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Continuity & Analysis

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Assassin (2010) [S3E7]
The future has many paths - choose wisely.
"Criminals captured! Jedi Master Plo Koon and Padawan Ahsoka Tano successfully thwarted
an attempt on Mace Windu's life, killing bounty hunter Aurra Sing in the process. Since that time,
young Ahsoka has grown strong in the ways of the Force. Now, after several harrowing adventures
alongside her Master, the two Jedi have returned to the Temple on Coruscant to receive their next mission..."
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - ARC Troopers (2010) [S3E2]
Fighting a war tests a soldier's skills, defending his home tests a soldier's heart.
"Separatist attack! After the destruction of the Republic outpost on the Rishi Moon, General
Grievous and Asajj Ventress plan an attack on the planet Kamino, home of the cloning factories.
Meanwhile, aboard a Jedi cruiser, Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi examine
an intercepted message from General Grievous..."
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Sphere of Influence (2010) [S3E4]
A child stolen is a hope lost.
"Pantora in peril! The newly elected Chairman of Pantora, Baron Papanoida, is caught in
a deadly political game. The Trade Federation has blockaded Pantora and suspended all commerce
with the system. Isolated from the rest of the Republic, the people of Pantora are beginning to rally
against the Senate, who have seemed unsympathetic to their plight. To make matters worse,
Count Dooku has come forward offering aid if Pantora joins the Separatist Alliance. Chairman
Papanoida has dispatched Senator Chuchi to Coruscant with the hope that she can motivate
the Senate to act in favor of Pantora before Lott Dod can legitimize the blockade..."




CONTINUITY
These three standalone episodes are connected to each other by chronological order, and by Ahsoka and Anakin's separate adventures.
The chronological order of episodes is as given by Lucasfilm. The moon Pantora is seen for the first time. Four worlds are seen in these episodes:

The episode 'Assassin' (S3E7) is the lead-in episode to 'Evil Plans' (S3E8), which is itself a prequel to 'Hostage Crisis' (S1E22). Since Aurra Sing is arrested
in 'Assassin', and is free and bounty hunting again in 'Hostage Crisis', at least some reasonable amount of time passes in between to allow Aurra to escape
or be liberated from prison. This is likely why 'Assassin' is said to take place before 'ARC Troopers' (S3E2) and 'Sphere of Influence' (S3E4).

- We are told that Anakin and Ahsoka have been in many harrowing adventures together since Aurra Sing was presumed dead. Since there was only one
storyline in between, and it was an assignment Ahsoka was given on her own, we can assume that at least a bit more time has passed than usual between
storylines, and that Ahsoka and Anakin had adventures together, before or after her time on Mandalore, or both before and after. Ahsoka's strength with
the Force has grown notably during this period. It is now over a year and half since the war began, and about a year since Anakin became her teacher.


- There is a large scale civil war on Balith, and the leadership of the planet has requested the assistance of the Republic. Anakin is placed in command of
the 3rd Legion, which is a large formation that Anakin will be referenced as in command of at another point near the end of the war.
The phrase '3rd Legion' is often used to describe the 3rd Systems Army, the larger formation to which Anakin's 501st Legion belongs.

- Ahsoka's first vision of Aurra Sing seems metaphorical, rather than a prophetic insight into a specific event. Yoda calls them premonitions, and explains that
vision through the Force reveals more of its true power. The messages the Force shares directly should not be underestimated, and the clarity of these visions
can be improved with meditation and experience. Strangely, Ahsoka is seen having trouble concentrating when she receives her next vision, which is far more
clear, and shows specific events that will happen. The third vision comes with a very specific and pointed message, as though the Force was compelling Ahsoka
to prevent this outcome, and comes when Ahsoka is more relaxed and meditative. Her future visions are specific and constructive, but also incomplete and
therefore vague. Despite this contradiction, the visions steer Ahsoka on a path that preserves Padme's life, effecting the destinies of the entire galaxy.

- The Alderaan conference on war refugees is apparently of significant importance on immigration policy and humanitarian assistance. Bail Organa, Mon Mothma,
and Padme, are the Senators spearheading the effort to help the refugees, as they are honestly concerned about the disastrous fallout from the war.


- Padme says during her opening remarks, that "already, more than a hundred Jedi...", after mentioning the loss of Qui-Gon on Naboo. This figure of over
a hundred Jedi killed must not include those who were killed on Geonosis, as that would mean almost no Jedi had died since Episode II. Nevertheless, only
one hundred plus Jedi killed in over 18 months of fighting is surprisingly low, considering the scale of the war, the bounty from the Separatists for killing Jedi,
and the priority the Separatist leadership places on killing Jedi. It is not entirely surprising, as the Jedi are notoriously difficult to kill, but the number seems
low, considering that Jedi aren't immune to being killed in a ship, or by large explosives, and often find themselves in situations beyond their control.

- Aurra Sing is shown to have survived her crash in the prior storyline, and is now taken into custody. Her assignment proves to have been commissioned
by Ziro the Hutt, as revenge for his imprisonment, which serves as a plot device to set up the Senate hostage crisis storyline which follows this one.

- The Republic has intercepted a transmission from Grievous to Ventress and the Separatist forces already on Kamino. This is achieved by unspecified means,
but the fact that the message was being directed towards a Republic world with a significant security apparatus was probably a major factor.
Main Article: Hyperspace Communications


The flagship of this fleet is a Providence-class dreadnought, but the bridge that is animated is that
of a Munificent-class frigate, which is a smaller vessel with a simpler and more compact bridge.


- The 501st returns home to Kamino, and Echo and Fives reunite with 99, the defective clone that is assigned to maintenance, but is also a respected advisor
to many clones during training. His prominence, combined with his brave actions during the assault on Kamino, created a legacy the clones are proud of, and
also led to the name of Clone Force 99, the unit made up of advantageously defective clones. Echo and Fives are made ARC troopers for their actions here.



There are still infant clones being grown on Kamino. When will be they be ready, and how long do the Jedi and
the Republic expect this war to last? Based on all supporting evidence, it will take about eight or nine years for these
infants to be adults ready to complete their training. On the one hand, it seems ridiculous that the Senate is often arguing
about ordering more clones to increase troop numbers. There is no possibility of these infant clones, or any newly
ordered clones, of making a difference in this war for around a decade. On the other hand, based on historical galactic
conflicts, it is conceivable that war could last many years, or even decades, however most of those conflicts were fought
in time periods where technology was generally less devastating, the total forces involved were smaller or less mobile,
and in many cases were fought when hyperspace travel was slower or required more complex navigation. Despite this,
the Jedi often remark that the war should already be over, or that the war was dragging on longer than expected.
Main Article: Dooku, Sifo-Dyas, and the Clone Army


- The Rancor Battalion under the command of Shaak Ti leads the defense of Kamino, as they are the city's garrison. Shaak Ti is not only in charge of the defense
of the planet, she also oversees training and other matters concerning the clones. As a leading member of the Jedi Council, and an accomplished Master, she
was a logical choice for this assignment, as a Jedi with great experience and abilities as a warrior is required to protect and lead a project of this importance.


- Anakin has his third confrontation with Ventress, once again one-on-one as in their first meeting. In that first battle, Ventress took out Anakin's clone escort
before they fought. This time, Anakin has clones to help him at the conclusion of the battle, when he needs them, tempering a recurrence of Anakin's angry
and dark victory over her on Yavin 4. Anakin plans to let the clones execute her, in keeping with his preference for victory over adhering to Jedi principles.


- Obi-Wan has his third confrontation with Grievous, this time with more confidence that he understands his opponent and knowledge that he can defeat him.
Grievous had Obi-Wan on the run in their first encounter, and their second encounter was more of a back and forth, but in this instance Obi-Wan is establishing
his superior position in their duels. He has begun to use Grievous' lack of Force sensitivity against him, as the General is unable to counter being pushed using
the Force, which puts Grievous in a defensive posture, and leads him to run away rather than face his defeat. Only the devastation his forces are causing to
the structure of the city gives Grievous the ability to escape when Obi-Wan is distracted saving himself from plummeting into the ocean.

- Pantora is a beautiful moon of Orto Plutonia, located in the Sujimis Sector, in the Trailing Sectors of the Outer Rim. Although much of the moon's native
ecology is undisturbed, the planet is host to large cities and a significant population. It is the homeworld of the Pantorans, a generally sensible people,
and their culture is not overly prone to excess. Their advanced technology allows them to live mostly in harmony with their own ecosystem, which
includes at least plains, hills and likely mountains, littoral regions, rivers, lakes, swamps, and seas. The admirable Riyo Chuchi is still their Senator,
and their recently deceased Chairman Chi Cho has been replaced by Baron Papanoida, a very reasonable and knowledgeable person. His daughter
Chi Eekway Papanoida, featured in this episode, will replace Chuchi in the Senate shortly before Episode III.


