Before The Finale

Before the Finale

With only 2 episodes remaining this season I bring you Bad Batch fans another theory.

It’s long, and not everyone is going to like it, but here it is:

Cut to TCW s7, ep 2: A Distant Echo

[Wrecker is eating and lifting Gonky noisily in the background] Rex: I know you work with Cody sometimes, but who do you guys report to? [Wrecker stops as Rex asks this] Hunter: Hmm… good question.  Can’t say I’ve got an answer. [as he speaks Hunter folds his arms across his chest. Defensively?] Wrecker: Yeah .

Is THAT what Cid knows?

What she’s holding over them?

Does she know who they’ve been working for all along and Hunter DOES NOT want that info to get out?

Have they always been the bad guys? The self named Bad Batch?

But most of them simply didn’t know it?

Bear with me here

In TBB ep 3 Lama Su refers to the Batch as being Kaminoan property. Why?

If the Republic have bought the clones then why are they considered Kaminoan property.

Or is it just them?

Do they report to the Kaminoans? Or more specifically, does Hunter report to them?

Doing whatever mission the long necks tell them to do, for whoever has paid to have their job done, while allowing them enough contact with the GAR to maintain their cover as special ops?

Cody is the only clone they’re referred to as having worked with before. It’d explain why Hunter maintains the whole ‘we don’t like ‘regs’ line if he/the Kams want to keep them distanced from them so that they don’t get chatting and give the game away. (No one else there has their own cosy little private barracks)

It’d explain why Hunter is so keen to keep his boys under his total control and not asking independent questions. Why he keeps them so reliant upon him.

It’d explain why they turned down the opportunity to receive medals for their part in Echo’s rescue. The boys have been well schooled in ‘not wanting that sort of thing’, regardless of the medals Hunter has hanging on his bunk wall, or the targets Crosshair has hung proudly for all to see his marksmanship skills. That sort of thing could draw the wrong sort of attention and might make someone look into their records.

And it’d explain why Cid has been able to blackmail them into working for her on such a shitty deal for so long, even after they’d paid the debt they owed her.

.

Not convinced?

Ok, let’s look at this angle then:

“Wireless communication uses electromagnetic radiation - radio waves and microwaves - to send information. Radio waves are essentially electromagnetic waves radiating from an antenna (like the antennas of a WiFi router). So, wireless communication is always broadcast. In other words, the signals from the WiFi routers can be heard by other WiFi devices tuned into the same radio frequency.”

So… if you know his frequency you can send a message to Hunter without anyone else knowing as long as he’s in range? And the range is ‘anywhere on the planet’

When they first meet Omega he seems confused by her, uninterested beyond the basic curiosity they all have. Omega asks to come to Onderon with the team and he brushes her off easily.

No sooner have the team departed:

Nala Se approaches Omega from behind.

Nala Se: Omega. Come along. I told you to stay close.

Nala Se turns and walks away, Omega follows.

.

Cut to the team on Onderon.

Crosshair has challenged Hunter over not following orders when Hunter whips out his blaster, fires right past Crosshair’s head and hits the probe droid watching them from the trees.

All the focus is on Crosshair at this point

The group approach the downed droid, Tech points out that it’s a probe droid, and Hunter suddenly looks up from the droid for no apparent reason

Hunter: Omega.

Hunter turns to walk back to the Marauder

Echo: What about her?

Hunter: She warned me about the mission. And Tarkin

She said not to return to Kamino, that it’s not safe for us anymore.

Wrecker: [grunts] Maybe she’s right.

Crosshair: We’re taking the word of a child now?

It’s an incredibly sudden change of mind that they go get Omega, and there’s no apparent reason for it.

But if you consider that the droid relayed a message only Hunter could pick up telling him to come back and get Omega, that it was important that she be kept out of Empire hands?

Well, that’s another matter entirely.

.

Hunter has been willing to drop everything to go after Omega when she was lost, or taken by bounty hunters, but he’s shown no sign of actually caring for her.

He could have trained her to use the energy bow, but that was left to Echo.

He could have provided her with a room of her own, but Wrecker did that.

She so painfully clearly wanted him to hold her and reassure her after they got her back from Bane, but he made no move to do that. He only responded after she threw herself at him bodily.

She’s a job. Nothing more.

Hunter only cares about Hunter.

.

We saw Nala Se override the door controls so that they could leave Kamino, but what else could she has been doing with that datapad before they left?

What final instructions could she have issued Hunter regarding protecting her little science project and keeping her safe until she needs her?

I’ve pointed out before that I think Hunter’s massive tattoo makes him look two-faced, and that this is reflected in his helmet’s paint job.

But it only struck me yesterday (and I don’t know how I failed to spot it before) but the design of his helmet (the eye shape, the grill) looks like a stormtrooper helmet. Certainly closer to one than any other team member.

And yes, it was the same design in the CW arc.

Hunter doesn’t strike me as someone who had to work for his place as team leader. He hasn’t shown the confidence in his decision making skills that I’d except to see in someone who had. My guess is that it was simply assigned to him from the moment they completed basic training, and it’s simply always been that way.

He likes it though, being in charge. He likes being the leader of the team with a 100% success rate. He likes to stand at the front, he always walks through doors first, and makes the most obvious statement with his physical appearance. Everything about him screams ‘look at me!’

.

So, what else is there?

Well, there’s whatever it is with Hunter and Crosshair.

Does Hunter suspect that Crosshair has worked out all by himself that something just isn’t right. That the jobs they’re doing just don’t add up to being loyal to the Republic?

Because Crosshair was questioning his authority back in the CW arc. It isn’t only since Order 66 kicked in.

Is that why he hasn’t given a shit about trying to get him back?

Because his life is easier without him getting underfoot?

Does Hunter fear that the Empire will have told Crosshair about his double dealing?

And have they? Or is that part yet to come?

.

What if Hunter told Tech to leave him there because he’s still following his primary order to keep Omega safe. Not yet knowing that Nala Se likely didn’t draw breath before heading to Rampart’s office and selling her own people out to the Empire so that she could find good favour with them and carry on her work without Lama Su getting in her way.

After all the shit she pulled in the Fives arc I wouldn’t put anything past her!

Hunter promised Omega she’d never go back to Kamino, he didn’t say that that was because he’d end up luring her to the Empire instead.

Because she’ll want to go with Hunter, because it’s him. If he calls to her, she’ll go without hesitation. She’s started to doubt in his ability to be her perfect hero after seeing him be so callous towards Hera and Cid, but unless others can convince her otherwise beforehand she’ll come when he calls.

Doubly so, potentially, if Nala Se is there to back him up. She knows Nala Se, she’s known her her whole life. Why wouldn’t she trust her?

.

Maybe he’s also pretty fucking sure he can talk his way out of this situation. Because he knows that he’s been working against the Republic all this time. Because he’s confident that he can spin his boys a story about how he escaped and returned to them. I mean, Gregor escaped. Why wouldn’t he be able to?

And Crosshair wasn’t there at the time.

.

And what about Echo in all of this. Where does he fit in. Because he doesn’t.

No effort has been made to accommodate him, his trauma or his disabilities, or integrate him into their established group. They’re been together for quite a while now, but Hunter still refers to him as being ‘new’, reminding him that he doesn’t fit in.

What if they didn’t take Echo with them because they wanted him. What if they took him because they didn’t want the Republic to have him. Because Hunter was told to make him that offer.

And that’s why they’ve done fuck all with him since he’s been with them.

.

One final terrible thought to finish with

Cody (AKA Wireless Router Husband) is the only Clone Commander we know of who has previously had contact with TBB.

In previous canon Cody, after Order 66, was kept Empire side and became an instructor.

Maybe Hunter isn’t the only one already being influenced by non GAR sources?

Is there a chance that Cody has been too? I wonder what his frequency is?

I don’t want to think that, because it’s Cody.

But I’m considering all the options here.

But please not Cody!

However, it’s an opportunity for the writers to break the hearts of both the Batch boys and Rex in one cruel go.

So I’m not ruling it out.

.

Where does that leave us with Gregor, the Batch boys, etc?

Well, I have thoughts on that too, but this post isn’t about them.

HEY LUCKY BATCH

We writing a script. DM me for the doc link and add thing specific for your oc. I’m gonna get to animating as soon as the script is finished.

@monako-jinn-stories @lynnpaper @letsunity @lavenderstaars @generaltano @mango-peachjuice @maygalodon @oo-hazel-oo @lusiawonder @radbatch @din-erso @just-another-dreamerr @burnthashbrown27 @cosmicghostie @stereotypicalpicnicmat @foxlock

PLEASE THIS IS SO CUTE😍

The Lucky Batch☘️

@just-another-dreamerr just so you know, I nearly sobbed at the end and I let out screams of angst. I know I said there would be some fluff, but… a n g s t Is the main theme

Moving On

He hadn’t seen her since before the venator. Before that last mission with his old battalion, he’d finally told her. He’d said those three little words. And she’d kissed him, told him those same words back. His heart nearly exploded from happiness and joy. CT-1882 and CT-2019 had to drag him away from her. And he’d heard her special laugh as they did, waving after him as he said “I’ll see you when I get back, I promise.”

But he’d broken that promise.

He broke it because he knew he wasn’t the same. He knew he was now a broken, tortured soul. He was quiet, jumpy, anxious. He didn’t even think he would ever stop shaking.

So when he got back, when he’d stumbled his way off the ship of his saviors and into the barracks on Coruscant, he made a decision.

He wouldn’t see you. He would stay away from you. He didn’t want to burden you with his state, the mess of a man that he was. You already had your own men to worry about, why add another to the mix? And besides, you were a Jedi and he was a clone, what could possibly have happened between the two of you? The inevitable fact that one day, you would stand over his body as he slowly faded away, your hand hovering over the blaster shot in his chest as you begged for him to stay with you?

No, he wouldn’t be the man to make you suffer like that. He wouldn’t be the man to break your heart.

Except he did.

~~~

The boys were at 79’s after another successful mission. It was a particularly hard one, so they decided that they would reward themselves by going out. Raffle was the designated driver like normal, so he kept his drinks alcohol free. Most of the Lucksters didn’t drink, or at least not much. They didn’t need alcohol to turn them into crazy party animals, they already were crazy enough without it. But tonight, they let themselves have a drink or two, none getting too intoxicated.

Ryder, however, didn’t drink. He sat at the end of the bar next to Thumbs, smiling as he watched his other vod let loose. He noticed Foxy flirting with a girl, what was her name again? Eliaelle, that’s right. Ryder’s own heart had a pang of hurt as he watched, remembering his own girl that would look at him like that.

He’d convinced himself he never thought about her, that he’d moved on. But he’d been lying.

“Hey, you alright?” Thumbs asked, noticing the slight shift in Ryder’s presence.

“Yeah, just…remembering.”

“Your old vod?”

“No…someone else.”

“Would you like to share?” Thumbs asked gently.

“No,” Ryder said, shaking his head. “It’s best I try and forget.”

Thumbs looked at him for a second before nodding, understanding that he had reached another wall.

“Well, if you ever want to tell me,” he said, nodding and giving him a knowing look. Ryder nodded back, returning the small smile.

He looked back out into the bar, trying to rid her from his mind. But that failed, because when he looked out, his eyes landed on her form. Beautiful as ever, the girl he had fallen for once before was right before his eyes. And she was looking back at him, hand half extended towards a drink. All he saw was pain in her eyes, and all he felt was pain in his heart.

“General Jinn, you alright?” Her commander asked, but he just kept on staring at Ryder. He decided then that he had to do something, the least Ryder owed you was an apology.

“Hey, where are you going?” Thumbs asked as Ryder got up.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, pushing through the other bar patrons to get closer to her.

When he did reach her, he was silent. He opened his mouth to try and say something, but words failed him.

“Let’s go outside,” was all he managed to say after a minute, and she nodded, following behind as he walked out.

“Your hair is different,” was all she said as she stood quietly with him. He managed a small huff, an attempt at laughter that died before it left his lips.

“I’ve let it go.”

“It’s nice. I like the turquoise.”

It went silent again, neither of them knowing what to say. Ryder only looked up again when he heard a small sniff come from you.

“You said you would see me when you got back. You promised me,” she said, and Ryder watched as a tear rolled down her cheek.

“I know, and I’m sorry.”

“You told me you loved me. Was that just a lie?”

His eyes widened with pain that she could ever think such a thing. All he had ever known was that he loved her, it was the most honest thing about him. No part of that was ever a lie. He gently reached forwards and held her face, bringing his head down in a keldabe kiss. He whispered her name softly, not General Jinn, but her name, and he felt one of her tears meet his thumb that rested on her cheek.

“I never lied to you-“

“Then why didn’t you come back to me?” She pulled away, looking into his eyes. He saw as she searched for something, perhaps the answer to her question. She didn’t have to look for long, because he would give anything she asked for.

“Because I loved you. I love you, and you don’t deserve to deal with who I’ve become.”

“Who you’ve become? I don’t care who you’ve become, you’re still the man that I fell in love with.”

“No I’m not,” he said, shaking his head sadly. “I’m broken. I’m scared. I’m lost.”

“Then let me help you-“

“No, I’m not going to become a burden.”

“You’d never be a burden to me,” she said softly, and he felt her hand gently cradle his cheek, lifting his face up to make his eyes meet hers.

“I-I can’t even look at a venator without panicking,” he muttered, words and hands shaking. “Red lights, alarms, they’re all…I can’t-I’m too much to handle.”

“No you’re not,” she said while softly grabbing his hands, and he let her try to ground him. “Everything you feel, you are allowed to feel, and you shouldn’t feel guilty about it. Your trauma doesn’t define you. You’re more than your trauma, you’re more than your past. You are a soldier, a brave, strong, smart man. You deserve love and comfort.”

“But it can’t be from you,” he said, sadly shaking his head. “I-I have to move on.” Ryder forced himself to look into her eyes as he spoke, watching as he tore your heart to shreds.

“Why?”

“Because, it’s…it’s better this way.”

“How do you know?”

“Because then I can’t lose you. I can’t lose you like General Lyle, CT-1882, and CT-2019. And you won’t have to lose me.”

“But I’ve already lost you, haven’t I?” She asked, sadness seeping into her voice. Ryder didn’t respond. He didn’t know how to tell her this was for the best.

“I have a name now,” he blurted out, and he saw the slight confusion in her eyes at the sudden topic change before they went curious. “M-my name’s Ryder.”

“Ryder…” The way she slowly said his name, testing it out on her tongue made his heart flutter. He never thought he’d heard her sweet voice say his name, and yet she had. “How did you get that name?”

“Ever since…my old battalion, I always have some sort of transport within reach. I’m always riding something during battle. The thought of not having an escape…a way to save more than just myself…my new battalion named me. They really care about me, and love me like a brother already.”

“Well, I hope they love you in the ways that I can’t,” she said, and he watched her eyes fall to the ground. “I’m glad I know your name now, Ryder. I’ll never forget it, or you.” With that, she kept her eyes trained down as she stepped away, turning and beginning to leave him. “Goodbye, Ryder.”

This was what he needed, to let her go. He needed this closure so he could move on. If he just let her walk away, then he would be able to forget.

“Wait!” He called, his body beginning to tremble, his heart beginning to race. Tears immediately began running down his face as he tried to stumble after her, breathing at a rate much faster than a few seconds ago. She turned around and when her eyes saw him, she immediately ran back to catch him in her arms.

“P-please, don’t leave me,” he sobbed, though it was muffled by his face being buried in the crook of her neck. She could feel how much pain he was suddenly in, how much he feared losing another person he loved.

Ryder was having flashbacks of the venator, watching as CT-2019 was blown up, hearing the static that came from his comm. He heard CT-1882 beg for him to save himself, and felt as General Lyle tossed him into the escape pod. He saw the ship utterly destroyed again, and how he could do nothing to save anyone.

“Don’t leave me!” He cried again, squeezing his arms tighter around her, holding her as if he feared she would disappear if he let go.

“Shh, it’s okay,” she said, gently rubbing her hand up and down his back. “I’m here, I’m not going anywhere. I won’t leave you, Ryder.”

The feeling of abandonment soon left him, and he calmed down to a soft cry, his body only shaking every so often.

“C-can I stay with you tonight?” He asked, lifting his eyes to look into hers. With him looking like he did, there was no way she could deny him his wish, though she never would have dreamed of it. She smiled and pulled his head to meet hers, pressing back into a keldabe kiss. Their noses brushed and he let out a shaky sigh as she continued to ground him.

“You can stay with me whenever you need to,” she whispered. She pulled away again and gently grabbed his hands, leading the trooper over to her speeder.

Once they were in her room at the Jedi temple, Ryder gave a quick comm to Thumbs to tell him he would be back in the morning, and that he didn’t need to worry.

She gave him a gentle bath that night, keeping him calm. She gently scrubbed at his tense shoulders until they relaxed. She weaved her fingers through his long hair, undoing the braid so she could wash it. When she finished, she gave him some of the softest pjs he had ever worn before he crawled into her bed, her following behind. And she held him, she kept her arms around his form as he finally let himself go, let himself be happy for one of the first times since the venator. And for the first time, he didn’t have nightmares of that day. His last thought before he fell asleep was that he was moving on - with you.

The Lucksters @foxlock @letsunity @radbatch @maygalodon @catboy-tech @stereotypicalpicnicmat @oo-hazel-oo @lusiawonder @longearedowlfromouterspace @lynnpaper @just-another-dreamerr @lavenderstaars @cosmicghostie @namesmox @generaltano

the weight down in the deep of you: a lucky batch fic ☘️

(guys!! i finally wrote a thing!!! feat. why ballast's name is ballast and why jackal loves throwing his prosthetic arms so much. hope you enjoy!!!)

A ballast is the secret, vital core of a ship: the weight down in the deep of you that keeps a vessel upright in dark water. - Catherynne M. Valente, The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two

    The sun hung low and hazy in the sky and most of the clones of the 37th battalion were still sleeping in their camp when a terrifyingly loud, terrifyingly explosive sound erupted from nearby the ship. 

    “What the kriff--” Jackal moaned, jolting awake. He held his head. He hated loud noises at the best of times; and it was even worse to be rudely awoken by one. 

    “Was that an attack?” another voice sounded. It was Ryder.

    “I don’t know, di’kut,” Cypher responded groggily. “Why don’t you go out and look?”

    Several of the Lucksters stumbled out of their tents into the cool morning air and looked around. It didn’t look like they were in immediate danger, but there was some smoking coming from Ballast’s workstation.

    On closer inspection, the entire workstation--as well as much of the dark, sandy ground--was covered in soot and ash. The greatest amount was collected on Ballast’s face. At least he’d had the sense to wear goggles. 

    “Oh, hey boys,” Ballast greeted his batchmates cheerily as they came over. “Just a faulty wire. Sorry if I woke you. I’m going to see if there’s any replacement parts on the ship.” 

    He walked off, whistling a sprightly tune as he went. His brothers shared glances between them, shaking their heads.

    “Does anything rattle that guy?” Rane wondered aloud. Jackal glanced toward Ballast’s retreating frame, a small smile gracing his features. 

    “You don’t know the half of it,” he replied, a faraway look gracing his features as a memory overtook him.

    The air was so thick with blaster fire, it was nearly impossible to see. This was not ideal for the clones of the 37th Battalion, who wound their way through a massive and labyrinthine Separatist facility. They were on mission from the Jedi council to retrieve a particular set of data for the Republic. The security around the facility was so great that they needed all hands on deck to help keep them at bay while others infiltrated the facility, which was why Cypher and Ballast found themselves winding their way through the dark hallways along with Jackal and Ryder. Jackal and Ryder were used to the front lines, but Ballast and Cypher were not usually in the thick of things like this. They’d been raised and trained for battle, but their talents typically had them supporting the other soldiers in other ways.

