#Cid Scaleback

[kopykunoichi]

Omega has lost so much over this last year.

She lost Nala Se...which was sort of glossed over in her excitement to be with her new bros, but still, that was the only "mother" she knew. And if anyone doubts how important that relationship was to her, just look at how fast she gravitates toward literally *any* female to fill that role.

She lost one brother right off. Yeah, sure, he was the surly, nasty one - but the way he initially was separated from them was not his choice.

She lost Kamino, the only home she had ever known, and as she made clear last week, she is *angry* about it.

Then, she lost Crosshair again, but in a very different way. This time, when they finally had a chance to be a whole family again with every member confirmed to be de-chipped, he chose to leave them. We heard her bitterly tell him "I was wrong about you", but she still felt terrible walking away from him.

And then the unthinkable happened. Echo also chose to leave. Echo, who is probably closer to her than any other brother except Hunter. Echo, who is the emotional anchor of the group, despite being the newest adult member. Echo, who always knows what to say to make her feel better. Echo, who is the most like her in personality - always ready to help someone in need, risk be damned. Like Crosshair, he chose to leave them...to leave her. And though his reasons are noble and selfless, it still hurts. It still feels like rejection.

And today she lost the Marauder, which isn't just a ship, it's a home. Lulu and her little trooper doll were on that ship. Gonky was on that ship. Her first bedroom with the little hanging rope lights that Wrecker decorated for her was on that ship. Echo's blanket that still smells like him was on that ship.

Every time she tries to steady herself, the rug is getting pulled out from under her. And when Tech asked her "what is your issue?" it made her feel like she was the only one struggling with it and it was wrong for her to feel that way. While I'm glad that they talked and that he admitted he still felt something about it, even though he can't express it very well...let's be honest, none of them are expressing their feelings well.

Hunter tells Tech to fix the mistake he made (in how he spoke to Omega), but I wonder if he was projecting a little. Echo left in the first place because Hunter wouldn't quit working for Cid - who clearly doesn't give a shit about them. And now their team is in shambles without him and I wonder if Hunter is questioning his choices. Echo stayed with Rex, but they could have too, it's not like Rex would have turned down the help. I know Hunter wants to keep Omega safe, but give me a break, she was safer in the Senate chamber spitting distance from Palpatine himself than she has been on any given mission they have taken for Cid, with all her sketchy jobs and spotty intel. Now with Cross *and* Echo gone, they are not nearly as formidable or effective. They're stretched thin, and that just makes their missions all the more dangerous.

Honestly, I don't want Echo to come back. I want them to go to *him*. Make some connections with Organa and Riyo, and Ahsoka as Fulcrum (when she comes back to fight). Go look for rebel base locations...on Hoth...whoever finds it first can name it. Go set up supply caches all over the galaxy and steal weapons and supplies from Imperial depots to stock them. Go recruit some new people, especially since Omega's enthusiasm and Echo's conviction is so contagious. Go help Cham and Hera with the Free Ryloth Movement by delivering supplies to them. Keep doing all the flavor of the week missions (I love those), but just do them for a reason that makes sense.

[kaijusplotch]

"Who We Once Were" Preview Chapter

So a while back I had a pole about posting a part of a chapter of an angst story with universe jumping AU and stuff and it was overwhelmingly stated to wait until the first chapter is done.

WELL HERE IT IS!

Warnings included: non graphic Depictions of injuries, suicide to protect another, character death, temporary character death, slavery, the Republic is still not perfect, the Jedi are trying

You have been warned

Chapter 1 The End…

The blasterfire didn’t stop as Hunter and Omega dove for cover. Even as they both slammed behind a container and tried to catch their breath. The Marauder was only a few dozen yards away, but the Stormtroopers refused to let up their suppressive fire.

“Huntah, we are so close! I’ve got two more grenades, we can do it!” she said, looking over to him through her helmet’s visor.

“No.” Hunter pulled his helmet off and winced, white hair falling out of place as he leaned his head back against the crate. “I won’t, but you can.” he smiled sadly, pulling his hand away from the gaping wound at his side. Dark blood was steadily flowing from the wound and pooling where Hunter sat.

“No…no no no you’ll be okay!” Omega tore her helmet off and tried desperately to put more pressure on the wound.

Hunter gently gripped her hand with his free one. “Hey, Mega, shh it’s okay.” He gently cupped her cheek and pulled her forehead to his. “I’ve lived a long life, for a clone. You, though, you’re just starting. We’ve taught you everything we know. You…you’re our legacy now.”

He stared at her, proud of the young woman she had become, even as she shook her head, her long braids shaking with the motion.

“No, please. I can’t lose you too after everything.” Omega’s eyes were filled with tears.

“Omega,” Hunter said, using his stern sergeant’s voice on her. “You need to keep fighting, I’ll only slow you down. I can buy you time, and maybe finally take out that son of a bitch Hemlock.”

Omega still shook her head and looked away. “I…I won’t leave you behind.”

“We don’t have time, Omega.” Hunter countered as the blasterfire became more precise and the sound of marching boots increased. “I can give you time, but if I go with you, I'll slow you down. I’ll be damned if I'm the reason you get hurt or captured ever again.” His voice took on a dark color, memories of losing brothers and then Omega years ago coming back to the forefront of his mind.

“Please…”

“Omega. There is no time. I won’t let them take you.” He squeezed the back of her neck and sighed.

“Huntah…Dad. I don't want to leave you.” Omega sobbed, reaching up to take his hand.

“I won’t be far. Just marching on ahead. Let me clear the path for you.” Hunter smiled at her and pulled her close to press a kiss to her forehead. “Don't look back, Corporal.”

Omega nodded, tears in her eyes as she handed over the remaining smoke bombs and detonators.

Hunter offered his helmet to her which she took and hooked on her bag.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Omega. Stay safe. You know we'll be looking out for you.” Hunter smiled, tears in his eyes before he turned and prepped the smoke bombs, tossing them over their shelter.

