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Tbb - Blog Posts
theres this look that tech only gives wrecker and i think i love him for that
wowowow its tech badbatch
![Idk Why I Havent Drawn Tech Yet Bc Hes My Fav But Its Fine To Be Late Surely :] Im A Curly Truther](https://64.media.tumblr.com/4d37974f72743e69bd799b8c4484758b/b13cad0d651d03da-13/s640x960/123198ef6ac5271df7d9ac14b3304b733ac03f57.jpg)
idk why i havent drawn tech yet bc hes my fav but its fine to be late surely :] im a curly truther
--TBB Season 2 Spoilers--
Quick rough (bad) sketch so I can finally focus on other things...
(╥_╥)
little man took big fall
Some Bad Batch things :)
I miss my sunshine pookie😭😭
Regarding The Bad Batch Season 3 trailer,
a duo we DESERVE MORE OF !!!!
⚠️ SPOILERS WARNING FOR "THE BAD BATCH" SEASON 3, EPISODE 11 & POSSIBLY 12 ⚠️
(I'm writing this on the Monday before episode 12 comes out)
I literally just thought of something so sad, and now I am going to make other people who see this sad too because I don't want to be alone. 😭
So yes, we all know that Hunter and Crosshair will more than likely get into a fight or argument once Hunter realizes that Omaga was taken away again. And yes, that makes me sad because I don't want to them possibly fight, BUT DUDE, IMAGINE HOW UPSET AND/OR SAD WRECKER WILL BE WHEN HE WAKES UP FROM BEING KNOCKED TF OUT, AND FINDS OMAGA GONE!
He'll feel AWFUL for not being able to help! HE'LL BE SO HEARTBROKEN!!! 😭😭😭💔💔💔
Edit: AND OMG YEAH, ECHO WILL BE UPSET TOO AND POSSIBLY MAD AT CROSSHAIR
It gives off "Only we get to call him that!" and I love it
Brothers 💕
I saw someone saying how Cody would comb the deserts of Tatooine to find Obi-Wan after going AWOL in The Bad Batch. Somehow, this was the first image that popped into my head:
Please, someone with artistic talent (not me) make fanart of this.
anyone ask for crosshair with wings?
he's missing his right hand in the bottom right corner because I wanted to be canon accurate. no other reason....
(close-ups under the cut)
Found a sketch I made a while ago, so I wanted to finish it. Wish I could remember what the point of it was. Wonder what they are looking at.
y'all ever get bored and draw a tattoo design based off a fictional family the made you cry
all of the batch are represented in some way:
-the half skull is hunter
-the cracks around the skull's eye is crosshair
-the explosion is wrecker
-the kinda glitch effect/tech-ish pattern around the explosion is tech
-the gears are echo because I couldn't figure out how to fit his handprint in here
-the thing at the very top is omega's little pendant from when the first got her
Surprise adoptions
nothing special, just a little bit annoyed Crosshair to warm up (I'm too tired after the exam to draw his armor, so I'll do it later)
Every time someone says the Bad Batch isn’t a good show I remember how bad The Clone Wars movie is and I only get more excited for season 2
I’d like a uuuuuuuuuh Crosshair to-go, extra crispy, um…no chips
Ma’am this is a Wendy’s
TechPhee Valentine's Weekend - Day 1
Not Beyond Repair
Rating: T
Summary:
TechPhee Weekend Day 1: And if you have a minute, why don’t we go talk about it somewhere only we know?
There's a room in the Archium not many know about, a place to repair the ancient wonders Phee liberates. Tech is fond of it: for the work, the company, and the help he himself receives.
For @techpheeweek
ANs: Hello! This takes place in an AU where Tech is CX-2 and he was recovered after Hemlock dies in Canon, though I suppose a good part of it takes place BEFORE that happens.
One Week After Arriving on Pabu
“Got a minute, Browneyes?”
Tech looked up from his datapad. He sat in the shadow of the Marauder, where Phee had joined him. The self proclaimed liberator gave him a smile as she leaned against the ship.
“Do you truly mean a minute, or do you need my assistance for longer?” Tech asked.
Phee laughed.
“You got me there.” She said. “I’m thinking an hour, maybe?”
Tech nodded.
“I can spare the time.” He said.
He got up and dusted his legs off. He was wearing his armor less and less as their time on Pabu continued.
“What can I assist you with?” He asked Phee.
“Just wondering if you could fix something.” She said. “Gotta get to the Archium, though.”
“Very well.” Tech said.
He followed her through the bright sunlight to the beginning of the many, many sets of stairs on Pabu.
“Here.”
Tech blinked as Phee tossed him a Jogan fruit. She winked.
