The First Order was never anything like the old Empire.
Under the previous Supreme Leader Snoke it was a rebel force with no (known) home planet or base. Snoke even had his throne room on the Mega Star Destroyer Supremacy.
Now that the First Order is the most powerful force in the galaxy, it seems that nothing has changed.
The latest leaks from the Star Wars sets around the world reveal where Kylo Ren has gone, what he has been up to and how he appears to still be driven by fear.
Almost all reports, rumours and leaks so far are focussed on the First Act of the movie.
The First Order has taken control of the galaxy but there is little overt resistance and their rule is ostensibly benign. This means Leia must find some proof of dark or terrible First Order secrets to fire up her old allies. She sends out her few remaining forces to contact old allies and also search for the First Order stronghold.
Kylo Ren, though, has established his base out of reach and out of sight.
The new leak claims: “Kylo Ren’s base is partially underground on a world located in the Unknown Regions. It is not visible to any intruders. Kylo Ren’s mission is to take over planets within the Unknown Regions while also tracing down any force sensitives that have the potential to become newly trained Jedi and could pose a threat to his rule and his empire.”
This fits everything already known from the Chuck Wendig Aftermath trilogy which revealed that the First Order is the remnants of Palpatine’s Imperial forces who fled to the Unknown Regions after his fall.
Other leaks have claimed that the First Order home planet is covered in ocean and that entire races are being used there as slaves to create weapons and resources.
The reference to potential new Jedi ties in with the scene showing the young Canto Bight stable boy calling his broom using the force.
Rey’s embrace of her powers is believed to be the trigger for a new emergence of force users.
Kylo hunting and culling potential Jedi echoes Palpatine’s horrific Order 66 which annihilated all remaining Jedi across the galaxy. That Kylo Ren fears any Jedi opposition is understandable although it continues the typical Sith failure to understand the Dark cannot exist without Light.
Kylo also fears there is a high-level mole or traitr within the First Order. Is this Sith paranoia or another Star Wars plot twist? Who could it be?
As is often the case, most leaks actually reflect what is already known from previous films or can be logically predited for the next.
It has to be remembered that leaks give a tantalising insight into what may come, but they can rarely be verified and if they are, indeed, true many things can still change before the finished film hits the big cinemas.
Take everything with a pinch of salt and enjoy imagining what could happen.
