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Continuity & Analysis

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - A War on Two Fronts (2012) [S5E2]
Fear is a malleable weapon.
"Separatist takeover complete! Another Republic planet has fallen. Onderon has seceded to
the Confederacy of Independent Systems under the rule of a new king. However, a small band
of rebels have taken refuge deep within the vast and savage wilderness. From an abandoned outpost,
they plot to take back the heavily fortified capital city of Iziz and end the Separatist occupation..."
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Front Runners (2012) [S5E3]
To seek something is to believe in its possibility.
"Jedi form rebel alliance! Led by Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi have trained a band of rebels to
fight the Separatists on the planet Onderon. With the help of the Jedi, the rebels escaped capture
and infiltrated the heavily fortified city of Iziz. Now our heroes have launched an armed campaign
to subvert the Separatist occupation of the planet. The Jedi Council continue to observe and advise
as the rebels strive to gain momentum against the Separatist forces. Despite the absence of civilian
casualties, public fear has ensued as reports of the rebels' daring strikes circulate throughout the city..."
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - The Soft War (2012) [S5E4]
Struggles often begin and end with the truth.
"The rebels elect a new leader! With their training complete, Obi-Wan and Anakin have left
Ahsoka on Onderon to monitor and advise the rebels as they continue to strike Separatist targets
under the command of Steela Gerrera. Facing an escalation of rebel attacks, the Separatists have
sent reinforcements to straighten their hold on the city of Iziz as the battle for the planet unfolds..."
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Tipping Points (2012) [S5E5]
Disobedience is a demand for change.
"War in the Inner Rim! Rebel leader Steela Gerrera has joined forces with General Tandin after
boldly rescuing Onderon's former king from execution, evading a trap set by Separatist ally King Rash
and the droid general Kalani. Amid growing public support and rising unrest, Ahsoka continues to
monitor the rebels' efforts as they rally around Ramsis Dendup to restore his reign as the rightful
king and finally put an end to the Separatist occupation of Onderon..."




CONTINUITY
These four episodes form a single storyline about Onderon. The chronological order of episodes is as given by Lucasfilm,
and follows their release order. The planet Onderon is seen for the first time. Three worlds are seen in these episodes:


- Despite the narrator making it sound like Onderon has just left the Republic, their senator, Mina Bonteri, was already a prominent member of
the Separatist Parliament almost a year earlier. Obi-Wan indicates that this occurred near the outbreak of the Clone Wars, which was a few
months short of three years earlier. This rebel movement must be more recent, or have built up slowly. Onderon had previously been
portrayed as a willing member of the Separatist Alliance. We now learn that the former king, Ramsis Dendup, chose a neutral position at
the outset of the war. Sanjay Rash is now king, apparently taking power when aided by a Separatist invasion of the capital. Mina Bonteri
and her husband were clearly in favor of this at the time, as they were unapologetic supporters of the Separatist cause.
Main Article: The Galactic Republic and the Neutral Systems

- The Jedi Council meets but only ten members of the Council are present in the meeting, either in person or via hologram. Oppo Rancisis
is not present but will appear in future episodes so must be busy. Even Piell, who was killed during the Citadel storyline, is replaced by
Coleman Kcaj, which means either Kcaj is also busy, or this has not yet occurred and the seat is vacant.


- Lux Bonteri has returned to Onderon and joined the rebels relatively recently, as he was seen two storylines earlier trying to team up with
Death Watch in 'A Friend in Need' (S4E14). Saw Gerrera is seen for the first time in this episode, which was also his broadcast debut.


