‘Clone Wars’ resumed new episodes this week – spoilers ahead!
From the beginning of the episode, we are immersed in the Kadavo prison where Obi-Wan, Rex, and the Kiros citizens are enslaved and forced to perform manual labor. When Ben tries to stop the whipping of one of the slaves, the punishment only grows more harsh. As Obi-Wan comforts the slave he backs away, saying “Jedi only make things worse.”
Dooku makes a visit to Zygerria’s Queen Miraj. She is surprised, but Dooku has actually been summoned by Atai, the Queen’s advisor and Prime Minister, who is concerned over Miraj’s attachment to Anakin. While Dooku and the Queen have a private meeting, R2D2 distracts Anakin’s guards and leads him to Ahsoka. She is freed from her hanging cage in short order, and Anakin tells her to be at the ready with the ship so they can free Ben as soon as they learn his location.
The Queen shares her plans with Dooku. She has arranged it so that any action Obi-Wan takes to help other prisoners will end in their injury, hoping this will break his spirit. It’s not a complicated plot, but it would be effective. A Jedi’s nature is to help others, and if this kindness is taken away from Ben, what would he have left of himself? The Queen dreams of an army of enslaved Jedi at her command, but Dooku tells her he isn’t interested in enslaved Jedis, just the destruction of them.
Dooku orders Miraj to kill Anakin, but she refuses. Dooku chokes her for her disobedience, but Anakin bursts in before she is killed. The Queen’s guards come in as Anakin and Dooku square off, and Dooku accuses Anakin of killing Queen Miraj. Anakin signals Ahsoka on the comlink and grabs the Queen’s body, jumping out of the building and landing in the ship’s cargo bay.
The Queen is able to tell Anakin where Kenobi is before she dies. Kenobi and Rex are summoned by Agruss the prison keeper to be put to death on Dooku’s orders. Artoo, Anakin, and Ahsoka break into the prison. Dooku orders Kenobi to relay to Anakin that if he doesn’t surrender, all of the slaves will be killed. Jedi reinforcements (including Master Plo) arrive to back Anakin. Rex and Ben begin an assault from the inside.
Agruss electrifies the prison walls before destroying the controls, trapping the prisoners. Ahsoka finds her people and is able to get them out of the prison by dropping through the floor to safety below. Agruss taunts Ben by saying he is unarmed and can’t be killed according to Jedi law. Rex kills him instead stating, “I’m no Jedi.” The Governor of Kiros has now been persuaded to take sides and join the Republic.
This episode raises quite a few questions. Before she dies, the Queen tells Anakin that they are both slaves – Miraj because she must follow Dooku’s orders, and Anakin because he must follow the Jedi laws. Is it really that black and white, though? And wouldn’t that make us all slaves, since we are all made to follow someone else’s rules, be it your boss or the government or whatever higher power you believe in? If she were truly a slave, would Miraj have dared to disobey Dooku’s direct order to kill Anakin? Though he denies it, Anakin does display some feelings toward the Queen. He saved her (momentarily) from Dooku’s wrath, and he carries her with him during his escape. The closest Obi-Wan comes to despair (and the closest to being a slave) is when he is unable to help the other prisoners. We can’t know if the Queen’s plan to break his spirit would have worked, but it certainly looked like it might. Miraj put herself on the line for Anakin, and that act of defiance was what led to her death. Is the key to true freedom and independence, then, caring more about people other than yourself? Deep thoughts, Clone Wars.
If you missed the previous episode, be sure to read our ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Slaves Of The Republic – ‘ recap to catch up.
