Deception

"All warfare is based on deception."

- Moral

"Deception" is the fifteenth episode of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series' fourth season. It aired on January 20, 2012.

Official description
"When the Jedi learn of a Separatist plot to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine, one of them must go deep undercover as a hardened criminal to extract information from the conspirators."

Synopsis
After a Jedi Council meeting, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Ahsoka Tano are taking a walk through the nightly streets of Coruscant when a sniper opens fire on them. The Jedi dodge the shots, and Obi-Wan and Anakin chase after the sniper. They lose him, and Obi-Wan moves out onto the open to look for him, when the sniper fires and hits him dead on. Anakin tries to chase the sniper, who escapes on a speeder, and when he returns to Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, he has to learn that his old master and friend is dead. A Jedi funeral is held for Kenobi, but Ahsoka is worried for Skywalker, who has become withdrawn and grim.

Meanwhile, the assassin, a bounty hunter named Rako Hardeen, celebrates his victory for killing Obi-Wan. However, Obi-Wan is not dead. It turns out that it was all a plan made by Obi-Wan, Yoda and Mace Windu, who decided to fake Obi-Wan's death so he could pretend to become a member of a looming Separatist plot to kidnap Palpatine. Kenobi then undergoes a facial transformation via nanotechnology to disguise himself as Hardeen, captures his would-be assassin as he prepares to collect his reward from his employer (again Kenobi), and completes his disguise with a voice emulator droid and a voice sample from Hardeen. Anakin and Ahsoka, who have not been made aware of the plan in order to assure its success, track down Hardeen's location and arrest the disguised Obi-Wan, ferrying him to the Republic jail. Once inside the prison, Obi-Wan proceeds to make contact with another inmate, Moralo Eval, who is suspected to be a key figure in the plot against the Chancellor. Eval expresses his respect to "Hardeen" for having killed a Jedi; but things are complicated by the presence of Eval's cell-mate Cad Bane, who does not even bother to hide his distrust of the newcomer, and in addition, Obi-Wan learns that both of them plan to break out of prison very soon. He manages to relay as much to Yoda and Windu through a concealed comm device, but nevertheless is forced to carry on with his plan.

In due time, Bane stages a breakout by having Boba Fett start a fight with Obi-Wan, triggering a general riot which Eval and Bane use as a cover for their escape. Obi-Wan joins them uninvited and surreptitiously aids them in escaping the prison through the morgue and incineration facility, though several members of prison personnel are killed by Eval and Bane in cold blood on the way. Commandeering a freighter, the three make their way off-planet. Despite Bane's continuing hostility, Obi-Wan has managed to win Eval's trust, who declares that they will let him join in on their next hit.

Cast

 * James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Rako Hardeen, and Bartender
 * Corey Burton as Cad Bane, Medical Droid, and Karkarodon Thug
 * Dee Bradley Baker as Clone Troopers, Bossk, and Quarren
 * Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker and Prisoner
 * Terrence Carson as Mace Windu
 * Stephen Stanton as Moralo Eval
 * Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano and Female Patron
 * Tom Kane as Yoda and the narrator
 * Daniel Logan as Boba Fett
 * David Acord as Servant Droid
 * Anna Graves as Satine Kryze

Behind the scenes
When talking to Mace Windu and Yoda in the prison, Obi Wan uses the code name Ben, a reference to the name he used while in exile on Tatooine.