I’ve decided to overhaul this thread into being only a Special Edition of Ascendant. I know there will inevitably be some questions.
The reason I’m doing this is because the original premise behind this edit already bordered between breaking canon and not, so I think I’d be more comfortable remaining within more solid territory. Furthermore, no matter which way I tried to execute this idea, there was always this feeling of things bordering on incest and every single character being related to each other in this entire saga. For example, Leia would have like 4 different possible last names - Organa, Solo, Skywalker, Palpatine.
I’m trying to avoid some of this goofiness.
Instead, this edit will simply be taking the approach of making Rey Palpatine a little less stupid, as well as introducing the Kylo versus Vader fight and the Luke reaching out to Kylo scene. The main way this will be accomplished is by removing Palpatine even knowing about Rey as a child. Instead, he will simply be going after Rey’s father, his “son”. This clears up a lot of Ochi’s questionable antics, like being unable to find Rey and killing the only people who might know where she is. Here is the dialogue I’m currently considering:
Kylo: “It was Palpatine who had your parents taken. Your father had escaped him. But he soon learned your father was a powerless failure. So he gave the order.”
Kylo: “You know why you were kept a secret.”
Rey (unaltered): “No.”
Kylo (unaltered): “I’ll come tell you.”
And later…
Kylo: “I know how Palpatine discovered you…”
Rey: “Tell me.”
Kylo (unaltered): “Because he saw what you would become. You don’t just have power. You have his power…”
Here is the sequence of events:
Palpatine’s son escapes Exegol -> Palpatine sends Ochi to find him -> His son finds a partner and has Rey -> Rey’s parents pay for her to be watched by Unkar Plutt because Ochi has just found out where they live -> Ochi captures them and flies off, leaving Rey behind -> Palpatine finds out her father doesn’t have the Force -> Ochi kills Rey’s parents since they’re useless to him -> Palpatine has a vision of Rey at some point, discovering her existence
The only problem with this idea is a later exchange between Finn and Poe. I’ll need some help brainstorming around this. Most of the lines are spoken on-screen, so AI lines are somewhat out as a solution.
Finn: “He was going to Exegol with Ochi of Bestoon.”
Poe: “Why was Ochi going there?”
Finn: “To bring the little girl he was supposed to take from Jakku to the Emperor. He wanted her alive.”