The Forgotten Hero: A Star Wars Story

The Dunes of War

A bright moon shines in the sky. A rumbling resounds across the cosmos. A massive star destroyer, unlike any seen before, creeps along the sky, and of seemingly endless length, eclipsing the moon.

Four transport ships fly out from a hangar as they fly off, and down toward a distant planet. Jakku.

-------------------------

A growing roar of mean engines, gnarled radio calls, and the shuddering of the ship's hull. Then flashes of light. For an instant a Stormtrooper, shiny, white, stands stoically. Then, blackness. Another Stormtrooper flashes in, then is gone. The flickering continues until the lights sting on and remain on.

Twenty Stormtroopers, all holding on at attention, moving to the ship's rhythm, in the tense moments before a raid. A filtered command rings out and they lock and load their heavy blaster rifles. The brutal noise is replaced by sudden, shocking silence.

----------------------------------

A small, peaceful village, unaware, relaxed, and humming. Distant sounds of native animals. A single wind chime. Suddenly it rolls in. Round and skittery, orange and white, this is BB-8. He focuses on something further away. He beeps, fast, unsettled, clearly worried. He moves closer. He's even worried, beeping more rapidly, then he turns and rolls off fast towards a hut.

A small leather sack is placed in the palm of the man inside. The hand closes. Another older hand covers it. In the primitive hut, an old explorer, Lor San Tekka, has handed the mysterious sack to Poe Dameron. Poe is a man with charisma, a natural spark.

Lor San Tekka: This will begin to make things right. I've traveled too far, and seen too much, to ignore the despair in the galaxy. Without the Jedi, there can be no balance in the Force.

Poe: Well, because of you now we have a chance. The General's been after this for a long time.

Lor San Tekka: "The General." To me, she's royalty.

Poe: Well, she certainly is that.

BB-8 enters, beeping frantically. Concerned, Poe turns to Lor San Tekka.

Poe: We've got company.

The men exit fast. Poe moves further from the hut, raising his quadronoculars. Lights flash on the horizon. Approaching enemy ships. Poe lowers the device.

Poe: You have to hide.

Lor San Tekka: You have to leave. Go!

Poe turns to him. Conflicted. Finally nods, hurries off. BB-8 follows.

It would be hard to keep up with Poe as he and BB-8 hurry through the village. Various armed villagers take position, prepared to defend.

A roar of wind kicks up dust. The trooper transports land loudly. The ramps open and stormtroopers come out firing blasters. The villagers fire back. Casualties left and right, troopers dead before they exit the transport, villagers dead with their finger on the trigger. Poe runs to an X-wing fighter, parked at a distance from the village, hidden behind a rock outcropping.

Poe: Come on, BB-8! Hurry!

Poe sends BB-8 into the droid socket/co-pilot seat, he moves to the cockpit. The controls flash to life. As the canopy closes, Poe shoots a quick look back. The enemy had arrived in the distance.

Poe urgently works the controls -- BB-8 beeps.

The X-wing landing lights shine as the engine comes to life!

But just then: Poe's ship is suddenly racked by blaster fire. Poe turns to look. He spots two Stormtroopers, charging his way and firing.

BB-8 beeps nervously.