Together, these three formed the leadership of the rebels on Onderon. Some seems rather inept by the Jedi and Captain Rex. But for the rebels, they behaved like they did not really want assistance.
From A Separatist POV
In the very beginning, the Jedi Council disputed if they should train an insurgency to take over a legitimately established government. Obi-Wan Kenobi said that if the Jedi train them, they would be training terrorists. Anakin Skywalker disagreed. He thought their resources were so stretched out that having the Jedi fight for them would only make it harder for the other planets. Yoda agreed with Anakin. So off to Onderon they go.
The Separatists offer many valuable assets to governments that join them: Protection, Sovereignty and Freedom from the Core Planets.
Having being-to-being combat is taxing which the Republic has chosen to do. Droids are viable option for beings that are unable or unwilling to fight. Being as the creators of droids should not have to sully themselves in slogging fighting. What the Jedi did was promote terrorism toward an established government and risking the lives of the Onderonians.
From a Separatist Point of View - The Jedi put the lives of the Onderonian Rebels at risk in fighting Droid Technology.
Out of the gate, when the security droids approached, Darth Maul and Savage Opress easily removed them. What is interesting in the Clone Wars shows, the droid appear to "feel" things. But when Darth Maul and Savage Opress used the Force to trample them, the droids did not seem to respond to the crushing or they did not howl. Making this issue a trope one, perhaps?
Then Darth Maul asserts his rule over his brother. That is when it is asked, why does Savage Opress have a skirt on?
Then we cut to the scene with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Adi Gallia. They land at the space station that were destroyed by Darth Maul and Savage Opress.
They speak to the warehouse supervisor that readily tells them the droids saw that the lightsabers were red. Next to casually, Obi-Wan replies:
Throughout this episode, the Jedi bring up Sith several times and no one really knows what a Sith is! It seems the Jedi do not either. But for the pirates, they have seen some things about the Sith and what they can do, but are not afraid of them. Is this a revival regarding the Sith? What about the "rule of two" for the Sith? Is it a "revival" of sorts?
It may be a matter of strength in the Force.
Either way, it shows how easily the Sith can be defeated by rogue bands of pirates.
An angry Sith fighting is not wise to have around. Frustration with a Sith fuels more anger and rampage.
Of course this entire arc is tied into the comic books, Shadow Conspiracy.
At any rate, both Jedi and Sith lose things. These scuffles with Darth Maul and Savage Opress in the crime world mean nothing to the Confederacy of Independent Systems!
Mother Talzin is located in the netherworld moving through her space and Asajj Ventress senses him, too. She tells her new crew that she senses a monster.
Sensing him was through a Talisman that Mother Talzin gave Savage Opress to use as a compass. He finds out on a planet that just offloaded junk from the garbage planet, Lotho Minor.
The first being Opress meets is a slimy talking snake and it is a travelling circus to find Maul. Fighting creatures that seem to look like "Jawas" and machine monsters named "Firebreathers" who eat the garbage.
Eventually the talking snake "betrays" Opress who falls down a distant "hole" only to find a robotic "Maul" shaped like a "tarantula". Maul has gone absolutely crazy, which appears to Savage depressing. Sort of watching "Horders" and how one allowed them to get so bad.
Talking to Maul, Savage wants to destroy whomever caused Maul to suffer. Maul blames Obi Wan Kenobi. Only Yoda is able to tell Obi Wan Kenobi that his life is in danger and to remain attuned to the Force.
What I found interesting in this episode was the Savage Opress did not care where he was when he was doing things. He was psychotic. He does not play well with others in the sandbox. For his "ex" Asajj Ventress to call him a Monster after creating him, is pretty messed up.
Another issue is Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano were present and Anakin sensed the disturbance in the Force, too. Ahsoka did not. But what got me is they are going to what appears like a 1950's Burger Joint where one of the waitresses was physically choked by Opress earlier. The little Security Droids could tell that Anakin and Ahsoka were Jedi. How???
FROM A SEPARATIST POV:
Dooku should have known better to allow the creation of a monster after his nasty divorce from Mother Talzin in the previous episode: Massacre.
That there would be twists and turns indicate there are changes in the Force that only those attuned to it directly - such as the Dark Side would be able to control. Dooku is not that attuned as he thinks he is.
The Jedi as usual are clouded.
The power of the Seppies did not solely rest on the Force Users, it rested in the people. We miss that in this episode. Is Star Wars just about using the Force? And therein lies what is at stake in this episode. We know it is a prep episode and cannot be taking solely alone, but still.