- Padme and Ahsoka have returned to Coruscant from Alderaan, likely before or around the time Anakin left Balith and joined Obi-Wan. Having traveled
across the galaxy to aid in the defense of Kamino, Anakin has now returned to Coruscant and reunited with Padme and Ahsoka.

- Padme tells Anakin she can't believe they let him teach, after observing that Anakin has taught Ahsoka that proceeding without the authorization of
the Council is necessary and acceptable. Ordinarily, it is unlikely that the Council would have allowed someone as reckless and insubordinate as Anakin
to teach at this stage, but his special nature required a special approach. Anakin having to teach a student Jedi lessons was intended as a means for him
to gain a greater understanding of these teachings himself, however the Council may have also been trying to appease him as well. Anakin is extremely
advanced for his age, due to his unusual Force connectivity, but the doesn't always have the maturity or wisdom to match his skills. Unwilling to promote
Anakin further, and unwilling to teach him some of the more advanced Jedi knowledge about the Force, giving him teaching status was a way to recognize
his great ability without advancing him again from Knight to Master. Ordinarily, a Jedi of his age would still be a Padawan.

- Inspector Divo of the Coruscant Security Force is investigating the kidnapping of the Chairman's daughters. This is his earliest appearance chronologically,
since his first appearance was in 'Senate Murders' (S2E15), which takes place later in time from this episode, two storylines from this one.


The Separatist droids are able to monitor intruders in the detention area from the bridge, project a hologram of them,
and listen to every word they are saying. Why don't ships in SW use this technology all the time, on every deck,
considering they have computers and droids to monitor these things tirelessly? It would certainly prevent many of
the exploits of the Jedi, or rebel infiltrators during the times of the Empire, or countless other situations that make for
exciting or interesting stories. It's understandable that the writers don't want to take the fun out of their own shows,
but it still tends to make these organizations and militaries seem somewhat incompetent, at least in terms of their
ability to take advantage of all strategic applications of their advanced technology.


ANALYSIS
The Rishi Moon tracking station that was destroyed most of a year earlier in 'Rookies' (S1E5), has not been able to be replaced for unknown reasons,
possibly due to the limitations of resources and continuous warfare in the region. Grievous, having been previously thwarted by the Republic fleet, now
plans to assault Kamino. The hole in the tracking station network has allowed the Separatists to deposit an advanced team on Kamino, hiding beneath
the ocean. Grievous will make it appear the objective is a straightforward assault to take or destroy Tipoca City, the Kaminoan capital, while the real
objective is to reach the clone DNA vault and steal the original sample. Republic intelligence has been able to intercept a transmission from Grievous,
and have prepared a defence for the planet led by Obi-Wan in orbit, Anakin leading the fighter assault, and Shaak Ti leading the battle in the city.

Grievous' invasion fleet consists of a Providence-class dreadnought as its command ship, three Recusant-class destroyers, and eleven Munificent-class frigates
as escort ships. The fleet arrives at Kamino in a convoy formation, but Grievous orders them to assume attack formation Echo 3, where the destroyers press
a forward attack, with the frigates protecting their flanks, as well as the command ship. This formation presents the frigates as primary targets for the fighter
assault, allowing them to deploy their faux debris which contains the components of their amphibious assault craft. This formation also presents the Republic
with a strategy that will not immediately give away the deceptive maneuver, as this formation would be the first step in a series of flanking maneuvers designed
to lure Republic ships out of position and isolate them for destruction. Separatist fighter support is largely focused on countering the Republic fighter strike.

The result of the naval battle is largely inconclusive, as the Separatists withdraw before the battle is fought to its conclusion, nevertheless the Republic defensive
strategy was effective, and likely would have won the battle even if the Separatists been trying to achieve an all out victory. Despite the decent size of Grievous's fleet,
the armada protecting Kamino, combined with the forces brought by Obi-Wan and Anakin are appropriately matched. Republic ships are deployed in a two-line
blockade formation, and employ smaller escort cruisers which can provide needed maneuverability in the event the Separatist escort frigates attempt to flank and
isolate the destroyers which are holding the line against the larger Separatist ships. The Republic fighter assault, referred to inappropriately as an airstrike, is highly
effective, mostly out of Grievous' own design, as he needs the frigates to come under attack to enable his deception. Ordinarily, with destroyers firing their cannons
in a forward assault, the frigates would protect the destroyers from rear assault by enemy fighters or escort ships, and fighters would be deployed to occupy
the enemy fighters, thus helping protect the escort ships. Only a few squadrons are seen deployed to counter the initial fighter attack, but since we do not see
the later stages, it is unclear if additional Vulture droids were deployed after the deception was complete. What we do see is that the Separatist fleet did incur
damage that was potentially significant, and while Republic forces were also damaged, losses were minimal in terms of its defensive posture.

