Crossbow Lesson and a New Mission

On the planet Ord Mantell, a humanoid citizen enters Cid’s bar while Omega is practicing with a Zygerrian crossbow. Omega’s bolt brushes past the patron, causing her to flee. With Echo’s encouragement, Omega fires another shot at an old gambling machine. She hits the target this time to the cheers of two Ithorian and Weequay patrons. Echo tells her to continue practicing but Omega says that she has gotten three out of 12. Echo responds that is luck rather than skill, adding that soldiers need to be consistent.

Omega fires a second shot but misses. When the Weequay laughs, Omega grumbles that she was doing better until the two showed up. Echo advises her to filter out distractions, which comes with practice. She fires again but misses. Wrecker comments to Hunter that she is not a natural. Cid tells the Bad Batch that they need to talk and ushers out the Ithorian and Weequay.

Cid asks if they are familiar with a Separatist Tactical droid. When Tech interjects that they were the operational brains of the Separatist military, Cid reasserts her authority. Since tactical droid intelligence has tremendous value, she tasks the clones with infiltrating a decommissioning facility on Corellia and retrieving one before they are all destroyed.

When Hunter tells her that they haven’t decided whether they will work for her yet, Cid proposes a “mutually beneficial arrangement” in which both sides make money and she has their back. She says that with the heat on them, it’s the best option they have got. Hunter sighs and agrees to commit the Bad Batch. Cid reiterates that she told them they are in. She also tells Omega to build her strength up and demonstrates how to fire the laser crossbow effectively. Cid then hands the crossbow back to Omega.

The Corellian Job

The Bad Batch travel to Corellia aboard the Havoc Marauder, which hitches a ride on a Class four container transport. When Echo remarks this is an old trick, Tech responds that it gets them past the planetary sensors every time. Omega asks why is a tactical droid more important than the other droids. Echo replies that the more the tactical droids fought, the more they learned and won. Wrecker quips except against us.

Tech remarks now that the clones are serving the Galactic Empire, knowing how to defeat them just went up in value. Echo says they are approaching the decommissioning site and tells them to land at the industrial dockyard and go in on foot. Tech detaches from the container transport and lands in the dockyard under the cover of night.

The Clones disembark and enter Coronet City’s industrial district. They avoid two patrolling police droids. When Hunter says that Cid did not mention the droids, Tech observes that they are operating on a rotating quadrant and advises the group to take advantage of a loophole in their rotation. Tech leads them up a long ladder which leads to a small door.

Inside the decommissioning plant, a conveyer belt drops droid bodies down a large smelter. The factory has several workers who are fully covered in masks and suits. While exiting a doorway, Wrecker knocks out a worker and hides him. The gang navigate through a walkway. Hunter tells Echo and Tech that they will locate and retrieve the droid and tasks Wrecker with covering them from above. Wrecker grumbles that was Crosshair’s job but Hunter responds that was not a request. Omega asks what she should do but Hunter tells her to stay here and keep watch.

While the Clones move into position, she keeps watch in the walkway with a pair of macrobinoculars. She watches the clones climb up different staircases to different platforms. Descending down a flight of stairs, Hunter stuns a pair of workers working at a control panel. Hunter keeps a lookout while Echo inserts his cybernetic tool arm into the control panel. Echo finds that only one tactical droid is listed in the computer system and that the rest have been destroyed. Hunter says they have one shot at this and tells them they have to get it right.

Martez Entanglements

Echo says that the droid was offloaded in the northern conveyor. Meanwhile, Omega spots the tactical droid on a conveyor belt but its head has been separated. However, another figure steals the tactical droid’s head. Despite Hunter’s orders to stay out of sight, Omega tries to intervene but is blocked by a second figure, who tells her she doesn’t think so. Omega aims her crossbow at her but the figure removes her helmet, revealing herself as Rafa Martez. She says that she doesn’t want to hurt her but that she can’t have a kid getting in the way.

Just then, Rafa’s sister Trace Martez contacts her by comlink, saying that she has gotten the target and asking where she is. Omega tells her not to answer that and prepares to draw her crossbow. Trace asks Rafa what is taking her so long as she descends down a flight of stairs. Trace runs into the other clones who hold her at gunpoint. Sensing that Omega is inexperienced with the crossbow, Rafa tries to sweet-talk her but then grabs the crossbow, causing Omega to fire a bolt which hits one of the vents and releases gas. Omega’s laser crossbow is lost.

A worker spots the clones and reports a security breach. The workers flee behind a blast door while alarms ring. The Clones and the Martez sisters soon find themselves trapped inside the factory. Several police droids armed with blasters file into the factor. Rafa tells Omega to grab a weapon but Omega points out that she had one. From above, Wrecker mows down three security droids. Rafa takes the opportunity to flee.

Meanwhile, the other clones exchange fire with the police droids, using the spiral staircase around the control console as their stronghold. Omega pursues Rafa despite Hunter telling her that they already have the droid head. However, Trace takes the opportunity to flee. Trace tells Rafa that she has gotten the droid head and to meet them at the rendezvous. Hunter tasks the other clones with getting the lockdown lifted while he gets the droid’s head.

Trace manages to throw the tactical droid’s head to Rafa before Hunter can catch her. However, Rafa bumps into a police droid, causing her to drop the head onto a conveyor belt. Omega and Trace race for the head while Hunter shoots down a police droid that was approaching him and Rafa. When Rafa tells him not to expect any gratitude, Hunter asks if he should have let the droid shoot her. He shoots two more police droids converging on them.

