In the early stages of the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Master belonging to the Jedi High Council, embarked on a mission to Cato Neimoidia. His objective was to uncover the reason behind the Cadesura disaster that occurred on the planet of Cato Neimoidia, situated within the Colonies region of the galaxy. Anakin Skywalker, his former Padawan who had recently attained the rank of Jedi Knight, joined him against orders, arriving to assist Kenobi, and these two Jedi found themselves entangled in a perilous situation where Kenobi almost lost his life. During this assignment, Kenobi encountered Asajj Ventress for the first time, a Dark Acolyte and the Sith apprentice of Count Dooku, the leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Skywalker viewed this as just one of many times he had rescued his old master, a sentiment Kenobi did not share.
The year 22 BBY saw the political crisis within the Galactic Republic escalate into a full-blown war, triggered by thousands of star systems attempting to secede and form the Confederacy of Independent Systems. This conflict began with the First Battle of Geonosis, marking the commencement of the Clone Wars. Despite Viceroy Nute Gunray, the head of the Trade Federation and a member of the Executive Separatist Council, the Federation officially declared its neutrality in the war. They claimed that Gunray was an extremist whose views no longer represented the organization. Consequently, Cato Neimoidia, a planet in the [Colonies](/article/colonies] region and home to the Federation's headquarters, was also considered neutral.
A few weeks following the war's outbreak, a bombing occurred in Zarra, the capital city of Cato Neimoidia, resulting in substantial destruction and numerous deaths. This event threatened the planet's neutral status, prompting both the Republic and the Confederacy to dispatch representatives to investigate. The Republic's envoy was Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Master, while Count Dooku, the fallen Jedi who became a [Sith Lord](/article/sith_lord] and publicly led the Separatists, sent his apprentice, the assassin Asajj Ventress.
Upon his arrival on Cato Neimoidia, Kenobi was greeted by Minister Alluv Eyam. He also encountered Ventress, who made a spectacle of scrutinizing him for concealed recording devices. She showed interest in an intricately designed scanning device that Kenobi had received as a gift from a friend. Ventress, feigning unfamiliarity with Jedi, claimed that Dooku had spoken highly of the Jedi Order. While Kenobi's belongings were being transported to his assigned lodgings, the Neimoidians escorted him and Ventress on a brief tour of Zarra.
During this tour, Kenobi attempted to discern Ventress's character and motivations by questioning her, but she skillfully evaded his inquiries. However, Kenobi was intrigued when the Dark Acolyte inadvertently referred to Dooku as "Master," leading him to wonder if this was a reference to the Separatist hierarchy or something more profound. Following the tour, the visitors were taken to the site of the explosion, where an inspector showed Kenobi and Ventress the extent of the damage, detailing the casualties and survivors. Ventress noticed something and requested the shuttle to halt, pointing out six distinct blast marks to Kenobi, suggesting a premeditated attack. Kenobi's experience with the clone troopers of the Republic Military led him to believe that the attack resembled a military operation, a point Ventress directly questioned him about. As Ventress pondered what they might uncover in other areas, Kenobi diplomatically suggested the need for further investigation.
Eyam stated his intention to show them the surface-level damage, which Kenobi agreed to, requesting to see as much of the destruction as possible to aid his investigation. Kenobi also proposed to Ventress that they might find common ground between their respective governments, to which Ventress responded that such a possibility might exist if he could persuade her.
As the mission progressed, Kenobi formed a partnership with Ruug Quarnom, a Neimoidian Royal Guardswoman. Anakin Skywalker, a [Jedi Knight](/article/jedi_knight] and Kenobi's recently promoted former Padawan, defied orders by traveling to Cato Neimoidia, accompanied by Mill Alibeth, a promising but conflicted Jedi youngling, and the astromech droid R2-D2. These Jedi became embroiled in a hazardous incident that nearly resulted in Kenobi's demise, although Skywalker claimed to have saved him. In the Grand Theatre of Judgment, Kenobi revealed his concealed lightsaber when surrounded by Neimoidian guards, only for Skywalker to rush in, surprising Kenobi. Skywalker helped deflect blaster fire but also interfered with Kenobi's blade before Kenobi could act himself. Subsequently, Skywalker and Ventress engaged in combat, with Ventress revealing her prior knowledge of him.
The Cato Neimoidian government's attempts to maintain neutrality ultimately proved unsuccessful. The planet eventually fell under Separatist control, prompting the Republic to launch a conquest of Cato Neimoidia. The world remained a battleground afterward, with Skywalker, accompanied by his apprentice Ahsoka Tano and his 501st Legion, returning to the planet when the Separatists attempted to reclaim Cato Neimoidia. The Separatist victory led to another Battle of Cato Neimoidia during the Outer Rim Sieges.
By 19 BBY, the Clone Wars' final year, Skywalker believed he had saved Kenobi's life on at least nine other occasions, including during the Battle of Coruscant. Following that battle, Skywalker mentioned to Kenobi that he had saved him ten times, but Kenobi corrected him, stating it was nine and insisting that the events on Cato Neimoidia did not count.
The mission to Cato Neimoidia was first alluded to, though indirectly, in the 2005 film Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. It was first depicted in the 2022 novel Brotherhood, authored by [Mike Chen](/article/mike_chen_(author)].
Within the Star Wars Legends continuity, the event was portrayed as the Battle of Cato Neimoidia in the 2005 novel Labyrinth of Evil, penned by James Luceno and set immediately before the events of Revenge of the Sith. A 2021 booklet titled "Anakin Skywalker," part of the Star Wars Encyclopedia series published by De Agostini, provided a description of Kenobi and Skywalker's mission that roughly aligned with the Legends depiction. It stated that they embarked on the mission shortly before the Battle of Yerbana, which occurred just prior to the Battle of Coruscant that opens Revenge of the Sith. Chen has stated that fans can continue to believe the events of Labyrinth of Evil represent the 'business' mentioned in Revenge of the Sith because his book does not contradict it.