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  might trigger a trap, so he reached for the fifth switch. After throwing the

  switch, Qui-Gon heard a clicking sound from behind him. He spun to see a: hid

  - n door slide back fast from the black metal wall. tall guard droid stepped

  out from a compartment, within the wall. It was humanoid in design, but

  droid's two arms ended in menacing, double barreled blaster rifles; At the

  sight of the human intruder, the droid's photoreceptors glowed red. The guard

  droid lurched forward. Qui-Gon's hand flew to his belt and his lightsaber was

  suddenly ablaze. The droid rapidly squeezed off a double burst of blaster fire

  from its arms, but the Jedi Master's blade struck each blast, hammering them

  back at the droid. The bolts pounded at the guard droid's armor and tore

  through its neck and joints. The droid's head exploded as its shattered body

  toppled to the floor, causing a crash that echoed through the detention

  center. Qui-Gon deactivated his lightsaber and turned his attention back to

  the remaining switches. Normally, he enjoyed solving puzzles to keep his mind

  sharp. But with Adi Gallia's life at stake, he knew this wasn't any game.

  Taking a chance, Qui-Gon threw both the seventh and eighth switch at the same

  time. He didn't know which switch had done the job, but all ten energy shields

  dropped. He ran into Adi Gallia's. cell, bent down, and checked her vital

  signs. She was unconscious and her pulse was weak. But she was alive. Barely

  alive. Realizing she required medical attention, Qui - Gon moved past to the

  main terminal of the control room. He hoped to transmit an overriding command

  signal to the droids, stopping them in their tracks before they could assault

  the tower.

  After entering the commands into the computer, Qui-Gon ran to the window.

  Outside, the droids advanced closer to the tower. Soon, they would arrive.

  The saboteurs must have tampered with the computer. Qui-Gon wondered what

  to do next. Looking out the window, he could see the alien skyhopper was still

  parked on the outer deck that jutted out from the tower. Qui-Gon decided to

  make a run for the skyhopper, but not before he did something to stop the

  droids. Unless the droids were terminated, they might escape the factory and

  cause even more harm. Turning back to the control room, Qui-Gon spied a red-

  and-yellow-striped emergency cabinet. Popping the cabinet open, Qui-Gon found

  it contained an autodestruct initiator. Qui-Gon thought it was a dramatic bit

  of security for Trinkatts to have installed; but the device appeared to be the

  only way to destroy the droids. Wasting no time, Qui-Gon threw the initiator

  switch. The countdown began at three minutes.. Evacuation warnings sounded.

  Hopefully, the other Jedi would heed them. Gathering Adi Gallia from the

  floor, Qui-Gon carried her up an access stairway to the tower's upper deck.

  Exiting the stairwell, he noticed the exit door had been kicked in from

  the outside. Proceeding through the damaged doorway, Qui-Gon.wondered where

  the saboteurs had gone; Reaching the upper deck, Qui-Gon Jinn carried Adi

  Gallia toward the parked skyhopper. Without warning, two tall insectoid aliens

  stepped out from behind the skyhopper.: With their black body armor and

  segmented movements, Qui-Gon recognized the aliens at once; They were

  Bartokks.

  A race of bloodthirsty mercenaries, the Bartokks were notorious

  throughout the galaxy for their assassin squads. With their hive mind, they

  worked together to kill their assigned targets; Their intelligence was

  distributed through nerve centers throughout their bodies, so cutting off

  their heads would not stop. them, since the severed pieces would continue to

  attack. Each Bartokk stood on two powerful legs and had four arms, two

  manipulatory arms extended from their waists while their upper arms ended in

  long hooked claws. Before Qui-Gon could address the Bartokks the two insectoid

  aliens raised their claws and stepped forward. Quickly placing Adi Gallia on

  the floor of the deck, Qui-Gon drew his lightsaber and extended its blade;

  Like all Jedi, Qui-Gon did. not believe in killing unless it was absolutely

  necessary; But he knew the Bartokks were professional killers who wouldn't

  hesitate to slice him from head to toe; Seeing Qui-Gon's activated lightsaber,

  the Bartokks took a step back. The Jedi Master's eyes fixed on both of them as

  he warned;

  "This encounter doesn't have to end in your deaths."

