STAR WARS: Darker #wattys2017

THE DEATH OF LEIA (IN EPISODE 9)

General Leia's ship was being shot at by a First Order Star Destroyer that was chasing her. Poe Dameron and Chewbacca were traveling through hyperspace in the Millennium Falcon to try to rescue her. The Resistance was still in the process of rebuilding their fleet after their ships had been destroyed by the First Order. The Falcon was now their main ship.

"General, hang on," Poe communicated to Leia. "We're almost there."

"Stay where you are, Poe," Leia told Poe.

"But General-"

"That's an order, Poe! My hyperdrive is damaged and my shields are almost gone."

Chewbacca whimpered and Poe let out a heavy sigh as he realized what Leia was saying to him.

"General-" Poe started to say.

"It's been a pleasure serving with you."

Chewbacca whined. "It's been a pleasure serving with you too . . . Leia."

Leia smiled at Poe's response.

"May the Force be with you," Leia said.

Poe and Chewbacca remained silent. Leia closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable. A final shot rang out from the Star Destroyer and Leia's ship was destroyed.

"General," Poe called out. "General!"

Static.

Poe hung his head while Chewbacca whined louder than before. Poe lifted his head and glanced at the anguished Wookie.

"Chewie, let's go back to the base. There's nothing more we can do here."

Chewbacca whimpered in agreement.

Meanwhile, on Kylo Ren's ship the Supremacy that used to be Snoke's ship before he killed him, the man who was once known as Ben Solo was standing on the bridge staring out into space when General Hux walked briskly up to him. Ren looked over his shoulder at him.

"Yes, General, what is it?"

"I just got news from the ship the Regulator that General Leia's ship has been destroyed."

Ren was quiet for a moment before he answered, "Very well, General. Continue your search for the Resistance base."

Hux gave a quick nod of his head. "Yes, Supreme Leader."

Ren gave him an annoyed glance as he walked away from him as he noticed the way he spat out the words Supreme Leader. But he would have to deal with the general's disrespect later. He gazed back into space and thought about how everyone in his family was now gone: His father Han Solo. His uncle Luke Skywalker. And now his mother Leia. He was now all alone in the universe.

Then his thoughts turned to Rey . . .

Director J.J. Abrams-who, of course, directed The Force Awakens-is reportedly going to shoehorn in unused footage of Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in the next Star Wars movie of which he's also directing after the trainwreck that was The Last Jedi. Frankly, I think this is how they should handle her character in the next SW film. They'd have to use CGI-like they did with Princess Leia in Rogue One-but I think they're going to do THAT anyway in spite of what Abrams says. (Remember, he also said he WASN'T going to include the Khan character in his Star Trek film reboots and we all know how well THAT turned out, don't we?) R.I.P., Carrie!