A brief battle transpired on the planet of Carlac involving R2-D2, Lux Bonteri, and Ahsoka Tano, pitted against Pre Vizsla's Death Watch warriors. Following the disruption of the Confederate–Republic peace conference by Bonteri, Tano, R2-D2, and Bonteri found themselves on Carlac. Bonteri had managed to acquire the whereabouts of Count Dooku through the use of a holotrace device. Initially seeking vengeance against Dooku for the demise of his mother, Mina Bonteri, Bonteri's perspective shifted as the skirmish unfolded, revealing that the Death Watch were not the allies he had envisioned. Under Vizsla's leadership, the Death Watch warriors initiated the destruction of Ming Po Town through arson. Tano was captured while attempting to stop the carnage, but she eventually managed to escape alongside R2-D2 and Bonteri.
The Mandalorian terrorist organization known as Death Watch was formed as an opposition to Duchess Satine Kryze's New Mandalorians and their doctrine of pacifism. Under the command of Pre Vizsla, fueled by his discontent with the Duchess and her government's abandonment of [Mandalore]'s (/article/mandalore) ancient warrior traditions, Death Watch entered into an alliance with Count Dooku and his Confederacy of Independent Systems. Nevertheless, their planned coup ultimately failed, leading to a confrontation between Vizsla and the Count. According to Death Watch's version of events, Dooku betrayed them, resulting in the dissolution of the Confederate-Mandalorian alliance. During their encounter, Dooku used his lightsaber to scar Vizsla. Death Watch then transitioned into a nomadic group of outlaws, experiencing a decline in military discipline from the army they once were, transforming them into a band of ruthless criminals.
Death Watch eventually secured a refuge on the Outer Rim world of Carlac, establishing a temporary base in close proximity to Ming Po Town. The Mandalorians proceeded to raid this vulnerable village, seizing food and abducting the town's women to serve as servants. Death Watch also maintained a small contingent of droids, including some reassembled battle droids, which they used for target practice. With their alliance with the Separatists terminated, Death Watch formulated plans to assassinate Dooku. In pursuit of this objective, they established contact with Lux Bonteri, who shared their desire to eliminate Dooku; Bonteri, the son of Separatist Senator Mina Bonteri, whose mother and Padmé Amidala, a close friend and Republic senator, endeavored to promote peace between their warring governments. During that time, Lux also met and befriended Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano, eventually developing some romantic feelings for her.
However, the peace initiative was unsuccessful due to the bombing of Coruscant's central power distribution grid, leading Dooku to instruct his agents to assassinate Mina. Initially assuming his mother's role in the Separatist Senate, Lux later discovered Dooku's involvement in his mother's death and vowed to avenge her. Believing Death Watch to be a respectable organization, he allied with them and devised a plan to pinpoint Dooku's current location using a holotrace device. With Dooku's location, Bonteri hoped that the Mandalorians would be able to kill the Separatist Head of State to avenge his mother's death.
In an attempt to capture the Count's attention, Bonteri journeyed to Mandalore to disrupt the inaugural Confederate–Republic peace conference. Upon entering the proceedings, Bonteri surprised the attendees, including Amidala and Tano, by declaring that Dooku had murdered his mother. The Confederate representatives dismissed his claims and ordered his arrest by two BX-series droid commandos. Secretly followed by Tano, Bonteri was escorted aboard a C-9969 landing craft and brought before Dooku's hologram, where he reiterated his accusation and secretly activated his holotrace device to pinpoint the count's location. Dooku, ordering the droids to eliminate Bonteri, deactivated his hologram just before Tano entered the room, as Bonteri had anticipated. The Jedi Padawan swiftly defeated both droids and summoned R2-D2 to prepare their starship for departure. Fleeing from the landing craft, Tano and Bonteri were pursued through the corridors of Sundari until they reached a Republic GX1 short hauler designated the Phoenix, enabling the pair to escape while their droid pursuers were delayed by Captain Taggart's Senate Commandos.
The Separatist-Republic peace negotiations effectively broke down around the same time. Rejoining R2-D2 aboard the ship, Tano intended to head for Coruscant, where her master Anakin Skywalker, communicating via hologram, confirmed they could discuss granting Bonteri amnesty. With the intention of reaching Carlac, Bonteri brandished a small blaster at Tano after Skywalker's hologram disappeared, although the Padawan quickly disarmed the inexperienced fighter. Declaring that he was no longer a Separatist but would not join the Republic, which he blamed for not helping his mother, Bonteri revealed that he had made contact with a like-minded group on Carlac. Ignoring Tano's warning that his crusade would lead to his own demise, Bonteri stunned the distracted Tano with a small device he was carrying. When R2 entered, Bonteri claimed she needed sleep and took control of the ship, jumping into hyperspace to reach Carlac.
Bonteri also took Tano's lightsabers and hid them, but Tano woke up sometime after landing. She told R2-D2 to find them, but after going to outside to question Bonteri Death Watch forces appeared. Tano recognized the group and Bonteri told Bo-Katan Kryze he had the information. When questioned, Tano claimed to be Bonteri's betrothed. R2 came off the ship having found Tano's lightsaber, but she silently gestured to the droid to hide them from view. The Bonteri, Tano, and R2 arrived to the camp with the Death Watch soldiers, and as they entered various Death Watch soldiers blasted at captured droids, which frightened R2. Tano and Bonteri were brought inside to part of the camp.