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Synopsis:
THE BIO-DROID THREAT
Ord Cestus, a planet mostly barren and inhospitable to
life, was first colonized as a prison world until a
handful of hardy pioneers discovered its rich ore
deposits and managed to build up a successful
droid-manufacturing industry. But when the Clone Wars
erupted, bringing severe rationing of imported resources
and a Republic ban on the production of battle droids,
Ord Cestus was threatened with imminent economic
collapse.
Enter the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the
Separatists, with a life-saving offer to purchase a
generous quantity of the planet’s most lucrative
export: bio-droids. Possessed of tactical capabilities
that rival the fighting abilities of even the most
advanced Jedi, these sophisticated, techno-organic
hybrid units would prove a most formidable weapon if
ever deployed for military use. And now the Confederacy’s
intention to invest in what amounts to an army of
bio-droids has sent ripples of alarm through the highest
echelons of the Republic government.
Determined to halt the bio-droid sale, but fearing a
show of force will result in a political backlash,
Supreme Chancellor Palpatine dispatches a team of
envoys, led by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Their
mission: persuade Ord Cestus’s government to abandon
its dealings with the Confederacy, whilst secretly
stirring up revolution among the planet’s struggling
underclass. Diplomacy is paramount. But if all else
fails, the Republic will not hesitate to launch a
full-scale attack and wipe out not only the means of
bio-droid production, but countless lives as well, to
demonstrate the consequences of disloyalty.
For Obi-Wan, the prospect of such wholesale slaughter
only serves to fuel his growing suspicions about the
sinister path the Republic seems to be taking. But the
brash Jedi Master Kit Fisto and the detachment of clone
soldiers assigned to the mission are ready and willing
to do the Supreme Chancellor’s bidding. As the leaders
of Ord Cestus refuse to capitulate and Palpatine rapidly
loses patience, Obi-Wan’s hopes of a peaceful
resolution are dwindling. Now, facing a crisis of
conscience, Obi-Wan must find the wisdom and strength to
prevent a bloodbath and safeguard the Republic, while
abiding by the ancient code to which he has pledged his
life.
The paperback version includes the
e-book The Hive by Steven
Barnes.
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