The bounty hunters capture twenty hyperspace toll gate vandals with nothing in common except for committing one crime: credit theft. Unfortunately, they can't collect a bounty because the mastermind behind the crime is missing. The only clues are chess pieces. Jet goes to the Gate Corporation, who originally put the bounty out on the mastermind, and secretly listens in on a conversation within the Gate Corporation. He finds out that Chessmaster Hex is the one Gate Corp is after.

EYECATCH

     Spike finds out that Hex was a former chess genius, who designed the hyperspace gates. He was fired by Gate Corp. for having doubts about the stability of the gates he designed. While Ed plays an internet chess game with the chessmaster himself, Jet uses the connection to track the whereabouts of the mastermind. Spike and Faye storm into a floating scrap yard, the chessmaster's home, only to find a senile old man playing chess. Apparently, fifty years ago the chessmaster schemed to have the plan work now so that it would be pointless to capture him. Jet convinces Gate Corp. to leave the old man alone.