“I heard your stomach rumble loud as a hyperdrive.” She said. It had? Tech had not noticed. “You like Jogan, right?”
He did. A far more pleasant breakfast than a ration bar. They climbed together in silence for a while. It was broken occasionally by islanders calling greetings to Phee and occasionally to Tech. Despite the sun, the temperature was temperate, and many of the inhabitants were out enjoying the fine weather.
“Where’s the rest of your squad?” Phee asked as they reached the bottom of the wall that separated Upper and Lower Pabu. “Didn’t see them on the way up.”
“Lyana took Omega to explore the shore, Hunter is watching them, and Wrecker is continuing his fishing lessons.” Tech listed off.
“Leaving you to just waste away, huh?”
“Hardly. I know how to keep myself occupied.” Tech looked up at the long way still ahead of them. “And the climb to the Archium will certainly do so.”
Phee glanced at him and grinned.
“We could take your shortcut.”
Tech paused, thinking of when he had grabbed Phee and grappled to a higher level. He thought of that incident often, though he was unsure why.
“It would be unnecessary.” He decided. “We are not racing against a sea surge.”
“Well then, we’ll just have to endure the stairs.” Phee said. She looked at him, watching him eat the last piece of Jogan. She waited for him to swallow. “Race you.”
“What-”
Phee began sprinting up the steps. After a brief moment of surprise, Tech found himself rushing after her. Wrecker and Crosshair tended to be the most competitive of their squad, but Tech had been known to be tempted by challenges.
Despite her head start, Tech slowly closed her lead. She glanced behind her and eyes widened.
“Not- fair!” She puffed as he passed her.
He kept a comfortable distance between them, though his legs and lungs began to burn with each footfall. He was in exceptional shape, but prolonged step climbing was a challenge. This was certainly the case as the stairs became increasingly steep the further they climbed. He was surprised with how well Phee kept up.
And was even more surprised when she surged forward and past him on the last set of steps. She reached the top mere seconds before he did, turning and grinning with hands on hips.
“I win.” She said.
“You were holding back.” Tech said as he joined her.
“Nah, more like I got a second wind.” Phee said, her breathing labored. “Though I was enjoying the view.”
Tech blinked.
“Of my back?”
“A little lower, but yeah.”
It took Tech a moment to parse her meaning, forgetting for a moment that backsides could be considered attractive, but he felt his face heat when he did.
“Oh.” He said.
Phee laughed.
“Sorry, Browneyes.” Though I might call you Longlegs now; you’ve got quite the stride.”
Tech decided she was teasing due to the wink she gave him. He nearly had told her that he preferred Browneyes.
“Was there a reason for that display?” He asked, following her across the courtyard.
“Fun.” Phee said. “I’ve decided you boys, not to mention Omega, have not had enough in your life.”
“We have had fun.” Tech protested, thinking of Wrecker’s shouts of joy when scrapping droids.
“Fun that doesn’t have anything to do with fighting.” Phee said.
“I enjoy flying.” Tech pointed out.
“Yeah, but you fly like you’ve constantly got bogies on your tail. This way.”
She did not take him to the main entrance as he expected. Instead, she veered to a nook on the side of the Archium.
“This place isn’t only for displaying artifacts.” She said, opening a door that was nearly camouflaged against the wall. “It’s meant for repairing them too.”
The room inside was lit with a low, soothing light. While not small, much of the space was occupied by stone shelves or what looked like work tables. The shelves were filled with artifacts. Some were obviously damaged, which led him to conclude that they were all in need of repair. The wall that was not festooned with shelves was hung with ancient looking tools.
Tech sneezed as Phee kicked up dust by moving into the room.
“Sorry.” She said. “Not many people know about this room, and I don’t come as often as I used to.”
She traced her finger through the dust on a near work table.
“Shep’s wife, Jora, used to come work here all the time.” She said. “When she passed- I got a little too sad to visit. By the time I felt like coming back, I’d dumped so many things in here that I didn’t know where to start.”
Tech identified where he would start: an interesting orb that seemed to him that it was supposed to open. Phee took a breath and turned back to Tech.
“Anyway, I picked something up on my last trip for one of our new refugees.” She said. “But it’s not working and I can’t for the life of me figure out why. Mind taking a look for me?”
She gestured to a complex object made up of bronze gears lying on the table. Tech stepped to it and studied the contraption.
“A music box.” He decided.
“Yeah, that’s what he said. I promised him I’d get it going. He’s been having a hard transition.”
Tech took a seat. He found the head of a lamp and turned it on.
“I will see what I can do.” He said. “Which, I imagine, is repairing it.”
