Fyraltari watches The Clone Wars (2008) for the first time

[dancrilis]

I think that if you select your terms carefully (and refine them when someone challenges you on something you didn't consider) you could claim that any nation is the oldest nation on Earth.

Actually having that discussion would likely require bringing real world politics into it - so a better question might be in Legends Canon did the Hutt Government predate and outlast The Republic?

I think there is a solid arguement either way as while the Hutt Empire fell in 15,000 BBY it to an extent became the Hutt Ruling Council - if that change indicates that it does not predate the Republic of the time then the Republic becoming a state within the Eternal Empire would likely be a break that would push the Ruling Council as the earlier body anyway (and that is ignoring the Galactic Republic collapsing in 1,100 BBY - which would be an even clearer break).

[Mechalich]

Wait, what disqualifies the UK?

You could say the act of Union makes a new entity, but by that logic, the modern US is very very different from the 13 colonies.

The act of Union does make a new entity, yes. The US is governed by the Constitution of 1789 - which is different from the Articles of Confederation that initially governed in post independence starting in 1783. The general point is that states tend to rewrite their governing practices with some regularity, and that claims of ancient origins rarely apply to the actual form of government presently operating. So when Obi-Wan says the Jedi guarded the Republic for 25,000 years, he's really referring to numerous different Republics over time.

I think there is a solid arguement either way as while the Hutt Empire fell in 15,000 BBY it to an extent became the Hutt Ruling Council - if that change indicates that it does not predate the Republic of the time then the Republic becoming a state within the Eternal Empire would likely be a break that would push the Ruling Council as the earlier body anyway (and that is ignoring the Galactic Republic collapsing in 1,100 BBY - which would be an even clearer break).

The Hutts ought to have longer intervals of continuity than the Republic, due to the vast difference between Hutt and Human lifespans. Jabba was 600 years old when he died. A Hutt generation is probably something like 300 years, the equivalent of 12 human generations. They ought to adjust slowly.

Intriguingly, its possible that the influence of the Hutts was responsible for at least some of the technological stagnation of the Star Wars galaxy.

[Jasdoif]

The general point is that states tend to rewrite their governing practices with some regularity, and that claims of ancient origins rarely apply to the actual form of government presently operating. So when Obi-Wan says the Jedi guarded the Republic for 25,000 years, he's really referring to numerous different Republics over time.

The Republic of Theseus?

[pendell]

The act of Union does make a new entity, yes. The US is governed by the Constitution of 1789 - which is different from the Articles of Confederation that initially governed in post independence starting in 1783. The general point is that states tend to rewrite their governing practices with some regularity, and that claims of ancient origins rarely apply to the actual form of government presently operating.

Actually, we've rewritten our basic law 27 times since the document was originally written. The first ten amendments came out almost immediately after the original document (which just goes to show you NEVER trust the 1.0 release of ANYTHING) while the last one was put in in 1992 (more than 200 years since first proposed!).

So I'm not sure we can claim to be the oldest nation in terms of continuous government. I think this is technically v27, although we're still running the same basic 'operating system', but it as different from the original in some ways as Windows 10 is from Windows 3.1.

Back to Star Wars, the Republic definitely has a claim on any real world entity for continous, stable running. Even after the Ruusan reformations, that's still thousands of years. Real world entities barely last a century without requiring some kind of update due to changing conditions. It speaks both to the long-term stability of the original system but also, perhaps, to the need for long-overdue change. Padme and Anakin argued about this in Episode II, as I recall.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Aeson]

Actually, we've rewritten our basic law 27 times since the document was originally written. The first ten amendments came out almost immediately after the original document (which just goes to show you NEVER trust the 1.0 release of ANYTHING) while the last one was put in in 1992 (more than 200 years since first proposed!).

So I'm not sure we can claim to be the oldest nation in terms of continuous government. I think this is technically v27, although we're still running the same basic 'operating system', but it as different from the original in some ways as Windows 10 is from Windows 3.1.

If you want to liken the Constitution and amendments to software, I would suggest that what's happened with the US Constitution is more like the Constitution as originally written is "US Government v2.0" (the Articles of Confederation being v1.0), the amendments are patches or service packs, and the Constitution as it exists today is more like a "US Government v2.27" or a "US Government v2 SP 27."

