Rebels: "Kindred" (Ep. 4.07)

-- "It's funny, no matter what happens, we always end up back here."

The Noghri are finally canon. Much like Thrawn. I don't think this is how I ever pictured them, though. In my mind 20-something years ago when I read the Zahn trilogy, I'm sure the Noghri were much more stout. I don't know, since it's been so long since I read the books, if that picture was accurate or not.
And, yeah, I'm sure some (most) of you don't know what the hell I'm talking about.
But I'm okay with that.

And I can't really dwell on anything to do with the Zahn books because that just renews my anger at the sequel trilogy and the injustice done to Mara Jade.

So let's talk about the scene in this episode:
The Empire is bearing down on our group of rebels. Tanks, speeders, the whole shebang. And a Noghri. Hera kisses Kanan. I'm going to assume it's their first ever kiss based on Kanan's expression. The Empire is fast approaching! Everyone turns to watch the kiss. That seems accurate to me.

Oh, yeah, and things continue to develop with the Loth-wolves and this final story-arc.

But it's really all about the kiss.

"This is good. When it gets strange like this, it's a good thing."

"How have you people stayed alive so long?"

Clone Wars -- "Children of the Force" (Ep. 2.3)

-- The first step to correcting a mistake is patience.

[Remember, you can sign up to join the Clone Wars Project at any time by clicking this link.]

We all know that Palpatine used Order 66 to wipe out the Jedi, but that doesn't answer the question of how Force users became, basically, extinct (as far as we know) across the galaxy within a generation. Sure, you could say that without the Jedi and the Temple that Force-sensitive children simply grew up without ever harnessing their abilities, and, to some extent, I'm sure that's true. However, in this episode we see that Darth Sidious' plan is much more insidious.

Part of the plan is to wipe out those children before they ever have a chance to grow up and potentially become a threat. Palpatine doesn't, after all, mess around.

However, the true horror is not that he wants to wipe out the young Force-sensitives, it's that he wants to bend all of them to the Dark Side and use them as a network of spies and assassins.

This whole plot provides background for the long time fan favorite Expanded Universe character Mara Jade.

As far as a I know, Jade is not currently a canon character (you can see my discussion of Star Wars canon here), but there has been talk that she is going to be included somewhere in the new canon and, possibly, the new movies. At any rate, she was a Force-sensitive child who was molded by the Emperor to be his prime assassin, such that she was called the Emperor's Hand,

So there you go. A bit of Expanded Universe history to tie into The Clone Wars.


"What could possibly have happened since I last spoke with you?"