THE CLONE WARS: Tarkin Revealed!

The official Star Wars website today revealed a photograph that has sent me reeling with intrigue and joy.

After this week’s wrap-up to the Mortis trilogy, what lies beyond has been a bit of a mystery.  Supervising Director Dave Filoni has promised to end on a high note, but the indications of what could be coming are sparse.  My best guess, based on clues given to me by Filoni in an interview, are still an episode based on Predator (possibly with Darth Maul and Savage Opress?)

But we have a sneak peek of next weeks episode:

The episode “The Citadel,” which airs on airing at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT Friday, February 18 on Cartoon Network, features the return of a classic Star Wars character from Episode IV. Long before he held the rank of Grand Moff in charge of Death Star operations, he was a Republic officer in the Clone Wars.

This makes sense.  It’s obvious he was around in this era, and he certainly outranks Vader.  There’s something about what happened between him and Vader in between Episodes III and IV that seems to imply that they’re at least close enough to talk to each other with a modicum of frankness that no other Imperial officer would dare speak to a Dark Lord of the Sith with.

If the beginnings of that relationship can be explored, I’m incredibly interested in seeing it begin.

Here’s a larger look at the image: