Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures: Season 2: Story 21: Unmasked
What is it ? : At Yarrum Tower, the Ganguls are holding court having recently taken control. They are being brought tributes by the other pirates. The Comet Runners however bring nothing physical, instead giving Sellaccc information on the treasure vault in the royal palace on Vuundalla, where currently only Prince Vuundir and a few droids are guarding.
Meanwhile on Vuundalla, the Young Jedi are training with Prince Vuundir against remote droids, with Kai and Vuundir having prepared a special move where Kai levitates Vuundir so he can smash the droids.
The other Young Jedi are impressed, and Vuundir asks Kai to get a tool so he can repair the smashed droids. However Kai looks inside a locker, finding his old training lightsaber which was taken by Taborr Val Dornn, also locating Taborr's helmet within the locker as well, realising the Prince Vuundir and Taborr are the same person.
The Pirates arrive, and Vuundir asks Lys, Nubs and Nash to help defend the village, while he and Kai protect the palace. Kai agrees but is nervous about being teamed with who he now knows is Taborr. The two see the pirates defended by a couple of droids, and they decide to separate to take out the bodyguard droids. However, Kai doesn't trust Vuundir, so rushes back, only to discover that he has taken out the other droid.
They see the pirates opening the vault, so leap in the way, and as they fight, Vuundir calls upon Kai to do their special move, but when Vuundir leaps into the air, Kai sees him as Taborr leaping to attack so falters, and the two end up getting locked in the now emptied vault.
Vuundir demands to know what happened, why Kai let him down, and Kai shows him the training lightsaber and reveals he knows that he's Taborr, and that if he cannot stop being a pirate then he cannot trust him or help him. The vault door unlocks, and Nubs, Lys and Nash have cleared the village, but Lys realises that Kai is holding his training lightsaber, and the truth is revealed. Vuundir rushes away to retreive his family riches from the pirates, as the others react to the revelation.
Lys, Nash and Nubs want to help Vuundir, but Kai doesn't trust him, but they convince him it's the right thing to do.
Nash flies them in the Firehawk to Yarrum Tower, where Vuundir as Taborr is confronting the pirates, he reveals his true identity and they humiliate him as a rich boy playing at being a pirate. The Jedi arrive and they fight the pirates, with Taborr and Kai successfully doing their special move, however they're outnumbered so escape in the Firehawk, however Taborr is going to deal with things the pirate way so snatches back his own vessel the Iron Talon, leaving the Jedi behind.
The Jedi return to the Tenoo Jedi Temple, where Jedi Master Zia Zaldor Zanna comforts Kai over what has happened.
While elsewhere, Taborr arrives in the Iron Talon where his pirate friends, Pord and EB-3, are waiting, he reveals his true identity to them, and while initially shocked they react in a friendly manner which reassures Taborr. . . .
High Points : So Taborr's secret is out, in a double length episode (usually each episode is two short stories (which is why I review these as stories rather than episodes), but this one takes the entire run time).
I don't know if it's because I haven't watched an episode of Young Jedi Adventures in nearly a year, but it felt nice to reconnect with these characters. While Kai was as impulsive and limited as always, the others felt good and I was on Taborr's side throughout, no matter he is a pirate, this time he's trying to protect his home, splitting the forces to defend the people as much as to retain his family riches.
He's been hiding something from the Young Jedi, but this seems more important.
Low Points : While Kai being Kai is annoying, it's necessary for the story, so easily forgiven. But the main thing that bothered me was why Taborr was confronting the pirates alone, where were Pord and EB-3? But we find that out later, and they don't have access to the Iron Talon, so I guess they've just been stuck where they are waiting for him.
So what do you really think ? : Young Jedi Adventure episodes usually have morals, but I often find them teaching a different message to the one intended. This time, I think they're probably trying to teach that you should help people no matter what you think of them. But my thoughts were that it's teaching that you should judge people on their actions, not on their titles, as while Taborr calls himself a pirate, he's being heroic.
Final Words : So we're back with Young Jedi Adventures, with a whole bunch to finish off Season 2, and then complete the very short run of Season 3. It's taking a little adjustment to get back into the mindset of a series designed for preteens, but it was pretty enjoyable and fun, with a surprising amount of characterisation. So I think I'm looking forward to these episodes.
Score : 8.5/10
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