#i can imagine hemlock saying

[frostise]

"Hey, watch this-" River spotted the guy first, running full-tilt with a fancy-looking bag that clearly wasn't his; and wouldn't be his much longer either, as her foot sneakily scoots-out. Once the would-be thief trips and utterly eats a face-first fall into a dumpster, the purse is snatched-up and offered to Louise with a grin.

"Tadaaa...! Now that's some 'Fast Fashion', huh?" (For the 'Amusement' meme, Louise is totally rubbing-off on her I think. =T)

𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐌𝐘 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐀𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐃   ┇   accepting ♡

frost watches the scene unfold before her very eyes and cracks an unnerving giggle at the thief's unfortunate fate. her interest instantly peaks at the glimpse of a handbag glittering underneath the sunlight that hits her peripheral vision just right. the petty thief's excruciating groans of pain in the background soon becomes an afterthought when she's introduced to the chic bag hemlock bestows to the ice queen as a free gift and like a magpie attracted to shiny jewellery, the killer wastes no time snatching up a real prada rhinestone bag! not the cheap kind from thrift dollar stores but the official one from the prada store that's six blocks away from the duo.

❝ i think you mean good ol' fashion violence. ❞ the queen humours back and lifts the leather strap over her shoulder, checking herself out on the display window from all sides. ❝ not a bad score, river. this black handbag goes with my outfit don't you think? ❞ a sudden thought occurs and her hands immediately start invading whatever precious things are installed into the stolen property like a pirate lulled by a siren's golden treasure. call it instinct. a killer needs to satisfy their urge to steal life and the finest things life can offer.

[eclec-tech]

Let's get into this "Tech is dead" thing...

Until someone from the show confirms that Tech is dead, I don't believe it. We've seen this before. Echo died in an explosion. Nope. Ahsoka fell when she dueled Vader. That didn't stick. Maul, Palpatine, Leia, Mace Windu...okay, that last one is still in the air. But my point is that we never saw a body. Face it. If they wanted Tech dead, they would have given him a shoulder wound. I lost track of how many times that proved fatal this season.

For starters, it would be a very bad move! Tech was probably the most loved character on the show even before they further developed his character this season. To remove him from the show would deprive a lot of people of someone who gives them a feeling of true representation in Star Wars.

Then there's Phee. That last "conversation" she tried to have with him was awkward and very specific. They animated him in such a way that he was obviously avoiding eye contact. He was uncomfortable. He didn't want to say goodbye. I don't think he knew how. It looked to me like they were setting us up for a reunion scene.

Now let's talk about Hemlock. Him being in possession of Tech's goggles is another reason I think he's alive. When he held out the goggles and said, "I'm afraid this is all I could salvage," it suggested to me that Hemlock has him. It doubly struck me since he had just used the term "fascinating" in the same spirit of scientific curiosity Tech had used earlier in the season with the Zillo Beast. The only way I can see Tech being alive but not captured in this scenario would be if there is a raging river or deep crevasse beneath the train and all they found nearby was the goggles. (Which means that, if he is alive, we will finally get that goggleless Tech we've been wanting to see so badly all this time.)

Let's not forget the most important thing of all. Tech is an incredibly capable soldier. He is resourceful, exceptionally well-trained, and was fully kitted-out when he fell. It's not hard for me to imagine him using a grappling hook and cable or other means to keep from falling to his death. He said it himself. He has the "ability to think clearly in stressful situations". And if Hemlock has him, he's going to need it.

All this gives me great hope for season three. If Hemlock does have Tech, he would have him transferred to Mt. Tantiss on Weyland. Now, Crosshair and Tech are together with other no-longer-Imperial clones. Omega is there with Nala Se, who wants Omega as far from there as possible. Nala Se is no longer in a cell, but working in a lab—under guard, but with access to equipment. Factor in Omega's clone sister and this has all the earmarks of an epic escape episode.

Fingers crossed.

[aspiring-spellcaster]

I’ve been thinking a lot about Emerie and Hemlock and I realized their relationship reminds me of Rapunzel and Mother Gothel. The gaslighting and manipulation tactics are very similar and I’ll explain why.

1. Fear of the outside world

While Emerie could just be referring to the dangerous jungle surrounding the lab, I think she’s also talking about the galaxy at large. Emerie has been with Hemlock most of her life so it’s safe to assume he’s the one who convinced her that it’s safer inside the lab than outside as a way of keeping her under his control.

2. If you leave you’ll die

Hemlock argues that Batcher was too weak to be released into the wild but Omega has faith that she can survive and knows she deserves a chance. Then the camera cuts to Emerie and we realize Batcher is a metaphor for Emerie. Once again, we see the effects Hemlock’s teachings have had on Emerie. She is resigned to the fact that to leave would be a death sentence. But Omega exposes her to a new point of view. Maybe she can leave. Maybe she can survive. Either way she deserves a chance at a free life.

3. Mother knows best

“This is for your own good” is always a red flag but who was the first person to say that to Emerie? Who told her to stop asking questions? I can’t help but imagine a young Emerie more like Omega being told by Hemlock that every terrible thing he did was for her own good until she didn’t question it anymore. Hemlock controls her so much even when she wants to disobey him it’s as though she physically cannot. (Sorry the video has no sound)

Despite all this, Emerie still tries to help Omega in what little ways she can like letting her keep her doll. Even when she tries to stop Omega and Crosshair from escaping it’s because she genuinely believes if they leave they’ll die.

Anyway in conclusion Emerie deserves a happy ending and Hemlock needs to suffer.

[traveller-of-word-and-screen]

I was thinking about Ventress’s words a bit today. Specifically about how “the truth is rarely comforting”

I think that applies to Omega, but I think it also applies to us as an audience. We do want to know what is up with Omega. Is her blood special because she has an M-count is it special for another reason? Is it special for both? I think when we finally get that answer which I assume will be in the season final. At least a clear cut answer anyway. I think it will be more weird and strange than we can imagine and I am here for it.

Make the force strange again.

Now I also want to take a moment to analyze what those words really mean. Ventress doesn’t care about Omega when she says “the truth is rarely comforting” but she does at the end. It’s very obvious that Omega reminds Ventress of what the pirates and Sith took from her. She was taken away as like a 4 year old by a slaver, soon after which he would die. Then she would spend about ten years with Nerec, only for him to be killed by pirates. She wants Omega to have the life she never did which is why she lies at the end. Because she is right the truth wouldn’t help Omega.

But I also think this episode is showing why she should have told the truth anyway. She beat the bad batch without breaking a sweat if any trained force user came up against the bad batch above the level of the 6th brother they would lose. They have trouble protecting Omega from just normal non force sensitive individuals. The bad batch is inadequate to protect her.

Lastly Ventress’s comments of “the empire won’t stop” are right on the money. It doesn’t matter if they are on Pabu or anywhere else. So long as she is a target of the empire and important to them they will never stop. Especially with her seemingly being the key to Palpatine’s survival.

That’s why I only see the show ending in two ways. She either will fake her death so convincingly that the empire just thinks she is a lost cause. Or she leaves the batch. Just because Hemlock dies doesn’t mean the empire stops. And if Hemlock dies that’s when the big guns such as Vader or the inquistorious gets called in.

[cross-my-heartt]

Nitpicking episode four (affectionately so)

I know this may be controversial but sometimes we nitpick things out of love and that is very much the case for me here.

I love so much about episode four and much of it has already been talked about but I would still tweak some things to make it perfect because I'm an incorrigible Crosshair girlie and I'll both dissect and cherish every moment he's in the limelight while it still lasts.

Anyway without further ado

1.) Crosshair's recklessness. I love me a trigger happy sniper but my man would never come so close to decking that imperial officer.

By all means that should have been Omega. Crosshair's motto has always been playing it safe (the thematic manifestation of dispatching danger from a safe distance). The point of him staying with the Empire is that despite the drawbacks and the Empire's moral corruption, they would have been 'safer' there.

Crosshair is willing to tolerate a lot if it's in the name of safety and the only times he's downright reckless is when he's pushed to the brink (killing Nolan, escaping Tantiss). Omega on the other hand has already shown that she has a lower tolerance for injustice. Her standing up to Hemlock earlier in the season was a reminder of that and it would have been more consistent to make her the one nearly provoked into a confrontation here.

So I would have had him holding her back here seeing as assessing danger and realizing the benefit of laying low is something Crosshair should be better at between the two of them.

2.) Huge missed opportunity to make Crosshair and Omega cooperate during the gambling scene. It was fun to see them bump heads but I would have loved to see more of them cooperating in creative ways, like Crosshair using reflections to see the officer's hand and helping Omega cheat the game.

Otherwise I would have made it a game of Dejarik. Because we have context for her being good at that while we haven't seen her play much sabacc so far. It's kind of like saying that if you're good at chess you're automatically good at poker.

3.) This could just be me but that moment where it seemed like Crosshair was about to let Omega go after Batcher alone felt off for his character. Crosshair lives to fight for a cause and I'm pretty sure it's been established that Omega is that cause now.

The best explanation I can think of is that he was bluffing and I can completely see him doing that in an attempt to change her mind. If it were me I would have made it look more like a dropped bluff and less like a 'this could have gone either way situation'.

4.) Would have loved to see them resolve the escape situation a bit more creatively too. I'm not a fan of the all the creature moments (don't love them in the new Vader run either) and a cute little team up between these two, combining their shooting abilities and using stealth and the terrain in their favor would have been cool to see. And just imagine Crosshair caving in at the very end, agreeing to let the animals go anyway after Omega has puppy eyed him into doing it.

Ten out of ten would have lived for that.

5.) The tremor. Where is it?? Why aren't we seeing more of it??? This really should be a bigger deal, I really need it to be a bigger deal. Yes, we see him miss a lot of shots but I need more.

6.) Reunion. This is the hardest for me to criticize because it does make for some great drama and a great cliffhanger but I'm more for putting character before entertainment.

The only way I see them making dagger eyes at someone they were ride or die determined to rescue not too long ago is if they still suspect Crosshair of setting up some kind of trap. Which is a bit of a reach this far into the plot.

Character wise it just isn't a logical decision for me.

But yeah, I suppose it all depends on where they take this scene from here. Let me know what you think.

[marvel-starwarsfangirl]

Ep. 15 "The Cavalry Has Arrived" Review

To say that I am happy is an understatement. I am beyond satisfied with the finale of TBB. For me, it was perfect and I cried several times. This was about a family. Of course, there are small things I would've liked to see more of, but that's more nitpicking. I watched the finale twice today and I am happy. I guess if I had to say anything, it's that I wanted more. I love these characters and I could spend hours with them.

From a more constructive criticism side (just to get it out of the way): I definitely think the writers needed more time overall with this show. There are corners that had to be cut and you can see it. The pacing is rushed at times. While I'm still happy with the final result, you can tell it really needed more time for character moments. I don't necessarily blame the writers; I blame Disney for not giving them more time. Jen and Brad are very capable of both action and character depth, but it's clear they didn't have the time for both.

On another note, the music and animation were phenomenal. The rain animation looked so real to me, especially when dripping off of the characters. Everything was stunning. And the music, like my gosh. The Kiners popped off here. Crosshair's theme and Omega's theme are two absolutely beautiful pieces of music and I really enjoyed hearing them throughout the episode. And my gosh, tension during the final stand against Hemlock was perfect. The music was incredible and I rewatch that sequence because of it (and other things).

Spoiler time; you know the drill 😎 This will be long, fair warning.

Crosshair's conversation with Wrecker and Hunter was truly heartbreaking. You can hear the guilt in his voice, especially when he admits he feels like he deserves to 'Plan 99' himself. To hear Crosshair admit that hurt. His past mistakes weigh heavily on him. However, I loved that Hunter stepped up and told him no. Family sticks together no matter what. It's a far cry from S1, where Hunter and Cross both left each other. But now, nothing will split their little family up. Crosshair's theme playing over that whole sequence had me in shambles.

The whole fight sequences with the operatives was also really well done. I can't imagine what would've happened if Hemlock managed to condition the boys. Omega got Cross out at the right time; if he'd stay'd there a few weeks longer, then Hemlock would've definitely adjusted the conditioning machine in time to fully break him. Luckily, Crosshair avoided that fate. Still, to know that he suffered in that machine for 5 months is heartbreaking. The operatives are true killing machines, devoid of life.

I can't believe I live in a world where Crosshair got Jaime Lannister'd. AND IM A HARDCORE JAIME STAN. This wasn't on my 2024 bingo card! I will say though, I can see why some people personally don't agree with it as a writing decision. Cutting off his had doesn't magically "fix" anything; it honestly will just add to his trauma. But at the same time, I love whump and there is symbolism of Crosshair being truly free. He is now just Crosshair and that's enough.

Omega really learned from the best, didn't she? Seeing her help the other kids and free the Zillo was epic. I got so many Ezra vibes from her as she slipped in and out of the vents of Tantiss. The faith and trust she has in her brothers is truly heartwarming. And it makes the epilogue feel even sweeter. Omega knows they raised her well and she can take care of herself because of that. She's grown so much since that first time seeing her on Kamino. It feels like looking in a mirror sometimes, at least for me. I see a lot of my life reflected in her, just like I do with Crosshair. It hits home.

The final standoff with Hemlock was definitely my favorite part outside the ending. I loved the music, the animation, and seeing Hunter and Crosshair work together. There is such trust between the brothers and Omega. Despite Crosshair's worries, there is no moment that Hunter doubts Crosshair's abilities. Hunter knows Cross will make it. He assures Cross that Omega also trusts her brother's abilities. And the hug after Hemlock died was so beautiful. I love that Omega hugged Crosshair first; he needed that.

Hemlock's demise was perfect. I kept joking that I just wanted him to fall off of Tantiss because it would be so pathetic. And guess what? He did fall off of Tantiss (after getting shot before hand).

Echo of course was awesome! Loved how he commented that he knew Omega was the one to release the Zillo. I also loved how he did get to fulfill his wish of freeing the clones and even lead them into battle against the operatives. The last domino still stands and I couldn't be happier. (Also glad that Emerie lived. She deserved it after realizing how messed up everything was).

Nala Se and Rampart were also handled well. Rampart never changed and I'm glad he didn't. Some people are just not nice, even after getting served humble juice. Meanwhile, I will cut Nala Se some slack. I will never forget Fives. However, she did save Omega so there's that. And she took out Rampart.

Overall, I'm just really glad that everyone made it out in the end. I would've been fine with a sacrifice, but the Batch was constantly being forcibly split apart, I'm glad that they now get a break and can be family. (Tech lives on in all their hearts). They will be ok and they know that. TBB was my comfort show and seeing that final shot of the Batch reminded me that I will be ok. Stuff happens, but somehow, things will work themselves out.

And the epilogue! I wish we got old man Crosshair and Wrecker (maybe one day we will), but it makes sense why it was only Hunter and Omega. He's her primary father figure and their relationship has been one of the driving forces of the show. For so long, Hunter has been very protective Omega, almost going too far at times. However, he learns to let her go and trusts that she will be ok. He is at peace knowing he, Wrecker, and Crosshair (and Tech + Echo) raised her well. It reminded me so much of my own experiences with my parents and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect epilogue. It also hit hard seeing Omega as an adult; she was so tiny in the beginning.

Anyways, that was a long review. I am overall thrilled with the final and I'm glad everything wrapped up neatly. I'm sure we will see Wolffe, Cody, and Rex in another project; their story isn't over. But Clone Force 99's is. They struggled so much and are now finally able to rest. The epilogue confirms that Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair got to grow old and watch their kid grow up. For me, there's such a beauty to that. In a galaxy that is riddled by war and darkness, there is hope for a better future. The Bad Batch started as a group of "defective" clones, but in the end, they became something so much more: a family. And in my eyes, that is the perfect ending.

[badbatcher-99]

Season Finale Predictions

⚠️ Y’all know the drill ⚠️ spoilers below ⬇️

We’re doomed …

Haha just kidding let’s get into it 👏 there is so much that can happen this episode I think it’s pretty much impossible to predict what’s going to happen. I mean there are a few things we can predict but as to how the other 90% of this finale is going to go is beyond me.

1) zillo beast 💕

first things first… not so much a prediction as more of truth… we know omega is going to free the zillo beast, we don’t know how and we don’t know how that’s going to affect everything else. She could release it early on, or it be released late in the game. I can certainly see it being released pretty early or atleast halfway through the episode to amp up the stakes, cause the zillo beast is her own being, she’s pretty angry, and she is going to rampage against everything. I don’t think anyone is going to be able to control her. Her release is not only going to be problem for hemlock but for the bad batch and omega as well even if it does serve to help them out in some way. It certainly adds some unpredictability to the episodes events. Just like her first appearance in the bad batch, she is very much Alien esque. She’s in the walls, she’s hiding, you never quite know where she is or where she will strike next. She’s big so she’s gong to cause carnage but she’s going to go where she wants. I place my money on the fact that she will destroy Tantis and also kill hemlock or in someway be responsible for his demise. Hemlock said to omega ��actions have consequences” or to some effect if that… and that’s what this will end up being for him. I can very well imagine somehow after the climax hemlock is able to scurry away, and he thinks he’s in the clear only for the zillo beast to pop up and gobble him up. Think like that imperial captain dying at the end of s3e4. A small part of season 3 has also been showing how far reaching hemlock’s research has been: the clones, the creepy black vines, palpatine clones, the children, the zillo beast. I think it’s safe to say that after all the harm he’s done, his experiments are going to bite back hard. He’s going to get what’s coming to him.

2) Emerie and Echo

I think omega and the children are going to escape before emerie and echo get to them. There’s no reason for the writers to show us omegas escape plan if she was going to get saved before she could even execute it. I think echo and emerie are actually going to end up being the ones to release the clone prisoners. They either do this before going to find omega or after they find out omegas escaped. I can very well see them letting the prisoners go first… and then before they can even head towards omega the zillo beast is unleashed and all plans are thrown out the window. This is one of the predictions that I’m pretty unsure about, I can see this happening in just not sure how it will happen and how it will seamlessly meld with the plot. I also am not sure how emerie would be able to get echo down to the vault anyway. It seems like only commandos are allowed down that far so unless they find a commando uniform I don’t think they are going to make it all the way there without raising suspicion.

3) CX-2

Lots of opportunities for CX-2 in the finale. These two images pretty much foreshadow some shadow clone captain or leader making an appearance in the end. He’s got different armor and a pretty brutal looking weapon

Now I’m not sure if CX-2 is going to be the one to use the big suit or if there is another clone that has been brainwashed specifically to wear this suit. My money is on Hemlock unleashing CX-2 to find and eliminate the bad batch. It’s obvious they are making their way slow and steady towards the base, hemlocks trick card is the shadow clones, he uses them to get what he wants and I have no doubts he’ll use CX-2 to clean up this mess. I don’t know if this confrontation will happen outside or inside the base though. Cause CX-2 has been a thorn in the batches side for a few episodes, especially to crosshair. I think either we get another one on one battle between CX-2 and crosshair or we get the whole batch versus CX-2. I can see both happening. The major question though is “is CX-2 tech?” If he is then I think we would get the whole squad versus tech so that there’s the shared experience of his reveal. But if it’s not I can see a one on one fight being the way to go because overcoming Cx-2 is like a finale to crosshairs character arc, he’s overcoming his past. Im not really sure when this reveal would happen though. I can see it happening early on or in the middle. I’d really like it if it happened earlier on then we would get the whole squad going in… i wouldn’t really want it to be a middle part of the episode cause I think the much meaner looking CX clone is going to be one of the main bosses… though if it turns out the meaner looking CX outfit is just an outfit meant to be worn by CX-2 then yeah I can see this fight happening in the middle of the episode. Idk this is getting pretty complicated. A tech reveal would be a major moment, so I don’t know how early in the episode that can happen. My other theory is that the meaner looking clone is Cody, but I’m not really behind it.

4) Rex and the clone rebellion

I 100% believe Rex is going to arrive with the clone rebellion. I think in echos last moments on the ship he was able to get word out. But not sure how he could do that if long range coms are monitored. I’d like to think that when Rex arrives, Wolfe is with him 💕 and that’s how we get the how did wolffe leave the empire reveal. Bonus points if Gregor is right beside them too and we get the old man trio ! I think there will be a tag up with the clone prisoners and it’ll be a storm trooper versus clone trooper battle. Hopefully scorch gets his head banged a bit and joins the fight with the clones.

5) rampart!

This is so up in the air. Last time we saw rampart he was confronted by storm troopers. But not necessarily captured. The bad batch may swoop on and rescue him. Other wise I guess rampart gets taken to the base. Not sure what’s going to happen from there… I mean hemlock already knows the bad batch are out to save omega haha 🤣 what other info are you going to ask for or need. Not sure if rampart would give the bad batch up or not…. But hear me out I actually think somehow rampart is going to be roped into helping these kids find their way home. I know…. It’s crazy…. But what other narrative purpose will rampart serve. He’s on Tantis for a reason, the writers have something in store for him I just am not sure if it’s good or bad. With all the talk of the empire betraying him and crosshairs change I’d like to think that rampart will turn a new leaf too.

6) omega and the children.

Omega is def freeing that zillo beast. I’m not sure to what extent that means for her. Is she freeing it and then coming back to the vault??? Or is she taking the children with them. The problem is that those kids aren’t as trained as her and there’s even a baby … I’m not sure they would make it though the walls like omega did. Would omega let the zillo beast go and return to the others and try and escape through the door with all the chaos??? Or is she going to go around and free them herself??? It’s really up in the air at this point. And when they do escape what then? Kind of nervous that we will get a parallel scene to that one part of the episode with the bounty hunters in season 1 where she is looking into the tubes of the dead kaminoin bodies except this time it’s with a palpatine clone ya know very creepy. Really hope the final climax isn’t in the vault… but it could be I just don’t see how everyone would end up down there. It’ll be very interesting if that is what ends up happening.

7) hunter, crosshair and wrecker

I …. Do not know…. I’m not sure how they will get into Tantis base … maybe they’ll use batchers kennel again??? Not sure… as for what they do once they are inside there’s a lot that could happen. But out of all the pieces on the board these are the ones I’m the most unsure about.

8) Tantis

I would very much like to see the whole place in flames, I want it absolutely wrecked, I want to be able to see the sky and see sparks and embers. I want climatic battles as smoke and fire rages around the opponents. I don’t want clean sterile battle rooms, I need there to be absolute chaos. I need to see it be a battlefield. I can 100% see a parallel to the Clone wars ending but with hunters helmet. Where his helmet is on the steel floor, broken surround by embers and smoke, the reflection is of the bad batch running away to escape the flames of Tantis. It would be … amazing

9) the end / epilogue

A big theme of this show has been about settling down and family. I 100% believe we are going to see the bad batch get their happy ending, they will finally be able to live in peace on some random planet on the outer rim. I’m not really sure what will happen to emerie or the remaining shadow clones. I thought that maybe the shadow clones would actually be a good plot point for a clone rebellion show but it seems like the shadow clones are directly tied to hemlock and may not be able to be continued without his presence. Tho I wouldn’t put it past tarkin to swoop in and continue it himself by stealing the brainwashing machines not really sure how he would do that. If the shadow clone story continue though then I can very well see emerie being a MC in the clone rebellion show as she has a lot of information on that kind of research probably. But I can also see emerie being in charge of helping the kids find their way home. My biggest fear is that omega would go with them but I can see her saying her good byes and wishing them all luck. I don’t know if emerie will survive by the end of the show but if she does I can also see her coming to stay with the batch too… or at-least adventuring out on her own now that she is free. Anyway back to the batch 😭 I don’t think they would live by themselves… I think it’s likely that the citizens of Pabu would relocate to another planet possibly and that’s where the batch stay with. Though I don’t like the idea of them leaving the archium behind. I would LIKE for everyone to stay on pabu but the empire knows about it now… maybe the empire won’t even bother coming back since there’s pretty much no resources there and it’s unstable… (with all the earthquakes ya know ) if tech IS alive then you bet your bottom dollar we are getting a reunion KISS!!! Dee also mentioned that there is an epilogue and I’m about to cry cause this can be really anything.

It could be a few weeks or months after the escape. We see everyone settled and happy

It could be a few years down the line, maybe omega has decided to go off and explore the galaxy on her own and the batch have to let her go

It could be MANY years down the line to the point where the empire has been defeated. In this case we either get old men bad batch or … dare I say it omega talking to their graves 😭 I wouldn’t mind the old man path though cause 1) I would like to see that haha 🤣 2) it shows they all lived happy lives to the end. But I don’t mind just a few weeks or years after the escape too really leaves it open ended. I think watching the bad batch let omega go to go on her own journey is pretty on the nose to what Dee said about the shows ending reminding him of his own path raising his daughters.

Anyway!!!! That’s all I have pretty much at the moment. The only thing I have is I have some theories about what the bad batch would do in their retirement haha but that’s for another post.

I salute you all, it’s been a joy speculating with y’all 💕

[robertfettuccine]

My Post-May the Fourth Bad Batch Thoughts

there's lots of 'em

[spoilers]

To start off, I was So excited for the finale I stayed up to watch it when it came out (1am in my time zone) and idk it didn’t feel worth it to do that during finals week after watching the ep

Maybe I had too high expectations but I figured that to wrap up the entire show we’d at least get an hour? Maybe more? I was hoping for something like the s1 premiere but no 51 minutes and you suffer.

Ok I've decided to put my thoughts into 15 minute increments for Organization Purposes

Part One thoughts:

Ok so right away I feel the "wrecker is gonna die" vibes. "Can you make it?" "Try and stop me." It feels very final it feels like he won't. I def thought my first time around that he wasn't gonna make it

The way Hemlock holds that gloved hand... I thought surely that had to be important somehow. I've been wondering about it since he was introduced.

Echo looks like handsome squidward sorry

The way Omega rewires the droid.. Tech. But the way she starts giving orders to the rest of the kids is so Hunter. She really is her fathers' (plural) daughter.

Sidenote the way her theme combines with a light, string-heavy version of the Bad Batch theme while she and the kids are getting ready to leave the vault... mmmm me when music

Ok back to the Batch and ough.. Wrecker is seriously hurt this had me so nervous they're out of med patches I thought for Sure he was gone

Imagine you're in the military and you get sent to some super secret boring base and your whole job is to stand around and guard a submerged lizard (?) and you're already confused and over it and then you find a bunch of kids in your walls???

WOw this is really minor but the cut from the kids and the Zillo to Echo and Emerie at 9:46 felt Really awkward. That's all.

the HAND thing again what is With that Hemlock??

Wrecker again with the Dying

REX MENTION!!!!! WTF IS A BAD HELMET PAINT JOB

"Clone Force 99 died with Tech" what a great line. If only it carried emotional weight within the rest of the story. If only the character's actions made that make sense. Hmm.

"If we all go in, we're not all making it out" see this is why I thought I was getting rogue one'd

"Omega needs you both" is sweet and cool, but she doesn't. She's proved this whole season that she's competent on her own. Idk.

Plan 99 namedrop? Also crosshair's self hatred and guilt is so devastating he's constantly trying to atone and it's so.....

Tech namedrop????? And for WHAT??????????

nOO that stormtrooper.. they done squished his ass

Jax is afraid of heights! Just like Wrecker!! Good character moment for everybody.

Part 1 TLDR: The first third of this episode was full of contrast, which was super interesting to watch. Omega and the kids are doing great, the lighting on them is generally softer and.. idk, lighter. They get hopeful music and they succeed. The Batch on the other hand..... everything is so ominous. It feels like somebody's gonna die (and it feels like it's Wrecker). My main gripes: some of the jump cuts feel like the episode was hastily stitched together and they don't make sense, I don't really know what to do with that knowledge. The Plan 99 conversation didn't make any sense within the context of this season (I'll elaborate later). Positives: Omega is really winning this ep, you can see all of her brothers in her and it's beautiful. What they've done with her theme in the music I Love. That moment with Omega and Jax when he says he's afraid of heights is really sweet.