  The Bartokks exchanged a chittering communication; then sprang through

  the air. Gon-Gon. Jinn's lightsaber came up fast;]n a single sweep, Qui-Gon

  cut one. Bartokk in half while relieving the other of an arm. The Bsrtokks

  screeched, and their severed parts clattered across the deck, reacting

  independently. Cutting down the upright Bsrtokk, Qui-Gon saw the insectoid

  body fragments scramble toward Adi Gailia's prone form. Qui-Gon leaped to Adi

  Gallia's side. His boats. landed on one of the Bartokks' writhing arms with an

  ugly squish.

  His lightsaber crackled as he brought it down again and again, hacking at

  the insectoid pieces. Qui-Gon knew he was running out of time. Since

  activating the. autodestruct mechanism; he knew he only had less than a minute

  to escape the tower; Switching off his lightsaber to lift Adi Gallia, Qui-Gon

  was nearly snagged by one of the Bartokks dismembered claws. The Bartokks'

  body parts pursued Qui-Gon as he ran for the skyhopper. Placing Adi Galiia

  into the cockpit, Qui-Gon jumped in beside her and punched the controls.

  Although the skyhopper was designed: for the Bartokks, it reacted to Qui-Gon's

  touch. As the skyhopper lifted off the deck, a thunderous explosion erupted

  from below. The force of the blast pushed the skyhopper forward, nearly

  knocking the vehicle out of the sky. Gripping the controls, Qui-Gon banked

  hard to the left and came around to. see 1ire and smoke streaming out from the

  top of the tower. Glancing down to the spaceport below, Qui-Gon saw that the

  droids had all frozen most were knocked down by the explosion. By destroying

  the central droid control room, Qui-Gon had prevented the droids from wreaking

  more havoc. Landing the skyhopper outside the barricades surrounding Trinkatta

  Starships, Qui-Gen saw Obi-Wan Kenobi running from the factory's security

  checkpoint.

  Vel Ardox and Noro Zak were several steps behind him.

  "Master Qui-Gon!" Obi-Wan called out as he approached the skyhopper; "We

  saw the tower explode! We couldn't even get into the factory; The droids held

  us back and..."

  Upon reaching the side of the skyhopper and seeing Adi Gallia's Obi-Wan

  was speechless.

  "You found Master Adil! Why didn't You tell us?"

  "My comlink was damaged," Qui-Gon replied as he checked Adi Gallia.

  "Good work, Qui-Gon," Noro congratulated.

  "It's hardly time to celebrate!" Qui-Gon snapped. "Adi is unconscious and

  requires medical attention! Also, I couldn't find the fifty droid

  starfighters. But I learned they were ordered by the Trade Federation. Even

  worse, I had a run-in with Bartokk assassins."

  Hearing this information, Vel, Noro, and Obi-Wan exchanged worried

  glances. If the Trad
e Federation and the Bartokks were operating Esseles, the

  Jedi knew their assignment had only just begun.

  "It appears Adi Gallia has experienced a massive shock to her system" Vel

  Ardox exclaimed with great concern. "She must be taken to a medical center

  immediately."

  "I'm afraid there's no place on Esseles that's prepared to heal a Jedi;"

  Noro Zsk grimaced.

  "Wait!" Obi-Wan, interjected. "There's a Jedi chapter house on the planet

  Rhinnal. Rhinnal is famous for its expertise in medicine and it's in the Darpa

  Sector. We can get Master Adi there in no time"

  Qui-Gon Jinn glanced at Obi-Wan Kenobi; then turned to Vel and Noro.

  "Carry Adl back to our cruiser and take her to Rhinnal," he told them.

  "Obi-Wan and I will remain here and investigate what's happening on Esseles;

  then meet you on Rhinnal as soon as we can. We have to learn what's become of

  the droid starfighters. If the Trade Federation and the Bartokks are involved,

  I'm determined to find out why!"

  The Trade Federation battleship was far from home, positioned in space at

  the edge of the Colonies reRion..Standing on the command deck, Trade

  Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray looked out a narrow porthole to see the Ringali

  Nebula. Gunray had followed his orders without question, maneuvering his

  battleship to the distant region where he waited for further instructions.

  After waiting seventeen standard hours, Gunray was becoming Impatient. Hearing

  a loud beeping from the communications console, Nute Gunray turned to his

  second in command, Rune Haako.

  "We're receiving a transmission, sir,". Rune Haako stated.

  "Our instructions!": Nute Gunray exclaimed; "At last!"

