Prior Episodes | 7957 (20 BBY) | Next Episodes
Continuity & Analysis

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Padawan Lost (2011) [S3E21]
Without humility, courage is a dangerous game.
"Turmoil in the Outer Rim! Located near a major hyperspace lane, the planet Felucia is caught
in an unending battle between Republic and Separatist forces. Clone tank divisions make a valiant
push deep into Separatist-controlled territory, led by Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan, Ahsoka
Tano. General Grievous, learning of the impending Jedi attack, has dispatched reinforcements
to one of his droid outposts, hoping to secure his grip on the system..."
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Wookiee Hunt (2011) [S3E22]
A great student is what the teacher hopes to be.
"Jedi abducted! Ahsoka Tano is missing in action. Captured and released into an hostile jungle,
she fights to stay alive with the help of a small band of Jedi younglings. As Anakin Skywalker
scours the galaxy, desperate to find his lost apprentice, Trandoshan sport hunters track their
youngling prey. With the death of their leader Kalifa, and separated from her friends, we find
Ahsoka on the run as the hunters close in around her..."




CONTINUITY
These two episodes form a single storyline about Ahsoka. The chronological order of episodes is as given by Lucasfilm, and follows
their release order. The moon of Wasskah is seen for the first time, as is the planet Trandosha, but only from space.
These episodes take place on three worlds:


- This could be considered the 2nd Battle of Felucia, as it is the second we have seen, but as discussed during the events of 'Bounty Hunters' (S2E17),
there must have been at least one other major battle over Felucia in between 'Holocron Heist' (S2E1) and this storyline, so it could be safely referred
to as the 3rd Battle of Felucia. Since the narrator describes the battle on the surface as "unending", and we will see the fighting on Felucia continues
until near the end of Episode III, the Battle of Felucia could be considered to be a single three and a half year planetary war.

- Trandosha is the third planet in the Kashyyyk starsystem, located in the Mytaranor Sector, in the Slice region of the Mid Rim. The planet is only seen from
space, as the story takes place on its moon of Wasskah. It is the homeworld of the saurian Trandoshan species, and is said in supplementary
material to be a forested world. The Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk is the second planet in the starsystem.


- A great many Trandoshans like to hunt, which is not surprising for a reptilian species. These Trandoshan sport hunters prefer to hunt 'the most dangerous
game', sentient beings, but mostly because they are intelligent not dangerous. Intelligent prey make potentially more elusive prey, and the Trandoshans
certainly do not seem interested in a challenge, as they are quite put out by any attempt to fight back against them. They hunt Jedi Younglings because
Jedi Knights are too powerful for them, difficult to capture in the first place, and almost certainly still a threat if released to be hunted.

- Wasskah, the moon of Trandosha, features a verdant ecosystem, plenty of water including large seas, and abundant animal life.
It is unknown if there are significant populations of Trandoshans living anywhere on the moon, as only a remote island is shown.


- Anakin does not like to have his power to control what happens restricted. His desire for greater power can be seen as a dark side tendency, but it may
be very much the nature of the Chosen One, who was immaculately conceived by the Force as a mechanism of self-correction. His natural ability with
the Force fuels his need to achieve and succeed, always lamenting that he should have been there, or should have tried harder. His rise to great power is
the destiny the Force has laid out for him, how he chooses to seek and wield that power depends on his choices. As a child of the Force he has the ability
to be the instrument of tremendous change, and thus limitations truly are holding him back. The Jedi believe in patience, inaction, and subtlety, while
the Sith believe in aggression, force, and raw power. The Sith route is faster, and brings great power, but not nearly what can be achieved by the Jedi path.

- The realities of hunting for sport are explored in this episode, as innocent beings are hunted with technologically advanced means for entertainment.
Most animals which are hunted for sport are intelligent, feel fear, and suffer from pain. It takes a great deal of detachment from the common experience
of all living beings to inflict that upon other beings for the fun of it, and it is truly the dark side of hunting to take pleasure in the fear and suffering as these
Trandoshans do. Their selfish disregard for others brings the dark side to a world otherwise in balance, and the young Jedi fight them to restore balance.

