Kidnapped! During a Separatist invasion of the planet Kiros, thousands of peaceful colonists are abducted by Zygerrian slavers. Determined to find the missing colonists, the Jedi travel to Zygerria, home to the galaxy's most notorious slave empire.

Anakin Skywalker pilots the captured Zygerrian slave ship, Tecora, onto a landing pad adjacent to a Zygerrian fortress. He, Captain Rex, and Obi-Wan Kenobi are disguised as Zygerrian traders, while Ahsoka Tano goes undercover as a slave. The Jedi hide their lightsabers within secret compartments inside their trusty astromech droid, R2-D2. Anakin is to make contact with the Zygerrian Queen, while Rex and Obi-Wan search for any leads regarding the missing colonists.

Ahsoka nearly breaks her cover when she is compelled to stop a Zygerrian official from whipping a helpless slave. Thinking quickly, Anakin claims that she is his freshly caught slave who has not yet been taught her place. Anakin introduces himself to the Zygerrian -- the prime minister and captain of the guard, Atai Molec. He demands an audience with the Queen.

Anakin poses as Lars Quell, a warrior who has disposed of a hated enemy of the Queen, Bruno Denturri. The monarch, Miraj Scintel, is at first wary of Lars' story, but she is charmed by his brash and confident nature.

In a show of goodwill to the Queen, Lars presents her a gift -- Ahsoka, a slave plucked from Bruno's palace. She makes (a rather forced) show of resistance, and Queen Miraj is impressed by her beauty and spirit. She orders Ahsoka to be processed. Flattered by Lars' gestures, the Queen and Anakin depart together. Atai Molec watches them suspiciously.

In the slave cells of the royal palace, Rex and Obi-Wan find a single Togruta prisoner, Governor Roshti, formerly of Kiros. Roshti is weak, unable to answer Kenobi's questions about the whereabouts of the missing Togrutas. Kenobi lifts Governor Roshti from his cell, and commandeers a brezak -- a gliding lizard mount. With Rex and Roshti with him, Obi-Wan spurs the creature to flee.

A guard shoots Kenobi in the shoulder, and he falls from the beast, dragging Roshti with him. Rex escapes aboard the brezak, but Obi-Wan is surrounded by Zygerrian guards.

At the balcony of the royal palace, the Queen discusses her expanding slave empire with Anakin. She will need men of Anakin's talent to help her power grow. Suddenly, a Twi'lek servant girl attempts to stab the Queen, but Anakin stops the would-be regicide. The hopeless slave leaps to her death off the balcony. The Queen is impressed by Anakin's prowess, and accepts his gift of Ahsoka.

In the dungeons of the royal auction house, Obi-Wan is brutally whipped by Zygerrian slave masters. Despite such pain, Obi-Wan refuses to reveal his identity. Atai recognizes Kenobi's face from a hologram on Kiros.

In the auction house, throngs of would-be buyers watch as the Zygerrians march out their chained wares. First, Governor Roshti is presented as a sample of 50,000 Togruta slaves. Anakin, who is the Queen's guest at the auction, asks Miraj where the Kiros slaves are kept, but she is distracted by a hurried and whispered update from Atai.

Miraj reveals what Atai has told her. She speaks to the assembled audience and announces a special guest: Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi. The raucous crowd erupts to see a beaten Jedi on the auction block. Grinning at the opportunity to break a Jedi, Queen Miraj hands Anakin an energy whip, and orders Anakin to teach Obi-Wan his place.

Anakin enters the auction house arena to stand behind Obi-Wan who is forced to his knees. With the crowd demanding blood, Anakin gives a jaunty salute to the stands. Hidden in the stands is Rex, who is ready for action, as well as the ever-resourceful R2-D2. The little droid launches three lightsabers into the air -- Anakin's, Obi-Wan's and Ahsoka's -- while Skywalker uses the whip to disarm the Zygerrian guards.

Ahsoka ignites her lightsaber and orders the Queen to stand down, but Miraj is defiant. With a press of a button on her throne, she activates the shock collar around Ahsoka's neck. The Padawan collapses after being overwhelmed by an electrical shock.

Zygerrian guards rush out into the arena to surround Obi-Wan, Anakin and Rex. The Republic heroes are overwhelmed. Five whips are needed to subdue Anakin. Miraj is all the more impressed by his strength.

The next morning, Anakin awakens in the Queen's chambers. Skywalker tries to intimidate Miraj by throttling her with the Force, but she gasps that his friends will die unless he obeys her. Anakin refuses to serve the Queen, but she is not convinced at his defiance. She even returns his weapon, knowing that as long as she has Anakin's friends captive, she has power over him.

Ahsoka has been placed in a suspended cage high above the royal palace. She has been promised to Atai Molec once Anakin has been tamed. Ahsoka remains defiant.

On the volcanic world of Kadavo, where an immense mining complex straddles a huge crater, a Zygerrian slave ship lands. Obi-Wan, Rex and Governor Roshti emerge, and see dozens of Togruta slaves standing on the landing platform.

The rotund Keeper Agruss, sitting on a floating repulsorchair, greets Kenobi. To demonstrate that he holds complete control over life and death at Kadavo, Agruss cruelly activates trap doors beneath the Togruta slaves, dropping them to their deaths within the crater. Agruss makes it clear that should Obi-Wan disobey, it will not be the Jedi who suffers.

Queen Miraj and Anakin ride a brezak on the winds of Zygerria. Miraj recognizes that Anakin was once a slave. She tries to get Anakin to see the galaxy as she sees it, and offers him to share in her rule. But Skywalker knows that Queen of the Zygerrian Slave Empire would never share her power. Infatuated by Skywalker, Queen Miraj offers to return his friends to safety if Anakin swears his loyalty to her.