#sundari

A moment for my Mandalore Throne Room, please

Thank you

This ep hit so deep. Have SO much to say abt this.

ObiWan came all the way far out here alone for her, not just as a Jedi responsibility or a simple friend help, but as a heart calling, only to have Satine die in his arms within half hour at max. After so many years they had met again and their dynamic had rekindled.

You don't hold any friend's hand and carefully take them outside while rescuing them. There were two attempts to rescue Satine. First by her sister and nephew, second by ObiWan. Both felt. I'm mad that makers didn't give them at least half or one day together, escaping Sundari city, going with Deathwatch, planning their counterattack, having some lifetime memorable emotionally rich intimate convos, and then when they return to face Maul and Savage, then have Satine die (if they so wanted it!)

Then comes this. They're captured. Maul tries to bait ObiWan with Satine's life. And Obi says this : (this is so imp. on so many levels!)

This sums up ObiWan's personality and character until now and for his future as well. By saying this he proves that he's incorruptible!

In TPM he just a padawan to Qui-Gon, but since AoTC when even Dooku tries to lure him to dark side, he stands firm on his values even when Dooku mentions Qui-Gon. Since then and esp thruout Clone Wars, even tho Obi has been flexible and adaptable to changing situations and crisis, his stance on his morals and principles hardly shook. Rather it kept getting stronger and stronger. By now he had experienced and learned how to centre himself quickly in times of crisis, be present, embody calm and composure and think from a calm quiet mind. That is what he does here too. Despite fear of losing Satine (again, this time forever, her life) is immense and right in his face, he finds his centre, not just to show to Maul but truly embodies it that even Maul feels it thru Force.

Satine must've felt so proud of her man in this moment. He didn't fall into anger, rage, fear, hate, thru her bait as just what Maul wanted. He quietly tells Maul the greatest wisdom nuggets he'll ever hear in his life, or atleast in near future: 'those who resist it are far more powerful than you'll ever be'. He mentions Maul's village and night sisters and in turn angers Maul himself, Maul gets angry and stabs Satine with black sword and Obi gathers her in his arms in her last moments.

Satine's last words to him, and moreover Obi's expression in that scene are top-notch, esp for animation. In that lone private moment, Obi fully allows himself to be human and vulnerable again, to deeply feel his emotions, their love, her love, her touch. He feels the devastating pain that'll come with her loss and no more having her in his life ever, to talk to, to banter with, to love forever. Their entire relationship can be glimpsed from that one emotional heartbreaking scene.

Now Anakin. This one line of Obi's to Maul : 'only the weak embrace the dark side' , I couldn't help but immediately think of Anakin. Let's shift characters for a bit. What if it was Anakin here and Padme dying in his arms, not naturally but thru intentional stabbing by Maul right there? What'd've he done? First of all, would he have stayed handcuffed this whole time, watching Maul lift and Force choke Padme in front of him? Given he was the Chosen One and his connection to Force was unique than others, would he have tried to push Maul and Savage back thru Force and free Padme from his grip? And then after she was stabbed, when Padme died in Anakin's arms and took her last breath, WHAT'D'VE ANAKIN DONE? His pain, grief, rage and hatred would've exploded outside around him shattering everything, ending life around him, smtg like this, throwing Maul and Savage meters away. But this is exactly what Maul would've wanted, wouldn't he?

But then again I think abt it, it's not only unfair but also illogical to compare ObiWan and Anakin from one similar situation. ObiWan most likely had a stable childhood and teenage too well into adulthood until QuiGon died. Anakin lived thru real world struggles, existential and survival crisis when he was merely a child, so his emotional style and human design was very different to ObiWan. Yes a better loving customised mentoring from Qui-Gon would've shaped Anakin differently, but this Anakin was as well as real as he was to his foundations. So to lose the only person he was most close to, was constant thruout his childhood, was his home, would obviously hit him hard to remember any Jedi code. Obi and Satine were on verge of 'denial-to-acceptance' love story, whereas Anakin and Padme were already a couple who both knew they loved e/o so much.

Work referenced: The Clone Wars, Season 5, Episode 15 "Shades of Reason"

Art description: Maul mid-leap during his duel with Death Watch leader Pre Vizsla for the Darksaber and title of Mand'alor.

Era: The Clone Wars

Location: Sundari Royal Palace, Mandalore

The Gardens (8x10)

I love to imagine Bo and Din going on walks in the gardens of Sundari, with fireflies around them. Maybe one day they’ll be peaceful and happy.