“Identity Crisis”

The child
The episode opens in a marketplace. A Tarlafar mother, Ailish, rests her Force-sensitive infant Bayrn on a stool while shopping for flowers. Bayrn plays with a Tooka doll, which he throws near a vase. While Bayrn attempts to retrieve its doll, an Aqualish haggles with a masked merchant. They are interrupted by a fallen vase. When the merchant asks who threw that, an Arcona blames the toddler. Ailish comforts her child and scurries away while the Aqualish questions whether the toddler threw the vase. The Arcona insists that he saw the child throw the vase.

As Ailish carries her child away, the Arcona says the child is strange and gifted. Another villager warns that such chatter could bring trouble and the two scatter. The Aqualish remains behind and enters a building. He speaks into an intercom, seeking a class one bounty hunter, and he reports the child to the bounty hunter.

Karr’s promotion
Meanwhile, at Tantiss Base, Dr Royce Hemlock exits the Tantiss vault to meet with Emerie Karr and Scorch. Karr reports that progress in the laboratory has stalled since Nala Se’s capture. Hemlock says that Se cannot be trusted anymore. Karr asks if he trusts her since she has worked by his side for years. She says that she can help with the right clearance so Hemlock reluctantly appoints Karr as Chief Medical Scientist and updates her about Project Necromancer.

Hemlock leads Karr through a corridor to the Vault, guarded by several Clone commandos. As they pass through a row of infrared scanners and more Clone commandos, he explains that the specimens inside are vital to Project Necromancer and must be handled with the utmost care. She encounters three Force-sensitive alien younglings inside a circular chamber, including a red Iktotchi, a green Mirialan, and a blue Pantoran, who all have high M-counts. When Karr asks why they are testing on children rather than adults, Hemlock explains that few Force-sensitive adults are left and that children are easier to manage.

Another human scientist escorts the Iktotchi into a room where a medical droid extracts a blood sample from the child. Hemlock explains that M-count cannot be directly replicated from the source. However, Nala Se knew about another way and thus helped Omega escape. He says that Omega’s blood is the only binder compatible with their DNA to recreate their M-count levels. He says that it is imperative that Omega is found and that they be prepared for the scenario in which she is recovered.

While Hemlock speaks with Scorch, Karr speaks with the Iktotchi child, who likes her glasses. When Karr asks what her name is, Hemlock orders her to limit her interactions with the children, whom he regards as scientific specimens. As Hemlock exits the chamber, he keys something into the datapad. The Mirialan child watches with interest.

The kidnapping
Back on the unknown planet, Ailish plays with her child while feeding him. When she hears footsteps approaching the door, she places the child on a sofa with the doll while she fetches a shovel. The Duros bounty hunter, Cad Bane, stuns the mother with his blaster. With Ailish unconscious, Bane orders Todo 360 to bring a machine to test the child’s M-count. He extracts a blood sample from the child and hands it over to Bane, who places the sample inside a machine that glows green.

Todo places the child inside a floating cradle. The child cries until Todo reunites him with his Tooka doll. The two then depart, leaving the unconscious mother behind. Before leaving, Bane pays the Aqualish informant a pittance, prompting some grumbling.

Jax’s escape attempt
Elsewhere on Tantiss Base, Dr Karr oversees a droid collecting a blood sample from the Iktotchi child, who greets Karr. When Karr addresses the child as SP-54, the Iktotchi introduces herself as Eva and asks her name. Karr introduces herself as Dr Karr. When Eva asks about Mistress Nala Se, Karr responds that she no longer oversees this project. When Eva asks why, Karr says that is not her concern. Eva says that Nala Se promised to find out when she is going home and asks Dr Karr if she can find out for her. Karr says she will look into it.

Karr then attends to the Mirialan child, who is named SP-32. While Karr is distracted with the datapad, SP-32 dodges the medical droid and grabs Karr’s datapad. He runs out of the lab. Officials stationed in the upper tier placed the vault into lockdown. The Mirialan attempts to unlock the door with the datapad, but the controls don’t work. Karr and two medical droids corner SP-32. She tries to calm him down, but SP-32 is determined to escape and says that is not his name. He says that he was told he could go home.