France's governments over essentially the same period would probably be the better analogue for going from Windows 3.1 to Windows 10 since there are a number of "major versions" of the French government in the period, with the tail end of the Ancien Regime (to 1792), the First Republic (1792-1804), the First Empire (1804-1814/1815), the Bourbon Restoration and Orleanist monarchy (1814/1815-1848), the Second Republic (1848-1851), the Second Empire (1851-1870), the Third Republic (1870-1940, or to 1942 if you include the Vichy government), the Fourth Republic (1946-1958), and the Fifth Republic (1958-present), with room for quibbles over whether or not that's all of the "major versions" (e.g. the First Republic could arguably three or four 'major versions' - one for the initial period, one for the Directory, one for the Consulate, and perhaps one for the Committee of Public Safety - rather than a single major version updated several times between 1792 and 1804).

[Fyraltari]

Oh, I fogot to note a "dispense with the pleasentries" last time.

Season 3, Episode 21

Spoiler: Recap

Show

Our heroes decide to contact the council even though that's the last thing we saw them do last time. Windu and Yoda tell them Plo and several ships are on their way to get them. They'll have to meet them at a specific island knowing there's only going to be a narrow window of opportunity. Plo will personally pick them up while another Jedi leads the space battle. It's agreed that if the survivors aren't at the extraction point, they'll be left behind. Well not agreed-agreed since Koon is confident they'll be there, but still. An attack by three droids whose self-confidence I can only admire gets them to keep moving.

Meanwhile Sobek gets a transmission from Dooku who is not happy about how he keeps avoiding his calls. Dooku reminds Sobek of the stakes (these charts could allow them a surprise attack on Coruscant) and threatens to kill him if he doesn't get them back. the Republicans arrive above a lake of what is supposed to be lava but between the yellow color and the fact that it doesnt burn people even when they are centimeters away, I suspect to be glowing corrosive urine. They're immediately attacked by a more consequent group of droids. They dicde to sacrifice their reprogrammed B1s to protect them while they climb down a cliff. At one point the B1s all turn their backs on the ennemy to say their goodbyes to R2 and the Seppies still can't land a single shot. Bloddy stormtroopers woumd be ashamed of you (yeah, yeah I know, they're not that bad, yada yada yada). Besides the droids, two redshirts die.

Sobek decides to sicc some bloodhounds-type aliens called the anubis (sigh) to track them. He also calls on reinforcements to protect the planet a she guessed that the Republic while attempt to rescue the rescue mission. Ahsoka complains about Tarkin's ****ty attitude to Anakin who defends Tarkin's point of view and calls him a good captain. Later he tells Tarkin that arguing with Piel (something we've never seen him do) isn't a wise career move. Wilhuf responds that he needn't worry about that since he's fallen into favour with the Chancellor. Anakin is glad to learn they have a common friend. Awww.

They can hear the aliens howling and realize they'll be reached before they can get to the rendez-vous point unless they do something. Skywalker and Kenobi go ahead to serve as a distraction while Piel and the others hide in a cave and let the beasts overtake them. While the tow Jedi take on the anubis (and some commando on jetbikes), Piel's group is surprised by crab droids who I guess weren't as fast as the rest? Piel sends Tarkin and the clones away while him and Ahsoka fight the droids. Hmm, why? Of course they get into Skywalker and Kenobi's fight. Anakin does a series of backfilp for reasons beyond mortals' ken. He temporary loses his lightsaber (buy a goddam wriststrap!) One clone pushes Tarkin out of the way of incoming fire but gets shot in his place. And the galaxy was considerably worse for it.

Piel and Ahsoka finsh the crab droids off but a lone anubis tackles Piel to the ground and bite him before Tano lift the creature and throws it out of sight which I guess kills it? Piel is apparently dying even though he's not even bleeding and his clothes aren't even torn. Piel wants to tell her the information since there's nobody else around. She thinks she shouldn't since she lied about being assigned to the mission (Huh. I guess Plo did nothing wrong in the end). But hey, no choice. He make sher swear to share the intel with no-one but the Jedi Council.

Sobek is told where the fugitives are so he takes a squad and goes deal with it personnally. Ahoska gets Piel's corpse to the rest of the group and sums up what happened. They wrap him in cloth that they apparently had and have an impromptu burial where they lower his body in the urine-like lava. The Republican fleet arrives into orbit and the Jedi that isn't Plo Koon says there hasn't been battles like this since the days of the Old republic. Where have you been this entire war, dude?