Who we are never changes, who we think we are does!
An aimless Asajj Ventress joins a team of bounty hunters under the leadership of young Boba Fett. On an alien world, they undertake a dangerous but profitable mission that tests the limits of their skills, and the strength of Asajj's character.
***SPOILERS***
Asajj Ventress searches how to find her new self never having a choice. She winds up on Tatooine at Chalmun's Cantina. She requests... Ryll... A Spice Drink of recreational of euphoriants.
While she is getting drunk, she gets hit upon by some slimy guy. She tells him to leave, he does not. So she kills him by firing one her blades into him.
His buddies: Bossk and Latts Razzi tell her she needs to pay them for the loss of their dead comrade. Latts wears a green boa kind of thing that mocks as a weapon. Really nice.
They take her to meet the leader of the Bounty Hunter group...a young teenage BOBA FETT!
Asajj Ventress agrees to do the job which takes them to planet Quarzite, which the atmosphere is highly pressurized that it would cause any ship that lands to implode. So they have to use a transport turbolift to get to the surface.
There, they receive secret cargo in a "treasure box" to deliver to the Lord Otua Blank, much like the first "Transporter" movie and ride high speed railway, like the first modern "Mission Impossible" movie.
Of course during the transportation there are the Kage Warriors who fight to get the "treasure box", the leader is Krismo Sodi. These warriors look like ninjas, hidden and used vibroblades to fight. The martial arts they use appears to be Teras Kasi. Very few Force Powers can be used to fight against users who practice this form of martial arts.
Ironically, all the other Bounty Hunters got taken out one by one, except Asajj Ventress and Boba Fett, until they realized what was the bounty. Inevitably a girl named, Pluma Sodi.
And she is to be married to the Belugan Otula Blank. Perverted.
Of course Asajj Ventress double crosses and tricks everyone from both the bounty and the bounty hunters.
In the end it would up Asajj did not completely give up her sorcerous ways.
Let's leave folks in suspense here...
FROM A SEPARATIST POV:
The take home, Separatists have a heart. Of course it is way after they have been expelled and moves on. But it shows the fortitude of Asajj as a woman, who has now she has discovered she is free and independent. That she does not need a Force Using organization to define her and is this important?
Both Jedi and Sith believe there should be training to wield the Force, respectively in the Light and Dark sides. But what is the other side. Not untrained, but more like, getting expelled like Count Dooku did to Asajj Ventress.
What I liked about this episode was Asajj's realization that her entire "world" has been opened up for the opportunities to her after great threats. And it seemed she was not fearful anymore or rather fear no longer drove her to unleash her greatest asset.
Actually, she felt... FREE and apathy...
And she walks away off into the the background of stars on her own for the first time.
An old guardian Nightsister named "Dahka" protects the tombs of the Nightsisters. She is allowed to resurrect the Nightsister undead army - Nightsister Zombies like banshees.
The Droid Army used the Defoiliator. The Nightsister Undead Army defeats the the droids rapidly and allows them to commandeer the tanks to General Grievous.
Asajj Ventress fights General Grievous. How did he get a purple lightsaber? Either way, Asajj Ventress winds up wounded and runs away after several of her Nightsisters die protecting her.
With a single lock of Count Dooku's hair, Mother Talzin adds it to the "witches brew" that creates and a "voodoo doll". She uses it to mess with his mind torturing him.
Count Dooku says to kill the source of the "green mist" that was protecting the coven of Nightsisters. The "green mist" lead to Mother Talzin that General Grievous immediately dispatched and killed.
While Asajj Ventress ambles on, Mother Talzin who is killed speaks in the mist whispering to her that it is over and the Nightsisters are no longer her destiny. Asajj cries out as it dissipates that her life is her own and felt lost...
From a Separatist Point Of View:
The Seppies eat their own. Count Dooku is raging to remove Asajj and takes it out on Talzin's coven of Nightsisters. He was successful at eradicating the Nightsisters.
What it looked like is a DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS!
Count Dooku was the cheating his spouse Mother Talzin. Talzin fought back. And that spat fought back and forth.
Dooku won but not with a lot of his assets intact in a divorce.
Interesting that Sidious was not involved, directly since he wanted Asajj Ventress dead. However, Sidious never had a "DIVORCE" due to infidelity, which this episode reminded me of.
This episode was aptly named "Massacre" because the Nightsisters were decimated. Nightsisters are NOT Sith. So who are female Sith? They existed, XoXaan was one of them.
