True Truce: Trouble On Onderon

NARRATOR:  Search for Ahsoka.  Amidst a daring raid on Dooku's heavily fortified
                         command center the Jedi arrive to learn that Quinlan Vos was inspired
                         by none other than Ahsoka Tano revealing to him Darth Tyrannous'
                         true identity.  Whereabouts unknown, it is vital to the future security
                         of the Republic that the Jedi learn how she came by this information.

Anakin and Obi-Wan leave 

hyperspace in a Jedi shuttle.

OBI-WAN:  Onderon?

ANAKIN:  This place represented strong emotions for my Padawan.
                    I sensed she had a connection with the senator here.

OBI-WAN:  Strange that I did not.  I suppose I felt
                     something, but could not place it.
                     (to himself) Perhaps I thought it was just you.

ANAKIN:  I understand them to be former acuaintances.

OBI-WAN:  Where did they meet?

ANAKIN:  Ahhh, uh... Raxus.

OBI-WAN:  Raxus?  When did the two of you go there?

ANAKIN:  I... didn't take her there.  She went with Senator Amidala.

OBI-WAN:  Why did you not report this incident to the Council?

ANAKIN:  The Jedi aren't exactly short on secrets, master.
                   It was a private attempt at peaceful negotiations.

OBI-WAN:  This was around the same time that the
                     Separatist Bontari was murdered, wasn't it?

ANAKIN:  She was Senator Amidala's friend.  And she had a son
                   who reunited with Ahsoka on Onderon.

OBI-WAN:  Onderon's current senator to the Republic?  Anakin, the Republic
                     could destablize, further, if the Senate learns of this.
                     Senator Bontari's background will put his loyalties in doubt.

ANAKIN:  You were there to see him fight for Onderon.

OBI-WAN:  Which in the first place wasn't in the Republic at the time and
                     in the second any valor he does possess will not shield him from politics.

ANAKIN:  We're not here to tell anyone about his past.
                   We are here to find help in locating Ahsoka.

The shuttle touches down on a landing pad

and the Jedi disembark; coming within

earshot of a boy directing droids

ANAKIN:  Jabo?

JABO:  Wow.  Hey, fancy seeing you guys here.

OBI-WAN:  Greetings, Jabo.  You appear to be getting along well.

JABO:  When you freed Iago I was going to just stay with my servant droids,
              but people started doing better and wanted to buy them off me.
              Times were good.  But then there's not very much to buy on Iago
              when you start getting money.  I've been fixing droids across
              the galaxy and then someone said there were lots of droids
              to be repurposed here now that it's out of Separatist hands.

OBI-WAN:  Congratulations, my young friend.  I see your skills shall
                     carry you very far.  And my untrained eye for droids
                     can see that your technique has improved.

JABO:  People are looking for a better quality out here.  And I can make these droids
             stronger than they were before.  My business took a hit when some people
             tried using them for personal security.  So I only sell them without
             the blasters now.

ANAKIN:  This is very fine welding work.  And you
                    shielded the wiring from electrical overload?

OBI-WAN:  Is that wise?  This vulnerability is in large part how
                     Onderon won these droids.  What if they should
                     become a liability, again?

JABO:  People were afraid of their droids getting struck by lightning.
             So I improved on the manufacturer.  People are very
             happy with my product guarantee.

OBI-WAN:  Well I suppose we'll have to leave you to it then.

JABO:  What brings Jedi to a place like Onderon?

ANAKIN:  The Republic senator is an old friend of ours.

JABO:  Must be pretty cool to be a Jedi.

ANAKIN:  If we weren't needed, don't doubt that I would trade
                   places with you in a second, Jabo.

They walk away

OBI-WAN:  What was that about?

ANAKIN:  I was just expressing my admiration for his ability.

OBI-WAN:  Yes, but it seemed like for a moment you truly envied that little boy.

No answer

OBI-WAN:  Anakin, the Jedi is an immense responsibility, which you will find
                    in any aspect of life that you pursue.  And the Jedi's responsibility
                    falls under the sum of their greater awareness about the galaxy.
                    Too many outside observers mistake it for freedom.

ANAKIN:  But he is free.  He isn't a slave to his repairs and
                   isn't made to keep secrets.  Vos just died for ours.

OBI-WAN:  Jabo is still young.

ANAKIN:  So you think it is inevitable to keep secrets?

OBI-WAN:  I think we have a meeting with the senator.

True Truce: The Quinlan Gambit - part 2

NARRATOR:  Separatists on the brink of defeat.  Sacrificing all but the whole of his task force,

                         Quinlan Vos has stabbed into the heart of Separatist space to strike at Dooku himself.

                         Acting without permission from the Jedi Council, the last of his clone troopers now

                         make contact with Coruscant.

CLONE:  We've had to fall back to Dooku's command center under heavy reinforcements 

                 from the blockades in orbit.  We're all that's left.

OBI-WAN:  Where is Vos?

CLONE:  The general went after Count Dooku.

                 He's gone to ground in the woods.

ANAKIN:  Have you found a kill switch?  The Count must have a way

                   to deactivate the droids in case of a malfunction.

CLONE:  Everything's heavily encrypted.

                We don't have the hardware to crack it.

OBI-WAN:  Might you be able to transmit his commands to us
                    so that we can help you from here?

CLONE:  I don't think you'll be able to do anything for us in time, sir.

                We'll send you the intelligence.  For the Republic, general.

OBI-WAN:  Indeed, for the Republic.  Good luck trooper.  

                     We will speed what help we can muster.

CLONE:  If you do find the kill switch that'll be plenty enough.

The hologram flickers off

YODA:  Without our knowledge, Quinlan Vos did attack 

               at the heart of the Separatists.

ANAKIN:  He's proven that they're vulnerable.

                   If we follow up his attack then the 

                   Separatists will be overwhelmed.

OBI-WAN:  They're hardly vulnerable, Anakin.  Dooku may be on the run in 

                     the wilderness, but there remain three intact blockades over the 

                     planet and whatever stray warships that weren't destroyed 

                     on his approach that by now may be reinforcing the blockades.

                     I'm afraid we don't have the ships to disengage from any conflict

                     to take on such an endeavor.

