Sphere of Influence

"Sphere of Influence" is the fourth episode of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series' third season. It aired on October 1, 2010. This episode chronologically takes place in between Season Three's second episode, "ARC Troopers" and eighth episode, "Evil Plans."
==Official description==
Chi Eekway and Che Amanwe, Chairman Papanoida's daughters, are kidnapped and held for ransom. Ahsoka Tano teams up with the Senator from Pantora, Riyo Chuchi, to aid the new chairman in recovering his family before the Trade Federation can unduly influence the future of his planet.
The Chairman and his son, Ion, track down the kidnapper—Greedo—on Tatooine, and rescue Che Amanwe. Meanwhile, Ahsoka and Chuchi find Chi Eekway held captive aboard a blockading Trade Federation battleship over Pantora, and expose Trade Federation officer Sib Canay as a Separatist conspirator.
==Plot summary==
The Trade Federation is blockading the space above Pantora under the pretense that Pantora has outstanding debts to pay, while Count Dooku is really trying to coerce the Pantorans to join the Separatist Alliance. Senator Riyo Chuchi and Chairman Papanoida are trying to maintain the fighting spirit of their people and turn to the Senate for help. They do gain general sympathy for their plight, but the same night, Papanoida's daughters, Chi Eekway and Che Amanwe, are kidnapped from their quarters, though Che manages to strike one of their attackers with an icon before she is stunned.
The next morning, Ahsoka, who has become a close friend of Chuchi, informs Anakin Skywalker and Senator Amidala of the situation. While the Jedi can't officially get involved in the investigation, Anakin slyly grants his Padawan permission to look into the matter due to "personal" concerns. While Ahsoka and Chuchi travel to the blockade fleet in order to look for the sisters there, Papanoida and his son Ion discover the misplaced icon, smeared with blood, at the crime scene. By analyzing it, they identify one of the kidnappers as Greedo and proceed to Tatooine, where the villain is known to operate. They enter Jabba the Hutt's palace, where Papanoida cunningly spreads word that he wants to hire Greedo's services in order to have him come to them. Trella Bare'Ah informs Greedo that there are Pantorans wishing to see him. Greedo does indeed come, with his accomplices and blasters in hand, but Papanoida overpowers him and presents his evidence to Jabba. Exposed, Greedo confesses and leads Papanoida and Ion to a seedy bar in Mos Eisley, where Chi is kept hidden. When Chi is brought forth and identifies her father, a firefight breaks out. Although Papanoida and his children manage to kill all antagonists, Greedo manages to slip away.
In the meantime, Chuchi and Ahsoka, the latter disguised as a servant, are admitted aboard the Trade Federation ship and quartered for the impending negotiation sessions. The same night, the two young women sneak to the Trade Federation ambassador's office, where they overhear him and Administrator Sib Canay talking about one of Papanoida's daughters being kept aboard this ship. A gasp from Chuchi nearly gives them away, but they narrowly avoid discovery thanks to Ahsoka's Jedi abilities. They penetrate the ship's detention complex and find Che in one of the cells, but are discovered. Ahsoka manages to slice up the squad of super battle droids sent against them and Chuchi uses her glib tongue to force the Trade Federation envoy to reconsider, leading to the dissolution of the blockade and a happy ending for the Papanoidas - and Pantora.
==Continuity==
Captain Rex's kama is missing in one of the shots where he's walking behind Anakin and Padmé while they're talking about the blockade.
When Ahsoka suggests that Chi Eekway and Che Amanwe might be being held on the Trade Federation blockade ship above Pantora, she erroneously refers to the moon as a planet.
When Ahsoka prepares to use the mind trick to the Neimoidian guard, she admits to Chuchi that she hasn't done something like this, but had been training. Ahsoka actually does the same trick in the later episode "The Academy", which however is placed earlier chronologically. However, in that episode, it is revealed that the Mandalorian Guards were immune to the trick, and were pretending to be affected.
When Baron Papanoida walks into Jabba's court, his half-cape is missing.
The initial story setting placed this episode as a prequel to the "Trespass" episode from Season 1. Chi Eekway was the sister of senator Riyo Chuchi and had been kidnapped in a plot to let the Separatists establish a base on Orto Plutonia. Chairman Chi Cho would secretly aid the Separatists. Several of these scenes can be seen in animatic form in the extra material on the Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season Three Blu-ray edition.Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season Three
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