Headscratchers / Ahsoka

New entries on the bottom.

Codes

• How come a newly built New Republic prison ship recognises old Jedi codes?
  • Recognizes, not obeys. It's just one of countless others rattling around in their computer banks; it wasn't actually a valid code, it was just used to make the ship curious and allow them on board. The captain thought they were a couple Imperials pretending to be Jedi and banking on the mystique and respect of the Jedi to keep them safe, and wanting to catch them in their own trap. Obviously, that backfired.
  • Reiterating what was seen in the episode doesn't answer the question. Why does the database recognise codes from a long extinct organisation, that all information was purged from? How did and why that information get in their databanks to start with?
  • See-Threepio was originally programmed with over six million forms of communication, including an incredibly obscure dialect that would be understood by the Stone Age level Ewoks who have no space travel capabilities! Data storage does not seem to be in short supply in the Star Wars galaxy and the Republic's database of known vessels and identifications is probably very ancient. The Empire would not see any reason to delete old Jedi codes from the database because anybody using them would be raising a "Come and kill me!" flag to Imperial fleet vessels.

Road to Nowhere

• On Lothal, why is there a very nice-looking highway that leads to and from the city, and ends out in the middle of the plains where there is absolutely nothing?
  • It dates back to the time of the Empire, who had big industrial plans for the planet that never materialized. With the empire driven off no one bothered to finish it. As for the lack of traffic, everyone was in the city for the big celebration.

Why not just take the map?

• The Remnant clearly knew where the map-sphere was, considering that Morgan's information led Ahsoka to it, and there were droids guarding it. Why was the map just left there instead of being moved to a more secure location while the Eye was being completed?
  • The location in the ancient temple was actually pretty secure. Ahsoka just managed to pry the temple's location out of Morgan herself, it is implied through the use of the Force. To somebody just looking for it without Morgan's knowledge, it might as well have been hidden anywhere in the galaxy.

Sabine training

• How is Sabine now suddenly Force-sensitive?
  • She's not. Huyang, who has millennia of experience working with Jedi Padawans, keeps pointing out that her potential is so low that the old Jedi Order would never have taken her in. But there were Force traditions in Legends that could get around this issue. Most notably the Matukai, who learned to channel the Force through their bodies without being Force sensitive. There was also Chirrut Imwe, from Rogue One, who seemed to have developed a connection to the Force through sheer discipline and faith.
  • Also remember that, explicitly, everyone has a connection to the Force; that's what the Force is. When Sabine was first training with the Darksaber, she noted it got easier, and Kanan explains this is because she was bonding with the crystal (this is also implied to be why Din had so much trouble with it, because he was violently refusing to bond with it). In that same scene, Kanan implies that anyone could eventually strengthen their connection to the Force and become a Jedi, but for the vast majority of people it would take far too much effort to get any benefit. Using the Force is a skill like any other, but it's so difficult that only the prodigies even bother learning.
  • To expand: the very first thing we learn about the Force (via production order) is that "it's an energy field created by all living things." Lots of Star Wars media, notably RPGs, have made express the fact that all beings, even droids, are part of the Force in some way. It's to the point where some believe the concept of "Force-Sensitive" was retconned in for the Prequels, and in the Original Trilogy anyone could use the Force if they just believed in it, which is not precisely what the OT actually says. What the Prequels did introduce was the concept of "degrees" of Force-Sensitivity, with extremely powerful prodigies like Anakin, most Jedi who were average, and some who were Force-Sensitive enough to start training but ultimately washed out because they weren't Force-Sensitive enough to become full Jedi Knights. Sabine may be "on the cusp" of being Force-Sensitive, where she could develop into it through training and discipline, or maybe anyone can forge some connection with the Force in that way. But bear in mind: a conceit of the whole Star Wars franchise is that Force manipulates people and events into place. When Luke asks Obi-Wan if the Force controls your actions, he responds "Partially. But it also obeys your commands." A fully trained, Force-Sensitive can command the Force to move their lightsaber into their hand, but the Force can just decide to move an object into someone's hand, because they need it right now as part of whatever grand design the Force is moving towards.

