Mission to Skytop Station / Legends The mission to Skytop Station , also known as the raid on Skytop Station , took place in 22 BBY , during the Clone Wars . After Jedi General Anakin Skywalker ' s astromech droid , R2 - D2 , was lost during the Galactic Republic ' s defense of the planet Bothawui , the Trandoshan scavenger Gha Nachkt salvaged the droid from the local asteroid belt and promised him to the Confederate General Grievous in exchange for credits . Skywalker and his Padawan , Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano , were issued R3 - S6 as a replacement droid but were unaware that he was a spy working for Grievous . High Jedi General Obi - Wan Kenobi ordered Skywalker to find and destroy Skytop Station , a Confederate listening post . After discovering the station over the moon Ruusan 2 in his personal ship , the " Twilight " , Skywalker learned that R2 - D2 was aboard the station . Skywalker decided to rescue the droid , while Tano planted explosives around the station with a squad of clone troopers . Tano and the clones first engaged battle droids in a crossfire outside the reactor room . When Grievous arrived and attacked the group , Tano distracted the cyborg general while the remaining clones — Captain CT - 7567 , nicknamed Rex , as well as trooper Denal — finished the mission . Skywalker was able to retrieve his droid from Confederate IG - 100 MagnaGuards and arrived in the south landing bay to rendezvous with the " Twilight " . After Rex and Denal had arrived , however , R3 - S6 trapped the group in the hangar and activated several Vulture droids . B2 super battle droids entered the room and engaged Skywalker and the clones . Skywalker ordered Rex to activate the explosives ; and , with its anti - gravity repulsorlifts damaged , the station began to be pulled into the moon . Tano briefly confronted Grievous and arrived in the landing bay , and R2 - D2 was able to open the hangar door from an external terminal ; the droid also eliminated the spy droid , R3 - S6 . Grievous escaped in his personal fighter , and Skywalker retrieved R2 - D2 in his Jedi interceptor , escaping the station with his team . Prelude . In 22 BBY during the Clone Wars , the Confederacy of Independent Systems built Skytop Station , a listening post over the moon Ruusan 2 . The Confederacy used the base to intercept Galactic Republic transmissions and began to use the information to ambush Republic forces . During the Republic ' s defense of the planet Bothawui , Jedi General Anakin Skywalker ' s astromech droid , R2 - D2 , was lost . Skywalker was left dismayed , as he had developed a strong attachment to the droid ; because of this , he had never wiped the secret Republic information stored in the droid ' s memory bank . Skywalker and his Padawan , Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano , were issued a replacement droid , R3 - S6 ; but , unbeknownst to them , the droid was a spy working for the Confederate General Grievous , intent on removing Skywalker as an obstacle . Skywalker and Tano searched for R2 - D2 aboard the scavenger Gha Nachkt ' s freighter , the " Vulture ' s Claw " , in the asteroid belt near Bothawui but were unable to find the droid , unaware that Nachkt had already found R2 - D2 and promised him to Grievous in exchange for credits . Skywalker took his fleet of several " Venator " - class Star Destroyers back to the shipyards where they had been manufactured , believing that they could use modifications . Eventually , High Jedi General Obi - Wan Kenobi contacted Skywalker and his Padawan at the shipyards and reported that Republic Intelligence had confirmed the existence of a Confederate listening post . Kenobi gave Skywalker the new mission of finding the Confederate base , and Skywalker elected to personally undertake the sweeping the outer corridors of space suspected of Confederate activity . Accompanied by R3 - S6 , the Jedi departed in his Delta - 7B starfighter . After R3 - S6 alerted Grievous to Skywalker ' s presence under the cover of defectiveness , however , Tano and Clone Captain CT - 7567 — nicknamed Rex — were forced to gather a squad of clone troopers and rescue Skywalker in the " Twilight " , Skywalker ' s personal G9 " Rigger " - class light freighter . R2 - D2 was taken to Skytop Station by Nachkt to be sold to Grievous , but the astromech droid was nevertheless able to hack into the communication systems of the " Vulture ' s Claw " . R2 - D2 sent a transmission to the " Twilight " ; and , having received the message , the Jedi and the clones tracked the droid to the Ruusan moon . Having come across the Confederate base that the Republic had been looking for , Skywalker contacted Kenobi and reported their discovery . Upon learning that R2 - D2 was in the base , Kenobi ordered Skywalker to destroy the station without risking the mission in order to rescue the droid , as it would prove fatal to the Republic if Grievous gained the information inside its memory banks . The mission . Ambush outside the reactor room . As the " Twilight " hovered high over the station , Skywalker , Tano , R3 - S6 , and a squad of five clone troopers — including Captain Rex and trooper Denal — jumped out of the ship and free - fell toward the Confederate base . The Jedi and the clones used the Force and JT - 12 jetpacks to slow their descent , respectively . Having safely landed , Skywalker used his lightsaber to cut a hole in the roof . The squad entered the station and eliminated a pair of B1 battle droids . R3 - S6 plugged into an astromech droid port and accessed a holomap of the station while Skywalker ordered Tano to destroy the station ' s reactors . With the base ' s anti - gravity repulsorlifts crippled , gravity would pull the station into the nearby moon . Skywalker separated from the group , however , planning to rescue R2 - D2 against Kenobi ' s orders . Inside the station ' s disassembly chamber , Nachkt was able to take R2 - D2 apart and access the droid ' s memory banks . Upon discovering the Republic secrets stored in the droid , the scavenger demanded more pay from Grievous . Yet , the request led to his murder at the hands of the general . All the while , Tano and the clones headed for the reactor room , but R3 - S6 lagged behind and contacted Grievous , reporting the presence of Republic forces aboard the station . The cyborg general ordered R3 - S6 to delay the Jedi and the clones . Grievous ' s personal IG - 100 MagnaGuards bodyguards arrived to guard R2 - D2 , and the general left to personally confront the Jedi . The Republic squad arrived at the reactor room and discovered that it was being isolated by a ray shield . R3 - S6 accessed the shield ' s controls , but purposefully took his time to allow several Confederate droid patrols to arrive and ambush the Republic squad . Tano and the clones engaged a B1 battle droid squad , which was soon reinforced by a patrol of B2 super battle droids that arrived and attacked the Republic forces from behind . R3 - S6 suddenly closed the door to the reactor room . As the battle droids trapped the Republic forces in a crossfire , Tano ordered Rex to utilize EMP grenades to disable their adversaries , and the battle droids were deactivated . Grievous ordered his MagnaGuards via holotransmission to take R2 - D2 to his ship , " Soulless One " , and the droids hastily reassembled the astromech droid for easier transport . The general then arrived to confront the Republic forces outside the reactor room , and attacked Tano ; after the two exchanged lightsaber blows , Tano was knocked against a wall and rendered unconscious . As the cyborg general approached the clones , they attempted to defend themselves with blaster fire , but Grievous eliminated all of them except Rex and Denal , who were knocked unconscious . The Confederate general prepared to kill Rex , but Tano regained consciousness and blocked the blow , preventing the clone captain from being killed . Grievous activated another lightsaber , and Tano continued to duel the general . She drew him away from the clones and then escaped with R3 - S6 into a storage room . After ordering the battle droids throughout the station to remain on alert for Skywalker , Grievous gave pursuit . Entering the room , Tano hid from the cyborg general . Meanwhile , Captain Rex regained consciousness and contacted Tano via comlink , reporting that he and Denal were the only clone troopers remaining . Tano ordered Rex to plant the explosives and rendezvous with the " Twilight " at the south landing bay , while she herself resolved to engage Grievous alone . Tano caught sight of R3 - S6 and called out to him ; however , the astromech droid pointed his light at the Jedi , alerting the cyborg general to her location . Grievous lashed out at her , and Tano dropped her comlink as she avoided a saber blow . The general destroyed Tano ' s communication device , stating that there was no escape , and Tano rolled under a shelf , fleeing from her adversary . Retrieving the droid . As the MagnaGuards transported the reassembled R2 - D2 through another room , Skywalker approached and caught sight of his astromech droid . The MagnaGuards carried R2 - D2 out of the room while the Jedi was delayed by several super battle droids . He was unable to follow R2 - D2 ' s captors , as the door to the room soon closed shut ; however , Skywalker was able to cut a hole in the roof with his lightsaber , and arrived on the other side of the door . The MagnaGuards dropped the astromech droid and engaged the Jedi . After he destroyed one of the droids , Skywalker received a glancing blow on his shoulder . He beheaded the droid that had attacked him and went on to swiftly destroy the remaining two MagnaGuards . R2 - D2 was able to use his booster rockets to bring himself right side up again , and shocked the torso of a still - active MagnaGuard , deactivating the droid . R3 - S6 contacted Skywalker , and the Jedi ordered the droid to meet him back at the hangar . Skywalker proceeded to signal the " Twilight " clone pilot for a rendezvous in the south hangar bay , and the Jedi headed to the hangar with R2 - D2 . As R3 - S6 reported Skywalker ' s plan of escape to Grievous , Tano eavesdropped on the two and learned of R3 - S6 ' s treachery . Grievous ordered his spy droid to prevent Skywalker from escaping , and the astromech droid left to confront the Republic forces , while Grievous continued to search for Tano . Trap in the hangar bay . Notwithstanding the encounter with Grievous , Rex