The survivors reach the island/esxtraction point. Of course they have to croos some urinelava to get on it but it's narrow enough that their esclation ropes do the trick. They're really getting all the mileage they can out of these things, aren't they? Sobek gets there jsut as they are crossing and Plo Koon's team power through the separatist's fleet. Sobek is shot out of the sky while his groups gets massacred. The warden oveprowers Tarkin and decides that if he can't get the intel, he can deny it to the Republic and prepares to throw Tarkin into the yellow lava. But Ahsoka kills him before that. And the galaxy was considerably worse for it. Tarkins reluctanlty thanks her. Plo Koon arrives and so do some crab droids who I guess swam through the lava? What the hell?

Having what they came for, the Republicans retreat in an extended battle sequence. On Coruscant, the Jedi are saddened by Piel's death but happy to have the nexus routes's data. However Tarkin refuse to give his half to anybody but Palpatine and Ahsoka to give it to anyone but the Council. Yoda decides he'll just have a talk with the Chancellor. And that's how the intel still ended up in Separatist hands. Anakin asks Plo Koon if he assigned Ahsoka to the mission. "It appears I did." I doubt she learned her lesson, though. tarkin and Anakin shake hands in friendship while a snippet of the Imperial March plays. Nice. Obi-Wan isn't too found of Skywalker's new ally, saying that should they sacrifice everything to achieve victory, they risk losing their honour.

Spoiler: My thoughts

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It's not as good as the previous episodes (the fight really didn't feel very impactful) but it was overall pretty nice. A good conclusion to one of the better arcs of this season. This episode really shows hierchy of worth of one's life in the Republican army though: Jedi > normal human > clone > droid. Piel got his own funeral and all while poor Echo was just left unmourned. I find that even weirder from a stroytelling perspective since we've known Echo a lot more than Piel.

Next up: Padawan Lost What did Ahsoka get herself into this time?

[dancrilis]

Piel sends Tarkin and the clones away while him and Ahsoka fight the droids. Hmm, why?

I imagine that he didn't want both halves of the code together in case they were captured.

The Republican fleet arrives into orbit and the JEdi that isn't Plo Koon says there hasn't been battles like this since the days of the Old republic. Where have you been this entire war, dude?

It is possible that this was the first battle of the war where no body commited any clever tricks like surrendering to draw enemies out of position so you can shoot them etc.

[Keltest]

Echo presumably doesnt get a funeral because he got exploded really hard and they didnt have anything to bury. I doubt even Fives would be interested in just standing around for a ceremony for the sake of ceremony. At least Piel had a body they had to deal with in some way.

[Fyraltari]

I imagine that he didn't want both halves of the code together in case they were captured.

Makes sense.

It is possible that this was the first battle of the war where no body commited any clever tricks like surrendering to draw enemies out of position so you can shoot them etc.

I doubt it. It's possible that the missing 2/5ths of the planet are due to some ancient battle and that's what the Jedi is commenting on? I don't know.

Echo presumably doesnt get a funeral because he got exploded really hard and they didnt have anything to bury. I doubt even Fives would be interested in just standing around for a ceremony for the sake of ceremony. At least Piel had a body they had to deal with in some way.

Nobody else gets a funeral even though several clones died in that very engagement, like th eone who sacrificed himself for Tarkin. They're just left where they fell apparently. Don't get me wrong, it makes plenty of sense to me that Jedi would see more value in the loss of a fellow Jedi than in the clones (they seem to always do so). What I meant about Echo is more doylist. I'm surprised the episode devoted so much time to Piel's death and not to Echo's. We could have had Fives (last survivor of Domino Squad) talk about it to Rex during the ending, for example.

[hamishspence]

What happened to Echo becomes a plot point in the Bad Batch arc (season 7):

Spoiler

Show

He's still alive - the Separatists retrieved his bisected, not quite dead body, and kept him from dying. He ended up wired into some piece of Separatist computing equipment as I recall, before being discovered by the Bad Batch and rescued.