Phee laughed. Tech was finding he liked it when she did.
“Thanks, Browneyes.” She scooted a seat close to his. “Wanna hear how I got it?”
He did.
Two days before the mission to Tantiss
Tech hurried towards the Archium’s workshop. He was late; Phee would have been waiting for him and he had failed to inform her of his delay.
“There you are.” Her familiar voice said as he entered. Though, he felt her voice was becoming something more than familiar. “I thought you left an hour ago.”
“I was briefly tasked with a more urgent project.” Tech reported.
Phee, sitting at their normal work table, grinned at him.
“One of the kids needed a toy fixed, huh?”
Tech adjusted his goggles.
“Well, yes.”
His skill with repairs had spread around the island, and a young boy had approached him on his way to the Archium. It had been a simple, but time consuming fix. He had had to take apart the boy’s battered toy speeder to get at the power source.
“You’re almost as popular as Wrecker now.” Phee said. “Well, sit down, let’s get going!”
She seemed excited, so Tech sat next to her. Lying on the stone surface was a tiny bird. It seemed to be made of segmented porcelain painted with tones of orange and violet.
“It’s from my home planet.” Phee said.
Tech looked to her, surprised. She had told him that it was nearly impossible to find artifacts from her homeworld and she had not yet done so. He picked it up and examined its glossy surface.
“I assume you will tell me about it in detail.” He said.
“Only if you want to hear.”
“I do.”
Tech gently prised a panel off, exposing the mechanical insides.
“It's based off of a pendulum lark.” Phee said, leaning in to watch his work. “It's said that no one needs a clock on my planet because the larks sing every hour, on the hour.”
“Fascinating.” Tech said. He finished removing the shell and began the careful dismantling of the device. “I assume they do this even with seasonal changes.”
“Yup.” Phee was excited; even Tech could tell. “My planet has eight moons and the larks could tell the time by their movements. When my people started leaving the planet, they recorded the lark and started building these as time keepers.”
Tech nodded, examining the tiny speaker. Phee paused in her explanation, a rarity for her.
“I haven't heard their song in years.” She finally said softly.
Tech looked up at her. She was staring at the pieces of the bird and she gently brushed a piece with her finger.
Tech wanted her to hear the song again.
“I am sure that I will be able to repair it.” He said in an attempt to console her.
Phee smiled.
“Of course. I've got perfect faith in you.”
He worked for a moment more, studying each piece.
“Got an idea of what's wrong?” Phee asked.
“Yes.” Tech said. “The wiring from the power source is corroded. The voice coil for the speaker is broken as well. A simple repair.”
He glanced at her.
“In fact, you did not need me to mend this.” He said. “Your mechanical skills are more than sufficient to perform the repair.”
He froze as Phee put a hand on one of his.
“Maybe. I probably could have fixed a lot of the artifacts you’ve worked on, in all honesty.” She said. “But- I wanted to share this one with you.”
Tech looked at her. He could not read her expression and yet- his heart began to pound quickly in his chest.
She wished to share something she felt so strongly about with him. He realized how intimate a gesture it was. And he realized that he was glad she did.
“I- would like to hear their song.” Tech said. “With you.”
He found he could not take his eyes from her lips. He became very aware of their skin touching and how close her face was to his.
“I might just kiss you, Browneyes.” Phee said.
He very much wanted her to.
She didn’t. At least, not at first. She leaned down.
“Can I?” She whispered in his ear.
Tech nodded, breathless from anticipation.
The kiss came.
He hadn’t known what to expect. He had no experience in the matter. In the past, he had wondered at the act of pressing mouths together. He knew lips were sensitive, but it still seemed odd.
It was not odd.
It was exquisite.
For a moment, the shock of the experience froze him, leaving him to just allow Phee to move her lips against his. Then, without his usual confidence, he pressed back. Why had he not researched this? He felt so ignorant and incompetent.
But Phee just applied more force and slid her hand up his neck into his hair. It must have been sufficient.
For a moment, he merely enjoyed the sensation and his closeness to her. Then- then his exceptional mind betrayed him.
What- what did this mean? Was this mere animal attraction? What would their relationship be moving forward? Did he wish to be in a relationship? Was he doing any of this correctly? What exactly did she feel for him?
Did he love her?
Anxiety became the clearest of the tangle of emotions in his chest. He pulled away from Phee, his heart pounding for a new reason.
“Hey.” Phee said, removing her hands and holding them as if afraid to touch him. “Hey. Are you all right? Kriff, I’m sorry-”
“I-” Tech forced out. He had never been so lost for words. “I do not- I need to think-”
“I understand.” Phee said quickly. “I get it. I’m sorry for pushing.”
