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Continuity & Analysis

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Kidnapped (2011) [S4E11]
Where we are going always reflects where we came from.
"A planet of peace! The artisan colony of the planet Kiros created a society without weapons.
Instead of war, they pursue art and beauty. But in the Clone Wars, even peace-loving
worlds are seemingly forced to change sides..."
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Slaves of the Republic (2011) [S4E12]
Those who enslave others inevitably become slaves themselves.
"Kidnapped! During a Separatist invasion of the planet Kiros, thousands of peaceful colonists
are abducted by Zygerrian slavers. Determined to find the missing colonists, the Jedi travel
to Zygerria, home to the galaxy's most notorious slave empire..."
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Escape from Kadavo (2012) [S4E13]
Great hope can come from small sacrifices.
"A people enslaved! To locate the abducted colonists of a peace-loving world, the Jedi infiltrated
the slaver planet of Zygerria, only to be captured by its ambitious queen, who plots to rebuild
her empire of oppression. Now, even Obi-Wan Kenobi must come to terms with a life in chains..."
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - A Friend in Need (2012) [S4E14]
Friendship shows us who we really are.
"Divided by war! In an effort to end the galactic conflict, the first ever sanctioned meeting
between the Republic and the Separatists will be held and Mandalore is chosen as neutral
ground for these precarious meetings. Tensions run high as many hold hope for these
important negotiations..."




CONTINUITY
The first three episodes form a single storyline about the Zygerrian slavers. 'A Friend in Need' is a standalone episode connected to the other
episodes by chronological order, and loosely by theme. The order of episodes is as given by Lucasfilm, and follows their release order.
The planets Kiros, Zygerria, Kadavo, and Carlac are seen for the first time. Six worlds are seen in these episodes:

The Zygerrian storyline is a screen adaptation of the first six editions of the Dark Horse Comics Star Wars: The Clone Wars series,
thus making that story canon. The episode 'A Friend in Need' was originally intended to be part of the upcoming Clovis storyline,
but those episodes were put off until Season 6. 'A Friend in Need' does connect to the theme of the other episodes, in that it is
also about slavery and how the peaceful are easily victimized in lawless times and places.

- The planet Kiros is home to a Togruta population, due to its proximity to Shili, the Togruta homeworld. Both planets are located in the Ehosiq Sector,
in the Northern Dependencies of the Expansion Region of the Rim. It is a pleasant world with abundant life and water. The capital city is
an artist colony, and features Togruta-style architecture. The population is approximately 50,000 people on the entire planet. Ahsoka calls
these her people, since they too are Togruta, although she is from Shili.


- It has been 10 rotations since the Separatist invasion, which are the SW equivalent of days. Since all planets rotate at different rates, it can be assumed
that Anakin is referring to Coruscant rotations, which are galactic standard, or possibly to Kiros rotations, because they are local.


Anakin and company arrive in the system on a Venator-class destroyer which he orders Rex to "take down" into
the atmosphere. In the next scene, the ship is an Acclaimator-class assault cruiser entering the atmosphere, and
Anakin and company emerge from it. This is a continuity error, unless they left the destroyer and ferried over to
an unseen cruiser which was trailing the arriving battle group. That would explain why Anakin would call Admiral
Yularen for a planetary bioscan, since his destroyer is still in orbit. In that case, when Obi-Wan tells Rex to take
them down, and they are still on the destroyer, that is a continuity error. When Jedi are part of a landing force,
they always arrive on the ship that will deliver them. This is either an animation error or a script error, or both.


- Anakin orders a planetary bioscan, to search for Togruta or other sentient species life signs on the planet. A scan this extensive and specific takes a while,
even for a large Republic destroyer. The scan is not finished for hours.
Main Article: Scanners, Sensors, and Cloaking Devices

- The issue of slavery is a dark one for Anakin, given the life he and his mother led. Dealing with slavery, a subject which is already enveloped in darkness, also fuels
strong emotions in Anakin, and fuels his desire for 'justice' in the form of revenge. His inability to move past these issues still limit his growth as a Jedi.

