Spoiler warning! We are going to be giving you all the spoilers for Star Wars: The Clone Wars Episode 5, “Gone with a Trace,” so if you’re not caught up with the show, stop reading, get on Disney+, make a quick snack and get caught up.
The Story So Far…
Last week we saw the end of the Echo and Clone Force 99 story arc. To briefly recap: The Republic was attempting to defend their assembly plant of Anaxes, but they were being thwarted at every engagement. Captain Rex assumed that the Separatists were using his own strategies against him, and a hunch led him to believe that Echo was still alive. An assault on a Separatist communication tower proved his theory, Captain Rex, Anakin Skywalker and Clone Force 99, A.K.A. “The Bad Batch,” traveled to the planet Skako Minor. There they assaulted a Techno Union base, located Echo, freed him and made a daring escape.
With Echo back with the Republic, they went back to Anaxes to defend the assembly plant. Using his new technological enhancements, Echo was able to trick the Techno Union into committing to a strategy that proved to be their downfall. In the end, Echo decided to join Clone Force 99 as their newest member.
RELATED: Here’s last week’s recap if you missed it!
This week, we see the return of a familiar face.
“If there is no path before you, create your own.”
This The Clone Wars episode starts with a recap of events that happened all the way back in Season 5. At the end of that season, Ahsoka Tano was wrongfully accused of treason and had to rely on Asaj Ventress to help her clear her name. Anakin, believing his apprentice, eventually found the real traitor, Barriss Offee, but the damage had already been done. Ahsoka decided to leave the Jedi Order and follow her own path.
So where has Ahsoka been? We find her on Coruscant on a dilapidated speeder bike zipping along. Suddenly the engine blows and Ahsoka is thrown into a series of close calls, where she deftly avoids crashing into other vehicles and causes some minor damage. Eventually, she lands on a platform on subterranean Level 1313, a little worse for wear.
As she pulls her bike to safety, a woman comes to greet her. Calling herself Trace, she offers Ashoka a space in her repair shop to fix her bike since it’s just a nice thing to do.
The Forgotten
Ahsoka takes Trace up on the offer and tries to repair her speeder. The two of them start talking, and Trace asks where Ahsoka is from. Ahsoka is hesitant to say too much about herself, but she reveals that she lived in the upper levels of Coruscant. Trace comments about the cleaner air up there, but she believes that Ahsoka is better off in the lower levels. Ahsoka is curious as to why that is. To Trace, being the lower levels makes it easier for people to get away from the Jedi and the war. As a former Jedi Padawan, Ahsoka is quick to defend her friends, and claims that the Jedi are trying to prevent the war. Trace disagrees with her because she believes that the Jedi have forgotten all about them and is completely disillusioned by the Jedi and their purpose. Trace shares her dream about setting out to the stars with her sister, Rafa.
Just then a moneylender name Pintu and his two goons show up looking for Rafa and demanding his money. Since no one knows where Rafa is, Trace is left to deal with the matter on her own, asking Ahsoka to stay out of it. Unsurprisingly, the conversation goes pear-shaped and Trace must fight off Pintu’s goons. Seeing that she is over her head, Trace asks Ahsoka for help. Ahsoka immediately gets into the action, and with years of Jedi training under her belt, she handles the two very quickly. Trace is awe-struck, and Pintu wisely leaves.
Droid Problems
They find Rafa in a droid shop looking through safes. Opening one up, she pulls out a bag with a satisfied grin. Trace and Ahsoka arrive, and it’s clear that the bag doesn’t belong to Rafa and she intends to steal it.
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A Twi’lek enters the shops looking to find someone to repair his three droids. Rafa cuts a deal and leaves Trace and Ahsoka to make repairs. Ahsoka, with all her experience around droids, imparts some knowledge to Trace who is fascinated by how much she knows. Ahsoka admits that she knows a lot about droids but not enough about people. Trace says the droids are binary load lifters, and Ahsoka immediately remembers what kind of droids these hulking metal machines are. The droid Ahsoka is working on turns on and immediately tries to attack her, but Ahsoka powers it down. She explains to Trace that those droids were repurposed demolition droids “prone to violence.” Trace, while concerned, is confident that the droids can’t do any harm as long as they have their restraining bolts on. As luck would have it, Trace has the last restraining bolt in her hands, a mistake she realizes right as another droid powers up.
As Rafa is making her way back to the droid shop, the droid comes crashing out, causing people to clear out of its way. Trace is close behind, with Ahsoka trailing. Rafa is visibly annoyed about the droid being on the loose, but Trace assures her that everything is okay
The droid takes them on a chase through Level 1313, and as the droid starts to demolish things in its path, Trace comes up with an idea. She’ll grab a speeder to chase down the droid while Ahsoka grabs the tracking device.
Using the tracker, they locate the droid, which slips away from them. Trace chases it down, using the speeder’s clamps to try to capture the Droid. After destroying some property, Trace is finally able to secure the droid. Unfortunately, she finds herself in a precarious position just teetering on the edge of a platform. Ahsoka, hesitant to use her force powers, does what she can to keep the speeder from falling, but it’s not enough. As Trace and the droid behind to slip, Ahsoka has no choice but to use her force power to lift the speeder back on the platform. The day has been saved.
Choices
Back at the droid shop, Rafa explains to Trace and Ahsoka that she has no intention of dismantling the droids, no matter how dangerous they are. Ahsoka pleads her case, but according to Rafa it’s not her problem and it’s not her call to make. Setting out to meet the Twi’lek, Rafa ensures Trace that she is going to do the right thing.
At the Wharf, Trace and Ahsoka wait for Rafa to return. Ahsoka asks if Trace ever gets a say in their dealings, but Trace will always defer to her older sister no matter the cost.
Rafa returns and tells them that not only did she return the droids to the Twi’lek, but she charged him double. Both Ahsoka and Trace are disappointed by the decision, but Rafa rationalizes it, saying that the money they made not only cleared their debt with Pintu, but the leftover money will allow Trace to buy new tools. Trace has no choice but to stand by her sister.
Ahsoka decides that it’s time for her to leave, but not before Trace thanks her for saving her life.
RELATED: Read up on all Star Wars: The Clone Wars Recaps!
Overall
While overall this story didn’t have a lot of action going on like previous episodes, it was a good palate cleanser after all the things that happened with Echo. It was a simple story that introduced us to the Martez Sisters, and it finally gave us a long-awaited Ahsoka story.
What is interesting is that the story took place on Level 1313, which might have some connection to a couple of things. According to Wookiepedia, Level 1313 was going to be the location of an undeveloped Star Wars series with Saw Guerrera. But I remember Level 1313 from the video game that was in development a few years ago that focused on the infamous bounty hunter Boba Fett. Whether the choice of location alludes to a future return of Boba Fett is anyone’s guess, but it’s a nice little Easter egg.
Next week is another chapter in the adventures of Ahsoka and the Martez Sisters in Episode 6, “Deal or No Deal.”
A new episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is released every Friday at 12am PST on Disney+.
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