The Pirates of Tarnoonga

Jessica Meade finds herself, alongside the droids C-3PO and R2-D2, aboard her freighter vessel as they transport vital fuel resources destined for King Mon Julpa located on Tammuz-an. An attempt by C-3PO to resolve a modulator malfunction is interrupted when he stumbles over some spilled water. He then requests R2-D2's assistance. The astromech droid expertly resolves the issue and proceeds to drop C-3PO through a concealed opening. Despite C-3PO's objections, R2-D2 pays him no attention.

Piloting an RZ-1 A-wing interceptor, Jann Tosh provides escort for the freighter as it approaches its destination. He mentions the deployment of a vacant decoy vessel sent off in a different direction, a strategy intended to deter any potential attacks by pirates. Later, C-3PO joins Jessica and R2-D2 within the freighter's cockpit.

Unfortunately, Captain Gir Kybo Ren-Cha and his pirate crew, flying commandeered Imperial TIE/LN starfighters, launch an assault on the freighter. With Jann occupied battling the TIE fighters, a pirate vessel employs a tractor beam to board the freighter. Pirates, led by Gir Kybo Ren-Cha, cut through the ship's floor and seize control of both the vessel and its occupants, taking Jessica and the droids as prisoners.

Jann successfully shoots down one of the TIE fighters. Via holoprojector, Jessica urges Jann to escape. He then contacts Mon Julpa to inform him of the stolen fuel shipment. Despite Mon Julpa's suggestion that Jann prioritize his own safety, Jann pledges to persevere. The pirates also manage to ensnare Jann's A-wing.

The pirate ships are brought to a concealed base situated within the mountains of the aquatic planet Tarnoonga. The prisoners and their respective ships are then moved into a hangar. C-3PO provides translation services for a human man who speaks an unfamiliar language. This man conveys that Jessica is to be treated as a guest of Captain Kybo and will not be harmed. Jann notices several armed starfighters, leading him to believe that the pirates are preparing to invade Tammuz-an. A tall, green alien leads Jann and the droids down a makeshift elevator. C-3PO misses the lift and falls, but R2-D2 deploys an inflatable device to save him. C-3PO lands safely, though his bipedal stabilizers are temporarily disabled.

The green alien guides the trio to Kybo Ren's throne room, where he is seated alongside Jessica. After demanding silence, Kybo Ren questions Jann and Jessica regarding their belief that he would target an empty decoy transport. Jann attributes the successful heist to Kybo Ren's informants. Kybo Ren then boasts about his triumph, but Jann counters that he is mistaken. Kybo Ren asserts that Mon Julpa lacks sufficient fuel for even a single starfighter and vows to conquer Tammuz-an. Speaking in an alien language, Kybo Ren reveals his plans to attack Tammuz-an using the Demolisher, intending to feed Jann to a sea creature the next day and then utilize R2-D2 and C-3PO.

Later, Kybo-Ren escorts Jann, C-3PO, R2-D2, and Jessica on a cargo skiff toward the sea, with the intention of sacrificing Jann to a massive green sea monster known as the Miridon. As Jann is thrown into the water, his restraints emit a red glow. R2-D2 and C-3PO jump into the sea in an attempt to save Kybo-Ren. Jessica is horrified.

Beneath the waves, R2-D2 activates a propeller system located on the top of his dome and begins to swim away. C-3PO struggles against a jellyfish, while R2-D2 provides Jann with a device that allows him to breathe underwater. As C-3PO continues to grapple with the jellyfish, he frees Jann from his restraints using a welder. Threepio and Jann grab onto Artoo's legs as the small astromech droid skillfully evades the Miridon's sharp teeth. Artoo successfully outmaneuvers the sea monster, causing it to become entangled within the wreckage of a sunken freighter.

Jann and the droids infiltrate the pirate base by cutting through an underwater net. Reaching the sea caverns once more, they discover the pirates preparing for their assault on Tammuz-an. Jann decides to locate Jessica and pulls two pirates, who are fishing from a cargo skiff, into the water. Disguised, Jann and the droids sneak past a sleeping Gamrrean guard and enter the throne room. C-3PO mistakes the sleeping guard for Jessica. He is pursued by the aroused guard who bumps into the Gamorrean and another pirate. After a brief skirmish, Jann and the droids steal a HydroPlane and set out to find Jessica.