- Convors are seen congregating near the Jedi encampment after Ahsoka arrives. A convor was the spirit animal of the Daughter, one of the Mortis gods
devoted to the light side of the Force. Since she gave Ahsoka some of her energy to restore her life, Ahsoka is now connected to her in the Force in
some way, and the convors respond to that energy, and are often seen around when Ahsoka is seen.

- Wookiees and Trandoshans no doubt have a long and mostly adversarial relationship, as they come from neighboring planets in the same starsystem.
While neither is known from canon to have been technologically advanced before aliens came to their system, it is possible the Trandoshans developed
space travel on their own, but unlikely that the Wookiees did. The Wookiees don't even rely on their own starships in this era, so it is unlikely they ever
did. Whenever it was that the Trandoshans made it into space, with their proclivity for hunting, Wookiees made obvious prizes for Trandoshan hunters,
as they are a fearsome quarry. These hunters are seen to have a significant collection of Wookiee trophies. At the same time, there is no reason to
believe most Wookiees and Trandoshans are actively hostile to each other, as not all Trandoshans are kidnapping sport hunters.


- This storyline is Chewbacca's earliest appearance chronologically, almost a year and a half before his appearance in Episode III.

- A Jedi mind trick can produce a lasting result, presumably with repeated application as shown here. The Trandoshan is told that he needs to call a speeder to
pick him up, and having done so, is still under the influence of the Jedi when the speeder arrives. We see they continue to reinforce this by 'mind-tricking'
him further, but it still suggests how powerful this effect actually is that it lasts as long as an influence is maintained.

ANALYSIS
The war rages on Felucia yet again, which seems to imply that even though naval forces have come and go, trading control of the space above the planet
and at times absent entirely, ground forces from the two sides remain engaged in combat. It is entirely possible that neither side has had control over
the entire surface of the planet since the war began. While the battle is said to be unending, it seems to have calmed down at some points, however
the fighting has once again accelerated. Anakin, Ahsoka, and the 501st are once again campaigning in the northeastern regions of the Rim after many
months on assignments elsewhere in the galaxy, this time accompanied by Master Plo and the 104th Battalion. Their objective in an assault on
a Separatist outpost of some strategic significance, located in a remote and sparsely populated region of the planet. Assistance from the native
Felucians loyal to the Republic is provided in this instance, which is no doubt a vital component of the Republic's struggle to control the surface.
While it seems somewhat strange that neither side seems to be making a serious effort to maintain control of the space above Felucia for any
significant length of time, it is possible the lack of orbital facilities makes it an undesirable station for a fleet. Certainly the economic and political
importance of the planet is significant enough to warrant both sides continuing to devote armies to the battle to control the surface.

Ahsoka uses Anakin's teachings to survive her ordeal, and shows the value of his heads on approach that refuses to sit back and be put on the defensive.
Plo points out fearlessness can also be a weakness, and certainly there is great wisdom in this, and yet the Jedi have abilities which give them a great
advantage in most situations, and pressing that advantage is usually the most expedient path to success or victory. In many ways Anakin and Ahsoka
are two sides of the same coin, as both are naturally powerful, are considered prodigies, and have been promoted at an early age, yet are seen to be
at times reckless, impulsive, and independent. Both care more about doing what they feel is right than following procedure or using patience, however
in Anakin this leads to a tendency to react out of anger, while Ahsoka usually tends to find balance. Above all, both possess great determination, which
is why both are Jedi of great potential, and why Anakin is an effective teacher for Ahsoka. She is able to lead others to survive following Anakin's teachings,
resulting in her gaining a greater appreciation for her master's instruction, and Anakin being encouraged in his role as a part of the Order. All of this is
bonding them as master and student, and helping them both to grow in a positive direction, just as Yoda hoped. Based on his reaction, Yoda seems pleased.


FURTHER ANALYSIS
Report Pending