Then she was gone. A small part of him wanted her to stay. Most of him was just confused and overwhelmed. The emotions were too strong. Did all beings feel like this during courtship? He tried to sort through his reaction, but doing so dug a pit in his stomach.
He did not understand.
A distraction. He needed to focus on something else. He forced himself to look at the work in front of him: shining pieces of porcelain scattered around their mechanical insides. He swallowed as the confusing emotions surged again. No, this would not do.
He got up and left the workshop with a steady stride he did not feel. Perhaps- perhaps Omega would like a flying lesson.
Six weeks after the destruction of Tantiss
“Gotcha.”
Tech looked up from his work and immediately looked down again. Phee was leaning against the doorframe of the ragged, burnt hut he currently occupied. He tightened his lips to a line and tried to focus on the cooling unit he was repairing. He heard Phee take a step in.
“You sure like tinkering in odd places.” She went on. “I’m surprised you managed to escape your family.”
Tech bit back the reply that it had been difficult, though he doubted he’d be able to get it out regardless. His brothers and sister tended to keep him on a short leash since they’d come back. But he could not bear to look at Crosshair’s residual limb for even a moment longer.
“You know you can come to me if you need a break from their fussing, right?”
It almost made Tech laugh. As if she fussed any less. As if he could bear her kindness after all he had done. They were in a reminder of that: a blackened, uninhabitable, shell of a building.
A moment of silence passed.
“So you’re gonna stay here.” Phee said.
Tech gave her a nod. More silence. He heard her walk closer and felt her crouch beside him.
“You got a minute?” She asked. “I know you’re busy helping rebuild-”
Helping rebuild? No, he was atoning for what he had done, in some miniscule way.
“But I think we need to talk.” Phee finished.
Tech continued working. Talk? He could barely speak on his more functional days. What manner of conversation could he engage in that would be of use? Even if he could, how could mere words help? What he felt, what had happened to him, what he had done was beyond verbalization.
So he shook his head. She didn’t say anything. Then she placed her hand next to one of his. When he did not draw away, she took it. He stared at their entwined fingers. Touch had become common from her since his return.
“We’re worried, Browneyes.” She said. “Can we just try?”
Tech swallowed. He knew they were worried. Crosshair had no jibes for him. Echo checked in far more often than he had before, asking after Tech specifically. Hunter made sure someone was with him at all times. Wrecker constantly asked if he was well, even when it was obvious he was not. And Omega- Omega, who watched him always, who cried for him when she thought he couldn’t hear, who stubbornly pushed him towards things she believed would help him.
He did not want them to worry. Perhaps knowing that he had tried would ease their anxiety.
So he nodded.
“Thank you.” Phee said. She pulled at his hand. “Come on.”
Tech considered resisting. They could converse about his status here as well as anywhere. But Phee put her other hand on his. It felt- nice. He let her tug him to his feet. She led him out of the crumbling house and into the sunlight.
He did not miss her subtly click a button on her comm. Likely informing the others that he had been found.
She led him up the many steps up the island. They had to stop to rest a few times. He was still recovering from the wound Hunter had given him. His cybernetics had been damaged as well. They still worked, allowing him to move and live, but not as efficiently or painlessly as they could. Unfortunately he could not yet stand them being touched, even by his own hands.
The cybernetics ached as they reached the top of the island. The Archium loomed over them, casting its shadow across the courtyard. Phee took him straight to the building, but ignored the main entrance. Good. Tech did not wish to see his brothers’ armor, donated after their return from- that place. More accurately, he did not wish to see the empty space beside them where only his shattered goggles lay.
Only when Phee guided him to the side of the building did his addled mind realize where she was taking him. She ushered him into the workshop.
He paused at the threshold, taking the dusty workbenches and low, soothing light in. The room seemed untouched from when he had last been there. In fact, the pieces of a mechanical bird lay on the workbench. He remembered taking it apart, Phee telling him what it was. He remembered what had happened afterwards.
“Remember how full this room used to be?” Phee asked. “How many broken things were on those shelves?”
Tech nodded, letting her distract him and bring him a few steps further in.
“You fixed dozens of artifacts.” Phee said. “Some easy, some hard. But they were all here, just waiting for you.”
She stepped in front of him. He closed his eyes, unwilling to meet her gaze. He felt a delicate touch on his cheek, fingers against his skin.
“Can you imagine if they ran and hid, not giving you the chance to help?” She whispered. “They’d never be whole again.”
Tech saw the metaphor. “I- am a human.” He managed. “They are not as easily restored.”
“True.” Phee admitted. “But we’re not exactly strangers to challenges.”