As soon as the smoke filled the area, Hunter turned from Omega and bolted into the line of fire, shooting at the stormtroopers. He didn't need to see, he could hear and feel their boots and crackle of their comms as they began to panic. One by one, he took them out, dodging the red blaster fire and returning his own. He tossed one of the grenades to the side, the explosion taking out a squad of white armored stormtroopers.

He couldn't last, already slowing from pain and loss of blood. Caught again by another blaster Hunter fell to his knees and cried out in pain. His body’s rapid aging caught up with him even as he struggled to stand.

“CT-9901…impressive you have lasted as long as you have.” Hemlock purred as a trooper stripped the gun from Hunter's hand.

Hunter glared as he was hefted to his feet. “And you're still a slimy son of a Hutt. But you will never have Omega.” He pressed his hand to his side, waiting for the man to walk closer.

“I'm a patient man. I've waited this long and we already have made progress, she will bring the empire to true perfection.” Hemlock forced Hunter's chin up. “And you may still be of use.”

Hunter simply grinned, grabbing onto Hemlock as he dropped the safety switch. The grenade in his hand flashing as he shoved it in between their chests.

“You're right. I can give her freedom at last.”

“GRENADE -!”

Hunter took great pleasure in watching Dr. Royce Hemlock's face twisted in rage as they became red mist and the sound of the Marauder faded into nothing.

~~~/\ Is The Beginning /\~~~

Cid wasn't sure what to do with the strange armored clone that appeared passed out in her bar at first. Bolo and Ketch both denied seeing the clone appear. But both were able to help her quickly pull the commando into a back room with an extra bed and got him restrained.

While Cid waited for the man to wake, she went over all her contingencies in her mind. The clone definitely wasn't one of the standards she had seen plenty of times. He was too short after all. But he had commando class kartan armor and obviously had seen action. It didn't help narrow down the two options for what the man was doing there in her parlor, but she knew better what to expect at least.

She walked over to the desk and pulled out an expensive bottle of Antillean whiskey and a short tumbler. She quickly prepped her glass and poured herself a drink, sitting in her chair with a stun gun at the ready.  As much as she wanted to check her security cameras, she didn’t want to leave the man unsupervised, and definitely didn’t trust Bolo and Ketch to watch him.

If she were a younger woman she would almost find the stranger handsome. Almost. He had strong features, a wide nose and dark skin. The tattoo across half his face was intimidating, the skull motif followed with the skull on his shoulder pauldrons. A ragged, deep scar ran from one side of his neck to the other, like someone had tried and failed to slit his throat, and it healed poorly. Definitely a plus for the intimidation factor in Cid’s book.

His long dark hair was shaggy, and the brilliant streak of white at his forelock made him look a little older than he probably was.

Then again Cid had no idea how mammals aged.

She took a drink from her glass as the stranger began to stir.

“Rise and shine, sleeping beauty.” Cid said casually, leaning back and watching the soldier come to.

He opened his eyes and looked around the room curiously before spotting Cid and his eyes widened in what looked like recognition.

“Cid? I must be in hell.”

Cid furrowed her brows. “You know me, but I can’t say I know you.”  She leaned back in her chair and gripped her glass and stun gun tightly.

The man furrowed his brows as well, blinking and looking around. “You really don’t know me…” he said as he looked at her.

Cid tried not to be intimidated. His eyes were sharp, and dark earthy brown. They seemed to hone in on every small twitch of her hand holding the stun gun and the glass. “Not at all. I only know you’re a clone, although far from standard from what I’ve seen.” She tried to stay as casual as possible, but she knew the dangers the man posed.

He attempted to sit up, only to grunt in surprise at the cuff keeping his right hand caught between the mattress and the wall. He shot Cid a glare, but it softened again as he observed her.

She didn't know what to think and she leaned back. “Do you blame me for taking precautions?”

“No…no I can't.” He said laying down and just watching her carefully.

“Good. Now as soon as I know a bit more about you, and why you showed up on the floor of my bar, we can see about taking the cuff off. So first thing’s first. Who are you?”

The clone frowned before shifting as if to get comfortable. “My name is Hunter. I’m part of Clone Force 99. We were an experimental special forces unit. I’m on the run from the Empire who are trying to capture-” his eyes got suddenly wide and he tried to sit up. “Where is Omega?!” he snapped at her, lips curling into a snarl.

Cid sat, unimpressed and unintimidated. “No idea who that is, Sleeping Beauty. Never heard of Clone Force 99, or of any Empire in my time. The fact that you gave a name instead of a number makes things interesting, but I'm going to need that CT number for you to back up your statement.” She put her glass down on the desk, but didn’t move the aim of the stun gun.

“Why do you want my CT number?” Hunter asked.

“Because,” Cid sighed. “I have access to several data banks from the war about the clones. I like making sure that any clone who walks into my establishment; or in your case appears unconscious on the floor, isn’t someone who could bring trouble. I don’t want trouble with the Republic or Kamino.”

Hunter stared at Cid for a long moment, eyes widening. “The Republic? The Republic fell. The Empire took its place!” He repeated, voice raising with disbelief.

“Keep it down, Sleeping Beauty. Sure the war was hell, but only because there was a damn traitor for a chancellor controlling both sides.” Cid rolled her eyes and finally put the stun gun away. “Look. What's your CT number? If you’re running…” she said, lowering her voice. “I can get you somewhere safe. I’m not going to return anyone to any owner as long as I’m breathing. The Jedi were good to me in the War, helped me out. That they’re still fighting for the clone’s freedom is something I'll back up one hundred percent.”

Hunter stared and shook his head. “I don’t understand. Owners? And the Jedi are still alive?”

Cid frowned and reached forward to undo the cuff, noticing how the man flinched away but relaxed. “This has Jedi bantha-crap written all over it. I’ll call in a friend, see if she can help figure out what’s going on.”

“Is there any chance this friend of yours is named Phee Genoa?” He sat up fully and rubbed at his wrist for a moment. “CT-9901, that’s my number.”

