The Connection Between What Was Happening To Clones In ‘The Bad Batch' And Real Soldiers' Lives
Image Source: Disney+
This season of The Bad Batch has presented its viewers with an interesting few episodes. “The Solitary Clone,” “The Clone Conspiracy,” “Truth and Consequences,” and “The Outpost” once again brought up the debate within Star Wars on what happened to clone troopers after the end of the Clone Wars. This has been a topic shown not only in the so-called “Filoniverse” but also in the Republic Commando book series by Karen Traviss. Interestingly, The Bad Batch presented this topic through the eyes of Crosshair, the sole member of Clone Force 99 who chose to stay loyal to the Empire. The connections between this issue in Star Wars politics and ones from the real world are there as veterans are often forgotten by policymakers and end up as collateral in situations that are bigger than themselves.
Kal Skirata And His Clan
Image Souce: The Escapist
The Karen Traviss’ Legends Republic Commando discussed this issue. A Mandalorian bounty hunter Kal Skirata was hired to train clone troopers in Kamino. He ended up adopting six troubled ARC troopers who were considered “defective” as they were deemed “too independent” for Kaminoan standards. “The Nulls” (which included Prudii, Kom’rk, Mereel, Jaing, Ordo, and A’den) became part of Clan Skirata.
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Skirata was also fond of another clone squad called the Omega Squad, which was formed from the ashes of different squads torn apart by the First Battle of Geonosis. Unlike others hired to train the cologne troopers, Skirata viewed “the Nulls” and the Omega Squad as part of his family, and ended up searching for a cure to the accelerated aging gene embedded in their DNA.
Even though Clan Skirata chased a solution for themselves and other clone troopers, their lives were different from other troopers. They had the luxury and independence of going around the galaxy running missions without much interference from the Republic.
The birth of Venku Skirata, son of Jedi general Etain Tur-Mukan and Clone Commando Darman further doubled Kal Skirata’s efforts to find the cure. Tragically, Etain was killed as a result of Order 66. Even though Darman refused to comply with Order 66 out of his love for Etain, he would work to protect his son from the Jedi, tirelessly hunting down the Jedi on Mandalore as he continued serving in the Imperial army.
Cody’s Disillusionment With War
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Season 2, Episode 3 of The Bad Batch brought back Commander Cody. With Rex and Wolffe’s future already shown in Rebels, Cody was one of the few that we did not know what happened after order 66. Cody went on a mission with Crosshair to take out a Separatist leader and rescue an Imperial officer in Desix. During the mission, it was clear that the loss of his men under his command, and the Empire’s new outlook on the clone troopers took a toll on Cody. He had been questioning his role in the post-Clone Wars period. However, Crosshair was not the right person to talk to. Good soldiers follow orders, right? After struggling with the consequences of his past actions and decisions, Cody went AWOL and left Imperial Army at the end of the episode.
Senator Chuchi And The Fight For Clones’ Rights
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Senator Riyo Chuchi was a level-headed politician from Pantora who navigated problematic conflict on Orto Plutonia back in The Clone Wars. She returned in The Bad Batch during the early years of the Empire, and found herself on the opposite side of Admiral Rampart, who was pushing for the approval of the Defense Recruitment Bill.
This piece of legislation aimed to replace the rapidly-aging clone troopers with a conscripted military, “one comprised of the people, who fight for the people.” Some senators saw this as a pointless expense, especially since the Clone Wars had ended. On the other hand, senators from the Outer Rim saw this as necessary for the security of the galaxy, which still faced small groups of insurgence.
Chuchi reminded the Imperial Senate that the clone troopers were people too. What were they supposed to do after the war? The Empire never thought about them and only saw them as mere tools, ready to be discarded at a moment’s notice. Chuchi took a page from Padmé Amidala, Bail Organa, Tynnra Pamlo, and Mon Mothma in her speech to the Imperial Senate:
“And what about the interests of the clone troopers? Why are they not included [in] this legislation? The clone army cannot sustain given their accelerated aging and should be slated for decommissioning. They are not droids to simply be shut down. These are soldiers who defended us, defended our worlds.”
Even though the clone troopers of the Grand Army of the Republic only existed as part of a Sith lord’s elaborate plan, it did not mean that they could be eliminated from the equation in the aftermath of the Clone Wars.
Image Source: Disney+
However, Palpatine sealed the clones’ fates with an impressive response:
“Perhaps, it is time for a change. Now more than ever, building a strong galaxy requires protection and security. Due to the nefarious actions of Admiral Rampart, and the immediacy of the bill on the floor today, it is my opinion that this legislation is our future. With this momentous act, we shall usher in a new era. Heralded by the Imperial stormtrooper.”
Crosshair, Mayday, And The Dehumanization Of The Soldiers
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The Bad Batch Season 2 Episode 12 saw Crosshair on another mission to retrieve important cargo from an Imperial outpost on a desolate planet, Barton-4. From the beginning, his mission commander Lieutenant Nolan showed no respect for the clone troopers, referring to them as “used equipment.”
The outpost also presented the harsh reality faced by clone troopers after the war. Only a small squad of clone troopers was left to protect the cargo from strong winds, freezing temperatures, and vicious raiders. Clone commander Mayday ended up with only two other men as others had met their demise. These clones received almost no support. Their previously pristine armor became rags. Lack of food, heat, and supplies, was taking an enormous toll on them.
Image Source: Disney+
Nolan showed no compassion for the surviving clone troopers. To him, they failed an easy mission. On the flip side, these men were abandoned by the Republic and the Empire and received no help to complete their mission. Ironically, the cargo they had been protecting was discovered to be stormtrooper armor. They were essentially giving their lives to recover and protect the very thing that was going to replace them.
After barely surviving the firefight, and the avalanche, Crosshair carried the dying Mayday back to base. He begged Nolan to save the dying Mayday, but the commander did nothing. Nolan admonished them for failing to retrieve the cargo and refused to waste Empire’s resources to save someone who had died serving his purpose as a soldier of the Empire. The commander did not fail to remind Crosshair that he and the clones were expendable.
Nolan’s actions led Crosshair to go against the system, which he and sworn to protect. Good soldiers follow orders no more. His eyes were opened. The veil that covered his vision and did not allow him to see the truth was removed. Nolan was the perfect representation of the Empire, a government that did not care about its soldiers. Their only concern was to achieve their ultimate goal of controlling the whole galaxy.
The Costs Of War
Image Source: StarWars.com
Life is difficult for those affected by war. Men and women fight each other in deadly battles for political, economic, or social gains. Lots of times, these gains do not serve any purpose to the soldiers themselves, just like they didn’t for the clone troopers in Star Wars.
The world has been at war since before the dawn of the nation-state structure. Soldiers were caught up in a nationalist frenzy of the First World War, which was essentially influenced by capitalism and control. The disputed territories between the French and German provided no benefits for the actual soldiers fighting in the war. Netflix’s recent adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front perfectly depicted this.
Image Source: Netflix
The glory of war gave way to disillusionment, anger, and revolt. The war left cruel marks on the people. Lost limbs, broken minds, displaced civilians, and countless natural resources destroyed. Much like the soldiers who fought in the trenches, clone troopers had to endure complicated years of warfare. The aggravating part for them was that their sole purpose was to fight. That was what they were bred to do. What were they supposed to do after the end? With limited time left to live due to their accelerating aging, they deserved a better life than what Palpatine and other politicians left for them.
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Source(s): IMDb, Ready Steady Cut, Republic Commando: Triple Zero
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