Prior Episodes | 7919 (58 BBY) | Next Episodes
Continuity & Analysis

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - Justice (2022) [E2]
Two Jedi are dispatched to resolve a hostage situation on a distant planet.




CONTINUITY
This episode is the first of three connected stories, followed by 'Choices' (E3) and 'The Sith Lord' (E4). It takes place approximately 26 years
before Episode I, give or take a year or two. An unidentified Republic planet seen for the first time is the only world seen in this episode:

Qui-Gon became Dooku's apprentice at age 12, in 7909 (68 BBY), according to supplementary material. Qui-Gon appears to be a young
man in his early twenties in this episode, still young looking but fully mature. Thus, this episode takes place in or around 7919 (58 BBY).

- The Jedi travel in a shuttle not previously seen, which is clearly part of the T-series of shuttles manufactured by Slayn & Korpil. It appears similar in
most respects to the T-6 shuttle used during the Clone Wars, and this model will still be in primary use by the Jedi over a decade later, seen in
'Choices' (E3), suggesting this might be a T-5 or T-4 shuttle, however naming conventions vary from company to company, and this model
could have a number of possible designations. Slayn & Korpil vehicles are widely used by the Jedi and other Republic leaders and potentates.

- The unidentified planet which Dooku and Qui-Gon visit is terrestrial, inhabited, located at some unknown position in the galaxy, and is a member
world of the Republic. It includes at least one populated region with a temperate climate. The coniferous trees suggest the planet tilts on its
axis and that its surface experiences seasonal temperature changes. There is mention of a capital city, and likely a planet of this size and
political prominence has many cities and numerous regions with variety of economic activity and at least minor cultural differences. The only
observed animals appear to be domesticated, and may not be indigenous, as this world was obviously once a colony of the Core civilization.


- Dooku and Qui-Gon were not immediately recognized as Jedi by the townsfolk from their clothing, however the appearance of a lightsaber
instantly gives away their identity. These people are unlikely to have met a Jedi in person, so they are a good indication of how well known
the Jedi are on a Republic member world. Jedi clothing is not different enough from other commonly worn dress styles to identify a person
as a Jedi in most instances. Lightsabers are apparently more identifiable, as they do not have to be turned on to recognized as such by
at least the village elder. She seems to suspect the Jedi are here to serve the corrupt Senator, however does not seem surprised when
the Jedi turn out to be noble defenders. Their concept of the Jedi on this world seems to be grounded in reality rather than legend.
Main Article: Awareness of the Jedi and the Sith

- Senator Dagonet is one of the longest-standing Senators in the Republic. This indicates that this planet is one of the 24,372 starsystems which are
voting members of the federal government, and as such have a Senator. Only about 1000 of these Senators are members of the Galactic
Senate on Coruscant, about one per sector, which based on the dialogue includes Dagonet in this time period.

- Dagonet must have informed the Senate leadership about the kidnapping of his son, who then alerted the Jedi Council, since the dispatch of Dooku
to rescue the boy was said to be unknown to the Senator. The Jedi in this era serve the Senate and are called upon as their primary agents.

- Dooku is seen here about 26 years before he fully commits himself to the dark side. His three episode story arc which begins with this story shows
how Dooku's idealism and piety to Jedi principles gradually lead to his disillusionment with the Republic and the Jedi Order, eventually resulting
in his corruption by Sidious. Dooku seems to have already reached the conclusion that the corruption within the Republic is a system-wide
issue which "must be eradicated," and displays an early tendency to transgress Jedi ethics when he becomes angry, suggesting that Dooku was
on a path to be one of those rare 'fallen Jedi' just as Anakin was, and that Sidious was only a catalyst which accelerated the process. Dooku's
decision decades later to take the fight against corruption into his own hands is what leads him to an alliance with Sidious while still a Jedi.

