I Wanna Know How Hunter Became The Leader Of The Bad Batch. Like, Not Saying Any Of The Others Would

*Echo and Tech devising battle strategies at 2am on Echo’s first night with the batch*

Echo: —and then, that’s when we would use the cannon to launch wrecker straight into the wall—

Tech: —yes, and at the same time, you and Hunter can be on either side rigging the explosives—

Echo: —which Crosshair will shoot from the other side of the battlefield from on top of the Rancor that we kidnapped earlier—

Hunter: *whispers to Crosshair* this might have been a bad idea.

Crosshair: *sips his coffee* I, myself, have always wanted to ride a rancor.

Shep: you know what the best thing about being a father is? Getting to teach your kid the most important life lessons, and watch them use them.

Tech: oh yes, absolutely. I will never forget the deep feeling of pride I felt the first time I saw Omega correctly splice into an Imperial database. Or the joy of watching her re-wire her first bomb. And of course, watching her become more accurate with her laser bow has been a privilege. She is truly a formidable opponent. Not to mention her skills with stealth and reconnaissance, or her growing aptitude as a pilot and mechanic.

Shep:

Shep: well I really meant like, friendship and integrity

Tech: oh. Well, that too.

So anyways, I’m still not over Tech

Something I think we missed out on in TBB S3 was seeing how Hunter and Wrecker’s dynamic shifted after Tech’s death. Because those two were more or less alone together for FIVE MONTHS. I’m sure Echo was around off and on, but he would have been busy with Rex, gathering intel about Tantiss. That five months was probably one of the darkest periods in their lives. They had just lost Tech, they had just lost Omega, they had just essentially lost Crosshair for the third time. Hunter and Wrecker would have gotten each other through profound grief, fear, anxiety, trauma, desperation, regret. Those kinds of shared experiences change how people interact with each other and I wish we had seen a little more of that.

Watching The Bad Batch has made the Battle of Endor so much more emotional for me. Cuz like. We see the clones continuing to fight, even after the army they were bred into dissolves. They never stop fighting for the republic that NEVER fought for them. They laid the foundations of the rebellion. Endor was THE end of the war that the clones had been fighting from day one. It was the glorious, victorious ending that all our precious clone brothers deserved—and so few of them got to see it. But they also played such a huge role in blazing the trail for the people that DID see it—Ashoka, Omega. They lost so much, but they gave so much, and that’s the clone legacy—boys whose sacrifices and dreams lived to fight another day, even if most of them are marching far away.

I love the implication in TCW S7 that the other clones have heard about CF99, but it’s all just rumors, random pieces of gossip and information. Because with an army of that size, information is bound to get distorted, especially when it comes to an elite force like The Bad Batch. An elite squad of clones that performs special and black ops missions with a 100% success rate?? Are you sure?? I heard that…

And even better, I bet the batch encourages all of the rumors and even spreads some themselves. Those droids that were ripped to pieces?? Yeah, Hunter did that with his teeth. Crosshair? One time he took out an entire legion of droids from twelve kliks away in the dark and the seppies didn’t even know until morning. Wrecker once rigged a chain reaction explosion so masterfully that it blew up an entire tectonic plate on the volcanic planet they were on. And the only reason Tech hasn’t hacked into every Separatist database on the galaxy and destroyed them on the inside from his datapad is because he’s too busy saving entire star systems with piloting skills that rival Anakin Skywalker’s.

Hi friends, could I have some TBB fanfic recs???

I love cute little domestic ones, and stories about the shenanigans they got up to during their down time. Also, missions from before Kaller happened (before or after Echo, either is fantastic)

I’m going on a long trip and I need stories to hold me over XD

People who can write, I definitely want a fic of the entire batch having it out in the training room hahaaaa

I totally agree with everything, if I’m allowed to add:

The first time Echo witnesses their “conflict resolution,” he’s shocked and def pulls the older brother card to get them to chill out

However, it takes approximately two days for Echo and Tech to have a sass off that rivals those of Tech and Crosshair (Crosshair enjoys it wayyyy too much)

Hunter knows that pulling rank is a sure fire way to shut down any argument with Echo, but Echo is so obedient about it that it makes him feel bad, so he doesn’t.