Part Two Thoughts:

Ok starting off strong, Scorch questioning his orders for a bit? He's going to lose brothers? The door closes before we can hear what he says over the comm? I really thought maybe Scorch redemption.

Ok Hemlock is activating the CXs. There's four of them.

They all have different armor.. and different body types.. very similar to the batch....... hmmmmmmm

CX-2!! *clown noises*

Ok close up on the same CXs from before. One of them uses blades. One has.. sci-fi brass knuckles? CX-2 is there. This feels like Evil Bad Batch.

THE CLOSE UP ON CX-2 SPECIFICALLY WHY IS HE IMPORTANT

wrecker dying again uhnnnnnnhnhhhhhhhhhh

The brass knuckles CX just grabbed a panel of Something and used it as a shield. That's Plan 82. That's Wrecker's job.

WHY IS THERE ONE WITH GOGGLES JUST LIKE TECH'S? WHY

Goggles clone duel wields sword-vibroblades. ?

The one with the staff.. Hunter?

Ok Vibro-Sword CX, why toss the Sword to CX-2 so he can cut off Crosshair's hand? Why not just do it yourself? Those things have enough reach that he could have sliced it off himself.

The way CX-2 talks is Just like Crosshair. The inflections are exactly the same.

Ok I get Hemlock's a sadist but why keep the Batch alive at all? Seems like that's more dangerous than experimenting on them is productive

Echo and Omega's reunion is lovely. "Hey kid. And... other kids." he's doing amazing

Using the Chief Scientist's datapad just like last time Omega escaped... nice.

Hemlock's hand again.

Ok so crosshair just gets a hand stump and we move on?? This whole scene felt weird and out of place to me but Especially that.

Yeah!! Clone rebellion. Echo is Fives if he won (and had no melanin)

Maybe Electrostaff CX is Wrecker? He seems taller and has a wider build.

But nvm Brass Knuckles CX plays wrecker's part in the batch and Electrostaff doesn't

GOGGLES AGAIN WITH THE SWORDS?? WhY isn't CX-2 fighting with the rest why is he with Hemlock why does he stand out so much WHY

"My work will always be Kaminoan" yeah Nala Se isn't redeemed for me she's still a supremacist and a eugenicist and she and Rampart both deserved what they got. Satisfying ending for them both though.

Part 2 TLDR: This part had a ton of potential. There were a lot of suspenseful and mysterious shots. The story started getting more intense, even though the kids escaped successfully. There was weight there, and as an audience we could tell how much was on the line. I loved watching this part. My main gripes: Honestly none with this part alone. All of it felt pretty in-character, it had depth, it had weight, and it had meaning in the story. It makes less sense when we get to Part 3 though. Positives: I absolutely loved watching this part of the ep. It had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out just what was going on with the CXs and who wasn't going to make it out. Giving Echo the chance to continue his brother's mission and free the clones was great. Nala Se and Rampart both got a fitting end, I was very satisfied with that as well.

Part Three Thoughts:

Wrecker is fighting Staff Guy (possibly Evil Wrecker) oh that would've been so cool

And they just STABBED HIM?? JUST LIKE THAT?? What was with the focus on CX-2 throughout the ENTIRE SEASON when he literally Didn't Matter At All???

We're not even gonna talk about the hand then huh. Ok.

Closeup of the Goggles Helmet?? What was the purpose. What was it.

And then they have SOmeone pick up the sword and helmet all ominously and then it's just some guy. We see his face. It kinda looks too small for his body. Like bad photoshop

Ok so echo doesn't have lungs? or like..

There is Such a focus on the Goggles. Like we were never supposed to see his face. Like it was maybe supposed to be suspenseful.

Ok why so ominous if Wrecker is just gonna shove his face into a wall instantly? Why all the suspense and cool shots?

When CX-2's ship blew up I thought for sure it was from Rex or Phee's ship. But no. (can regular DC-15s even Do that?)

HNNNNNHG wet hair Hunter

SCORCH?? Ok so he could have been some random guy and it wouldn't have made a difference. What was the purpose. Why did he have a name? Why bring in a Legends character just to get rid of him in the most anticlimactic way possible?

Hemlock threatening Omega literally doesn't make any sense? It carries Zero weight. Omega even brings it up and Hemlock doesn't respond. Because it doesn't make sense for his character. Why.

Nice little callback with Crosshair's shoulder rest

Crosshair shooting Omega's binders off should be a tense moment but it's not. There's nothing at stake here. We know he won't shoot Omega. What am I supposed to be feeling?

Ok seeing Hemlock just get absolutely Pelted was nice

She hugged Crosshair first. Maybe we can start resolving some of his guilt. If we actually took time to show characters processing their emotions.

We're Still not talking about the hand? That feels notable, is that just me???

Ok and everyone just.. leaves. We just leave. It's done? Where was the climax supposed to be genuine question

Ok so we're namedropping now. Project Stardust with a nice subtle imperial march in the background. Okay?

We are back on Pabu now. The clone kids are there. The clones are there. The kids are there. Emerie is there. Everybody's happy.

Where is Phee?

Echo's ending is actually fine. I went into this ep the first time thinking for Sure he was going to die. Instead he's doing what Fives died trying to do. He's the last Domino but he doesn't have to fall and I think that's ok. But why isn't he with Rex in Rebels?

"With Hemlock gone, and his data destroyed, they're finally safe" - M. Night Shyamalan in the ATLA movie because we must Tell our audience Everything. Seriously why are we telling the audience something they can see? Why does Omega say that out loud? Nobody would say that. It's obvious. That line was just SO out of place

No real goodbyes for Echo though? No sweet character moments? No reactions from anyone?

Nice clones theme though. Fives would be proud.

All the dialogue between Omega and Hunter in this final scene just feels so.. off. Lazy. Show us what's going on, don't tell.

Why do Crosshair and Wrecker feel like such an afterthought here? Why is it so Awkward? Why were they over saying goodbye to Echo and Omega and Hunter weren't? It feels like they weren't supposed to make it out. It feels weird. It feels forced.

Part 3 TLDR: This was the part of the ep that just fell flat for me. It had some cool moments, but it felt really rushed and poorly thought out. It feels very out of place with the previous 30mins. It almost feels to me like it was rewritten, although I may just be delusional. My main gripes: This part of the ep should have had the big emotional moments and also wrapped up all the loose ends introduced in the rest of the season. It did none of that for me. Why cut off Crosshair's hand to have none of the characters really acknowledge his sacrifice? That isn't a resolution to his arc. None of the Things that happened to the Batch this season were processed at all, and everyone except Hunter and Omega was pretty much sidelined towards the end. CX-2, who was built up all season, died in a super unsatisfying way. The dialogue and staging of that final scene felt super off. The cavalry never arrived. Positives: As always, the Kiners killed it. The music was great. I love a happy ending, that rarely happens in Star Wars and I would've absolutely eaten it up under the right circumstances. Watching Hemlock finally get it was super satisfying. Echo's ending as a continuation of the Domino Squad's quest for clone individuality was really fitting actually. That One shot of Tantiss... glorious.

Epilogue Thoughts:

The way the city is set up on Pabu makes it look just like Tantiss in the overhead shot.

Aww the red bandana in Omega's hair

Hunter aged much better than Rex.

"We want to keep you safe" "You're our kid Omega" OK WHERE IS THE WE? WHERE IS THE OUR????

Ha she's taller than him short king Hunter wins

"Keep an eye on Wrecker and Crosshair" you're not gonna say bye? They aren't gonna see you off?? No way Wrecker would be ok with that

The GOGGLES :((((

Omega's lil salute like Tech in S2E4 Faster my heart

Where are Crosshair and Wrecker in the epilogue. It feels like a weird choice to leave them out. They're just as much her dads as Hunter is.

Epilogue TLDR: Honestly I liked that this was their ending. Finally, some Star Wars characters can have peace. With that said, My main gripes: significant lack of Crosshair and Wrecker, who absolutely wouldn't have let omega leave without saying goodbye. Similarly, lack of Phee, who seemed to be becoming a mother figure to Omega. I can't imagine she wouldn't have seen her daughter off. Positives: old Hunter. We don't get to see that many clones age, and Rebels animation, as much as I love it, just didn't quite do it justice. It was great to see some characters get to actually live out full (ish) lives at peace. Also older Omega's character design was peak.

Oooookay so this ended up being a Lot longer than I intended it to be when I started writing it but I just had a lot of thoughts on the finale and needed to put them somewhere. I loved the experience of being a part of the Bad Batch fandom from start to finish, and I made some great memories for sure. While the finale wasn't necessarily what I was hoping for from this show, I loved being delusional with everybody. Plus, this isn't the end. (we know they won't give up the clone wars animation style it makes them too much money)

[captaineyayah]

Happy Bad Batch eve, y’all ! Who else is absolutely terrified, excited, and ready to accept that they’re going to spend most of tomorrow in some sort of haze! I still don’t think I’ve truly processed that this is the final episode, but to help me cope I thought I’d share some of my anxiety riddled (probably delusional) theories about what the finale will bring.

