Warning: This infobox is missing the following parameters: unit2, civilian, unit1 The Mission to Vjun was Yoda's attempt to bring back Count Dooku into the fold of the Jedi and the Galactic Republic. However, it was actually a trap set by Dooku to ensnare Yoda and to deliver a deadly blow to the Republic's forces.
Prelude
- "Not yet Thame's equal are you; not yet a Jedi Knight; not yet a member of the Council. Many shells have we left for you, Dooku—as long as you can fit inside this one."
- ―Master Yoda
The origins of the Mission go back to when Dooku was a Padawan in 83 BBY. During this time, Yoda came across him in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, where the young man was toying with a sea shell. The two of them talked about the meanings of home and Dooku's fear of losing the Jedi Temple as a place to call home. he related it to the shell of a hermit crab that he had found, saying that a hermit crab constantly moved into bigger shells as it grew.[1]
The mission
Ventress holds Scout in a Force grip.
Since Yoda suspected a trap, yet he didn't want to throw away the opportunity of bringing back the Count to the fold of the Jedi and the Republic, he arranged with Republic Intelligence for an actor famous for playing Yoda to make a public departure from Coruscant in a Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor. Yoda was accompanied by the Jedi Masters Jai Maruk and the Gran female Maks Leem, along with their respective Padawans, Scout and Whie Malreaux. Scout was an insubordinate girl with little Force-sensitivity and this was her first real mission while Whie had been the heir to the Château Malreaux on Vjun before the Jedi brought him to the Jedi Temple when he had been discovered to be Force-sensitive as a child. The planet had been in chaos in the past years as a result of generations of interbreeding to produce Force-sensitive traits in the population.[1]
It turned out to be a trap after all since one of Dooku's Dark Jedi operatives Asajj Ventress tracked down the Yoda decoy and captured him. Having realized that he was just a decoy, Asajj Ventress caught up with the real Yoda at Phindar Spaceport. During the confrontation, she slew both Jai Maruk and Maks Leem while her escort assassin droids went on a rampage in the concourse. Eventually, the two "orphaned" Padawans Scout and Whie caught up with Yoda as they continued their journey to Vjun. At the Château Malreaux on Vjun, the mission ended in stalemate. The Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker arrived at the palace while Scout and Whie along with his family droid Fidelis survived a duel with Ventress, Dooku failed to turn Yoda to the dark side or kill him. In the end, Dooku managed to escape Vjun while Yoda and the Padawans returned to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.[1]
Aftermath
- "Step forward, Padawan. Anakin Skywalker, by the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, dub thee I do, Jedi Knight of the Republic."
- ―Yoda, during Anakin Skywalker's Knighting ceremony
Anakin Skywalker having his Padawan braid severed by Yoda during his Knighting ceremony.
Upon his return to Coruscant, Obi-Wan Kenobi was made a member of the Jedi Council for his heroism in the war to date. The seats of the Council, according to tradition, were reserved for Jedi Masters, so Kenobi was also promoted to that position. He used the opportunity to construct a new lightsaber.[3] Shortly after the Vjun conflict, a Council meeting was arranged regarding the dwindling amount of Jedi Knights and the increasing demand for Generals on battlefronts.[6] During the conversation, the topic of CIS General Grievous was brought up, and Ki-Adi-Mundi felt the need to remind his fellow Council members of his encounter with Grievous on Hypori, believing the situation conveyed the General's threat to the Jedi Knights.[4]
Kenobi then suggested that the trials be forgone in his Padawan's case as to help them bolster these numbers. For months, Chancellor Palpatine had been requesting that Skywalker be promoted to Jedi Knight, but the request had been continually denied since Palpatine had no power over internal Jedi affairs. Even though Skywalker lacked an official Jedi Trial, Kenobi nevertheless argued for his apprentice's early promotion, citing his confrontation with Ventress on Yavin 4 as a test of skill and the loss of his arm to Count Dooku on Geonosis as a Trial of the Flesh. Furthermore, Kenobi had argued that the war itself had provided numerious Trials of Courage, all of which Skywalker had passed. Although Skywalker's early promotion had been accepted by the council, the consensus was that he still had to face his last trial, in which his spirit would be tested.[4]
Upon his arrival at the temple, Skywalker was chided by Kenobi for being late. Master and apprentice bickered once again, resulting in the Padawan unfavorably comparing Kenobi with Qui-Gon Jinn. Immediately realizing the severity of his insult, Skywalker retracted his comment, but Kenobi was not upset. He instead cryptically informed the Padawan that their relationship as master and apprentice would be coming to an end, as he ushered Skywalker into the council chamber, which was darkened. As the young man stood in the center of the chamber, the Jedi Councilmen, Kenobi amongst them, ignited their lightsabers,[4] in a ritualistic display of honor for the Chosen One.[3] Yoda beckoned Skywalker to kneel before him, and the Grand Master dubbed him a Jedi Knight of the Galactic Republic, severing the young man's Padawan braid to complete the ceremony.[4] After the ceremony, Yoda informed Skywalker that his greatest test was still yet to come.[3] Skywalker later had the braid delivered to Amidala as a memento. His wife returned the favor, bequeathing her droid, R2-D2, to her husband. Skywalker immediately put the astromech droid to use in his new Eta-2 Actis-class interceptor.[4]
Appearances
- Yoda: Dark Rendezvous (First appearance)
- Labyrinth of Evil (Mentioned only)
Star Wars: Clone Wars — "Chapter 21" (Indirect mention only) (Retcon)
Sources
- Vjun in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)
- The New Essential Chronology
- "Order 66: Destroy All Jedi" — Star Wars Insider 87
- The Essential Atlas
- The Essential Reader's Companion
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Yoda: Dark Rendezvous
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The New Essential Chronology
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 The New Essential Chronology
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5
Star Wars: Clone Wars — "Chapter 21"
- ↑ Star Wars: Message Boards: EU Leadup to Revenge of the Sith (English) (Online forum) by Chee, Leland Y., published by StarWars.com on StarWars.com Message Boards (March 29, 2005) (archived from the original on April 19, 2024)
- ↑ The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader