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.
Seppie POV: I like her! She is a strong female character and a skilled lightsaber duelist. She holds her own as a Dark Side Acolyte
JD Maul Blog Q2) What are your opinions on how things went with her character in Season 3 of the Clone Wars? What about her being reveled to be a Nightsister?
Seppie POV: The season 3 backstory show written by Katie Lucas was enthralling. She was betrayed by Darth Tyrannus (Count Dooku) who had been ordered by Darth Sidious (Palpatine) to get rid of her. She returned home to her Nightsisters and her "Mother" Talzin - the coven of witches that practiced the Dark Side. Seeing that these Dark Sided women survived without much Sith interference, from a female perspective, it was interesting tosee how intricate their practices and beliefs were. What I like was she had supporters as Nightsisters in those episodes
JD Maul Blog Q3) What are your hopes for her Character development and her sisters going into the Season 4 finale?
Seppie POV: So for Asajj, they have pretty much sealed her fate to make her no longer relevant. My hope is the Lucasfilm revisits that concept, because it would be nice to see a Sith-Lord-like kinds of abilities in women. But something tells me much like Season 4 has been that all major Confederacy of Independent Systems' villains have been strategically terminated
JD Maul Blog Q4) Do you think Dooku thought of her as a serious apprentice and intended to use her to overthrow Palpatine? If not should he have?
Seppie POV: I think at the very beginning with the true animated Clone Wars episode when they first introduced her, he never really liked her. He did not ever think he could use Asajj to take over Palpatine
JD Maul Blog Q5) What do you think her future will be giving up the ways of the sith and joining the Nightsisters? And do you think she will killed off?
Seppie POV: If she doesn't get killed by the end of this Season, then she'd be going back to the Nightsisters. I hope she does not get killed, but something says she will.
Seppie POV: No. Savage Opress is 1) searching for his brother and caring for him in some way, if he doesn't kill him first. Then 2) he wants to learn more as to how to use the Force.
JD Maul Blog Q7) Do you think Dooku regrets betraying Ventress? What would you do in Dooku’s place? Betray Ventress or betray Sidious? Would you like to see her survive the Clone Wars and show up in the live action series?
Seppie POV: Asajj Ventress' ending? Hmm? In the comics she appears to be mortally wounded, but she goes into a deep healing trance and wakes up aboard a ship and forces the pilots to take her to another planet. I thought it was Dathomir, but I am unsure. Overall, I would like her to go to the Unknown Regions and meet up with like the Chiss, oddly enough. If Asajj survives the Clone Wars, I think there is a place for her in the live action series.
JD Maul Blog Q8) Lastly, if Katie Lucas asked you to write Asajj Ventress’s ending, what would it be?
Seppie POV: No Dooku is a Sith, they have no regrets. It was owed to the Dark Side of the Force. It judges. A Sith just wants to control it. Dooku knew that his current list of acolytes were not powerful enough to overthrow Sidious. Sidious, of course, proved too powerful in the Dark Side of the Force.
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.
It stars Raiko Hardeene - a human sniper for hire -- which Obi Wan Kenobi takes on the persona to sneak into prison, Moralo Eval - a Phindian Separatist crime lord and the Cad Bane - a Duros bounty hunter. The setting starts on Coruscant, particularly a prison on Coruscant.
When the Jedi learn of a Separatist plot to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine, one of them must go deep undercover as a hardened criminal to extract information from the conspirators.
It was a more enthralling episode versus say... Mercy Mission. Is it better than the Umbara arc? Not so sure.
From a Separatist POV:
First for the Jedi to break into prison on Coruscant is beneath them. Why would they take on the harden criminals of the Coruscant Underworld in a prison setting? Nonetheless this is what Obi Wan in his Raiko look-alike contest did. When he got in there, he tried to "hang out" and be cool with those whose lives have been seen living crime. And he could not hang...
What was funny was NO ONE picked up that the Obi Wan-Raiko look-alike was "odd". Bossk the Transdoshan did find the oddness about "Raiko". Boba Fett as a young teenager did not think there was oddness. Not even the clones find "oddness".
What was odd about him was he did not speak, ignorantly and arrogantly. Most cocky assassins who brag, especially ones who assassinate Jedi without longevity are flagrant in their accomplishments. Or at least this is how this series was filmed.
Obi Wan may have looked like Raiko, but his behavior and mannerisms were not that way at all.
Obi Wan has no humility. All he knows is "temple life" -- a cloistered view of the Galaxy. Grit, though he has seen it, negotiated it and processed through it, still has not given him humility.
And from a Separatist POV, this contentious behavior is what breeds the anger to seek justice for liberty from The Old Galactic Republic and the Jedi.
The Separatists deserve FREEDOM, LIBERTY and RIGHTS to pursue happiness!
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...
