General Anakin Skywalker is charged with protecting the planet Bothawui from the Separatists. His task force of Republic cruisers awaits the enemy.

Via hologram, Obi-Wan Kenobi warns Anakin and Ahsoka that they are outnumbered by the approaching Separatist force, but Anakin has a plan up his sleeve to deal with General Grievous.

Grievous' warships arrive, and enter Bothawui's dense asteroid field. It's an unusual maneuver, but it prevents the Republic from surrounding his ships and targeting their unprotected rear sections.

Anakin Skywalker as Gold Leader commands a squadron of clone fighters into battle. Space erupts with explosions and laser blasts as the starfighters and battleships close.

Little does Grievous know what Anakin has planned. Ahsoka Tano contacts Clone Captain Rex when Grievous slips into their trap -- Anakin has dispatched AT-TE walkers into the asteroids. Rex orders them to open fire, surprising Grievous.

Grievous is effectively boxed in by Republic forces. He flees his doomed flagship in his starfighter, and Anakin gives chase. A near-miss damages Anakin's fighter, and he spins out of control.

Anakin awakens in the medical bay, tended to by a medical droid. Grievous escaped, Bothawui is safe, but there's bad news: R2-D2 was lost in the battle. The little droid disappeared when Anakin's fighter crashed.

Anakin is distraught over the disappearance of R2-D2. Not only was the little droid his friend, but Anakin never erased the droid's memory. The droid is filled with Republic military secrets. They must find that droid.

Ahsoka Tano tries to cheer up Anakin by introducing him to his replacement astromech droid, R3-S6, or "Goldie." Anakin never befriends this new droid. He misses Artoo too much.

Anakin and Ahsoka board their banged up spice freighter, Twilight, and explore the asteroids. They find the empty wreckage of Anakin's fighter, as well as a Trandoshan scavenger craft, the Vulture's Claw. They board it, and meet a stinky junk dealer named Gha Nachkt.

Gha Nachkt claims he's never seen R2-D2. Anakin and Ahsoka don't see it, but Goldie secretly activates a pair of assassin droids in Gha Nachkt's ship which attack the Jedi. Realizing that they're getting nowhere, the Jedi return to their ship.

Gha Nachkt was lying. He did indeed carry R2-D2, and he plans on delivering the droid to the Separatists.

Anakin returns to patrol duty, and once again tangles with General Grievous and his space forces. Despite R3-S6's repeated inability to do anything right, Anakin escapes Grievous' attack. Unhappy with Goldie's shortcomings, Anakin is determined to get R2-D2 back.