Golden’s novel is possessed of a much more adult tone than The Clone Wars (or, indeed, any Star Wars production before or since), largely because its foundation is the sexual relationship that develops between Ventress and the Jedi master sent to exploit her, but otherwise it effortlessly replicates the fast-paced and action-packed style of the animated show. From the episode titles helpfully provided on the book’s title page (“Lethal Alliance”, “The Mission”, “Conspirators”, “Dark Disciple”, “Saving Vos, Part I”, “Saving Vos, Part II”, “Traitor” and “The Path”), I can even infer that Golden has stayed true to the original writers’ planned story structure – all that’s missing from this Clone Wars love letter is one of those fortune cookie-style pearls of wisdom, which the author eschews in favour of a scene-setting opening crawl. Something about right and wrong not being dictated by the side of the Force one draws upon would have been rather apt…
“The question before us now is - who will strike the killing blow?”
Dark Disciple’s storyline sees the gradual erosion of Jedi ethics accelerate in the face of Count Dooku’s escalating atrocities. Thwarted at every turn by the Separatist leader, Mace Windu suggests a drastic course of action to bring the war to an end: assassinate Dooku. It’s a proposal anathema to the Jedi code, and one given short shrift by Obi-Wan Kenobi and other members of the Jedi Council before ultimately being endorsed by Yoda. Not only does this foreshadow Mace’s tragically flawed actions in Revenge of the Sith (“He’s too dangerous to be left alive!”), but it suggests that Mace’s unilateral decision to execute Palpatine without trial in that film would have been sanctioned by his peers, making the Jedi Order’s destruction unavoidable, if not deserved. Brash undercover specialist Quinlan Vos is selected for the unthinkable task, and Yoda orders him to seek out Dooku’s former Sith acolyte Asajj Ventress as “a resource”. The Jedi might not trust Ventress (despite Obi-Wan’s practically fond reminiscences about their shared “banter”), but they know that her hatred for her former master dwarfs any ill feeling that she might still have towards the Jedi. The tragic die is cast.
Initially presenting himself as a business partner for Ventress, Vos is quick to impress the former Sith apprentice with his bounty-hunting aptitude – and all without overtly calling upon the Force. Almost a third of the novel wallows in their high-octane adventures together, some of which threaten to expose Ventress’s caring (not softer!) side, and all of which see Vos edge nearer towards the dark. Indeed, he becomes so wrapped up in their amoral life of adventure that it takes a tragedy for him to confess his identity and his mission. Whereas the predictable romance that follows cements the often-echoed idea that attachment is a path to the dark side, it also reveals that the opposite can be true. A forbidden love affair might see a Jedi master fall to the dark - just as it might draw a Nightsister out into the light. It’s a beautiful conceit; one so obvious that it’s hard to believe that it has never been done before. It’s executed so masterfully, though, and through a character that the intended audience is so heavily invested in, that it resonates magnificently.
Golden’s portrayal of Ventress is absolutely captivating. While the character retains the flighty, wicked disposition that endeared her to many a Clone Wars viewer, she’s largely devoid of malice. Her calls upon the dark side are practical necessities, no different from her use of the light, and she has a genuine sense of remorse whenever she forces Vos to court the dark side. Her unique background has enabled her to straddle both sides of the Force safely – she can instinctively feel where the invisible line between use and abuse lies, and operate within a protected sphere. Ventress doesn’t prophesise balance, she practises it. Unfortunately, her instincts are not so reliable when it comes to interpersonal matters, and her withholding of a terrible truth from her lover has devastating consequences when Dooku gleefully reveals it to him, turning him from Ventress’s dark disciple into his new Sith apprentice: Admiral Enigma.
The more interesting part of the narrative explores what happens next, and how the Jedi and (the now pardoned) Ventress deal with Vos’s turn. More so than even the Jedi, Ventress has a vested interest in saving Vos’s soul, yet she’s the only one who can sense that the darkness has taken him fully. When he returns, seemingly free from his master’s influence, she is the only one who continues to doubt him. Fascinatingly though, the truth isn’t straightforward, and to a degree the Jedi are as right to trust in Vos’s redemption and she is to doubt it. Dark Disciple introduces the intriguing idea that a person can be corrupted by the dark side without even realising it – they might even believe themselves to still be good, or at least working towards a greater good, despite in fact being an agent of evil.
Accountability is an issue conveniently swerved in Star Wars movies – Anakin Skywalker, slaughterer of children and destroyer of worlds, is apparently absolved of any wrongdoing by his son at the end of Return of the Jedi; it’s as if Darth Vader were another person entirely. Similar could be said of Ben Solo in The Rise of Skywalker. However, as neither survived to face any sort of scrutiny, legal or otherwise, we can’t be sure of how they’d have been treated after returning to the light. Trials? Pardons? Executions? In having Vos survive these events, Dark Disciple doesn’t shy away from such difficult issues – we accompany Vos as he tries to make restitution for his crimes, culminating in a moving coda that reminds us why the Force is at its most interesting when it isn’t just black and white.
Since Dark Disciple was published in 2015, The Clone Wars Legacy multimedia initiative has blossomed into a full-blown revival of the show. Whilst neither this book nor the comic mini-series Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir will form part of the twelve-episode run, there’s always the chance that we may be reunited with Vos at some point along the way. If the show maintains its anthology style, we may not even have seen the last of Dathomir’s most famous daughter. If Dark Disciple teaches us anything, it’s that there is always hope.
Star Wars: Dark Disciple is available to download from the Apple Books Store or Amazon’s Kindle Store for £3.99. An unabridged audiobook read by Marc Thompson is also available to download from iTunes for £15.99 or Amazon for £25.28.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars returns for its revival season today on Disney+. The services launches here in the UK on 24th March 2020 and costs just £5.99 per month or £59.99 per year.
