Obi-Wan sneaks aboard a Separatist frigate in deep space to rescue Anakin, who has gotten himself captured while trying to capture Count Dooku. After springing his friend and returning his lightsaber, the two Jedi attempt to capture Count Dooku, but the Separatist leader, expecting such a ploy, escapes. Anakin and Obi-Wan steal a ship to follow him, but in the pursuit, both ships crash on the nearby planet Vanqor. The Sith Lord lures Anakin and Obi-Wan into a cave system filled with monstrous gundarks and traps them there, but upon returning to his crashed ship, Dooku finds a group of Weequay pirates scavenging the wreckage, led by one Hondo Ohnaka, who offers the Count a lift to Florrum. But when Dooku gets there, he finds that the pirates have swiped the lightsabers he's carrying off him, and they proceed to take him hostage, offering him to the Republic in exchange for a hefty ransom.
Tropes:
- Batman Gambit: Dooku lures Anakin and Obi-Wan into the cave system by heading in there, knowing they're going to realize it's a likely hiding place and follow him in.
- Blatant Lies:
- When Ahsoka blasts open the entrance of the cave system to free Anakin and Obi-Wan, the latter claim that they had the situation completely under control. Ahsoka doesn't buy it.
- Upon Anakin and Obi-Wan's arrival on Florrum, Hondo tells them a drunken tall tale about how Dooku was captured that involves a lot more fighting, which the Jedi are clearly skeptical of.
- Call-Back: Anakin yet again loses his lightsaber.
- Ceiling Cling: Anakin is doing this when Obi-Wan enters his cell.
- Conveniently Close Planet: Vanqor. And not for the last time...
- Deadly Gas: Falling rocks in the cave system create cracks in the ground that release this, nearly killing Anakin and Obi-Wan before Ahsoka and Rex blow open the entrance.
- Facepalm:
- Despite already having lost his lightsaber, hearing that the Council has decided to have Anakin and Obi-Wan adhere to the pirates' demands that they arrive unarmed makes Anakin pinch the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
- While seeing Anakin smiling at the antics at the celebration and sensing Hondo trying to walk up discreetly behind them, Obi-Wan shakes his head and briefly tilts his forehead into his palm.
- Five-Finger Discount: While Hondo is obviously lying about defeating Dooku in a fight, the fact that he (or his Kowakian monkey-lizard) managed to swipe two lightsabers off a highly trained Force user without being caught is quite impressive.
- Flying Saucer: Hondo's flagship, complete with a beam of light visible when smaller ships are emerging from the bottom.
- Foreshadowing:
- Anakin had to leave his lightsaber behind in order to make his capture more convincing, something he complains about to Obi-Wan. In the caves, Dooku takes Anakin's lightsaber after thinking he's managed to kill him by burying him under rocks.
- Dooku tells Anakin that he must be very naïve if he thinks the pirates will allow him and Obi-Wan to leave. Come the next episode...
- Ironic Echo:
- When Obi-Wan disables Dooku's ship:Anakin: That was easy.
Obi-Wan: Lucky for you I'm an excellent shot. - When their own ship is damaged by an enemy fighter Anakin retorts with:Anakin: Lucky for you, I'm an excellent pilot!
- When Obi-Wan disables Dooku's ship:
- Obfuscating Stupidity: Hondo pretends he has no idea who Dooku is upon first meeting him, all the better for being able to relieve him of his weapons and take him hostage.
- Poisoned Chalice Switcheroo: At the end, Anakin and Obi-Wan are served drugged drinks on Hondo's orders, but, suspecting the pirates would pull something like this, the two use the Force to switch them with their neighbours' drinks during a toast.
- Tentative Light: Obi-Wan's lightsaber flickers and goes out in the cave, which is a bit more foreboding than a regular flashlight doing the same.
- Trap Door: Dooku has one of these in his chamber as an escape route.
- Trojan Prisoner: The episode begins with Anakin having intentionally gotten himself captured as part of a plan to ambush Dooku. However, the Count realizes it's a ploy very quickly.
- We Will Not Use Photoshop in the Future: When Hondo presents Dooku on a hologram transmission as proof of capture, Palpatine points out that holograms can be faked. The pirate showing Dooku's lightsaber is considered more convincing, although still not absolute proof.
