Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter (film)

Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter is a 2002 direct-to-video computer-animated epic space opera film written and directed by, takes place just prior to the events of  and during the Battle of Geonosis. It is the sequel to Star Wars: Starfighter. The story features Jedi Master Adi Gallia and the hot-headed pirate from the previous film, Nym, as Gallia tests out the Republic's new weapon: the Jedi Starfighter. The Trade Federation is greedily seeking to create a potent weapon with which to use in the upcoming Clone Wars conflict, and expand on the growing Separatist movement that is expanding to oppose the Republic.

Produced by for  and Lucasfilm Feature Animation, the film was released on VHS and DVD by  on March 10, 2002, to promote the. Like the video game, it was met with positive to average reception.

Plot
The film opens above Geonosis, where Captain Cavik Toth of Sabaoth Squadron is contacted by Count Dooku. Along with the Trade Federation and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Sabaoth Squadron is developing a weapon called trihexalon in the Karthakk system.

Meanwhile, Jedi Master Adi Gallia is tasked by Mace Windu to meet with and possibly recruit the mercenary Nym, little-known hero of the Battle of Naboo. Gallia uses the mission as an opportunity to test the new Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor—the "Jedi starfighter"—and after a successful training session with Saesee Tiin above Coruscant, Adi departs in her prototype starfighter to meet with Nym's representative, Reti. Their meeting is interrupted by the arrival of Trade Federation droid starfighters, forcing the two pilots into a battle with them and their C-9979 landing craft. Gallia and Reti prevail—though their actions are witnessed by both a Sabaoth Squadron spy ship and Jango Fett, the latter looking to claim a bounty on Reti's head.

Reti escorts Adi to Maramere, where Nym and his lieutenant Jinkins are attempting to steal codes to an orbital prison from a small island base. Their mission is a success, but only with Adi's help do they defeat the Federation forces deployed to stop them. Nym refuses to hear Gallia out, though he does allow her to join the raid on Spacestation 1138, where members of the Mere Resistance are being held. The codes procured by Jinkins allow Captain Orsai and his men to escape prison, and, with Nym, Gallia and other pilots flying interference, the escapees board the Liberator and escape into hyperspace.

With his team bolstered, Nym returns to Maramere to destroy a sensor station that has been tracking his movements over the past decade. The strike force battles past the station's aquatic defenses, and is successful in destroying the facility. However, the Neimoidian Harro Ruuk survives, and launches a desperate attack on Nym's forces from a submersible assault craft. He puts up formidable resistance, but is ultimately overwhelmed and his vessel destroyed—though Ruuk himself ejects, and flees the scene.

In orbit over Nod Kartha, Captain Toth, accompanied by Lieutenant Bella, meets with Ruuk and two other Neimoidians in charge of the trihexalon project. Toth is displeased by their tardiness, and turns their own weapon against them, killing the project leaders and assuming control himself. Meanwhile, Nym and Jinkins launch an attack on a Federation mining facility at Mount Merakan, while Adi, Reti and Sol Sixxa defend Maramere's capital city, Point Modie, from Toth's first trihexalon weapon test.

Realizing the threat of this new weapon, Nym and his team make for Nod Kartha, the heavily defended center of trihexalon production. Upon emerging from hyperspace over the planet, Captain Orsai's cruiser, Kethor, is struck by an orbital defense cannon, leaving only the Tritus as the team's heavy weapons cruiser. While it and the starfighters battle Vulture droids, Scarab fighters and droid bombers, the Kethor sets a collision course with one of the planet's three orbital deflector shield generators. His men evacuate the doomed cruiser, though Orsai himself goes down with his ship as it smashes into the generator, destroying it. At that point, Sabaoth Squadron arrives in the form of several frigates and waves of Sabaoth starfighters. Nym's forces fight back, and are eventually able to destroy the remaining two generators and make for the surface. However, Jango Fett also joins the battle, and forces Reti into hyperspace, destination unknown.

Two pilots down, the strike team continues undaunted, launching a brave attack on the main trihexalon production facility. Fending off starfighters and Trade Federation frigates, Nym is able to enter the factory and bomb the main reactor, effectively cutting off Toth's supply of Hex weapons. Mission accomplished, the team decides to split: Adi has been ordered to Geonosis, to aid with a large-scale invasion, while Nym intends to take back his base on Lok. The two part on friendly terms, with Nym having finally come to respect the Jedi Master. As Adi departs, Nym's pilots battle the Sabaoth destroyer Reaver to a disabled Orbital Defense Cannon over Nod Kartha, intending to assemble it on the moon over Lok.

Adi is reunited with her Padawan, Siri Tachi, and the two escort the Republic assault ship Aken, carrying thousands of clone troopers and Master Yoda himself, to the surface of Geonosis. They battle past Geonosian starfighters and a blockade of Trade Federation Missile Frigates, and later aid the clone troopers in their initial strikes against the Confederacy on the planet's surface.

Meanwhile, Nym marshals his forces for a strike against the Trade Federation base on Lok, formerly Nym's own headquarters. First, they attack Lok's moon, Khons, and set up their captured cannon. It becomes a race against time with the arrival of a Trade Federation cruiser, though the Lok Revenants are able to install the cannon and destroy the oncoming cruiser. The cannon is deployed during Nym's main assault on the base, where it destroys several refueling Trade Federation dropships and missile frigates as Nym battles waves of droid starfighters. Sol Sixxa leads a speeder bike squad on a commando mission to destroy the main doors, allowing Nym to enter the base and destroy the droid factory within. Lieutenant Bella is waiting for him in her assault transport, and engages Nym in a vicious dogfight. Nym prevails, and finally takes back Lok. He is also joined by Vana Sage, his companion from the battle of Naboo, who promises to track down Reti, else learn of his fate.

The First Battle of Geonosis has begun. Adi and Siri return to orbit, only to find Captain Toth's Hex fleet assembled above, ready to bomb the planet's surface and destroy the Republic war effort. Adi and Siri, aided by several other Jedi pilots in Delta-7 fighters, destroy the Hex Deployers and Bombers, though are subsequently forced to contend with two Sabaoth Destroyers and their starfighter complements. Fortunately, help arrives in the form of Nym's team, soon followed by three Mere cruisers. The Destroyers are overwhelmed, though a third appears to take their place: Toth's flagship. This, too, is unable to stand against the combined firepower of the Lok Revenants, though Toth himself escapes his doomed flagship in his personal starfighter. He challenges Adi to a dogfight, but is no match for the Jedi Master. He loses control of his starfighter, which is destroyed by Gallia moments before his flagship explodes.

The battle below is won, though not without cost, as Mace Windu relays to Adi. Fortunately, with Toth dead, the Sabaoth Squadron is no longer a threat. The Jedi attempt to recruit Nym, impressed with his actions during the campaign, though he remains wary of joining the Jedi. Nevertheless, he is now a firm ally of the Republic, and Adi promises to continue serving as the protector of the Karthakk system.