Why are the Jedi suddenly concerned about the legitimacy of Onderon's government? They have been leading invasions
of many Separatist planets which have legitimate governments who made a free decision to leave the Republic. They
invaded homeworlds like Geonosis and Muunilinst to attack Separatist troop production, and homeworlds like Umbara
and Tibrin for their strategic location. What makes those Separatist governments any less legitimate than Onderon's?
More to the point, where were the Jedi's ethics and supposed democratic principles in those battles, or the countless
others we were never shown on screen like them? If their apprehension in this case is about the lack of significant
Separatist forces, then they aren't truly worried about civilian casualties, only the optics of the invasion. Had the Jedi
adopted a purely defensive strategy from the beginning of the war it would likely have been long and difficult to win,
but it wouldn't have been as ethically dubious. Their desire to defeat Dooku and his droid forces seems to often
supersede their ethical concerns. Obi-Wan will later tell Ahsoka that as it has become a civil war, the Council will not
authorize interfering in an internal matter. This continuity issue is probably a continuity error, although it could be
explained as Jedi hypocrisy. We have seen the Jedi take sides in civil wars during the Clone Wars, on Mon Cala and
Balith, and while it could be argued that those governments were seen as legitimate and asked for the help, that
would mean the Jedi have political principles which dictate their ethics. Since this fight is very much the product of
Separatist meddling, why is this the only time the Jedi seem to have rules against acting?
Main Article: The Galactic Republic and the Neutral Systems


- Onderon is a well-populated world located in the Japrael Sector, in the Slice region of the Inner Rim. It is a warm world which is noted for its large
jungles and thick vegetation, as well as its rocky topography. It is home to a significant native ecosystem, but also hosts many cities of varying
sizes, as well as smaller communities, populated by Humans, as well as many other races who are part of the interstellar community.


- Lux is young Ahsoka's romantic interest, so Lux's relationship with Steela Gerrera initially causes distraction. Anakin's advice that purpose
must come before feelings is a good example of how he is able to effectively teach Jedi principles that Ahsoka can apply, even though he
himself is ultimately unable to adhere to this important doctrine.

- The pilot in the front hatch of an AAT-1 battle tank drives the tank, controls the shells, and operates the short range blasters. The commander
in the top hatch controls the turret with the main cannon. Its main cannon needs to recharge after firing two bursts.

- The capital of Onderon is the heavily fortified city of Iziz. It is a cosmopolitan city and a center of commercial activity. It features the characteristic
architectural style of the planet, and its skyline is dominated by the royal palace.


- Shields on Droideka destroyer droids allow objects to pass through them, so nothing hinders their movement, but reflect energy weapons.
Anakin states that nothing short of a cannon will pierce them, which implies that blaster fire is almost always insufficient to defeat them.
Main Article: Shields, Deflectors, and Ray Shields

- The scanner used by the droids outside of the city can detect organic signals, but can't distinguish between lifeforms in a clump very well.
Main Article: Scanners, Sensors, and Cloaking Devices

- The central power generator for the city of Iziz feeds smaller energy substations throughout the city. It also powers the city's energy shields.
Main Article: Shields, Deflectors, and Ray Shields

- While tireless, the droid army requires power to function. Rash says their troops will be massacred without power, not right away of course, but
the droids will eventually lose power, not to mention that many of their primary weapons are energy based and are finite without recharge.


- The droid General Kalani makes his first appearances in this storyline, and will be seen again in Rebels 'The Last Battle' (S3E6).

- The detention facility holding King Dendup employs a one-way shield to keep him in. This form of shield makes an ideal trap, as it allows would be
rescuers like Saw to enter the location protected by the shield, but once inside, prevents egress. It appears to be a form of ray shield.
Main Article: Shields, Deflectors, and Ray Shields

- Dendup is going to be executed using an electro-guillotine, which is not the technology's actual name, since Guillotine is a name from Earth history.
The name of this device in the SW galaxy is unknown. It is likely these aren't mass-produced, and may even be a product of local engineering.

- The Separatists have begun to deploy the HMP 'Predator' droid gunship, a deadly ray-shielded craft with missiles and laser cannons.
They are capable of most of the same functions as Republic gunships, specifically acting as an aerial assault platform which is capable
of deploying ground forces. This is their earliest appearance chronologically, but they first debuted on screen in Episode III.