The naval battle in orbit is in reality a diversion to distract the Republic from the main mission, which is to deploy assault forces and ships hidden inside faux debris,
seemingly detached due to battle damage and falling into the ocean. The droids are able quickly assemble the Trident-class assault ships that will assault the city.
Considering the Separatists objectives, this is an intelligent approach, as it will at least allow their agents a chance to steal the clone DNA, and if the battle turns
their way at the right moments, potentially lead to the total destruction of the city and the cloning factories. The reinforcements brought by Anakin and Obi-Wan
ensure that Republic defenses are strong enough that there aren't enough droids to realistically take the city, which leads Obi-Wan to deduce their true objective.
This assault causes major destruction to the facilities and portions of the city, and kills many clones, including a great many infants in tubes, likely many 'unfinished'
clones of various ages, and many soldiers of the Rancor Battalion and 501st Legion. The Battle of Kamino was a decisive Republic victory, but despite not capturing
the DNA sample they desired, the Separatists still inflicted significant damage to the Republic's most strategically important facility with this strike.

The Trade Federation has blockaded Pantora, ostensibly in a semi-legal move to recoup debt the moon owes, but in reality as a mechanism to pressure
the Pantorans to join the Separatist Alliance. The Federation employs this tactic regularly, however some legally accrued debt must be in play to begin
with, or the move wouldn't be possible. Apparently public sentiment on Pantora is pushing to join the Separatists and thus end the blockade, indicating
that Pantorans have become more concerned about their immediate situation than their long-standing allegiance to the Republic. The leadership of
Pantora is less enthusiastic about the Separatists, apparently more aware of the negative repercussions of Separatist membership.

The importance of the Commerce Treaty of 1647 is emphasized by the Trade Federation as the legal basis for the neutrality of the trade guilds. This document,
enacted about 6300 years prior to the Clone Wars, goes back to the days of the Old Republic, suggesting that early forms of trade alliances, commercial guilds,
or similar fledgling interstellar trade interests, may have existed long before this current incarnation of the Republic. Regardless of the specific principals
involved at the time of the treaty's signing, the document guarantees the neutrality of trade and commercial interests in interstellar conflicts, with the aim of
preventing economic interests from becoming strategic objectives to be battled over, which would severely impact civilian populations. Chuchi's claim that
the Federation is aligned with the Separatists is mostly true, as even the 'loyal' components of the organization are covertly working towards the success of
the Separatist cause. Anti-Federation sentiment in the Senate seems strong, at least in regard to their strong-arm tactics, which was likely existed even before
the Naboo Crisis, but has since been exacerbated by their actions before and during the war. The Senate does have the authority to order the Federation to
resume trade, however in practice the Federation and its allies usually have the clout to defeat such measures unless the circumstances are excessively unfair.

It's clear from the supposedly private conversation between Sib Canay and the Trade Federation ambassador to Pantora, that Canay did not have official permission
from the Federation to scheme with the Separatists and kidnap the Chairman's daughter. The trade guilds had a large portion of their forces and resources 'defect'
to the Separatists at the very beginning of the war in Episode II, allowing their remaining leadership to keep their loyalty to the Republic, giving them a leading role
on both sides of the conflict. While the 'loyal' faction of the guilds are actively working towards the success of the Separatist Alliance, they are also serious about
their loyalist faction staying in good official standing with the Republic. It is still very likely that the Republic will emerge victorious from the war, and for their entire
organization to be exposed as traitorous would almost certainly mean the end of their power, or at the least lead to the prosecution and removal of all their leaders.
The Federation is perfectly happy to use legal means like their blockade to pressure the Pantorans to join the Separatists, and doesn't need to risk its precarious
position by resorting to high profile crimes. Once Canay's treachery is exposed, and Pantora has leverage that will nullify the Federation's efforts towards them,
the Federation chooses to cut their loses, use Sib Canay and Nute Gunray as scapegoats, reopen trade, and highlight their efforts to boost their public relations.


FURTHER ANALYSIS
Report Pending