“Unnnnn,” a voice moaned from behind one pillar. Running around the column, Qui-Gon found a semiconscious alien lying on the floor. A small yellow-scaled reptilian creature with a pronounced beak, the alien was clothed in a one tunic. His left foot was chained to the pillar and his right arm was missing below the elbow joint. “Are you okay?” Qui-Gon asked as he checked the alien’s pulse. In this close proximity, Qui-Gon could tell that the alien’s right arm had only recently been removed.
“Oh, I’m just fine,” the alien groaned, “except that the droids cut off my arm and locked me up here to die.” Qui-Gon’s eyes went wide. “The droids cut off your arm?!” “They were trying to get information out of me,” the alien said with a sigh. “No big deal. I’m a Kloodavian. The arm’ll grow back in a couple of days,” “What are you doing in here?” Qui-Gon asked.
“I should be asking you that question!” the Kloodavian snarled. “I’m Boll Trinkatta! I own this starship factory! But my droids went berserk and took over. I don’t know how, but someone must’ve reprogrammed them! The droids brought me down here and left me to die.”
Before Qui-Gon could ask any more questions of Boll Trinkatta, an eight-armed maintenance droid rolled out from behind one of the other pillars. Hiding out of view, it had waited for the right moment to attack. Each of its eight arms wielded a different tool, including a beamdrill, fusioncutter, macrofuser, and power prybar. Extending its appendages, the droid accelerated on its treads and headed straight for the Jedi Master. When the droid was nearly on top of its prey, Qui-Gon leaped aside. Unable to stop in time, the droid crashed into the stone wall. Falling back. from the wall; the droid’s eight arms trailed as it tried to recover its balance and get a position on: the attacker. Before the droid could fire its fusioncutter, Qui-Gon’s lightsaber blazed and arched through the air, slicing through the droid below its eight shoulder joints. The droid’s head and shoulders tumbled from its body, sending a shower of sparks all the way up to the brick ceiling. Crashing to the floor, the droid lay motionless. Stepping away from the remains of the fallen droid, Qui-Gon approached Trinkatta; who still leaned against the pillar.
With surprise in his eyes the Kloodsvian remarked, “Only a Jedi moves that fast!”
“My name is Qui-Gon Jinn,” the Jedi Master stated. Looking Trinkatta in the eyes, Qui-Gon came to the point. “A woman came here to inspect your building, he continued, maintaining secrecy “, by not mentioning Adi Gallia’s name. “You will tell me where I can find her.” Trinkatta glared at Qui-Gon but did not answer.
“You’re in a lot of trouble, friend,” Qui-Gon continued. “I know you’re selling fifty droid starfighters. I want to know the identity of the buyer. Direct me to your factory’s central droid control room.”
“I… I don’t have to tell you anything!” Trinkatta insisted. Qui-Gon was uncertain whether the Kloodavian was arrogant or afraid to answer his questions. Relying on the Force, Qui-Gon attempted to make the alien talk. “You can tell me everything,” Qui-Gon coaxed as he made a waving gesture with his hand.
Trinkatta’s reptilian lips drew back into a good - natured smile. “Kloodavisns are immune to Jedi mind tricks,”. he boasted. “But I’ll answer your questions if you unchain me.”
“Done,” Qui-Gon agreed.. While the Jedi Master set to work on opening the lock, careful not to injure the Kloodavian’s leg, Trinkatta spoke. “I don’t know anything about a building inspector. It’s possible she was captured by my droids after they’d already locked me up,”
“What about the location of your central droid control room” Qui-Gon asked. “It’s on Level 19 of the observation tower, on the other side of the factory’s spaceport.” Working a thin wire into the manacle at Trinkatta’s foot, Qui-Gon inquired, “And who ordered the fifty droid starfighters?” Trinkatta gulped, nervous to answer this final question.
“I… I built them for the Trade Federation;” “The Trade Federation ordered these?” Qui-Gon said with surprise. “But this planet isn’t anywhere near Trade Federation routes. Why did they commission you to build droid starfighters?” “I don’t know why they picked me,” Trinkatta admitted. “Every starship maker in the galaxy knows the Xi Gharrians have an exclusive contract to build droid starfighters for the Trade Federation.. When the Neimoidians told me they wanted me to install hyperdrive engines into the fighters, I protested. The next day, my test pilot vanished! I was afraid if I didn’t follow the Trade Federation’s orders, they’d make me disappear, too.” “Where are the droid starfighters now?” Qui-Gon asked.