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Continuity & Analysis

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Bombad Jedi (2008) [S1E8]
Heroes are made by the times.
"The Clone War threatens the unity of the Republic! As battles rage across the galaxy,
more worlds succumb to the seductive lure of the Separatists and leave the Republic.
On a vital mission of peace, Senator Padme Amidala journeys to the Outer Rim world
of Rodia, desperate to ensure its loyalty remains to the Republic..."
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Cloak of Darkness (2008) [S1E9]
Ignore your instincts at your peril.
"Viceroy Gunray captured! Senator Padme Amidala has scored a victory against
the Separatist Alliance on the remote world of Rodia, securing the arrest of the diabolical
Confederate leader Nute Gunray. The Jedi Council has dispatched Master Luminara Unduli
and Anakin Skywalker's Padawan Ahsoka to escort the Viceroy to Coruscant under heavy
guard. Once there, he will face trial for his many war crimes..."
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Lair of Grievous (2008) [S1E10]
Most powerful is he who controls his own power.
"Viceroy Gunray escapes! En route to Coruscant to stand trial for war crimes, evil Separatist
leader Nute Gunray has broken free of his Jedi escort. With the help of Count Dooku's
sinister agents, the villainous viceroy has made a daring getaway. Alerted to the bold
prison break, Jedi Master Kit Fisto has traced the stolen ship to a remote system,
hoping to recapture Gunray and return him to justice..."




CONTINUITY
These three stand-alone episodes are separate tales which combine to form a storyline about Viceroy Gunray. The chronological order of episodes is as given
by Lucasfilm, and follows their release order. The planet Rodia and the moon Vassek are seen for the first time, and are two worlds seen in these episodes:


- Senator Onaconda Farr of Rodia, seen in Episode I and Episode II, is a longtime friend of Padme's parents, and was an 'uncle' to her growing up. Farr's betrayal
of someone as close to him as Padme shows how dire the situation for remote Republic worlds in the Rim has become in a very short time. Her relationship
with her 'Uncle Ono' provides a means for Farr to choose to turn on the Separatists, leaving him in a tenuous political situation with future repercussions.

- Rodia is a terrestrial planet located in the Savareen Sector, in the Slice region of the Outer Rim, just north of the Corellian Run. It is a well-established Republic
world, and homeworld of the galactically significant Rodian people. A warm and wet world, mainly covered by jungles, swamps, lakes, seas, and oceans, it is
also host to a large population, living in advanced cities which are ecologically friendly, preserving the countryside in even the most populous areas.
The clear domes over the cities provide some separation from the teeming ecosystem of the planet.


- Once again the Force seems to be with Jar Jar, as he stumbles haplessly towards success. Some of his success is due to his own planning, but for the most part
he falls into one fortune after another, or has his mistakes turned into positive results. That nature sides with him, in this instance a large sea creature, is
further evidence of the Force using Jar Jar as a tool for its will. Jar Jar served the will of the Force, and the will of Darth Sidious, when he played a key part
in starting the Clone Wars. Since that time, we have twice seen him succeed against the odds in a way that thwarts some part of the Sith's plans.


With her ship destroyed, Padme hopes to find the local transmitter in the city to contact the Republic forces.
She remarks that hopefully there will be some clone ships in range. Why wouldn't the transmitter for a major
city on Rodia not be able to call clear across the galaxy? Considering how close Rodia is to Kamino, Christophsis,
or Toydaria, if their transmitter couldn't easily call the Republic forces there, they must have one of the weakest
transmitters in the galaxy. Anakin on Tatooine called Coruscant from Padme's ship in Episode II. Tatooine is near
Rodia, and even farther away from Coruscant. Why would anyone in the galaxy be out of range for a Rodian city?
Main Article: Hyperspace Communications


- Senate Commandos are an elite force of regular soldiers which protect the Senate, defend Senate members on sensitive assignments, and handle security for
high value persons called before the Senate, including those being summoned for trial like Gunray. They are not clones, and are one of the few components
of the Republic military which existed before the creation of the clone army.

- Commander Gree is the executive officer of the 41st Elite Corps, under the command of General Luminara Unduli. Gree is seen in two episodes in this storyline,
and again in S2E6. Gree is killed by Yoda in Episode III when he attempts to assassinate Yoda during Order 66. He is accompanying Luminara with some
troopers from the 41st Elite Corps due to the sensitivity of the mission and importance of Gunray.