ANAKIN:  Dooku is the prize.  We can send an even smaller force without ever

                   intending to engage the blockade.  Once the shutdown code goes out

                   the blockade won't matter for much anyways.

OBI-WAN:  That's a sizable condition to wager on.  Even now it could be some time

                     before we are able to crack the Separatist codes.  And any ships that are

                     sent will become stranded as surely as Vos' advanced force has become.

ANAKIN:  Not if we capture Dooku.

YODA:  Prepare a fleet, you should.  But wasted it will be if we cannot cripple the 

               Separatist defenses.  Wait, you should, for commission from the Council.  

               We will examine the options available to us and the losses we 

               have already suffered to this endeavor.

The Council leaves

ANAKIN:  We don't need another fleet.

                   Vos just needs us.

OBI-WAN:  How do you think he got as far as he did?

                     His success in reaching Serenno was paid for

                     in the lives of clones alone.

ANAKIN:  Then we should follow him before that very hole closes.

OBI-WAN:  Who is to say there is one?  The Separatists highly prize Dooku's survival.

                     I think you underestimate what Vos has committed to in order to

                     accomplish this.  Could you leave the 501st or even one of your troopers,

                     say Captain Rex, to die as he has for his men for a single-minded end

                     to the war?  I know you too well, Anakin.  

ANAKIN:  I've left troopers for the sake of the mission.

OBI-WAN:  Not like this.  I believe Vos has knowingly sacrificed 

                     three full cruisers to this cause of his.
                     I feel they were acceptable losses to him.

ANAKIN:  Perhaps it is time we took stronger measures to end the war.

OBI-WAN:  Anakin!

ANAKIN:  We are not supposed to let attachment get in the way of our decisions,

                    as Jedi.  How is what Vos has done any different?

OBI-WAN:  A Jedi cannot help but be changed after what Vos has felt.

                     Personal attachments are too strong for a Jedi.  But the Force 

                     still guides us in what is right.  I feel this is a terrible thing

                     that has happened.

Vos chasing Dooku through the forest

NARRATOR:  The static electricity rises in the surrounding foliage as Dooku's power

                         bleeds out, unrestrained.  He gasps pitifully at the future that lies 

                         before him; a future where he can already see the faint outline

                         of an artificial appendage.  And it dogs his mind that perhaps

                         it would be better to just give into Vos.  He senses the Jedi 

                         close by and summons the strength to topple a tree, which 

                         the Jedi leaps over and lands along the length of the trunk.

VOS:  Here is where it ends.

DOOKU:  This has forever and always been the beginning.  

                  We are so very far from the end, my young Jedi friend.

VOS:  You will not see your plans come to fruition.

DOOKU:  At this point, see them, I may not.  But come to fruition, they shall.

                  Have at the puppet of the Force who most of all the Jedi wants to be

                  without his strings, whereas the likes of Skywalker are too fond of them.

Their lightsabers disappear against each other in a flash of light.

A Republic corvette jumps into the system

and the Jedi scan over the wreckage 

with their eyes.

OBI-WAN:  You appear to be thinking about something.

ANAKIN:  Just that the war could be won here.  Never mind Dooku.

                   Three of our cruisers in exchange for all of theirs might be

                   all we needed to change the balance.

OBI-WAN:  I still sense the hand of the dark side and remain suspicious that this

                     will not amount to a true victory.  But perhaps Dooku may turn out

                     to be all the leverage we need.

ANAKIN:  Then we'll see to it that we succeed in getting him, master.

The corvette approaches the planet under fire

and enters the atmosphere.

The ship touches down in a clearing 

and the Jedi reach the bottom 

of the loading ramp in time

to witness Dooku withdraw

his blade from Vos' side.

Dooku steps away as Obi-Wan cradles Vos.

VOS:  Lord Tyrannous... why didn't you tell us he was lord Tyrannous?

OBI-WAN:  Who told you?

VOS:  Ahhh... I learned the truth from Ahsoka Tano.

Anakin is at this time standing off with Dooku,
but glances back at the mention of Ahsoka
and Dooku disappears into the brush.
Anakin groans and rushes back to Vos.

ANAKIN:  Ahsoka?

Anakin is at this time standing off with Dooku,

but glances back at the mention of Ahsoka

and Dooku disappears into the brush.

Anakin groans and rushes back to Vos.

Vos dies.

OBI-WAN:  Your former Padawan is full of surprises.

ANAKIN:  I don't understand.  The Council didn't tell anyone of our report.

                   Least of all, how could she know?

OBI-WAN:  Clearly, she did.  And it is a mystery that is vital we solve.

                     The only real question is where do we begin?

Dooku's shuttle rises above the trees

and disappears into the sky.

PREVIOUS                                                                             

True Truce: The Quinlan Gambit - part 1

NARRATOR:  Darth Tyrannous revealed.  The Jedi have learned 

                         the origin of their clone army and know that it was 

                         supplied by their hated enemy... Count Dooku.  

                         Quinlan Vos has come before the Council and accepted 

                         a commission of clones for his command.  His inexplicable 

                        willingness to trust the clone worries the Council 

                        regarding his motives.  But the solitary Jedi has

                        already cut a huge swath through the Separatist lines.

Three Republic cruisers drive ahead at flank speed 

in the midst of a gauntlet of Separatist warships that have 

split into two columns to allow the Republic to pass 

between them and receive the full brunt of their broadsides.

CLONE 1:  We're surrounded.

CLONE 2:  They're attempting to 

                    dip below our firing line, sir.

VOS:  Engage the trap.

CLONE 2:  All cruisers, triangle formation.

NARRATOR:  The three cruisers pivot so that each 

                         command bridge tower is facing toward 

                         the center of their formation.  Then the entire 

                         formation rotates in concert at a constant speed.    

                         This leaves their underside facing toward the enemy 

                         while giving the cruiser next to them a firing arc 

                         to attack whomever is hitting them.  All available 

                         fighters fly in tight formation at the front to screen 

                         for enemy fighters.  The cruiser formation forges 

                         ahead without attempting to destroy their adversaries.

CLONE 2:  One minute to the jump point.

VOS:  Send the bombers ahead of us.  

            Soften up the enemy before we arrive.

