"Holocron Heist" is the premiere episode for Season Two of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series. It is the twenty-third episode of the series overall and is the first of a three-part storyline. The episode is chronologically preceded by the Season One episode "Liberty on Ryloth."
Cad Bane infiltrates the Jedi Temple and attempts to steal an ancient Jedi Holocron. It's up to Ahsoka, Anakin, and Obi-Wan to stop the bounty hunter from escaping with the valuable Jedi artifact.
On Felucia, Jedi Cruisers arrive to evacuate the planet. Republic gunships, escorted by a fighter squadron commanded by Jedi Master Plo Koon break through the Separatist blockade surrounding Felucia to evacuate Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, and their troops. The former are outnumbered, with droids closing in on them. However, Ahsoka is elsewhere, sending a pack of droids running. Obi-Wan explains to his Padawan through the comlink that the group she is chasing are regrouping with the main force and orders her to retreat; Ahsoka is in disbelief that her Master is telling her to run and is insistent on continuing; Anakin brings his gunship in front of her and orders her and her troops to get on.
Later, at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Anakin and Ahsoka are before the Council for the latter's lack of foresight. The Council sends Ahsoka to the Jedi Archives for guard duty, under Madame Jocasta Nu's eye. Jocasta tells Ahsoka that she has a specific duty to defend the Holocron Vault, where the Order keeps their collection of holocrons; only Council members are allowed in.
Elsewhere on Coruscant, Cad Bane is contacted by Darth Sidious, who hires him to steal a holocron from the Temple; Bane considers it suicide, as the Temple is well guarded; Sidious assures him that he will ensure that he will gain entrance; Bane demands in return a stealth ship with elite weapons, cloaking device and triple his usual pay. He then places a device in his helper droid, Todo 360, under the pretense of fixing a system crash. Also Bane installs a security chip into Todo, giving him access to all the temple security measures. His partner, Cato Parasitti, a Clawdite bounty hunter, then arrives. Bane tells her to take the form of Jedi Master Ord Enisence, whose corpse is in his room, to help him gain access to the vault.
At the Temple, during a briefing, Yoda senses a shift in the Force and determines that thieves will arrive at the Temple. Anakin and Obi-Wan inaccurately deduces that their enemies are after their transmission codes and go to secure their location. Meanwhile, Cato infiltrates the Temple disguised as Ord. However, she is barred by Ahsoka, who asks if "Ord" needs help; Cato tries waving her off but the Padawan's pestering results in her snapping at Ahsoka. She then gains access to the Temple's schematics, telling Bane and Todo where to get in. They get through the shielding and the fans, before coming up upon a laser grid. Anakin and Obi-Wan quickly catch on when the sensors begins a blackout.
Meanwhile, Jocasta approaches Cato as Master Ord at her console, asking why "Ord" is working when the Temple is on high alert; Cato responds by knocking her out and taking her appearance. She then returns to her work, telling Bane on how to disable the lasers, while Todo drew a hole into the ventilation system. Ahsoka soon notices and engages Cato in a lightsaber duel.
Because of her preoccupation, Bane detonates a small charge by the grid, as the Jedi follow Todo's trail. The droid soon arrives in the communication center, at which time a beeping is heard from him. Mace Windu quickly realizes that there is a bomb inside him and Force-pushes him into the vent as he explodes; Anakin and Obi-Wan get away just in time. Ahsoka then contacts them, having learned from Cato that Bane is after the Vault. However, Bane had completed his objective and sneaked out of the Temple with a holocron, disguising himself with a Jedi robe. However, Cato gives one more clue: Bolla Ropal. Windu realizes that Bane is after the missing Jedi who is the keeper of the Kyber crystal, that with the holocron could crack the data on the crystal, which contains information, listing all the Force-sensitive children in the galaxy; the future of the Jedi Order. Obi-Wan stays on Coruscant to search for Bane while Anakin and Ahsoka track down Ropal in the Devaron system.
The Jedi Temple Archives feature on The Complete Season Two Blu-ray includes the deleted scenes "Todo Decoding Jedi Temple Shield," "Jedi Temple on High Alert" and "Bane Giving Todo Orders."
The music in the opening fight on Felucia is the edited score of Battle of Christophsis, first heard in The Clone Wars: Season One, Episode 16 "The Hidden Enemy."
In chronological order this story arc marks the first appearance of bounty hunter Cad Bane.