#the solitary clone

[azertyrobaz]

You know what makes us different from battle droids?

[artfulacrostic]

memes for The Bad Batch, 2x03 "The Solitary Clone"

*SPOILERS*

[darthyourmomgay]

Cody run girl, these imperial bitches are crazy. Get out of there!!!!!

[spatulahat]

Most effective use of droideka rolling sounds.

[p4nishers]

i have read every post order 66 fic under the sun and i can confirm they all vaguely start like ep3. they all DEFINITELY have cody deflecting at one point or another. very suspicious. u wanna tell us sumn dave? wanna share something with the class??

[yaztheangel]

Crosshairs is such a mood though 🥹😭😂

[talesfrommedinastation]

My redneck neighbor Doug on 'The Solitary Clone'

Oh boy, a Daddy Warcrimes episode, happy happy joy joy!

Here it is, Doug's review of 'The Solitary Clone' or, as he calls it, 'Daddy Warcrimes Goes To Texas'.

Nothing much to say...enjoy, you lot. Doug liked this episode, but he likes Daddy Warcrimes the same reason I enjoy characters like the Joker and Daemon Targaryen: I AM NEVER BORED.

CW: Daddy Warcrimes do what he do and Doug narrates it. Need I say more? Oh and if you're from Texas, I apologize ahead of time. Doug shreds the Lone Star State something bad in here.

----------------------------------------------------

Oh boy, we arrive at some dry-ass dump. It’s gross and there’s corn and everyone seems a little off. Must be Oklahoma.

Wait, there’s peaky mountains, must be Texas. Didn’t know Texas was in Star Wars but whatever. 

Well, here’s the Empire, but wait! This dump is run by an angry lady with a bucket on her head dressed like a hippie beekeeper. I’ll call her Beekeeper Bitch.

Anywho, looks like Beekeeper Bitch is holding the government officials hostage today, which is what they do for fun in Texas I guess, besides make barbeques and do weird shit at football games. I hate A&M so much. 

Now, here’s Daddy Warcrimes, having a nice nap in what looks to be the broom closet at my job where the junior engineers always end up banging each other at least once a week. I’m surprised there’s no bleach in there. Jeez, Daddy Warcrimes, no blanket?

Poor Daddy Warcrimes, trying to make friends with the other dudes at lunch and no one wants to go near him because he was forced to sleep in the Dirty Shag Closet. At least the clone cafeteria has turkey legs like Ren Faire. I wonder if it’s because Daddy Warcrimes crashes where the younger employees screw each other all day and there’s stains on the walls no one wants to talk about. Oh well. 

Oh, now we gotta see MBA-Rob. No turkey legs for Daddy Warcrimes today. I hate this little asshole, of course he’s dicking around on his stupid assed phone while Daddy Warcrimes waits and fantasizes about killing and smoked meats.

No one will swipe right on you, Rob, you’re unemployed and gave your last girlfriend an itchy crotch. Or is it left? Up and down? How does that thing where you meet ladies work? 

32 rotations…wtf is this Waterworld shit? How come Daddy Warcrimes isn’t burned to a crisp? How did he survive on that dump? Damn, the man must be part roach, I guess, wow. 

Now he’s got his sweet Johnny Cash armor back on, just looking at him makes me wanna watch that western robot show with Ed Harris again. He’s hanging out in front of that script that possessed Linda Blair back in the day. Does Pazuzu exist in this universe?

Oh, shit, it’s Obi-Wan’s Boyfriend! What in the what what. Glad to see he’s still around! Where’s his gold armor? Did he get it after Obi-Wan…you know, that makes me too sad to think about. I’m sorry, Obi-Wan’s Boyfriend, that must have been rough on you. 

Well, looks like he and Daddy Warcrimes are off!  Where? They’re off on a charming romp to squash some rebellion!...wait, is this a good thing or a bad thing? Who are we rooting for? I’m confused. When did Star Wars get confusing? Am I old now?

Ya know who's not confused? Daddy Warcrimes! His job is pointing, shooting, killing. Which, I get, man. I worked in the oil industry. Speaking of which, they’re back in Texas, but where? Are they in Marfa? This looks like one of the shittier towns in West Texas, outside of El Paso. Are they making meth? Is the Empire the DEA? 

