Prior Episodes | 7959 (18 BBY) | Next Episodes
Continuity & Analysis

Star Wars: The Bad Batch - Rampage (2021) [S1E5]
The Batch strike a deal to take on a mission.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch - Decommissioned (2021) [S1E6]
On a mission to acquire valuable asset, The Batch encounters smugglers after the same target.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch - Battle Scars (2021) [S1E7]
As they traverse a decommissioned medical facility, the Batch encounter an unexpected threat.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch - Reunion (2021) [S1E8]
The Batch find themselves cornered on treacherous terrain.




CONTINUITY
These four episodes are about Clone Force 99 attempting to make a new life for themselves. The planets Ord Mantell and
Bracca are seen for the first time, as is an unidentified planet seen only from space. Five worlds are seen in these episodes:

Supplementary material indicates that these four episodes, as well as the rest of Season 1 and possibly Season 2, take place in 7958 (19 BBY).
This is certainly not the case, as the majority of this series must take place in 7959 (18 BBY). Although the first three episodes of this series
take place during the events of Episode III, it is unlikely that more than one or two additional episodes take place in the same calendar year.
Episode III takes place near the end of 7958 (19 BBY), almost certainly in its last standard month. This can be ascertained by numerous
timing concerns, including the length of time in between The Clone Wars storylines set in the same year, the conception and carrying to
term of Luke and Leia, and the lengthy time Anakin was away from Coruscant during 'the Outer Rim Sieges'. It is clear that the end of the Clone
Wars and the founding of the Empire took place near the end of that year, something which is reinforced by Rebels 'Empire Day' (S1E8).
That episode places the anniversary of the declaration of the Empire around the time of new year's day. Although supplementary material for
that series incorrectly places that episode at the very beginning of the year, it must be assumed that is in error, and the change in years occurs
just after that storyline rather than before. This not only aligns with certainties regarding the timing of Clone Wars events, but also establishes
that Episode III took place at most a couple of weeks before new year's day of 7959 (18 BBY). When that timeline is aligned to this series,
it establishes that the change in calendar year occurs sometime in this storyline at latest, and may have already happened by 'Rampage'.
'Battle Scars' and 'Reunion' seem to take place about one month after Episode III, and are definitely set in 7959 (18 BBY).

- Ord Mantell is a terrestrial planet located in the Bright Jewel Sector, in the New Territories region of the Mid Rim. Located at the intersection of
three significant regional hyperspace lanes, the planet is an epicenter of trade in the New Territories. As its name indicates, it was founded
as an 'ordnance world' during one of the great colonial eras of the Old Republic, sometime in the 40th century before the CRC, which is
approximately 12,000 BBY. Its settlement was instrumental in the development of what would become the Bright Jewel Sector, as well as
previously unincorporated space in the galactic north. It was colonized primarily by Humans and other Core species, and in the era of
the films and shows it is well-populated with numerous major cities. Its capital in this time period is Ord Mantell City. Along with its
significant trade infrastructure and local manufacturing, Ord Mantell is known as a notable black market hub.


- The Jedi relied on local informants with good knowledge of goings-on like Cid, as their primary concern prior to the Clone Wars was policing
organized crime. The Jedi valued the insights of such individuals, knowing that informal contacts usually had the best insights.

- The Zygerrian slaver operations have been ongoing for over a year and a half, probably longer, as seen in The Clone Wars 'Kidnapped' (S4E11)
and the subsequent storyline. Their business was protected by their association with the Separatist Alliance, and secretly fostered by
Darth Sidious. Now that the Republic is gone, the Empire will give wide latitude to slavers, particularly in the Rim regions, and particularly
during the first decade of Imperial rule. It is unclear if the Empire has taken the drastic and provocative step of eliminating the official laws
against slavery in the Republic in the first few weeks of its rule, however it is extremely unlikely considering the Emperor's careful strategy
of consolidation and incremental political change. These Zygerrians declare that "with the meddling Republic gone, we can return to
Kadavo and rebuild what was taken from us." It is unclear what they mean by this, as Zygerria was already slaving when last seen and
there is no canon or legendary information stating that the Republic ever invaded their remote and strategically unimportant world.
Main Article: Darth Sidious and The Plan