Slowly, as if to give him time to pull away if he wished, she put her arms around him. He did not wish to. He let her and even raised a hand to touch her arm.
“It feels undeserved.” He said. “After all I have done.”
Phee held him tighter.
“It’s not your fault.”
“I feel the guilt all the same.”
It was- easier to speak here in this quiet room, just to her. She let go.
“Look at me.” She said. “Please.”
Tech opened his eyes and managed a moment’s eye contact before looking at her ear instead. She did not scold him.
“You did all this, fixing so much, without being asked.” She said. “No pay, nothing.”
“You and the rest of the island gave us a home.” Tech said. “It was the least I could do to repay you.”
“We didn’t ask to be repaid.” Phee said. “You like helping people. You’re a good person.”
She took his hands again.
“A good person who was hurt badly and wasn’t able to make the decisions he would have.”
“I know that.” Tech said. “And then- I look at Crosshair. I see the damage the Imperial troops I brought did to Pabu.”
He hated how his emotions, once so firmly under control, ruled him now.
“And every waking hour you've tried to fix it.” Phee said.
Before Tech could reply, Phee sighed and touched his cheek again.
“I know you won't be able to change the way you feel right away.” She said. “All I'm asking- all we're asking is for you to try.”
Tech felt himself nod. He could try.
Phee smiled at him. It seemed to ease the heavy emotions in his chest. Yes, he would try. If only to inspire more smiles in her, in his family.
He looked to the disassembled bird on the workbench. There was another way to make her smile.
And- among all the other sources of guilt from his time as CX-2, there was one from before. It was time to undo the regret he'd carried from their last interactions.
He drew his hands away and took a step towards the workbench. He glanced back at Phee, who raised an eyebrow.
“I wish to hear its song.” Tech explained. “With you.”
He would find the words for a true apology later. For now, it was enough to sit with her here.
He was like this bird, he decided, taken apart and broken. But not beyond repair. Especially with a mechanic as skilled and determined as the woman holding his hand.
ANs:
Kind of a loose interpretation of the prompt, with a focus on the ‘have a minute’ and the ‘somewhere only we know’ being the repair room.
So this was originally just the final scene, with the previous two scenes just referenced to. And for once in my life, I decided I wanted more than just angst, so I wrote the other two scenes out. As a result, I think there might be a bit of a disconnect between those two first scenes and the last one. Ah well. The Archium Wookieepedia page mentions that it’s a place to repair artifacts and I knew that Tech needed to be involved with that.
Tech’s reaction to the kiss comes from my own reaction to being kissed for the first time. He will actually be able to process it one day. And you know, he’s actually in love with the person kissing him. He’s just a lil overwhelmed. Plus, it’s an explanation on part of why he’s so awkward when she says goodbye.
Day 2 and 3 might come late, because this one took longer than I expected. I SHOULD get those written. I’ve got ideas for them both. Unfortunately, the idea for day 2 is a bit long. Ah well.
For once I am too tired for any extensive ANs. Oh well, I might add more later.
Stay safe, remember to review, and I’ll see you later!
And, well, it didn't end happily for everyone...
i know it’s been while since since the bad batch ended but i still felt empty and i don’t know what to do. yes it was like 3 months ago, yes it ended happily, but what do the creators expect, for me to move on????
FORGET EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON IN THE FANDOM RIGHT NOW:
I think I've finally come up with a ship name for TechPhee:
TechnoloPhee.
Like Technology.
You're welcome.
I know the finale has left us feeling things (and I one day might share my thoughts on them, but honestly staying off of most social media platforms around this time has been really good for my mental), so let's go back to an episode many of us loved: The Crossing. Here's an excellent analysis of the episode looking at it through the 'Tech is autistic' lens.
I'm going to jump in on the Phee positivity (or positiviPHEE) train after...certain opinions have been aired.
And since those certain opinions were from an autistic perspective, I thought I'd add my own autistic perspective.
I. Love. Phee.
My cat's name is Phee. Phee is one of my top Star Wars characters. I shoved her into one of my longfics as soon as I could.
And her relationship with Tech gave me a lot of hope for my own romantic prospects as an autistic person.
I love that Phee invites Tech to be present. I love the look on his face when he watches her leave to put the artifact away. I love that she was a trusted enough person for Tech to talk to about Crosshair at length with. I love that when it's clear that Tech isn't going to give her the goodbye she expects, she backs off. I love that her love for Tech expanded into loving and helping the Bad Batch.
And even by herself she's SO COOL. She goes and finds artifacts that were stolen from cultures on Pabu and brings them back??? She is a super cool pilot??? She is ride or die for the people she cares about??? She's confident and sassy??? She has a SWORD???