You know, this place is quite nice for someone like Daddy Warcrimes. Second amendment respected, the locals spoke in grunt, and smoked meats for everyone! Speaking of Texas, I wonder if there’s a Buc-ee’s inside, and the Empire wants to take over their jerky emporium, and that’s where this mess came from.

I miss Buc-ees, I could go with a hot brisket sandwich and some Beaver nuggets, get some red velvet fudge for later. 

No wonder Daddy Warcrimes is shooting everyone, the man is hungry! 

God, DAMN, Daddy Warcrimes waiting and staying perfectly still while he’s getting shot at and the TANK holy SHIT he is a BAD ASS but a BAD PERSON and I am CONFUSED BUT I LIKE IT? 

("Meat Muffin, you got a doctorate, diagnose me, what is this feeling where I’m confused but happy?"

"It’s just being happy, Doug, and my doctorate is not in psychology.")

And those crap robots are shooting at them again, but are these good guy robots? Didn’t we spend the last few years hating on them? Oh wait, they’re reprogrammed for defense…oh.

Have I ever told you how much I hate those damn things? They look like vacuum cleaners, if someone made art of a vacuum cleaner that they wanted to be human. Non sexy vacuum cleaners.

("Doug, when did you ever think vacuum cleaners were sexy?"

"Never, don’t know what you’re talking about.") 

Why does this feel like an FBI siege? Is this based on Waco? Shit man, I was in the navy when that happened. This ain’t good. This really is Daddy Wacrimes's Texan adventure, isn't it?

But what is good is Daddy Warcrimes and his GUN. Look at those trick shots like the man is yelling ‘SKEET’ and ‘PULL’ like you wouldn’t believe. I bet he’s the type of person who throws a tantrum at the ice cream store because his favorite flavor is ‘bullets’ and it ain’t on the menu.

Look at him and Obi-Wan’s boyfriend just going up and killing robots left and right. He ain’t good, but that ain’t bad. Which is…good or bad? Ah, whatever, I like this damn show. 

And there’s Beekeeper Bitch bitching at the Empire’s Bitch. Those couches look comfy. 

Daddy Warcrimes is coming your way! When she’s not wearing her helmet, Beekeeper Bitch looks just like my niece! Wow! Oh, now I don’t know, is she bad? Good? She wants independence for her people, maybe Obi-Wan’s Boyfriend and Daddy Warcrimes can listen to her? 

Oh, shut up, Empire Bitch, no one cares. ‘Execute her’ uh shut up, your hat sucks and don’t you know that Obi-Wan’s Boyfriend is a free-thinking MAN who might just up and take a DUMP on your LAWN. 

Well, no. Damn, Daddy Warcrimes, you cold-assed sonofabitch. 

‘Hang her body in the square’, what in the hell, this is dark, Dr Meat Muffin, are you letting your sweet girls watch this show? One of them’s a baby, I hope not. 

(I was 100% watching this with my 2 year old, it was on Disney, what do you expect- Dr. MM)

Welp, Daddy Warcrimes is back where he started, chilling in the cafeteria and his new best friend is his helmet. Wonderful. The helmet will at least make eye contact with him. 

Back to MBA-Rob being a dick to everyone and now Obi-Wan’s Boyfriend has run off. Probably to drink himself into a stupor and cry in a shower somewhere. I know I would, too.  

We really didn’t learn anything in this episode, did we? Well, I learned that Daddy Warcrimes is living a confusing life, never gets to eat and has to sleep in the Dirty Shag Closet. But at least he's got his helmet and his gun and MBA-Rob.

I know he’s bad, but he’s good at that, which is bad…but for me, it’s good?

[doodlingfoolishness]

Post-The Solitary Clone. It’s not until the next morning, getting ready to shave, that Crosshair realizes the brush with the BX commando droid had been closer than he’d thought. Lucky Cody was there, he thinks, gingerly examining the bruises around his throat, the burst blood vessels marring the whites of his eyes. I owe him. But then he remembers Cody’s unsettling words by the memorial.

He stares into the bloodshot eyes in the mirror. I was following orders, he reminds himself. The eyes stare back at him, hollow and unfamiliar.

He lathers up and shaves, but he does not look into the mirror again.

[kimbureh]

TBB, The Solitary Clone & Self-Harm as System Requirement

(This is very long and theory-laden, but it'll do. Bear with me, I try to articulate this as clearly as I can.)