[pendell]

Nobody else gets a funeral even though several clones died in that very engagement, like th eone who sacrificed himself for Tarkin. They're just left where they fell apparently. Don't get me wrong, it makes plenty of sense to me that Jedi would see more value in the loss of a fellow Jedi than in the clones (they seem to always do so). What I meant about Echo is more doylist. I'm surprised the episode devoted so much time to Piel's death and not to Echo's. We could have had Fives (last survivor of Domino Squad) talk about it to Rex during the ending, for example.

I cannot tell you how annoying I find this. In the real world we give funerals to military and police dogs. Dogs, for pity's sake. The clear message is that the clones aren't valued by the Republic they serve. Granted, we don't see dogs get funerals in the GFFA either, but the point still stands: The Republic values clones less than the real world values service animals.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[dancrilis]

What happened to Echo becomes a plot point in the Bad Batch arc (season 7):

I don't think that impacts Fyraltari's point though - for someone watching the show episode by episode a recurring character died without much in the way of recognition of that fact while a single arc character got a funeral, perfectly understandable for the universe they are in but a bit odd from a viewers prespective.

The fact that four seasons later what happened is revisited doesn't really change that.

[Dire_Flumph]

I think that's the Jedi way though. "Mourn them do not, miss them do not". So worried about detachment that they come off as callous. The only Jedi funeral we see in canon is I believe Qui-Gon's and given where it takes place and who's in attendance it could easily be argued the Naboo are memorializing him rather than the Jedi.

It's why I think it's so notable and touching that

Spoiler: Clone Wars: Final Season

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Ahsoka digs a grave for each and every Clone killed in the finale.

[Fyraltari]

I think that's the Jedi way though. "Mourn them do not, miss them do not". So worried about detachment that they come off as callous. The only Jedi funeral we see in canon is I believe Qui-Gon's and given where it takes place and who's in attendance it could easily be argued the Naboo are memorializing him rather than the Jedi.

But that's the thing. There's a Jedi funeral right there in the episode. Even though they are on the run and the episode stresses their tight schedule thay take the time to prepare his corpse, slowly lower him into the stream and watch him drift away. While the other deads are ignored.

This is the kind of things that perfectly explains Order 66, well would have if not for for the (third?) other retcon this show is known for. But we'll get there when we get there.

[Keltest]

But that's the thing. There's a Jedi funeral right there in the episode. Even though they are on the run and the episode stresses their tight schedule thay take the time to prepare his corpse, slowly lower him into the stream and watch him drift away. While the other deads are ignored.

This is the kind of things that perfectly explains Order 66, well would have if not for for the (third?) other retcon this show is known for. But we'll get there when we get there.

The other thing is, they have his corpse already, and its a moment of calm. Its not really feasible to go back for most of their dead, especially the ones who die by means of gravity or something.

[Fyraltari]

The other thing is, they have his corpse already, and its a moment of calm. Its not really feasible to go back for most of their dead, especially the ones who die by means of gravity or something.

I counted two dead in the same battle. One (the poor sap who died for Tarkin) in the very place Ahsoka met them with Piel's corpse.

[Keltest]

I counted two dead in the same battle. One (the poor sap who died for Tarkin) in the very place Ahsoka met them with Piel's corpse.

I think assuming that they dont hold some sort of service for MIA or KIA clones just because we dont see it is a bit... whatever the opposite of generous is. Its a TV show, not everything that happens gets screen time. As you note, theyre redshirts. The audience doesnt care about them or want to spend a lot of time dwelling on them instead of spending the finite amount of screen time advancing the plot.

[Fyraltari]

I think assuming that they dont hold some sort of service for MIA or KIA clones just because we dont see it is a bit... whatever the opposite of generous is.

I'm sure they do. But they're giving special treatment to this one, which I think is worthy of note. If it hadn't happened I would have simply assumed they'd all have had their bodiless ceremonies back on Coruscant.

Its a TV show, not everything that happens gets screen time. As you note, theyre redshirts. The audience doesnt care about them or want to spend a lot of time dwelling on them instead of spending the finite amount of screen time advancing the plot.

But I cared more about Echo than about Piel.

[Dire_Flumph]

But that's the thing. There's a Jedi funeral right there in the episode.

My point was more that I'm not convinced given the location and attendees that it was a Jedi funeral (it was a funeral for a Jedi, but it seems more like it was set up by the Naboo). Especially given the lack of other canon ceremonies or memorials. In fact, we don't even see any real evidence the Jedi memorialize the dead at all. For example, in canon, the busts of Jedi in the library in Episode II are of Jedi who left the order, not those who died (That's Dooku Obi-Wan is looking at in the scene).