Thrawn and Pellaeon

• Pellaeon and Thrawn were both taken into Hyperspace by the Purrgil, so how did Pellaeon end up in a good enough position to be able to communicate with the Shadow Council about Thrawn definitely being alive, while Thrawn (and Ezra) end up in another Galaxy. And for that matter, where is Pellaeon? If he's still around in the original Galaxy, shouldn't he be helping Morgan bring Thrawn back - maybe by providing more military forces for support? Keeping forces in reserve won't do much good if their only hope for victory isn't found.
  • The Ahsoka series takes place before or simultaneously with the third season of The Mandalorian, so it is possible that by this point he has already returned to the galaxy, depending on how the Ahsoka series ends.
  • It's also very possible Pellaeon simply wasn't on one of the ships taken to Peridea in the first place.
  • When Hera is Hauled Before A Senate Subcommittee, Carson mentions recent troubles on Mandalore, indicating the Season Three finale of The Mandalorian has already happened, if recently. Pellaeon seemed to be on a different ship in Thrawn's task force come the end of Rebels, so would have been spared.

No Evidence?

• Hera has to admit that she has no evidence of any of her claims about what happened on Seatos, which will get her in trouble with the Senate. Except, they have Huyang and Ahsoka's ship, which carries the scans that Huyang took of the Eye of Sion. They were also led to Seatos in the first place using the tracking beacon that Chopper planted on the freighter carrying the super star destroyer hyperdrive unit which was taken from Corellia (and clearly not as part of a legitimate sale). On top of that, the Ghost and the X-wings (and their astromech droids) should have sensor records and images of the Eye jumping right through them, especially given how spectacular the jump was. It should be fairly easy to argue that a gigantic hyperspace ring equipped with SSD hyperdrives was not built for the heck of it. So why doesn't Hera present this evidence?
  • We're talking about the same New Republic Senators that considered the matter a solved problem just because the Imperial Loyalists on Corellia were arrested. Knowing them, it wouldn't be surprising if they just consider the matter closed along the lines of "well, they're now stuck in another galaxy, so it's clearly not our problem". Hera, having already dealt with the Senators in question, would know that any evidence short of having Thrawn show up personally would be completely ignored.
  • The Senate is legendary for its ability to become gridlocked as soon as you complicate any issue. Hera, a general after all, should think strategically and realize that she can keep herself and her compatriots out of serious trouble by throwing the evidence she has at the Senate and then sitting back as they proceed to bicker ineffectually over it. They would be so bogged down in debate that it would buy her time to deal directly with the military and prepare for the impending threat. Although the fact that she didn't do this explains the New Republic eventually getting plowed under by the First Order.
  • Except that Hera herself would likely be suspended from command for the duration of the Senate investigation. She'd take the Senate off the board as a player, but take herself with them. Not a grand victory, there.

Ancient current map

• How and why does an ancient starmap point towards Thrawn's current location when he was sent there only about ten years ago?
  • This was explained in the sixth episode. Thrawn was sent to Peridea, where he made contact with the Nightsisters living there. After making a deal with them for help, the Nightsisters sent visions to Morgan Elsbeth, one of the few Nightsisters still living in the Galaxy Far Far Away. The visions told her to seek out a map revealing the way to their galaxy, a map they had made in ancient times back when the Nightsisters first moved to the GFFA.

Leia's authorization

• If the whole mess with Hera not being able to get authorization to go after Morgan Elsbeth was as simple to resolve as Leia saying "Oh yeah I totally authorized that mission haha" then why didn't she just authorize the mission to begin with?
  • It's implied that Leia fabricated evidence to make it look like she authorized the mission to get Hera out of trouble, since 3PO turning up with a transcript right in the middle of Hera's trial that resolves the whole thing is very much an Ass Pull if it was genuine. If the evidence had been closely examined, it wouldn't have stood up, but since Mon Mothma is on their side, it was just accepted.
  • Yes, the evidence was fabricated but the question above is if Leia could have authorised the mission as Head of Defense Council to start with and is on Hera's side, why didn't she do it beforehand?
    • Because she DIDN'T KNOW about it. Xiono was deliberately NOT telling Senator Leia Organa about Hera heading that way, and presumably lying to the other members to keep that fact hidden so nobody else WOULD think to contact her and double check. As SOON as she heard anything, she immediately hopped into action and provided the requisite "clearance" for the operation.
    • Why would Hera or especially Mon Mothma not be able to contact Leia directly though?

