Rise of the Old Masters

The rebel crew undergoes a daring rescue mission, only to find themselves facing a powerful foe.

"Kanan vs. The Inquisitor"

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Historical Connections

Whistleblowers

In Rise of the Old Masters, our heroes watch an Imperial HoloNet broadcast that is interrupted by Gall Trayvis, a member of the Imperial Senate who bravely speaks out against Imperial tyranny. Trayvis, who is all too aware of what the Empire does to those who challenge its authority, risks his own life to inform citizens of the Empire’s abuses of power. In this episode he reveals that the Empire is holding Jedi Master Luminara Unduli captive. Because he openly challenges the Empire, Trayvis is considered an enemy of the Empire and is likely hunted by Imperials on the grounds of his treasonous statements. As a result, Trayvis is in exile or hiding outside the direct control of the Empire. At this time little more is known about Trayvis, but his second appearance in Empire Day indicates he may prove to be an important figure in the series.

A whistleblower is someone who speaks out against their government or organization when it is believed to be engaging in illegal activities. Whistleblowers often remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation, but occasionally, like Trayvis, they reveal their identity and risk it all to expose the corruption.

Perhaps the most well-known case involving a whistleblower was the Watergate Scandal that rocked the US government in the early 1970’s. A political insider known as “Deep Throat” contacted Bob Woodward, a journalist with The Washington Post, and revealed the vast corruption surrounding President Richard Nixon and his administration. Over several meetings, Woodward and his colleague, Carl Bernstein used the information provided by “Deep Throat” to piece together and publish the various abuses of power by Nixon. The scandal eventually forced Nixon to resign as president and created a sense of government mistrust among US citizens that persists to this day. In 2005 it was revealed that “Deep Throat” was W. Mark Felt, former Associate Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI.

Another well-known case of whistleblowing occurred in June, 2013 when Andrew Snowden released top-secret information regarding NSA (National Security Agency) programs such as PRISM. Snowden revealed that the NSA and US government were using PRISM to collect Internet communication data from widely used companies such as Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Facebook. Snowden claimed that the US government was abusing the rights of American citizens by illegally obtaining information on them without the use of warrants or probable cause. The US government has confirmed the existence of PRISM, but claimed it is used to collect information on foreign targets outside the United States. Today, much debate continues as some Americans hail Snowden as a hero for revealing potential government corruption while others view him as a traitor for challenging programs that work to protect American citizens.

Gall Trayvis, The Spire, Luminara Unduli, Galactic Empire, HoloNet News

• PBS- Watergate Lesson Plan – The Limits of Presidential Power
• DiscoveryEd- Watergate Lesson
• National Archives- Constitutional Issues- Watergate and the Constitution
• Nixon Presidential Library- Nixon Lessons
• EDSITEment!- Balancing Three Branches at Once: Our System of Checks and Balances

Reflection for Rise of the Old Masters