Cid narrowed her eyes before nodding. “Definitely Jedi shit.” She pulled out a hydro and ration pack and handed it to Hunter. “Give me a second.”

Hunter sat and stared at the ration pack, and Cid kept an eye on him as she pulled up the database and searched his number. She also sent out a quick message to Phee, hoping she was nearby.

It took a moment for the database to come back with the search results, which usually meant lots of similar numbers which she would run through depending on battalion number. But only one came back and it made Cid scowl.

“What is it?” Hunter asked.

“Are you missing some numbers? Because the only CT-9901 coming up is listed as decommissioned.” Cid watched as Hunter's eyes widened and he put the tray of picked rations aside.

“What?” He stood and came around the desk.

Cid gripped the hidden hold out blaster under her sweater, now wishing she had kept him cuffed to the bed. She cursed her soft heart in her mind.

“Says right here. Decommissioned. Kamino. 7956 C.R.C. a year and a half ago.” She motioned to the screen.

“Year and a half-no that’s not right, it’s 7977 C.R.C. I’m…”

Cid watched as he looked down at his hands and then his reflection on the screen. He touched the brilliant silver streak of hair as if taking notice of it for the first time. It was odd, really, seeing the man take his appearance in as if for the first time in his existence.

“You okay, Sleeping Beauty?” she asked.

“I…I died. I remember blowing myself up.” Hunter said, his eyes distant. “I was old. Omega was grown and I…we were cornered by the Empire and Hemlock ....”

“Take it easy. Rest a bit. My contact will be here in a few hours. I’m sure she can help figure out what exactly happened with you.” Cid motioned back to the bed, to which Hunter was obedient and sat back down on, hand stroking the silver in his hair and staring into the distance.

She turned back to the computer terminal, immediately relayed as much information to Phee and for her to get her ass to Ord Mantel as soon as possible. Cid then read as much information as she could about CT-9901 and Clone Force 99 from the databases she was connected to.

CT-9901 was a Sergeant of an elite squad of clones back in the war. He led three others who were specially trained to handle black ops and special missions. He had been decommissioned on Kamino after the war, but there were no additional notes as to why. When Cid pulled up a record photo, it matched the man who was sitting on the bed in her office. 

The silver streak of hair was a mutation, one apparently shared by another member of the group, CT-9904. That individual, whose name according to the file was Crosshair, had completely silver gray hair and a paler complexion than the Sergeant. The man was the group’s sniper, and his accolades for his skills were beyond impressive and well into legendary. Ten plus klick headshots of tactical droids. Ricochet shots that took out an entire legion of B-1 droids. Cid was beyond impressed, and not at all surprised when he was purchased after the war was over by a private individual. No doubt for security, but who knew.

The team’s slicer and intelligence expert was CT-9902, known as Tech. Just as tall as Crosshair, and immediately Cid knew that Phee would be wanting all the information on him. He was exactly her type. Tall, nerdy, but also very capable. The goggles he wore made his eyes large and according to the records he was possibly the most intelligent being the Kaminoans created. His IQ was off the charts for what Cid could understand, but there were notes on his incessant curiosity. Cid felt her scales crawl as she noticed he had also been sold, but to the Techno Union. No doubt he was being used for all of his intelligence to help the guild.

The final member was CT-9903, the imposing sapper and heavy weapons expert who was well over seven feet tall and was badly scarred on one side of his face. He was also ranked as one of the strongest clones of the former Grand Army of the Republic. Muscle density and chemical knowledge aside, notes on the file showed he had a high caloric intake and a previous injury left him blind and deaf on the left side of his head. Cid shook her head as she noticed he had been purchased after a high bidding war by a wealthy king who was known for his monthly bloody gladiatorial contests. Cid quickly made a note that Wrecker was probably dead.

She sat back and frowned, tapping her claws on the arm of her chair. She glanced around her screen and saw that Hunter had his head in his hands, staring at the floor. His posture was tense and Cid huffed before getting to her feet.

“Hey, Hunter.” she called, getting his attention. He looked up with wide eyes, looking young and very lost. “You look like you need a drink.”

“Heh, yeah. Yeah I could use a drink. Or twenty.” He laughed sadly.

Cid nodded and grabbed her bottle of whiskey and another glass to pour him a tumbler of it. “Here.” She offered him the glass and sat back down in the chair on the other side of her desk. “I found some information on your squad. Generally they were all sold after the war ended. Couple are probably alive, but…I’m not sure about the other one.”

“What about Omega?” he asked after downing half the glass.

“Didn’t find any information on them. Without a number it’ll be difficult, but I can look up what missions he was part of.”

“She. Omega is a girl. She was never on any missions. She was a cadet medical assistant to Nala Se, the head scientist for the cloning on Kamino.”

Cid’s eyes widened with every word and she swore under her breath. “They don’t keep records on individual cadets. Most of the cadets were sold in lots by the Kaminoans quickly so that they didn’t have to house and educate them.”

“And the Republic let them? The Jedi let them?!” Hunter cried.

“Jedi and the Senators that supported them lost their argument that Clones were classified as sentients against the general Senate in the reading of the current definition. It would have made droids also classified as sentients and well, let’s just say that it was a loud session with the arguments.

“On top of that, the contract that was negotiated by former Chancellor Palpatine through Count Dooku was iron clad in so much legal-eese that it was either the Republic take ownership of all 5.3 million clones that they denied sentience to, or allow the Kaminoans to retain ownership of them and do as they please.” Cid rubbed her forehead. “As far as I know the Jedi are still trying to push the Clone Rights Act through the senate. It’s been a busy kriffing year and a half.”

The silence following her brief history review for the end of the war and the chaos that would follow with the status of the Grand Army of the Republic was deafening. She looked at Hunter and realized his eyes were wide again and she was watching the man slowly spiral as he processed the information.