Anakin and Obi-Wan are trying to scrounge up a single crate of rocket launchers, and the only source they can come
up with is Hondo way out in the Outer Rim. How is this possibly the best solution? They do mention it needs to be
unofficial and off the books, and they do have a previous relationship which means they know something of his
motivations. Florrum is way out of the way, and there must be hundreds of illegal weapons dealers and smugglers
on Coruscant, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of settled planets which are closer to Coruscant and
Onderon than Florrum is. This ignores that the Jedi should know a great many trustworthy people who aren't
officially connected to them. Any one of them could go to Sienar or Merr-Sonn with some cash, ask to buy some
rocket launchers, and then arrange to have them brought to Onderon. The implication seems to be that if a ship
from Coruscant is captured and questioned, it would prove Republic involvement, and that a bunch of pirates
from the Outer Rim are an ideal delivery service. Nevertheless, this was almost certainly done because Hondo's
gang already had premade templates, and is a fun and previously introduced character that would suit their needs.
This kind of reductionism is incredibly frustrating, as this galaxy has a population of trillions of people living on
millions of planets, and yet what is shown often seems empty, unpopulated, and somehow every facet of life
is dominated by a very limited cast of characters. Obi-Wan asks, "who in the galaxy would be running around
with an extra batch of missiles?" The answer to that question should be an extremely long list, in any time period.
Main Article: Galactic Population


- This is Hondo's first appearance since 'Lethal Trackdown' (S2E22), around a year earlier. He was far more helpful to the Jedi in that encounter than
his prior attempt to kidnap and ransom Obi-Wan and Anakin, and continues to build on their strange relationship based on mutual benefit.


Anakin travels all the way from Coruscant to Florrum in the Outer Rim to meet with Hondo, who leaves Florrum to
bring weapons to Onderon, which isn't nearby but is much closer than Coruscant. The time this should have taken
was almost certainly a good deal more time than seems to have passed on Onderon, where the battle began during
the daytime, and it only seems to be evening at best when Hondo arrives. All of that travel should have had Hondo
arriving during the night, and possibly the next day. It is possible it is the next day, but that is not the implication.
Main Article: Hyperspace Travel



- Hondo mentions that the RPS-6 rocket launcher is the "latest from Sienar". They are a product of Merr-Sonn Munitions, Inc., although Hondo's
statement seems to imply that Republic Sienar Systems is the primary developer of the weapon. Calling them the latest may just be Hondo being
a salesman, since these have been widely used in the Clone Wars for almost three years.

- Dooku orders Kalani to withdraw his forces to Agamar, a planet in the Outer Rim controlled by the Separatists, which is used as a military supply depot and
staging point. It is a warm and dry world mostly populated by Humans, featuring large seas, forests, agricultural land, and large barren wastes. At some
point over the next year, likely closer to the end of the war, the Republic will destroy the Separatist facilities there, leaving Kalani stranded on the planet.

- Steela's death sets her brother Saw Gerrera on a path where he embraces loss as inevitable, which informs his future personality, philosophy, and tactics.
Saw will becoming increasingly pessimistic, and sometimes unscrupulous, but will also embrace the reality of situations faster than others, which becomes
a key to his survival. He was already one to put practical action ahead of optics or political concerns. Dendup says this is "the day Onderon became free
again", which is temporarily true, but is also only a bit over a year before the Republic becomes the Empire and Onderon becomes captured by the Sith
again. Saw will turn the core of this rebel movement into one of the earliest rebel cells to oppose the Empire.


- Onderon rejoins the Republic, presumably for the first time in over two years since near the start of the Clone Wars. Lux Bonteri becomes their
representative in the Senate, taking the place his mother left to join the Separatists, whose leaders betrayed her unto her death.