Edit: If you want some further evidence it's not the Jedi honoring Qui-Gon in that scene, Yoda, Mace and Obi-Wan are all using this solemn occasion to talk unrelated business.

[Fyraltari]

My point was more that I'm not convinced given the location and attendees that it was a Jedi funeral (it was a funeral for a Jedi, but it seems more like it was set up by the Naboo). Especially given the lack of other canon ceremonies or memorials. In fact, we don't even see any real evidence the Jedi memorialize the dead at all. For example, in canon, the busts of Jedi in the library in Episode II are of Jedi who left the order, not those who died (That's Dooku Obi-Wan is looking at in the scene).

Edit: If you want some further evidence it's not the Jedi honoring Qui-Gon in that scene, Yoda, Mace and Obi-Wan are all using this solemn occasion to talk unrelated business.

I am talking about Piel's funeral.

[Dire_Flumph]

I am talking about Piel's funeral.

That was a corpse disposal and "A moment to honor him". Ahsoka is the only one who really says anything about his passing.

[Fyraltari]

That was a corpse disposal and "A moment to honor him". Ahsoka is the only one who really says anything about his passing.

How is that different from a funeral? i really don't see what distinction you make or how it would be relevant to the point I made (different treatment vis-à-vis the clones).

[Dire_Flumph]

How is that different from a funeral? i really don't see what distinction you make or how it would be relevant to the point I made (different treatment vis-à-vis the clones).

Because looking at that scene, the only reason Obi-Wan even goes that far is that he sees how shaken up Ahsoka is over his death. It's an excuse to give her a moment to process the death, not a way to honor Piel. He and Anakin are clearly finding it unnecessary.

[Kornaki]

That's because the two of them are psychopaths.

[Taevyr]

I think assuming that they dont hold some sort of service for MIA or KIA clones just because we dont see it is a bit... whatever the opposite of generous is. Its a TV show, not everything that happens gets screen time. As you note, theyre redshirts. The audience doesnt care about them or want to spend a lot of time dwelling on them instead of spending the finite amount of screen time advancing the plot.

I always felt that was kind of the point being made by not giving Echo a funeral: showing that the Jedi, in-universe, consider them to be redshirts. Whether you consider Piel's "funeral" an actual funeral, a simple way to honor him, or just a method to help Ahsoka process his death, the fact remains that apparently they felt the same effort wasn't warranted for a clone or a clone's death couldn't have been as impactful, no matter how long he served alongside them.

The Clone Wars goes through lot of effort to humanize the clones, with Echo and Fives as two of the key examples. I doubt the writers actually thought "we'll just ignore the death of this character who's been with us from the start since he's just a clone".

[Keltest]

I always felt that was kind of the point being made by not giving Echo a funeral: showing that the Jedi, in-universe, consider them to be redshirts. Whether you consider Piel's "funeral" an actual funeral, a simple way to honor him, or just a method to help Ahsoka process his death, the fact remains that apparently they felt the same effort wasn't warranted for a clone or a clone's death couldn't have been as impactful, no matter how long he served alongside them.

The Clone Wars goes through lot of effort to humanize the clones, with Echo and Fives as two of the key examples. I doubt the writers actually thought "we'll just ignore the death of this character who's been with us from the start since he's just a clone".

While true, they also made a point of showing the Jedi consider the clones to not just be disposable redshirts. I believe they even had an explicit line in the first season to that effect.

[Fyraltari]

While true, they also made a point of showing the Jedi consider the clones to not just be disposable redshirts. I believe they even had an explicit line in the first season to that effect.

They say they do, but they're very inconsistant about this. For example when Plo Koon is tranded with some clones one of them tells him that the Republic will be looking for him specifically but not for them since they're "just clones", he answers "not to me", but every time the episode shows the resuce team they talk about rescuing "Master Plo" and not a thought is spared to the clones.


Basically the Jedi seem to have a few clones they care about each (those they serve alongside) but not give any real thoughts to those they don't know personally.

[Sapphire Guard]

I'd be more inclined to blame that on the writers than the characters.

