A Jedi Master is missing.
She is trapped in a hostile fortress.
Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and their fellow Jedi are her only hope.
The rescue has begun.
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn are summoned before the Jedi High Council to be briefed on a mission. Upon entering the High Council Chamber, Jinn notes the absence of Adi Gallia and inquires. Gallia was on a covert mission to the planet Esseles, whose capital city of Calamar is a center for advanced hyperdrive research. The Council received an anonymous data card saying that the Trinkatta Starships factory had begun manufacturing experimental Vulture-class droid starfighters equipped with hyperdrive engines on-board. Worried that the ships were commissioned by an ally seeking civil war, the Council sent Gallia to ascertain the identity of the buyer. While on the mission, Gallia went missing. The Council recommends that Jinn leave his Padawan in safety and take two Jedi knights, Vel Ardox and Noro Zak, with him to determine the fate of Gallia. During a previous mission, Gallia had saved Jinn's life and the Council explains that this was part of their reasoning in choosing Jinn for this operation.
Before departing, Jinn requests Kenobi repair the ship's hatch. After Kenobi steps aboard Jinn closes the hatch and exclaims that it must be fixed, requesting his Padawan take a seat. The ship arrives at Esseles and lands near Trinkatta Starships on the outskirts of Calamar. Jinn requests Noro fly ahead to scout out the factory grounds while Jinn, Kenobi, and Ardox take a speeder to the factory. The grounds consist of a large manufacturing building, a landing pad, and a twenty story observation tower, all of which are surrounded by a moat and finally a security wall. Approaching the main entrance on the outside of the wall, the Jedi regroup and are quickly approached by two security droids guarding the entrance. Jinn tells the droids they are building inspectors but the droid replies that they are not expected and should leave as the factory is being fumigated. As the factory normally outputs toxic smoke, the chimneys on top of the building begin to close forcing the smoke to remain trapped within the structure. Using the Force, Jinn senses Gallia's presence and attempts to mind trick the droids into allowing them entrance. The droids receive a command from the central tower to destroy the trespassers, but before they can accomplish their orders Ardox draws his lightsaber and destroys them both. The group realizes the toxic fumes will likely kill Gallia, and they quickly devise a plan for search and rescue.
Qui-Gon Jinn decides create a diversion by the main checkpoint allowing the other three to make a more secretive entrance. He uses the Force to open the gate on the outer wall, and six droids exit the main manufacturing building and make for the bridge which crosses the moat. As Jinn crosses the bridge he uses his comlink to communicate progress on the mission to the other group. They reply that they have run into droids themselves and have not yet entered the factory. Eight droids on the facility's rooftop position themselves near a water tower to fire upon Jinn. Jinn repels their blasts to strike the tower's supports, forcing the droids off the roof and destroying them in the process. As the massive torrent heads towards Jinn, the Jedi dives off the bridge and into the moat below. Jinn places a breather over his face and locates a cave on the innermost wall of the moat.
Entering the underwater tunnel, Jinn senses a tentacle wrapping itself around his ankle. Rather than slicing the creature with his lightsaber, Jinn thinks to himself about what life would be like in this dark cave and noticing a human come swimming past. The tentacle retracts, and Jinn hears a response to his thoughts in the form of an apology and warning to mind the fast current. Jinn continues on his way and the current soon takes over and forces him quickly into a large silo with a propeller at the bottom. Jinn spots a hatch at the top of the silo, but is unable to wield his lightsaber while also fighting the torrential current. Using the Force, Jinn imagines the propeller twisting and bowing. The propeller soon falls apart and the water level in the silo begins to rise. Jinn forces open the hatch with the use of his lightsaber and jumps through.
Jinn falls into a dry chamber but has accidentally crushed his comlink. The Jedi thrusts the hatch back into place before water begins to fill the chamber. A moan is heard and the chamber is found to contain a prisoner who has been tortured by having his arm sliced off. Jinn learns the creature is Boll Trinkatta, owner the manufacturing facility, and he has been locked away to die after saboteurs have reprogrammed his droids. Questioning him on the location of Gallia, Trinkatta replies that the droids may have captured her after imprisoning him and would likely be holding her at the top of the observation tower. When pressed about who placed the order for the hyperdrive starfighters, Trinkatta reluctantly admits they were being built for the Trade Federation. Trinkatta requests the two part ways, and leaves through a secret tunnel while Jinn continues his search for Gallia.
Entering the main building area of the factory, Jinn uses a half-completed starship's weapons to blast a hole in the ceiling for the fumes to escape. Jinn uses the Force to determine Gallia's location and realizes she is in the observation tower. Using a speeder to get across the grounds, Jinn enters the tower and proceeds to floor 19. Jinn peers out the observation tower's windows and see an army of droids marching onto the tower. The detention center contained ten cells with transparent security fields. Each cell appears to have an unconscious Gallia lying in them, which Jinn believes to be nine holograms with a single real Jedi. Using nearby controls, Jinn disables the projections and the security field and frees Gallia, carrying her out of the cell. Jinn decides that he must deactivate the droids before leaving or they may escape the facility and cause harm. A nearby security cabinet houses a self-destruction initiator which Jinn triggers as a timer on the unit counts down from three minutes. An alarm sounds throughout the entire complex as Jinn exits the observation tower onto a landing deck with a resting speeder. To his surprise, the craft belonged to two Bartokk whom it seem are the saboteurs that reprogrammed the droids. The two fired upon Jinn who quickly set down Gallia and destroyed the Bartokks which proved to be difficult as slicing them in two did not kill them but simply left them in two very much alive pieces. Slicing down further, however, the Bartokks proved even they could not escape death. Fleeing with Gallia in the speeder, Jinn regroups with his Padawan and the two knights at the entrance to the facility. Gallia requires immediate medical treatment so Jinn instructs Ardox and Zak to take Gallia back to their cruiser and travel to Rhinnal where she can receive treatment. Jinn wants to find out why the Trade Federation was ordering the starfighters and remains on the planet with Kenobi.
Meanwhile, aboard a Trade Federation battleship at the edge of the Colonies, Viceroy Nute Gunray hears from Darth Sidious, who asks where his new hyperdrive starfighters are. Gunray replies that the freighter should have arrived fifteen minutes ago, and he cannot explain the delay. Sidious informs him the Jedi Council has learned of the existence of the starfighters but that they do not know of the Trade Federation's involvement. Sidious requests that Gunray go to the factory on Esseles to ensure the ships are on their way and also requests Gunray silence whomever leaked information to the Jedi Council.
Trinkatta meets up with Jinn and Kenobi. Jinn mentions that the Bartokks travel in groups of fifteen, so thirteen must still be on the planet and perhaps know more about the starfighters. Jinn then lifts up Trinkatta by his shoulders and places the Kloodavian in the back of his speeder, exclaiming that they can not part ways yet as they still have the starfighters to locate.
- ISBN 9780439101387; September1999; Scholastic Inc.; US paperback