Global crisis! The Mid Rim planet of Aleen is devastated by catastrophic earthquakes. As the people struggle, the future of the survivors rests on their ability to rekindle their way of life from the rubble of the past. A Jedi transport, on a mission to block annexation of the Qiilura system, is waylaid to provide desperately needed humanitarian relief to the people on the surface of Aleen.

Commander Wolffe assures Master Yoda and Senator Amidala that his sensor crew was able to locate thousands of survivors. Though Wolffe appreciates the importance of this mercy mission, he is eager to move on to his frontline assignment, assisting General Plo Koon. The Jedi transport, accompanied by a trio of medical frigates, dips into the atmosphere of Aleen.

As fully loaded gunships streak through the Aleen clouds, they are soon escorted by an enthusiastic Aleena riding atop a can-cell. "Great," quips Warthog. "It's going to be another one of those planets."

Landed at a refugee zone, Commander Wolffe exits his gunship and meets King Manchucho, who gregariously welcomes him to the Republic's aid mission. Manchucho chatters in the Aleena language, and Wolffe requests a protocol droid be brought to him.

C-3PO emerges from a gunship, eager to help. Threepio translates Manchucho's welcome. The Aleena will host and feed the clones, and "the gods below will know peace once more." The king asks the offworlders for help to "make peace in the ground." An aftershock trembles the ground. Wolffe orders his squads to scan for unstable ground and mark off unsafe areas.

Wolffe's priority is repairing and rebooting the Aleen mainframe computers -- uploading information the Aleen will need to help rebuild their world. This task falls to Threepio's counterpart, R2-D2. Artoo, some Aleena guides, and troopers Sinker and Boost travel to a devastated industrial park, site of the mainframe station. Blasting their way past rubble that blocked the ancient entrance, they enter the station and begin interfacing with the computer.

Though the Republic is ready to build temporary kitchens, King Manchucho says priority must be given to "making peace" in the ground. Wolffe grows impatient with the eccentric alien customs. He tells Threepio to report the moment Artoo is completed with the download so the troops can be on their way.

Boost and Sinker are called back to the staging area, leaving R2-D2 to finish supervising the download. C-3PO joins his counterpart in the darkened mainframe station. The Aleena guides insist that the droids follow them -- there's something they need to see.

The Aleena bring the droids to a heavy bronze door, miss-set into the floor. Strange vapors seep out from below. A sudden quake sends C-3PO tumbling into the gap beneath the door, and R2-D2 rockets after his plummeting companion.

Threepio and Artoo come to an abrupt landing deep atop a pile of dried roots in the subterranean wilderness of Aleen. The quakes continue, blocking the tunnel to the surface. The droids follow an otherworldly glow into a larger cavern.

In the bioluminescent interior of the planet, Threepio and Artoo are suddenly surrounded as the trees come alive. The droids are not welcomed by the creaky-limbed Kindalo. The creatures tell the droids to leave this place, and ask why the surface dwellers have destroyed the peace. "The ground shakes to keep out their foul air, which poisons and destroys us!" The Kindalo tells the droids if they are to help, they must seek Orphne.

The droids continue their trek into the caverns, guided by sparkling fireflies into a grotto. With a swirl of sparkling dust, Orphne materializes, a beautiful reptilian nymph. Orphne explains that a covenant exists between the surface and subsurface world. Each side survives, because the ground keeps them separated. But recently, the divide was breached by the surface-dwellers, poisoning the underworld, and they retaliated with the quakes.

It was not the subterranean world's intent to attack, but they needed to seal the surface breach. C-3PO and R2-D2 offer to seal the breach, if Orphne can guide them to it. Rather than directions, she offers a riddle. "You can run but you cannot walk. You have a mouth but cannot talk. You have a head but never weep. You have a bed but never sleep. Ask yourself, who are you?"

With those cryptic words, Orphne vanishes. C-3PO tries to puzzle through Orphne's riddle, and R2-D2 correctly concludes the answer is "river." Artoo activates a water icon set into the floor of Orphne's chamber, which creates a torrent of water that blasts the droids back onto the planet's surface.

The droids land near the excavation site that they entered. King Manchucho and his followers are holding a ceremonial chant, trying to settle the imbalance between the surface and subsurface worlds. Noxious gas seeps from beneath the mislaid door, causing the Aleena to pass out, sick. The air below the ground is deadly to them, and they cannot seal the breach.

Threepio realizes that the Aleena need their help. The droids move the heavy door back into place, sealing the hole into the underworld. The droids have restored the balance on Aleen.

The Aleena bid a heartfelt farewell to their droid saviors. As the Republic relief forces depart Aleen, Threepio begins chattering about their exploits to Commander Wolffe. Wolffe rolls his eyes. He's determined to offload the droids at the nearest opportunity.