- Gunray is more afraid of Sidious and Dooku than he is of losing his wealth and power, which is significant considering his greed and avarice. Nevertheless, he is
self-serving and slippery, and Sidious is right to be concerned that he will eventually talk. Following the impulsive example of her master, Ahsoka is unwilling to wait
for him to give in, and decides to employ terrorism just as Anakin has taught her. The Jedi don't have a problem with the passive threat of their power being used in
negotiation, but actively making threats is crossing the line. Luminara objects to the idea, suggesting no information is important enough to warrant threats of violence.

- Ventress has become much more powerful and is continuing to grow in the dark side. Luminara is an experienced Jedi and powerful with the Force, but she
is nevertheless naive and inexperienced in dealing with wielders of dark side powers. Thanks to Ahsoka, she lives long enough to reevaluate her arrogance
regarding the danger of a Sith Acolyte like Ventress. At the same time, she notes that Ventress' fighting style is still sloppy, and an unrefined version of Dooku's
fighting style. Using the dark side allows Ventress to advance in her powers and abilities at a much faster rate than she would through hard work, but a Jedi
as advanced as Luminara is probably in some ways still beyond her through years of discipline and practice.


- The stolen Republic light cruiser can be tracked. This is probably related to a ship's transponder, and the means by which hyperspace communications are
possible. The idea that the Republic can track their own ships, but not those of the Separatists, helps to explain how communications work, although doesn't
explain why nearly every ship can't be tracked. It is also unclear why those who commandeered the Republic cruiser can't deactivate whatever means allows
them to be tracked, since in this instance it was not an implanted tracking device. Not that they would have here, as they intended to set a trap for the Jedi.
Main Article: Hyperspace Communications

- Master Fisto contacts "the Outer Rim Command", which we can assume to be a subordinate office of Republic High Command, responsible for operations in
the Outer Rim. Since 10 different Sector Armies and an unknown number of Republic fleets are operating in the Mid Rim and Outer Rim, it is likely that this is
a joint operations coordination command. It is unknown if such regional commands are based in the areas they operate, or located at High Command on
Coruscant. Based on other material, it seems likely it is a committee of High Council members and top military personnel on Courscant.

- Vassek is a small terrestrial planet located in the remote Wazta Sector, in the Western Reaches of the Outer Rim. It has three moons, the outermost of which is also
habitable, with a breathable atmosphere. This moon, Vassek 3, was the location of Grievous' secret lair, at least until its location was discovered by the Jedi.


- Dooku sets a trap for Jedi that is really a test for Grievous. This is a win all around for Dooku, as this completes Gunray's escape, has to the potential to kill Jedi, and
addresses the perceived need to reevaluate Grievous' effectiveness. The Sith always test their operatives and acolytes with lethal combat, interested only in
the survival of the fittest, and ensuring their agents are effective killers. If Grievous is unable to defeat a small Republic force with Jedi on his own terf, his long term
usefulness to the Sith and their plans would have been questionable. While Sidious considers Grievous to be an important part of his plans for the Clone Wars, it
is still early enough that a replacement could be found, and certainly there must have been contingencies in case the General were to be unexpectedly killed.

- The statues in Grievous' lair show the stages of his transformation to a cyborg with minimal organic parts. He claims he chose these "improvements", which fits well
with his goals of eliminating the Jedi to elevate himself to the level of the galaxy's most elite warriors. Other non-canon sources have given different story regarding
transformation which suggest some or much of what was done to Grievous was without his consent. While this episode doesn't definitively refute those stories, but
does heavily favor the idea that Grievous' desire for power and fame is the reason he desired turned himself into a war machine. Master Fisto wisely observes that
Grievous's quest for power will only consume him, the inevitable end of those seeking to seize a destiny based on domination and ambition.


- The arrogance and overconfidence of Nahdar Vebb is exactly the kind of attitude the Jedi training is designed to reduce. Considering the amazing power the Force can
provide a being, not to teach them humility and patience would be dangerous for them and for others. Nevertheless, imperfect beings are not capable of recognizing
their superior abilities and gain great confidence from them. Fisto suggests the war has changed him, which is part of the trap of the war set by the dark side. The conflict
will fuel the destructive emotional reactions of the Jedi, and lead them violate their own supposed limitations, all in service of a dark Lord. Nahdar has already observed
that "in this war, strength prevails", which is exactly the lesson a Sith Lord seeks to teach a Force wielder to lead them down the dark path. As Yoda observes, answering
power with power is not the way of the Jedi, in this way there is great danger of the Jedi losing their identity and values, which is just what Sidious intends.
Main Article: Darth Sidious and The Plan

ANALYSIS
Rodia finds itself in a similar position to many Republic planets in the Rim, having quickly become isolated, and facing serious supply problems and food
shortages. The Separatists use the crisis caused by their invasions to leverage new support from otherwise loyal Republic worlds such as Rodia. The position
of the Trade Federation in galactic trade is critical to this scheme. As the only organization capable of diverting planetary-level supply shipments towards or
away from a given planet, they suggest as always that helping Republic isolated worlds would be taking sides in the war, use the excuse of a Separatist threat
against them. At the same time, they suggest that if that same planet were to join the Separatists, they could resume trade. In this instance, Rodia is negotiating
with the Separatist faction of the Trade Federation, still led by Viceroy Gunray, who is far less coy about the quid pro quo. Senator Farr quickly discovers what
many worlds have already experienced, once you join the Separatists, they're in the door, and your planet is occupied by the droid army voluntarily or not.