CLONE 2:  Sir, they'll have to leave our 

                    flak cover and will get cut to pieces!

VOS:  It was not a suggestion.

CLONE 2:  Yes, sir.  All bomber squadrons launch for final target.

NARRATOR:  The cruiser launch bays buzz with activity and soon 

                         the Y-wings scream from the long runways into the 

                         depths of space where a wall of bursts of light are 

                         the only real protection they have.  And dread creeps 

                        into the pilots' minds as they approach this wall 

                        of destruction; not because it will cause their demise.  

                        Their brother gunners are good.  But because they are 

                        soon to venture beyond it to go it alone.  

                        And no clone is any good alone.

CLONE 1:  They're beyond the flak.

CLONE 3:  Enemy fighters responding.

CLONE 2:  Permission to divert the escort to give them some fighter cover.

VOS:  (sigh) Only until they jump.  They must continue to fly cap for the cruisers.

CLONE 2:  Yes... sir.

The Y-wings go to hyperspace.

In the turn of a clock wheel 

the cruisers jump into the system.

VOS:  Report.

CLONE 1:  No sign of the Y-wings.

VOS:  That is to be expected.

CLONE 1:  Sir?

VOS:  What is the enemy disposition?

CLONE 2:  Three Lucrehulks separated at the furthest points of a triangle formation.  Two of them are facing directly at us while the third currently protects the dark side of the planet.  And each Lucrehulk is supported by a dozen frigates and two command ships.

VOS:  Skim the atmosphere to be showing the blockade our underside.  Come under the blockade currently to our right and lock forward weapons on the one to our left.  All dorsal weapons are to begin strikes on the surface.  Launch gunships and fighters to attack the blockade above us and deploy troop transports in tandem with the planet bombing.

CLONE 2:  That... is one bold strategy, general.

VOS:  Get to it.

CLONE 2:  Yes, sir!

Friction heats up the command towers and then

the rest of the cruisers so that they can slide in

under the fire of the first blockade formation

and fire on the second.  The turbolasers set

the surface of the planet ablaze and amidst

this fiery rain the troop ships fall with them.

The clones are rocked by a tremor 

traveling up the spine of the cruiser.

CLONE 1:  Shields are failing!  Where is the general?

CLONE 2:  He boarded one of the landing craft!

NARRATOR:  Vos emerges from his tank in time to be momentarily blinded

                         by a new sun in the atmosphere that then is overshadowed by

                         debris splitting off from the unmistakable wedge design.

CLONE 4:  The crusier.  We have nowhere to fall back to.

VOS:  Have the transport drop ships begin further strikes on Dooku's estate.

CLONE 4:  Sir, we'll not survive this.

VOS:  I am more interested in seeing that Dooku doesn't survive this.

           Are you ready to end the war, trooper?

CLONE 4:  Sir, yes sir!

VOS:  Forward!

Dooku's Chambers

DOOKU:  My lord, the Republic has penetrated all our carefully laid defenses.  

                  How is it that we did not know of this attack?

SIDIOUS:  Your carelessness has revealed your true identity to the Jedi.

                   This attack was not sanctioned through proper channels, but

                   that little matters now.  If the Jedi recover a victory from your

                   demise the public will little care how many clones were lost.

DOOKU:  Am I then to abandon my command center and deny them the justification?

SIDIOUS:  You will confront the rogue Jedi Quinlan Vos.  Just this sort of bold action

                    is not something we can allow to be inspired in the Jedi and still hope

                    to survive.  You will overcome him.  And then you shall take hold of the

                    unique opportunity this presents us.  In the aftermath of your hard-won

                    victory you shall publicly decry the Jedi's wanton loss of life in order

                    to get to you.  You shall declare the clones the victims that they are 

                    at the hands of this Jedi and cast him no different than the rest.

                   Then shall the Jedi all the sooner fall from grace.

DOOKU:  As you wish, master.

NARRATOR:  It is then that Vos comes through the door.

                         The door seals behind him as the clones continue to fight.

DOOKU:  Welcome to Serenno.

NARRATOR:  Dooku presses a button on his desk and 

                         a camera bot flickers to life.

VOS:  Useless clones couldn't hit a target as big as this from orbit.

           I had to come and finish it myself.

DOOKU:  I have come to mark them as valiant members of the Republic.

VOS:  They are all your creation!

DOOKU:  Indeed.  Strange that the Council did not see fit to reveal this 

                  to the senate.  Secrets like this are a massive weakness for the Republic.

VOS:  Jedi died through your machinations.  No more.

DOOKU:  Jedi?  Are these the only deaths you can think of?  

                 What of the clones that carried you here?

VOS:  I merely turned a weapon of your own making back on to you.

DOOKU:  A pity that their deaths shall be remembered so poorly.  For the clones under your

                 command did live.  I feel them, still.  It is far more ethical the use of droids.

VOS:  Neither offer security to citizens.

DOOKU:  That depends on whose citizens you fight for.

                  I fight for the Separatists.

VOS:  For the Republic!

NARRATOR:  Lightsabers clash and both combatants produce a sustained repulse barrier

                         so that it becomes a struggle for either to approach the other for a strike.

                         This is more Vos' doing and Dooku responding in kind, and much more

                         than what the old Sith-spit would rather strain himself with.  Vos is relying

                         on his ability to endure and is a means to exhaust the well-versed dualist.

                         Their blades cross and probe for strikes at one another, but Dooku's

                         defenses remain strong.  Then, Dooku notices a marked drain to his power.

DOOKU:  What sorcery is this?

VOS:  The dark side is not the Force, count.

DOOKU:  Vaapad.  Your tricks will not save you, Vos.

He cuts off Dooku's hand

VOS:  Skywalker will appreciate your contribution.

NARRATOR:  Dooku's shock soon boils in his jaw and up to his eyes into rage.

                         And with one good hand he produces lightning into the body

                         of the overconfident Jedi who had put his lightsaber aside

                         on his belt.  Unmercifully, Dooku electrifies Vos.

Explosion

Clone troopers pour into 

Dooku's command center

Dooku retreats.

CLONE 4:  You almost had him, sir.

VOS:  We can't let him get away.

CLONE 4:  Sir, my men are severely depleted.  And the Republic doesn't even

                   know we need help.  We have to get a message out.

