The Ord Cestus Mission was a Galactic Republic operation with the goal of halting the production of JK-13 "Jedi Killer" droids. These droids were intended for sale to the CIS, posing a significant threat to the Jedi Order's survival.
Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Kit Fisto spearheaded the mission, with support from ARC trooper captain Nate, who later adopted the name Jangotat, and four clone troopers: Sirty, Xutoo, Forry, and Seefor. These JK-13 droids were specialized, non-sentient security units with Force-sensitive capabilities, making them exceptionally difficult to defeat, even for a Jedi Knight. Consequently, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine dispatched Kenobi, Fisto, their strike team, and the mollusk-like lawyer Doolb Snoil to put an end to the droid production. The initial strategy involved diplomacy, aiming to persuade Ord Cestus's leader, G'Mai Duris, to enter into a contract with the Republic instead of the CIS. While Kenobi and Snoil managed the negotiations, Fisto and his strike team began training recruits for a potential government overthrow. During this period, the strike team established contact with the Desert Wind terrorist group, a faction of individuals fighting for liberation from the Five Families, a group of tyrannical families that controlled Ord Cestus's economy and government.
After considerable deliberation, Kenobi determined that they needed a method to exert pressure on the Five Families to secure a Republic contract. Unbeknownst to Kenobi or Fisto, Separatist commander and Dark Jedi Asajj Ventress had arrived on Cestus shortly after Kenobi to ensure that the Five Families did not agree to a Republic contract.
Kenobi secretly contacted Fisto and devised a clever scheme to pressure the Five Families. Fisto, using a lightwhip and impersonating one of Dooku's dark Jedi, along with A-98 and several Desert Wind guerrillas, "kidnapped" four members of the Five Families who were on their way to a conference with Kenobi. Kenobi then "discovered" the precise location of the kidnapped members and "rescued" them, orchestrating a staged battle with Nemonus (Kit Fisto) and other Desert Wind soldiers. As a result, the grateful Five Families decided to sign a contract with the Republic.
However, just before the contract signing, one of the Family members presented a holovid of Kenobi's "battle" with A-98, which Asajj Ventress had recorded using a concealed holocam. This evidence ruined the negotiations, forcing Kenobi and Snoil to leave the planet aboard their transport. Kenobi, however, used an escape pod to reach a rendezvous point with Kit Fisto and Desert Wind. The Five Families attempted to destroy Kenobi's transport with Hunter-Killer droids, unaware that he was already on the planet's surface. They succeeded in destroying the ship, killing the pilot, Xutoo. Snoil also escaped in an escape pod and was later rescued by Desert Wind.
Desert Wind began to pressure the Cestian government by launching insurgent attacks on Cestus Cybernetics facilities, aiming to cripple the Cestian economy and compel G'Mai Duris to sign a contract with the Republic while minimizing casualties on both sides. Their efforts appeared successful until a group of JK-13 and infiltrator droids raided Desert Wind's hideout, capturing and killing several members. It turned out that Asajj Ventress had used the Force to reveal Kenobi's location to the Five Families, enabling them to launch the strike. During the battle, Captain Nate was wounded, and Sheeka Tull, one of the Jedi's contacts on Cestus, helped him escape and brought him to Cestian healers.
Despite this setback, Desert Wind prepared for a final assault on Cestus Cybernetics. With a Republic Acclamator-class assault ship in orbit, Kenobi and Fisto planted homing beacons in Cestus Cybernetics' main factory complex, enabling the Acclamator to bombard the factory and halt the production of battle droids. The plan seemed to be progressing, but Kenobi and Fisto had unresolved matters to address before executing it. Nate, now calling himself Jangotat, returned, fully recovered from his injuries. Kenobi and Fisto instructed the clone troopers to remain at their posts, regardless of the circumstances, until the bombardment was complete or the two generals returned.
After the troopers confirmed their understanding of the order, the two Jedi departed to meet one of their contacts: a X'Ting gangster named Trillot, who was to provide them with equipment. The meeting turned out to be a trap set by Ventress, who intended to kill the two Jedi. Before forcing the Jedi to fight unarmed against a horde of young X'Ting warriors, knowing the Jedi would not draw their weapons to slaughter unarmed beings while she observed and studied their fighting style, Ventress revealed that the Confederacy's purpose in purchasing the JK-13s was to draw the Republic's attention to Cestus. She disclosed that she had relocated the homing beacons, which were meant to designate targets for the assault ship, to ensure that the bombardment would kill millions of innocent civilians, prompting other systems to secede from the Republic.
As Kenobi and Fisto fought on Ord Cestus, they encountered Ventress. Ventress dispatched X'Ting thugs to weaken them. Fisto managed to break away from the group and pursued Ventress. Fisto's single lightsaber was unable to defend against both of Asajj's, and she struck him. As she moved in for the kill, Fisto rolled off a dock and into an underground river.
Meanwhile, Kenobi broke free and engaged Ventress, initially gaining the upper hand. He blocked all her attacks and pinned her lightsabers. She freed her right hand, nearly decapitating Kenobi. As he moved to the left, Asajj's spin-kick struck him, knocking him onto the dock. Sensing Kenobi's distress through the Force, Fisto gathered his strength and severed the dock, causing Kenobi and Ventress to fall into the river. Fisto then lost consciousness.
Kenobi inserted a rebreather into his mouth, but Ventress, wielding two lightsabers, could not. Obi-Wan pressed his sudden advantage until she dropped one of her lightsabers to grab her rebreather. In the murky water, Kenobi struck her ribs. Ventress headbutted Kenobi, causing both of them to lose their rebreathers. Fighting underwater without air, they realized that the first one to surface would be vulnerable. Seeing that she was trapped, Ventress released a black ink from her belt and escaped. Kenobi and Fisto emerged from the water.
Meanwhile, Nate (now known as Jangotat), with the assistance of a X'Ting named Resta, located the Five Families' private resort/bunker, where they had retreated upon hearing about the Republic Assault Ship in orbit. With Resta's help and the Desert Wind's former leader, Jangotat infiltrated the bunker. He then knocked out Resta to ensure her survival and proceeded inside. He found the bunker guarded by a JK-13, and a battle ensued, culminating in the Desert Wind leader detonating a mine to destroy the JK-13. Despite his sacrifice, the JK-13 survived but went insane, repeatedly smashing itself against the rock wall. Jangotat initially puzzled, realized that the dashta eels housed inside the JK-13s were peaceful creatures. The eel inside the JK went insane when the terrorist leader died in its arms.
The Five Families had been deceiving the Confederacy to enrich themselves and then escape the planet. Despite this information, Jangotat knew that the Five Families had to be eliminated, so he called in an orbital strike on his position, sacrificing himself to kill the Five Families and save millions of lives. Before his death, Jangotat recorded a final message, informing the Jedi about the Cestus' deception and telling his lover, Sheeka Tull, that he would have returned to the GAR despite her love, because he felt it was his duty.
Following these events, the Cestian government signed the contract with the Republic, and the mission was deemed successful. Before departing the system, the strike team, Kenobi, Fisto, and Sheeka Tull, who had developed a romantic connection with Jangotat and was now pregnant with his child, bid their farewells to Jangotat. The strike team and the two Jedi then returned to Coruscant, their mission accomplished.
Elsewhere, Ventress killed Trillot for his failure and left Cestus to meet with Count Dooku and General Grievous.
The mission was initially set 12 months after the Battle of Geonosis, but The Essential Reader's Companion later adjusted The Cestus Deception to the first few weeks of 22 BBY to align with Star Wars: The Clone Wars.