A minor battle, or skirmish, occurred on the planet Orto Norwe during the period known as the Clone Wars.
Following the conclusion of the Massacre in Yellowblade's Landing, Maul and Savage proceeded toward the Scourge's established base located on Orto Norwe. Within this base, they uncovered a concealed prison that held several wampas, along with a female who was Esano's sister. She pledged to the two Sith that they would receive a substantial reward if they rescued her from the clutches of the Scourge. However, before they could journey to Pleem's Nexus, the location of her brother, Esano, a Jedi strike team, which had traveled to Orto Norwe, arrived at the location of the old mining camp.
Upon the arrival of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his team within the confines of the former base, they encountered Maul and Savage seemingly holding Esano's sister as a hostage. Reacting to the arrival of the strike team, Maul released the imprisoned wampas that were contained within the base, using them as a diversion to facilitate their escape from the Jedi. The wampas caught the strike team off guard, resulting in the deaths of at least two clone troopers. However, the Jedi demonstrated their ability to handle the rampaging creatures with relative ease, particularly Bruu Jun-Fan, who successfully subdued one of them without the use of any weapons. This was not the case for Maul and his brother.
As Maul and his brother attempted to flee to the hangar, accompanied by Esano's sister, they were intercepted by Jedi Masters Grohto and Ko Solok, in addition to Tatsu. Solok was incapacitated by Maul, and Tatsu continued the engagement with the two Sith on his own. Shortly after challenging Savage, the enraged Dark Jedi severed his right hand, effectively disarming him. Savage nearly killed the Pantoran boy, but Maul intervened and instructed his brother to proceed to the shuttle in preparation for their departure. Obi-Wan advanced to confront Maul, but Maul halted Obi-Wan's progress by employing the Force to choke him.
With Plo Koon, Jun-Fan, and the clone soldiers occupied with the rampaging wampas on the upper level, only Grohto was able to intervene in the confrontation with Maul. Grohto saved Kenobi's life by disrupting Maul's concentration, but he paid the ultimate price for his act of heroism as he was killed by Maul, who used Esano's sister as a shield. Due to the Jedi's code of conduct, Grohto could not kill her to eliminate Maul. It was at this moment that Grohto was killed by Maul, who impaled him through the chest with a lightsaber. Koon and the others eventually reached the hangar, but Maul had already made his escape.
The intended destination of the two Sith following the skirmish remained unknown. However, Plo Koon's sharp eyes noticed that Esano's sister had inadvertently dropped her head band. Utilizing Bruu Jun-Fan's psychometric abilities, the Jedi were able to determine that they were en route to Pleem's Nexus. After mourning the loss of Grohto and at least two clone troopers, they decided that Tatsu should not continue the pursuit due to his injury (the loss of his right hand), and Obi-Wan should also remain behind due to his injuries.