First of all, I don’t think that this show will end like Rogue One did. I have seen people theorize that only Omega and the other kids will be the ones to successfully make it off of Tantiss, but this series has had such a focus on family that I can’t imagine that they would leave Omega on her own without any of her brothers. I also want to say that I don’t think that it will only be Omega and one other member of the Bad Batch who survives. I don’t think that they would kill off 4/6 of the main characters. Star Wars has always been about hope, even in the moments that seem hopeless, and I think that killing off over half of the characters would make this ending way more bitter than the bittersweet people keep talking about.

Secondly, for whoever does die (hopefully no one – except Hemlock), I cannot see any of these characters going out in any other way aside from self-sacrifice or as a catalyst for something. At this point, there is no way they would just randomly kill off one of these characters without it meaning something.

Moving onto the individual characters:

Wrecker is who I am honestly the least worried about. Do I think there is a 100% guarantee that he’ll live – no – but I do think that if they were going to pick one or two Bad Batch members to sacrifice themselves, I don’t think Wrecker would be their first choice.

Next up is Hunter and, honestly, I think I might be in the minority thinking that he might make it out of everything alive. I definitely wouldn’t put money on it, but his and Omega’s relationship has been a focal point of the show since day one, so I think that there is a chance that that’ll be how it ends. Now, can I also definitely see Hunter doing the sacrificial play or pulling an Uno reverse card on one of his siblings who tries to sacrifice themselves, putting himself in their place instead – yes…

This one might be a little more delusional than some of the others, and I have way more thoughts on him that I didn't include cause he's my favorite and this is long enough already, but there are basically two ways I can logically see Echo’s fate ending. Either he is the one to sacrifice himself (Filoni, I am in your fucking walls if you do anything to my boy!) or he is one of the ones to make it out, maybe not unscathed but alive. Midway through the season, I had started thinking that Echo wasn’t in enough of the episodes to make his death impactful, but with how competent he has shown to be in the past couple of episodes I’m starting to get worried. I do not know what they are setting up with his scomp getting stuck and I do not like it. There are also the parallels that everyone keeps pointing out between him and Fives in the stolen, blank armor and that does significantly scare me, but maybe this time he is successful in saving his brothers where Fives failed. Emotionally speaking, please, my boy has been through enough, let him live a happy little life after all the turmoil he’s been through! Please, I am begging you!

Finally, Crosshair is the one that if you had asked me when season 2 started coming out who I thought wouldn’t make it to the end of the series, I would have said him. Something about the line Rampart says about seeing how much Crosshair has actually changed from being just loyal to himself to being loyal to more than that makes me think that he’s going to sacrifice himself for his family, for the other kids, for the other clones. I can totally see Hunter trying to pull the sacrifice play, then Crosshair shoving him out of the way at the last second and doing it himself. I’ve seen people talk about how it would be a waste of his redemption arc that they’ve been building over the past two seasons, but this is also such a common trope that I can’t help but think it is a possibility.

Or maybe everybody survives and goes to live happily ever after on Pabu, and we're all stressed for absolutely nothing! (*muffled sobbing in the distance*)

[inthemiddle0feverywhere]

Bad Batch Season 3 Episode 4 thoughts (scattered) and initial reactions (rambling)

Nothing is even proof read and my brain is faster than my fingers so

Also I have very long nails and often click the wrong button

Anyway

Spoilers below the cut

(Update I rewatched and had more thoughts)

SCREAMING SCREAMING THE WHOLE TIME

God I was so stressed now I need to rewatch because I know how it goes and I don’t need to be anxious

Batcher kicking crosshair’s seat lmaoooo

Needing to change outfits “isn’t this better?🥰” “No” 😂😂 we officially have ray of sunshine and grumpy black cloud dynamic (my favorite)

Also only being able to see his eyes 🔥🔥🔥 (even if it looks like he’s wearing a toilet seat- seriously what is that thing)

I love that omega’s pony tail has a little bump at the back, thinking about when I was little and trying to put my hair up by myself god it was such a lumpy and bumpy mess. I doubt anyone would have shown her how on tantiss only telling her she needs to keep her hair out of her face. She’s just a little girl who had to take care of herself all those months. Like the kaminoans were bald, the other clones were men. Where would she have even learned how to do a pony? Emrie? (Hunter? 🤭)

“I can take half of them out before they know what’s happening” “how about we try not killing everyone in sight? 🥰🤗” “booooooooo”

I just know Cross is secretly proud of his gambling sister kicking ass and hustling money

The captain gave me such gross vibes I just know he smells bad

Crosshair clicking his tongue at batcher idk it did something to me it was so cute

And then her licking him later like sorry crossy you’re a dog dad now

Speaking of dads: “I’ve never seen you or your dad before” *nick miller screams.* CROSSDAD! CROSSDAD!!! 🥰🥰🥰

WELCOME TO JURASSIC PARK

I know Dee is the voice of Batcher- do you think he made all the animals sounds? Is he just in a sound booth making animal noises

Ugh sobbing at the reunion 😭😭😭 literally water works

Noooo what is this face off at the end everyone put your eyebrows back up in a relaxed position and unclench those jaws and fists

Does Omega’s glove have a bottle opener on it?

I can’t wait for the reaction to the new puppy 😄

Also guys, omega kept saying we need to contact Hunter and Wrecker (sad she doesn’t say echo :/) so I think Crosshair knows about Tech. Either she told him while she visited him or perhaps Hemlock told him as another form of torture, that his brother fell trying to rescue him (maybe that’s why he look soooo terrible in the hallway on ep 1) I’m sure omega confirmed it also

Also I was expecting the clone cadets to pop out, I know they said they were taking them to pabu but still

Imagine omega does meet them and gets a lil crush on one omg Hunter would lose it lmaoooo

[wetcatspellcaster]

You've talked a bit about the Ascendant's motivations, but I have a question about Rosalie's. We know that she was trying to find ways to "fix her mistake", so to say, in not objecting to the ritual and letting Astarion ascend. True resurrection, Wish, etc. Obviously none of them were panning out until she met Hemlock and potentially has a lead for deciphering Wish.

Assuming he never did anything to lure her in, would she have kept looking for a solution for the rest of her life? Or would she have eventually given up and just kept in hiding forever so he couldn't find her? 10 years of looking for a solution to a seemingly impossible problem sound draining even without having to magically hide from your crazy ex and never being able to have another long term partner due to fears of what said crazy ex would do.

hahahaahahahaahahahahahahaha! this question! this question hurts me! in the best way!

so. um. here's the funny thing about your first Tav being defined by her break up with an ex that triggered her agoraphobia/anxiety/severe depression that then defined the next several years of her life and leaves her feeling like she'll never escape the shadow of her ex UNTIL she gets medicated by a tadpole and meets a new group of friends and then the new partner she's convinced she's unworthy of-

um-

yeah. so. I don't think. Rosalie. is very good at moving on.

Her break-up with Threnn was messy (I do stand by my argument made in Party Favours about it not being *about* Threnn, but about Rose's own mental health decline, and how trapped she becomes in one version of herself. my own understanding of my own depression means that the events that can lead people into their worst state often becomes decontextualised from the events that lead up to it, etc. Rose doesn't mourn Threnn, she mourns the person she was before Threnn, and feels trapped in the place she has reached, entirely separately of Threnn). But all that being said, the break up with Threnn did not have a body count. this one has a bodycount.

I genuinely do not think, given the steps she has taken to isolate herself and thus prevent herself from forming new, meaningful connections, Pieces Rosalie would never have stopped looking for a cure. it is extremely unhealthy, and it is extremely draining. Both parties in Pieces are very fucked up, it's just that Rosalie is quiet and self-destructive about it, and it's easier to stealth being fucked up when your ex is over there doing... whatever the fuck that is.

She would've continued to have a life that, from the outside, looks like it's successful and independent of Astarion and Ascendency, and is, at it's core.... completely defined by Astarion and Ascendency. She would have been very sad, and very lonely. I imagine she'd looked for cures so that her loneliness had a projected end-date, more for herself than anybody else.

Both of them become the worst and saddest versions of themselves in that timeline, the end. :(((((((

[littlesoka7567]

I wanna see Hunter just going absolutely feral.

Bad batch spoilers, rated M

Imagine he gets to the planet Omega and Crosshair are on. He manages to get into the base somehow, and he doesn’t even wait for Echo and Wrecker. He doesn’t use the stun feature. The entire landing pad is gone by the time the other two join him.

He’s pushing on, through hallways. He shoots down storm troopers as he goes, paying attention to which ones are just troopers and which ones look like higher ups.

“Um, Hunter?” Echo asks, his blaster raised but still cold from disuse.

Hunter finally finds an officer. Grabs him by the throat, slams him into the wall. “Where’s Hemlock?” He growls, teeth bared.

Echo and Wrecker pause behind him, blasters raised at the ready for any back up this officer may call.

“I don’t know,” the officer chokes, hands uselessly clawing at Hunter’s arms. “But if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”

“I believe you,” Hunter spits, and the blast in the officer’s stomach forces the man limp.

“Hunter?” Wrecker asks, eyes looking on worriedly.

Hunter doesn’t answer. He goes through a door. Another. Dead bodies pile up, never even had a chance to shoot back. Hunter doesn’t pause, doesn’t stop moving. He shoots as he goes.

Through another door. Down a flight of stairs. Another officer. He shoots everyone else, aims his blaster at the officer’s face. “Hemlock,” is all he says.