- The Zygerrians are holed up in the ruins of an old city, evidence of the ancient colonial history of Ord Mantell, and of how long-established is this
world's civilization. Supplementary material identifies this as 'Old Ord Mantell City', which is a terrible suggestion, but one which is typical of
SW creators' oversimplified view of the galaxy, where the majority of planets seem to have one city which is usually named after the planet.
This would be like the Batch visiting Cid in Memphis, Tennessee, then coincidentally being offered a job where the kidnappers were hiding
out in the ruins of Memphis, Egypt. This example is perhaps a stretch, since it is assumed the ruins are probably closer geographically than
those two locations on Earth, however it does illustrate the lack of conceptual thinking behind the development of supplementary material.
SW creators always claim there are a wide-variety of population sizes and urbanization on their planets, however in reality the intermediate
sized worlds are rarely given the unique characteristics that would have resulted from the uncontrolled colonization of a planet over millennia.
If SW creators had sent the Batch to Earth, they wouldn't have met Cid in Memphis, it would have been Earth City, which would be a city
totally set apart from seemingly undeveloped land around it, with no indications of the larger urban superstructure of Earth's civilization.
Main Article: Galactic Population


Wrecker describes their plan as a "simple smash and grab like that time on Kuat." What operation during the Clone Wars
could have possibly taken place on Kuat? Kuat is a Core planet of major importance which hosts the galaxy's most vital
shipyards, and for that reason it declared itself a neutral planet during the Clone Wars, despite remaining loyal to
the Republic and playing a central role in its politics. Kuat was certainly a potential target for a Separatist assault, and
as a result it was allotted significant defensive forces. Nothing in canon, or even legends, suggests that the Separatists
ever attacked Kuat or landed troops. Why then would an elite Republic unit have been sent there, and against whom
was this "smash and grab" directed. If this were some kind of Republic operation against a non-Separatist target, this
operation was almost certainly illegal and a gross violation of Kuat's sovereignty. It is likely the planet was mentioned
simply to make it officially canon, otherwise this is another example of writers using names without knowing context.
This is probably a continuity error, however numerous possible explanations could exist within canon. Nevertheless,
this probably would require an extremely unlikely explanation, or would introduce unexplored, illegal, covert operations.


- Bib Fortuna was last seen 14 years earlier in Episode I, where he was already in Jabba's employ. He will serve Jabba until the Hutt's death
22 years after these events in Episode VI, making a total of at least 36 years as his majordomo.

- Corellia has "planetary sensors", which is almost certainly the case with any world of significant population. The suggestion that the Batch has
used this before many times indicates that this was commonplace during the Clone Wars and the period leading up to it. The central
authority which monitors aerospace traffic is not indicated, but is probably still an arm of the planet's civilian government, given how
little time has passed since the Empire was established. Such systems will eventually be handled directly by the military government.
These sensors can be fooled by attaching one's ship to a larger vessel and powering down one's main power systems.
Main Article: Scanners, Sensors, and Cloaking Devices

- The Martez sisters were last seen about two weeks earlier, perhaps a bit more, in The Clone Wars 'Together Again' (S7E8).


How do the Martez sisters know Rex? The obvious implication is that Ahsoka introduced him to them in the brief period
between these events and Episode III, however this raises the question of why the sisters are willing to do this work,
considering their prior attitude of extreme self-interest. It is likely that Rex is paying them in some way for their efforts,
and their experiences with Ahsoka seem to have made a large impression on them, so this is not an unbelievable turn
in their priorities. Nevertheless, their statements that their contact has been "trying to help people and make things
better" and that "in the end, we all choose sides", makes it sound like this has been going on for sometime. At most, they
have been working with Rex for a few weeks, so their attitude towards him is surprisingly enthusiastic and salutatory.
It could be that Ahsoka is who they are referring to, however based on Tales of the Jedi, it is implied that Ahsoka
had decided to go underground almost immediately, and did not begin to work against the Empire until years later.


- The Batch's mission to recover a lizard for Cid from the Rhokai gang took them to an unidentified planet located at some unknown location in
the galaxy. It is clearly a habitable world with a verdant ecosystem, ample water, and a breathable atmosphere. It has at least two moons.


- The Rhokai Gang with a small-time criminal organization described as "thieves", with enough resources to conduct interstellar operations.
The gang at this time utilizes an unidentified model of starfighter, which seem to be sturdy craft but are probably not very advanced.

- Rex was last seen about a week and a half earlier, perhaps a bit more, in Tales of the Jedi 'Resolve' (S1E6), during events on Naboo which
concluded with Rex and Ahsoka leaving the planet in their appropriated Y-Wing bomber. It has probably has been almost a month since
Order 66 by the time Rex meets the Batch in person. Although Rex has been sending operatives on missions for him, meeting up with old
contacts, and continuing to spend his life "defending the Republic", his activities have not attracted Imperial attention, and he is officially
listed as dead in Imperial files, at least up to this point. Rex continues to build an anti-Imperial underground clone network.

- Bracca is a terrestrial planet located in the Lantillian Sector, in the Slice region of the Mid Rim. Its starsystem lies along the Randon Run, an important
regional hyperspace route, relatively near to the planet Uyter, in galactic terms. The planet is habitable but was not significantly settled, probably
due to factors which limited interest in mining or agriculture. Its population was principally involved in industrial production and processing,
and was for this reason the site of two battles during the Clone Wars, according to supplementary material. The significant presence of
the Scrapper Guild on Bracca resulted in the planet being increasingly used to house large junkyards. The size and scale of scrapped military
equipment from the Clone Wars resulted in huge junkyards on the planet which could be clearly seen from space.


- The Scrapper Guild is one of the large industrial guilds in the galaxy, which are organized into the conglomerate known as the Commerce Guilds.
It is assumed the Scrapper Guild was already a large organization with diverse operations throughout the galaxy prior to the Clone Wars, when
the size and scale of destroyed equipment soared to new heights, increasing the prominence and importance of the Guild. Their operations
on Bracca grew to such an extent that they controlled the entire planet by the end of the war, which was used as a massive junkyard.

- About a month after Order 66, Admiral Rampart is still running operations on Kamino. His purview and activities seem to suggest he is Tarkin's
chief of staff, or at least a member of his staff, and has been tasked with the military reform project which Moff Tarkin is overseeing.

- Cad Bane was last seen about a year and a half earlier in The Clone Wars 'Crisis On Naboo' (S4E18), during events which led to his arrest. It is
unlikely that Bane was paroled, given his crimes during those events in addition to the many crimes he had previously been charged with.
As such, it can be assumed that Bane once again escaped prison at some point in the last year and a half. Todo 360 was last seen over 3 years
earlier in 'Hunt For Ziro' (S3E9), despite having blown up along with a bomb which was inside him months earlier in 'Holocron Heist' (S2E1).
It seems most likely that Bane had made a copy of Todo's programming, and even mentions removing some of his memory prior to his
exploding, and must have placed them in a new techno-service droid prior to 'Evil Plans' (S3E8). Supplementary material offers a different
and highly unlikely explanation for Todo's resurrection, typical of the ridiculous suggestions often used to explain continuity problems.
Regardless of how he was brought back, he was last seen functional and working with Bane, as he is once again doing at this point.


Why didn't Crosshair order his troops to disable the Marauder? His only objective was to prevent their escape, and he
knows better than anyone how capable these particular special forces soldiers are at extracting themselves from difficult
situations. He orders troops to secure the ship, but they simply guard it, when any number of simple but vital components
could be easily removed from the ship to render it powerless, or incapable of flight, or to otherwise incapacitate it. There
was plenty of time to disable it, and no reason to keep the ship functional. They might as well have destroyed the ship
rather than simply guard it. In the same vein, why didn't Cad Bane disable the ship? He also had plenty of time to take
care of that, and even had a techno-service droid with him to preform the very task it is designed to perform. He is
probably less concerned than the Empire, assuming a bunch of clones won't be very good at tracking him, but it is a poor
reflection on Bane's proficiency as a bounty hunter that he doesn't disable the only ship which might try to follow him.


