Summary (TL;DR)
Jedi Master Ima-Gun Di and his clone troopers struggle to defend Ryloth from the Separatists as supplies run low. Senator Bail Organa and Representative Jar Jar Binks travel to Toydaria to ask King Katuunko for permission to use his planet as a base to deliver relief aid. The Separatists try to prevent this by sending Senator Lott Dod of the Trade Federation to intervene. In the end, King Katuunko decides to allow the Republic to send supplies to Ryloth and even reconsiders his country’s neutral stance in the war. Master Di and his troopers are killed by Separatist droids, but the Twi’leks receive the supplies and survive to fight another day.
Moral of the episode: If there’s a will, there’s a way.
A World Under Siege
The planet Ryloth has been invaded by the Separatists, plunging the world into crisis. A blockade of battleships has cut off support from the few Republic defenses that remain, leaving everybody trapped on Ryloth. Food, fuel, ammunition, and medical supplies are running low.
Jedi Master Ima-Gun Di, along with his clone troopers under the command of Commander Keeli, and the Twi’lek freedom fighter Cham Syndulla manage to hold their own against the droid army, but that won’t last long. Master Di urges Commander Dao to deliver the supplies, but his fleet is under fierce attack from the Separatist blockade. Dao makes contact with Jedi Council representatives Master Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Mace Windu, pleading that reinforcements are sent without delay. With his fleet heavily damaged, Dao announces he will no longer provide protection for Ryloth — moments later, it’s destroyed during the transmission. To call this situation dire would be an understatement.
The Jedi Council reaches out to Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan for assistance. The Republic’s blockade runners should be able to penetrate the Separatists’ lines, but they lack the range needed to reach Ryloth. Despite having just finished a Senate mission, Organa agrees to meet with King Katuunko to negotiate a treaty that will establish Toydaria — closer to Ryloth — as a base for delivering the supplies. The Jedi Council makes it clear to Organa that he needs to be the one to lead negotiations, especially since Representative Jar Jar Binks of Naboo is already in Toydaria to assist him.
Seeking Aid for Ryloth
Unfortunately for our heroes, Count Dooku’s minions intercept Organa’s transmission with the Jedi. Now aware of the Republic’s mission, Dooku decides to send Senator Lott Dod of the Trade Federation to Toydaria to foil the Republic’s plans.
Having arrived in Toydaria, Senator Organa and Representative Binks secure (albeit reluctantly, since this planet is closed to off-worlders) an audience with the king. There are just two problems they need to overcome:
- Toydaria has declared itself a neutral system and wants nothing to do with the war between the Separatists and the Republic.
- Senator Lott Dod has arrived to preserve the treaty Toydaria made with the Trade Federation.
Organa insists that his motives are strictly humanitarian and invokes the sacred Toydarian values of compassion. However, Senator Dod exploits the Toydarian value of honesty by revealing one minor detail Organa left out: Ryloth is under a Separatist blockade. This news enrages the Toydarian council, prompting Katuunko to give both senators a chance to make their arguments.
Neutrality vs. Compassion
During the arguments, Organa plays a transmission from fellow Senator Orn Free Taa of Ryloth to emphasize how dire the situation is.
“Your Highness, our cities lie in ruins,” Senator Taa says. “Our transportation hubs are all but destroyed, so I cannot return home. Our crops are burning. The Twi’lek people are starving — and they will die if no aid comes to them.”
Dod counters this by reminding Katuunko that Ryloth is a battlefield, and the Separatist Senate will view Toydaria’s involvement as a violation of their neutrality. If that happens, the Separatists will likely attack the Trade Federation’s ships in retaliation, forcing them to cease trade with Toydaria. The Toydarian council is conflicted — they don’t want the people of Ryloth to suffer, but they also don’t want their compassion to drag their planet into a war. After much consideration, Katuunko decides to officially reject the Republic’s request to use Toydaria as a supply base.
Meanwhile, the situation in Ryloth grows more desperate by the minute. The droids are closing in on Master Di and his allies, not to mention there’s no update on when reinforcements or supplies will arrive. Cham Syndulla grows impatient, and he begins to lose hope that the Republic will come through. The Twi’lek troops decide to leave with their families, though that raises the question of where they’re going to go. Master Di decides to use a gunship loaded with explosives to collapse a mountain pass leading to their position. This will force the droids down a ravine where Master Di and his forces can hold them off, giving the Twi’lek refugees a chance to escape over the mountain.
As Organa and Binks make their way back to their ships, King Katuunko catches up with them to make a shocking announcement. He decided not to turn a blind eye to what’s happening in Ryloth. At the end of the day, the Twi’leks didn’t ask to be invaded and are innocent victims. Katuunko allows Organa to deliver the supplies he brought with him to Ryloth if he promises to keep Toydaria’s involvement a secret from the Trade Federation. The supplies will only last the people of Ryloth for a short time, but it will have to do for now.
A Ray of Hope
While Organa supervises the loading of supplies, Jar Jar and the representatives for the Trade Federation are led by Katuunko to a banquet hall with large windows. To keep Dod from noticing the blockade runners, Jar Jar climbs onto the table and grabs everyone’s plates. He juggles the plates before tossing them through the air, making the plates land in an elaborate structure. Surprisingly, it’s a graceful performance that goes off without a hitch. But not even Jar Jar’s antics can stop Dod from seeing the last of the blockade runners taking off.
Back on Ryloth, the droid army falls right into Master Di’s trap while the Twi’lek refugees make their escape. The remaining clone troopers are completely overwhelmed by the attacking droids, leaving only Captain Keeli and Master Di to hold them back. It isn’t long until Keeli is gunned down and Di is gravely injured. That’s when Di receives word that relief supplies are being sent to Ryloth. Di is killed shortly after, but he dies content, knowing the Twi’leks will live to fight another day. The supplies are conveniently dropped in front of Cham and the refugees, lifting their spirits and restoring their faith in the Republic.
On Toydaria, Katuunko bids farewell to Organa and Binks when Dod confronts the trio about Republic ships penetrating the blockade around Ryloth. A smug Organa suggests that Dod present evidence of a treaty violation to the full senate, knowing he doesn’t have any. As a furious Dod storms off, he delivers a grim warning.
“You play a dangerous game, Organa,” Dod says. “Next time, you will not get away with this.”
Katuunko states that while the Jedi have heart, he doubts they have the strength to prevail in the end. However, the day’s events have inspired Katuunko to reconsider Toydaria’s neutrality. In a pleasant surprise, he wants Organa to tell the Jedi that he’s open to meeting with them.