VOS:  I will go after Dooku.  Put a team to work getting a message out to the

           proper channels.  The rest of you start sabotaging the shuttles off this planet

           by any means available to you.

CLONE 4:  Yes, sir.

VOS:  Dooku will not survive this.

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(Asking Too Much) Is Dr. Smith A Redeemable Character

Alright, so I have a big hurdle to vault after Aeolus 14 Umbra and "How much more money are you going to pay me for this excursion."  Behind the scenes the actor Johnathan Harris wanted to be more endearing for job security.  But what can I use that was on screen?

The character was seldom altruistic to his shipmates, but he was that at times.  And the Robinsons are just made out to be saints.  Though they banished Smith at least three times.

We know to distrust what the man says about his youth.  For those who have seen the first season, remember back to when they were fishing and though he claimed that he used to do just this activity all summer long as a kid he is unable to catch any fish (outdone by the other two) and as the Robot says, "suffers the injury of embarrasment."

Similarly, we are given fantastical
tales of his relatives over time.

We do know he has family.  His cousin Jeremiah Smith comes calling plotting to kill Dr. Smith for the rights to an inheritance.  This same cousin culminates the scheme with an alien machine that proves he has connections in the wider universe of Lost In Space.

Dr. Smith also encounters a widely feared doppelganger.  Now why I should list these two incidences together delves into my own idea of what Dr. Smith's life must have been like before hitching his wagon to the Robinson family.

Barring extreme circumstances, Smith remains an incurable coward and without exception returns to that state in order to undercut the malevolence that inducted him into the series.  My purpose is to see if I can draw reasonable conclusions that coincide with the sensibilities of the audience that might explain these two apparently very different characters.

So, I accused Dr. Smith of making his family sound fantastical, but it is always with fondness.  And the only physical evidence we have of any real family is extremely hostile.  And we have the doppelganger who we could interpret as having only a strong resemblance to Dr. Smith, but I would prefer to think otherwise for the reasons that follow.

The society from which the doppelganger, Zeno, is fleeing from possesses space travel while simultaneously setting itself up to look like the stereotypical old west.  They use powder guns as opposed to the laser beams that the series has in abundance.  And the strangest part of the episode to me is how Dr. Smith turns the townspeople against him; by destroying the "Sacred Golden Globe of Bacchus," which one of the people declares standing in the saloon to be sacrilege.  The story forces me to respect that they treat this as a serious matter, even if it's for comedy.

Wiki on Bacchus

I'll take a leap here.  In season one's The Sky Pirate, Alonzo P. Tucker claims to have been abducted by aliens and kept in suspended animation for study (born 1858 and speaking to them in 1997).  Once more, he's not fleeing from the aliens that abducted him; he's been allowed to roam free.

From this precedence I draw the possibility that the episode West of Mars presents us with a colony that hosts an amalgamation of alien abductees, which at least holds some hope of explaining the half hazard western motif combined with a Roman god of debauchery.

Now add to the fact that Dr. Smith was a member of the secret organization, Aeolus, which he suspected had space flight capability (the Derelict), and the fact that Zeno looks like him becomes all the more interesting.  One way the show saved money was to clone the main cast.  So there are some interesting conclusions to draw if Zeno was a clone.

Remember back to when Dr. Smith was lying about his own childhood.  What was that man's childhood like?  Little known family and cut throat at that.  And if Zeno was a clone then we have to explain what he was doing on a colony of abductees (as I think this best explains that community's existence).  The characters of Dr. Smith and Zeno are written to be complete opposites.  It then stands to reason they were nurtured differently.  Indoctrinated, perhaps?

Who's to say Zeno was not also a member of Aeolus?
If there was indoctrination, how early did it start, and for whom?
Dr. Smith does not have to be the original, though, he could be.

Dr. Smith is the go-to character to scream at the sight of the monster of the week.  In the face of Zeno's presence, I propose this fear was cultivated in Dr. Smith by Aeolus, even though he had knowledge of their space program, for the sake of discouraging him from leaving Earth since they had other agents on hand.  I would go further to have him trained to be afraid of aliens specifically, because he was unafraid of the guard he confronted while infiltrating the Jupiter II.

To be a coward does not preclude being evil, but Dr. Smith relates to the Robinsons differently over time.  From the episode The Cave of the Wizards, Dr. Smith frees himself similarly to how Will escaped in Invaders from the Fifth Dimension; he is expelled from the machine that contains him because it will not incorporate his affection for the family.

And we have numerous cases in the series that Dr. Smith proves susceptible to mind control where others do not, which at least underpins my suggestion of brainwashing.

I have left little to be desired in the character.  He is a joy to watch, but unscrupulous and childishly so.  I wouldn't propose the backstory of brainwashing redeems Dr. Smith.  I would, however, assert that like in the Cave of the Wizards he has his moments.  And if this can be adopted as a true explanation for Dr. Smith's repetitive treachery then Dr. Smith at least now has a road to redemption and a future in which he is no one's puppet, including himself.

(Asking Too Much) Are the Tollan Technologically Superior to the Ancients

Both factions debut different verities of matter manipulation.

The Ancients developed rapid travel over great distances.

The Tollan warp matter so that they could pass through.  The warping technology has the benefit of being portable on someone's person, but apparently is too unwieldy to safely be turned on one's self so that no danger comes to them (which would have saved them from the Goa'uld).

Both boast weapons which can destroy a Goa'uld mothership in a single shot and bypass said shields to do so.  They just take a slight different form since apparently the Ancient drone can be reused and doesn't have to explode upon impact; as often depicted wastefully during Atlantis' run.

But the Ancients didn't appear to possess this warping technology, which might have made Wraith ship's thick hides meaningless.  And with a little prompting from the Nox the Tollan were able to fashion their own Stargate.  The Tollan are also shown to have near-instaneous communication, which by the time we know more about the Ancients probably comes down to simply the vague notion of subspace.

True enough, the Tollan never created self-contained city ships, but neither did they seek to go anywhere.  None of the Omeycan-seeded worlds possessed the drive to venture out from their home.

I find that the Tollan are decidedly versatile in their technology and have in their arsenal attributes that the Ancients surely would have wished for (mostly that matter warping technology) but both saw their downfall at the hands of a technologically inferior species.