So yeah. Phee is great. She means a lot to me. I hope we see her more in the last 3 episodes.
I've shared some of her TikTok videos before, but this creator is starting to carve out a place on YouTube. She's doing a Crosshair analysis series and it's really good!
https://youtu.be/3BxI2fvQOBY?si=bQRL2xojPbdi7_4g
Executive Cucumber's Thoughts on The Bad Batch 03×12!
Spoilers under the cut
Let start out by saying holy heck that was the cool down episode I needed. My sister watched it before me and was able to tell me that Tech/CX-2 wasn't in it for a significant amount, so I was able to get past my disappointment and not be stressed out during the episode. Yes, I'm still on the 'Tech is CX-2 Bandwagon.' I do think they should have revealed him to the audience earlier, because I have to actively avoid Bad Batch social media (*cough*reddit*cough*) for my own mental health because of the negativity around the idea. It's really draining.
Anyway, on to the actual episode!
Today I realized that I might be triggered by Omega being trapped at Tantiss because of some past experiences. (And yes, if you've read my fics you know that I've done it to her too, but I have control over that and I think the problem is the lack of control I have)
Hi Tech! I love you! Please be un brainwashed soon!
I want to murder Hemlock. I don't know if I've ever hated a Star Wars villain like this before. It feels so personal.
It devastates me that they're going to take Omega's clothes away. Clothes that were given to her by people who love her. Ow.
Also you're playing a dangerous game, not keeping those binders on her, Hemlock.
'Is everything all right, Dr. Karr?' 'No, the Jango parent gene got awakened in me and that does not go away'
Why does Emerie think she HAS to do this?
I'm a little disappointed we didn't see Hunter find out about Omega. He's probably just in 'go' mode, honestly. Adrenaline and all that.
Crosshair is so proud of Omega oh my gosh.
PHEE MY QUEEEEEEEEEN
Oh my gosh Tech told Phee about Crosshair. That implies that had more time than we saw. That makes me so happy and sad.
Phee talks about Tech with such fondness. You can tell how much she cared about him. I feel like I'm watching a widow who's processed her grief but still talks about her husband because she loved him.
Also, looking at Phee, she doesn't really have any implied make up on. She's very natural. Good for her.
...Rampart looks kinda good with a beard.
Okay Tech would find the stunt Phee pulled extremely attractive.
This is the closest we've gotten to the original Batch we've gotten in a very long time. It feels good to see them go mission mode with Crosshair.
This is reminding me of Eriadu and I don't like it.
Crosshair asking Wrecker if he remembered whatever plan and then patiently waiting for him to remember lives rent free in my head he's so sweet.
WRECKER'S THEME IS BACK BABY
Also, Crosshair's theme is played in this really fun way?
Crosshair should be allowed to kick Rampart in the balls. As a treat.
Rampart you snake. Crosshair should have shot him in the leg instead of stunning him.
My sister pointed out that the juggernaut represents how the Batch is right now. You cannot stop them.
Man, it's nice to not to be as conflicted when the TK troopers die, as opposed to when clones were sent against them. Quick thought though, does Wolffe have all the remaining clones?
Man these guys get BRUTALIZED.
Them throwing around passed out Rampart is amazing and should continue to happen.
Okay Wrecker has his knife out HE IS READY TO TORTURE A MAN.
Frick you Rampart. He is the worst replacement for Omega.
Aww they probably didn't bring Batcher on the mission to protect her. (Plus she a half trained dog and it was a stealth mission)
And then the boys spent the next hour arguing over who has to call Echo and tell him.
Hemlock you FOULE you're giving Omega ALLIES. Also why are you telling her all this. She will use it against you.
Gall, I hate Hemlock.
Again, I really needed this cool down episode. Though I'm afraid the final three episodes are going to hurt. THIS IS MY FAVORITE SHOW WHY IS IT STRESSING ME OUT SO MUCH. ALSO WAITING A WEEK FOR EPISODES ALSO SUCKS. A LOT.
Executive Cucumber's (sorta) thoughts about the Bad Batch 03×10 & 03x11!
Spoilers under the cut
All right guys, I'm not doing my full list of thoughts. These episodes were really, really emotional for me for many reasons and I do not have the emotional energy to do my usual dives. I'm stepping away from the fandom in general for this week. Honestly, for my mental health, I just do not need to be around Fandom discourse right now. I've already left the pertinent subreddits and hopefully I'll survive.
But my brief thoughts!
So, I majored in the Humanities in college. I saw and read a lot of amazing art. But there was a category of art that I like to call, 'this was beautiful and poignant and life changing, but I never want to consume it again.'
