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Continuity & Analysis

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Senate Spy (2009) [S2E4]
A true heart should never be doubted.
"Treachery in the Senate! The Jedi Council suspects that Senator Rush Clovis is secretly taking
part in a Separatist conspiracy. But to find out what the Senator from Scipio is up to, the Council
will need a spy of its own. Meanwhile, Jedi Anakin Skywalker has been away from Coruscant
on a lengthy tour of duty leading the clone army. Now Anakin returns for a long-awaited
reunion with his wife, Padme Amidala..."




CONTINUITY
'Senate Spy' is a standalone episode which serves as the exposition to the next four-episode storyline about Geonosis.
The chronological place of 'Senate Spy' is as given by Lucasfilm, and follows its release order. Two worlds are seen in this episode:


- The narrator describes Anakin's return to Coruscant after a lengthy absence, which must not count the recent Zillo Beast return to Coruscant, or in
the previous storyline, when he returned during the holocron heist. Given the events which have already occurred in this year, and the events still to
come, the most time that could have passed since those events began and these events are two or maybe three months. It is likely an even shorter
interval. If those events are not counted as a return to Coruscant, since they were temporary departures from his ongoing duties, then Anakin has
been engaged in combat away from Coruscant for most of this year, and potentially the end of the last. Anakin and Obi-Wan have usually been
working in tandem, primarily in the southeastern and northeastern regions of the Rim, although Anakin's recent deployment to Malastare saw
him involved in the campaigns in the equally contested southern region of the Rim. Padme was off-world at times, so it may have been that they
did not spend much time together in that time other than in a public setting during the rescue from the Zillo Beast.


Why doesn't Anakin take off his armor when he comes to Padme's apartment? It doesn't seem like it would be very
comfortable when he is cuddling Padme on the couch. Why is Obi-Wan wearing his armor at the Temple, when he
is not getting ready to go anywhere? He is involved in Council business and his duties at the Temple, so Jedi robes
are not only proper, they are far more comfortable. It seems the animators chose to reuse the usual templates
rather than go to the trouble and expense of animating different clothes at this point in the series.


- Clovis became a Senator the same year as Padme, which is 7949 (28 BBY), seven years before this episode.


Anakin tosses Clovis around in the back of the ship, by rocking the ship. This is the second example in this series
where the artificial gravity and inertial dampers which make spaceflight in SW possible are ignored for the sake of
the script. The incredible g-forces involved in accelerating and maneuvering at the speeds shown would batter
and crush Human bodies. If the inertial dampers weren't functioning, Clovis would have been pinned to
the back of the cabin the entire scene, and wouldn't have been available for a physical comedy routine.


- Cato Neimoida is a strange and beautiful planet located in the Quellor Sector, in the Slice sectors of the Colonies region of the Core, which was
first seen in Episode III during the Order 66 montage. The planet is notable for its acidic oceans, and much of the land features tall rock
formations carved out by the acidic seas they tower over. Cato Neimodia's vast forests and grasslands, and varied ecosystem, thrive on these
rocky columns, arches, and plateaus. The planet is also notable for its bridge cities, which are suspended like baskets between rocky supports.
The planet was colonized during the early stages of interstellar flight by Neimoidians from their relatively near-by homeworld of Neimoidia,
and became the first of the 'Purse Worlds', along with Deko Neimoidia and Koru Neimoidia. The Purse Worlds were regional capitals with
jurisdiction over Neimoidian colonies in their area, and once integrated into the Human-dominated Republic, retained their important
status. As the Neimodian worlds became increasingly synonymous with the Trade Federation, these purse worlds became even greater
centers of wealth and influence. As the significance of the planet Neimoidia waned, Cato Neimoidia became the headquarters of
the organization, and eclipsed the Neimodian homeworld in galactic importance and influence.



Lott Dod's two attendants are wearing Separatist Alliance insignia on their hats, out in the open on Cato Neimoidia,
which is still part of the Republic. Since Neimoidia is a Separatist world, and isn't far away, it is conceivable that these
are legal guests, as Cato Neimoidia is officially neutral but part of the Republic. The entire point of the episode is that
the Banking Clan, while still able to do banking transactions for the Separatists as part of the neutrality of the guilds,
officially disavows the part of their organization which joined the Separatists. As holders of a seat in the Galactic
Senate, they cannot be making official-level investment deals with the Separatists. The Trade Federation is in
the exact same position, and Senator Dod has always claimed the Federation has nothing to do with the Separatists.
To be seen openly by members of the Senate with Separatist officers would be very poor judgement. This is likely
an unnoticed error caused by the animators using a Neimodian templates that were already on file to save time
and expense, as most Neimodians seen prior to this were members of the Separatist Alliance.


ANALYSIS
Rush Clovis is the Senator for the Banking Clan, headquartered on Scipio. The IGBC on Scipio remained with the Republic, but its leader San Hill took
much of the Clan's forces to join the Separatist Alliance. The Republic invaded the Muun homeworld of Muunilinst at the outset of the war, and
captured Chairman Hill, officially reunifying the Clan. It is supposedly entirely loyal to the Republic, and its neutrality allows it to continue to facilitate
dealings with the Separatists, but direct association with the Separatist government as partners in an investment would be seen as taking their side.
Clovis' disgrace leads to his removal as Senator, although he still retains influence within the organization. In order to maintain the appearance of
loyalty, they must distance themselves from Clovis, who is replaced by Nix Card as their representative in the Galactic Senate. Not all those leading
the Banks are in favor of a Separatist victory, but their ultimate allegiance is to themselves, and the many stakeholders who profit along with them.

The Trade Federation's large loans taken out with the Banking Clan is standard practice for an organization of galactic scale with huge and expensive
operations, but their expenses are in reality growing due to the effect of the war. Not only has the Federation devoted a large share of its resources
to the formation of the Separatist Alliance, they still have to play their vital role in large scale galactic shipping and trade if they are to maintain their
wealth and influence. The scarcity of resources, growing demand for supplies, and turbulent economic conditions are causing prices to go up, which
benefits the suppliers, but also decreases the flow of money from a now reduced customer base. In order to fulfill their contracts, and to keep prices
from inflating out of control, the Federation must borrow from the Bank to weather the war, no matter which side prevails.

The new droid foundry they have constructed on Geonosis is the largest ever built, making it a significant threat to Republic strategy. This major
investment for the Banking Clan comes with risk of exposure, but offers the promise of huge returns. The Separatist government will use the wealth
of their many loyal worlds to pay companies owned by their leaders for huge stocks of expensive military equipment. The guilds are able to use their
position to drain public and private money from both sides and funnel it into the pockets of those who created and fuel the war.


FURTHER ANALYSIS
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