- The old Zygerrian slave empire lasted for 1000s of years. It is unclear exactly when it was an empire, but it was likely over 2000 years prior during the golden age of
the Old Republic, which had anti-slavery laws, and at its height controlled all of what was known space at the time. The period between 2000 and 1000 years prior
to the Clone Wars were increasingly volatile, and the Republic decreased in size and power steadily across that time period. It is therefore also possible the Jedi
destroyed the empire being referred to near the end of that period, or in the early stages of the current Galactic Republic.


Droideka sniper droids are extremely effective. Why do they seem to be used so sparingly? A dozen or so of these
positioned well could be devastating to a large forward assault. It is hard to believe they are prohibitively more
expensive than droideka destroyer droids, so like the super tanks from 'Weapons Factory' (S2E6), they are simply
underutilized by the Separatists, to their detriment.


- Obi-Wan uses Force crush, which is an extreme use of Force grip, to destroy the two commando droids. This is a use that requires a wielder to be strong and
knowledgeable in the Force. This is never used by a Jedi on a living being, but can be used on inanimate object or droids. Despite non-canon suggestions to
the contrary, it is clear that Obi-Wan has a strong natural ability with the Force, which when combined with his years of knowledge make him formidable.

- The Zygerrians use electro-whips, also called lightwhips, which are whips made of a retractable cord which was energized. Their energy output is sufficient to
withstand blows from a lightsaber. They are a painful but non-lethal weapon to be used to subdue, or as a method of corporal punishment for their slaves.


- Shaak Ti is seen in person on Coruscant, as are much of the Jedi Council. Master Fisto is projected from off-world, as is Obi-Wan. Now early in its third year, the war
has for brief periods become predictable enough to allow the thousands of Jedi knights serving as field generals to manage the war without emergencies requiring
the services of leading members of the Jedi Council. Nevertheless, Council members are still routinely off world, and for this many to be on Coruscant at once has
been a less frequent occurrence which is starting to become more common. Shaak Ti divides her time between Kamino and Coruscant, usually favoring the former,
but is now able to spend more time on Coruscant, as the threat to Kamino is somewhat reduced, and the training staff there are well-established and practiced.

- When the Jedi arrive in the Zygerrian system, they approach the planet from the direction they emerged from the local hyperspace lane. They make a course
correction to join a traffic lane which ensures ships going to, or coming from, the spaceports of the capital aren't flying in intersecting flight paths.

- Zygerria is a hospitable, terrestrial world featuring large oceans, rocky continents, a healthy ecosystem, and a pleasant climate. Located in the Chorlian Sector of
the Trans-Hydian region of the Outer Rim, it lies near the outer edges of the galaxy in the northeast. It is the homeworld of the feline Zygerrians, a relatively
advanced species famous for its cultural predilection with slavery, which is likely in part due to their nature as cat-like beings, similar to the lizard-like Trandoshans
enthusiasm for hunting and sport. The planet supports a large population, but has not displaced much of their natural areas or ravaged their ecosystem. It is also
the homeworld of many interesting animals, including the large gliding lizards, which the Zygerrians have domesticated.


- Calling someone a skug is an insult, but it is unclear if a skug is some creature considered inferior, or if it is some kind of slang term with an ill-defined meaning.


Is Bruno Denturri really dead? Denturri is apparently another slaver, whose operation is worthy of a rivalry with
Queen Miraj Scintel and the Zygerrians. If Denturri was actually killed recently, as Anakin claims, it is very
convenient, and if not, it is surprising the Queen and Prime Minster didn't bother to verify this.


- Marlo the Hutt, leader of one of the five Hutt crime families, is seen on Zygerria shopping for slaves.

- Prime Minster Molec doesn't recognize Obi-Wan at first, having only just seen him for the first time days earlier on a transmission. He puts it all together, telling
Obi-Wan, "I know you, from the hologram. I never forget a Jedi." The Zygerrian slavers really dislike the Jedi, and he just saw a picture of him the other day, and
he still takes needs some time to identify him. Even the members of the Jedi High Council aren't celebrities with known faces anyone could recognize. The galaxy
has a massive population, and to be recognized widely, one would need to be as famous as Palpatine and Dooku, unless known to someone personally.
Main Article: Awareness of the Jedi and the Sith

- The Zygerrians maintain a slave processing facility on Kadavo, a relatively nearby planet in Wild Space, just beyond the Chorlian Sector of the Outer Rim.
Kadavo is rocky, volcanic, and barren. This facility, refered to as an "education center", is a labor camp used to torture people until they adopt
a subservient mindset and lose the will to resist being enslaved.