Gunray's pathetic grudge against Padme for what she did to his career over a decade ago is still a primary motivation for his actions. This time, his obsession
with killing her leads to his arrest. While not a Force wielder, Gunray exemplifies a being steeped in the dark side. He has great power, yet always wants more.
His anger, hatred, and desire to dominate inevitably lead him on a never ending quest for revenge against the enemies he created for himself. Ultimately,
the dark side which surrounds him and dominates his destiny will consume and destroy him. Sidious tells Dooku that Gunray's capture is a serious threat,
clearly out of concern for the level of dangerous information Gunray possesses, and his duplicitous nature. Dooku sends his apprentice to either free him or
silence him by assassination. The Sith have no problem disposing of their pawns, but Gunray is far more valuable to them alive at this stage in the conflict.
Sidious' disdain for Ventress is apparent, as he suggests a few of her strategic retreats were failures. It is also possible that Sidious is already concerned about
her growing abilities and growing power in the dark side, which could ultimately be a threat to him.

Hostages are prisoners of political value, treated as guests and kept as a guarantee of peace. In times of war, hostages are prisoners of war whose political value
make them prizes to be defended or captured. In the case of Gunray, he is also an informational asset, with secrets and intelligence of great value to the Republic.
As such, his value as a hostage to be recaptured is outweighed by his liability as an asset that must be kept silent. The effect is that the Republic and the Separatists
both commit military resources and sacrifice lives fighting over possession of Gunray. The dark side surrounds Gunray, and tragedy and suffering follow him.
Argyus tells Ahsoka that sometimes being a good soldier means doing what you think is right, which is wise but dishonest advice, as Argyus is trying to convince
her to leave her post. Gunray suggests he never risks his own skin if he doesn't have to, which is self-serving and cowardly, and very much in keeping with his
character. Argyus is just as self-serving, but brave enough to risk his own life or imprisonment for the potential of big rewards. The problem with making deals
of this nature with those who are lawless and unscrupulous is that after one provides them with what they want one becomes expendable and an information
liability, just like Gunray. The difference with an operative is that unlike Gunray, there is no value to keeping them alive, and if killed, they need not be paid.
The Republic destroyer that transports Gunray is named the Tranquility, which is exactly what his presence disrupts, much like the Trade Federation and
other trade guilds have done to the Republic. They ally themselves with the treacherous Sith, who misdirect and entrap the Jedi, and convince loyal Republic
members to betray the Republic, only to betray their supporters in the end. The story on board with Gunray, Captain Argyus, Ventress and Luminara is a
microcosm for the larger story of the Clone Wars, and foreshadows Ventress' and Gunray's eventual destiny of being betrayed by the Sith they worked for.

With the war nearing a year old, a stalemate has finally developed in the war. While some parity and balance was achieved from the outset, the Separatists largely
held the initiative in the first half of a year, due to the element of surprise, their advanced planning, and larger numbers of ships and troops. Having now blunted
much of the Separatist momentum in various regions of the Outer Rim and intermediate regions, Republic forces have achieved enough theater level parity with
the Separatists to consider regrouping for counteroffensives. Lord Sidious demands more dead Jedi of Dooku and Grievous, unhappy that so many top Jedi survived
this first stage of the war, when the chaos and dire situations would lead to many becoming trapped and outnumbered. Despite the success Grievous and the Separatists
have had in killing them, the Jedi are crafty, powerful, and still have huge numbers of allies, and often escape or succeed against great odds. Even in a time when they
are most exposed and vulnerable, eliminating the Jedi through combat on the battlefield is a failed strategy that the Sith have attempted throughout history to no lasting
success. The brilliance of Sidious' plan is that it doesn't rely on that tactic to destroy the Jedi, nevertheless, it is vital that the war last long enough and is severe enough
that the ranks of experienced Jedi Masters and Jedi Knights are thinned, necessitating the remaining senior Jedi to spread even more thinly across the galaxy.


FURTHER ANALYSIS
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