It started with an N-S9 Starpath units

I've been a Star Wars fan since I was a little kid. The original trilogy of course. The new movies are... not so great.

So a few years back I got sucked back into the universe with the Disney Plus shows. The Mandalorian, a delightful spaghetti western of sorts. Skeleton Crew, a sort of Stand By Me type of story.

But the crown jewel of the Disney Era Star Wars crown is the sleeper hit Andor.

But it's not just the Disney era. It's the Lucas era too.

I'll even go one teensy bit further...

It's the greatest television drama of all time.

I'm not alone in the belief. Google it. I did and others have written similar things.

But this is not about Andor. It's about a particular scene in Andor.

Spoiler Alert: If you haven't watched the show and want to, turn back now. I'm not going to ruin the show by any means but just in case...

For the entire series we've followed this pawn of the empire, Syril. He's a tragic character really. Early on he has this royal screw up at his job trying to capture Cassian and he's been hell bent on tracking down Cassian Andor, our hero, ever since. For years. It's been complete obsession. Andor takes up every nook and cranny in Syril's head. It's affected his career, his relationships, everything.

Fast forward to Season 2, Episode 8... the showdown. Everything is falling apart around him. Amidst the chaos he spots Cassian. Unbridled rage fills him. He's full blown lunatic in the scene. The viewer endures a brutal, extended fight scene. The way I'd expect people would really fight. It doesn't feel choreographed. You, the viewer, feel Syril's rage and passion.

Finally Syril bests Cassian. He stands over him with a blaster, ready to conclude his life's work.

But Cassian, who knows he's beaten, looks at Syril and says...

Who are you?

Syril's face sinks. His entire adult life has been spent hunting this man. Every spare bit of energy has been given to this pursuit.

And the pursued?

Cassian has no idea who his hunter is.

Syril hesitates. A sadness of sorts covers his face. Then someone off screen ends his story with a laser blast.

Cassian's question haunts me. Probably more than it should.

I see it all the time. People spend decades hunting financial enemies that don't know they exist.

Inflation. The next crash. Beating the market. The Fed.

They orient their entire lives around defense against shadows that don't care about them and aren't tracking them back.

And the industry sells the chase. So you spend years hunting Cassian.

Meanwhile, the actual thing eating your wealth, the slow dilution of the money itself, sits in plain sight. Not chasing you. Not hiding. Just doing what it does.

Most people will never turn and look at it. Easier to keep hunting shadows.

So back to the question...

Who are you, if your whole financial life was built on fighting things that didn't know your name, while the real thing was sitting still in front of you?

Best,

John Montgomery