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Continuity & Analysis

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Storm Over Ryloth (2009) [S1E19]
It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.
"Planet Ryloth invaded! Subjected to a brutal droid occupation, the people of Ryloth are starving
under the blockade of a Separatist fleet. Evil Separatist leader Wat Tambor now rules with
an iron fist. Answering a plea from the Senate, the Grand Army of the Republic mounts a bold
offensive to liberate the system. It is up to Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan Ahsoka to make
way for Obi-Wan's ground assault..."
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Innocents of Ryloth (2009) [S1E20]
The costs of war can never be truly accounted for.
"Invasion! Separatist leader Wat Tambor has taken control of the planet Ryloth and subjugates
its people through a brutal droid occupation. In a daring surprise attack, Jedi Anakin Skywalker
and his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano defeated the space blockade guarding the planet. Now, Jedi
Generals Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi lead a massive invasion to liberate the starving people..."
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Liberty on Ryloth (2009) [S1E21]
Compromise is a virtue to be cultivated, not a weakness to be despised.
"Republic victory is at hand! Clone troopers under the command of the Jedi have successfully
invaded the Separatist-occupied world of Ryloth. Anakin Skywalker battles the enemy in
the skies, while Obi-Wan Kenobi frees villages from the grip of vile Separatist leader,
Wat Tambor. Now, Jedi General Mace Windu leads the attack on the enemy lines in the final
offensive to liberate the capital city of Lessu..."




CONTINUITY
These three episodes form a single storyline about the Republic invasion of Ryloth. The chronological order of episodes is as given by
Lucasfilm, and follows their release order. The planet Ryloth is seen for the first time, and is the only world seen in these episodes:


- Anakin is now in the position of dealing with passionate pupil who is headstrong and doesn't always follow orders in pursuit of what she thinks
is best for the mission, the same position Obi-Wan was often in teaching him. Having to teach her the importance of working as a team and
following directives is helping him mature and grow as a Jedi Knight, just as Yoda and Obi-Wan had hoped in assigning Ahsoka to him.
At the same time, Ahsoka's own individualistic tendencies are being amplified by Anakin's personal example and style, which is encouraging
the very disobedience and lack of discipline he is trying to discourage with his teachings, making him a good teacher but a bad exemplar.


- The B1 battle droids are good at following orders, but poor at best when it comes to tactics. When they have no orders, the highest ranking
B1s will fall back on their rudimentary programming directive to attack. This makes them extremely predictable without other leadership.
At the same time, these are the most advanced form of the B1 to date, representing a third stage in their development. The first stage, seen
in Episode I, has them run remotely from a central control center. The second stage, we now learn, had them mass stamped with the same
programming by a central computer. The third stage B1s were given slightly unique personalities designed to increase creativity in battle.
In this way, the B1s are an artificial version of the organic clones, built from the same mold and programmed, but with differences innate
to their own unique development and gained over time with experience, although certainly not as varied or dynamic as the clones.
Main Article: Droid Intelligence


Why must they land in the city of Nabat, when there is much open country around with no droid presence? It is a central
premise of the episode, yet never explained. It seems like the cruisers could have landed safely somewhere nearby
without having to worry about the cannons or other potential Separatist defenses. The dense cover and uneven terrain
could be considered obstacles, but Acclaimator-class heavy cruisers have powerful guns that can clear a landing zone,
and technology on board that can clear a road quickly. Perhaps there is some other downside to landing at a distance.


- Waxer and Boil, who are reoccurring characters from Obi-Wan's 212th Attack Battalion, are seen for the first time. Commander Ponds of
the 91st Mobile Reconnaissance Corps, first seen in Episode II, is also seen in these episodes, and in future serving under General Windu.

- Ryloth is a warm planet located in the Gaulus Sector, in the Slice region of the Outer Rim, relatively near to the outer edge of the galaxy, along
the furthest reaches of the Corellian Run. The planet features oceans, jungles, forests, and deserts, and a diverse ecosystem that includes
dangerous creatures. It is the homeworld of the Twi'leks, a humanoid species with lekku as a part of their heads, which are prehensile tentacles.
They live both above and below ground, but due to the need for safety, favor enclosed structures and underground dwellings. Their cities and
towns use systems of underground tunnels to allow movement between areas of the city and underground. Twi'lek architecture is generally
minimalist, and favors functionality over aesthetics, though the Twi'leks themselves were known for their performative and handcrafted art.



Why would the Separatists waste a battle droid to clean a cell used for animals in the midst of an attack? Their leader,
Commander TX-20, is a tactical droid, programmed for tactical ability, making this all the more out of place.


- The J-1 proton cannon, which is a self-propelled droid artillery piece, can be used as a manned artillery piece with its artificial intelligence disabled.
When fully automated, it still requires operators to reload munitions once it has fired.

- The city of Nabat must be a vital approach to Lessu, the capital city of Ryloth, as it would otherwise be unimportant as a staging ground for the main
assault. The approach to the capital is seen to be quite treacherous, so it is possible there is no other route that would support tanks.

- The Separatists have installed a plasma bridge to replace the only bridge into the city, which can be turned off quickly to protect the city from attack.
It uses plasma projectors to create an energy surface that hold up matter. It has similarities in properties and appearance to ray shields, although there
is no response from the bridge when it is tread on, unlike when matter interacts with a ray shield. This technology is likely energy intensive, requiring
a powerful and potentially large generator, or this technology would be seen more often. It may be an extension of shield tech, but that is uncertain.
Main Article: Shields, Deflectors, and Ray Shields


- The assault on Lessu, later nicknamed the 'hammer of Ryloth', relies on a charge towards the deactivated bridge, which must be turned back on just in
time. Why this is the case is unclear, although the opposite side of the bridge is an exposed are unsafe for forces to loiter in. Nevertheless, this was likely
added simply to make it more exciting. If the bridge didn't go up in time, it really looks like they were planning to go right over the edge of the cliff.

- Mace Windu's battlefield powers are as great as, or greater than, any other Jedi we will see during the Clone Wars. While there are other powerful Jedi
who possess a similar strength in the Force, Mace shows time and again his ability to put Force powers into strategic use to deal with different sizes of
droid forces, and the various challenges poised by droid opponents with unique abilities. Many Jedi seen show a lack of imagination in using their
numerous abilities in battle, probably due in part to the limited prewar experience most Jedi had with large-scale integrated warfare.


- Wat Tambor is taken prisoner, and will be seen to still be in Republic custody over a year and a half later in 'The Jedi Who Knew Too Much' (S5E18), when
he appears on a security monitor in the detention area of Republic Military Headquarters. Sometime after that episode, he escaped or was freed,
although the circumstances are not explained even in supplementary material. He was seen ten months later on the Techno Union planet of
Skako Minor in 'A Distant Echo' (S7E2), less than a week before his death in Episode III, about two and a half years from this storyline.

ANALYSIS
The Republic campaign to liberate Ryloth comes months after their last forces on the surface were routed. Having established parity with the Separatist
Fleet in the southeastern part of the Outer Rim, the Republic is now in position to mount counteroffensives to retake territory they were forced to
concede earlier in the year. The addition of new navy ships and clone reinforcements makes this possible, but their resources are still limited, leaving
little margin for defeat. Anakin leads the naval assault, and will command the fighter group, while Mace and Obi-Wan will lead the ground offensive.
Anakin updates Mace and Obi-Wan waiting with the ground forces at the staging area, and Mace remarks that with Anakin's forces cut in half,
there will be no additional Navy reinforcements. If they lose the naval battle, they must postpone ground invasion. After the Republic's surprise victory
in orbit, they are able to make their return landing on the planet. Obi-Wan instructs his troops that Ryloth is to be liberated, not destroyed.
Republic policy, shaped by Jedi philosophy, is that their troops and knights must put themselves in greater risk to uphold their principles and preserve
lives, and to a lesser extent culture and infrastructure. As the battle intensifies, it is revealed that no ground reinforcements are currently available either.

Although officially disavowed by the organization, Foreman Wat Tambor is still the most influential leader of the Techno Union. He sits on the Separatist
Council, as leader of the Separatist faction of the Techno Union, and has been appointed Emir of Ryloth. Control of Ryloth is given to the Union because
of its preexisting interests and subsidiaries on the planet, and likely out of deference to Tambor's personal interests. The fleet protecting the planet is
under the command of Captain Mar Tuuk, formerly of the Trade Federation. He has a superior fleet to the Republic task force, and generally effective
tactics, and is only defeated by an unorthodox strategy that is well executed. Tambor is a great example of why the powerful and influential persons
needed to build a political movement and subsequent empire like the Separatist Alliance aren't always best qualified to be effective administrators.
Dooku orders him to take what he can of the planet's valuables and destroy the rest, cautioning Tambor against his own greed; advice which is ignored
leading to Tambor's capture. While he will eventually be extracted from Republic custody, his imprisonment is a significant victory for the Republic.

Dooku wants to show the galaxy the "cost of a Republic victory", by looting the planet and the bombing the civilian population. This type of large scale
atrocity is state-level terrorism meant to dissuade worlds against resisting Separatist invasion, and to discourage the Republic from retaking loyal worlds
that have fallen. Most Separatist loyalists would be unwilling to believe reports of such actions to be anything other than Republic propaganda.
The looting of Republic worlds like Ryloth is an obvious desire of the greedy forces which dominate the Separatist Alliance, but also serves the interests
of the Sith. Whereas the Jedi and their philosophy are rooted in nature, history, and tradition, the Sith are rooted in the artificial, the future, and
the will for a new order. Cultures and individuals who know who they are, were they come from, and what their values are, pose a hindrance to
the assertion of the will to remake the universe in the image of those powerful enough to reshape it. Once culture, tradition, and values are lost,
a person, a planet, or a people become potential vessels to be filled with a new culture and new values suited to the Sith philosophy.

Cham Syndulla is revealed to have a prior political rivalry with Senator Orn Free Taa. Palpatine's seemingly reasonable caution regarding Cham is probably
a dislike of Cham's pro-Ryloth politics and distrust of Coruscant and it's leadership. Cham is worried about a Republic occupation of Ryloth, and rightly so.
While Mace and Orn give their word troops will leave immediately, it is not wise or pragmatic to remove the garrison protecting Ryloth after its liberation,
as it still lies near to Separatist controlled space, and could again be vulnerable to invasion. Since this is exactly what Sidious has intentionally engineered,
a situation in which the Republic will choose to occupy its own loyal planets, Cham's concerns are well-founded, but dismissed by Mace as impossible since
the Jedi will oversee the process. The immediate results of the liberation of Ryloth are indeed a victory for the Republic. Not only does it achieve control of
the Corellian Run out to the furthest reaches of the Republic, it also lifts Kamino and surrounding sectors from virtual isolation. Orn Free Taa is finally able
to return home from Coruscant, and Cham Syndulla becomes a famous planetary hero.


FURTHER ANALYSIS
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