These episodes fall under this category. They were art, and they were excruciating.
I also am still firmly in camp 'CX-2 is Tech.' Because it actively makes The Point of No Return less tragic if it is not him. Part of the reason I was sobbing during it was that it was TECH who was being so cruel, destroying the home he'd nearly had, destroying HIS ship, nearly killing his brothers.
And it's Tech, who gave Omega her first comm, who loves her, who would die to keep her safe, who takes her comm and takes her back to Tantiss.
Plus, who the heck else says 'domicile?'
(On the plus side, he gets his revenge on Cid)
My heart is broken for Omega. I hate that she has to make this choice. I KNEW she was going to sacrifice herself. If anyone says 'the Empire did nothing wrong' to me, even as a joke, they're losing a finger.
I dread how the rest of the Batch are going to confront each other about this. Crosshair was also the only one who would let her do this. In a positive way.
...I loved seeing Phee.
I wish I had more to say about Identity Crisis, but I spent that episode trying to overcome my disappointment that it wasn't about Tech. It was still an exceptional episode, regardless of my expectations.
But I do want to say, Cad Bane takes a lot of kid jobs. What's up with that? Weirdo.
Anyway, happy birthday to me! I get: Omega getting taken and Tech destroying everything he loves. Yaaaaaaaaaaaay.
An excellent analysis on CX-2 and how his identity affects the narrative. It helps that it's very funny.
Executive Cucumber's Thoughts on the Bad Batch 03x09!
Spoilers under the cut
Apologies for this being late, I worked overtime and then immediately went to rescue my sister and her kids from a car breakdown. I got overwhelmed pretty quick.
I really liked this episode, but as I was in a not great mood when I watched it, I didn't absorb as much as I normally do. (My mood really affects how much I enjoy something, regardless of quality. I was in a foul mood when I first watched Faster and was fairly critical of it. I was wrong.)
This is really the first time we've seen not beautiful weather on Pabu and that's terrifying.
CROSSHAIR IS PART OF A COMMUNITY!!! Have yall considered that he's never been a part of a community before? Like yes, he's has his family, but a community?
'Does it matter? We're not giving her up.' This man. I love this man. If Tech did not already reign Supreme in my heart, I think Crosshair would be my favorite character in Star Wars.
ASAJJ VENTRESS MY QUEEEEEEEEEN
Oh Omega, that story fell apart faster than Hunter's resistance to adopting you.
They leave a space for Tech 💔
Apparently those blood tester things that Qui Gon had were Jedi issue only.
YOU CAN DO IT OMEGA!!! Wrecker, honey, if Omega CAN do it, that means her life gets WAY harder.
They one hundred percent sent Crosshair to look at Tech's data because Hunter and Wrecker can barely do it.
'Go get a flower kid, I gotta beat up your dads'
Okay, I honestly think Hunter doesn't have the time for romance and could honestly see him as asexual, but-
HIS WAIST IS SO SLUTTY. HOW IS IT SO SLUTTY.
I don't think we've seen such well choreographed hand to hand fighting in animated Star Wars. Except maybe that time that Rex absolutely destroyed those Zygerrians. But I might be biased about that.
'SHE'S A WAR CRIMINAL OMEGA' Okay now I need to know what defines war crimes in this universe. Did they have space Geneva?
You know, good thing Echo's not here. He'd probably be WAY more pissed than these three.
'You're naive' says the man who was changed by the child saying people can change.
I love Crosshair's 'oh shoot she's right' face.
Wrecker's little gasp when Ventress looks at them is AMAZING.
I love it when Star Wars is using the Force to connect with animals.
I'm sorry, Hunter girlies, I guess we getting wet hair everyone except Hunter. (Though Ventress looks SO GOOD)
VENTRESS YOU QUEEN I LOVE YOU YOU'VE COME SO FAR (I haven't read dark disciple but my sister has, and she informed me that Vos' Dark Side training by Ventress culminated in him summoning a water monster and killing it. This is such a beautiful parallel that she calms it.)
Crosshair helping Omega on is my everything.
I really love that Crosshair has decided to give Ventress a chance, because he was given a chance. (And also I lowkey ship them in a one night stand kinda way. Crossajj is such a good ship name too)
DAD DUO.
I don't think Ventress is lying when she says Omega isn't Force sensitive. Omega doesn't show ANYTHING in this episode that implies that she's sensitive. Yes, she uses Batcher, but she'd trained Batcher with normal friend methods. I think that Ventress stops the testing prematurely before she can be more sure, because she sees the possibly unhealthy attachment the Batch have. It might also be to protect Omega to not know for sure. My personal theory is that Omega is slightly more sensitive than the average clone, but not to any natural talent degree.
