A world in crisis!
The peaceful planet of Mandalore is
being strangled by the grip of corruption.
With shortages of every kind,
citizens must turn to the black market
in order to survive.
Desperate to free her people,
Duchess Satine
has asked her friend Padm? Amidala
to speak with the Jedi Council
in hopes that they will send assistance
to her struggling world.
The Jedi Council has
given you a mission, Ahsoka.
It's your duty to see it through.
Don't you think
I'm just a little overqualified for this?
According to Senator Amidala,
Mandalore is a deeply corrupt world.
If the cycle is to be broken,
the future leaders at
the Royal Academy of Government
must learn the evils of corruption.
Yoda feels that only a young Padawan
like you can get through to them.
My lady, if I may,
what do the Jedi know of our ways?
Do we really want them meddling
with our children's education?
Surely there is nothing to fear
from exposing them to new ideas,
Prime Minister.
Duchess Satine.
Prime Minister Almec.
Master Skywalker,
so good to see you again.
This is your Padawan, I assume?
Yes, my lady. May I present Ahsoka Tano.
Duchess. Prime Minister.
I am grateful that the Jedi Council
could spare the two of you
to help instruct our leaders
and peacekeepers of tomorrow.
Please thank Master Yoda for me.
I'm afraid that
due to our limited resources,
I must return to battle immediately.
So you will not be staying,
Master Skywalker?
No, but I assure you,
Padawan Tano is a highly capable Jedi
and has the full confidence of the Council.
Very well. Cadet Korkie, Amis, Lagos.
These are some of the cadets that
you will be instructing, Padawan Tano.
Nice to meet all of you.
- That's a fine w*apon. May I see it?
- I'm afraid not.
Because of Master Kenobi's recent visit
and the trouble that followed,
no offworlders may carry weapons
on Mandalore.
Master Obi-Wan caused trouble?
That's a first.
Just give me the lightsaber.
Thank you for respecting our ways,
Master Jedi.
Excuse the interruption, sir,
but it is time to depart.
General Fisto is expecting us.
If you'll excuse me.
Corruption is what happens
when someone in power
puts their own personal gain
before the interests of
the people they represent.
- So, it's a result of greed?
- Yes.
A leader sacrifices moral integrity
for the sake of money or power.
Entire star systems have collapsed
into chaos or revolution
because their greedy politicians
got caught up
in a cycle of bribery and blackmail,
while their people suffered.
Does that mean
most government officials are corrupt?
Well, no.
But the point is
that temptation is always there,
and citizens must be vigilant
so corruption can't take root.
The deadliest enemies of a society
dwell within its borders.
And from these internal threats,
the people need to be protected.
But if you don't trust your leaders,
isn't that treason?
It's every citizen's duty
to challenge their leaders,
to keep them honest and
hold them accountable if they're not.
How do you do that?
By exposing corrupt officials
for what they are.
Lasting change can only come from within.
Be sure your assignments
are prepared for tomorrow.
The school's out of rations again.
I guess there'll be
no late-night snacks tonight.
Listen, we've had a food shortage
since the w*r began.
Transport ships keep coming in,
but there's strict rationing.
Something is wrong on Mandalore.
But these problems are bigger than us.
Just let the authorities handle it.
We have to do something about it,
like Ahsoka said.
Let's go down to the warehouse district
and see if there really is a food shortage.
Beats sitting around here,
listening to my stomach growl.
These doors are heavily secured
by the government.
It won't be secure for long.
Looks like the Academy taught us well.
Come on, up and over.
I have a bad feeling about this.
- What are you doing?
- Quiet!
It sounds like someone else is in here.
- Let's get out of here.
- No! Come on!
The risk involved makes the price go up.
You must be more cautious.
Coming here could raise suspicion.
It's a little late for a meeting, isn't it?
Let's get a closer look.
Are you crazy?
It wasn't my idea.
Soniee, quick, use your holocam.
Those look like Mandalorian police,
but they're unmarked.
Who's that?
And who are those guys?
What are offworlders doing
on a secure port?
I don't like this. I'm getting out of here.
Hurry! This way!
Hey! No!
What are we going to do?
This is bigger than we thought.
We're going to need help.
We should speak to my Aunt Satine.
Aunt Satine, may we speak with you?
Of course, Korkie. Come in.
We did some investigating.
There's no food shortage. We found
stores of food at the government port.
- How would you know this?
- That doesn't matter right now.
I beg to differ.
We made a recording of a secret meeting
between what we know
was a government official
and a black marketeer.
That's why everything costs so much
and so many people are starving.
We need your help
to find the one responsible.
This is a serious matter, I agree.
But the source of this evil may be
more than you cadets can handle.
People can be very deceiving.
You don't want to
get yourselves into trouble.
But, Auntie, don't you see?
You can't ignore this!
I won't, trust me.
But for your own safety,
you must let me take care of it.
Now run along, all of you.
Concentrate on your studies.
There will be a time to save the world
when you're a bit older.
She refused to help us because
she doesn't think we can handle it.
She just thinks
we're a bunch of stupid kids.
She acted like nothing was wrong.
We need to find someone else
who believes us.
Like who?
Mandalore has two people in charge.
Since my aunt won't help,
we'll have to go to the Prime Minister.
What makes you think he'll listen?
I've known him my whole life.
He's always told me to come to him
if I'm ever in trouble.
And I'd say we're all in big trouble.
I am most concerned by these allegations,
my intrepid young cadets.