Race for the Tactical Droid Head

Trace runs through the conveyor belt to retrieve the tactical droid’s head. Omega slides down a chute, somersaults and grabs the droid head before Trace can reach it. While Tech exchanges fire with a group of armed police droids, Echo attempts to release the doors with his droid arms. However, he causes the entire system to short-circuit. Echo responds he had to override the lockdown and calls for Wrecker to join them at the main control panel. Wrecker tries to join them but finds that the walkway has been retracted. Echo tells him to figure it out. Wrecker responds that it is easy for him to say as he gazes down at the burning smelter below.

Despite his fears and grumbles, Wrecker takes a leap and jumps onto a mechanical grabber, which he uses to swing across the platform. Wrecker bumps his head on a lever. Tech asks what he is waiting for and Wrecker pulls the lever and reactivates the conveyer belt. Meanwhile, Omega gets her leg trapped under a droid part. Trace snatches the tactical droid head and runs while Omega struggles. As Tech and Echo exchange fire with a police droid, Wrecker contorts in pain. Wrecker is shot down by two police droids and collapses onto the floor while shouting “good soldiers.”

Hunter and Rafa are cornered by several converging police droids and they take cover When Hunter asks why she is interested in a tactical droid head, she replies that it is not his business. Hunter disagrees. As the fighting continues, Trace climbs down a ladder and tells Rafa that she has gotten the target and to meet her at the north exit. Rafa replies that she is a little busy right now. Trace heads towards an elevator but hears Omega struggling to free herself on the conveyer belt. As the conveyer belt nears the smelter, Omega cries for help on her comlink.

Hunter replies that he is on his way before firing a grappling hook around the support posts. He then attaches the other end of the grappling hook onto a conveyer belt, intending to bring down the structure. This jams the conveyer belt and also brings down the walkway, crushing and scattering several of the police droids. Rafa falls off but lands on the conveyer belt. Hunter rushes towards the end of the conveyer belt where Omega is trapped. Rafa grumbles before joining Hunter.

Omega falls off the conveyer belt onto a second conveyer belt carrying droid parts. Trace calls out to Omega and extends her hand. Since Omega is not tall enough to reach Trace, Trace tells her to grab onto something. Omega finds an old B2-series super battle droid’s leg and uses it as a lever for Trace to pull her up. Three police droids approach Trace and Omega but Hunter shoots them down before helping Trace to pull Omega out. Hunter reluctantly thanks Trace who says that he is welcome.

Behind Enemy Lines

Just then, Rafa drops down in front of them but says she is find. After shooting another police droid, she tells Hunter that the tactical droid belongs to them. Hunter says they can debate later but they have to work together to get out. Rafa reluctantly agrees. While Tech and Echo reunite with Hunter, Omega and the Martez sisters, a wounded Wrecker struggles to get up, while hearing flashbacks of Tech and Crosshair telling him that a good soldier never gives up.

Hunter warns the others that more police droids are headed their way. Trace and Rafa say that they need a diversion. When Trace asks if there is an echo in here, Echo identifies himself. Trace tells Echo that they need a diversion and that Omega can help with that. Trace uses a tool to tinker with the tactical droids, explaining that they can reactivate the decommissioned battle droids. When Hunter warns that reactivating the clankers is dangerous, Trace says not if they are controlling them. Tech agrees this is an excellent idea.

However, the tactical droid’s signal is too weak to transmit. Tech boosts the signal with a power bank and a data rod. While Tech reprograms the tactical droid, Omega radios to Wrecker, telling him that they need his help. Wrecker climbs to his feet. Rafa is skeptical of her sister’s plan but Trace says they need more time. As more police droids converge on the clones and Martez sisters, Wrecker jumps down and takes out several battle droids. He is lively and humorous. Rafa admits she likes Wrecker’s personality.

As Wrecker fights a second wave of droids, Tech finishes programing the tactical droid’s head. Trace commands the droid to activate all battle droids to attack the police droids. The deactivated battle droids emerge from the conveyer belts and cranes to attack the police droids. The clones and Martez sisters take advantage of the gunfight to flee the decommissioning plant. Trace radios R7 for a pickup and Omega retrieves her laser crossbow.

From Foes to Allies

They run into more police droids who open fire on them. Trace drops the tactical droid head, destroying it. Omega uses her crossbow to take out more. As the battle droids mow down the police droids, the clones and Martez sisters flee aboard the Martez sisters’ ship Silver Angel. While R7 pilots the ship, Trace grumbles about not being able to retrieve the tactical droid head. Omega says that Cid’s buyer is not going to be happy.

Rafa asks the clones if they did not know who they were giving the information on the tactical droid’s head to. Hunter says they are being paid to acquire and deliver, and not ask questions. Trace says that their contact is part of a rebel movement fighting against the Empire to help people and make things better. When Rafa asks why the clones are not fighting for the Empire, Hunter says that not all clones fight for the Empire, adding that they are different. Rafa says she has heard that before.

Later, the Martez sisters drop the Bad Batch and Omega near the Havoc Marauder. Omega invites the sisters to visit them on Ord Mantell. When Trace points out that part of Ord Mantell is seedy, Omega confirms this is the case. Rafa encourages her to practice with the crossbow. After Omega leaves, Hunter passes Rafa a data rod containing the intelligence from the tactical droid before it was destroyed. When Rafa asks why he is giving it to them, Hunter replies that they are doing it for the right reason.

When Rafa remarks that the clones are different, Hunter replies that things were clearer during the Clone Wars. Rafa advises that in the end they all take sides. As the Silver Angel takes off, Omega waves to Rafa. Omega and Hunter depart aboard the Havoc Marauder.

Aboard the Silver Angel, Rafa gets R7 to establish a hologram transmission. Rafa tells the unidentified individual they managed to obtain the intelligence from the tactical droid on Corellia with the help of a squad of rogue clones. She adds that she knows where to find them but that the unidentified person might want to know.