Water War " Water War " is the premiere episode for of the . It aired on September 16 , 2011 with the episode " Gungan Attack " as part of the season ' s one - hour premiere . Official description . " " When the king of Mon Cala is assassin ated , talks break down between the Mon Calamari people and the Quarren , co - inhabitants of the aquatic world . To stop a civil war , the Republic sends Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker , but unbeknownst to them , the Quarren are already being backed by the Separatists . Now the Jedi must protect Mon Cala ' s new leader , the young Prince Lee - Char , from the attack . " " Plot summary . After the assassination of King Kolina of Mon Cala , the fragile peace between the Mon Cala and the Quarren begins to collapse , centering on the argument that the king ' s son , Prince Lee - Char is ( as he himself feels ) too young and inexperienced to maintain the tenuous co - existence between the two races . Riff Tamson , the ambassador of the Separatists , heats up the argument even further , while Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker , sent by the Republic to mediate between the parties , are helpless to intervene . The Quarren leave the Mon Cala council hall , even though the Quarren chieftain Nossor Ri expresses genuine respect for the dead king to Lee - Char before he leaves . Fearing that a civil war between the two races is imminent , the Jedi High Council dispatches a company of clone trooper s equipped for underwater combat under the command of Kit Fisto and Ahsoka Tano , while Lee - Char and his military commander Captain Gial Ackbar try to rally their people . Unfortunately , the Quarren have long since prepared for war , even before the failure of negotiations , and they attack without forewarning , taking the Mon Cala by surprise . Anakin and Padmè fight side by side with the Mon Cala , but with the Separatists ' reinforcements of aqua droid s , the battle already seems lost . Fortunately , the Republic reinforcements arrive and the tide is turned , albeit with heavy losses . During the struggle , Tamson himself launches fierce assaults on the Prince , who ' s being guarded by Ahsoka , attempting to kill him and dispatching aqua droids into the city ' s tube system when Lee - Char seeks its protection , all of whom Ahsoka manages to destroy . After several assaults on the tube containing Lee - Char and Ahsoka by Tamson , the intervention of clone SCUBA trooper s prevents Tamson from reaching the helpless prince . In the aftermath of the Republic attack , the Separatists and the Quarren are forced to temporarily retreat the besieged capital and regroup , allowing the Republic and Mon Cala forces time to plan a new strategy . Soon , the Quarren return , but with a horrible secret weapon : Hydroid Medusa es , gigantic jellyfish cyborg s with electrified tentacles , which prove resistant to the Mon Cala ' s hand weapons . Outmatched and their numbers decimated , the Republic forces are forced to retreat to a set of caves near the city . In the meantime , Count Dooku orders Tamson to round up the captive Mon Cala population to work in internment camps , effectively reducing them to slavery , an announcement which startles Ri , and causes him to protest , to no avail . Back in the caves , Lee - Char begins to despair over the situation and his own inexperience , but Ackbar and Ahsoka do their best to encourage him , reminding him that a true leader knows when to retreat , as well as when to attack . This last piece of advice convinces Lee - Char that there ' s still hope in the ongoing battle . Behind the scenes . According to the official Facebook page for " Star Wars : The Clone Wars " , the whole underwater battle , including the participation of thousands of marine creatures , was a peak in their animation , having raised heights . Captain Ackbar ' s line of " It ' s an attack ! " was an homage to his famous line in " Return of the Jedi " , " It ' s a trap ! " The design of the Mon - Cala city was intended to remind viewers of the Mon Calamari ships from " Return of the Jedi " , and in fact the towers were essentially landed and docked ship designs . Lee - Char ' s name was a reference to the mascot of StarKist Tuna , Charlie the Tuna . Kit Fisto ' s gunship artwork featured his likeness on the warhead of a cartoon bomb with Aurebesh writing that said " Service with a Smile " , a reference to his famous grin in " Attack of the Clones " .