Were the Tollan superior?  Their designs that correspond to the Ancients (most notably Stargates) are more efficient but also start with someone to copy from and help from the Nox; who for all we know aided in the design improvements of the Stargate.  And the Tollan had to catch a bus to their resettlement with no evidence of ships for even orbital defense.


In the end the Tollan were at least as arrogant as the Ancients, but technologically superior is hard to say.  Personally, I think the Tollan developed to the exact extent they thought would be necessary to suit themselves whereas if nothing else can be said for the Ancients they never stopped exploring new technologies.  Most likely, we have seen what the Tollan can produce whereas the Ancients are a treasure trove of untapped technology waiting to be revealed.

(Asking Too Much) The Alliance of the Four Races: Was It Worth A Damn?

It is unclear to me why this vaunted alliance was allowed to end
when we find evidence that the people who composed it are still living.

The Atlantians leaving the Milky Way appears to be due to a plague.  And yet the Asgard are prominent as a trans-galactic species.  Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that at least these two factions should be able to keep in touch and the Asgard equipped to come to their aid in light of the Wraith threat, but clearly didn't.  Why?

Well part of the answer may come in that the Asgard have been engaged in a prolonged conflict with the Replicators (apparently an original invention of the Ancients) but perhaps independently invented in the Milky Way or Asgard galaxy because Sg1 Replicators are a couple of generations behind Pegasus Replicators who now live in a static society.

One possible theory is that the Asgard's war with the Replicators is as ancient as the Ancient's departure, but I do not think this is the case due to the power creep that is present in Asgard designs.  Generally speaking, they are shown to make more and more powerful weapons in order to overwhelm the Replicator's ability to absorb energy attacks.  I find it hard to believe that this trend would be by any means sustainable for a prolonged period of time.  I can be generous and assume that the Asgard have been resisting the Replicators for a couple of generations.  But then again what is the time span of a generation when the Asgard are constantly trading bodies?

Doesn't Thor replace his body no less than twice in the show,
if even off screen?  That suggests a dramatic turnover rate.

The reason why the timescale of the Asgard Replicator war is worth mentioning is to determine if the Asgard have a vendetta with the Ancients over their invention of the Replicators and if this helped to bring an end to their alliance.  I don't think the timescale makes sense for how virulent the Replicators appear to be.

Was it as simple as diverging paths of development?

The Ancients sought transcending mortal being and the Asgard delved into scientific engineering of the species.  Well then we have the Nox who from the best I can tell only reside over one world, though, accept invitations to others.  Yet they were in an alliance with these two other trans-galactic species.  In Stargate lore the Nox are best explained as semi-ascended beings and so perhaps were the catalyst for the Ancients to realize that there was something to ascension.  But then apart from my being happy to have the Nox in the story, why are they still around if the Ancients succeeded?

Obviously I'm only assuming the Nox got a head start,
but I'm also looking for a cause and effect here.

Then, of course, there are the ever absent Furlings who despite the joke name I would prefer if future Stargate content came out and said their name was an erroneous translation, which would make a lot more sense and add some dignity to these poor people.

What complicates the matter further is that while the meeting place for the four races is dilapidated Thor is happy to put humanity up for consideration as the Fifth race.  This is strong evidence that the alliance is and was favorably viewed by the Asgard, but the upkeep for the institution leaves something to be desired.

(I believe there was also some handwaving about the Asgard's
physiology forbidding ascension, which sounds patently ridiculous)

So in many ways we are left with a people where we began; a body that simply fell out of touch with no apparent rhyme or reason.  The Ancients on-mass ascended, the Furlings apparently went extinct and by extension their allies allowed it to happen; just as the Nox did not intervene to save the Asgard from the Replicators or their ultimate demise.

I real great alliance you got there.
It looks about as effective as the UN.

(Asking Too Much) Co-Existence With The Magog

Rev Bem is the singular example of the exception that proves the rule.  When he encounters his own kind again the Wayist turns ferrel, but ultimately fights for his crew in the end.

His daily living includes eating fish because apparently his digestive system refuses to kick in without the act of killing the food first.  And so we have one of our leading hurdles if Magog were to become daily denizens of polite society.  All food must be fresh.  Given the alternative it's really not that bad of a trade off.

The real problem comes in their manner of procreation.  To my knowledge there is no such thing as a female magog.  They must all lay their eggs in hosts and the young will feed on their host as they eat their way out of the body.  What remains unclear to me is if Magog must lay their eggs in sentient beings.  Of course, that is a non-starter if they truly must.  However, imagine for a moment if Magog could make an incubator out of a cow or some such.

If the forgoing suggestion is biologically possible for the Magog then all that remains is their instinct for the hunt.  Rev Bem exemplifies the possibility that such an instinct can be resisted, but then even he sued to a quest for to become a more evolved Magog and was transfigured.

Whereas the psychological disciplines perport to wrestle with the long old caveman, what do we do with the very present beastly personality represented by the Magog?  I understand the first religious Magog required a priestly host from birth and thus the Way was formed.  Ideally enough, even if the Magog were not about to take up being civilized on mass they at least have Wayism, which was founded by a Magog and therefore has a bit of proof that it in a word: works.

Obviously this entire suggestion is cutting against the grain and the Magog at large are more likely to be more like the 2002 Time Machine Morlock; where without the intellectual cast they will deplete the food supply; in the Magog's case, without the restraint of Andromeda's Abyss puppet master.

I'm merely optimistic that without the Abyss' influence that some Magog might be reached whereas almost none could be free individuals in his presence.

I'm just saying we'd probably have an easier time
living with a reformed Magog than a civilized Nightsider.

(Asking Too Much) Will The Goa'uld Live

The Stargate Sg1 series centers on the demise of the System Lords Goa'uld, but though there are the Tok'ra by series end is it enough for the species of Goa'uld symbiotes to survive?

To start off with, the Goa'uld appear to have a healthy ability to breed.

That fact alone would make me wonder why there are not more command positions for matured symbiotes in the former System Lord hierarchy if it were not for the fact that we witness the System Lords engage in cannibalism.  Seriously, I realize that was intended to depict a special occasion and the Tok'ra only caught wind of the meeting because of the noticeable drop in population, but it goes a long way to explaining why when every symbiote who takes a host is his or her own little king that there aren't more chefs in the kitchen.