You think Duchess Satine knows
who the conspirator is?
She said she was going to handle it.
Meet me in the Palace Plaza tonight.
Bring the recording you took
of the black market deal
and all the cadets who know about it.
Korkie, you seem distracted today.
What's going on?
We did what you said.
We found evidence of corruption.
What do you mean?
Well, we were hungry,
so we decided to go look for food.
- Food?
- Yeah.
Down at the government warehouse.
Someone just let you in
to inspect the warehouse?
- No, we broke in.
- Oh, great.
So you committed a crime?
It sounds bad, I know, but then
we saw a meeting and offworlders and...
And they chased us!
Maybe they chased you
because you broke into
a government warehouse.
No! It was a black market deal. I know it!
My Aunt Satine told us to stay out of it,
but we must do something.
- Do you have proof?
- We made a holo-recording.
The Prime Minister
is meeting us tonight to...
Are you sure that's a good idea?
But I thought you said it was the duty of
every citizen to expose corrupt officials.
I'm only saying
that you should take this slowly.
Examine all of the facts and all of
the people involved before you act.
You sound more like my aunt
than a Jedi Knight.
You Korkie?
Prime Minister, is that you?
Secret Service. You are all under arrest
for treason, corruption, and conspiracy.
You will come with us.
These are the same guards
we saw last night.
We've done nothing wrong.
Looks like the Prime Minister set you up.
That's treason.
He's the leader of our system.
He couldn't possibly be a traitor.
We need proof.
We have the recording.
That's no good. You can't see who it is.
Wait! Stop right there.
Information retrieval,
I need you to ID a hologram.
That's him!
You're right! That is the Prime Minister.
We have to take this to my aunt
and warn her.
They know I talked to her.
We're too late.
He's dead.
Korkie, wait!
The intruders may still be inside.
They took her. This is all my fault!
Who knows what they've done to her.
Now what?
How are we supposed to find her?
Who can we trust?
I need all of you to calm down and focus.
We know the Prime Minister is behind this.
After my aunt, he's the most
powerful person on Mandalore.
So, let's go talk to him.
Master Jedi,
this is an unexpected pleasure.
What can I do for you?
Actually, Prime Minister,
it's what I can do for you.
I believe some of my students
are involved in a conspiracy against you.
Intriguing.
You can't do this!
We trusted you, Master Tano.
Thank you for bringing the traitors
to justice, Master Jedi.
They mentioned that
Duchess Satine was their leader.
We should arrest her, too.
Do not worry,
we already have her in custody.
Really? Where?
That is none of your concern.
Now I must prepare a public statement
about the Duchess and her crimes.
Officer, I need to interrogate
the prisoners immediately.
Careful. We're being watched.
Did he buy it?
- Have you found my aunt?
- Not exactly.
But I know they have her in custody.
- Where?
- The Prime Minister wouldn't tell me.
I knew this plan wouldn't work.
Have a little faith. I'll find her.
We'll just modify the plan a bit.
How are you going to do that?
Don't worry. You'll know when to act
when I give the signal.
- What's the signal?
- You'll know it when you see it.
- You will take me to Duchess Satine.
- I will take you to Duchess Satine.
What are you doing?
- I must interrogate the Duchess.
- You must interrogate the Duchess.
I'm getting you out of here.
Ahsoka, it's a trap.
I see you found the Duchess, youngling.
You may stop
your playacting now, Sergeant.
- Prime Minister, sir!
- Prime Minister, sir!
Using a Jedi mind trick
was a very poor decision.
My guards have been trained
to resist such archaic magic.
And now you have revealed yourself
as a conspirator.
Set for stun.
You little fool.
Where is she?
Stick to Ahsoka's plan.
But how do we do that? It's falling apart.
Ahsoka wants us to wait for a signal,
and that's what we're going to do.
Sign it. Sign the confession
and admit to your treasonous ways.
There is only one traitor
to Mandalore here, Prime Minister,
and that's you!
You control the black market.
You have betrayed the public trust,
and used your office
to accumulate wealth and power.
It's shameful.
Your idealism is inspiring,
my dear, but hopelessly naive.
I established the black market
for the people.
That's absurd!
The w*r is disrupting trade
across the galaxy.
The profits from the black market
are being used to purchase
humanitarian supplies for Mandalore.
Think of it as a new tax
in the interest of national security.
It's a tax for your benefit, Prime Minister.
Where are these "humanitarian supplies"
you speak of?
Sergeant, put the shock collar on her.
My patience has worn thin, Duchess.
Maybe this will convince you.
I would rather die
than sign your confession.
That can be arranged.
You're wasting your time!
Bring me those traitorous cadets.
No, you can't! They're just children!
All right, let's move.
I'm afraid your nephew
will have to suffer needlessly.
Put the shock collar on Cadet Korkie.
Go!
Gotcha!
Stop fighting!
Send for my personal guards.
You must know by now
that I didn't bring you here just to teach.
I knew something was amiss,
but I had no one to trust.
I thought if I brought a Jedi,
especially a friend of Senator Amidala's,
we could solve this mystery together.
I never doubted you, Duchess.
Neither did we.
It was an honor
to serve with a Jedi Knight.
It was my privilege to be your teacher.
I hope this assignment
wasn't too boring for you.
It had its moments.
Like the one
where you convinced untrained children
to help you overthrow
a corrupt government?
That was a highlight.
It sounds pretty risky.
You're lucky you didn't get hurt.
Nothing you wouldn't have done.