After the Queen throws her glass on the ground, it is heard to shatter, but a few shots later it is seen on the ground
intact. This is either an animation error or an improper sound effect.


- Anakin has his fourth confrontation with Dooku, but since Anakin only has an electro-whip to work with, it is not a fair test of his progress and abilities.
Anakin and Dooku have now met in person five times: their three previous lightsaber duels, this instance, and when they were captured by pirates.

- Dooku calls Kadavo to let Obi-Wan know he has beaten him, before Obi-Wan is to be put to death by Keeper Agruss. Dooku respects Obi-Wan as a worthy
opponent to him, despite Dooku's confidence in his own superiority, and he wishes to get his last bit of victory by telling Obi-Wan in person that he has won.

- Master Plo arrives with reinforcements to rescue the slaves and destroy the Kadavo installation. His fighter callsign is "Wolf Leader", a reference to his
unit, the 104th Battalion, known as the 'Wolfpack'. The Jedi are still primarily flying the Aethersprite fighters they have been using since the start of
the war, but the clone pilots seen here are flying the Z-95 Headhunters which are quickly becoming the Republic standard, replacing the V-19 Torrent.


- The defense towers at the facility are ray-shielded, and in this case are the light-blue colored protective variety which resist weapons fire. These are
the same kind of shields which protect sensitive areas on starships, and can be employed in an atmosphere on a limited scale during battle.
Main Article: Shields, Deflectors, and Ray Shields


How many of the 50,000 people were rescued? There seem to be about twenty-five Togruta in the electrified box who
are saved, then the facility was destroyed. Was that all that were left at his facility? Some may have been shipped out as
slaves, and several were killed, but is this all that is left of the population, and is no one concerned about searching for
the others? Anakin asked the Queen where she keeps 50,000 people, but she never responded. Perhaps there were
other facilities on the planet which were liberated, but if that is true, it is not shown, and doesn't seem to be implied.


- Kiros will no longer remain neutral but will instead rejoin the Republic. Governor Roshti say he doesn't think his people will recover from this horror
anytime soon, which means his primary concern is the psychological damage. This implies that a good many other of these people may have been
rescued. Unfortunately, even a small Republic garrison would undoubtedly become an occupation force under the Empire, with similar results.


- Republic-Separatist peace talks are held on the neutral planet of Mandalore. The Separatists are represented by Seantor Bec Lawise, their Parliament's
Speaker, as well as Senator Fonti of the Commerce Guild, and Senator Atell of the Corporate Alliance. The Republic is represented by Padme, Bail Organa,
and Mon Mothma, the leaders of the loyalist faction which support negotiation to end the war in the Galactic Senate.

- The planet Carlac is located in the Prefsbelt Sector, in the New Territories region of the Outer Rim. It is a rocky and frigid world with abundant water.
It featured mountains, plains, and forests, and much of its surface is covered in snow. It has an atmosphere that can support Humans and
other lifeforms, and a Human tribe known as the Ming Po reside on the planet. They are a simple people by choice, but do utilize technology.
They do not seem to interact with the galaxy at large, or to use spaceflight, however at least one Ming Po is seen off world in another episode.


- The Death Watch has established a base on Carlac, having fallen back from Concordia and other Mandalorian worlds to avoid exposure. The brutal and
reactionary methods and ideas of the Death Watch, are made clear, as they kill the population of a local Ming Po village for standing up for themselves.
The Death Watch and other fundamentalist Mandalorians believe that the weak have no right to give orders to the strong.