Meanwhile, Jessica attempts to escape Ren's ready room by manipulating the door's wiring. However, she is intercepted by Kybo Ren, who has become captivated by the young pilot's spirit and boldness. He offers to buy her kingdoms with the spoils of Tammuz-an and decides to keep her as his personal consort. Ren boasts of the power of his Demolisher starship. She keeps him distracted with a remote [seeker], while she makes her way down the corridor. Ren's henchman, Jyn Obah tries to catch Jessica, but she succeeds in getting back to her ship. She traps Jyn within the blast doors of her freighter.

Back at the sea caverns, Jann and the droids' HydroPlane avoids fire from a speeder-mounted laser cannon. Fortunately, the Miridon reappears, causing Ren's men to scatter for safety. Jann and the droids crash their HydroPlane on the shore. C-3PO initially expresses his displeasure with R2-D2 for creating the hole in the net that allowed the Miridon to escape. Jann is pleased since the sea monster is damaging the pirate base, distracting the pirates.

The trio are cornered by Kybo Ren but the pirate captain is trapped in a net by Jessica. With the pirates distracted by the Miridon, the droids, Jann and Jessica escape aboard Jessica's freighter and Jann's A-wing interceptor. Kybo Ren orders his pirates to attack Tammuz-an immediately.

Following a dogfight with TIE fighters, Jann and C-3PO's A-wing is caught in the tractor beam of the Demolisher, which turns out to be a stolen Imperial Gladiator-class Star Destroyer. Kybo Ren boasts of his victory before taking the Demolisher into hyperspace. He brags that he has the ability to completely deplete Tammuz-an of its supply of riches.

Emerging from hyperspace, C-3PO expresses concern that Jessica and Mon Julpa stand little chance against the Star Destroyer. C-3PO and R2-D2 find themselves loading weapons to be used for the planned attack on Tammuz-an. The two are being watched by another droid. R2-D2 purpose loads one of the detonators backward and traps the sentry droid with a magnet, loading it into the gun conveyer belt. They find Jann in his cell. Hearing over the intercom that Kybo Ren has sighted Jessica's freighter, the trio head to sabotage the ship's weapons systems and bridge.

Ren spots Jessica's freighter fleeing Tarnoonga and opens fire, intending to destroy its fuel cargo. However, it is revealed to be the decoy, allowing her to reach an escape pod before her ship is destroyed. Jann reveals that Jessica had been flying a decoy and by capturing them, they had let the real freighter carrying the fuel fly through.

As the Demolisher approaches Tammuz-an, King Mon Julpa deploys the entire Tammuz-an space navy, recently refueled by the actual freighter that had been disguised as the decoy. Squads of A-wing fighters swarm over the Demolisher and engage Ren's TIE Fighters. Before the Tammuz-an capital ships can join the battle, Jessica also informs Mon Julpa that Jann and the droids are aboard the Star Destroyer.

Inside the Star Destroyer, R2-D2 sabotages the ship's weapons systems by inverting a proton torpedo tube inside the launch bay. As the ship's systems begin going haywire, Jann, Threepio and Artoo manage to get back to Jann's fighter and escape from the ship. They reunite with Jessica and return to Tammuz-an. The other pilots of the space navy successfully repel Ren's fighters, forcing them to retreat.

Mon Julpa sends a transporter to pick up the pirates and congratulates Jann and the droids for being the best decoys that anyone could hope for. Following the battle, C-3PO says he is surprised that they were risking their necks to save an empty fuel freighter. Jann explains that they had to convince Kybo it was real so that the real freighter could slip through. Jessica adds that they had to make Kybo believe he had won the battle before it had started, adding that his over-confidence was his downfall. C-3PO and R2-D2 bathe in an oil bath, sharing toys

"The Pirates of Tarnoonga" was included on a DVD in 2004 as a segment of the movie The Pirates and the Prince. The DVD's subtitles in English incorrectly spell Captain Kybo's name as "Kyboren." The Databank provides the accurate spelling. Ellen Weiss adapted the episode into a children's storybook titled The Pirates of Tarnoonga: A Droid Adventure.

The red symbols painted on the deflector wings of Kybo's TIE Fighters are designed to resemble wampa skulls. Kybo also features a similar design on the front of his shirt.

Because most EU materials indicated that the A-wing fighter was developed closer to the Battle of Endor, its presence in Droids was considered anachronistic. However, The New Essential Guide to Characters used retconned to establish the craft as the R-22 Spearhead, a predecessor to the later starfighter. In the episode, an entire squadron is identified as A-wings, however "A-wing" may simply be a nickname for the craft.

The interior cavern landscapes of Tarnoonga exhibit a notable similarity to the sinkhole grottos of Utapau as depicted in Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. It remains uncertain whether the production design for the Utapau landscapes drew inspiration from the Droids animated series.