The following probably doesn't contain spoilers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Probably. Still, we might get part of it right, so please be aware of that while reading.
The folks at Lucasfilm and Disney have been fantastically good so far when it comes to protecting details regarding Star Wars: The Last Jedi. We know the name of the movie, but when they announced it we learned none of the rumored titles were accurate. We know the names of many actors who are in the film, but we know none of the characters beyond the ones we've already met. They have yet to release any trailer for the film, so we have no idea what any of the movie will look like or what the story will actually be. Or do we?
Let's face it. When it comes to movies, more often than not, the stories fall into fairly predictable patterns. That doesn't mean they're bad, but if you've seen enough of them you tend to be able to figure out where a movie is going long before you get there. Do we dare try and predict the plot of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. You bet we do.
What follows is one idea for a potential story based on details we know, plot lines set up in _The Force Awaken_s, and decades of experience watching summer movies. Let's see if we can work this out.
Act I: Luke and Rey
One thing we know for certain is that Star Wars: The Last Jedi will pick up immediately following the last scene from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. This means we will open with Rey and Luke Skywalker on a mountaintop and Rey holding out the Jedi's lightsaber. I'm not going to endeavor to guess what the first words spoken are going to be, we're not getting that detailed here. What's important is the basic gist of what happens.
Luke is able to understand a great deal of what has already transpired simply by the fact that Rey is standing there. It's possible that he has even seen some of the events himself thanks to The Force. Rey, for her part, wants answers. She has only the most basic understanding of what The Force is or how she can control it. She needs to understand and Luke is the only one who can teach her. Luke hesitates because the last time he tried to train Jedi things went badly but eventually Rey convinces him to train her. Likely because she convinces him that Kylo Ren is a significant threat after he killed Han Solo. Also, when she tells him about the vision she had, he is sold.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch. The Resistance is plotting their next move. Finn is in recovery from his injuries but he's up and moving around. The destruction of Starkiller Base was a significant blow against The First Order. They are hurt, and they're scattered, but they're far from destroyed. Expect to see some contingent of The First Order, possibly led by Captain Phasma, make a move on the Resistance. The First Order knew what system their base was in, so it would only be a matter of time before they found it. It may take them some time to find the base, which also gives Rey story time to train, but eventually The First Order attacks.
Somewhere while all this is going on, we get our first real reveal moment as we get to set our eyes on the real Supreme Leader Snoke. General Hux and Kylo Ren have traveled to see him as Snoke demanded at the end of The Force Awakens. Snoke said that it was time for Kylo Ren to complete his training. We foresee a combination montage showing both Ren and Rey going through training of some kind. Snoke then lays out to them what the next step in the plan is, kill Luke Skywalker. In the same way that Snoke and Kylo Ren were able to sense Rey's "awakening" in the last film, they can sense her powers growing as she trains, which means they can find her, and with her, Luke.
Act II: The Knights Of Ren Respond
After the attack on the Resistance base, the rest of our heroes get separated. Finn, BB-8, and Poe end up on one transport while General Leia escapes with C-3PO and Chewbacca, who refuses to leave her side, on board the Millennium Falcon. Finn wants to go find Rey so they take a ship and follow the map that Rey did. Before they can arrive, The Knights of Ren get there first. There will be a massive battle with Luke and Rey on one side and the Knights of Ren on the other. The battle will be fierce, but ultimately our heroes will be forced to retreat and escape the island. Poe and Finn arrive near the end of the battle and aid in their escape. Rey doesn't want to run, she wants to stay and fight, but Luke finally pulls her away.
Meanwhile, Leia and Chewbacca have met up with what remains of the New Republic Senate following the Starkiller Base attack. Leia is looking for support to fight back against The First Order, she believes that with the destruction of Starkiller Base the First Order lost a large portion of their force, and now is the time to strike. She receives some support but the majority of the Senate is not willing to take such a chance, as they themselves have been crippled. Laura Dern will play the primary senator with which she has a problem.
Back with the rest of our heroes Luke reveals what he learned from the First Jedi Temple. He now has knowledge of the Force that previously had been lost to time. He knows a bit more about how the Jedi and Sith were first born, and he believes that this early Force knowledge is the solution to what's needed to truly bring balance to the Force and end the battle between the light and dark sides forever. His data was incomplete, however, and so he needs to figure out where the rest of it is.
Luke will also reveal his part in Rey's abandonment. We're not going to guess at exactly what this is, but he knows something, and the fact that he knew, and didn't say anything up until this point, causes Rey to question everything Luke does from this point on.
The team travels to a planet on the outer rim where a casino is run by Benicio Del Toro. They're not actually looking for him, they want the information broker played by Kelly Marie Tran. She has the information that Luke needs. What he's looking for is located on the planet Mustafar, beneath the palace that was built by Darth Vader, the place Supreme Leader Snoke now calls home. Del Toro's character is also a smuggler in the vein of an old friend of theirs, and he has a plan that can get them where they want to go.
Poe sends a message to General Leia letting them know what the plan is. With this new information, and the fact that the last Jedi Knight is on their side, Leia is finally able to convince enough of the Senate to help. They will move on Mustafar as well, acting as a distraction to help Luke and team make it to the planet, while doing as much damage to the First Order as possible along the way.
Act III: Supreme Leader Snoke Gets Involved
In the film's finale, all of our heroes meet up on the edge of the Mustafar system. Luke and Leia have a brief, but heartfelt, reunion. Poe, BB-8, and R2-D2 join the attack fleet while Luke, Rey, and Finn make their way unobserved to the planet's surface.
A space battle rages overhead while Luke, Rey and Finn infiltrate the palace. They find what they are looking for, but they also find Kylo Ren, the Knights of Ren, and Supreme Leader Snoke. Snoke and Kylo Ren are able to sense that Rey doesn't fully trust Luke and they use this to attempt to manipulate her during the battle. Snoke may know more about Rey's past and offers to tell her if she will join them. Finn tries to convince Rey not to listen. Eventually, they succeed in turning Rey, and she stands against Luke. Clearly out matched, Finn and Luke escape, although not before Luke obtains the data he was after.
Luke and Finn escape the planet and rejoin the fleet, which escapes after doing considerable damage to The First Order in the sky. In a safe location, the Resistance is meeting to discuss what to do next. With the loss of a powerful Force user there is a question whether defeating Snoke will ever be possible. However, Luke then enters the room and tells them that he believes that not only is there still a chance to beat Snoke, but based on what he now understands about the Force, based on the data he recovered, he believes that Rey is the one who will do it.
TL;DR
So there's Star Wars: The Last Jedi, from start to finish. Luke trains Rey, but then loses her to the Dark Side. General Leia does what she does best, lead the Resistance and fight politically as well as physically. We learn a little bit about Rey's history, but much is still mysterious. And the big reveal is left for Star Wars: Episode IX, what does Luke know that can save them all?
Of course, once we see the first trailer we can probably throw all of this out the window. Even if some of these plot points turn out to be correct, the way that we get there could be completely different. We're looking forward to this December to find out if we got any of this right.