- Lux Bonteri uses a holotrace device, which can identify the origin of any holographic transmission, allowing him to pinpoint Dooku's exact location.
The device is small enough to be worn on a wrist, and indicates quite clearly that tracing technology is relatively straightforward and available. Since
he is taken aboard a Separatist ship, the message is being transmitted by the HyperCom Cartel, so ordinarily the Republic would not be able to trace
it. This does mean that there is no reason why other transmissions over Republic HoloNet couldn't be used by authorities to locate the senders.
Main Article: Hyperspace Communications


What occurred between Death Watch and Dooku between 'The Mandalore Plot' (S2E12) and this storyline?
Pre Vizsla says the scar on his face was a "parting gift from Count Dooku". Clearly some other interaction must
have occurred, since Dooku didn't really betray them in their first attempt to destabilize Mandalore, and was
not with Vizsla to injure him at the time. In the future, Death Watch is quite bitter over whatever else went on.


- The droids used for target practice have an innate desire to be made intact and functional, resulting in a chorus of "please reassemble us." This may be
base programming, but it may also be an emergent property which combines their sense of self with their programming for self-preservation and
motivation to work. This creates the artificial need to be made whole and functional to feel 'right' and 'fulfilled', and a droid form of desire.
Main Article: Droid Intelligence

- Near the end of Bo-Katan's first encounter with Ahsoka, her future ally and possibly even friend, she tries to kill her. This meeting is fortunate, as it will
lead to an association between them with repercussions in the years and decades to come.

ANALYSIS
The Separatists invade Kiros, which was a neutral system in the war, as part of their campaigns to expand their presence in the inner regions of the Rim. This is also in keeping
with the Separatist policy of ignoring the neutrality of worlds whenever it suits their agenda. Governor Roshti tells Yoda he will attempt to negotiate with Dooku, which is
as usual a very one-sided conversation. Dooku tells him to "think of our presence as a peaceful occupation, for your protection as well as ours." Dooku attending to this in
person is likely indicative of the Sith agenda involved in this particular invasion. Ordinarily, the Separatists would move much more cautiously in regard to the neutral
systems, as such moves can have political fallout. Kiros is both insignificant and highly vulnerable, which means toppling it now will take little effort and attract minimal
attention across the galaxy. Capturing the planet and making its people slaves would be easy after the war, but much harder to justify to the Senate. Peaceloving worlds
that are not dealt with during the war, must be manipulated into taking up arms in order to provide a pretext for the Emperor's 'need' to provide security and prevent
separatism. Worlds like Kiros would not respond with violence, so they are secondary targets for Dooku to take out during the war, which can go relatively unnoticed in
the choas of the conflict, and if noticed, can be blamed entirely on the Separatists once the war is over.

Slavery is both a means and a goal of the Sith, and an important component of their rise. The Zygerrians are once again openly involved in large-scale enslavement, made
possible by their membership in the Separatist Alliance. Their ancient empire was based on their wealth and position from the sale of slaves, which was defeated by the Jedi
and the Republic, who have worked to prevent the majority of this activity since that time. There were likely resurgences at periods in history when the Jedi were challenged,
or when the Republic influence in the northeastern regions of the Rim was weak or nonexistent, but for millennia they have been largely inhibited. They believe that
the Jedi won't stop them this time, because Dooku has assured them the Jedi will be defeated. The Jedi are aware Dooku is conspiring with Zygerria, since they are politically
allied, but also are aware of the Sith motivations behind these moves. Sidious tells Dooku that "long have Sith Empires been built on the backs of slaves. To carry on this
tradition, we will require millions." The Galactic Empire will be based on a highly stratified system of slavery, with large numbers of legally-owned slaves, a massive force
of prisoner labor, and a huge under-class of workers who are essentially wage-slaves, indentured servants, or involuntary laborers. In an imperial and fascist system like
the Empire, even those closer to the top are slaves, who must be completely subservient, or they will be replaced, arrested, or killed. As Separatists, the Zygerrians are
already slaves to Dooku and Sidious, used as high ranking slaves that enjoy great privileges as long as they keep the lower ranking slaves in line.

