coruscant. Vader was transformed into the most feared and powerful man in the galaxy after he was gifted mechanical arms and legs. While serving at the Emperor's side, Vader grew mad with ambition and pretended to play along with Palpatine's quest to rescue Luke Skywalker from the rebels.^[1]

Luke Skywalker was the last remaining child of the Jedi Hero Anakin Skywalker. Anakin had been Palpatine's most beloved protégé and the only Jedi to remain loyal to the Republic during the Jedi Rebellion. When he met his untimely end during the rebellion, his son was taken by the rebels and ensnared in a web of lies. When Vader encountered Luke prior to the Battle of Endor, he insanely believed himself to be Palpatine's protégé and claimed he was Luke's father. He tried to recruit Luke to his treasonous plans, but the young Jedi rejected Vader's insane machinations.^[1]

When Luke Skywalker faced Emperor Palpatine face-to-face at Endor, the Emperor rejoiced and revealed to him his heritage. As Palpatine declared Luke the heir to the Empire, Vader's mind finally snapped and he attacked the Emperor in a mindless fury. Luke watched in horror as the armored monster fell upon the frail old man. He snapped from his dazed and cut Vader down, but was too late to save the Emperor from his mortal wounds. It was Skywalker's grief and guilt at his failure to save the Emperor that drove him back into the grasp of the Rebels as he believed he deserved no better than to be just another outlaw among the thieves, pirates, and murderers of the Rebel Alliance.^[1]

Reception

Luke Skywalker and the Jedi's Revenge released prior to 5.5 ABY and circulated in systems still loyal to the Empire. Despite being cheaply produced, exaggerated, and hokey, the holothriller was a blockbuster hit. It also became a commercial powerhouse that spawned a successful line of action figures.^[2] Viewers considered Jedi's Revenge dark, gruesome, powerful, and a life-changing masterpiece. It was especially popular among Imperial military personnel, with even anti-Imperial resistance fighters having found interest in it. Luke Skywalker on the other hand was enraged by the work and sickened by the depiction of him killing his father to avenge the Emperor. Viewers on both sides of the war believed the events presented in Jedi's Revenge were true as there was little information on the events that occurred in the Death Star II throne room outside of Luke Skywalker's vague testimony.^[1]

Cronal produced Jedi's Revenge to establish Luke Skywalker as the Emperor's true heir in the minds of the Empire's citizens. He presented the film to his troops and instilled the idea that the Empire's "Great Cause" was to rescue Luke Skywalker and restore him to his rightful place as Emperor. Cronal planned to capture Skywalker at Mindor and transfer his essence from his degrading body into the Jedi's youthful body. Once Cronal took control of the Empire from Luke's body, the Empire's citizens would have already been acclimated to the idea of Skywalker ruling as their rightful Emperor.^[1]

Had Luke perished prior to the essence transfer process, Cronal planned to use his sister Leia Organa as a contingency. From Leia's body, Cronal would use her diplomatic and political connections to tear the New Republic apart from the inside. Any fumbles he might make upon meeting the princess's acquaintances would be explained as amnesia or traumatic brain injury from the Battle of Mindor. These excuses would be further reinforced by a holothriller Cronal planned to name Princess Leia and the Shadow Trap or Princess Leia and the Black Holes of Mindor.^[1]

Behind the scenes

Jedi's Revenge is remarkably similar to the original title for Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, Revenge of the Jedi.^[3]

Appearances

• Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor (Mentioned only)

Sources

• The Star Wars Spy Game: SPIN Declassified on StarWars.com (backup link) (original link is obsolete)

Notes and references