But why I think this was more of the scorned woman episode than others was because when everything was said and done, Asajj survived and cried out feeling like she lost everything. I.e. What am I going to do with my life now? Where will I go? -- The same wail that some women say that put their heart and soul into, like a marriage, a graduate education, or a career only to discover like they have lost everything by doing it. What is the point for female success outside of making babies, when it will all be taken from you?
Something tells me Asajj never wanted to be a mother and would not like being one.
In the preview episode, I think Asajj takes up bounty hunting as a secondary career. Which shows that women in the Star Wars Universe also have a problem with power and control.
Or the point of this episode is to show that if one chooses evil, they are isolated.
When Asajj returned, she underwent a ritual to return to the Night Sisterhood. Reminded me of a sorority initiation and the Nightsisters were also her sorority sisters in the sorority house. Their bonds run very deep. These women fought for one another. But sadly the sisterhood was killed, Asajj still wound up isolated for rejoining the sorority. What does that say?
I liked this episode, and it was done well, I also think it brought a lot of personal issues. Unsure if young people comprehended it.
When the threesome arrives, Cad Bane is forever making a deal. Raising his fees as needed.
Then we pan back to the Jedi Temple where Grand Master Yoda knows that not telling Anakin Skywalker would enrage him and he tells him that his anger is unpredictable and dangerous. It appears to be more of a matter of Trust.
Back on Serenno, Cad Bane kills an Ithorian bounty hunter because he wears a hat that Cad Bane likes.
Count Dooku invites them into the Box, which looks like the Transformer Allspark Cube X Hellraisers - a puzzle of sorts. 12 enter and only 5 are allowed to exit. It tests agility, but that is not what told to them. Then the test starts with poisonous gas.
Once figured out what is going on, Rako Hardeen (aka Obi Wan Kenobi) starts to help out the Bounty Hunters. Why? He lends a helping hand to Cad Bane who would as soon kill Rako Hardeen for the wrong hat. While watching, Dooku senses something different about Hardeen and learns about his past - the killing of Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobi.
Of the images I enjoyed, the laser pikes that move throughout the room that makes one think it is like "Enter the Dragon" movie or "Indiana Jones" movie..
Then another test through a ray shield that closes in like in Star Wars A New Hope, but to get out of this house of horror, it requires an injection of some electroserum that only one person is resistant to---Force Users. Rako Hardeen figures it out that one of the characters is a species that can tolerate the serum and is adapting better to making up a story to be a part of the crowd.
It makes Dooku question Moralo Eval and the backstabbing commences, like it is normal for the Separatists.
The last test is filled with flames. Reminiscent of the planet Mustafar. But the object is to use a sniper rifle to hit a target. One miss and your cast into the fiery pit. The first guy dies. Then Rako Hardeen shoots, making all his targets until his rifle charges drop and Moralo Eval releases the floor for his crashing into floor.
But, then Cad Bane saves Rako Hardeen and Dooku backstabs Moralo Eval by allowing Rako Hardeen to fight to the death. Dooku wants Moralo Eval dead, but Rako says he just wants to get paid--another adaptation to being toughened up to the hardcore life.
Dooku gives the mission that the remaining Bounty Hunters will kidnap Supreme Chancellor Palpatine as a hostage. Then demands will be made to release all Separatist prisoners. If the Republic does not release the prisoners, Palpatine will be killed. Then Dooku mentions that Cad Bane will be the leader of the mission...
From a Separatist POV: It seems that the Separatists are desperate for a win or triumph over the Republic, forgetting the fact that the ugliness underneath is all Sith. Why Supreme Chancellor (aka Darth Sidious) would go with this "war game" to paint a picture that the Separatists are a true threat to the Republic is beyond me. The Seppies do not need to kidnap Palpatine to show they are a threat, they were the richest corporations across the Galaxy, they just have make the the core starve... Unless this is about a Sith issue, which obviously makes a difference. And the Jedi are saying trust. What if Obi Wan Kenobi enjoys his new digs as Rako Hardeen? One never knows. I doubt it, but this is a tidbit.
The new "Star Wars: Clone Wars" episode entitled, "Escape from Kadavo" premiered today.
Here is the show on Master Toons:
The overall episode was really good in terms of entertainment value. Throughout this arc, it shows the boyish playfulness of being a Skywalker. The sleight of hand and going by the see of one's pants. There was a lot of that done by Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker.
There was a showing of the horrors of enslavement from the perspective of Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi. It is when he realizes his actions were meant to defeat his soul. But what is bad about doing that to Force Users are when they are adults, they can use powers in the Force that are utterly destructive.