There's a lot to be said about this episode, but I think I want to come at this from the angle of how coercive systems aren't just violent to people both without and within the system, but also how they foster a culture of self-harm among its members.

The rules of a coercive system like the Empire's can be enforced through different means; hierarchy is only way to do it, and it's a strategy that requires constant oversight. The more cost-efficient way to enforce regulation is through a panopticon: the members of the coercive system aren't constantly under supervision, but they do feel as if they were, because they can never be sure that they aren't. Which introduces a second factor into enforcing coercive systems: self-surveillance. If members of a system can be convinced to self-censor their behavior and regulate each other via peer pressure without the need for (constant) hierarchical supervision, you've got a pretty stable system that doesn't require a lot of resources to maintain.

But if you want an even stronger system that makes the cost of leaving too high for the individual, you need to introduce yet another factor: self-harm. If you can get people to the point where they willingly act against their own self-interest in order to uphold a system, you've got yourself an almost indestructible construct that can withstand immense pressure from the outside without the members inside revolting against their own abuse. The reason why this works so well is because of an instilled sense of both shame and superiority within the system members.

But let's back off here for a moment.

What does hierarchical control look like in the Empire? That's Admiral Rampart shooting Captain Wilco for not wanting to falsify reports. But it's also Rampart seeing himself forced to do so in the first place, cuz if he won't cover his own ass, the Emperor will discard of him. In other words: No matter how high you rise in hierarchy, the pressures of a coercive system don't lessen. Even Rampart is living in an panopticon and the constant fear of being found out. This is no flaw, it's a feature of the system.

The aspect of peer pressure gets of course most obvious in interactions among the Clones; when Cody cautiously hints at defecting, he does so at great risk, because the cost of leaving is so high, most Clones aren't willing to pay it. Crosshair isn't willing to do it because he is especially susceptible to the Empire's allure due to his internalized shame. I've written about this already at length, so this time I want examine his character through the lens of self-harm.

I've cited self-harming behavior as a stabilizing factor of a coercive system. There are many ways Crosshair is self-harming. Fo example, he isolates himself from the Bad Batch and instead chooses to spend 32 days abandoned on a platform on Kamino until the Empire picks him up. In The Solitary Clone, Crosshair fires the shot that kills the rightful governor. I have seen a take that argues he does that because he wants to prevent Cody from having to do it, but think about who else is in the room: the Imperial Governor, Crosshair's superior, is watching the scene. The panopticon isn't just an abstract notion in this moment, Crosshair is literally under surveillance.

Self-harm always contains a self-shaming component (I don't need to cite sources for that, do I? Let me know if this is not evident). And Crosshair is walking down the path he is because he's unable to face his shame. He is too ashamed to walk away from the Empire, because then all the harm he inflicted on himself and others would have been for nothing. Chronic shame is an emotion that threatens the core of one's being. That's why he needs to believe that he is worth something, even if that something is being a deadly tool for the Empire.

If you look at real-life coercive systems (for example cults, or certain political subgroups) you will notice a rhetoric of constant self-apotheosis that claims an inherent superiority of its members. At the same time, inner-group shaming is such an integral part of the system that it's often ritualized (dogpiling; a specific catalogue of insults that is used; public punishments). Ritualized self-harm is very much part of it (public repenting; engaging in dangerous group behaviors: think of frat students dueling).

Crosshair allowing the Empire to use him is a form of self-harm. Crosshair shooting Tawni Ames on Desix is a form of self-harm. And Cody analyzes this so swiftly, so pointedly, it leaves Crosshair speechless. "We make our own decisions." Cody says. "Our own choices. And we have to live with them too." Crosshair is committing all these atrocious acts in the name of the Empire, and so far ignores how it shaped him; in the season 1 finale Crosshair claims in front of Hunter that this is his true self he has always been; a lie, for course, any lying to oneself is a form of self-harm also.

After the talk with Cody, Crosshair doesn't sleep well even though he did before. After Cody's precise diagnosis, Crosshair can't lie to himself anymore. Even worse, after this ordeal, he is still drawing suspicions from his superior after Cody defects. "It appears he has gone AWOL." Rampart casually says "Clone loyalty does not seem to be as advertised anymore. Funny, isn't it? How these clones around you keep disappearing."

