The fourteenth episode of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television show's Season One is titled "Defenders of Peace". As the series' fourteenth episode overall, it served as the conclusion to a two-part narrative arc that began in the preceding episode, "Jedi Crash."
Following Anakin's recovery from injuries sustained during the Battle of Quell, Rex observes a Separatist dropship landing close to the Lurmen settlement. Tee Watt Kaa approaches the newcomers, while the Jedi discreetly depart to prevent the Lurmen from suffering repercussions due to their presence. The Separatist leader, Lok Durd, asserts his "protection" over the Lurmen, instructing his forces to pillage the village to establish his "new colony." The Jedi, Rex, and Bly withdraw into the dense vegetation; Wag Too dispatches his companion Tub to monitor their exit from the planet.
Within the tall grass, the Jedi and clones regroup and deliberate on the Lurmen's deeply held beliefs. Regrettably, a scout droid overhears their conversation and speeds off to relay the information to the Separatist base. However, after a prolonged pursuit, Aayla manages to intercept and destroy the droid. Intrigued by its destination, they ascend a massive tree and discover a recently constructed, heavily fortified Separatist communications hub. Anakin notices a shuttle, but the base's defenses are too strong. Furthermore, they witness the Separatists deploying some kind of artillery, prompting Rex and Bly to investigate further.
Lok informs his droids about his creation of a defoliator, designed to eradicate organic life while leaving inorganic materials unscathed. During a test firing of the weapon, the droids assigned to the trial remain intact, but the surrounding vegetation is decimated over a wide area, nearly harming Rex and Bly in the process. Lok proclaims the test a success, but Count Dooku, communicating with Lok via hologram, advises testing the defoliator on living beings, such as the Lurmen.
Anticipating the Separatists' intentions, Anakin informs the group that they will infiltrate the communications station, seize the shuttle, and subsequently return to aid the Lurmen. Ahsoka reminds Anakin that Tee Watt Kaa explicitly rejected their assistance; Anakin rationalizes that there is a distinction between involving innocents in a conflict and allowing them to face complete annihilation. Nearby, Tub instructs a carrier butterfly to deliver a message to Wag Too about the Separatists' presence. As darkness descends, the Jedi and clones infiltrate the base, eliminating any battle droids encountered along the way. Rex, Bly, and Anakin neutralize three droids within a Separatist command center, one of which was requesting a report from 4724. Eventually, the group commandeers the shuttle and two shield generators, returning to the Lurmen village to warn them of the impending assault. Despite Wag Too's pleas for self-defense, Tee Watt Kaa remains steadfast in his refusal to fight, clinging to his people's pacifist beliefs even at the cost of their lives.
The Jedi and clones utilize enormous pods to construct a barricade surrounding the village and deploy the shield generators, despite Tee Watt Kaa's persistent objections. A defoliator projectile is launched at the village, but the shield effectively protects it, compelling Lok to deploy his battle droids. The Jedi and clones then confront their adversaries outside the village. They successfully repel the initial assault, but the second and third waves of droids breach the shield and destroy the generators. Defying his father's wishes, Wag Too and his companions engage the droids, toppling them over to be destroyed. Meanwhile, Anakin dismantles the defoliator cannon and uses the Force to capture Lok.
As Anakin and his team prepare to depart, Wag Too and Tee Watt Kaa express their gratitude. However, the elder Lurmen questions, "I still wonder, at what cost?" as the Resolute and two other Republic cruisers materialize in the sky.
In a subsequent shot after Aayla destroys the probe droid, the bandage previously visible on Rex's arm vanishes, replaced by the armor piece that he does not wear for the rest of the episode due to the injury.
When Rex informs Anakin that the Separatists will arrive in eight minutes, the pod barrier erected by the Jedi is depicted as complete. However, in the subsequent scene, when Lok Durd and his battle droid commander survey the village from afar, Aayla and Ahsoka are still in the process of constructing the barrier, as observed through macrobinoculars.