Anakin Skywalker's Strangest Assignment During The Clone Wars Was Babysitting
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What is the first word you think of when you hear the name Anakin Skywalker? Darth Vader, perhaps? Anger management issues, maybe? As Yoda put it, “much fear” he sensed. How about hot-tempered, whiney, arrogant at times? Certainly, fans could argue the devil’s advocate on his behalf – passionate, talented, fighter pilot, loyal (although the loyalty is misplaced at times), Luke’s father (insert the mechanical breather here)? Regardless of whether he is viewed as friend or foe, we are willing to bet that the term babysitter is not high up on the list of skills associated with the future Sith Lord/eventually-redeemed Jedi Knight.
It can be difficult to follow the many stories that surround the galaxy far, far away as outside of the blockbuster films, the franchise offers many TV series (both animated and live action), in addition to comic books, short stories, and novels that follow the characters of the popular franchise. If you haven’t read our review of one such novel—Star Wars: Brotherhood—you should consider checking it out. Star Wars: Brotherhood, written by Mike Chen, follows the trainee-turned-friend relationship between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi early on during the Clone Wars, just after Anakin graduated to Jedi Knight. Chen offers fans a new character in D’urban Wen-Hurd, a fellow Jedi who received her knighting at the same ceremony as Anakin.
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Supreme Chancellor Palpatine was unable to attend the knighting ceremony due to a bombing that occurred on Cato Neimoidia, but appears via hologram shortly after to discuss the situation with the Jedi. Kenobi is sent to Cato Neimoidia to investigate the bombing while Skywalker and Wen-Hurd are charged with delivering supplies to the planet Langston, as they, too, had recently been attacked by separatists. In addition to this relief mission, however, Palpatine (in a moment of either brilliance or madness) thought it an opportune teaching moment for younglings. He expressed that, should the Clone Wars drag on for too much longer, the children should become used to being around the clones. So, with that goal in mind, he chooses five Jedi younglings to accompany Skywalker and Wen-Hurd on their trip.
The journey takes Skywalker, Wen-Hurd, the younglings, the Clone Commander Theo, Captain Sparks, and Raptor along with the 302nd battalion to a mining district on Langston’s largest continent with food and medical supplies in tow. Wen-Hurd tricked Anakin into taking care of the younglings while she worked with Theo on the logistics of the mission. Anakin realized he was duped too late in the game, and he found himself having to entertain the younglings. It took some comical trial and error, as one might expect, but he figured out how to occupy the kids with his Jedi abilities of telekinesis and his lightsaber.
Image Source: ScreenCrush
It soon became Wen-Hurd’s turn to take over with the younglings, and Anakin was more than happy to turn over the reins. She engaged the children from the jump as they were mesmerized by her dual lightsaber wielding and acrobatic fighting style. The interesting plot point concerns the youngling who felt ill with all the fighting and the stress of the journey. The youngling’s struggle, while relatable, is not what grabs the reader – what gets fans’ attention is the empathy that Anakin feels for the youngling, to the point of allowing her to separate from the group as well as stay with him after Wen-Hurd takes over. The child’s name is Alibeth, and Anakin takes the time to sit with her and help her work through the stress of the situation. This is a rare opportunity for fans to truly see Anakin as his best self. He demonstrates patience and true kindness with this child.
Of course, our favorite bad boy rule-breaker of the Republic rebounds quickly. He takes his leave without notifying anyone, taking Alibeth with him, and leaves the team on their own when he realizes that Kenobi needs his help. He successfully rescues his “brother” while bonding with Alibeth, and, for sheer comic relief, fakes comm trouble to get out of having to speak with Mace Windu about his vanishing act on Langston.
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