[Mechalich]

They say they do, but they're very inconsistant about this. For example when Plo Koon is tranded with some clones one of them tells him that the Republic will be looking for him specifically but not for them since they're "just clones", he answers "not to me", but every time the episode shows the resuce team they talk about rescuing "Master Plo" and not a thought is spared to the clones.


Basically the Jedi seem to have a few clones they care about each (those they serve alongside) but not give any real thoughts to those they don't know personally.

It's worth keeping in mind that the Jedi drastically outrank the average clone. In just about any military ever the death of a General will be treated with vastly more significance and ceremony than the death of a Private or NCO.

The real problem is that the Jedi are regularly shown commanding comparatively tiny numbers of Clones for their overall rank. A Jedi Commander (meaning a Padawan) was supposed to command a Battalion or a Regiment - which is 576 or 2,304 troopers. A Jedi General commanded a Legion - Anakin commanded the 501st Legion - of 9,216 troopers, or a Corps of 36,864 troopers. Jedi Generals ranked above that, such as members of the High Council, commanded entire Sector and Systems Armies of hundreds of thousands of troops.

So even though the Jedi are inclined to act as their own Special Forces and lead their troops into combat from the front, they really should be leading considerably more than we see. There are many reasons that they don't. Not least of which is the technical challenge of rendering hundreds or thousands of digital models on screen at one time (especially in the early seasons of TCW, season 7 actually manages to handle somewhat larger units).

[Fyraltari]

Season 3, Episode 21: Padwan Lost

Spoiler: Recap

Show

So the Republic and the CIS are fighting over Felucia again. Even the narrator calls it an "endless battle", apparently it's location makes it strategically important. Plo, Anakin and Ahsoka are leading the charge and apparenlty good ol' Grievous is their opposite number even though he doesn't show up in the episode. The republicans prepare an attack on a Separatist base just as reinforcement arrives. Each Jedi will lead a particular group for a three-pronged attack. they're helped by native Felucians too. Anakin and Ahsoka have a moment and she says she can handle anything. Mandatory "Don't get cocky, kid."

As Ahsoka leads her group towards the back of the base, she senses something but ultimately dismisses it as probably just an animal. The Separatists really should have cut down those tree(things surrounding their bases, it's almost insulting how easy it is to sneak on them. Koon orders a bombardment of the ennemy base, in order to counter attack, they open their gates which allows Skywalker to rush in. Plo Force-jumps over the wall while his troop follows thanks to jet-packs. They fly now. Ahsoka's team strat scaling the wall while she stays behind to protect them. It's a nice plan really. The padwan however is being stalked by a trandoshan. As she still feels something, she tells her men to move forward, she'll catch up. The non-human fires a laser-net at her which stuns her. Neat deasing even if I question the logic behind it. He's extatic to have captured a Jedi youngling.

Anakin is pretty elated by their easy victory but his mood sinks fast once he realizes Ahsoka is missing in action. He tries calling her but, of course, her captor took her communicator and destroys it. She's in a cage inside a spaceship and a fellow prisoner kindly explains that their jailers intend to release them somewher and hunt them down for sport. I have to salute the galls of these pirates going around looking for game in a warzone. The one who captured Ahsoka reports to his leader who is pretty excited to have a Jedi prisoner as this may be the first Jedi kill of his son. The son, Darr, is looking forward to it.

The pirates depart to another planet, or rather, another's planet moon and unload their captives on "Island 4". Then they open fire on them to make them run, killing two. As Ahsoka is hinding in the island's forest, she's accosted by three other preys, a human girl, Califa, a twi'lek boy, Jink, and another boy of Ki-Adi Mundi's species, Omer who teke her to their hide-out. Surprise, they used to be Jedi younglings. Odd that the trandoshans would look for more game before finishing off their previous hunts. These three look like they're old enough to have been Padawans-learner for a couple years, so they've been there a loooong time. They were captured during a training mission. Apparently the pirates only target younglings because grown Jedi are too dangerous for them. Were these three on a mission without adult supervision? What the ****, Jedi Order? they've been there for so long, they gave up on the notion that any one would come rescue them.

