STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS Recap: (S0706) Deal No Deal

Renee Lopez

The Clone wars: Ahsoka and the Martez Sisters

Spoiler warning! We are going to be giving you all the spoilers for Star Wars: The Clone Wars Episode 6, “Deal No Deal,” so if you’re not caught up with the show, stop reading, get on Disney+, get yourself a nice drink, and enjoy.

The Story So Far…

Last week in The Clone Wars, we left behind the rebellion and caught up with Ahsoka Tano. After leaving the Jedi Order in Season 5, we hadn’t heard from her, much to the anguish of many Ahsoka fans (myself included). Fortunately, Ahsoka is alive and well on Coruscant. By chance she meets up with the Martez Sisters, a resilient and tenacious duo who are trying to make in Coruscant’s lower levels. Keeping her real identity and abilities to herself, Ahsoka decides to spend some time with the sisters.   

RELATED: Here’s last week’s recap if you missed it!

“Mistakes are valuable lessons often learned too late.”

In the last episode, Ahsoka told Trace that she needed to leave, but this week we find her back at the hangar, helping Trace make repairs to her ship. The alone time has given the two an opportunity to talk about themselves. Trace wants to know about Ahsoka, but Ahsoka continues to dodge personal questions about herself and only provides enough information to satisfy Trace’s curiosity.  Trace reveals a bit more about her and her sister and how the two have been getting by. The hangar was given to them by their parents before they left. The droid shop that Rafa owns was won in a gambling match and is used as a front for her other dealings. We learn more about the Silver Angel, Trace’s questionably named ship. It’s clear that the spaceship is Trace’s pride and joy as it represents her freedom and her way off Coruscant.

Rafa returns and tells Trace that she needs help with a job after her hired crew backed out. Ahsoka is hesitant to go along with it, and Trace is offended that Rafa thought of her second but ultimately agrees to take it on. As the trio starts up the ramp into Trace’s ship, Rafa confronts Ahsoka. It seems that the older sister hasn’t gotten a read on Ahsoka and finds it suspicious that the second Ahsoka turns up that her and Trace have been inseparable. Rafa, subscribing to the idea that she can’t trust anyone but her sister, wants to know what Ahsoka’s angle is. Rafa is afraid that Ahsoka will try to take advantage of Trace in some way but Ahsoka assures her that she is only there to keep them out of trouble. Naturally, Rafa is still skeptical of the whole thing.

A Familiar Feeling

Once the Silver Angel is up in the air, Trace unknowingly flies into a military lane, which shows her lack of piloting skills. Ahsoka tries to warn Trace that they’re not supposed to be in those lanes, but it’s too late, they’re being hailed. They do their best to ignore the hail at Ahsoka’s request, but Trace finally answers. On the other end General Yularen warns them that they’re in military airspace and threatens to have them arrested.

On the main deck of the ship, Anakin asks Yularen about the issue. While Yularen explains the situation, we see Anakin searching out with the Force and immediately connects with Ahsoka. Knowing that his former padawan is up in the ship, Anakin tells Yularen to let the ship pass.

As the Silver Angel leaves Coruscant, Ahsoka asks Rafa where they’re heading to. Not wanting to give away too much information Rafa only tells Trace, much to Ahsoka annoyance. Trace is excited by the news as they go into hyperspace.

The Clone Wars: Anakin Skywalker
Anakin Skywalker senses Ahsoka’s presence in “Deal No Deal.” (Disney/Lucasfilm)
Kessel

Once out of hyperspace, Ahsoka recognizes where they are: Kessel (yes, that Kessel). Trace is in awe of such a legendary place, while Rafa claims that they are on their way to fortune and glory. Ahsoka, knowing the truth of it, has a bad feeling about it all. Landing on Kessel, they are greeted by a Twi’lek named Kinash Lock, King Yaruba’s majordomo. The welcome is filled with pomp, and to the sisters, they think they’ve made it big. Ahsoka, every wary, falls behind them.

In the dining hall, Ahsoka asks Kinesh what kind of medicine they will be transporting. KInesh explains that they will be given three containers of unrefined spice. Immediately Ahsoka knows that what they’re doing is dangerous and that the spice will undoubtedly be used for something other than medicine. Kinesh denies the accusation claiming that their spice has saved people across the galaxy.

