"We've searched their supply grids, Sir." Rex told Anakin as the two looked at the scanners for an enemy listening post. I stood just behind them R3, listening to the emergency channel to see if they were any signals. "There's nothing to indicate the presence of an enemy outpost." A static signal came through the emergency channel and I turned to Anakin to let him know.

"Master, I'm receiving a strange transmission." I said. "I can't seem to make it out, though. Boost the volume, Goldie." R3 beeped and the channel became even more static as we began to lose the signal.

"No, you're losing it." Anakin snapped as he manually turned up the volume to stop R3 from losing the signal. Distorted beeps came through the channel. "That's Artoo."

"Um, that doesn't sound like Artoo."

"It's him, Aroara. I could never forget that voice. Trace it, Rex."

"Sir." Rex said as he carried out the order.

"Master, our orders were to find the Separatist listening post." I reminded my master.

"Perhaps Artoo is at the listening post." Anakin suggested. "Did you consider that?"

"We have a lock on the droid's location, sir." Rex said.

"Prepare to jump to those coordinates."

"Yes, sir." A clone said. I placed my hands on my hips and stared at Anakin in dismay as he walked to the front of the ship. He must really care about that droid.

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"Sir, the last transmission came from that moon's upper atmosphere, directly ahead." Rex told Anakin once we came out of hyperspace.

"That's a Separatist battle sphere." Anakin said.

"I'm picking up a lot of encrypted chatter." I told Anakin, still listening to the emergency channel."

"Contact Obi-Wan. Stubby, scramble Secret Code Set 1477. I don't want that station to pick this up." I contacted Obi-Wan and a holograph of Obi-Wan appeared on the control panel in front of Anakin.

"Anakin?" Obi-Wan greeted Anakin.

"Master, I believe we've found your Separatist listening post."

"Excellent work. Back off and wait. I'll send two mainline cruisers to help you destroy it."

"But Artoo." I whimpered up at Anakin.

"We believe my droid, Artoo, is on board." Anakin translated to Obi-Wan. "He's the one that led us here."

"Hmm, this complicates things." Obi-Wan said. "You must sneak aboard that station and destroy it before they crack Artoo's memory banks. I know you're fond of that droid, but he's fallen into enemy hands."

"I could rescure Artoo."

"No, this is not a rescue mission." The holograph cut off.

"Keep jamming their scanners. If they spot us, we're dead."

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I prepped R3 on the back hatch while Anakin packed a bag and the clones got ready to jump from the ship to the station below us.

"We're bringing the droid?" Rex questioned me.

"We'll need Goldie to open secured hatches and access the station's computer." I informed him, standing up and facing him. "Oh, and, Rex, you get to carry him." I walked over to Anakin's side as the back door opened. The wind howled as we stood on the platform. I looked up and down the line of clones before looking at Anakin who smirked at me. Well, if no one was going to jump, I guess I would. "Follow me, boys!" I ran forward and kicked off from the platform and did a front flip in the air before diving headfirst towards the station. Couple seconds later, Anakin appeared to my right and I looked over at him and he smiled at me, his blue eyes gleaming. He straightened his body out more to dive faster and I followed his lead. I placed my hands out in front of me and used the Force to slow me down so I could land safely on the station next Anakin. The clones landed behind us.

"Next time, you're lugging this astromech around." The clones laughed at Rex as Anakin pulled out his lightsaber and cut a hole in the ground under us. One by one, we dropped down into the hole. We raced through the station and stopped at the nearest control panel.

"All right, Stubby." Anakin ordered. "Get to work."

"We are here." Rex said as he pointed to the holographic map that appeared in front of us. "The reactors are thirty levels below us, there."

"Aroara, you take the squad and blow up those reactors." He took off his backpack and handed it to me and I placed it on my back. "Gravity will do the rest. We'll meet in the landing bay."

"Where are you going?" I questioned him.

"I'm just going to have a little look around."

"Uh-huh. I hope you find Artoo in one piece." I turned and took off down the hallway with the squad behind me. We finally ended up to the reactor level and stood outside a very secured door.

"We find the reactor room, sir." Rex informed Anakin. "The alarm triggered another security door, ray shielded."

"This could take a while to bypass."

"Good luck with that." Anakin muttered sarcastically.

"Go ahead, Goldie. Make me proud." R3 beeped as he hacked into the control panel.

"Oh, this'll be good." Rex muttered. Footsteps marching sounded at the end of the hallway. "Those droids are getting close, sir. Do you think R3's going to open up that door anytime soon?"

"He's working on it. Patience, Captain." The footsteps were getting closer and closer.

"I can always hot-wire it, sir." Hotshot said and I ignored him.

"Hurry up, Goldie."

"I think we've run out of time." Rex said and I turned to see battle droids staring right at us. They pulled out their guns and began to fire at us.

"Rex, droid poppers, now!" Rex threw one at the droids and they stared at it dumbfounded as it went off, electrifying them and shutting them down. Just when I thought the battle was over, a gravely voice sounded behind me and I turned to see General Grievous standing there, pulling out his blue lightsaber.

"They sent a child to destroy my station?" Grievous laughed. "The Republic must be running out of Jedi." I pulled out my lightsaber and twirled my lightsaber in my hand before holding the handle with the tips of my fingers.

