Supply Lines

"Where there's a will, there's a way."

- Moral

"Supply Lines" is the third episode of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series' third season. It aired on September 24, 2010 and served as a prequel to the series' premiere episode, "Ambush."

Official description
''Ryloth is under siege. Trapped on the surface, Jedi Master Di rallies the local forces with the help of Cham Syndulla. Desperate to save them, the Jedi Council dispatches Senator Bail Organa and Representative Jar Jar Binks to the planet Toydaria, where they are to convince the neutral regent, King Katuunko, to send aide to Ryloth.''

Plot summary
Ryloth has been invaded and blockaded by the Separatists, and Jedi Master Ima-Gun Di, his troops and Twi'lek resistance leader Cham Syndulla are hardpressed to maintain their positions against the droid army as supplies run low. A Republic relief supply fleet under Admiral Dao is destroyed before it can deliver provisions, and since no other relief forces are close enough, the Jedi Council asks Senator Organa, who has just finished a senate mission, to travel to nearby Toydaria and ask King Katuunko to use the plane as a supply staging base, with Jar Jar Binks dispatched to assist him.

Organa and Jar Jar are granted an audience with the king and his council, but negotiations are rendered complicated by the arrival of Lott Dod, the Senate representative of the Trade Federation sent by Count Dooku, who has caught wind of Organa's mission. Organa and Binks stress their humanitarian intentions in the matter, but Dod points out that by agreeing to deliver supplies to Ryloth and the Republican troops, Toydaria, who had declared her strict neutrality in this war, would be taking sides and thus shatter her principles. After thorough consideration, Katuunko officially denies the Republic their rights to a base on Toydaria, but afterwards he secretly meets Organa and Binks and tells them that the humanitarian factor has actually gained his favor. He agrees to load Organa's ship with a preliminary supply of provisions if Organa can keep the involvement of Toydaria secret. Organa hits upon the plan to have Jar Jar distract Dod during a banquet, which the latter does with extraordinary skill, while Organa supervises the loading of the relief supplies.

Meanwhile, the situation on Ryloth is growing more desperate by the hour, and the Republican and Twi'lek troops are forced to retreat to a safe position. Syndulla announces that his people cannot fight any longer, voicing doubts that the Republic will ever aid them. To cover their escape, Master Di uses a gunship loaded with explosives to cut off a mountain pass leading to their position, forcing the droids down another way, where they can be more easily held off. The droids arrive soon and overrun the remaining clone troopers, but just after Captain Keeli is gunned down and Di heavily wounded, he receives word that a load of supplies is on its way, and he dies content with the knowledge that the Twi'lek will survive. The supplies are dropped in front of Syndulla's convoy, raising cheers and renewing hope.

As Organa and Binks are bid farewell by Katuunko, Dod steps in and protests that they have broken the agreement, a claim for which Organa cheekily demands proof. Unable to give any, Dod storms off, fuming, and Katuunko turns to the senators with the announcement that in the light of these events Toydaria may be reconsidering her stance of neutrality, a news that greatly gladdens Organa and Binks.

Cast

 * Phil LaMarr as Bail Organa, Orn Free Taa and TX-20
 * Dee Bradley Baker as the clone troopers and Toydarian minister #2
 * Brian George as King Katuunko and male Twi'lek
 * Robin Atkin Downes as Master Di, Cham Syndulla and Toydarian minister #1
 * Gideon Emery as Lott Dod and Toydarian guard
 * Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks and Toydarian defense minister
 * James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Admiral Dao
 * Terrence Carson as Mace Windu and Toydarian justice minister
 * Corey Burton as Count Dooku and Gobi Glie
 * Tom Kane as Yoda and narrator
 * Matthew Wood as the battle droids

Behind the Scenes
On the day it originally aired on television, the episode was experiencing audio problems. The audio was not fixed by the second airing the next day.