“Kriff.” Cid sighed and reached over to shake his shoulder. “Hey, Look if that kid is an assistant to Nala Se then most likely she wasn’t sold off. I can see about getting more information once Phee gets here.”

“I…I can’t lose them, I can’t lose my family again,” Hunter pleaded, staring down into his glass.

“And I’ll help you get them back,” the familiar voice of Phee Genoa was a welcome interruption as he opened the door of the office. Cid was not comfortable with the rather raw emotions.

“Phee, this is Hunter,  my Jedi problem.” Cid said, motioning to Hunter. “I’d introduce him to you but apparently he knows you.”

Hunter looked up and he smiled. “Gods it's good to see you again. Been too long and…and yet hasn’t happened.” His smile turned bitterly sad and he looked down. “You should be meeting all of us. Meeting Tech.”

“Whoo…yeah I see  what you mean,” Phee whispered to Cid before looking over Hunter. “Yeah, you definitely don’t belong here. Don’t look like any clone I've seen.”

“You should see my brothers.” Hunter whispered, before squeezing the glass of half drunk whiskey.

“How about I take that glass, then, sweetheart.” Phee said, smiling and plucking the glass from his hand. “And you take a nap.” she tapped him on the forehead and he fell over, out like a light. “Shit he was giving me a worse headache than when I drank with Hondo.”

“What’s your verdict?” Cid asked as she watched Phee carefully lay Hunter comfortably on the bed.

“He isn’t supposed to be here. His Force signature is all out of whack. He’s both older and younger than he looks.” Phee stood and watched him sleep.

Cid moved back around to her chair and leaned forward. “And? Have I shot myself in the tail already?”

“No, I don’t think so. If I knew he wouldn’t be discovered by the Kaminoans, I’d have him go to the Jedi temple to meet with the council. But Coruscant is not a safe place for clones.” Phee sat down in the guest chair and downed the rest of Hunter’s drink. “You pull up the records?”

“Yeah, not much to them aside from basic GAR records of action and who purchased them. One is probably already dead.” Cid said with a color of disappointment, eyes snapping to where Hunter was sound asleep. She turned on the holo screen for Phee to read the documents

“Have some faith, Cidarian.” Phee chirped as she quickly read the dossier on each of the clones. “Alright, good thing is I can probably get all the information on where the other three are, but Tech will be a difficult rescue.”

“That’s the one you're concerned about. Figured you’d have eyes for that one.” Cid muttered.

Phee simply smiled and shrugged. “Hunter here did say I should be meeting him. But, honestly out of the three, it’s the fact that he’s with the Techno Union that has me worried. The Kyoran Gladiator pits may be dangerous for the competitors but they’re well known. I can check in on the recent games and see if Wrecker is still around. His skills mean he’ll probably win more often than not. If he’s popular he’ll be on every betting board in the system.

“For Crosshair, I have a friend who can help track him down.”

“Please tell me it’s not the Shadow.” Cid hissed, rubbing her temples.

“Maybe.” Phee smirked. “Anyway, I can track them down. But it is absolutely fascinating that Hunter is somehow here. I am going to have to get in touch with my old Master, see if she can find anything in the records about temporal or reality jumping.”

“You really think he’s from another reality?”

“Maybe not completely. There’s plenty of stories about people appearing and disappearing in the galaxy, sometimes after they were killed before they were meant to. At least that’s what some of the stories I heard said. It’s possible he’s one of them. Someone who got a second chance.” Phee smiled.

“There…was someone else he was adamant about finding. Female clone cadet called Omega. Apparently she was the assistant to Nala Se on Kamino.” Cid explained. “Think your ex boyfriend can find her too?”

“Quinlan can find anyone, and if it’s a kid? He’ll double his efforts.” Phee tilted her head as she pulled the holo of Hunter into 3D space.

“What is it?” Cid asked, leaning forward as Phee rotated the now three dimensional holo.

“The scar on his neck. It isn't in this holo from the end of the war,” Phee explained, turning to look back at the slumbering clone. “And it's old enough to have been either fresh or on medical records, but nothing.”

Cid stood and looked at the scar that wrapped its way around the sleeping clone. She slowly realized it was caused by a sharp vibro knife, one that had been fully charged. There were small jagged lightning-like lines that branched across the edges. The wound would not be one any normal sentient would survive.

“How did he survive this?”

Phee joined her with a small frown. “I”m not sure. He has a long story to share when he’s ready.”

[amandamadeathing]

Social media post summarizing the relationship between Cid and the Batch.

[miss-musings]

"Can't You See They're Using You?": The Parallels Between Cid and The Empire as Exploitative Employers in "The Bad Batch"

In rewatching "Star Wars: The Bad Batch" after the series finale, I've realized just how many similarities there are between Cid and the Empire as employers for the Bad Batch and Crosshair, respectively.

I know I'm not the first person to point out how badly Cid used and abused the Batch, even from their very first meeting in 1.05 "Rampage." In fact, @xylionet has a great post summarizing just how much Cid took advantage of the Batch's -- mostly Hunter's -- desperation and inexperience dealing with the galaxy's shadier people.

But, beyond that, the show ultimately drew a lot of parallels between Cid and the Empire as employers, from their attitude toward clones to their manipulative personalities. Even the timelines for the Batch's and Crosshair's employment align very well, down to the conditions at which they start working for them and why they ultimately reach their breaking points.

Before we dive in, a few clarifications:

I'll mostly be focusing on Cid in this analysis, as I think the Empire's faults are pretty clear.

And, when I say "the Empire," I mean the Imperial officials Crosshair interacts with and/or takes orders from -- mostly Rampart and Nolan, but to a lesser degree, Hemlock and Tarkin as well.

SHARED TRAITS

Manipulative personalities

From the beginning, Cid did whatever it took to leverage the Batch into working for her.

Once she realizes that they're 1) desperate for information/money and 2) inexperienced/gullible/etc., she very quickly works to get them on her side.

She offers an exchange of information and money if the Batch bring in Muchi, but she neglects to tell them Muchi is a Rancor, probably because she figured they wouldn't have accepted the job if they knew.