The next morning Anakin is still looking for Ahsoka even though they've done all they can. Plo Koon tells him that their intelligence covers all the Outer Rim and they have spies in the CIS, if Ahsoka is spotted anywhaere, they'll know. Bu they are done on Felucia and need to get back to Coruscant. Skywalker is adamant he won't abandon Ahsoka, or leave her fate in the hands of others. but even he has to admit there's nothing he can do right now. Meanwhile, Califa explains to Ahsoka that their plan to survive is to just move out everyday and stay below the hunters' radar. Tano isn't impressed but she yields to califa's superior experience of this place.

Cut to the hunters' base, it's a pretty nifty floating platform, with a throne room full of the hides and heads of sentient species. Nice. The king declares the hunt opened and his men get on some kind of boxy speeders with mounted guns, descending on the island while firing wildly in the air. The Jedi come across two of Ahsoka's fellow prisoners. She wants to join up with them but Califa decreeds that it's too late. How do you know that? One of them is taken out by a surprised shot and the other only manages to run for a while before a hunter snipes her down. Califa has to stop Ahsoka from intervening.

Ahsoka is upset by what happened, Califa tells her they're no longer saviors, but survivors. The Togruta wants to go on the offensive rather than just hide forever. Jink comments that she isn't the first Padawan to suggest that. And the others died. She refuses to listen to them because her master would never forgive her if she did, and she leaves them. She delibaretely exposes herself and is attacked by Darr. She doesn't have a weapon but the Force is her ally and she disarms him. He manges to throw her off and get his gun back but as he was going to shoot her down Califa starts Force-strangling him. Ahsoka tells her not to kill him out of hatred. Califa drops him to the ground and the trandoshan starts calling for help. Omer and Jink Force-slam him into a tree and the youngling run for it. With his gun.

The next evening Ahsoka tries to make the blaster work but it won't. Turns out the trandoshans can remotely deactivate them to insure their prey don't use them against them. Clever. However califa says that Ahsoak's energy and hope reminded them of who they were: Jedi. Ahsoka decides that their first course of action is to find where the hunters live. The trandoshans, for their part, are in the middle or some kind of ceremony centered arounf Darr, not sure what it's about, coming of age, maybe? It's delightfully creepy though, especially the close up on the stuffed wookkiee faces.

Ya know, I never noticed but Ahsoka's tights have square holes in them. Looks like they'd break easily, is that really suited for battle? They cna't find the fortress until Omer looks up and sees it coming out of the clouds. How have you never noticed it before now? Seriously, it's just hanging there. Two hoverpods descend on them and start firing. Ahsoka and Califa go one way, and the boys in another direction. tHe Hoverpod follong the boys has just the sniper from before while the gorls are chased by Dar, the king and another hunter.

Califa falls down and the king gives the kill to Darr who quickly makes his way to her. Despite having a clear shot at her (and her forgetting she can strangle him I guess) he starts ranting about how many Jedi he's going to kill rather than shooting. Ahsoka jump-kicks him in the face. The two of them start fighting and honestly, even without his gun, it's a surprisingly close match even if she's clearly got the superior technique. She ends up throwing him off the platform they had ended up on and he gets impaled on some kind of small tree? It should be dramatic but the complete abscence of gore or even blood ruins it for me. What's he made of, clay?

Ahsoka rejoins Califa who says she can make it and is immediately sniped down. By the king, who takes his son's death about as well as any parent would. Califa and Ahsoka have a tearful goodbye while the kings shoots and yells impotently in the background. Back on Coruscant, Anakin is staring at a map of a Galaxy. Plo shows up and tells him that if he's trained Ahsoka as well as he says, she might be able to find her way out of whatever her current predicament is even if Anakin can't help her. I get what he's trying to say, but should she not get back on her own, that'll just make anakin feel more guilty for not training her well enough.

Spoiler: My thouhgts

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So what do these trandoshans do for a living? I doubt there's any money in hunting people for sport so how do they afford all the fuel and equipment they need?

Also I wouldn't be surprised if in the next episode there's no mention of anyone checking Islands 1 through 3 to rescue the preys there.

I'm kinda disapointed Dar ended up just being a straight up vilain. I was hoping that getting spared would make him reconsider his father's lifestyle.

So how many younglings and padawans have this group abducted over the years? Did the Jedi never notice?

Also, assuming Jink and Omer make it out alive, there'll be just thrilled to learn there's a war going on and they'll be expected to fight in it, I guess.

Apart from that a very good episode. Califa was a nice character to have and the vilains are competent enough.

Next up: Wookiee Hunt.