and Denal were able to enter the reactor room and plant the explosives . Skywalker and R2 - D2 arrived at the rendezvous point before the others , and the " Twilight " soon entered the hangar . As the " Twilight " clone pilot exited the ship and approached Skywalker , R3 - S6 arrived and passed by the group , heading for an astromech droid terminal . The others were oblivious to the droid ' s actions . Rex and Denal entered the hangar bay , and when Rex reported that Tano had engaged Grievous alone , Skywalker was alarmed . The clones prepared to lead Skywalker to his Padawan , but R3 - S6 suddenly revealed his true loyalties , locking both the hangar door and the hatch to exit the hangar bay . The spy droid also activated three Vulture droids of the 88th Flight unit that were suspended from the roof of the hangar . A squad of super battle droids entered the hangar , and Skywalker and the three clones were caught in a crossfire . Fleeing toward several crates on the other side of the room , the Jedi blocked and rebounded the incoming laser shots while the clones took cover behind the crates and opened fire on the droids . Grievous , meanwhile , suspended himself from the roof in the storage room and was able to find Tano , clamping one of his large , metal hands around the Padawan ' s throat . As Tano brought up her lightsaber , the general knocked it aside and descended to the floor . Grievous picked up her lightsaber and activated it , stating that after he eliminated Tano , her master was next . At that moment , Skywalker ordered Rex to activate the explosives , despite the fact that the squad was still in the station . Rex complied , and as the station shook with the multiple impacts , Tano was able to use her lightsaber to sever Grievous ' s hand that was clamped around her throat . The Padawan jumped onto a shelf , causing the shelves ' contents to drop out , and the shelves themselves began to topple over in a domino effect . Tano escaped into an air vent and retrieved her lightsaber with the Force before fleeing . Grievous slashed at the vent Tano was in with his lightsaber ; however , the Padawan was able to evade being sliced to pieces , and she headed for the hangar bay . Skywalker took cover behind the crates in the hangar and ordered R2 - D2 to search for an astromech droid terminal on an outer platform of the station , in order to get the hangar door open and allow the group to escape the station aboard the " Twilight " . As R2 - D2 left the hangar , Grievous escaped the station in his fighter . Tano arrived in the hangar , using her lightsaber to cut a hole in the grate covering the end of the vent . The Padawan jumped onto one of the Vulture droids , and as another droid fighter took aim at the droid she was on , Tano jumped onto the second fighter and severed its neck . Both droids were eliminated , and Tano joined her master in deflecting the battle droids ' laser shots . As the super battle droids and the remaining Vulture droid continued to attack the Jedi and the clones , Rex noticed several fuel cells next to the crates . Skywalker hurtled a crate at the droids , and Rex placed a blaster shot on the target . In the resulting explosion , the remaining battle droids were destroyed . Escaping the station . R2 arrived on an external platform , discovered a terminal , and accessed the station ' s controls . However , R3 - S6 arrived close behind and attacked R2 - D2 , and the two astromech droids fought each other in a duel . While both droids shocked the other , R2 - D2 was able to temporarily disable R3 - S6 , and returned to the terminal . R2 - D2 then opened the hangar bay door , and the Jedi and the clones boarded the " Twilight " and left the Confederate base . As Skytop Station was pulled further down into the moon ' s atmosphere , Skywalker boarded his Delta - 7B fighter and left the " Twilight " , intending to rescue R2 - D2 . R3 - S6 regained control and confronted R2 - D2 again , and the two continued their fight . R2 - D2 was able to spurt oil at the spy droid , and R3 - S6 slipped toward the edge of the platform . The spy droid fired a grappling hook at R2 - D2 to prevent himself from falling off the edge , but R2 - D2 used his booster rockets to ignite the oil into flames . R2 - D2 cut the line keeping him connected to the spy droid with his chainsaw , and as R3 - S6 plummeted off the platform , he was smashed to pieces by flying debris . Skywalker arrived , and R2 - D2 took his place in the astromech droid station of the Jedi ' s fighter . As gravity pulled Skytop Station down into the moon , Skywalker and his astromech droid retreated . Aftermath . When he learned of Skywalker ' s exploits , Obi - Wan Kenobi could not believe that Skywalker had risked both his squad and his own Padawan to save an astromech droid . Skywalker held no regrets , however ; R2 - D2 was more than just a droid , he was a friend . Skytop Station had been destroyed , and the spy droid R3 - S6 had been eliminated . Nevertheless , General Grievous had escaped the station ' s destruction . His loss of Skytop Station , coupled with other recent losses , prompted Confederate Head of State Count Dooku to arrange a test for his general . Behind the scenes . First mentioned in the sourcebook " " , the mission was the main focus of " Duel of the Droids , " an episode in the of the . The duel between Tano and Grievous was included in the video game " " , a game based on the series . The mission featured the appearance of the Confederate listening post Skytop Station in the televisions series , which had been previously introduced in " " . Additionally , the station ' s destruction occurred during the mission . The mission portrayed Ahsoka Tano ' s first confrontation with General Grievous . Series Director Dave Filoni stated that while the crew intentionally developed Tano as a well - trained Jedi Padawan , they wanted to get across the fact that she was not skilled enough to defeat Grievous on her own and would need the help of her Master , Anakin Skywalker , to defeat the cyborg general . Filoni noted that it was not intended for Skywalker to confront Grievous during the episode , however , for Skywalker could not meet Grievous face to face until the film " " , which takes place after the series ends . The prelude to the mission — namely , the Battle of Bothawui and the mission to the " Vulture ' s Claw " — was mentioned in the December 2008 novel " " , written by Karen Miller . Yet , the novel introduced continuity problems , as it stated that Skywalker and Tano returned to the Allanteen Six shipyards after their search for R2 - D2 aboard the " Vulture ' s Claw " , while the episode " Downfall of a Droid " — in which both the mission to the " Vulture ' s Claw " and Skywalker ' s sweeps of space were first featured — stated that Skywalker ' s mission to suspected Confederate space took place directly after the mission to the " Vulture ' s Claw " . This article assumes that the novel ' s interpretation of events is correct . The mission was also featured in the Nintendo DS version of the 2009 video game " " and the 2011 non - canon ical video game " " , the latter of which humorously depicted the mission in its adaptation of " Duel of the Droids . " " Republic Heroes " version . The depiction of the mission in " Republic Heroes " featured even more continuity errors . In the game ' s interpretation of events , General Grievous is not present , and the Republic strike force is divided into two groups , which approach the station ' s reactor from two directions . The first group consists of Skywalker and Tano , while Rex and Denal comprise the second one . During the mission , Skywalker deliberately takes the wrong path in order to find R2 - D2 , but does not inform Tano of his intentions . The two move through the station and reach Sector AA - 23 , where all systems , including repulsorlifts , are shut down . Skywalker contacts Rex and Denal and asks them for assistance . On their way to the reactor core , the two troopers find a control panel and reactivate all systems . Tano realizes what Skywalker ' s plans are but remains with him . The two continue to move through Skytop Station , battling enemy battle droids , including BX - series droid commandos , and eventually rescue R2 . Soon , Rex and Denal successfully destroy the reactor and are ordered to rendezvous with the Jedi at the hangar so they can escape aboard the " Twilight " . The destruction of the reactor , however , triggers a failsafe lockdown , which seals the hangar ' s doors . R2 discovers that there are two terminals controlling the lockdown ; both of them need to be deactivated in order for the hangar doors to open . To this end , Skywalker decides to dispatch Tano to take R2 back to the " Twilight " and deactivate the first terminal located just outside the hangar itself , while he will go for the second one . Before Skywalker can proceed with the plan , R2 informs him of an important Separatist transmission , and Skywalker decides to hear it . The transmission is in fact a dialogue between Grievous and the droid EG - 07 , which Grievous asks about the history of a planet — later revealed to be Mustafar . The droid tells the general that the ancient Jedi have discovered a powerful weapon there , which they have sealed beneath an ocean of lava , fearing its power . Upon hearing such information , Grievous decides to find that weapon . Skywalker decides to inform the Jedi Council of Grievous ' s plans , but is reminded by Tano that they need to escape from the doomed station first . Skywalker then promptly begins to execute his plan , sends his Padawan to the hangar , and moves through the station to the terminal . Soon , Denal and Rex reach the hangar , defeat a number of battle droids there , and prepare the " Twilight " for takeoff . Tano and R2 then arrive at the hangar , and the droid deactivates the first terminal . Traversing through the outer hull of Skytop Station , Skywalker reaches the second terminal and deactivates it as well , thus taking down the lockdown . He then makes his way to the " Twilight " , defeats several IG - 86 sentinel droids that have pinned down Tano and the clones inside the ship , and opens the hangar doors . After Skywalker boards the " Twilight " , it takes off from the station . Because of the conflicting storyline that would require too much fan - based speculation to incorporate into the original story , this article assumes that the " Republic Heroes " depiction is non - canonical .