Corruption (episode)

During a diplomatic mission to Mandalore, Padmé pledges the Republic's complete protection to the pacifistic world, but she and Duchess Satine soon uncover a disturbing secret hidden beneath the planet's peaceful exterior. Moogan smugglers have been covertly importing goods, including bottled tea intended for use in Mandalorian schools. To maximize their profits, they have been adulterating the tea with a dangerous chemical substance.

Satine Kryze's world, Mandalore, successfully avoided involvement in the Clone Wars, but now faces an economic crisis. Vital supply shipments have been disrupted by the ongoing war, leading her to petition the Senate for the establishment of trade routes. Smuggling and corruption have become the only means of obtaining necessary goods. Padmé Amidala journeys to Sundari, the capital city of the New Mandalorians, to assure Satine of support from sympathetic factions within the Galactic Senate. As she proceeds to Satine's palace, she receives a warm welcome from the Mandalorians of the city. Simultaneously, a group of Moogan smugglers arrive at the cargo docks and offer a bribe to a corrupt customs official to ignore their activities. Once on the planet, the smugglers dilute the tea they are delivering with a toxic chemical called slabin to increase their profits.

Padmé and Satine quickly realize that they are facing a challenging situation as the members of the Mandalorian Government Council are unable to reach a consensus on requesting assistance from the Republic due to widespread corruption within their political system. This issue causes concern for both women. The following day, Satine escorts Padmé to a recently opened hospital, where they are shocked to discover a large number of sick children who have been poisoned by an unidentified substance. The only clue is that all of the affected children attend the same school, leading to the belief that the cause is related to the food they have been served.

Prime Minister Almec suspects the Death Watch is responsible for this act, but Satine dismisses this idea because they primarily target her and her administration. She tasks her personal bodyguards with investigating the outbreak, while she and Padmé also conduct their own inquiry. At the school, they examine the tea drinks and discover the chemical. They attempt to trace the source of the chemical by reviewing the delivery import logs. At this point, the school's superintendent attempts to escape but is apprehended by Satine's guards and compelled to provide information. He reveals the name of the middleman through whom he received the drinks: Siddiq, an employee of a shipping company.

Although Siddiq is indifferent to the plight of the children, he informs Satine and Padmé that the tea shipment originated from Mooga and that another shipment is expected to arrive that same night. Padmé, Satine, and one of the Ducal guards secretly go to the designated pier and witness the arrival of the shipment and the involvement of the customs officer. The police captain initially denies Satine and Padmé's observations, insisting that no illegal activity occurs within his jurisdiction. However, after being taken to the dock warehouse where the tea is stored and witnessing the operation firsthand, he quickly changes his stance. The smugglers initiate gunfire at the arrest party, but Padmé and the guards use a freight container as cover and move in to subdue them. Following the arrest of the conspirators, Satine orders the warehouse and its contents to be burned down.

However, when Satine and Padmé inform Almec of their findings, the Prime Minister seems strangely unwilling to acknowledge the corruption within the Mandalorian government and merely promises to investigate the matter. As Padmé prepares to depart, Satine suggests that she send a Jedi to serve as an undercover agent at the academy, and Padmé assures her that she will discuss the matter with Master Yoda.