“I know where he is!” The officer says, hands raised in surrender. “I can take you to him!”

“Where is he?” Hunter growls.

“Floor -70. He’ll have heard the alarms by now. He’ll be in his bunker.”

Hunter shoves the man into Wrecker’s chest, who grabs him by the scruff of the neck and starts walking him to follow Hunter.

Elevators. Hunter fucking hates elevators. They’re slow, they force him to stand still. The officer won’t stop whimpering, face forced to look at the floor.

“Hunter,” Echo tries again.

Hunter works his jaw. Tilts his head just slightly to show he’s listening.

“What’s the plan?”

Hunter rolls his jaw again, looking back at the elevator doors. “Find Hemlock. Make him take us to Omega. Get out.”

“Are there any…in between steps?”

Hunter doesn’t answer. The door opens. He shoots down everyone running at him. Echo stuns the ones running away. Wrecker punches a few people in white coats standing in doorways.

“Take a left up here,” their captive whimpers out, refusing to look at the fallen teammates. “It’s a long hallway. His bunker will be at the very end.”

Hunter does. It’s only lab coats now. Hunter shoots them down, uncaring.

They reach the door, and Hunter kicks it in easily. It’s not a bunker. It’s an office. Hemlock isn’t there. He turns to their captive, fury turning his vision red.

“He’s supposed to be here!” The man cries, wincing as Wrecker’s hold tightens on his neck. “He said he would be here if there was ever an invasion.”

Hunter walks over to him, grabbing his chin. Wrecker lets go. The man whimpers, the words to beg for his life dying on his tongue. “I believe you,” Hunter says. For a second, a flicker of hope lights up the man’s eyes. But then those eyes go dull as Hunter quickly snaps his neck.

“Hunter!” Echo hisses, disapproval painting his voice.

Hunter ignores him. He pushes past them both, forcing his way back down the long corridor. He takes a right where he before took a left.

“Clones!” Wrecker yells, looking at the cells upon cells of locked up clones.

“I’ll let them out,” Echo says, something raw in his voice. “This must be where they’re taking the decommissioned clones. Rex was telling me about a mission to save-“

Hunter holds up a hand, indicating silence. Echo’s voice falters, stops.

Hunter listens. The prisoners are yelling, begging for release. Distractions. “Silence!” Hunter yells, after shooting three rounds into the ceiling.

Quiet. Good. He closes his eyes, focusing. “Wrecker, with me. Echo-go ahead.”

He feels more than sees Echo nod his affirmative, and he sets to work on unlocking the doors.

Hunter leads Wrecker down the hall. Left. Right. Another right. Through a door. Another left. Pauses, has to shoot a guard. Through a door.

Hunter raises the gun, aiming it at the woman in a white coat. “She looks important,” Wrecker says softly.

“My name is Emerie Karr,” she stutters out. “I’m the lead scientist.”

“And I care because?” Hunter growls, stepping forward and getting the blaster closer to her chest.

“I’m the one working on Omega and Crosshair.”

Hunter’s blood goes cold. He stops breathing. His hand shakes. “Where. Is. She?” He spits through gritted teeth.

“This way,” she says, but doesn’t indicate or move. She only stares at the blaster.

“Move!” Hunter yells, frightening her. She starts to back up, but realizes that’s not fast enough quickly. More rooms. Moor hallways. More doors. It takes no time at all and an eternity.

“She’s in this room,” Emerie says softly. “Hemlock is in there.”

“Open. The. Door.”

Wrecker moves closer, blaster trained on her. “I’ve got her, Hunter. You check it out.”

Hunter can barely hear over the blood pounding in his ears. The door opens. His blaster aims inward, no target yet. He looks around, his own breathing deafening him.

“Hunter!”

He almost breaks.

The high pitched voice is scared. Hunter momentarily worries he’s covered in blood. If he’s scaring her. But no; it’s not him. It’s Hemlock.

“Take one more step and I shoot her,” Hemlock’s low, soft voice lilts. As if he’s the one in control.

Hunter aims his blaster, teeth bared in aggression. “I won’t ask you twice,” Hunter spits.

Hemlock presses the gun more firmly into Omega’s temple, and the girl cries out in pain or fear. “You aren’t the one making demands here, Hunter.” His voice annoys Hunter, and the growl which rips through his throat is involuntary.

Hunter’s entire body is shaking with the desire to rip Hemlock apart. “Omega is too close,” Emerie whispers unhelpfully.

“Put the gun down, Hunter. It’s over. Put the gun down and let my scientist in the room. My guards will be here shortly.”

Hunter grins, too much teeth to be anything other than threatening. Any guards will be meeting the fury of countless decommissioned clones right about now.

Hemlock seems undeterred. “I’m only keeping her alive to control Nala Se. I don’t care if she lives or dies. Now that Nala Se has seen her, I can convince her Omega is safe and held in a cell. You’re the one who wants her alive.”

Hunter laughs, and it sounds so unlike anything he’s ever made before. “If you kill her, I will tear you apart, piece by piece, until you beg for mercy that won’t come.”

Hemlock has the sense to at least hesitate now. He looks between Hunter and Wrecker, whose gun is still aimed at Emerie.

Omega cries softly, not looking at Hunter anymore. “I’m scared,” she whispers.

Hunter fights back the urge to growl again. He works his jaw instead, eyes flicking from her to Hemlock. He sees movement behind the pair as he does; it takes everything inside of him to not focus on the body slowly inching towards them.

“You hear that?” Hemlock asks, voice somehow still calm and soft. Taunting. Hunter bares his teeth in rage, allowing Hemlock to think he took the bait. “She’s scared. Do you think she’s scared of me, or of you?”

Wrecker shifts behind him, and Hunter can practically see the excitement he’s trying to conceal. Hunter ignores them both. “Omega,” Hunter pleads, lowering his gun. “I’d never hurt you,” he promises.

Omega looks up, eyes full of tears. “Hunter,” she whines.

Hemlock pretends to coo, mockingly. “Hunter,” he copies, but a wicked smile distorts his face into something inhuman. Emerie’s breath catches as she notices, but Wrecker presses the blaster more firmly into the back of her neck. “Go ahead and put the gun down, Hunter. I win.”

Hunter holds his gun tighter, still lowered to point at the floor. He grits his teeth, pretending to fight himself on what to do. “It’s okay, Omega,” Hunter says softly. “Just look at me.”

Omega stares into Hunter’s eyes, her own full of tears. “I want to go home,” she says.

Hunter takes one hand off the gun, pretending to raise it in surrender. “I’m here, Omega. I’m here.”

Hemlock laughs in victory, aiming the gun instead at Hunter. Stupid, arrogant mistake. “That’s right. Put that gun down. Nice and slow.”

The blow is sudden, and hard. Hemlock loses consciousness immediately, and Omega sprints for Hunter’s arms. Hunter catches her easily, arms wrapping around her and holding her as tightly as he can.

“You lose,” Crosshair spits, swaying on his feet. He leans heavily on the bench Hemlock is now slouched over.

Wrecker hits Emerie over the back of the head with the handle of his blaster, and is pushing past Hunter and Omega before her body hits the floor. He throws Crosshair’s arm over his shoulder, using one arm to help support his weight. “I knew you were still in there somewhere,” Wrecker says lowly.

Hunter pets Omega’s hair, holding her to his chest. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you. I’m here now.”

“Hunter,” Omega cries, tiny fists clenching at his hair to keep him close.

“Hunter,” Echo calls from behind them. “Rex is on his way to get the decommissioned clones. Or…” his voice turns sad for a moment. “The ones who are left. There were a lot of guards here.”

Hunter raises himself from his kneeling position, bringing Omega with him. Her legs wrap around his waist, and he half rests her on his hip. “Good. Help Crosshair. Wrecker, grab Hemlock.” All three of his brothers hesitate, questions on the tip of their tongues. “Now,” Hunter growls.

Wrecker gently passes Crosshair to Echo, and then throws Hemlock over his shoulder. Omega buries her face in Hunter’s neck, quiet sobs breaking his heart.

They make their way to the elevator, and Hunter glares at the escapees so they won’t join them. There isn’t much room left anyway.

“I’m sorry,” Crosshair says after several minutes of silence.

Hunter looks to him, and for the first time since Ord Mantell, his face softens. He raises the hand not holding Omega to cup his shoulder, squeezing. He doesn’t say anything; he doesn’t need to. The sigh of relief Crosshair tries to hide is indicative of message received.

There’s a lot of questions which will be asked later. Later. Once they’re free from this hell planet. Once Omega is safe on their ship. Once he has time.

[knightprincess]

Forgive Me (Echo x Medic Reader) Part 25

Words: 1.4K Warning: Angst and mentions of Trauma (if you squint) Pronouns Used: She/Her (Use of Y/N) Note: Sorry to say there are only a few chapters left and a little epilogue at the end.

“Crosshair,” called Echo. The ship was quiet, other than Rampart moaning about something none of them really cared for or took notice of. “Where would a staff member be taken if arrested?” asked the Arc Trooper, wanting to think positively even when the dread was beginning to creep up. If things went right, they would successfully rescue Omega, (Y/N), and the clones held captive in the highly secure facility.

