WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 1, Episode 14, “War-Mantle,” streaming now on Disney+.
In the latest episode of The Bad Batch, Clone Force 99 breaks from its mission for Cid and does a favor for Captain Rex on Duro. Their objective is to rescue Clone Captain Gregor from Imperial custody. They succeed, except Hunter is captured in the process. While that is the major happening in the episode, the subplot may be much more important on a galactic scale because the Kaminoans may soon face extinction.
Ever since the Empire became the ruling authority in the galaxy, the Kaminoans have seen the writing on the wall. It seemed like only a matter of time before the Empire cut ties with the famed cloners and canceled the contracts that the Republic left behind. Knowing this, Kaminoan Prime Minister Lama Su activated a contingency plan that somehow involved Omega. However, because of Nala Se’s secret actions, that plan has yet to come to fruition or even be revealed. So, everything has maintained a tenuous status quo. However, now in “War-Mantle,” there is trouble.
At the beginning of The Bad Batch episode, Admiral Rampart and Crosshair have a brief conversation about some secret operation being ahead of schedule. The only thing definite is that Rampart wants every viable clone to be mobilized -- and that means everyone. Shortly after, a line of young clone cadets is seen marching along and even ask Nala Se about why they are breaking protocol by leaving the base. So, even the little cadets know that something is up, but they don’t have any idea what might be coming.
During the same conversation between Rampart and Crosshair, the defective clone asks what is to be done with the Kaminoans. The admiral’s response is cloak and dagger when he says, “We have our orders. Keep an eye on them until the time is right.” Clearly, their orders, whatever they are, are on a need-to-know basis, but they can’t be good. With the successful transition to conscription soldiers, the Kaminoans have outweighed their usefulness.
Later, Lama Su learns his worse fears have come true. The Empire has terminated their contracts and seems poised to move on from any further dealings with the Kaminoans. While Nala Se thinks that the Empire will just move on, Lama Su actually fears for their species’ survival, and he makes a good point. As much as the Empire seems to disdain clones, no one can deny their effectiveness. In fact, it was the clone army that killed most of the Jedi and placed the Empire in power. Essentially, the clones were so successful that the Empire couldn’t risk that the cloners could, hypothetically, build an army for someone else that could dethrone Palpatine’s Empire. Like Lama Su says: they “empowered the Empire to our own detriment.”
Lama Su instructs Nala Se to gather essential personnel and make ready to flee. However, she is caught by Crosshair’s soldiers. When Admiral Rampart confronts Lama Su, the prime minister tries to play dumb, but Rampart wants no part of it. The episode ends with the admiral saying he has no further need for a politician and walking out of the room, leaving Lama Su behind with two elite soldiers. Maybe Lama Su is already dead. However, if he was only arrested, it only seems like a matter of time before he wishes he was dead, given the Empire’s ruthlessness and brutality.
Created by Dave Filoni, Star Wars: The Bad Batch drops new episodes each Friday on Disney+.