Night Troopers

• Why are Thrawn's soldiers called Night Troopers if they appear to be no different from stormtroopers until after the Nightsisters resurrect them? It's evident they're still human before they engage the Jedi in the fortress since Morgan said they had to volunteer for the mission, something they wouldn't need to ask if these soldiers were already undead.
  • Perhaps they receive the title before the fact? The moment you volunteer for resurrection you’re immediately promoted to Night Trooper.
  • Because the only way Thrawn and his forces have been able to survive there for so long is because of the Nightsisters' help, so these troopers owe as much to the Nightsisters as they do Thrawn, hence "Night Troopers."

Escorting the Noti

• On the journey back to Thrawn's ship, the Jedi have their shuttle fly low over the Notis' pods, seemingly to shield them (though this quickly backfires when the shuttle nearly crushes them the moment it's attacked.) But this means the ship can only travel as fast as the Noti pods. Why would the Jedi go at such a slow place when they only have a limited amount of time to get to Thrawn?

Docking with the Eye

• Thrawn finishes loading the Nightsisters' cargo aboard the Chimaera just as the Jedi rout his ground troops. Just to be sure, he then orders two fighters to cripple the Jedi's shuttle. With the Jedi now robbed of their flight capability, why then does he order the Eye of Sion to come down to the surface to dock with his ship? Why not fly his Star Destroyer up into orbit where the Eye is parked, and dock up there where the Jedi can't reach him?
  • Considering her state, Chimaera might not be capable of reaching the orbit on her own.

Ezra's return

• Why would Ezra, when landing on a New Republic ship, continue to wear the entire stormtrooper armor, including the face-obscuring helmet, and make them think he's an enemy soldier?
  • It is a call back to Rebels. Walking around in stolen Stormtrooper gear is kinda Ezra's thing.

Thrawn's flip-flopping

• At the end of episode 7, Thrawn calls off the stormtroopers and gunships on the grounds that the attack has already cost the Jedi the valuable time and they will be too late to stop the depature. But at the start of episode 8, he turns around and orders another attack, sending Ties to go after the Jedi and specifically rejects the idea that the Jedi will be too late. What's with this inconsistency?
  • Option a: Thrawn's a dumbass. Option b maybe Thrawn didn't expect them to reunite with Huyang and the shuttle?

The Nature of Ezra and Sabine's Relationship

• Despite Ezra statement that he considered Sabine "the sister he never had", it sorta contrasts his flirtous behavior towards her in Rebels, making one wonder if he really meant cause Sabine didn't return those feelings or she might've, yet he didn't want to hurt her, fearing she would make a similar fate to Kanan. Yet her behavior in Ahsoka seems to indicate as if she did develop strong feelings for Ezra beyond friendship, making some to wonder how things changed for her character. Is it Platonic Writing, Romantic Reading or a geniune Ship Tease with Dave Filioni serctetly building up to a future romance between the two, while trying to throw off the audience with Ezra's statement that he saw her as a "sister", with the diolouge greatly contrasting Sabine's behavior and actions in finding him as well living in old tower, wearing similar clothes, even keeping his old lightsaber as if she is trying to emulate him while still missing him. This leads to some questioning how much of what Ezra said regarding that line is true or if Sabine even belived it at all (which is implied she didn't)? Adding to the confusion was Sabine's choice to stay with Ahsoka, making things even more harder to figure out the extent of not only Sabine's feelings towards Ezra, but their relationship in general, considering she knew him longer than Ahsoka.
  • Option a: Her reasons to stay may have more to due with guilt over giving Baylon the map to find him, being too ashamed to face him over her fear of Ezra losing his trust and respect towards of her. Option b: She didn't have enough time to reach him, so was left with no choice, but to help Ahsoka defeat Morgan Elsbeth and save her master. Option c: She realized Ahsoka's intent on trainig her was to prevent her from falling to the Dark Side the same way Anakin did, so did it to save Ezra from herself combinded with her consequential descision that lead to Thrawn's return to the main galaxy, so felt she needed Ahsoka's guidence to ensure she dosen't fall the same way he did durring Order 66 to save Padame from death, while ensuring Ezra will be safe and still hoping to see him again and try to atone for her mistake in relucantly helping Thrawn escape Peridea and return the Main Galaxy by trusting Ahsoka to prepare Sabine for what she has to face when she returns to join the fight.