ANALYSIS
Anakin wants to use insurgent armies to destabilize Separatist planets, and to attack their industrial base and infrastructure. Obi-Wan suggests it will
be state-sponsored terror. Mace thinks it's a good tactic, and Yoda has promised to find a way to help them, so the Jedi decide to go ahead with
support for military action with the usual caveat that the Jedi must oversee everything to ensure their help isn't misused, and that targets of violence
meet with the ethical principles of the Jedi. Obi-Wan correctly observes that what makes the Jedi, and usually by extension the Republic, different
from others is their ethical principles, which in this case includes how they conduct warfare. Obi-Wan is well aware that it is fundamentally wrong
for an outside power to engage in regime change efforts, stating in the Council that "funding Rebels to overthrow a legitimate government puts
innocent lives at risk." As a result, the Jedi decide only to aid the Rebels with technology that can help them defend themselves against the droid army,
and to send advisors, which does little to address Obi-Wan's original concerns about the issue of employing force to overthrow stable, legitimately
recognized governments, something the Jedi should have been far more concerned about since the beginning of this war.

The rebels confine their actions to targeting Separatist agents and forces, yet people are afraid. Steela believes they are afraid the rebels aren't
strong enough to win, and thus fear joining them. The leadership is also painting them as dangerous extremists, so the public perception of them
certainly isn't uniform. This makes public relations into a strategic goal for the small rebel group, as they need hope of victory and positive visibility
if they hope to inspire others to join them, or lead a popular uprising. Attacks of this nature often run the risk of collateral damage, which can
have the opposite effect. Rebel groups inevitably take losses, which usually leads to emotional responses and reckless tactics, which in some cases
can lead to the abandonment of principles, and becoming a mirror of the oppressive force they are fighting. Most rebels groups don't remain
as upstanding as the Onderon rebels seem to, unless they have wise and ethical leaders, such as the Jedi.

Anakin points out the connection between popular support and the legitimacy of a rebel movement, telling the Rebels their ability to influence
the people will determine their ability to represent the people and their interests. Their ability to maintain their principles in the face of external
enemies, as well as amongst their own organization, will determine their popularity amongst their own people. The rebels align their movement
with the principle of restoring the previous king, Dendup, as he has a great deal of credibility with the people, and his installation as leader would
help establish the legitimacy of the regime they seek to put in place. It will also allay concerns about their motives, as many rebel groups aim to put
their own leaders to power, which can often lead to a betrayal of the principles of their revolution. Obi-Wan points out that the king represents
hope to many people, and his inclusion is critical to their success, as he is respected as an honest and sagacious leader.

Dooku is understandably underwhelmed by King Rash's inability to put down a small rebellion. He sends General Kalani, a capable super tactical droid,
assuming that the problem is strategy and ruthlessness in execution. General Tandem wishes to deploy his Human troops from the Royal Guard, noting
that these principled rebels seem to only target the droids. Kalani forbids it, as Humans from Onderon may have sympathies with these rebels as fellow
citizens, or as fellow living beings. Tandem doesn't want to torture rebels to death because it gets them nothing and creates martyrs, and wisely tells
Kalani that he has strong tactics but is limited by his rigid approach to victory through blunt force. Kalani takes this as a sign that Tandem is a potential
weak link, rather than taking his advice. The Separatists conduct leads Tandem to see that Saw Gerrera is right to suggest they are all their prisoners of
the Separatists already, precipitating his change in loyalty. Kalani believes that the rebel forces are weak, and that the fear of their forces will bring
the people back into line. When his advanced forces are stymied, and having seen Rash lose the support of the people, Kalani determines victory would
require a long, drawn-out fight. Since this is of no interest to Dooku, he orders Kalani to abandon the planet and to fall back to the Separatist staging
zone at Agamar. Kalani may have been a good strategic planner, but the course of action he chooses is basically the same approach King Rash was
already using, which again failed. A quick victory against partisan insurgents using overwhelming force is rarely possible. Kalani didn't change tactics,
since he believed the new gunships he brought were too powerful of a weapon for the rebels to overcome. The desire of living beings to survive,
and the clever means they will devise to achieve that, aren't something droids can emulate through programming, or truly understand.


FURTHER ANALYSIS
Clone Wars Bloopers: The Onderon Arc