Ahsoka equates slavery with lack of development, making the optimistic assumption that social and technological progress should go hand in hand. They often
do, but technologically advanced cultures are just as capable of oppression and barbarism. When beings act with selfish motives of personal satisfaction, they
chose to use the dark side of their intelligence and abilities. When this becomes culturally acceptable, it tends to perpetuate itself through cultural reinforcement.
The Zygerrian slaver's culture emphasizes outward shows of submission and might, and justifies its violence by claiming that "slavery is the natural order of things.
The weak deserve nothing more than to kneel before the strong." This extremely limited mindset allows them to feel their selfish desire for power is righteous.
At the same time, the Jedi Order has forsaken their ideals to serve a corrupt Senate. Unable to find any course of action which will preserve the Republic other
than war, the Jedi are left with little choice. The Order has always seen itself as servants of the Republic, but as the Senate is now dominated by corrupt interests,
not to mention their Chancellor is secretly the dark Lord of the Sith, their choice to lead the Republic in battle as they always have has made them unwitting
servants of evil. As Queen Scintel observes, "every Jedi has become a slave to the Republic," which is in many ways becoming an accurate statement.

These Zygerrians control those who are strong and care about others by threatening those they care about. Their desire to help others forces them into
inaction for the sake of those others. This care about every one life is noble, but it also becomes an attachment which reduces their ability to help everyone.
This is a big part of why the Jedi teach detachment from emotional reactions, not because they are against those feelings, but because they will get in
the way of the Jedi's ability to react calmly and take the best course of action. That means sometimes people will die, and sometimes people will suffer for
a time, which is what the Jedi hope to use their power to prevent in the first place. It is one of the Jedi's greatest vulnerabilities, and part of why being a Jedi
knight is such a hard life, and a complex balance of compassion and patience in the face of injustice. Dooku says their power over these Jedi is "an illusion",
which is certainly true, but even a wise and advanced Jedi like Obi-Wan has understandable trouble with good people suffering an no ability to help them.
He certainly does seem to be losing hope, however he is ready to act when the opportunity presents itself. In the end his patience paid off, as many were
saved, and this slave operation thwarted, but without the external aid he received, things may not have turned out well for Obi-Wan, Rex, or the Togruta.

Queen Scintel is betrayed by her Prime Minister, Atai Molec, who goes over her head to Dooku, in what is probably just a power grab, but may also be
motivated by the respect Scintel shows to Anakin. The Queen has a plan to raise an army of Jedi slaves, believing her methods effective, and her
philosophy to be natural and correct. Dooku, on the other hand, states quite clearly that he is only interested in the extermination of the Jedi Order.
He also knows the Queen's plan is unlikely to be successful, and that it will leave the dangerous Jedi alive. The Sith are always happy to replace once
subordinate with another, as the Sith are only concerned with a leader's effectiveness, and their obedience to Sith authority. The lack of job security
this employs causes a continuous atmosphere of mutual backstabbing and political climbing that eventually produces a ruthless and terrified
leadership class. The death of the Queen allows Molec to assume the throne and control of Zygerria and its new and growing slave empire.

Peace talks between the Republic and the Separatists finally materialize, more than two years into the war. They are held on Mandalore, which is
chosen for its location and long-standing tradition of independence. Despite previous setbacks, and the polarizing events of a half a year prior during
the last peace initiative, the mounting cost of war once again prompts talk of peace. The Separatists want recognition as a legitimate state as a precondition
for negotiation, which is unacceptable according to the Senate, and is the very cause of the war in the first place. The Republic claims that planets have
no legal right to secede, and is unwilling to recognize any competing government. Padme is not authorized to do this, and thus little headway is made.
Lux Bonteri branded a traitor for speaking the truth about his mother's murder by Dooku. Senator Lawise and many others may honestly believe Dooku's
story that she was killed in a "barbaric" Republic attack against civilians, having been whipped up by patriotic fervor after that supposed example of Republic
terrorism. Lux tries to warn the Separatist senators that Dooku is deceiving them, and that they will all be betrayed, but they see it as slander against their
leader. In private, Dooku tells Lux that his mother was so unimportant that her murder isn't worth remembering. Any serious breakthrough in negotiations
would be once again sabotaged by Dooku and Sidious, along with their allies, to ensure the war doesn't end prematurely.


FURTHER ANALYSIS
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