Oh gosh, I'm so scared for the next few episodes. Ventress gives them such a clear warning. This episode did such a good job of getting the tension tight again.
I know some people call this episode redundant, but the characters NEED this in order to catch up. We as an audience knew that M Counts meant midichlorians. But the Batch had no idea. Sometimes, we need to let the main characters catch up with us.
(This is also why Tech as CX-2 works on a reveal level because the mystery isn't for us, it's for the characters)
But yeah, a great episode! I'm terrified for everything and everyone!
A quick note- I've seen people say that it's too late in the season for Tech to return. I'd like to remind you that it took exactly two episodes in season 2 to get us behind Crosshair's redemption. They can do a lot in a few episodes.
Executive Cucumber's thoughts on the Bad Batch episode 3×08 (spoilers after the cut)
Forgive me if these thoughts are less coherent than usually, I'm pretty freaking tired atm. Thoughts are as much in order as I can manage.
Firstly, this episode was a much needed, lower emotionally charged break from the last...seven episodes of the season. The thing about stories is that they can't be running at warp 9 the entire time. It will burn your audience out. Heck, I'm at a lower energy, transitiatory part of my long fic. So yeah, this episode didn't cause the emotional damage and stress that the last 7 did, but that's a good thing.
Omega has the neurodivergent ✨️leg jiggle✨️
Poor dear needs a hug and for someone to free the Tantiss clones.
PHEE MY QUEEN
Crosshair's face when Omega says 'liberator of ancient wonders' I love him.
Okay, I know that a lot of people are upset about Phee not being more emotional about Tech. I've got a few thoughts on that. My expectations going into the scene with her was that she wasn't going to be mentioning Tech. So when she did, I was really happy. She doesn't need to bring him up in the conversation, but she does.
So let's dive a little deeper into this. There are only two people who have brought up Tech without any prompting so far: Echo and Phee. Omega only mentions him when it's a direct answer to Crosshair's question. Hunter, Crosshair, and Wrecker have not mentioned him once by name. Now, I think this is because Echo and Phee have both known loss and know better how to handle it. The rest of the Batch hasn't, before Tech. We have watched practically all of Echo's loss, but not Phee's. However, we know that Pabu is a place for refugees, which Phee likely is. She's lost at least a home, if not family and friends. Add on top of that Phee is just in general a world wide person, and I think we can assume that she's someone who's got a more healthy way of processing grief than our emotionally stunted soldiers.
Something that you do with people that you've loved and lost is remember them. That's what I see Phee doing here. She's managed to process her grief in the last 4 months, and she's keeping the memory of someone she cared about alive by mentioning him in conversation.
So yeah. I liked that scene and it warmed my Tech/Phee loving heart.
Anyways,
Oooooh Fennec!!!
I love Crosshair not knowing anything but it also makes me sad.
Hunter: try to get Crosshair to get his hand looked at
Omega: what do you mean 'try'
Thoughts on Crosshair and Omega scenes:
What did my poor boy go through????
Poor man is probably resisting the idea that it's in his head because he already HAD a thing in his head that ruined his life
Omega: you don't like anything
Crosshair: true
Your honor I would die for them. Also I find his 'true' to be a little sad (and adorable)
OMG THEY'RE MEDITATING (and they have somehow stolen YET ANOTHER thing from my fic, this time before I've even gotten past the concept stage)
Omega: you missed a lot
Crosshair: I know
He's thinking of Tech in that moment.
Oh my gosh her hand on his and how he lets her move his hand THEY ARE TRYING TO KILL ME.
The Bad Batch says take care of your mental
Thoughts about Space Everglades:
I really loved Wrecker this episode. He really got to shine. He has the most banter with Fennec, he gets to do his demo thing, he freaking curb stomps space alligators, and he's the MVP in getting the bug man. It was really nice. Also, 'YOU HEARD ME!!!!' Let Wrecker go feral.
Bro, I really liked the bar music. I like seeing more of the music that plays in universe.
Wrecker and Hunter are definitely having flashbacks to Cid this entire episode. Except Fennec gives them more intel.
Fennec is a delight as always.
My prediction to who she's selling them out to? Ventress. And I don't think Ventress' intentions are bad.
So yeah, a solid episode! I'm honestly probably going to leave a lot of the star wars subreddits just to avoid everyone and their dog complaining about filler. Which this was NOT.
And as the next episode is called the Harbinger, I feel like this might be one of our last breaths before the plunge and everything goes sideways.
Oh, and in case you forgot. Tech lives ❤️