Last episode, the Bad Batch helped Cid take control back of her parlor and Ord Mantell from the hands of Roland Durand. You can read the full recap here.
Warning: Spoilers below for “War-Mantle”!
The episode starts with a clone being chased on Daro. He is escaping though a forest and is chased by tracking beasts. He is finally captured after sending a distress signal.
Meanwhile on The Havoc Marauder, the team is on its way to a mission when they are contacted by Rex, who needs their help. The captain asks them to go extract one of his friends who sent a distress signal. Rex sends them the information and cuts the transmission.
Echo receives the transmission signal sent by Rex. The signal was broadcast from the planet Daro situated in the Outer Rim by a clone named CC-5576 (known to Clone Wars and Rebels fans as Gregor).
Hunter is hesitant due to the lack of intel. Echo argues that Rex wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t urgent, and Tech reminds them they are in a middle of a job for Cid and that they won’t be compensated if they deviate from the mission. Omega says helping Rex’s friend is more important than getting paid. Wrecker agrees with all three of them. Finally, Hunter chooses to go get the clone even if he doesn’t like it.
Back on Kamino, Rampart and Crosshair talk about the War-Mantle plan being ahead of schedule and that every viable clone needs to be mobilized. Crosshair asks about what to do with the Kaminoans. Rampart answers that they have their orders and asks Crosshair to keep an eye on them.
Nala Se is escorting young clones when she is accosted by Lama Su wanting to talk. He lets her know that the Empire has cancelled all of their contracts with Kamino. Nala Se is optimistic about the future since the Kaminoans proved their expertise, but the Prime Minister is worried about the future. He thinks the Empire will try to destroy them and asks Nala Se to gather the essential workforce while he prepares their departure.
The Bad Batch arrives on Daro, and Hunter still has doubts about the mission. Echo is trusting Rex. Upon landing, the clones immediately start looking for the distress signal. Echo finds it quickly, but CC-5576 is nowhere to be seen. Hunter starts tracking him down and realizes he was captured. He follows the traces to a mountain, and Tech confirms something is hiding inside of it.
Hunter is worried about Omega and sends her back to the ship with Wrecker. The rest of the team approaches the mountain, and Hunter realizes a shuttle landed earlier. The clones arrive at the top of the mountain and discovers a hidden military base. Echo notices the presence of clones wearing a new armor.
Since it’s not an easy rescue mission, Hunter wants to go back to the Marauder and notify Rex. Echo wants to continue, and Tech remarks they don’t even know if CC-5576 is in the base. Hunter says they will be going in blind without any hope of reinforcements, and Echo reminds them of how they saved him on Skako Minor with similar odds.
Back on the ship, Wrecker and Omega are playing a game. Hunter contacts them to let them know they found a military base and that they are going to infiltrate it and find Rex’s friend. Omega wants to join them, but Hunter orders them to stay on the ship as backup.
The team enters the base via the lift shafts, and Echo connects to a database to locate CC-5576 while Hunter is keeping an eye on the guard patrols. Echo finds information about the base and is surprised to see the base is only staffed with 50 clone commandos and 1000 TK troopers, a designation none of them are familiar with. Echo finds where the missing clone is kept, and they start making their way to him.
In his cell, CC-5576 is asking for food. His jailer refuses and calls him a traitor before being neutralized by the Hunter, Echo and Tech. CC-5576 is distrustful until Hunter tells him that Rex sent them. The prisoner introduces himself as Gregor, and the clones look for a way out of the base.
Gregor notices that the soldiers are gathering for inspections, and it will not be possible to pass unnoticed. Tech decides to redirect the troopers elsewhere. Gregor wants to know if they are also clone commandos, and Hunter informs him that they are defective clones. An alarm is activated, triggered by Tech using clone codes, which don’t work on this base.
Troopers attack them and after neutralizing them, the clones head towards the top of the base. Tech finds out the troopers are not clones, and Gregor confirms it. Gregor leads them to the way out while they fight several troopers.
Tech needs to enter an authorization code in the lift, and Hunter gives him one he took earlier from a trooper. During the ride, Hunter asks Gregor for more information about the troopers, and Gregor explains that they were recruited from all over the galaxy and that these recruits swore an oath to the Empire. When the lift opens, the clones comes face to face with TK troopers and quickly change their escape plan.
On the Marauder, Omega is worried and is wondering how Wrecker can be so calm. He tells her he is just preparing himself for when they will be needed.
Back on the base, the clones are facing more opposition than expected. Gregor is shot by a trooper. They hide in a control room, and Tech finds a way to escape via a reactor conduit which will lead to an exhaust port. They will be able to signal the ship and leave the base.
Hunter wants to know how Gregor ended up on Daro. Gregor explains he was sent here with other commandos and quickly realized he wanted out. Hunter contacts the ship, and Omega and Wrecker fly the Marauder to meet them.
The TK troopers gain access to the control room, and their chief understands the clones went to the reactor port.
The Marauder is approaching the rendezvous point, but so are the enemy ships. The clones are under fire. Gregor and Tech are able to jump on the ship while Echo and Hunter are stuck on the mountain. Tech takes control of the Marauder and orders Wrecker to go to the tail gun. They fly away to escape the imperial ships. Echo and Hunter are left to fight the troopers.
The Marauder is heavily hit and is losing power until Omega connects the droid Gonky to the ship and transfers the droid’s power to the ship. It’s working, and the team continues to fight the Imperial ships. Tech makes his way back to the mountain, and Echo jumps on the ship. Hunter misses his jump and falls into the forest.
On the Marauder, the situation is now desesperate. Gonky is fried, and all the systems are failing. Hunter orders his team to leave him behind. Tech refuses, saying the odds for his escape are not good. Omega is yelling to everyone to go back. Tech finally follows his order because Hunter has already been captured.
Back on Kamino, Rampart discovered the Kaminoans’s plan and put an end to it. He leaves with Nala Se since he can always use a scientist and says to Lama Su that his services are now longer needed leaving him with two soldiers to be disposed of.
On Daro, Hunter is in a cell when Crosshairs arrives and tells him:
“I was hoping for the whole squad, but you’ll do.”
Another familiar face from Clone Wars makes an appearance on the show. We met Gregor for the first time on the planet Abafar, where he had amnesia and was working as a dishwasher after being reported missing on the Battle of Sarrish. He was presumed dead after helping Colonel Meebur Gascon and his droid team to escape, until he reappeared in Rebels in the company of Captain Rex and Commander Wolffe. We learn in this episode what happened to him in the meantime and how he escaped the Empire.
What does Rampart want Nala Se to work on? What is going to happen to Hunter now that he is Crosshair’s prisoner? Hopefully, with only two episodes left, we will have answers soon.
A new episode of The Bad Batch will be available on August 6 on Disney+. Stay tuned for more recaps of the show on Nerds and Beyond!