Wrecker is scared to argue with Echo. Crosshair is too, but he won’t admit it. That makes their arguments extra salty

Thinking about Hunter and Crosshair resorting to throwing hands and Tech and Wrecker bickering has me cooking up some headcanons about their methods of… ✨conflict resolution✨

Tech and Crosshair have a sass off/roast fest (Hunter has to intervene like 90% of the time, Wrecker pulls out the popcorn)

Hunter and Wrecker have staring contests to rival that of Jedi padawans trying to mind trick each other

Wrecker and Crosshair throw things at each other while having a shouting match

Hunter and Tech actually have logical arguments like sane human beings, but with a whole lot of gnashing of teeth because most of the time they both have really good points and they’re stubborn af (strategist vs genius, you know?) (every once in a great while Hunter gets frustrated enough to pull rank lol)

If three of them have issues, no. 4 tells them to either stop being morons or take it to the training room

If all four of them have a problem, well… that’s what the aforementioned training room is for lol

😭😭 too soon, OP, too soon. But so truuuuuee

Tech knew Crosshair had changed.

He knew the moment he found "CT-9904" included on the list of clone prisoners.

He already knew, but his theory was confirmed when he discovered that Crosshair had sent the squad a warning message.

Tech might not have known the details, but he knew that Crosshair had changed not only enough to draw the wrath of the Empire down on him, but enough to actually reach out to his family - the family he had walked away from - in an effort to warn them.

Crosshair's nature may still be "severe and unyielding," but his priorities had changed and he now was bending those traits toward different goals (like protecting his family at all costs and not yielding to torture).

Tech may not have seen firsthand how much Crosshair had changed, but he knew that he had.

And since his brother had changed enough to somehow defy the Empire and then reach out to the family, maybe his brother would come home.

One of my few disappointments about Bad Batch season 3 when first watching it was how Tech's death and the aftermath is handled - namely, that his death doesn't seem to really have much impact on his family (besides creating some inconvenience when it comes to decryption). I couldn't help but think that if the season had included even just one moment of the squad (more specifically the brothers, not just Omega) actually honoring Tech, it would have not only helped drive home once and for all how important Tech was to them, but also provided some desperately needed closure and catharsis for this clone family that had already suffered so much (and, incidentally, provided some closure for the audience, too). This is especially important considering that the Batch's actions in season 3, especially at the beginning, are likely informed by Omega's capture as much as by Tech's death - and while Omega's rescue should be of utmost importance, it ends up seeming to sideline Tech's sacrifice in the narrative.

After rewatching, my view has shifted slightly, though I still firmly believe the show should have included at least one scene - even if it was at the end of the finale - of the brothers acknowledging Tech's influence and honoring him.

- Echo's story is the least impacted by Tech's death: he wanted to stay in the fight before Tech died, and he did so afterwards. He looks sadly at the empty pilot seat in "Plan 99," and he name drops Tech once in season 3. I can understand Echo having this reaction, though: unlike the other Bad Batch members, he has lost brothers before and therefore likely knows how to adjust more quickly. (You know what would have provided a nice contrast between how Echo and the rest of the squad handles the death? A moment to honor Tech: for example, a scene at any point in season 3 where Echo mentions a memory of him.)

- Hunter's decision to finally retire on Pabu comes before Omega is captured, and therefore must have been determined primarily by the loss of Tech. All through seasons 1 and 2, Hunter's desire to keep his squad and Omega safe eventually evolved to wanting to give Omega a childhood away from fighting and war, but even then he still hedged on settling down permanently on Pabu (see: the discussion between Hunter and Shep in "Turning Point"). It wasn't until after losing Tech that Hunter abruptly made the decision that it was time to stop being soldiers... And given that we never see Hunter actually interact with Tech's goggles in season 3 or mention him by name even once, I'm not convinced Hunter ever really got over the loss of his brother, even as he (very in character for him) focused on more pressing matters by (often recklessly) charging onward to ensure Omega's safety. (You know what would have tied off this plot thread nicely? A moment to honor Tech: for example, a brief scene at the end of the show where Hunter acknowledges that Tech's sacrifice made their life on Pabu possible.)

- Wrecker cries over Tech in the season 2 finale, alludes to him twice and mentions him by name once; and honestly, as little as this is, it is enough to convince me that Wrecker is and always will be grieved by Tech's death but has emotionally processed it and come to terms with it, much like Echo. His development seems to be driven more by being the last man standing between Hunter and a reckless demise, rather than being driven by the loss of Tech specifically, but... nuance. (You know what would have given us a point of comparison regarding how different people process loss in different ways? A moment to honor Tech: for example, maybe Wrecker joins Omega in honoring Tech at the impromptu memorial and insists on his other brothers joining them.)

- Crosshair's redemption in season 3 is largely driven by Omega. Looking back on season 3, I am increasingly convinced that Crosshair felt immense guilt and blamed himself for Tech's death, and therefore he avoided the subject. His "let me go on a suicide mission because I deserve it" speech in the finale only confirms my opinion on this. I guess Crosshair being partially driven by guilt over Tech's loss is one way of showing Tech's impact on his family, but I don't find it a satisfying note to end the show on. (You know what would have concluded this plot point perfectly? ... You already know what I'm going to say.)