In “Bounty Lost” last week, Omega was reunited with Clone Force 99 after escaping Cad Bane, the bounty hunter working for Prime Minister Lama Su. We also learned why the Kaminoans want Omega back and who Fennec Shand’s employer was. You can read the complete recap of the episode here.
Warning: spoilers for “Common Ground” below!
The episode starts on the Separatist planet Raxus occupied by Empire forces. Imperial Captain Bragg is making a speech trying to convince the population that the Empire is not the enemy and that the Confederacy of Independent Systems will be treated fairly. The Empire only wants in exchange their loyalty which has not been forthcoming.
The senator of Raxus, Avi Singh, says to his droid GS-8 that he can’t do what is expected of him. The droid reminds him that he doesn’t have a choice and that he will be arrested if he doesn’t comply.
Captain Bragg says that a mandatory curfew will be made effective to deal with the incursions and that Singh has approved these measures. The people of Raxus are clearly unhappy about it, and Singh steps on the balcony to address the population. Before he starts talking, he asks GS-8 to follow his instructions if anything happens to him.
Then, the senator addresses the public. He starts by saying they need to follow the new laws but doesn’t continue. He wants to act in the better interest of Raxus, which is why he can’t condone the occupation anymore. The population acclaims him while he is getting arrested by the clone troopers. GS-8 runs away while Captain Bragg gives orders to the clones to send the crowd away. The people resist until tanks arrive to intimidate them.
GS-8 watches the clones deploy and sends a message asking for help following the abduction of her master.
On Ord Mantell, the team is going back to Cid’s place. Omega and Wrecker are eating Mantell mix, and the girl wants to know when is their next mission. Tech remarks it would be better for them to keep a low profile since bounty hunters are looking for her. Hunter agrees.
They enter Cid’s parlor. The Trandoshan tells them she has a new mission: the extraction of Avi Singh, senator of Raxus. Tech is surprised since Raxus was the center of the Separatist government and is now an Empire outpost. Cid details the mission and gives them coordinates where they will meet with the client. Hunter doesn’t want to help a separatist, but Cid reminds him they still own her money. Hunter informs Cid he doesn’t want to take Omega to a planet full of Imperials, and Cid proposes to keep an eye on her. At first, Hunter is reluctant because he doesn’t really trust Cid either, but she convinces her by saying that she will keep Omega safe if it means more money for her. Omega is disappointed when Hunter tells her she is staying on Ord Mantell.
On the Havoc Marauder, the clones discuss the mission. Echo is not happy about helping a Separatist senator which is not surprising since his alterations are due to a Separatist intervention. They arrive in the planet’s orbit and are immediately intercepted by troopers asking for their clearance code. Tech enters the code, and Echo is worried it’s a trap, but they are soon cleared for entry.
The clones land on the planet. GS-8 emerges from her hiding point. Tech wants to know who she is, and she reveals that she is their client. She tries to explain why her master was arrested, but Echo interrupts her saying they don’t care. Then, they start making their way to the place where the senator is kept.
Back on Ord Mantell, Omega is sad about being left behind. Cid asks her what is the matter with her, and the girl says she hasn’t heard anything from her friends yet. She is worried about them and feels like she should have gone with them. Cid tells her life isn’t fair, and she should do something about it if she doesn’t like it. She also implies that they left her behind because she is weak. Omega gets angry and leaves.
On Raxus, the Imperial forces are patrolling the city. The clones and GS-8 arrive at the detention place. Tech sees on his scans that the senator is heavily guarded. Echo is distrustful and thinks it’s a trap. Hunter decides to go inside and destroy the surveillance system. They disarm the guards with the help of GS-8 and enter the compound. Tech infiltrates the security system, and the team separates to cover more ground. Hunter is with Tech and the droid. They arrive at a guarded room, and he starts going over the plan mentioning Omega until Tech reminds him she is not on the mission. GS-8 distracts the guards, and the clones stun them with a grenade.
At the parlor, Cid is playing Dejarik with customers. Omega tries to help her, but Cid mocks her and doesn’t listen. The Trandoshan loses the round and finally accepts Omega’s help. The young girl wins the game for Cid, which surprises the Trandoshan. Omega answers that she is good at strategy games. Cid proposes to Omega a partnership to win money. They start to negotiate Omega’s cut, who asks for sixty percent.
On Raxus, Captain Bragg is talking to Singh. She is disappointed because she thought they had an understanding. He answers that his loyalty is to his people and not to the Empire. The Captain was on the verge of torturing the senator when Hunter, Tech, and GS-8 save him. An alert has been activated, and they need to leave the compound fast. They reunite with Wrecker and Echo.
The clones spot a tank and decide to use it to escape. They neutralize the clone troopers and take control of it. Bragg gives the order to intercept them. Another tank shoots at them, immobilizing the tank. Tech says they need to recalibrate the tank manually. Echo and Tech repair it while Hunter and Wrecker distract the other clone troopers. The two clones are rapidly overwhelmed by their opponents. Echo and Tech are ambushed. GS-8 saves them by throwing a vase on one of the clones allowing Tech and Echo to neutralize the other two troopers.
Tech finally finishes the repairs to the vehicle, and they go back inside. Singh guides them to an alley that seems to be a dead end. The senator tells them to blast a hole into the wall. The explosion opens a subterranean passage. Wrecker sets explosives to conceal which way they went. The team finally makes its way back to the Marauder. The senator is hesitant about leaving the planet. He doesn’t want to abandon his people and thinks he needs to help them. GS-8 tells him he can’t help Raxus if he is in Imperial custody. Echo agrees and tells him to “live to fight another day.” Singh leaves with the clones.
When the clones return to Ord Mantell, Hunter is not happy to find Omega playing Dejarik for Cid and attracting potential unwanted attention. He is surprised when he learns that she won against all of her opponents and could pay their debts to the Trandoshan woman. She says to him that she wanted to be useful even if the clones left her behind. Hunter challenges her a game, saying that they won’t leave her behind anymore if she wins it. The episode ends before we see which one is victorious, but we can assume it will be Omega.
Not much happens in this episode to advance the plot. Omega proves by winning the strategy game that she is as capable as the other clones, even if she is young. It is interesting to see former enemies finding common ground in wanting to fight against the Empire. Is it the beginning of an alliance forming between the Separatists and the future Rebellion? Only time will tell.
A new episode of The Bad Batch will be available on July 9 on Disney+. Stay tuned for more recaps on Nerds and Beyond!
