Mae, portrayed by Amandla Stenberg, was blindsided by the revelation that her sister Osha, also played by Stenberg, was still alive. This shocking discovery from their confrontation on Olega lingered in the latest episode of Star Wars: The Acolyte. Mae’s mission to eliminate her next target, Kelnacca (Joonas Suotamo), who had taken refuge on Khofar, a forest retreat in the Outer Rim, was fraught with tension.
The episode unveiled that Qimir (Manny Jacinto) served the same enigmatic master as Mae. This master, known for collecting people, had previously sent Qimir to the remote planet, making him an ideal guide for Mae. However, Mae was uncertain about the mission, which was revealed to be a final test from her secretive master.
“Your final lesson is one you teach yourself,” she remembered his words. “You will kill a Jedi without a weapon.”
Mae found this task insurmountable, having failed to kill Jedi Masters Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Tobin. To ease her anxiety, Qimir fetched water from a nearby source.
Meanwhile, on Coruscant, the Jedi were alarmed by footage of Mae, recognizing her as a well-trained killer who had already taken down two of their own. Vernestra (Rebecca Henderson) suspected that Mae was just a small piece of her master’s grander, hidden scheme. Convinced that Mae had been trained by a Jedi, Vernestra decided to bring her in and extract Kelnacca from the field.
Sol (Lee Jung-jae) volunteered to retrieve Mae, but Vernestra felt he was too emotionally involved. She questioned why Sol hadn’t mentioned the possibility of Mae surviving the fall on Brendok, given his certainty that no one could have survived it.
After persuading Vernestra, Sol urged Osha to join him. He believed there was still good in Mae, especially after seeing her eyes soften at the mention of Osha being alive. Osha agreed to go but remained skeptical about her sister’s redemption, considering Mae’s murderous past.
On Khofar, the Jedi began their search for Kelnacca, who had been unresponsive for over a year. During the search, Osha asked Yord (Charlie Barnett) to kill Mae if she didn’t surrender as Sol hoped. Osha doubted her ability to do it herself after hesitating on Olega. However, Yord had faith in Sol, suggesting that the Jedi Master had a reason for bringing her along.
As they ventured deeper into the forest, Osha accidentally disturbed an umbramoth, a giant flying insect, which Sol swiftly killed. Osha lamented her mistake, while Jecki (Dafne Keen) saw it as an honor to witness something transforming into the Force. This moment also shed light on Osha’s departure from the Jedi. She couldn’t accept death as the Jedi were supposed to and still harbored resentment and grief over her sister.
Elsewhere, Mae trapped Qimir, having reconsidered her mission. Her loyalty lay with her sister, not her cloaked master. She intended to surrender to Kelnacca and turn herself over to the Jedi. However, Qimir warned that her master would kill her for this betrayal.
Mae reached Kelnacca’s makeshift home, only to find the Wookie dead from a lightsaber wound. As she and the Jedi entourage outside sensed a dark presence, her master appeared.
The masked figure emerged behind Osha, igniting his red lightsaber. The Jedi charged, but he effortlessly repelled them with his powerful telekinetic abilities, leaving the episode on a cliffhanger.
Who is Mae’s master? The mystery deepens as the story unfolds.
