On Axum, Aayla and her clone vanguard press their offensive, only to discover the unexpected in the form of Inquisitor Tahr Whyler.
Tropes in this episode include:
- Continuity Nod: The ending of Episode 16 is a Whole-Plot Reference to "Chapter 21" from Star Wars: Clone Wars.
- Aayla is saved from Tahr Whyler by her clone troopers and an LAAT gunship that eventually forces the Inquisitor to flee the area. This mirrors how Mundi and the other Jedi were on the verge of defeat by Grievous when they were saved by the arrival of the ARC troopers who force Grievous to retreat with a similar model of gunship.
- At the end of the episode, Tahr tells Jackal that the Jedi can run but that "she has only prolonged... the inevitable." This is a reference to the ending of a scene in the 2003 Clone Wars cartoon where Grievous watches as the LAAT gunship carrying the Jedi and ARC troopers who survived his ambush fly away while remarking "Run, Jedi, run. You have only prolonged the inevitable."
- Covers Always Lie: The episode's cover art includes a clone trooper wearing the colors of the 332nd Company. In the episode itself, the 332nd Company have absolutely nothing to do with the plot and are neither seen nor mentioned.
- A Day in the Limelight: This episode serves as one for Aayla Secura as it is told almost entirely from her POV.
- Floating Head Syndrome: Done in the episode's thumbnail cover art, which mostly consists of close-ups of Aayla, a clone trooper, a daemonhost, and an Imperial psyker's heads.
- Hypnotize the Captive: Subverted when Aayla briefly ends up a Badass in Distress. Tahr Whyler, the Inquisitor who has telekinetically restrained her, explains his plan to Mind Rape Aayla into being his Manchurian Agent inside the Jedi Order. However, before he can actually rip into her mind, Aayla is saved by the timely intervention of Aquila Squad led by Captain Graves.
- I Am the Noun: Tahr, in response to being asked What Are You by Aayla after he mind rapes her, replies with this:Tahr: I am the eye that watches from the long shadows. I am the hand which commits the sins the saints dare not consider. I am the mouth which questions silently for those answers which must not be known. I am the judgement of the righteous and the warden of the gray. I am an agent of the Emperor's most holy and devout Inquisition.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: At the end of the episode, Aayla decides to not pursue Inquisitor Tahr Whyler when she and Aquila Squad manage to drive him away despite Captain Graves' insistence. Aayla points out that they were barely able to force the Inquisitor to retreat and it was only after the Inquisitor singlehandedly wiped out an entire clone vanguard force, while Aayla herself was no match for him in single combat. She realizes that trying to go after the fleeing Inquisitor would simply give him the opportunity to lure them into an ambush later on and get them all killed.
- Leave Him to Me!: Done by Tahr when he and his retinue are confronted by Aayla Secura in this episode. As Tahr's daemonhost Jackal moves to attack the Twi'lek Jedi Master, Tahr stops him and decides to personally fight Aayla himself.Tahr: She and I will reckon. She and I alone.
- Mind Rape: How Tahr bests Aayla in their duel. He connects his mind to hers and shows her his memories of the 40K galaxy, the sights and images of which are enough to traumatize Aayla and cause her to collapse mid-fight.
- Off with His Head!: Aayla ultimately kills a trio of Wyrdvane Psykers that she fights in this episode by cutting off each of their heads with her lightsaber.
- Terrible Trio: The primary threat that Aayla must fight for the first half of this episode is a trio of Wyrdvane Psykers, which she takes down through a combination of misdirection, cunning, and Force nullification techniques.
- Weapon Stomp: The duel between Aayla Secura and Tahr Whyler ends with Tahr incapacitating Aayla via Mind Rape, sending her falling to her knees and dropping her lightsaber. Tahr then signals the end of the fight by triumphantly placing his foot on top of the hilt of Aayla's dropped lightsaber.