Spending 32 days on a desolate platform. Murdering people. All these sacrifices and Crosshair is still under scrutiny.

See, there is a tipping point to even the most stable coercive system; shame does an incredible job to stabilize a system, until it becomes too much and people either leave because the costs of leaving are lower in comparison (like Cody does), or they self-destruct (like Crosshair does?). The problem is, Crosshair is used to endure a lot of shame (as a 'defective clone') and a lot of pain; and these qualities *keep* him in the system rather than enable him to leave it, until he can overcome his inferiority complex.

In any case, Crosshair's arc is one of developing self-love (if positive) or succumbing to self-destruction (if negative).

(pls no season 2 spoilers, I haven't fully watched it yet)

[eclec-tech]

You know what I love about this picture?

He's out cold. Exhausted. But he's at peace for at least a moment.

It's a stark contrast from the last time we saw him trying to rest.

[azertyrobaz]

Nice shot!

[melymigo]

Choices...

I forgot to upload this, The Star Wars YT account posted this. Suspicious👀

[inky-for-a-bit]

Crying over the fact that Cody ASKED for Crosshair to be on his squad... and then the questioning about TBB leaving and about clones questioning the Empire and if what they're doing is right... he was testing Crosshair... he was probably already considering deserting and just wanted to see if Crosshair would come with him. Of course the "then they're traitors, like the Jedi" and Crosshair executing the Governor forced Cody to realize that he had to leave Crosshair behind. And remember how close TBB and Cody were in TCW and that the creators said that Cody was the one that got TBB off Kamino. I feel like Cody feels like he has to look out for Crosshair so seeing that he's loyal to the Empire and wouldn't go with him probably hurt a ton... "we have to live with our choices" indeed... </3

[marvel-starwarsfangirl]

Crosshair in "The Solitary Clone"

I've been rewatching The Bad Batch with my cousin and we just finished The Solitary Clone last night. There is one scene that hasn't left my mind and yes, I will psychoanalyze Cross's face because he is so expressive in the subtlest ways. Also, this is my takeaway from this scene.

Cross says "We're soldiers. We do what needs to be done" in response to Cody's question regarding the morality of their actions.

Cody replies "Well, you know what makes us different from battle droids? We make our own decisions. Our own choices." Then, he walks away, leaving Crosshair with his thoughts.

It is this interaction that really caught my eyes. This is Cross's reaction to Cody asking him if he knows how're they're different from droids:

Crosshair stiffens and takes a breath in, taking in Cody's words and anticipating what he's about to say next. There is so much pain and conflict written on his face. Cody is challenging his beliefs and hitting a very sensitive topic for Cross. What are the clones' purpose in life? To be solider and fight, just like the battle droids. The clones are also frequently mistreated because of this. To Crosshair, a clone who would've been "decommissioned" if his mutation wasn't helpful, if he can't be a soldier, then what is his purpose? When Cody states that it's because the clones can make their own decisions and choices, Cross's expression changes slightly again and all the guilt, self-loathing, and pain is on max level for us the audience to see. Due to the chip, Crosshair had his choices taken away. But even after the incident on Bracca where he got turned into Kentucky Fried Anakin, Crosshair is still under the Empire's control. He lets them dictate his actions and follows their orders. Cody's words are hard for him to swallow, and I think deep down, he knows Cody's right. But because of everything that's happened and Crosshair's internal conflict with who he is, it's difficult to hear.

As Cody begins walking away, we get this expression:

He almost looks angry. But angry at Cody? I don't think so. I think its anger at himself and the remaining resentment he has towards his brothers. The pain in his eyes is still there on full display to see. One of Crosshair's main ways of communicating is purely through his body language. He doesn't need to say much in order to articulate his emotions or get a point across. Cody's words are sinking in to him and he doesn't like it because it reminds him of his internal conflict.

Something I've noticed about Crosshair on my Bad Batch rewatch is just how insecure he truly is, especially regarding who he is. Many people when talking about Cross bring this point up and now that I rewatch the show, I see it. Insecurity and identity are at the focal point of Crosshair's character. It's always "I'm a soldier" or "we're made to be more than that." Cross can't see himself outside of that role which brings him into direct conflict with Hunter. Hunter kind of imprinted on Omega. He sees this child as a new path forward in life. She's his moral compass, the reason he keeps fighting, and one of the most important things in his life. Hunter can't live without her in his life. Crosshair doesn't have an Omega who brings him a new perspective. That is, until Cody and Mayday show up.

