(OT) Hmmm Star Wars II Seen it I have! Continued

[Rel]

If that is the case then Palpatine really hired some incompetent assasins. They used poor methods that did not work and left easy to trace evidence back to find them.

Well, frankly, I'm willing to buy it rather easier than I could buy what lousy shots the Stormtroopers were in the OT. And I buy it for the same reason: If the bad guys were as competent as they perhaps could have been, there would be no movie.

I mean sure, it has an element of "You are about to die Mr. Bond, so I shall reveal my whole plan to you instead of simply shoot you in the head three times". But so do a lot of movies that I like. I'm willing to overlook it for the story.

And as far as their methods go, they are having to come up with these assassination plots in a hurry. Maybe they couldn't use more explosives at the platform because obtaining more on short notice would have attracted attention. Maybe they couldn't use more explosives because a larger quantity would have set off some kind of detectors. I dunno.

With regards to the traceability issue, I totally agree that Zam Wessel should not have had the droid return to her. But perhaps she had less experience with Jedi and figured that nobody was crazy enough to jump out a 300 story building and ride the droid back. Once the droid was close enough to for her to see Obi-Wan aboard, she figured that she'd been spotted and had to deal with it.

The dart that Fett used to kill her was perhaps unwise but if Obi-Wan hadn't known the greasy spoon cook, they might never have traced the thing. Especially since the Jedi archives had been tampered with.

Since I'm pretty sure that I've gone well beyond over analyzing this thing, I'll shut up now.

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

If that is the case then Palpatine really hired some incompetent assasins. They used poor methods that did not work and left easy to trace evidence back to find them.

Easy to trace? I thought Obi-Wan actually got lucky. He had to go to a well-traveled ex-prospector to figure out where the thing came from.

And the first assasination attempt killed the person they thought was the target. And the worms would have succeeded against anything short of Jedi. They walked in right under the sensors and the resourceful R2 completely missed them. I doubt the bounty hunters were already aware that there were Jedi guarding her. That info would have had to go from Palpatine to Dooku out in Geonosis and back to Jango in considerably less than a day.

I really think that Palpatine intended for her to die, but that he saw an opportunity to bring Anakin into the situation, maybe through Sith intuition (if the Jedi have it, why can't the Sith?)

And how about this... She was the biggest opponent of the creation of an army. If she dies while under the protection of the Jedi and then Palpatine's agents trace her killer back to Kamino, where the Jedi have apparently ordered production of an army without the approval of the Senate, that casts the Jedi in a VERY bad light. They would be blamed for her death as well as the army, which would not have helped their public image any. They would even appear to have a motive to kill her, as she's the leader of the group opposing the army. With the leader of the Separatists being an "ex"- Jedi, it begins to look like the Jedi are the ones orchestrating the war. Probably to increase their power over the government.

Palpy could also use this tactic to turn Anakin, as it would look like the Jedi betrayed Padme, which would turn Anakin inside out and backwards.

 

[JacktheRabbit]

I call it easy to trace because it is physical evidence. A blaster bolt leaves no evidence behind and if you are a good enough shot to hit her in the neck with a dart then using your blaster should be a piece of cake.

As a side note, it was the Chancellor that put the Jedi there. As it stood Amidala did not want extra protection and only agreed when Obi-Wan was mentioned. So if he really wanted her dead he could have just given in to her wishes and not forced her to take extra security. She is very headstrong and no one would blame the Chancellor if she died because she refused more security.

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

I call it easy to trace because it is physical evidence. A blaster bolt leaves no evidence behind and if you are a good enough shot to hit her in the neck with a dart then using your blaster should be a piece of cake.

As a side note, it was the Chancellor that put the Jedi there. As it stood Amidala did not want extra protection and only agreed when Obi-Wan was mentioned. So if he really wanted her dead he could have just given in to her wishes and not forced her to take extra security. She is very headstrong and no one would blame the Chancellor if she died because she refused more security.

Yes, but if you follow my theory in my previous post, people would blame the Jedi. AND it would give Palpy an excuse to "discover" the clone army, further discrediting the Jedi, and leaving him with this army in his hands that he could assume control of once the Separatists proved to be a threat. Win-win for Palpatine.

 

[JacktheRabbit]

All true, still makes the choice of the bugs as a assination weapon just plain stupid. As well as the returning droid.

Yes, but if you follow my theory in my previous post, people would blame the Jedi. AND it would give Palpy an excuse to "discover" the clone army, further discrediting the Jedi, and leaving him with this army in his hands that he could assume control of once the Separatists proved to be a threat. Win-win for Palpatine.

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

All true, still makes the choice of the bugs as a assination weapon just plain stupid. As well as the returning droid.

Only if Zam and Jango KNEW Padme was under Jedi protection.

Plus, Zam is a bounty hunter, she would want to maximize profit, and that means reclaiming her (probably illegal and expensive) assasin droid if at all possible.

 

[Rel]

All true, still makes the choice of the bugs as a assination weapon just plain stupid.

Just plain stupid? That particular assassination attempt failed by probably less than a second. I'd be willing to agree that in hindsight, it might appear to be a sub-optimal choice given the circumstances. But I can't call something that came so close to working "just plain stupid".

No offense, Doc, but has anybody ever told you that you come off as a bit contrarian?

 

[JacktheRabbit]

Remove the bugs and replace with a single thermal detonator. Boom one dead senator and it doesnt matter if the entire Jedi Council is in the next room.

In fact use the thermal detonator and there is a good chance that if the council is in the next room that they would be dead too.

As it stands two Jedi who were talking to each other were still able to sense the danger in enough time to stop it. In fact they sense the danger so clearly that Anakin and Obi-Wan didnt have to look for more bugs. They instantly knew that the two killed were the only two there.

Just plain stupid? That particular assassination attempt failed by probably less than a second. I'd be willing to agree that in hindsight, it might appear to be a sub-optimal choice given the circumstances. But I can't call something that came so close to working "just plain stupid".

No offense, Doc, but has anybody ever told you that you come off as a bit contrarian?

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

Remove the bugs and replace with a single thermal detonator. Boom one dead senator and it doesnt matter if the entire Jedi Council is in the next room.

Personally, I think you're nit-picking. The fact is the bugs came REALLY close, walking right by every part of the security except the senses of the Jedi. This does not make them a bad weapon UNLESS the assasins knew that the Jedi were there AND knew EXACTLY how good their senses were, which I would guess is not necessarily common knowledge.

Besides, maybe Jango just likes to use unusual methods for taking people out. "Thermal detonators and blasters are SO cliche. Poisonous centipedes, however are totally IN this season."

 

[JacktheRabbit]

You don't get to be #1 by being cool unless you live in a Hong Kong action movie. You get to be #1 by doing what works in the most effective and straightforward method.

You also remain #1 by leaving behind as little evidence as possible.

Jango is supposed to be #1 yet breaks both rules. That does not make sense.

Personally, I think you're nit-picking. The fact is the bugs came REALLY close, walking right by every part of the security except the senses of the Jedi. This does not make them a bad weapon UNLESS the assasins knew that the Jedi were there AND knew EXACTLY how good their senses were, which I would guess is not necessarily common knowledge.

Besides, maybe Jango just likes to use unusual methods for taking people out. "Thermal detonators and blasters are SO cliche. Poisonous centipedes, however are totally IN this season."