I am bored and want to write a bit about Star Wars now...so from all the sources of (scarce) info we got so far, including taking some ideas from the leaked scripts (which I still doubt to be true) I will now speculate about the state of the galaxy in Star Wars 7, and let's see in December or next trailer what will be right about that? Here I go ... SPECULATE-POWERS ACTIVATE!

The First Order:

The Order is not in control of the galaxy in the beginning. I mostly get this from the pictures in the teasers, where the leaders are adressing their army Nazi-style. That base looks like some hidden military-complex  from which the Order will start tehir attack to retake the galaxy and restore order, It seems the remnant imperials retreated to the rim-sectors and were mostly left alone by the New Republic (Aftermath says Mon Mothma went somewhat pacifistic and de-militarized the Republic?). Maybe it was there that some charismatic imperial leader reunited what was left, and reforged it into the First Order. Though I am still totally clueless what that "first" order actuallyrefers to? The Order of the knights of Ren maybe? Has the once glorious Empire merely become the secular military arm of a somewhat pseudo-religious cult?

Knights of Ren:

Wishful thinking stil has it that the Knights of Ren worship the principles of an age-old Jedi that claims to have united both light and dark side into him/herself...and that the name was bastardized by time ^^ The knights of Ren maybe were hiding for ages in the Rim-sector, very much like the Sith did, afraid of the power of the Jedi, and then of the Sith-Lord turned Emperor, as both orders are in opposition to the Knights of Ren? Or, less cool maybe, Ren is simply a planet in the Rim, that has become the capitol of the First Order, and the Knights were founded as some kind of answer/"mocking" the Jedi Order? Or maybe it gets established that the Sith were simply not the only Order of Dark Force Users roaming the galaxy, and that the Rens are simply Sith from another branch ...

The Resistance:

This faction gives me the most headaches...resist against what??? I mean, as long as my thoughts about the First Order is correct, there is not much to resist, isn't it? Maybe they actually are a Resistance against the New Republic? Might be a cool idea, but also might make things way to politically complicated, and we don't want that (space taxes be cursed!) - but maybe it's not so far from the truth yet? Maybe the Resistance is not officially part of the New Republic but instead fights a private war across the galaxy against imperial remnant/the First Order, unsanctioned by the government? A bit like the "Maquis" from Star trek: The New Republic wants peace and tries an appeasement-politics in regards to the Order and imperial remnant, while hardliners/rogue commanders still keep the fight going on their own, protecting the rim-sectors against imperial oppression? That would also make the Resistance later the only hope when the Order takes over the galaxy by force (which will very likely be the plot of Star Wars 8)

Also .. with New Republic and Resistance not being allied ... wouldn't it be interesting if Leia maybe is all Republic mad Han stayed rogue? Or the other way around: Leia, never forgetting or forgiving Alderaan was the one keeping the Resistance idea alive, while Han was the one getting upset one day, tired of the fight his lover couldn't give up? I firmly believe Leia and Han are not together anymore, and there needs to be a reason and some dramatic character-moments, this could be a basis for that...

The Jedi:

Tough one...where are they? Why didn't Luke do what everyone expected: Let the Jedi return? Why is the force asleep? Was he really sitting on his ass on some backwater-planet all the time? Some "leaked" ideas have it he indeed founded an academy, it got destroyed by the Ren/Order-Forces, and Rey and Finn are survivors of that. And I have to admit: I could get behind this idea very much. That Luke, desperate after his "failure" went all Yoda, maybe thinking that the galaxy is better off without the Force, until Rey and co persuade him that against the Ren, the Jedi finally have to return FOR REAL! I hope we see over the course of the movies how this new Order is formed, how new Jedi are recruited and take up the fight...what a great basis for future movies, games, books...now fully canonized and without Kyp Durron and co! ^^

And speaking about books...I can already see a series of books dealing in detail with that downfall - we will have probably dozens of books and comics covering that era once the trilogy is out, and its perfect material to explore...

I started an Episode 8 thread because filming has begun. Also, Mark Hamill nearly died by falling off a cliff during the filming of Episode VII: www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/curse-star-wars-strikes-again-6436184

They'd still make them even if they did.

What, the de-militarizition-thing? It seems to be taken strict from the Aftermath-Novel, which so far I haven't read, so no idea if it makes sense in context. The rest I like so far as a setting, as it takes many ideas straight from the EU (well, except Thrawn is missing, sadly). Don't see much stupidity overall here...

Wait, Mark Hamill nearly died?!
I had a nightmare recently which involved him dying.... *gulp*

Also the whole "Bring Back Legends" thing is awfully silly. The Legends stories and storylines still exist, folks. You can still love them and all. I don't really see the problem - well I do, but I think it's silly to be mad about them not being canon. The EU had so many layers of canon in the end anyway.

Really? Couldn't that just be meant as them drawing from Legends for their new canon, which is already what they seem to be doing here and there?

Anyway, I'm not too fussed about anything regarding Legends. It had some great stories, sure, but in the end the whole Expanded Universe got way too convoluted and contradicted itself many times - and those great stories will still be there, even if they aren't canon.

aw hell no.

I have some books that are now under the "Legends" banner. Since some take place around the prequel trilogy and a couple around the original trilogy, I like to think of them as still canon unless there is a contradiction that is too massive to reconcile.