A few Star Wars Questions?

[Set Harth]

Like I said: it's in the same vein as saying Yoda trained Kenobi; i.e., it is technically true in the larger sense and it isn't worth anyone's time to get more specific.

For all I know, this has already been explained somewhere in the EU. If not, it still could be. The Clone Wars show could cover it.

It was explained in Ep 2: Yoda trains groups of younglings before they go to a master. Thus Obi Wan started under Yoda, then was taken by Qui Gon as his padawan.

I meant the thing about Obi-Wan serving Bail.

 

[kythe]

About Obi-Wan serving Bail... Don't forget that when Leia left that message with R2D2, Darth Vader and Imperial Troops had already boarded her ship. She knew she would not escape, this is why she sent the message off the ship with two droids in the first place. Basically, she was in a hurry and formed a short, succinct message getting straight to the point of what she needed.

If Plan A had worked and she had been able to deliver the message personally to Obi-Wan in the privacy of his home, I'm sure she would have had plenty of opportunity to elaborate on the exact nature of the relationship between Bail Organa and Obi-Wan Kenobi (and been introduced to Luke too). But as it was, she was under pressure and was trying to sum things up.

I sort of assumed it's a sort of power-sharing ploy between groups of merchant families/nobles/whatever political divisions they have on Naboo. Perhaps they've formed a co-operative council and share power, but are wary of giving anyone the top position? So, to stop them fighting over it, they select an adolescent from a minor family - a well-educated, unusually mature, "presentable" adolescent and he or she takes the role of king or queen, but being only a teenager naturally they take advice from the council. So any power struggles are about having influence over the king/queen rather than trying to knock each other off the top spot. They all remain equals when it comes to official power? And the monarch is just the "pure and perfect" face of government and the leader that everyone can love and invest in without getting bogged down in - or torn apart by - political rivalries or imbalances of power?

Or something. That's my convulated attempt to explain it.

I still have trouble wrapping my mind around anything but a hereditary queen, but this is probably the best explanation I have ever heard. It actually makes sense for a Star Wars world.

 

[Gotham Central]

About Obi-Wan serving Bail... Don't forget that when Leia left that message with R2D2, Darth Vader and Imperial Troops had already boarded her ship. She knew she would not escape, this is why she sent the message off the ship with two droids in the first place. Basically, she was in a hurry and formed a short, succinct message getting straight to the point of what she needed.

If Plan A had worked and she had been able to deliver the message personally to Obi-Wan in the privacy of his home, I'm sure she would have had plenty of opportunity to elaborate on the exact nature of the relationship between Bail Organa and Obi-Wan Kenobi (and been introduced to Luke too). But as it was, she was under pressure and was trying to sum things up.

I sort of assumed it's a sort of power-sharing ploy between groups of merchant families/nobles/whatever political divisions they have on Naboo. Perhaps they've formed a co-operative council and share power, but are wary of giving anyone the top position? So, to stop them fighting over it, they select an adolescent from a minor family - a well-educated, unusually mature, "presentable" adolescent and he or she takes the role of king or queen, but being only a teenager naturally they take advice from the council. So any power struggles are about having influence over the king/queen rather than trying to knock each other off the top spot. They all remain equals when it comes to official power? And the monarch is just the "pure and perfect" face of government and the leader that everyone can love and invest in without getting bogged down in - or torn apart by - political rivalries or imbalances of power?

Or something. That's my convulated attempt to explain it.

I still have trouble wrapping my mind around anything but a hereditary queen, but this is probably the best explanation I have ever heard. It actually makes sense for a Star Wars world.

While there is no doubt that Lucas probably did not give much thought to how politics on Naboo actually worked...hell he actually tried showing the politics of the Republic and it rarely made sense...BUT there is no reason that a Queen HAS to be hereditary. We are just used to that idea. Queen is really just a title and could just as easily be applied to an elected official...after all Presidents in some countries that have only the veneer of Democracy...have in fact been hereditary even though they are usually elected officials.

On Naboo, the Queen could simply be the elected head of state who is merely a figure head. That means that there should be a Prime Minister or Chancellor or someone serving has the head of government that actuall does most of the work.

 

[Morpheus 02]

Naw, we're to assume that her father told her who he is. She doesn't address him as "Obi-Wan", she addresses him by his full name of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" or as "General Kenobi." And she speaks to him specifically on her father's behalf. Look.

"General Kenobi. Years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to convey my father's request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack, and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope."

Good point..I stand corrected.

BTW, since when are "generals" active in battle? It's as if Lucas realized "General" is a top rank, so let me make them all Generals. But historically speaking, Generals are strategists...not active combat soldiers but for some exceptions like Patton, who pretty much got off on combat.

It's a retcon at this point, but The Clone Wars has the Jedi Generals leading attacks all the time. They're on the ground or in the cockpit right alongside the clone troops.

Don't forget -- there is also the rank of Admiral, which is higher than general. (In our world, General is for land-based military, with the equivelent Admiral for sea).

The Star Wars world generals are like colonels or starship captains (or General Custer).