Tuesday 10 November 2009

Clone Wars: Season 1 - Episode 2 - Rising Malevolence



Episode 2, Rising Malevolence introduces us to Jedi Master Plo Koon. Through him, we learn the Moral, "Belief is not a matter of choice, but of conviction."

The Clone star fleet are under siege. Dozens of Republic Warships have been destroyed in merciless attacks that leave no survivors. Rumours spread of a terrible new Separatist weapon. In the face of growing fear, the Jedi Council send Master Plo Koon to hunt down the menace before it can strike again.

The Separatist weapon transpires to be a huge Ion Cannon mounted to a Subjugator-Class Starship called The Malevolence. It has both Count Dooku and his cyborg apprentice, General Grievous aboard. When fired, the Ion blast drains all hit ships caught in the expanding shock wave of all their energy. Totally defenceless, the powerless ships are then ruthlessly eliminated.

Leading three Republic Cruisers, Plo Koon finds and follows the enemy ship. Unfortunately he is quickly discovered and Dooku fires the Ion cannon onto them. Helpless, the three Republic ships are then totally obliterated. All too easy.

Before the destruction, Plo Koon and a number of Clone Troopers manage to flee into various escape pods. Count Dooku wants no witnesses to the use of the new weapon and orders the Pods destroyed. Hunter Pods launch, full of Battle-Droids, to seek them out within the huge debris-field. Plo Koon and his troops hope of survival seems very bleak, but the Jedi repeatedly tells them, they will be rescued. His belief is strong.

Meanwhile, having lost communications with the mission, Anakin Skywalker and opinionated young padawan Ahsoka, break orders and decide to go look for them. On finding the breach, Grand Master Yoda is not impressed, "Twice the trouble, they have become."

The pair are wasting time in the Debris-field when they are needed else where. The Chancellor himself tells them, "Return at once."

The Hunter Pods have systematically critically damaged all the Escape Pods and just have Plo Kloon's left. Battle-Droids have cut into each one, venting the air into space. "No one is coming," remarks one of the Clone Troopers. Koon still believes they will be rescued. As the droids attempt to cut into their Pod, Plo Koon goes outside to confront them. He can survive the harsh environment of space for a short period. The Jedi Master destroys the Droids and the Hunter Pod, but more will be on the way.

Time running short, just about to leave the Debris-field, Padawan Ahsoka senses Plo Koon's presence and they tractor the beleaguered Pod and its survivors into the Lading Bay of their ship.

The angered Dooku barks, "I don't want any witnesses!". Grievous fires the Ion Cannon at them.

Needless to say, Anakin Skywalker pulls off some pretty amazing moves through the debris-field outrunning the blast and when clear, Hyperspaces to safety. Now the Republic are aware of the Separatist new Ion weapon and are free to devise a plan against hit.

Count Dooku is not best pleased with the turn events and blames General Grievous for the failure, a convenient fall guy if ever there were one.

"Plo Koon always said some one would come for us," a Clone Trooper says. This brings us nicely back to the moral of the Episode, Belief is not a matter of choice, but of conviction.



No comments:

Post a Comment