And so with the demise of the System Lords there is room for a population explosion.

But wait a minute, their being farmed now for Tretonin.  Teal'C even brags over Apophis that from now on his own kind will be harvested for the Jaffa's benefit.  That seems morally suspect in light of the fact that we have been shown that the larva pouch is reversible with Goa'uld technology and the Jaffa are ultimately human.

Can the Tok'ra stand by while members of their species are harvested to be minced up into a vial?

I'd argue that they have to, but not out of some grand ideal.  More likely now that the System Lords have been definitively overthrown every respectable Goa'uld has to live in fear of being faced with a genocide.  This interpretation gives credence to why the Tok'ra gave so much pomp to removing each and every last Bal's symbiote.  It's a dramatization to signal whose victory it is.  The Tok'ra need to remind everyone who they are so that other denizens of the galaxy don't start turning their eye to the Tok'ra in terms of a final solution to prevent the galaxy from ever becoming so enslaved again.

We're talking about the possibility of a real racial tension here where I don't know if any Goa'uld from this point forward (if they're lucky enough to avoid the Tretonin pools) will be able to live unsegregated in the Milky Way.

Remember, one of the leading theories why the System Lords were so maniacal was due to prolonged use of the sarcophagus.  And from Carter's father we know that symbiotes do have an upper limit on their lifespan.  Therefore, they could theoretically become a species that lives alongside everyone else from this point forward, but there's no reason for the trust to be there to allow that to happen.

And the Tok'ra's precarious position as a Goa'uld faction within the galactic community is a clear example of how this could all end tragically; never mind the supposed comeuppance of enslaving and slaughtering future generations of symbiotes who can just as easily experience guilt over actions they never had a part in by way of their genetic memory.

(Untold Told) Vader's Rebellion

The Tantive IV draws closer to the belly of the Star Destroyer for by now they are being pulled in without power to escape.  The crew gather around the airlock as the massive clamps of the engulfing hanger bay take hold.  Worse yet is the silence that follows.

In an instant the airlock evaporates beneath a shape charge.  And the Stormtroopers' stunner fire rings out with harmless little pings against the hallway.  All of the rebels are incapacitated with only a couple of Stormtroopers shot down.

Then Vader enters after them.

VADER:  Remain here.

Vader leaves the Stormtroopers behind at the airlock and marches after the remaining rebels around the corner and down the hall.  He deflects their frantic blaster fire, but avoids sending it directly back to them.  Coming nearer, he rips their blasters from their hands and then disengages his lightsaber.

VADER:  Don't make me kill you.

 I am defecting.

Vader stands before Captain Antilles on the bridge.

ANTILLES:  After all the rebels you killed

why in the galaxy should we believe you?

VADER:  Your lives are mine.  Make no mistake,

         you are at my mercy.  But you are

          fortunate to present an opportunity

           for me.  And that I intend to take it.

ANTILLES:  What kind of opportunity?

Vader turns to one of his Stormtroopers.

VADER:  Now.

He turns back to Antilles.

VADER:  Witness my resolve.

Out the main window the rebels see
scores of imperials jettisoned
out into space.

VADER:  Only the most loyal to me 

                     remain on the Star Destroyer.

                       Therefore, the Empire does not

                              have to be aware that you survived.

                           So the question remains what you

                      shall do with the imperial plans

                               you captured.  When shall you strike?

ANTILLES:  The plans are no longer aboard.

VADER:  What!?!

He reflects a moment.

VADER:  The ambassador.  

           Where is she?

ANTILLES:  Safe.

He takes hold of Captain Antilles.

VADER:  What have you done with those plans?

LEIA:  They are on the planet.

VADER:  Then recall your agents.

LEIA:  No.

VADER:  You will find there are more

           imperials on the surface.

                         Perhaps I should investigate why 

                       you chose this particular planet?

LEIA:  We were trying to evade you.

           This was supposed to be too

   out of the way for you

     to come looking for us.

VADER:  You're lying ambassador.

                    How many more imperials

                         must I sacrifice?  Any of them

                     are a useful resource to you.

                    But none are missed by me.

LEIA:  Are you trying to hold

                      imperial lives hostage to me?

VADER:  Do you mean to tell me

                             that you do not care if they die?

Vader studies her a moment.

VADER:  Perhaps you and I will got

                    along better than I expected.

Her mouth slips to agape shock,
but then Leia forces herself to
purse her lips in defiance.

VADER:  Indeed.  You will remain concealed

                    within the Star Destroyer for the sake

                    of appearances from observers below.

                     And I will attend to the imperial plans.

LEIA:  The great lord Vader is going

        to search through the sand

         for the Empire's lost plans?

ANTILLES:  Ambassador!

VADER:  I will not set foot on the surface.

           But if you cannot recall your

           agents then my Stormtroopers

                        will have to make quick work of them.

LEIA:  Wait.  Send me instead.

VADER:  You are among the last who

               can be permitted to depart.

          Any one of these rebels

      would sell their lives 

 to return the plans 

back safely to you.

   And I need you as an

            ambassador to the rebellion.

LEIA:  Why don't we go to 

          the surface, Vader?

Together.      

Vader gives Organa a surprising
pause at her suggestion.

VADER:  We will go.

The imperial shuttle descends on Tatooine.

LEIA:  How did you come

                            to be on the Emperor's leash?

VADER:  Do you think it wise 

                   to mock me even now?

LEIA:  We might as well

                        get to know one another.

VADER:  I have not come to you

                   for comradery.  You have,

                              however, created an opportunity 

                   the likes of which I did not

        formerly appreciate.

LEIA:  To do what, exactly?

VADER:  Rest the Emperor's grasp.

LEIA:  And take his place, I suppose.

Leia is met with the hiss
of his respirator.

She faces away from the dark figure contemplating
what this reluctant alliance could spell for the
rebellion if there is yet another tyrant who
might step in, in need of being overthrown.

Vader turns toward her.

VADER:  Who is here?

LEIA:  I'm sorry?

VADER:  Why did you come to

                   this planet?  Who were

            you hoping to find 

 on Tatooine?

LEIA:  I don't know 

                 what you mean.

VADER:  You conceal your mind well

                        for one who has had no training.

LEIA:  Training in what?

VADER:  I believe that is the first honest

              question you have asked me.

             Your father should have told

         something of the ways in

              the Force.  At the very least,

                   what he saw with his own eyes.

LEIA:  My father told me enough.

VADER:  Let us hope so, for your sake.

We shall soon see.  

The imperial shuttle touches down.
Leia pauses behind Vader at the
base of the ramp.

LEIA:  Where will you begin?

VADER:  With whomever you sent 

        your agents to meet.

               You have only to tell me.

LEIA:  You were right when you said that

              imperial lives mean nothing to you.

              What if this is all an elaborate trick?

VADER:  I still hold your crew in orbit.

LEIA:  One ship is not worth 

                 the rebellion.  We either 

                    come to an understanding 

            here or go no further.

            This is where it ends.

                     All the threats, the murder,

                           you no longer have your terror

                          to hold us hostage to.  Is this a

        new day or isn't it?

VADER:  I am your best hope for destroying

                  the Emperor.  You only hold the key

                 to one of his machinations.  Do not 

                  test me again, ambassador.  Lead on.

She stands firm.

Vader raises his hand and has a flash
before his eyes of Padme's collapse.

VADER:  Who are you?

LEIA:  What do you mean?

VADER:  That came from your mind.

LEIA:  What did?

VADER:  You do not see it?  Strange.

            I'm beginning to see how

             the Force surrounds you, 

                 ambassador.  Though it may

                   be difficult for you to believe,

     I do not resist destiny.

LEIA:  What does that mean

       for the rebellion?

VADER:  I see the Emperor's demise

                  at the hands of the rebellion.

                     It has proved far more than the

                    mere diversion I once thought.

LEIA:  A diversion?

VADER:  Come.  I now sense where we

      might find your agents.
                    You sent them to the wasteland.

The two of them board a speeder bike and zoom off.

Silhouetted by the setting suns, Vader sees a sand crawler cresting a dune.  He zooms toward it and the vehicle creates a sand storm coming to a halt.  Leia coughs away the dust and inquires of Vader.

LEIA:  Why are we stopping?

VADER:  Wait here.

The steps lower and some Jawas disembark.

Vader turns back from speaking with the Jawas.

VADER:  You may search for your droids.

                   They are presenting today's catch.

After a moment, Leia has R2 and C-3PO standing before her in a line of other droids.  In a rare moment of grace, C-3PO discerns the danger and looks back and forth between Vader and Leia with concerned silence.

VADER:  Select them, so we may return

                          to the Star Destroyer with the plans.

C-3PO:  What plans?

Leia winces.  She knew his composure couldn't last.

VADER:  Are you the property of this 

                             Alderaan Ambassador, Leia Organa?

C-3PO thinks a moment.

C-3PO:  Well, sir, I currently appear to be

       the property of these Jawas.

       I imagine they would sell us

 to you for a real bargain.

Leia can't resist a smile.

VADER:  Enough of this.  It is a pale evasion.

     Claim your droids and I will

cover the Jawa's price.   

Go to your mistress.       

C-3PO:  Yes, sir.

C-3PO scurries on over to Leia's side, but R2-D2 stays put.

C-3PO:  Come on.

Leia restrains his arm and
puts a hand to his mouth.

VADER:  Which one is your

                  companion, droid?

C-3PO:  I'm not sure if I...

VADER:  Who arrived on this

             planet with you?

C-3PO:  That one there.

He points out a gonk droid.

VADER:  Impressive.

He walks up to C-3PO to study him.

VADER:  You are capable of deception; a necessity 

     in the service of rebels, I suppose.

He turns back to the line of droids.

VADER:  Ambassador, if all I desired was to secure

                  these plans away from the rebellion I could

                      do worse than slaughter every droid and Jawa

                       I find in this sand crawler before I was certain

                      that the sensitive information was destroyed.  

                             Instead, I wish to return it intact in your company.

                  You waste precious time with your inability

                  to trust my ambition to unseat the Emperor.

                    Identify the droid which is carrying the plans

 so that we may depart this planet.

She watches him awhile.

VADER:  Please.

In justifiable shock she indicates R2-D2.

VADER:  Droid, come.  Join your master.

                         She will walk with you from here on

                             and return you to your place in the sky.

The droids are made to walk as they leave together.

The Star Destroyer holds orbit over Dantooine.  Vader notes the overgrowth of the ruins.  The rebels had not occupied this place for some time, yet it crawled with command personnel who had moved right in as if they had always been.

VADER:  This is not your true base of operations.

GENERAL DODONNA:  And you shall not see it any time soon,

lord Vader.

VADER:  You have done well to evade capture, general,

      for being among the few known rebels

of prominence.  Will Mon Mothma 

not being joining us?                       

GENERAL DODONNA:  Mon Mothma is a member of the 

                                         imperial senate and holds no ties

              to the rebellion.

VADER:  That was no probe, general.

                       You fail to appreciate how well

                          the Emperor knows his enemies.

                     And Mon Mothma's pretense 

                 is soon to be brushed aside.

LEIA:  What do you mean?

VADER:  The imperial senate 

             will be dissolved.

GENERAL DODONNA:  Impossible.  Who will govern the people?

VADER:  The Emperor already has his governors.

They will simply do without 

the oversight of the senate.   

And the instrument of control

lies in the plans before you.   

LEIA:  Is it true this weapon

              can destroy a planet?

He turns his head to her, but doesn't answer.

LEIA:  Is it true?

VADER:  I have yet to witness it.

               But the weapon shows

                 promise for penetrating

                         the Emperor's own defenses.

GENERAL DODONNA:  So you don't want to destroy

                                                             the Death Star.  You want to capture it?

VADER:  Unfortunately, there will be many who

                       are loyal to the Emperor.  You must devise

a plan to overwhelm them.

GENERAL DODONNA:  What, over one Star Destroyer?

VADER:  One Star Destroyer will not be enough
                       to command the interior of the Death Star
                      let alone attack it from without.  You will
                               need to supply a crew to man the battle station.