- Dooku is well-pleased with Qui-Gon because his student lives up to his values and teachings while surpassing him in ability to keep his Jedi
composure and act with the subtlety and wisdom befitting their noble purpose. Qui-Gon learns his idealism and piety towards the Force
from Dooku, as well as his understanding that the Jedi Council isn't always as pious as they should be in the face of pragmatism and
politics. In many ways Qui-Gon fits in with the Order better than his master Dooku. Qui-Gon will eventually find himself in Dooku's
position, with Obi-Wan living up to his values, but in a way which is more palatable to the Jedi Council than his own methods.

ANALYSIS
The current incarnation of the Galactic Republic is at this point just over 900 years old, and has quietly begun its inevitable decline which will
lead to its collapse. The Republic has such a variety of political, historical, and economic situations within its boundaries, that even in its golden
eras of growth and expansion, there was plenty of misery, corruption, and oppression to be found. As periods of expansion cooled, and
the strength of established entities within the Republic reached their height, the civilization became predictably more decadent, corrupt, and
stagnant, leading to endemic problems which tend to grow worse over time while political will to address them steadily decreases. Senator
Dagonet and this unnamed Republic planet are a perfect example of this, as he is one of the longest-standing Senators in the Republic, and
leads an important member world which should be enjoying the benefits of a prosperous, democratic, and peaceful galaxy. Instead, people
are suffering because the system has too much inertia to change and is easily manipulated by the powerful at the expense of the politically
weak. As a younger Senator, Dagonet "was a good person and had the interests of the people in mind", or at least pursued policies which
made him appear that way. The powerful interests elsewhere on his planet and off-world which back him now that he has become prominent
in the galaxy make him politically untouchable, so despite the planet being a democracy its leader has almost regal authority, and need not
be responsive to the needs or complaints of his constituents. This kind of power regularly leads to corruption and sometimes to criminal abuse.
Dagonet had clearly over time transitioned from one to the other, first becoming increasingly corrupt, and eventually actively exploiting his
own populace. This kind of sociopathic behavior is tolerated by the greater society as long as the majority of people are not subjected to it,
so long as the wealthy and established interests continue to thrive. The corruption of this particular Senator may not be universal, however
the class separation observed on his planet is extremely common in the Republic. The Senator and his family luxuriate in the capital city and
off on cosmopolitan Coruscant living in a completely different world from the average person on their home planet. While the villagers cannot
get redress to issues of basic survival and minimal standards of living, the privileged Senator's son need only become passionate about an issue
to achieve political traction. Those with elite upbringing are groomed to assume positions of power, while those of humble origin have little
chance of ascending to positions of authority or effecting political change. The 'democratic' nature of the Republic is mostly procedural,
providing electoral window-dressing to what more often resembles a feudal, corporatist, or oligarchic social and economic structure.

The duel nature of the Republic as both an instrument of democratic rule and a means of protecting and preserving establishment power
becomes increasingly problematic for the Jedi who protect it, especially as the essential hypocrisy of the system becomes more pronounced
during the Republic's accelerating decline. The Jedi have served the Senate and donated their power to the Republic for many thousands of
years, under the condition that the Republic adhere to their ethical values. This makes the Jedi Council a de facto political power with great
influence as advisors to the Senate leadership, but one which has no actual legal authority without Senate direction and approval. This is
a precarious position, but one that does not fully compromise the Jedi's ethics since the Senate leaders are usually wise enough to value
the Jedi Council's advice, and always are politically adept to know having the Jedi working with them vastly multiplies their power. As corruption
in society and the Senate increases, the Jedi more often find themselves caught in situations where their duty to the political order runs
counter to their religious devotion to the light side of the Force, and carrying out the will of the Force as they understand it. Dooku's stand
against the Senator to uphold the Jedi precept to "serve the people of this Republic" regardless of the Senate's political authority is exactly
what the Jedi's values dictate he should do, and at this point will probably be acceptable to the Jedi despite any potential political fallout.
The fact that the townspeople assume that the Jedi are simply there to serve as the Senator's enforcers suggests that the Jedi have already
lost some of their noble reputation of history and legend, and have begun to take a pragmatic and political path in the interest of law and
order. This problem will only get worse in the coming decades, since no wide scale "meaningful change" comes from events such as this.


FURTHER ANALYSIS
Report Pending