Which actually came as a shock to the Zygerrian Queen, Miraj Scintel, that ultimately the people that kept her in power, not the Confederacy of Independent Systems--but actually the Sith--who only desired annihilation of the Jedi. It is that "sleight of hand" tricks that Queen Miraj Scintel failed to see and her arrogance until her very last breath which was reminiscent of "Return of the Jedi" movie.
At any rate what is the Confederacy of Independent Systems point of view:
Why use sentient being slaves when there are droids? They can easily be manipulated and do things without questions.
Aside from all the CIS characters who are always cast as villains seem to die at someone's hands that is either Jedi or Sith, the fact remains their permanence reigns in what is really going on--The Sith want power and they are using both the Republic and the CIS to add a false war. How many CIS leaders had an inkling of that occurring?
The Jedi has their suspicions. But did any non Force User have suspicions? Someone in the CIS HAD to know besides, our top characters that get dealt with in Revenge of the Sith.
Again, the CIS gets blamed for actions really taken over by a wayward Sith led Republic. What is surprising is no one thought none the different. I would expect that from the Jedi, but now the CIS, too? GEEZ!
As an aside: I would like to thank Lucasfilm and the Clone Wars showing this episode of how humiliating slavery is. And the "good" that the Jedi are supposed to do. As a roleplayer who was bullied in protesting any "slave girls" or "slave trade" specific sites for sexual RP, I think Lucasfilm added what the horrors really are when one is enslaved. Thank you for adding to the canon.
What I thought about the episode in general. I have seen this story before. I have actually written stories like this before. So when I see what they have written in the manner they have written it, I liked it. No one in the right mind GOES to a slave auction when they have been enslaved. One would have to be warped to desire to do that.
Yet, that is exactly what the Jedi do: Obi Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano and one of the Clone Troopers--he did not figure prominently in this episode. They fly to main planet of the Slave Empire, Zygerria.
Immediately, Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi judges that the people going to Zygerria are "High class scum"... Some of those "high class scum" are from the Republic...
When Skywalker walks out to the planet, Obi Wan asks him how is he going to get to the Queen and then it starts! The laying on thickness of the "fresh" attitude. Like he has man-flavor that all the ladies swoon to. As if he is the end all be all.
From a Separatist POV, we do not break our marriages up like that. If Padme had seen the freshness of the Anakin, he would have not been married to her that long.
In less than two minutes, Anakin Skywalker has the full on freshness like his "son's" newly changed diaper on the Queen Miraj Scintel of Zygerria and he life her hot like an oven...
Who knew that Skywalker had that much playa flava?
Then when the Jedi are discovered they are making a ruse to save the Torgutan colonists from Kiros, the gig is up and they were beaten down like a 10 credit whore. They were made into slaves! Caged and spat upon by the Zygerrians. However, what was interesting is that when Anakin regained his consciousness, he almost kills the Queen with a Force Choke -- a dark side power.
Queen Miraj Scintel is attractive, arrogant and harsh. Her power comes from what she was born and educated to do. Strife has never touched her for her to be so brutal.;
But is Queen Miraj Scintel a "strong woman"? Why are there more "strong woman" without Force Powers on the Separatist side? Whereas, Padme Amidala who is sweet, smart and genteel is not seen as absolutely powerful to "enslave people", but is delicate to where by the end of ROTS she dies due to the "will to live"? Come on!
Ahsoka is a Jedi, a force user, she is supposed to fight back. She suffered immensely on the moon Wasskah via Transdoshan Slave Traffickers! And in this "Slaves of the Republic episode, she is relegated to a slinky blue outfit, now? Reminiscent of a Slave Leia. How about FREE SLAVE LEIA?
So like it seems the Republic has no bad women, and the Confederacy of Independent Systems has no good women... Hmm?
The trope is called "woman in the refrigerator".
From an episode POV -- point of clarification:
In this episode, slaves are processed... Processed means being forced and prepared to serve as a slave. The slavers carried light whips and are seen as beating beings.
In this episode slaves go for ~50,000 credits at start bid. Unknown reason why or if it changes.
In this episode, Obi Wan is caught to be sold off as a slave and Queen Miraj Scintel says:
"Do not fear the Jedi, they are no different from others we have forced into submission, for they have forsaken their ideas to serve a corrupt Senate!"
This quote made me think that the layout, images and dialogue were very reminiscent of Egypt and the Judao-Christian Moses...
From a Separatist POV:
There is a lot of "innuendo" in this episode. Masochistic "innuendo". As if both sides, Republic and Separatists wanted to be whipped as slaves for more power. As if it was a turn on for some people.
But is there a different between what the Republic is doing to the Outer Rim Worlds causing them to starve verses what the Confederacy of Independent Systems are doing in publicly broadcasting their business ventures and not hiding it?
Then there is a questions of Force Users being easily subdued by light whips even when they have their lightsabers. For the Separatists, there may be hope to overtake the Jedi and forcing them to submit. Or forcing any Force User to submit... Is there?
My personal POV as the writer of this blog:
I am glad that TCW tackled this issue and LFL approved it. It was good to see this story arc. As a roleplayer, slavery is something I hate with a passion given my ancestors were once slaves in the United States.
Moreover, slavery is still going on in modern times. Human trafficking is still happening in the US and it is horrific.
As a roleplayer, promoting slavery as a public relations firm as cute and glamorous is a warped way of roleplaying and thinking, given the realities of what slavery does and how ugly it is for many people who suffer from its grip.
For LFL to recreate this part of the canon on this issue of slavery and have a Twi'lek slave jump off a building to her death, shows what the canon is for this generation of Star Wars. It is not cute, it is not pleasant and it is humiliating and I think this episode is showing how horrific it is.
If people want to roleplay as slaves being cute and think they are in a powerful position as slaves, fine. But there is no reason for having a PR firm for slaves, especially ones involving girls...
Zygerrian slavers are behind the sudden disappearance of an entire colony of people on the planet Kiros. As Anakin and Ahsoka rush to defuse a series of bombs planted by the slavers, Obi-Wan must fight with their imposing leader.
In the beginning, Count Dooku, the head of state of the Confederacy meets the Kiros Togrutans who say they are a peaceful people. Count Dooku reassures them, they wish for peace, too. But he uses only what a Force Using Sith would do...The Sith Mind Trick or Force Subjugate -- basically making individuals do what one wants them to do.
It was not obvious.
Then the Zygerrian Slave Empire was introduced as a part of the Star Wars TCW canon. The Zygerrians look like "cats" in TCW, but on Wookieepedia, they appear more human who speak in Easter European accent. They dress like nobility in uniforms and numerous pets. They are stuck on what the Jedi did to them years ago and they are out for revenge. They want to re-introduce the slave auctions.
The parallels for what happened in real life are amusing to say the least.
The Confederacy of the Independent States in the United States during its Civil War, was NOT just about Slavery. It was about ECONOMICS. The Northern States could not compete economically with the Southern States due to the kinds of products and labor they had -- products like sugar and invariably slave labor. But no one really cared about the slaves, except for abolitionists at the time.
If Jedi are abolitionists in the Clone Wars, then why are they not stopping all of enslavement in the galaxy? How could they? They would have enforced the known laws of the Republic and stopped it with their Force Powers, some of those that grazed the Dark Side...
Zygerrian Slavers seem to be more about immolating new slaves than indoctrinating ones from birth. Beating down a new slave is a turn on for people. It is sick and twisted, but for some reason, it is like breaking in a new wild horse. The triumph of dominance. Guess the Zygerrians got off on that? With tropical pets they had, it would seem they specialized in exotic slaves that could be domesticated by warped torture.
What does this have to do with the Separatists? Nothing.
Because watching this episode shows an "Anakin" having another one of his outbursts regarding his "slave" past. But what it neglects is really discussing his "slave" future as Darth Vader except in a snippet pan out comment by Yoda.
There is another possibility, why would the Separatists who have millions of droids at their disposal WANT organic sentient being slaves?
Therein lies the discrepancy, the Separatists who hold true to the Separatist ideals do not want organic sentient being slaves. They enjoy their droid slaves. Droids are after all mechanical, therefore, disposable. No one feels bad for a broken down machine. But connecting with another organic sentient being within a Force powered universe is well, heart-wrenching. Not to mention this happens in real life. One would have to be a sick and twisted being to get off on connecting Force-prescient beings, torture and abuse them, to bend them to their will...
Then, that is what Sith do... And the lead Sith in this picture is none other than --Palpatine or Darth Sidious. The misery of others drives the Dark Side Force Powers. And now this "slave story arc" seems to be a REPUBLIC fabrication to blame the CIS for slavery!
But EVERYONE will blame the CIS for wanting slaves! The lies told by a wily old, benevolent Supreme Chancellor. That is a master plan of the Sith. Treachery. And not even the Jedi can foresee this one.
This story arc will be interesting to say the least.