As she gives Hunter the information and 30% of the cut, she says that with a bounty hunter after the Batch, they'll need "friends and money -- mostly money." It's objectively not an incorrect assessment, and she offers them more work. Hunter says he'll think about it, and that's when she pulls out the blackmail card. She knows how valuable they are and knows people are after them. If they cross her, she can turn them in.

Cid ultimately uses whatever tactics she has to get the Batch to do what she needs, whether that's sweet-talking or strong-arming or leveraging them (either financially or via blackmail).

Likewise, Rampart especially gets on Crosshair's good side by initially praising him as an experienced clone and elevating him to commander of an elite non-clone squad. He also seems to give Crosshair plenty of clone troopers as well when needed. However, once we get to the Ryloth arc, we see that Rampart is more than willing to threaten Crosshair when he feels like he's underperforming.

Even in Season 2, Rampart continues to play this game with Crosshair by praising him just enough that he still feels valued, while also demoting him and then insinuating that Crosshair needs to continue proving his worth or risk losing his position.

Assigning morally questionable jobs/missions

While this is obvious for the Empire, it's something I don't see talked about much regarding Cid.

Her clients are shady people, and she either doesn't ask her clients a lot of questions or doesn't provide that information to the Batch.

After she strong-arms them into working for her in 1.06 "Decommissioned," she sends them after a tactical droid. The information it has could be useful against the Empire, but it could also lead to the deaths of thousands of clone troopers -- the Batch's reg brothers.

This is something the Martez sisters point out to the Batch, and Hunter says they're "being paid to acquire and deliver," admitting that who the client is or why they want the information isn't a priority. The Martez sisters argue that it should be.

Granted, a lot of the jobs we actually see the Batch doing for Cid are later hand-waved as being a good thing. They deliver arms to freedom fighters on Ryloth, they reunite Ruby with her owner, they free Muchi from slavery, etc. But, there are plenty of jobs we partially see them do or hear about them doing, which could easily have been "bad" things, especially given how shady Cid's clients are.

Arguably, if Cid ever gave them information or the Batch guessed that a given job was a "bad" thing, they could just not do it for her. But, again, she has leverage over them, so I don't know whether they have much of an option.

Dislike of clones

Basically all the Imperials we meet in the show don't like clones.

Rampart pretended well enough in Season 1, but we know from later episodes that he hates them. Nolan is very brazen in telling Crosshair how much he abhors working with clone troopers, saying he "doesn't like used equipment" and that the clones are ultimately expendable. And, obviously we know of Tarkin and Hemlock's hatred for clones.

But, Cid inexplicably hates them as well.

I think she was willing to bring the Batch on because she felt she could use them, but she's very rude Rex in 1.07 "Battle Scars" and apparently didn't like hosting Gregor in 1.15 "Return to Kamino."

She tells Rex and the Batch that she's "done taking in strays," that she's not running a charity, and that her parlor "isn't a clone clubhouse."

She could feasibly have concerns that, if enough clones start hanging out at her parlor, they'd get on the Empire's radar. But, if that was her concern, there were 100 better ways to say that.

We don't get to see her interactions with Gregor, but I don't understand why she was immediately so hostile to Rex. For all she knew, he could've been there to pay her for information or hire the Batch for a job -- something where she would've gotten paid. Shouldn't she have been trying to get on his good side and at least see what he wanted first? But, instead, she immediately and very rudely dismisses him.

Also, Cid has a clone trooper helmet on the wall in her office. (It's on the lefthand side as you look at her desk.) Considering she used to be an informant for the Jedi, I wonder how she got that helmet. Was it a gift? Why would a clone trooper give her a helmet? It seems more likely that it was a trophy of some kind. She seems to have a lot of strange items around her office, but a clone trooper helmet should've been a red flag for the Batch.

Asking a lot & giving little in return

Cid ultimately had the Batch risking their lives for her and her clients, and was apparently only giving them 30% of the payout.

By 1.07 "Battle Scars," they're also in debt to her despite doing at least 10-12 jobs for her. In 1.10, Cid tells them that the Batch needs "a big score for us to be square," and Omega ultimately pays off the debt by hustling people at the strategy game.

So, even if after 1.10, the Batch renegotiated off-screen so that Cid started covering their expenses and that their standard 30% is pure profit, that still seems incredibly low to me. I would think 40-40-20, with the 20% going to cover expenses would be a decent starting point.

But, apparently, they're still doing jobs for her in Season 2 and still only getting 30% -- their standard rate. We're not sure what their success rate is, but they've been able to complete some big jobs for her. They definitely should've renegotiated up to at least 50% or something, especially considering how frequently they were endangering themselves and Omega on these jobs.

With Crosshair and the Empire, he doesn't really have much in the way of benefits, because the Empire ultimately considers all the clones their property.

They were never given a choice on whether they wanted to serve the Empire once it replaced the Republic. They're assigned these dangerous and morally questionable/reprehensible missions. If they question their orders or refuse, they're labeled traitors and arrested; and if they leave, they're branded deserters.

Crosshair at least gets room and board, but he probably isn't getting paid much or at all. Once Senator Chuchi's bill passes in 2.08 "Truth and Consequences," he might be eligible for a retirement/severance package like we see the clones talking about in 2.12 "The Outpost," but he likely wouldn't have a say on when he gets to retire/leave.

Meanwhile, Crosshair and the other clones are risking their lives for the Empire. We see in 2.03 "The Solitary Clone," that the clone troopers are sent in to complete the most dangerous work -- securing Desix and freeing the Imperial governor. But, once it comes to actually occupying the planet, the Empire assigns stormtroopers.

I also always found it interesting that the clone troopers bothered to get Crosshair medical attention in 1.08 "Reunion," but Nolan doesn't in 2.12 "The Outpost." I feel like the clones, at minimum, cared about each other even under Imperial command. But as more non-clones started taking command, they basically said, "Why bother? Clone troopers are a relic of the past, and we have millions of TK troopers who can take their place."

Lack of intel/resources to complete missions

Speaking of 2.12 "The Outpost," we hear about Mayday's predicament: The Empire doesn't provide enough men to defend the oh-so-valuable cargo at the Outpost and doesn't provide the equipment needed to keep their troopers safe. They have to wrap their armor to stay warm; the conditions degrade the sensors; they don't have the tools needed to disarm mines; and so on.

Similarly, the Batch bring up several times in Seasons 1 and 2 that Cid withholds information about their jobs.

Wrecker in 2.11 "Metamorphosis": Limited intel. Huh. There's a surprise.

Maybe sometimes her clients or sources don't give her information as we see in 2.11 "Metamorphosis," but there are plenty of times where she purposely withholds information, like Muchi being a Rancor in 1.05 "Rampage."

Cid was either accepting jobs without much intel because she was getting overconfident in the Batch's abilities, or -- more likely -- she was getting greedy and sending them on as many jobs as possible regardless of the conditions.

The latter seems more likely, especially with how it aligns with how the Empire treats the clones. They're more than ready to put money into the TK trooper program -- and we know from the Original Trilogy that TK troopers are also essentially treated as expendable -- but the Empire clearly doesn't give a crap about the clones, especially after 2.08 "Truth and Consequences."

Ultimately, both the Batch and Crosshair and the other Imperial clone troopers have to make do with the little they’re given, despite putting so much on the line for their employers.

“All you’ll ever be to them is a number”

Something I haven't talked about much yet is how Hunter is so prescient about Crosshair being used by the Empire, but doesn't see how Cid is using him and his family to a similar degree.

This is something @xylionet pointed out too:

It’s rather ironic that Crosshair and Hunter are both able to see each other’s situations for what they are, but not their own.

One of the things that hit me during my rewatch of 1.15/16 was Hunter telling Crosshair: "All you'll ever be to them is a number" referring to the Empire.

Admittedly, Hunter isn't wrong. As we see, all the Imperial officials Crosshair interacts with only call him by his CT number, never by his name. (The only exceptions are fellow clones like Cody, Mayday and Emerie.)

And, in 2.03 "The Solitary Clone," when Crosshair asks Rampart about Commander Cody, Rampart acts like he's never heard the name Cody before in his life. He ONLY knows Cody -- one of the most famous commanders in the entire Galactic Army of the Republic -- by his number. Hell, even EMPEROR PALPATINE knew Commander Cody's name in "Revenge of the Sith."

But, while the Empire being a bunch of assholes makes sense, what gets me is that Cid is the exact same way:

She ONLY ever called the Bad Batch members by her little nicknames.

Cid absolutely knew their names. She would have to if she was ever planning to turn them in, as she eventually does. Maybe she didn't know their clone numbers, but she definitely knew what they called each other.

Yet, even in those moments where they came through for her like in 1.13 "Infested" and 2.04 "Faster," she never uses their names as a sign of respect or gratitude. Hell, even after Tech dies, she still only called him "Goggles."

Now, I'm not saying that nicknames are inherently bad. I have plenty of nicknames for people, and vice versa. But, I think there has to be an established relationship first, and then the nickname should be a sign of affection rather than a way to demean someone.

Cid calls the Batch mostly by their outward appearances or accessories -- Tiny, Muscles, Goggles, Bandana, Dark & Broody. (Note: she uses "Dark and Broody" for both Echo and Hunter on different occasions.) It just indicates how she sees them -- not as people but as objects. She's only looking on the surface because that's all she cares about.

“Blind allegiance makes you a pawn”

It's obvious to see that Crosshair's misplaced loyalty to the Empire ultimately made him one of its pawns, to be used and abused.

But, as I've outlined, the Batch was in a similar position with Cid.

Hunter definitely sees that their "mutually beneficial arrangement" with Cid isn't great, but he doesn't really have much choice. They're on their own; they're deserters/traitors; and now they're in charge of a kid and being pursued by bounty hunters.

However, as I'll talk about more in a second, the Batch had several opportunities to walk away from her and try to find some other ways of "making a living." Yet, they continue to work for her despite all the red flags that they definitely see but choose to ignore. This is partly why Echo eventually leaves, because he disagrees with Hunter's decision to maintain this lifestyle rather than fighting for their fellow clones.

While Hunter is arguably the most at fault for letting Cid use and abuse them as long as she does, Cid takes advantage of Omega's loyalty the most.

Even as Omega is trying to convince Hunter and the others to -- and I can't believe I'm about to say this -- pit two crime syndicates against each other just to get Cid's parlor back ... all Cid can say is, "You tell 'em, tiny!"

Twice she asks/convinces her family to stick their necks out for Cid despite all the risks involved, and yet they get little to nothing in return -- including respect.

Despite all the risks they take for her and all the money they bring in, Cid doesn't give a crap when the Marauder gets stolen and the Batch are stranded on the mining planet in 2.09 "The Crossing." That's when the Batch -- particularly Omega -- finally reach their breaking point.

By 2.11 "Metamorphosis," Tech suggests that they only do this last job for her to ensure they leave her on good terms, because she knows so much about them. But, it's clear Omega and Hunter are fed up with how badly Cid used them, which happens to coincide nicely with Crosshair coming to the same realization about the Empire.

Which segues into the timeline analysis:

THE SIMILAR TIMELINES BETWEEN THE BAD BATCH/CID, CROSSHAIR/THE EMPIRE

Reluctant employees (early S1)

As mentioned, the Batch and Crosshair start working for their respective employers because they don’t have a lot of other options.

Crosshair is, of course, practically abducted by the Empire and forced to do its bidding under the effects of the inhibitor chip. This starts in 1.01 "Aftermath."

