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!
What I liked about this episode: The technology was awesome!
The Holographic Disguise Matrix that one can walk into and become whatever image that is pre-programmed to be. Problem is it is unstable. It was never really discussed who made it. But obviously Confederacy of Independent Systems technology:
Next is Rako Hardeen's sniper's rifle. It had a 1000 yard scope with plasma charges. It's only drawback, was only one round. It was a nice set. And probably CIS tech, too. Merr-Sonn Munitions, Inc.???
What I did not like about this episode was too much "backtalk" and "butt kissing" by whiny Jedi. First, Jedi Master Mace Windu was pissed because Supreme Chancellor Palpatine insisted on attending the "Festival of Light" on Naboo. Then Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker almost slipped up with Senator Padme Amidala and their relationship by putting Padawan Ahsoka Tano to be her personal security. And as usual, the Jedi are totally clueless that the Sith are being crafty in the same place. It makes one wonder how easy Order 66 really was and should the Jedi Order just be put out of its misery.
The other issue was the Count Dooku show always fighting Obi-Wan and Anakin. That fact is getting boring. And the bounty hunters are not really agents to the CIS. It looks like all that there is to the CIS is Count Dooku, maybe General Grievous and that is untrue. There were many others that made the Separatist Movement and not entirely ONLY a set up by the Sith, totally.
With the showing of the Phantom Menace in 3D in movie theaters and all the young people thoroughly enjoying them, and the publication of both Darth Plagueis and the Wrath of Darth Maul, as well as the showing of Darth Maul's resurrection in the Clone Wars, it would seem that having a Separatist POV beyond the Dooku-Obi-Wan-Anakin show would be more expansive. But no, it is not. Why?
The sad part this episode cannot change. Its purpose was to show how Anakin flicks off Obi-Wan for not telling him he went undercover. Like he needed to know. But being the whiny Jedi that Anakin is, he throws up a "metallic bird" in Obi-Wan's face. Who gets Mace Windu concerned about Obi-Wan's return. But being studious, Obi-Wan discovered why Count Dooku did not show up and flaked out on Cad Bane, Moralo Eval and Rako Hardeen until Obi Wan showed his true colors.
Plot-wise, bleech!
But tech wise, behind the scenes, the voice actors did an EXTRAORDINARY JOB!
Mr. Stephen Stanton voices Moralo Eval - realized that he spoke in the 3rd person.
The new "Star Wars: Clone Wars" episode entitled, "A Friend In Need" premiered today.
Here is the show on Master Toons:
The pre-moral to the story was:
Friendship shows us who we really are.
Without going into too much spoiler detail, Padawan Ahsoka Tano runs to save Lux Bonteri, the son of the late Separatist Senator of Raxus, Mina Bonteri. There is an underlying romance, but it is never fully pursued.
There are negotiations to find diplomatic means to end the war between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems.
The leaders on the Separatist side had really never been seen in any major Episodes. Moreover, they are dressed similarly and gray; whereas the leaders of the Galactic Republic were "colorful" and "vibrant" and well known. Padme Amidala and Bail Organa and Mon Mothma...
The Duchess of Mandalore oversaw the meeting because the "rational" Mandalorians were neutral in the Galaxy!
When Lux Bonteri interrupted and declared Count Dooku as a murder, it was the Separatists that removed him from the negotiations. While be pulled away, Lux Bonteri screams, "Count Dooku is deceiving you!"
Aside from a Star Wars fan wondering, the "does he know about what is going on in the Galaxy" we are left with this let us gloss over it. And sure, would the Separatists want to keep this kind of "does Lux Bonteri know of the Sith plot to takeover the Galaxy and kill all Jedi"?
Obviously, Dooku who met him in holographic image wanted Lux Bonteri dead. But, what was more intriguing that Lux has gotten sly after his mother was assassinated... He intended to sell that information to the notorious Mandalorian Death Watch:
Now aside that the story arc of the Death Watch or the 'Ade Kyr'stad appears awesome during this episode, it seems and it would be nice to learn more about them, glean what scraps that are available, Death Watch were really fighting for survival, rather than the ugly terrorists that they were portrayed as.
Death Watch was brutal because they were angry for what the Separatists and the Jedi did to them. They were getting it from all different ends.
Count Dooku dicked Death Watch and they wanted revenge. Did Count Dooku or Darth Tyrannus have more Sith control over the Separatist movement than that of Darth Sidious' Republic? How?
And from a Separatist point of view, was Count Dooku as a Sith Leader any worse that Chancellor Palpatine?
The oddest thing was Death Watch "tortured" droids. They used them for target practice. But the "empathy" as displayed for these droids seemed misplaced as they are programmed and can be rebuild. It could be an interesting concept that Death Watch knew a lot more than what has been lead to believe. The amount of resources at their fingertips was impoverished and they acted out brutally with pillaging the nearby towns.
Pre Vizsla exclaimed to Lux Bonteri after uncovering Ahsoka Tano Jedi ties, "The Jedi are no different than Count Dooku and you played a part! It is no different! It’s justice!"
Death Watch wanted justice to how they were ostracized by all sides around them and acted out poorly.
The big question is did Death Watch suspect Sith involvement in this war, and is that why they were ostracized from everyone?
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.
Courtesy of DoDeathWatch.com