Another thing I've noticed about Crosshair is that he's very clingy. Because of his life on Kamino and his insecurities, he tends to cling to those who make him feel wanted or useful. Cross values loyalty and has a deep desire to feel wanted by others. The Batch was his family, the only other people who understood him and wanted him. When they left him, he became very jaded and angry. After everything they've been through, Cross was still thrown aside. And that breaks him internally. Then, it's the Empire. Crosshair was raised to be a soldier first and foremost. Who seeks soldiers to fill their ranks? The Empire. Who demands loyalty and promises to reward those who follow orders? The Empire. Who makes Crosshair feel useful in a time of great confusion? The Empire. So, he clings to them in hopes that he will find a place to belong. Cody is next. Cody is the only familiar face to Crosshair and the only one who treats him with kindness. Rampart sure as heck doesn't care and the other clones don't want to be near Crosshair. He's different and he doesn't really fit in anywhere. Heck, look at the contrast between the uniform. Anyways, Cody is able to connect with Cross. In turn, Crosshair sticks by his side the whole time and even asks for him after the mission on Desix is over. Speaking of Desix, the whole mission plays out like an episode of Clone Wars with battle droids and all. Of course it's gonna remind Cross of the olden days. Finally, there's Mayday. Mayday owed Crosshair nothing but gave him everything anyway. And Cross really latched on to him because Mayday is the last lifeline he's got. Mayday's actions and kindness affected Crosshair in a way he didn't expect. When Crosshair helps him back and forms a bond with him, it's a touching moment. It also symbolizes Crosshair accepting his clone identity. He's embracing a part of himself he initially wanted nothing to do with. At the end of the day, Crosshair wants nothing more to belong somewhere and with someone. He wants to be wanted, not alone on some desolate rock. The Outpost broke the camel's back in terms of how much longer Cross could keep going the way he was.

Alright, that was pretty long. But, I wanted to share my thoughts because that scene and Crosshair's specific reactions hit so different a second time. He is fighting against himself and he knows it. But his internal conflict is so strong that it makes him very stubborn. In the end, he winds up in a weird sunk-cost fallacy situation. He does pay the price in the end. He loses Mayday and everything that keeps him tethered to the Empire and life. Crosshair's desire for belonging and purpose are so strong that he doesn't get out until he can't take it anymore. He is pushed to his brink and by then, it's too late. He can either rot until he's completely dead on the inside or make a choice that'll get him killed. Either way, Crosshair's only way out was death. But, the Empire had other plans for him. Hopefully, season 3 will give him a happier ending.

Crosshair's story is one of embracing your identity and overcoming your insecurities. It's one of finding where you belong and that what might initially seem as the right place is actually far more damaging then it let one. He is such an incredibly complex character and in my opinion, one of Star Wars' best. He's never gonna be Vader level, but for those who know him and his story, Cross will leave an impact on us.

Thank you for reading, I hope you made it this far, and I'll be back shortly with more Crosshair content. Take care.

[ladyzirkonia]

The First Battle Memorial of Geonosis

''Then they are traitors like the jedi.'' ''Well, good soldiers follow orders.''

[fanfoolishness]

Ill-fitted (The Bad Batch)

Crosshair prepares for his first mission after the fall of Kamino, but something feels wrong with his armor. ~1000 words, set during the beginning of The Solitary Clone. A study of angst, guilt, and denial (AKA the Crosshair special).

---

The new armor is identical to his last set, down to every detail; the slight asymmetry in an inner seam, the pleasing snap of the cuisses joining the knee plates, the hue of the green transparisteel of the visor.  Crosshair straps his armor over his blacks, piece by piece.  Vambraces, pauldrons, cuirass, greaves.  He is methodical and careful in this, as he is everything, and slowly, finally, he begins to feel a soldier again.  

Except… the armor rubs across the shoulders, a centimeter loose.

He frowns, ducking his head, rolling his shoulders.  He shrugs experimentally, but the armor still sits wrong.  

It is a small thing.  Nearly imperceptible.  Wrecker would have never noticed the difference.  Echo would have gone back to the armor’s specs.  Tech would likely have found a clever way to alter it on the fly.  Hunter would have --

His nostrils flare, lips narrowing.  Crosshair shakes his head, face twisting into a grimace.

He must have put it on slightly crooked.  The armor is exactly the same make and design as before.  There is no reason it would have changed.  He stands up straighter, jutting his chin out, tugging at the plate around his neck.

Still loose.

Perhaps it’s not the armor.  Perhaps it’s him.

The hunger gnaws at him, a raw pithing agony --

He tries pacing the platform to distract himself, but it’s getting harder and harder.  He’s so tired now, and the platform pitches and bucks around him, spinning dizzily in the Kaminoan downpour --

He holds out a weak hand to the ship in the distance, and through his haze he can see every tendon mapped, the sharp jutting of the knuckles, the sickly translucence of the skin --

Crosshair swallows.  Medical cleared me.  He’s fine.  They told him he was fine.

He decides to ignore the loose fit across the shoulders.  He will take it to the armory after this mission; he’s due to meet his new commander soon, and there is no time for something so trivial.  Rampart’s dig about his unreadiness to command again flickers in the back of his mind, but he ignores that, too.  If this is what they ask of him, he is ready to comply.

He reaches for his helmet, places it squarely on his head.  His vision swims green.  The visor, perfectly narrow and rectangular, shifts his sight and trains his focus.  

But there is still no extra cutout for his right eye.  Before Kamino he had submitted four requisitions asking for an alteration to the helmet, and all had been denied.  He stifles his disappointment.  They have their reasons, he is certain.

Though Crosshair still remembers working with the Kaminoans and his squad, pooling ideas and designs for customized armor and weaponry that would make their enhancements shine.  They’d been feverish with excitement: Wrecker crowing about materials with increased durability and explosive resistance, Hunter sketching out endless designs for the knife in his gauntlet, Tech waxing rhapsodic about the helmet and goggle system he’d been dreaming of for two years.  Crosshair remembers his own requests, his voice steady and sure, filled with the proud certainty that he knew his own abilities and exactly how to boost them.  

They’d had their requests granted, every one.  When the new armor arrived they’d stayed up half the night in their barracks, gleefully trying out every modification until the regs shouted at them to keep it down.  

He reaches up and touches his left pauldron.  His gloved fingers brush over its smooth edges, perfectly alike to the right.

They have their reasons….

He picks up his rifle.  A replacement 773 Firepuncher, its balance inspired, its weight and heft as familiar as his own arm.  He should feel whole, holding it.  Restored.  Ready to be of service again at last. Yet its weight in his hand does not steady him the way he had expected.

He pushes past the feeling.  No matter; the mission calls.  Desix and his new commander await, and with them an opportunity to serve the Empire.  He opens the door to his room, ready to take it.

The hallway outside his quarters flows with regs in white and black.  They march lockstep down the corridor, their boots a steady rhythm like a heartbeat.  It irritates him, the sound unpleasant in his ears.  He follows at his own pace behind a squad of ten, keeping his gaze down on the floor, and his ill-fitting armor rubs against his neck.

The First Battle Memorial towers above him.  He spares it barely a glance, its sea of names having little to do with him, and situates himself near one end to await the meeting with his new commander.  He slips off his helmet and stands stock still, tucking the helmet beneath one arm as he rests the butt of his rifle against the floor.  

More regs hurry past him, ready to go where they’re needed.  They have their orders.  He has his --

Good soldiers follow orders.

Good soldiers follow orders.

A pressure building in his head, a voice he doesn’t recognize but knows within his bones, the order -- he was meant for this -- they all were -- why don’t they see it?  An ache, confusion, anger rising in his chest, a ringing in his head, what’s happening to him -- 

All he ever wanted was to be a good soldier --

His shoulders slump slightly.  He’d done what needed doing.  He would have done it without the chip, if they’d have asked.  He’ll prove it.  What’s loyalty, after all, without action?

You weren’t loyal to me.  

But they hadn’t seen it that way --

His chest aches, heavy beneath his ribs, and it has nothing to do with the fit of his armor.

Crosshair stands silently beneath the great memorial, the golden light softening everything in view.  The regs march on past, side by side, footsteps echoing in the vast hall.  He shifts his weight and draws himself up to his full height.

He stands alone.  The shadows pool around him, and he waits to go and keep the peace.