The covert diplomatic undertaking known as the Bilbousa mission, or alternatively the Bilbousa attack, was a secret operation during the High Republic Era involving members of the Jedi Order dispatched to Nal Hutta. Myarga Anjiliac Atirue, a leader within the Hutt Clan, had formed an alliance with the Jedi to fight against the Drengir, a race of savage carnivorous plants that had emerged across the Outer Rim Territories. Subsequently, the Hutts requested the presence of an envoy on their homeworld; however, not all Hutts were in agreement regarding this alliance. Jedi Master Obratuk Glii, renowned for his diplomatic skills, was chosen to journey to Bilbousa accompanied by Padawans Farzala Tarabal and Qort aboard the Vessel, a starship hired for the occasion along with its crew. Before even arriving at their destination, Obratuk succumbed to a seasonal hibernation state characteristic of his Parwan species, thus placing Tarabal in the leadership role for the negotiations.
Following Tarabal and Leox Gyasi's departure to engage in negotiations with Skarabda the Hutt, a group of enforcers dispatched by Jabba Desilijic Tiure, a Hutt crime lord, seized control of the Vessel and launched an assault on Skarabda's palace. This led both the Hutt diplomat and her head of security, Ishnar Ti-Kharatal, to suspect a betrayal. Concurrently, the Drengir launched an attack on Bilbousa. Jabba's scheme involved removing the Jedi from the equation to hinder their ability to defend against the Drengir assault, thus creating a scenario where his intervention with his own forces at the palace would appear necessary to combat the Drengir, ultimately allowing him to seize power from Skarabda. Tarabal successfully earned Ishnar's appreciation by rescuing the Nikto from a Drengir during their attempt to escape, but they were ultimately captured once more. Meanwhile, on the Vessel, the navigator Geode managed to regain control of the ship from the hijackers, who, misunderstanding the Vintian's true nature, dismissed him as a "creepy rock" object. However, Qort and Affie Hollow were compelled to conceal themselves as the thugs actively searched for them.