“Cellblock D,” answered Crosshair, doing his best to ignore his hand shaking again, the trauma constantly haunting him, preventing him from finding true peace. “But considering how valuable Snap is to Hemlock’s plans, he’d likely hold her in the tower above the training room,” he added, quickly realizing who the prisoner in question likely was. “Your missing commander should be within the normal cells, with the others intended to be a part of the Dark Trooper program.”

“Why would you help rescue the scientist who did that to you?” asked Rampart, raising his voice so the words reached the pair furthest from him. Hunter was the first to react, kicking the former vice admiral in the shin as if to get him to quiet down.

“Medic,” corrected Echo, his voice stern, with evidence of his dislike for the imperial operative before him flooding it. “She’s a medic, not a scientist,” he added, trying his best to keep a neutral voice, if only so Rampart didn’t detect the obvious affection and feelings he held for Snap and use it against him in the future.

“And she didn’t have a choice,” admitted Crosshair, recalling when he’d been put through the torment every day. The horror was painted on Snap’s features despite her efforts to hide it. She’d done her best to ensure all were comfortable after the torment she put each clone through. “We may have been the ones physically tortured, but she didn’t get away without consequence either,” added the sniper, suspecting the constant screams and agonizing yells of those she knew would have taken a toll mentally.

“Imagine the chaos if (Y/N) and Omega teamed up,” laughed Wrecker, trying to lighten the mood even when it felt as if happiness couldn’t exist until they’d overcome their final challenge—in this case, Hemlock and those wondering the halls of Mount Tantis.

“Hemlock and Tantis wouldn’t know what hit them,” replied Hunter, a shadow of a smirk appearing across his lips. Crosshair offered his small smirk, whereas Wrecker outwardly laughed as if he could imagine the havoc the two could cause around the secret facility. Echo could only shake his head. (Y/N) had training from the 501st; she was a combination of all she’d come across like Omega had inherited the best qualities of each batch member.

“Providing your plan to get there even works,” shrewdly commented Rampart, once again casting the shadow of doubt over the four men in his company. “That facility has the highest security I know of. No one gets there without Hemlock knowing. It is impossible to get there without a welcoming party ready to shoot us from the sky,” he added, matter-of-factly as if once again trying to convince them to abandon the idea of rescue and leave those they were trying to free to their unknown fate. “The CX troopers will likely be utilized as well, the best of the best.”

“You three go after Omega; I’ll find (Y/N), then meet in the cellblock,” said Echo, ignoring Rampart again. All of them did. Now they were aware that the CX Troopers and Shadows were the same, part of the secretive Dark Trooper project. “If we do happen to cross Shadows, knock them out with luck; what’s been done can be reversed,” added the Arc Trooper, not wording the latter half to float through his mind. Only kill if necessary, in case the shadow is someone they knew.

“And me?” questioned Rampart. “What will I be doing once I’ve completed my task?” he asked, suspecting that if and when things went wrong, he could bargain the information he had with the empire for whatever he wanted.

“It depends on whether we have to improvise,” Hunter bluntly stated, his voice cold yet determined. “We get the coordinates to Tantis; you can have your freedom. If not, you’re stuck with us until we do get there,” added the sergeant, making the stance clear and suggesting Rampart wouldn’t get what he wanted until they got what they wanted.

“I’ll go strip the armor,” declared Echo, sadness ricocheting through his voice. None of them wanted to strip away their individuality but were given no choice. If they wanted to succeed with their task, they had to blend in when wandering the imperial facilities, regardless of the location.

“What makes you think the medic is still alive?” asked Rampart, as if he sought to sow the seeds of doubt once more. “You forget I was once head of that project, and I was cast aside the moment I failed. What makes you think the empire or Hemlock would tolerate her failings?” he added, feeling a shiver go down his spine the moment the realization hit him. All four of them sent ice glares in his direction. Hatred was among the most prevalent to identify from the heat of their combined glares.

“What makes you think she failed?” Crosshair asked, countering Rampart’s attempts with his own to raise hope. Plus, he knew (Y/N) hadn’t failed at her task; all the Shadows out there were proof of that. Plus, if whispers were anything to go by, the project had recently been given more funding, as had the other Mount Tantis was home to.

The sniper didn’t bother to word his thoughts, the same thoughts his brothers were likely thinking and the truth Rampart had overlooked. Snap was far more valuable alive, regardless of whether she was a part of a project or not. Few could match her skills, and hardly any other civvies had the loyalty of clones like she did. (Y/N) was a weapon, one Hemlock, and likely other high-ranking officials had realized and would do anything within their power to keep in their procession.

“Echo,” said Hunter upon retrieving his black helmet from the elder trooper. “Have you thought about what you’re going to do after?” he whispered, knowing from Crosshair’s words that the healing process wouldn’t be easy for anyone involved in the project. Despite being safe for the most part, Crosshair still woke up after nightly terrors covered in a cold sweat, his heart pounding with fright and trauma. Neither of them doubted Snap would be any different. Although her torment hadn’t been physical, that any of them knew of, it had been psychological. The torment that could lead to far worse consequences and unseen damage.

“Rejoin the Rex and the efforts against the empire,” added Echo, as if his choice were obvious. Even if it wasn’t seen, there was still a war going on, battles to be won, and clones all over the galaxy to be freed.

“And Snap?” Hunter asked, allowing his concern for her to paint on his features, even if for a few fleeting seconds. “What are you going to do with her?” the Sergeant added, making his point clear. At the same time, it became all too obvious that Echo had either assumed she joined the effort for the freedom of clones or hadn’t given much thought to it. “Think over it, what’s best for her.”

Echo could only nod with a guilty conscience. He has been so wrapped up in the efforts to free the clones and get Omega as well as Snap back. He’d forgotten Snap hadn’t been trained for war, hadn’t been genetically altered to withstand the harshest of challenges life and war threw out. She was an ordinary civvi, a brave one but normal nonetheless. It would take her longer to recover from things, to accept she would be safe and free.

“I shouldn’t have let her go in,” replied Echo, sadness once again ringing through his voice. It began to dawn on him what the true cost could be. “I should have tried harder to convince her not to. Even if we win, I could still lose her, just in a different way.”

“You’ll never lose (Y/N), Echo,” began Hunter, as if he knew the trial the arc trooper now faced. “Your paths are different like they were after Anaxes,” he continued, pointing out how the pair had been on different paths before yet still found their way back to each other. That in itself was a win, and one few who found love could say they’d achieved.

Series Masterlist

[notallthoseinheadspace]

Some long rambling speculation on the last couple episodes of The Bad Batch below the cut.

(If any of it doesn’t make sense please forgive me, today’s round of chemo fucking flattened me.)

Going off my other post about how I do suspect CX-2 is Tech and Omega is Force-sensitive (I don’t know how to embed it and I’m too tired to figure it out right now, I can edit this when I don’t feel like I could be slipped through a letter slot) I’m caught on how Omega said that last time she escaped she had help. That was Crosshair.

She doesn’t know he missed, but she has to know there’s a chance. Even though his hand was steady after he started meditating with her, that sort of problem doesn’t get fixed overnight. So I’m still wondering if she had a backup tracker on her that wasn’t scanned - or, in a callback to the scene in the mine, she and CX-Tech had a heart-to-heart in the ship. Maybe she knows she has help coming separate from what we the viewers know.

The previews showed Hunter in what looked like a single-person vessel (the one they were in didn’t have a fully glass cockpit? Well, transparisteel. You know what I mean.) which suggests to me that they get into the base and wind up in the base’s fighter craft somehow?

(I’m fully expecting Hunter to do a sacrifice play. I hope he doesn’t succeed. I want the whole Batch together and happy again.)

The Cavalry mentioned in the last episode title seems like it would be a callback to their first appearance in TCW - Wrecker says ‘the cavalry has arrived!’ as he’s stepping off the ship to greet Cody and Rex - which gives me hope that the cavalry in question is not only the reunited Bad Batch but also Rex and Cody coming to their aid.

Another scene I can imagine happening and would love to see: Crosshair taking a shot at CX-2, who falls, helmet dramatically rolling away to reveal a scarred Tech - who, after a long moment of shock and horror, opens his eyes to groan out ‘Crosshair, you missed.’

Presumably the station on Tantiss will be destroyed - by the Zillo beast we saw the shadow of? By Wrecker and Crosshair planting explosives and then detonating them with one of the signature ricocheting shots? (Please not by someone pulling a Hevy. I am tired and everyone has enough trauma, Echo especially.)

Ideally the Batch would be presumed dead and Hemlock and all his research would be destroyed so there’s no reason for the Empire to continue searching them out, and they can retire in peace (although I do see Omega seeking out more training and involvement with Rex’s clone rebellion once she’s older - and I really fucking hope we get a series of that. Echo is my favorite, I would genuinely like to see him onscreen more. Also, we never did have the story behind how Rex, Wolffe, and Gregor wound up in their mobile fishing home. I’m fairly sure it’s horrible and tragic and I want it anyway.)

What they’re going to do with Rampart is baffling me - he doesn’t seem to have realized that his surviving this escapade is entirely reliant on Crosshair’s goodwill. Y’know, the guy he relentlessly dehumanized and never let eat a full meal and seems way too comfortable casually pushing around. (What is the way Crosshair is holding him when he stumbles in the ‘negative’ scene? It would make sense for Cross and Wrecker to be restraining him but it’s so weirdly tender?)