Three clone commandos, including Commander Scorch, enter the vault with their blasters set to stun. Karr says that such force is not necessary. The Mirialan spots a door and attempts to flee but is stunned by Scorch. Two Clone commandos carry SP-32 to his room. Karr criticizes Scorch’s actions as extreme. The commander responds that SP-32 was trying to escape and that he was complying with protocol. While two medical droids attend to SP-32 and extract a blood sample, Eva asks Karr if Jax is alright.

Karr reassures Eva that Jax will be fine. When Eva asks if Jax is in trouble, she says that he is not in trouble and that she can see him tomorrow. While looking over Eva and the Pantoran, Karr looks visibly uncomfortable.

Speaking with Nala Se
Later, Karr visits Nala Se in her cell, seeking questions about the Tantiss vault. Nala Se realizes that Karr has assumed her role. When Karr asks about the children, Nala Se says that the Galactic Empire will keep them to control them. Nala Se agrees that the children do not belong on Tantiss Base but says she had no choice. Nala Se said that she had to protect Omega. When Karr asks about the other children, Nala Se replies that she did what she could and tells Karr they will look to her. She asks Emerie about what she would do.

When Karr says she cannot do anything, Nala Se asks her to reconsider. Karr exits the cell and encounters Dr Hemlock in the corridor. Hemlock informs her that Commander Scorch will depart to pick up a new specimen. Aware of Jax’s escape attempt, Hemlock reassures Karr that the latest acquisition will not be a danger to her. Karr accompanies Scorch to ensure that the specimens are “handled carefully.” Hemlock is initially reluctant, but relents after a stormtrooper inform him that Governor Wilhuff Tarkin requested the Doctor to contact him again.

Hemlock’s challenges
In his office, Hemlock speaks via holoprojector with Tarkin, who informs him of growing concerns about the impact that the Tantiss facility is having on Imperial resources after being asked for the reason for this new summons and asks why additional funds have been diverted to the Tantiss facility so Hemlock says the additional funds is for a project that is of personal interest to Emperor Palpatine. When Tarkin inquires about the project, Hemlock says this is classified. With Hemlock being evasive by claiming the additional funds were what’s required and worth being spent but not some personal assistance from the Governor when he offers it after seeing the project was of such importance to his mentor, Tarkin corners the Chief Scientist by discreetly warning him that he better hope so because if the project fails to wield Emperor Palpatine’s proper results, it will not be a good omen for the Imperial cloning program and himself.

Heeding Governor Tarkin’s discreet warning that the Imperial Cloning Program and his life are at risk if Project Necromancer’s goal is not accomplished, Hemlock contacts the Clone assassin CX-2, who has recently tracked down and interrogated the Trandoshan broker Cid. Cid has given up the name of the pirate Omega has been associating with. Though Hemlock warns the other operatives that they are not ready, CX-2 insists he can handle the matter independently. Hemlock reminds him of his past failure and warns him not to return without Omega.

Servant of the Empire
Emerie Karr, Commander Scorch, and a detachment of stormtroopers travel to a space station above Coruscant to rendezvous with Cad Bane. When Bane remarks that Karr is not the usual Imperial he deals with, Karr says she is here to examine the specimen and that nothing else is his concern. Todo 360 brings out the feline toddler in a floating cradle. While Karr tests the child, a stormtrooper pays Bane. When Karr asks Bane how many Force-sensitive individuals he has captured, Bane replies that he is good at his job. Karr’s test kit confirms the child is Force-sensitive. When Karr asks where the child came from, Bane is evasive. Bane and Todo depart on their ship while Karr takes the toddler into custody.

On Tantiss, the medical droid collects another blood sample from the child and tells Karr that the child is acclimating well. When Karr asks about SP-32, the droid says that the subject has been placed into solitary confinement for two rotations as punishment. Karr attends to a sullen Eva, who says that Karr lied about Jax not being punished. Eva says that they all want to go home.

Karr later compares the children’s blood samples with Omega in Nala Se’s laboratory. She also finds Omega’s tooka doll. As a consolation, she gives the tooka doll to Eva. Karr watches anxiously from the upper tier.