Meanwhile, the Batch do the initial job for Cid in 1.05 "Rampage." They do a one-off job to get intel on the bounty hunter(s) after Omega, as well as earn some much-needed cash. The Batch didn't really have much of a choice in either finding or working for Cid, because Cid was the only Jedi informant Echo knew how to find, and they were desperate for the intel.

Then, as mentioned, she subsequently uses strong-arming and blackmailing as needed to get them to work for her in 1.06 and beyond.

Falling into a routine (mid-S1)

By 1.07 "Battle Scars," we can see the Batch has fallen into a routine of doing jobs for Cid. As she said, they need friends and money with bounty hunters after them, and they don't really have any other ready sources of income (as demonstrated in 1.04 "Cornered').

Yet, despite all the jobs they've done for her, they're also in debt to her. Meaning, they can't easily walk away without giving her even MORE reason to turn them in, so they have to continue doing jobs for her in hopes of paying off the debt.

Meanwhile, Crosshair and his ES troopers have been continuing to operate under Rampart, presumably carrying out missions under his command. Granted, we don't see any of these except the Onderon mission in 1.03 "The Replacements," but based on how effective they seemed to be in 1.08 "Reunion," I imagine they were doing missions together off-screen.

The first possible turnaround point (late S1)

If we accept the fan theory that Crosshair's chip was removed or deactivated/damaged around 1.08 "Reunion," then Crosshair has regained his free will by the next time we see him in 1.11 "Devil's Deal."

Yet, despite the Empire hijacking his mind and body and forcing him to do all sorts of terrible things, he continues to work for them of his own free will. He has an opportunity to walk away, but he doesn't.

Likewise, the Batch have an opportunity in 1.13 "Infested," after Cid's parlor gets taken over by Roland Durand.

But, thanks to Omega's misplaced loyalty, Cid's blackmailing and other factors, Hunter decides to pit two crime syndicates against each other to get Cid's parlor back and continue working for her. (I cannot emphasize how stupid of a decision this was!!)

Even after Cid's schemes get the Batch in trouble with the Pykes to the point that Omega is taken hostage, the Batch continue to work for Cid. They're lucky this was a "family show," or the Pykes would've definitely killed them or injured Omega or something else just as bad.

If ever there was a time for the Batch to walk away from Cid, this would've been it -- either before the job or after. But, like Crosshair, they don't take the opportunity to walk away.

The second possible turnaround point (S1 finale)

Crosshair had another opportunity to leave the Empire and rejoin his brothers at the end of 1.16 "Kamino Lost." But, instead he decides once again to double-down and stay with the Empire for a myriad of reasons that might have to be its own meta some day. (I touched on it a bit in my S1 Crosshair/loyalty meta.)

But what might be overlooked is that the fall of Kamino was another opportunity for the Batch to leave Cid.

Again, the reason they sought her out and one of the reasons they started/kept working for her was because bounty hunters were after Omega. The bounty was active through 1.09 "Bounty Lost.” At that point, the Batch learn that Lama Su put the bounty on Omega because she's crucial to their cloning operation.

But, as the Batch see for themselves, Tipoca City is decommissioned and destroyed. The Kaminoan cloning facilities are gone. The Kaminoans aren't in a place where they need Omega anymore, because the Empire has effectively ended cloning (at least for military purposes).

So, they could've left Cid after the events of Season 1. Maybe they could've even left her on good terms after saving her ass in 1.13 "Infested." But, they don't.

Starting to second-guess (early S2)

Admittedly, Hunter was never super-comfortable about their arrangement with Cid, but he persisted because he didn't see a lot of alternatives.

But, Omega (and Tech and Wrecker) clearly start to have doubts about working for Cid during 2.04 "Faster." They once again stick their necks out for Cid by offering to clear her debt with Millegi. And, while Cid is grateful at the time, we see later that her gratitude is short-lived.

Based on what Millegi tells them, especially at the end of the episode, it's clear Omega (and the others) are beginning to doubt whether Cid is someone worthy of their loyalty.

Likewise, Crosshair's experiences in 2.03 "The Solitary Clone" start to plant doubts in his mind. He was stranded on Kamino for a month and comes back only to get demoted and sent on a dangerous and morally questionable mission. And while Crosshair and his squad complete the mission, and Rampart even praises Crosshair for it, we also see that Rampart really doubts Crosshair and the other clones' loyalty.

Ultimately, after his experiences with Cody and their mission on Desix, it's clear that Crosshair is beginning to doubt whether the Empire is worthy of his loyalty.

The breaking point (mid/late S2)

As I've pointed out in another post:

Both the Batch and Crosshair fell into a routine that provided them security and stability in an otherwise chaotic time in the galaxy; and both only reached their breaking points when their employers left them for dead.

For the Batch, this is a combination of 2.09-2.11. The Marauder gets stolen while they're on a job for Cid. They ask for her help, and she doesn't readily or easily commit any kind of assistance. They get the Marauder back on their own, and Cid is more than happy to give them another job, framing it as: "Do you wanna make money?"

It's become clear to them that she views them as tools -- only useful to her, not the other way around.

Meanwhile, at the start of 2.12 "The Outpost," Crosshair sees that the Empire has started to retire clones, but at least he's still getting missions.

But, Barton IV ultimately becomes his breaking point when he sees just how expendable he and all clones are. Based on what he said in 1.15 "Return to Kamino," he thought he was "superior" to the other clones, but as Nolan proves, the Empire didn't care either way.

As Mayday points out, the clones sacrificed everything for the Empire while getting nothing in return. Crosshair and Mayday are essentially left for dead, and when they come back looking like absolute hell, Nolan first yells at them for not retrieving the cargo and then tells them to get to work.

As Nolan blatantly tells Crosshair, he and all the other clones are expendable -- only worth keeping around as long as they're useful.

Not out quite yet (late S2)

By 2.13 "Pabu," we can see the Batch has completely cut ties with Cid and are working with Phee instead. Cid leaves them a message, saying that their absence has cost her a lot of money and she once again threatens to turn them in.

Despite emotionally cutting ties with her, they're still physically at her mercy to a degree. Plus, even once they made it clear they didn't want to work for her anymore, she still wants something from them and she's willing to hurt them if they don't cooperate.

Thankfully, Phee comes through for the Batch and introduces them to Pabu -- their future forever home.

Crosshair, meanwhile, is imprisoned at Tantiss. Despite emotionally cutting ties with the Empire, he's still physically at its mercy.

Hemlock offers him a deal: his freedom in exchange for helping him find Clone Force 99. Crosshair refuses to give up his family, even under torture.

Just like the Batch, despite Crosshair's attempt to "walk away" from the Empire, they still want something from him and they're willing to hurt him if he doesn't cooperate.

The fallout (S2 finale and beyond)

Of course, everything falls together in 2.16 "Plan 99," as Cid sells out the Batch to the Empire. The Batch's and Crosshair's former employers temporarily join forces to screw everyone over in the worst ways possible.

Although it was clear to us from the get-go that Crosshair was wrong to trust the Empire, 2.16 confirms to us the audience just how wrong the Batch was to trust Cid. They came to her in a moment of need, and she betrayed them.

Granted, I think this was mostly Hunter's failing, as they never should've gone back to Ord Mantell. I understand they were hurt and desperate to have AZI heal Omega, but Cid told them multiple times she was willing to turn them in. Plus, they just showed on her doorstep after striking a high-level Imperial compound. They knew -- or at least suspected -- that they were already being targeted based on Crosshair's message, but after hitting Eriadu, they would've been on the Empire's "most wanted list."

Jumping to Season 3, Cid's nature is made even clearer as she gives up the Batch a second time.

It's unclear whether CX-2 bribed or tortured Cid -- probably the latter -- but Cid also sold out Phee. And Cid told the Batch she considered Phee a friend. (Although based on Phee's comments in 2.13 "Pabu," that feeling wasn't mutual.)

For all Cid knew, CX-2 could've tortured or killed Phee to find the Batch, and she still gave up the information.

Once again, the Batch's and Crosshair's former employers work together to screw them over.

One last thing I'll add is how the show gave us glimpses of Crosshair and Cid's true colors around the same time. Crosshair is first bribed and then tortured for information about his family, but he doesn't give them up; meanwhile, Cid sells them out after everything they did for her. And, if CX-2 really tortured Cid in Season 3, it just proves how little she cared about the Batch (or even Phee) compared to how much Crosshair cared about them despite everything that happened in S1.

IN CONCLUSION

I want to state for the record that, as frustrating as it is to see our favorite characters allow themselves to be used and abused by their employers, I don't hate any of them.

These characters are human. They're not perfect, and hindsight is 20/20.

I know several people who were hoping that Cid would come through for the Batch, that she would be a true ally even if she was grumpy and rude (and that's putting it mildly).

If anything, I think this all shows just how similar Hunter, Crosshair and Omega are. They share a lot of the same strengths and weaknesses. Hunter and Crosshair see just how terrible the other's situation is, but not their own; and Crosshair and Omega are loyal to a fault.

They all just wanted some security and stability in what was a very chaotic time for the galaxy and their family. I can understand, to an extent, why they made the decisions they did even if I find them frustrating.

If you want to take any of this meta and apply it to your own lives, by all means. Despite what some folks might think, Star Wars has always been political, and I don't want any of you to end up like our favorite Bad Batch characters.

At the end of the day, "The Bad Batch" is a family show with a lot of morals and lessons about the importance of love, hope and family -- whether blood relatives, adopted or 'found.'

But, it's also a show about the evils of political systems and corporate greed, and how the forces around us will profit off our blood, sweat and tears while giving us little to nothing in return.

[darth-memes]

THE BAD BATCH SEASON 3 COMES OUT IN 18 DAYS!

[gamelpar]

omega's pure belief in the goodness of people really takes psychic damage on them. like they have no choice but wanting to prove her right or live forever in shame.

[queen-daya]

Hunter Being Omega’s Dad -> Metamorphosis

[jedipoodoo]

The funniest thing about the Bad Batch is that they walk into a place literally called "Cid's Parlor," But when they ask someone if they know Cid, they have the absolute gal to straight up say "Doesn't ring a bell".

[drafthorsemath]

My husband got me a couple packs where you get a character but don't know who it is until you open it. I got Cid. Every week when I water mh bamboo, I drown her and for no particular reason at all I thought some of you might like to watch.

[eliseotano]

GUYS I JUST SAW A TIKTOK AND FOUND OUT THAT THE VOICE ACTOR FOR CID IS RHEA PERLMAN WHO PLAYS RUTH IN THE BARBIE MOVIE

THE QUOTE “TAKE MY HANDS. CLOSE YOUR EYES. NOW FEEL..” IS FROM HER. ITS CID!!!!

AND IT SOUNDS JUST LIKE CID IS SAYING IT AND I CANT HELP BUT IMAGINE HER SAYING IT TO OMEGA AND UGHHHHHHHH

[stoat-party]

Season 3 episode 1: Phee beats the crap out of Cid for 30 minutes

[kopykunoichi]

One thing we can all agree on today:

Saw Gerrera and Cid Scaleback can go🖕themselves.

[twinsunstars]

finding out cid's actress is the same woman who played the creator of barbie and helped barbie become human in the movie is actually wild

[locitapurplepink]

Taglist : @photogirl894 , @leosardonyx18 , @commander-tech , @trapezequeen , @zaya-mo , @ambulance-mom , @aesira-of-orion , @thebadbatch2022 , @genericficerblog , @catcucumber-salad and anyone else who wants to vote this one.

Note : Any comment, opinion or reblogged would be appreciated

[darth-memes]

THE BAD BATCH SEASON 3 COMES OUT IN 22 DAYS!

[moonstone-blues]

Hold on-

WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO CID?!

SHE GOT AWAY WITH BETRAYING THE BATCH? TWICE?!

Unless CX-2 killed her after he got the info we have no clue where she is. After the Batch got to deal with their enemies in a satisfying way, you'd think we'd find out what happened with Cid.

She was a huge part of the first two seasons and was one of the main reasons Omega was taken to Tantiss in the first place!

This doesnt bug me as much as the... Tech situation but still. Maybe they'll answer it in a possible next show? Probably not.