  A hologram materialized from the projecter built into the communications

  console. A cloaked figure whose face was. lost in shadow appeared before them.

  Nute Gunray recognized the projected image immediately.. It was Darth Sidious.

  "Report the progress on the planet Esseles." the Sith Lord commanded.

  "The droid starfighters were scheduled to leave the Trinkatta factory

  under the escort of a Corellian freighter," Nute Gunray replied. "The

  freighter should have arrived fifteen minutes ago. I cannot explain the delay.

  "

  Darth Sidious hologram flickered.

  "Your report does not please me!" the Sith Lord hissed. "It has come to

  my attention that the Jedi Council has learned about the construction of droid

  starfighters on Esseles. Someone on Esseles must have informed the Council.

  Are you certain the star5ghters will not be traced to the Trade Federation?"

  "Yes, Lord Sidious," Nute Gunray answered. He was trying very hard not to

  sound nervous.

  "Those starfighters are essential for our galactic expansion plan," Darth

  Sidious snarled. "Send someone to Esseles at once and confirm the droid

  starfighters have left the factory. Also, find the person who informed the

  Jedi Council and silence them... permanently!"

  "Y-Yes, Lord Sidious," Gunray stammered nervously, but the hologram had

  already switched off. Turning to Rune Haako, Gunray commanded, "Prepare to

  leave for Esseles immediately!"

  On Esseles, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stood by their landspeeder with Trinkatta

  the Kloodavian. They watched the Republic cruiser lift off, carrying Noro Zak,

  Vel Ardox, and the wounded Adi Gallia up into the green sky. Seconds later,

  the cruiser vanished from view as it raced into space; bound for the planet

  Rhinnal. Obi-Wan realized that Qui-Gon had yet to reveal the story of how Adi

  Gallia had saved his life. Looking at his Master's grim expression, Obi-Wan

  decided to wait for Qui-Gon to tell the tale.

  "Thank you for rescuing me from my droids," Trinkatta muttered. Although

  his right arm was already starting to grow back, Trinkatta was still unnerved

  by the devastating events that had brought mayhem to his starship factory. His

  tunic was covered in dirt, a memento from the escape through his secret

  tunnel. Looking directly at Qui-Gon, Trinkatta said, "I only wish I could have

  prevented this"

  "I think Adi Gallia will be fine, Master," Obi-Wan commented.

  "I know she'll be fine, Padawan," Qui-Gon replied with great confidence,

  "just as I know in my heart that the villains who wounded her will be brought

  to justice."

  "Which villains?" Obi-Wan asked. "The factory droids, the Bartokks, or

  the Trade Federation?"

  "I believe they're all connected," Qui-Gon mused, stroking his beard.

  "Each bit of information is like a puzzle piece. The Trade Federation ordered

  fifty droid starfighters from Trinkatta's factory; When Trinkatts refused to

  install hyperdrive engines, his test pilot vanished, scaring Trinkatta into

  building the star fighters. Someone found out about the star1ighters and was

  worried enough to send a data card to Coruscant, alerting the. Jedi Council.

  Now it seems the starfighters have vanished as well."

  "Don't forget the Bartokks," Obi-Wan added. "They broke into the central

  droid control room so they could reprogram Trinkatta's droids to take over the

  starship factory."

  "But why?" Qui-Gon pondered. "What did the Bartokks want? The droid

  starfighters are no longer in the factory. Why would they?"

  "If you'll excuse me," Trinkstts interrupted, "I've got travel plans. I'm

  getting off this planet before the Trade Federation comes looking for their

  starfighters!"

  Suddenly, Qui-Gon Jinn's eyes went wide. "There's a good chance we might

  still be able to find the starfighters," he mused.

  "How's that?" Trinkatta inquired, blinking his reptilian eyelids.

  "The Bartokks travel in hives of fifteen," Qui-Gon noted, "but only two

  remained at the observation tower. The other thirteen Bartokks must still be

  on Esseles!"

  "Why would they still be here if the starfighters are gone?" Obi-Wan

  asked, bewildered by his Master's logic.

  "The starfighters are gone from Trinkatta's factory," Qui-Gon stressed,

  "but they haven't left Esseles!" Seizing Trinkatta by the shoulders, Qui-Gon

  lifted the Kloodavian and deposited him in the back of the landspeeder.

  "We're not parting company yet, Trinkatta," the Jedi Master said

  solemnly. "You're going to help us find the droid starfighters."