LEIA:  And how shall we deliver them?

VADER:  I have come to you for ingenuity.
       I pray you shall not prove
superfluous to the plan
before you.  Is this not
the greatest victory the
rebellion could ever  
hope to achieve?      

LEIA:  I wonder.

VADER:  If you doubt your ability to capitalize
     on this opportunity then I will
  simply look elsewhere for a
  body far more powerful and
capable of standing before
 the might of the Emperor.

GENERAL DODONNA:  We are capable, Vader.
                                                     The question remains of our
                                                                 standing once the task is complete.
                                                                   In what galaxy should we trade the
                                       Emperor for you?

VADER:  I seek the Emperor's power.
           But in the course of the
        changing regime there
      will be chaos for you
to operate within.
Perhaps you will
        achieve the advantage
over me.          

LEIA:  No promises of friendship, Vader?

VADER:  I would not insult your
                  intelligence so gravely.

GENERAL DODONNA:  I will take your proposal
                                          before the other leaders.

VADER:  As you wish... general.

The Star Destroyer exits out of hyperspace near the Death Star with three rebel corvettes in tow.
Moff Tarkin addresses Vader on the view screen.

TARKIN:  You surprise me Vader.

                                 Have you taken undo prisoners?

VADER:  I was in pursuit of the rebels

           all the way to Dantooine.

                  There was a stronghold there.

     And I am delivering 

    rebellion leadership.

TARKIN:  Indeed.  We shall await your arrival.

The channel closes.

LEIA:  Governor Tarkin?

                      He's on the Death Star?

VADER:  He shall be given the choice to join us.

But in the end the Death Star

will change hands this day.   

It is the will of the Force.      

LEIA:  I didn't know that you cared

      for the will of the Force.

Vader regards her with the goggled eyes
burning with a ferocity narrowly contained
yet the whole of the demeanor remains
constantly cool and serene; metallic air
drifting to her tongue in his presence.

VADER:  To claim the Force is to claim

                   the destiny of your birthright,

 Senator... Organa. 

The next moment the imperial shuttle departs
from the Star Destroyer and the corvettes
follow close behind driving ahead of
the Star Destroyer to the Death Star.

The shuttle comes to rest in the hanger bay
amidst constant klaxons announcing them.

Moff Tarkin appears down two columns of Stormtroopers
and his eyes twitch at the city of Leia Organa.

TARKIN:  Quite the prize, Vader.

                         But I wonder at how many

                      you must have captured 

                          to require additional ships.

VADER:  There is a matter of great importance

that we must discuss.        

TARKIN:  Indeed, my dear friend.

                      I'll have my men take the 

               princess to detention.

VADER:  She will attend.

TARKIN:  Whatever for, Vader?

VADER:  It concerns the Empire's survival.

Tarkin turns with an indicating hand and lets Vader and Leia pass.
He takes the ear of one of the officers.

TARKIN:  Tell those captured corvettes to hold.

                 I don't want them docking as of yet.

He follows after Vader and the princess.

TARKIN:  You're taking an awful risk, Vader.

VADER:  I trust I don't have to give

                           you an appraisal of the situation.

TARKIN:  Oh, yes.  I understand quite well.

                                  The Emperor is the reason for my position.

                               And I can only suspect that you want me

                           to answer his generosity with betrayal.

             What did you think I will do?

                  The Emperor is powerful, Vader.

                     And should you elect to wield the 

                         Force against me it still won't change

                                        that fact.  This is quite the impossible position.

VADER:  So I take it your are decided?

Stormtroopers flood the conference room.

TARKIN:  You should not have come back.

He strides out as Vader ignites his lightsaber.

Leia pings her coms and the corvette thrusters
roar to life for each to ram headlong into
one of the Death Stars hanger bays.

While Vader cuts through the conference room,
rebel troops pour into the Death Star from their
three breach points, and the Star Destroyer's Ties
are a minute out having launched them out of range
of the Death Star's main weapon.

Tarkin is just closing the blast doors down the hall
when Vader emerges from the conference room.

And Tarkin only glances at the door in his periphery
when the crimson tip pierces through the other side.

Leia watches Vader from behind.

Vader continues cutting while addressing her.

VADER:  Dispel your doubts, Senator.

                  The Force is strong with you.

                       I doubt you shall be abandoned 

               so soon after discovering it.

LEIA:  What do you mean?

VADER:  You have aligned yourself with

                       your destiny and shall be rewarded.

          Today spells the end of the 

Emperor's reign.       

And with that the slab falls away
and Vader steps through the opening.

Leia mumbles.

LEIA:  And what shall we call you?

Three Stormtroopers round the corner
fleeing under a hail of blaster fire.

TROOPER:  Lord Vader, we're being overwhelmed!

VADER:  Leave that to me.

He proceeds to cut the three down.

The pursuing rebels appear.

VADER:  Secure the Senator.

                                   See that no harm comes to her.

LEIA:  If you're just going to smash everything in sight
then why did you bring me in there?  
Why am I here, Vader?                          

VADER:  The Force is strong with you.

LEIA:  What does that mean?

VADER:  That there will be a place
      for you at my side.
          But not yet.  Not yet.

Vader leaves the rebels in his wake and continues on to the control room.  The blast doors have already closed and two dozen stormtroopers stand in front of it.  Vader returns his lightsaber to his belt and stands before them.

The troopers glance at each other and divide in two columns with precision as an honor guard.
Vader marches forward and places a hand to the blast doors.  The hallway tremors, the door dents and crumples in several places before finally flying inward.  Vader strides in amidst the smoke, uncontested.  He kicks the bottom of Tarkin's boot as that is the only part sticking out from beneath the dislodged hulk.

VADER:  End all your hostilities and

                    swear loyalty to my rebellion.

In the next moment the Death Star appears in orbit over Coruscant.  Leia steps away from speaking to a rebel technician at a control station and joins Darth Vader at his side to look out the main observation window.

VADER:  Deliver the order, Senator.

Leia appears from every holographic
emitter all across the planet.

LEIA:  People of the Empire, you will surrender

        the world of Coruscant to us forthwith

               and turn over the former Galactic Emperor

by order of the Rebel Alliance...  

     or you will be destroyed.