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As they leave the palace, Ahsoka pleads her case, warning them that they will be targeted if they leave Kessel with the spice. Rafa, having figured it all out, waves off her concerns because she believes that nothing will happen to such a small ship. Ahsoka tries to convince Trace that what they’re doing is perilous, but Trace sees it as a challenge that she can overcome.  

Arriving at the landing platform, they look down below they see the spice mines of Kessel and Trace is impressed with the amount of droids they have working the mines. Unfortunately, they are not droids, but slaves. Down below we see hundreds of workers taking bags of spice to larger containers. Rafa refuses to believe that the people working the mines are slaves, after all, there’s no way that the Republic would allow it to happen.

The Clone Wars: Spice Mines of Kessel
The Spice Mines of Kessel. (Disney/Lucasfilm)
Best of a Bad Situation

While the containers are being loaded to the Silver Angel, Rafa pulls Trace aside and shares her concerns about Ahsoka. It has been clear from the beginning that Rafa doesn’t care for her. Trace stands up for her friend, ensuring her sister that Ahsoka is on their side.

Leaving Kessel, the trio make their way to Oba Diah to deliver the shipment to Marg Krim, leader of the Pyke Crime Syndicate. Ahsoka strongly objects to sending the spice to a crime syndicate and explains to Trace that by honoring the deal means that they could lose their life, their freedom or worse, Trace could lose her ship.

To Rafa, the negatives of the deal are inconsequential. What’s important is that they get paid since the money earned will pay off the gangsters and moneylenders they know on Coruscant. As Rafa and Ahsoka argue about selling spice to the Pykes: Rafa coming from a position of pure survival and Ahsoka coming from a position of morality, Trace sits down, visually shaken at the idea of losing her ship. Before Rafa and Ahsoka can discuss the issue further, Trace makes a brash decision and jettisons the three containers of spice.

The Clone Wars: Trace makes a decision.
Trace makes a rash decision to save her ship. (Disney/Lucasfilm)

The move surprises Rafa and Ahsoka, who both agree that the move was the worst decision they could make. Now they must come up with a plan to deceive the Pykes and still make it out with the money that’s owed them. Ahsoka comes up with a plan, albeit a terrible one, but it’s the only one they have.

Landing on Oba Diah, they meet Marg Krim, who demands to see the spice before payment is given. Rafa does her best to play it off, reminding them that they hired her to do a job and that she came through. When the Pyke leader insists, Ahsoka uses the reliable Jedi Mind Trick to coerce him to give them their payment and send them on their way. As Rafa, Trace, and Ahsoka beginning to leave one of the other Pyke men steps up and orders them to open the containers. Rafa starts to close the hangar door right as one of the containers is opened, revealing nothing inside.

RELATED: Read up on all Star Wars: The Clone Wars Recaps!

They quickly get the Silver Angel underway, but they are blocked by patrol ships at every turn. Trace believes she can fly past them but not before they are locked in by a tractor beam. They’re trapped.

The Clone Wars: Ahsoka and the Martez Sisters
Ahsoka and the Martez Sisters find trouble on Oba Diah. (Disney/Lucasfilm)
Overall

This was another great episode with Ahsoka and the Martez Sisters. I think what we’re seeing in these past two episodes is Ahsoka coming to terms with the reality of the Jedi and the beginnings of Star Wars Rebels Ahsoka. As a Padawan she believed that what the Jedi were doing was right and that they were protecting the galaxy. However, with her brief time with the Martez sisters, she’s starting to get a more realistic view of the Jedi and the Republic as a whole. In last week’s episode, Trace shared her surprisingly negative view of the Jedi. In this episode, Ahsoka sees that while the Jedi and the Republic are trying to save people from the Separatists, there are people living in slavery that the Republic doesn’t even know about. Or if they do, they haven’t done anything to stop it. Ahsoka is now beginning to get a well-rounded view of how the galaxy works. Her time with the Martez Sisters will undeniably help Ahsoka grow in ways she would not have with Anakin, Obi-wan, and the Jedi Order.

This coming Friday is another chapter in the adventures of Ahsoka and the Martez Sisters in Episode 7, “Dangerous Debt.”

A new episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is released every Friday at 12am PST on Disney+.

 

Renee Lopez
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