ANALYSIS
The establishment of the Empire means that open slavery will gradually return to the galaxy, both in the form of forced labor officially sanctioned
by the state, and in the form of the unofficially encouraged slaving outfits primarily based in the Rim and in areas of weaker Imperial influence.
Slavery is both a means and a goal of the Sith, and this program was already in its early stages when the Clone Wars began. The Republic's own
use of forced labor during the war was limited, at least at first, to their use of an army made up of clone slaves. The strain of the war on Republic
resources and their ability to govern remote regions led to an increase in the power of criminal syndicates, particularly in the Rim, which increased
the level of illegal slaver activity and forced servitude. The third element of this plan, in which established slaver outfits with large operations would
operate in an open partnership with the state, was first established by the Sith through Dooku's leadership of the Separatist Alliance. This allowed
a return of this kind of formal acceptance of slavery, and Sidious was able to transition these relationships into one with the Empire under the guise
of reconciliation and reintegration of Separatist regions. Groups such as the Zygerrians, the Pykes, and the Hutts would institutionalize such practices
on a regional or even galactic scale, and thus were important to Sidious' plan but did not require his direct control or influence. They would simply do
what was best for his plans out of their own desire and self-interest. The Empire will gradually transform its workforce into a highly-stratified system
of slaves, with large numbers of legally-owned slaves, a massive force of prisoner labor, and a huge under-class of workers who are essentially
wage-slaves, indentured servants, or involuntary laborers. Ensuring that any and all regions with a minimal Imperial presence are filled with slavery
is vital, as it removes any hope amongst the proletariat of the Empire of escaping enslavement by fleeing the Empire, and simultaneously keeps
the working populations in remote or unimportant regions under similar fear of seeking freedom, lest they become victims of eager slavers.

Another major element of Sidious' plan following the end of the Clone Wars was the destruction of military equipment and the elimination of as
much of the galaxy's military potential as possible. This included a great deal of the Republic's equipment, although this was less immediate and
less urgent, as the military was under the Emperor's direct control. Much of this equipment would still be needed for several years, but did not
represent a threat as long as it was in the Empire's hands. Any other military technology was immediately controlled wherever possible, and in
many cases completely destroyed. At the top of this list were the battle droids of the Separatist military, along with the equipment which was
built and sometimes even designed to be utilized by these forces. This program, like the forced labor program, actually began during the Clone
Wars. The Republic would capture and scrap Separatist armament, and was actively involved in destroying Separatist materiel in combat. At
the same time, a certain percentage of Separatist attacks were launched by Dooku and Sidious with the destruction of third-party military
technology as a primary or secondary goal. This would seem to be perfectly logical in the context of the war, and would not be noted as part
of an unusual program to disarm the galaxy at large. In order for the war he desired to take place, Sidious had to assemble a massive droid
army and create a huge clone army, then point them at each other. This ballooned the military potential of the galaxy to an unprecedented
size, however since he had effective control of both armies, he was able to use them to carry out his demilitarization program. Now that those
two armies had succeeded in their purpose, they are no longer needed, and may represent a potential threat. As such, just as the clones are
in the process of being decommissioned, the program to melt down Separatist droids begins immediately after the Separatist surrender.
This program has no opposition from the Senate or within most of the Empire, as most will be pleased to be rid of the infamous droid army.

The junkyards of Bracca illustrate the incredible scale of the remains of the Clone Wars. The conflict brought devastation to countless planets,
in every corner of the galaxy, which beyond the irreplaceable lives lost, resulted in material damage of an astronomical cost. At the same time,
incredible resources were devoted the production of gigantic war materiel, both in terms of refined metal and technological components,
and in terms of energy and physical work, performed by both organic beings and by droids. This is not entirely surprising given the scale and
size of galactic civilization in this time period, nevertheless the sheer value of the material created for this war, destined to end up as scrap
within a few short years is a tragedy exceeded only by the many millions killed during the conflict. The creation of military equipment is often
essential to defense, however in the long term it adds nothing to a civilization, and will end up as little more than a monument to wasted
effort and perhaps to the death and destruction which it was involved in. The Clone Wars diverted a huge percentage of the galaxy's efforts
and resources into the unproductive activity of war, which simultaneously fueled the destruction of other, productive economic activity.
The result is piles of ships, entire cities, and even planets which are now useless scrap, fit only to be picked over by those slowly rebuilding.


FURTHER ANALYSIS
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