Now, they found themselves hunkered down in a side hallway while droids bore down on them from either side and they wouldn’t have time to retreat back the way they came before the droids caught up to them. Jackal held his head, struggling with the noise of the blasters. Ryder pat himself down wildly, trying to find which of his weapons still had any fuel left. 

    The familiar clicking of empty blasters sounded from Cypher’s pistols. “This is bad. This is terrible, disastrous, catastrophic!” he shouted over the noise as he hunkered down in the hallway. 

    “Keep it together, Cypher,” Ballast said, his voice steady despite the hammering in his chest. He’d never been in a position like this before, but he knew they all needed to stay calm if they were going to make it out alive. Still, he was painfully aware that they were outnumbered and outgunned. Glancing around, he noticed a control panel on the opposite wall. They could use that to short the circuits and get the doors shut to cover their retreat. But they didn’t have enough ammo left to cover him while he worked on it. His heart pounded furiously, his stomach was in his throat, but he forced himself to take a breath and clear his mind. There was a solution. There had to be, and he would find it. 

    A blaster bolt came frighteningly close to their position of cover and Jackal threw his arms up over his head, his metal prosthetic hitting Ballast in the process. Wait….there it was! The solution!

    “Jackal!” Ballast hissed to his brother. “Your prosthetic. We can use it to short that panel and get the doors closed!”

    “You want to use my arm?” 

    “I’ll make you a new one!”

    Jackal’s eyes went wild for a moment before settling with a fierce determination. “All right,” he said, tugging on his prosthetic with his other arm. It came free in his hand and he passed it over to his brother. “But this had better work!”

    “Yeah, I hope you know what you’re doing, Ballast!” Ryder cried, firing off a couple more of his few remaining shots. It wouldn’t be enough to last them if it didn't.

    “So do I,” Ballast replied through gritted teeth as he whipped out a couple of tools from his pockets, opened the sockets of the prosthetic, and set furiously to work. 

    What felt like an eternity but was really only a few moments later, Ballast handed the prosthetic to Ryder. The fist was closed except for the pointer finger, which was extended. “You’ll have to be precise with this shot!”

    “Wait, wait, wait!” Jackal cried, reaching for the prosthetic. Ballast was worried he’d changed his mind about using it, but he merely folded down the pointer finger and extended the middle finger.

    “Really? Right now?” Cypher cried, but before anyone could say anything else, Ryder sucked in a breath and launched the prosthetic at the control panel.

    The metal of the prosthetic alighted with sizzling electricity as it interacted with the panel. The boys held their breath for those agonizing seconds; the last thing they saw was the control panel fizzling and Jackal’s prosthetic dropping to the floor before the doors before them shut. 

    “It was the middle finger that did it,” Jackal voiced before they retreated back the way they had come. 

    Later that night, Ballast sat with a cluster of parts in his lap, working by the light of their campfire. He was determined to make Jackal’s new prosthetic even better than the last. Before long, he heard approaching footsteps and looked up to see Jackal coming over to join him by the fire. He sat down next to Ballast, who in turn shielded his project from Jackal’s eyes with his arm. 

    “Hey, let me see!” Jackal protested, craning his neck to try and sneak a look. 

    “It’s going to be a surprise!” Ballast replied, playfully knocking his brother in the shoulder. 

    “Alright, keep your secrets.” The two of them grew quiet as they gazed into the gently flickering flames. 

    “What a day, huh?” Jackal finally voiced. “You know, we managed to draw enough of the droids’ attention that the others were able to get the data we needed.”

    “So I heard. Glad your sacrifice turned out to be worth it,” Ballast grinned. Jackal just shook his head, growing serious. 

    “How did you do it?” 

    “Oh, well, I had to recalibrate some of the motor functions so that when it hit the panel--”

    “No,” Jackal interrupted Ballast before he was subjected to a long-winded explanation of mechanics. “How did you stay so calm? How weren’t you scared out of your mind like the rest of us?”

    Ballast looked back at the fire. “I was,” he said after a long moment. 

    “Wait, really?” Jackal looked at him incredulously. “Didn’t seem like it.”

    “When I’m working, there’s always a chance that something is going to break, misfire, explode….like a ship on rough water,” Ballast began to explain, his voice soft. “You can’t always predict the way the weather will turn, can’t control the wind or the waves, but you can control the way you carry yourself through it.” He allowed himself a small smile as he looked over at his brother. “Giving in to that fear wasn’t going to help any of us. I just wanted to be strong for us.”

    Jackal smiled broadly back at Ballast, placing his remaining hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Well, thank you. For always being the weight to carry us through. And hey,” he added, “maybe you should make a few more of those prosthetic arms. I kind of like that tactic.” 

    “I think I can do that,” Ballast grinned. Jackal chuckled. 

    “Just try not to let them explode, yeah? At least, not on purpose.” 

    “Now, where’s the fun in that?”

@monako-jinn-stories @just-another-dreamerr @lynnpaper @lavenderstaars @foxlock @maygalodon @letsunity @oo-hazel-oo @generaltano @cosmicghostie @lusiawonder @the-lucky-batch @burnthashbrown27 @stereotypicalpicnicmat @mango-peachjuice @namesmox and other lucksters i missed!

hey if ur lgbt rb this with ur orientation and ur fave soda