"You must be General Grievous." I said and he laughed before coughing up a fit. "He's just another tinny, boys. Let's scrap him like the rest." I charged forward and slammed my lightsaber against his and with one thrust of his arm, he knocked me back and I tumbled across the floor, hitting my back on a wall. I groaned as I struggled to catch my breath. My canine teeth sharpened as I grew angry and stood back up and looked back to see Grievous standing over Rex, ready to cut him in half. I rushed forward and blocked Grievous lightsaber with my own just when it was two inches away from Rex. "Sorry to interrupt your playtime, Grumpy, but wouldn't you prefer a challenge?"

"That wouldn't be you."

"I'm made of more than you think." Grievous stepped back from me and pulled out a green lightsaber so that he had a weapon in each hand. He charged at me and I place my left arm behind me, using only my right hand to control my lightsaber to block each of Grievous' attack. My lightsaber's handle was so light, I needed only my fingertips to twirl it in my hand. Grievous brought his green lightsaber down on me and I blocked it, struggling to push it back at him. He roared at me and I let out a growl, showing my canine teeth. I ducked underneath him before rolling away and taking off down the hallway with R3 behind me. I ducked into a storage unit and hid behind some shelves just as Grievous followed me inside.

"Where is the fight you promised me, youngling?" I looked around at my surroundings and my eyes landed on a box on top of a shelf a couple rows over from me. I used the Force and tossed the box aside, sending Grievous in the wrong direction. The comlink began to beep and I quickly covered it, hoping that Grievous didn't hear it.

"Aroara, it's me, Rex." Rex came over the comlink. "There are only two of us left. Should we abort the mission?"

"No, complete the mission." I whispered to him. "Set the charges, and rendezvous at the landing bay."

"But, sir—"

"That's an order, Rex. I'll keep the general busy. Aroara out."

"Come here, child." Grievous called out to me. "I'm looking for you. So far, you have failed to impress me." R3 rolled in front of me.

"Goldie, over here." R3 turned to me and shined a flashlight on me. "Goldie, no!" A lightsaber stabbed at me through the shelves and I gasped, dodging out of the way. My comlink dropped from my wrist and Grievous stepped in front of me, crushing my comlink.

"Your friends won't help you. You're stuck with me." I rolled under the shelves and took off away from Grievous. This was a challenge that I wasn't ready for. I hid out on top of a shelf and looked down to see Grievous and R3 talking. "R3, what have you to report?" R3 beeped.

"That stubby little backstabber."

"So Skywalker has come for his R2 unit." Grievous laughed. "Go and make certain they do not escape." R3 backed up and rolled away. I shimmied back down the shelves and pulled out my lightsaber, holding it out in front of me as I slowly walked along the back wall. I stopped and looked around and when I didn't sense anything, I sighed and put my lightsaber away. I took a step forward when something grabbed me by the throat and lifted me up into the air so I was looking in the face of Grievous. I raised my hand that held my lightsaber but Grievous knocked it from my hand. I grunted as I tried to pry his metal fingers from my throat, struggling to catch my breath. Grievous bent down and picked up my lightsaber and turned it on so the blue light gleamed down on my face. "Another lightsaber to add to my collection. My spy droid, R3, has trapped your precious master. When I've finished with you, he's next."

"You're wrong. He's gone by now, and he's going to blow up your precious spy station."

"Not this time." A rumbling sound echoed through the storage room and when Grievous looked away from me, I pushed his right arm down, slamming my lightsaber onto his wrist, cutting his hand off. He let go of me and I flipped backwards, shimming back up the side of a shelf. I leaped into a vent and turned around to use the Force to grab my lightsaber before crawling through the vent. I came across the main hangar and looked out to see the squad and Anakin surrounded by droids. I jumped out landing on a vulture droid's head. Chopping off its head, I leaped to the next one and did the same to that one. I jumped to the ground, landing next to Anakin and we stood side by side, blocking the lasers from the other droids with our lightsabers.

"So what did I miss?"

"Oh, the usual." Anakin said. "It was foolish of you to take on Grievous by yourself."

"Well, I was leading the mission, and it seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Did he tell you your stubby little gold droid pal works for him?"

"He might have mentioned it. I guess we were all fooled."

"General Skywalker, there are fuel cells over here." Rex said.

"Get ready, Rex." Anakin said. He used the Force to throw a fuel cell at the incoming droids and Rex made the perfect shot, causing it to explode. The hangar door opened.

"Artoo did it." I said.

"Of course he did it. Now let's get out of here. R2, where are you?" I got onto the ship and grabbed the control and turned the ship around so I could fly out of the station.

"General Skywalker has gotten into his fighter." Rex informed me. "Where's he going?" I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"He's probably going after Artoo." I said.

"I'll be right back." Anakin sounded through the speakers. "Don't wait for me."

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"So let me get this straight, Anakin." Obi-Wan said once Anakin boarded the ship again with R2 at his side. "You risked the mission, all your men, even your Padawan, to save a droid."

"Artoo found the listening post, and he saved our lives." Anakin said. "We couldn't just leave him there, Obi-Wan."

"Oh, Anakin. One day. . ." Obi-Wan ended the conversation.

"I'm glad we got Artoo back, Master." I said. "But Master Kenobi does have a point."

"Aroara, I knew you would complete the mission." Anakin smiled at me. "Besides, Artoo is more than a droid. He's a friend." R2 beeped.