WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 1, Episode 7, “Battle Scars,” streaming now on Disney+.
After failing to bring home the tactical droid in the last episode of The Bad Batch, Clone Force 99 is still working for Cid. As "Battle Scars" opens, they are just finishing another mission and returning to Ord Mantell with some kind of ugly lizard. But as they are being paid, the group hears a commotion from the bar area and rushes out to see a familiar face, Captain Rex.
They all greet him warmly, but the Clone is immediately thrown off when he learns that none of them have had their inhibitor chips removed. Seeing his attitude change, the crew agrees to have their chips removed, and they all travel to the trash world of Bracca, where they plan to use the medical facility on a crashed Republic cruiser. After some difficulty with a Dianoga monster and Wrecker’s inhibitor chip taking over, they succeed in removing all of their chips. Throughout the episode, though, Rex shows a commitment to something that he still holds very dear -- the Republic.
Early on in “Battle Scars,” it's confirmed that Rex was the one in the mysterious hologram from the last episode. Trace and Rafa Martez were adamant that their contact wanted the tactical droid to better understand how to fight the Empire’s clones, meaning Rex is still at the forefront of the fight. So, even though Rex tells the Bad Batch that he’s “been lying low” since the Clone Wars ended, he's clearly been busy laying the groundwork for some part of the Rebellion.
In fact, Rex came looking for Clone Force 99 to try and recruit them to his cause. A group of rouge Clones with desirable mutations would be a great addition to his crew, and even after the mission over, he still seems hopeful that they will join him. Sadly, Hunter puts that notion to bed, making it clear that protecting Omega is his team's number one priority. What that means exactly, he is not sure, but at the moment, it doesn’t mean running straight toward the Empire.
During the same conversation, Hunter seems confused by how Rex is adamantly fighting for such a futile cause, especially because the Republic is dead and gone. But Rex, being the dedicated soldier he is, tells Hunter, “Not all of it [is gone]. We’re here. Others are out there, too.” While Rex's statement is ambiguous, his answer is clear -- even a short time after Order 66 and Palpatine’s takeover, there are already people fighting against the Empire's rule.
Who Rex is referencing could also be important. Just before he talks to Hunter, he sets up a meeting with someone at a prearranged rendezvous point. While Rex could be talking to Bail Organa, Saw Guerra or maybe even Ahsoka. he could also be referencing other Clones. When he reappears in Star Wars Rebels, he's hiding out alongside Gregor and Wolffe, fellow Clones who deserted the Empire. With their whereabouts during this period yet to be revealed, The Bad Batch is the perfect place to explore it.
Created by Dave Filoni, Star Wars: The Bad Batch stars Dee Bradley Baker, Andrew Kishino and Ming-Na Wen. New episodes air Fridays on Disney+.