I didn't expect to write this chapter… But I had to.

Year 1 of the Empire: Admiral Tarkin recruits the Bad Batch

"WE ARE NOT DUMMY DROIDS!" Wrecker shouted.

"That much we agree on." admiral Tarkin said as he entered the Bad Batch's barracks with the trio of Shocktroopers he had been using as honor guard, little Omega, Nala Se, and a female Togruta commander.

"Wait, Ahsoka?" Echo exclaimed.

It was a flash – Crosshair, recognizing the name of Echo's former Jedi friend, grabbed for Hunter's knives, and the Togruta slashed at him with a vibroblade, excising the chip while one of the Shocktroopers shook his head while palming his visor.

"An impressive display as usual, commander." Tarkin commented. "Even more than the one Experimental Unit 99 executed earlier in the arena. Now, trooper CT-9904, why did you attack the commander? You should know she's been expelled from the Jedi Order, well before Order 66 was issued."

"I… I don't know." Crosshair replied, disoriented at his own actions.

"Luckily, I do. Captain Rex, would you do the honor?"

The Commandos looked at the visor-palming Shocktrooper, that revealed himself to be indeed Rex. And the explanation that came was horrifying – they, the entire Clone Army, had been created to wipe out the Jedi on the orders of the man who started the Clone Wars and now controlled the entire galaxy as the Emperor. And was also the Dark Lord of the Sith.

"That is why I would like to have your help." Tarkin continued. "I am organizing an army. It will take time, but once our emperor turns the galaxy against himself as all Sith eventually do we'll be able to topple the Empire."

"Count us in, then." Hunter proclaimed.

"Very well. Officially, you will go to Onderon to deal with a group of insurgents in a little loyalty test, only to be intercepted and killed in transit by Separatist privateers equipped with gravity mines. Unofficially, you will be provided with coordinates for Piell Memorial Station – we have just faked its destruction and hidden that away, the six of you will be able to use it as a temporary base."

"Wait, six?"

"The five enhanced Clones and Echo." Nala Se explained.

"Wait, she's a clone?" Wrecker said, pointed at Omega.

"Of course she is, why else would a human child be on Kamino?" Tarkin pointed out. "Should have expected that, from the Commando Squad that forgot half the Contingency Orders…"

"What about the Regs?" Echo asked.

"I have advised the Emperor to remove the chips, on account of them making the Clones a danger for peace or anyone they haven't been ordered not to kill. We didn't even have to falsify the data too much. There will be a batch that shall maintain the chips to help in finishing off the remaining Jedi, one of their functions is to counter their mental abilities after all."