So, in very rambly conclusion, my speculative theories:

- CX-2 aiding Omega and revealed to be Tech

- Callback to the mine cave scene with Omega and Tech talking

- Cavalry is Rex, Cody, Gregor (and possibly Wolffe? Unless they are giving us a Clone Rebellion series and Wolffe joining Rex is covered in that)

- Crosshair’s tremor comes back, but as a positive (doesn’t kill his brother!)

- Deaths include Hemlock and Hunter (I don’t want Hunter to die. I just have a feeling. They’re not going to kill Omega and killing Crosshair at this point in his character arc would just be bad writing. Redemption equals death is a sloppy, lazy trope and it doesn’t work when someone’s already doing the work to redeem themselves. I’m unsure about Wrecker, but I can see him pulling a Hevy to let the others escape.)

- Emerie turning on Hemlock enough to help the children escape but not escaping with them. I have no guesses on Nala Se. TBB has pushed to make her a more sympathetic character, but it also seems like her imprisonment is weakening her a great deal. If I had to guess, she will try to tell Omega what Omega’s mutation is but die before she can finish, setting up Omega to research/train etc in any possible sequels/later appearances.

If this makes no sense blame the Taxol, if I’m right about anything blame the dodgeball.

[ksfoxwald]

Fire and Hemlock Readalong: Chapter 5

In which Polly trains to be a hero.

There is just so much gender about it, too. Part of it is that Polly is at that age, like ten or twelve, when gender goes from being a sort of background noise to something you actively participate in, but you don't know the rules and they keep shifting and you sort of zigzag back and froth between what you think you want and what you think you should want.

Polly's focus on hero training is atheleticism, resulting in her playing football/soccer with the boys at lunchtime. Her father gives her a dollhouse for Christmas - on the advice of her mother - when Polly really wanted a fort. These are masculine, hero things she wants for herself. But then when Tom invites her over again, she panics over not having a nice dress, and at the prospect of cutting her hair short. Polly moves between genders the way she moves between the real world and the imaginary one. The imaginary world is safe and free, unlike the real world of being pushed and pulled around in her parents' divorce. It is the world where she exists for herself, and gets to be a boy without having to worry about all the complexities of being a girl. The real world is in a way less true, because it's the one where Polly is less perceived as herself; Polly is constantly under scrutiny, but never truly seen; her mother thinks she wants a dollhouse. Her teachers think she is getting into fights because of the divorce. And after beating up the school bully:

The rest of the school regarded her as a heroine. This is nothing like being a hero, which is inside you. This was public.

The use of the gendered hero/heroine here is so fascinating. The heroine is what is seen from the outside. The hero is what is felt within.

So let's talk about trans!Polly.

And while we're at it, let's talk about trans!Tom. no-where-new-hero has some excellent observations about how Tom is coded as feminine, or at least as not-masculine. The other male characters we have met so far are Seb Leroy, Morton Leroy, and Reg who all have a sort of bluster about them, trying to make themselves seem bigger and more important, while Tom is meek and agreeable, to Polly's great annoyance. His relationship with Laurel also places him in a traditionally feminine spouse-as-property arrangement.

Both Tom and Polly identify strongly with each others' heroic counterparts; Polly, in a way, is creating Tan Coul as an avatar of masculine ideal that she wishes she could be, but can't quite imagine herself as, which is why she gives that role to the reluctant Tom and claims the role of assistant for herself. Tom, meanwhile, asks if he can't be the assistant, but she won't let him. Polly wants Tom to be the man she wishes to become - strong and heroic. Meanwhile, Tom wants Polly to be the girl he could have been - happy and protected.

It is true that none of these things need necessarily be gendered or transgendered, but it does show how both of them cross gender boundaries the same way the cross between the real world and the imaginary. Indeed, Polly isn't the only one crossing gender in this chapter, with Nina landing the role of King Herod in the school play for being "better than any of the boys at ranting and roaring and looking kingly." But the thing is, Diana always wrote of gender in such a queer way, as something that was put upon you rather than something that existed within yourself. I think if she had lived a bit longer she might have been one of those old people that say things like "I probably would have been nonbinary if we'd had such things when I was your age." But we'll never know for sure.

(The way she handles sex also struck me as rather ace, but that's a conversation for another time)

This is also the chapter where we are introduced to Tan Coul's friends; Polly can't yet recognize Tan Audel, because she still doesn't quite recognize that a girl can be a hero. We also struggle quite a bit in this chapter with what being a hero really means. Polly is quite certain in her head about what heroes are, but starts to find out that it doesn't quite pan out like that in the real world.

"It's not just strength that heroes need. It's also courage." "Heroes do not fight for themselves, but for other people. "The rest of the school regarded her as a heroine. This is nothing like being a hero, which is inside you."

Adding to the motif, we catch of glimpse of Tom playing Beethoven's Eroica, which, though it is very hard to not read as "erotica," is actually from the root "heroic" rather than "erotic."

Diana wrote of Fire and Hemlock that she specifically wanted a story with a girl hero, but the thing is, when she starts with "why shouldn't a girl be a hero?" she follows it up with "what makes one a hero? why should a hero do things a certain way?" Because while Tan Coul is a very Herculean great deeds kind of hero, Polly herself is the Odysseus type that is heroic through cleverness and tricks. But if you're holding up the ideas of girls and heroes next to each other, and asking what being a hero means and how to become one, you have an unspoken question of "what makes a girl? why must a girl be a certain way?" and makes being a girl a deliberate act as much as being a hero.

And that is very trans.

[turmoilcity]

HELLO!!! 😍 do you have like "theme songs" for your paras? i have way too many lmao so i'm curious

Sleep is for the weak.

YESSSSSSSSS!!!

Finally, a reason to ramble bout my paras!

Okay, so THIS VERSION

Plays out like a montage for Lillian and Oscar when they're out at the park or walking around the mall.

IMAGINE. the year is 2006- YES A Y2K AU IS WHAT IVE BEEN SLURPING UP LATELY.

Lillian is the sweet, bubbly cheerleader, Oscar's on the football team. They met at practice one evening and make googly eyes at each other across the field. This song plays when they start talking, hanging out like going to the movies, or to a park, or to an arcadia and crap buuuuuuuuuut this version plays-

At the end of the montage because it cuts to Lillian smiling all dazed at one of those old music stores that used to be in every mall?

One of those types!

So the daydream cuts to "The La's- There she goes" by the end of the song and it sounds kind of warped and the camera is pulling out of Lillian’s face as she's grinning with headphones on and that's the sound coming from the headphones before she takes them off because it turns out to be bothered by her friends because LIKE EVERY ROM COM MUSIC TRANSITION EVER we were just getting a pov of her happy place.

I love those two horny angels

Okay, next isssssss

SONG FOR BELLA

Often, I imagine her as a drummer. This song is one of those songs I imagine her SCREAMING with her awesome, awesome girl band.

This is currently for Dylan, and I will not elaborate.

Lillian on the subject of love basically.

The daydreams usually bright and colorful and fast paced. She has so many iconic looks during this song its criminal.

JENNAS WORK OUT SONG.

Everytime before it starts, I imagine GAME (the agency she works for) goes to her telling her they need her for a "special mission". The issue is, for some reason, Jenna hasn't been using her powers for a while. Usually because she's in Townsville for another mission and has to disguise her special abilities.

The song starts with her being kind of rough with her skill. She's struggling to get up early. Her grades aren't the prettiest. She's dropping weights. She gets the pokey pokey during fencing, and karate lands her on her butt.

Usually, by the first pre chorus she decides to pull out the textbooks, and start from there. She's focusing on her study and then by the chorus she gets a paper back in class with an A+

BY THE SECOND VERSE, she's in the gym. She's doing those rope things

Awe yeah. Now she's getting into it. She's punching the punching bag, deadlifting the squats, perfecting her sword swing

WAKING UP ON TIME FOR PRACTICE.

By the second pre- chorus her fencing has gotten so good, the opponent who first tagged her, gets tagged

And when her opponent takes off their mask, first she looks all out of breath, sweaty and taken aback, but then she gives an equally out of breath, sweaty, Jenna a smile of sportsman ship.

Now Jenna is stepping her game up.

The study is more extreme, but she can handle it as a hyper focused superhuman. The workouts are more extreme as well. She's lifting impossible weights, her fighting is more fluid and agile. She's become the epitome of hard work. Until the last chorus

"So you say I'm complicated...."

She's outside, in a sports bra and shorts. You can see the puff of her breath as she stretches. It's an easy cool, gray morning.

"But you had me underrated..."

She's hooking something up to the front of train rails.

The daydream cuts to a kid playing outside by themselves. He's boredly sucking on a lolipop. The ground is suddenly shaking, startling the kid. When the child looks over their shoulder-

ITS JENNA

PULLING THE TRAIN UP A HILL WITH HER THIGHS.

She's tied some sort of indestructible ROPE from her thighs to the trains front and is walking the train up.

The kid has a moment like the one little boy from incredibles

And yeah. Jenna... WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU PULLING TRAINS WITH UR LEGS.

Cause she's dedicated to quality

Duh. Don't let her simple looks fool you. She is 💯 THAT BITCH.

Anyways, she acknowledges the kid, gives an awkward wave before turning the train around and racing it down the hill, pulling it backwards.

It's just another training day for Jenna. Jenna probably thinks, "Well, does the kid want heroes or not?"

The rest of the song is just her doing more insane stuff and yeah. I desperately need sleep c: