"The Droid Deception" is a concise narrative presented in both Star Wars: The Clone Wars Comic 6.4 and Star Wars: The Clone Wars Magazine 1.
Mace Windu, alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi, Commander Cody, and Commander Ponds, are united in battle, striving to seize control of the Tambor Deep Space Centre. This facility, operated by the Geonosians, serves as a repair hub for Separatist warships. Nevertheless, their operation faces unexpected challenges. Cody and Kenobi observe that the pre-battle intelligence they received was inaccurate. Instead of encountering 'minimal resistance', they are embroiled in intense combat, with Cody lamenting that he lacked even the opportunity to don his helmet.
Mace Windu emphasizes the necessity of breaching the security complex and inquires if Commander Ponds possesses any strategic insights. Ponds responds by launching a missile round at the complex's entrances. The subsequent detonation momentarily clears the area of battle droids, yet it fails to inflict any damage on the laminasteel door. Windu comments on his inability to perceive a shatterpoint within the complex. Cody suggests it is simply a bunker, vulnerable to sufficient force. Cody then instructs Sergeant Swift and a squadron of clones on AT-RT walkers to initiate a direct assault on the doors to force them open. As Swift and his team advance, declaring that a volley of thermal detonators should suffice, Kenobi cautions them, highlighting the Geonosians' involvement in the doors' design and warning that their technical expertise and ruthlessness render the assault perilous. Regardless, Swift and his unit press forward. However, as they get closer to the bunker, the station's head mechanic, Gorgol the Handy, monitors them via surveillance systems. A B1-Series battle droid informs him that communications are available, inquiring whether reinforcements should be deployed. Gorgol dismisses the need, asserting that the clones should be the ones experiencing urgency. He remotely activates several blaster turrets that emerge from the floor ahead of Swift and his men. Swift urges his men to maintain their speed, determined to fulfill their objective, but the turrets unleash a barrage of fire, eliminating him and his entire squadron. Mace Windu intervenes to restrain Commander Cody, who cries out and lunges forward in distress, informing him that there is nothing he can do to help.
Cody, anguished, blames himself for their demise, while Gorgol mocks the Jedi, suggesting they recognize the futility of battle on his territory and surrender. Kenobi reassures Cody, explaining that it was a skillfully executed trap, one that reveals their adversary's strong confidence in his security measures. Windu concludes that they cannot prevail in a direct confrontation against a larger droid force. He then confers with Ponds, Cody, and Kenobi, outlining a strategy divided into four fronts, each led by one of them as commanding officers. He and Kenobi will strategically disappear, Ponds will disable the station's transmitter, and Cody will conceal himself, armed with a rifle, awaiting the opportune moment.
Gorgol observes a hologram displaying security footage outside the command center's entrances, depicting Commander Ponds and his troops seemingly retreating in surrender. Initially skeptical, Gorgol dispatches two squads of droids to patrol the perimeter, commanded by Unit 4416 and Unit 4432, both of whom report that the area is secure. Gorgol boasts that he will summon the remaining troops to celebrate their triumph, even as Kenobi ambushes 4416, Ponds successfully reaches the signal room, and Windu announces that he has cleared Gorgol's workshop of battle droids.
Having fallen for the deception, Gorgol unlocks the doors to the command center and steps out to assess the damage inflicted on the Republic forces. He observes that only destroyed walkers remain, predicting that General Grievous will reward him for his victory, even as one of the accompanying battle droids questions the whereabouts of the two scout squads. Ponds informs Kenobi that communications are offline, expressing satisfaction at having a second chance to utilize his missile launcher effectively. Upon receiving this confirmation, Windu and Kenobi ambush Gorgol, swiftly dispatching the group of droids accompanying him. Gorgol orders a retreat to the command center, intending to use the remote turrets to eliminate the Jedi, at which point the final element of the trap is revealed: Commander Cody emerges from the wreckage of the walkers, his rifle aimed at Gorgol, the Jedi's assault providing him with a clear shot.
Initially, Gorgol believes that Cody has missed, as the shot is fired while leaving him unharmed, until Cody reveals that he has destroyed Gorgol's remote, preventing him from controlling the defenses. Gorgol expresses despair, and Mace Windu advises him not to be overly concerned, stating that he can entertain himself with his cuffs en route to the detention center. As Gorgol is escorted away, Kenobi remarks that this incident should reinforce the importance of prioritizing tactics over brute force. He praises Cody for his restraint in targeting the remote rather than Gorgol, considering the loss of Cody's men. Cody responds by suggesting that perhaps he did not exercise such restraint, admitting that he had aimed for Gorgol's head, but the rifle consistently veered to the right.