Episode 4.6—"Incoming"
Hunter pilots the Marauder while Echo helps Liz prepare dinner. Tech sits nearby, lost in his own world, while Wrecker once again trains with Omega. Wrecker is pleased with Omega's progress, but something seems to be on his mind. He keeps oddly quiet as they land on Felucia and meet up with the Regs.
Rex greets them and says he received their message about the new Dark Troopers. Hunter informs him of the mystery planet where the Empire is sending clones and doonium. The clones are desperate to help their brothers, but they are unsure what to do next.
Wrecker speaks up hesitantly, saying he might have a plan. The others raise their eyebrows. Wrecker says the Dark Troopers could lead them to the mystery planet, or at least to their base of operations. If they lured the troopers in by attacking Imperial property, they could sneak a tracker onto the troopers' ship. Echo reminds him that the Dark Troopers just destroyed a local military without suffering a single casualty. There is no way they could survive a fight against them. Wrecker counters that they don't have to fight them; they just have to set the tracker and escape. They have fled from the Dark Troopers before, and they can do it again.
The others have their doubts, but Omega backs Wrecker up and Hunter agrees that they have to try something. Rex says they don't have enough men to launch a full-scale attack. After thinking for a moment, Hunter suggests they go to Florrum. He says Phee mentioned having some contacts there who owe her a favor.
On Florrum, Weequay pirates relax in an old warehouse. One tosses discontinued Republic credits in the air while others try to shoot the coins down. Leaning back in his chair, Hondo Ohnaka casually shoots two credits with one blast. The pirates cheer. Hondo's smirk gives way to annoyance. He realizes that one of the coins he shot was an Imperial credit of actual value. Many pirates turn on the coin-thrower, but others come to his defense. Hondo rolls his eyes as his men start to brawl. Their fight comes to an abrupt halt when they hear ships arriving.
The Bad Batch and Regs exit their vessels. Omega stays close to her brothers, taking in the sulfuric terrain and dormant geysers that dot the landscape. The pirates converge outside the warehouse, blasters aimed, and Hunter instinctively steps in front of Omega. Brandishing his gun, Hondo reminds the clones that it is legal to use them for target practice. Rex says they're here to propose a partnership—one that will bring ample profits. Hondo says he's listening.
Inside the warehouse, the clones propose a joint raid of a nearby Imperial factory. They play a message from Phee, in which she promises to cancel Hondo's debts to her if he helps them. Switching off the recording, Hondo says he has no reason to trust Phee. Wrecker vouches for her, saying she hid them from the Empire for months. Greed sparkles in Hondo's eyes. He comments that Wrecker's squad must be quite valuable to the Empire.
Several Regs glare at Wrecker, but Hunter steps forward. Gesturing to the Republic coins that litter the floor, Hunter asks if Hondo really wants to pander to the people who reduced his plundered credits to paperweights. He adds that the nearby weapons factory has a goldmine of resources. The pirates can turn in the clones and accept whatever payment the Empire deems fit, or they can seize the factory with the clones and take all the loot they want. Hondo studies Hunter's intense gaze for a moment, weighing its authenticity. Hunter adds that the clones are only interested in dealing a blow to the Empire; the pirates can have all the spoils. This seals the deal. Hondo shakes Hunter's hand while Wrecker breathes a sigh of relief.
Echo uses his squad's datapad to pull up a holo-display of the factory. As the pirates gather around, Echo asks Wrecker to go over the attack strategy. Wrecker hesitates. Omega takes him aside to ask what's wrong. He whispers that he thought the others would come up with the rest of the plan. Giving his hand an encouraging squeeze, Omega says that no one thinks as quickly as Wrecker does when there is a bomb to diffuse. She suggests he think of the factory like it's one big bomb he has to neutralize. This gives Wrecker an idea. He steps up to the hologram and he formulates a plan.
In the morning, the clones and pirates stagger their ships just out of sight of the factory. Hunter steps out of the Marauder and adjusts his binoculars until the distant building comes into view. A towering electrical fence encircles both the factory and its adjoining shipyard. Hunter and Echo plan to infiltrate the shipyard, as they believe the Dark Troopers would most likely land there. They each take a tracker and hand one to Wrecker as well. Hunter instructs Omega to stay as far away from the Dark Troopers as possible. Hondo, who calls Omega the "Tiny Clone," is fascinated to learn that she can fight. Noting that Hunter's squad is full of surprises, he asks what the "Smelly Hobo" can do. Hunter replies that Tech is staying in the ship.
Omega sticks close to Wrecker as he leads half of the pirates toward the factory. They climb up a nearby rubble heap. At Wrecker's orders, the pirates fire grenade launchers, sending EMP grenades into the factory's smokestacks. The weapons disappear inside the pipes without any visible effect. As they reload, a pirate mutters that they need more powerful explosives. Wrecker insists that anything stronger would damage the resources inside. They fire again. The fence flickers, prompting stormtroopers to march out of the factory. Wrecker says one more round should do it. The pirates shoot the last of their grenades into the flues. The smokestacks burst open. They duck behind the rubble heap as debris crashes down on the stormtroopers. With one last flicker, the electrical fence shuts off.
Wrecker charges up to the factory with the pirates, making sure Omega stays safe in the center of the group. The pirates take out the stormtroopers while Wrecker blows open the factory doors. They pour into the building, stunning the guards and worker droids inside.
Rex watches the scene through a pair of binoculars. He sees stormtroopers stream out of the shipyard to attack the invaders. He leads the clones and the other half of the pirates into the fray. Rex's men surround the stormtroopers from behind and pummel them with blaster fire. Hunter and Echo join the assault, halting when they reach the shipyard.
As the sun rises high in the sky, the pirates fill their ships with plundered weapons. Hondo stops by the shipyard. He asks if any Imperial vessels are approaching. The creases in Hunter's forehead deepen as Echo checks his datapad. Echo says Florrum has little incoming traffic, aside from one small shuttle that may be heading their way. He decides to prepare a tracker just in case. Hunter shifts uneasily as Hondo admires the near invisibility of Echo's tracker. Echo admits that he didn't design it; Tech did, a long time ago. A bead of sweat trickles down Hunter's face. He swallows hard.
Hunter cuts Echo off mid-sentence. He says they need to go—now. Raising his communicuff, he orders Wrecker and Omega to return to the Marauder. A bewildered Hondo protests that they are in their moment of victory, but Echo says he trusts Hunter. Echo follows Hunter over to the factory, where they instruct their forces to withdraw. On the other side of the building, Wrecker and Omega reluctantly head outside. Overhead, they see the small shuttle entering the atmosphere.
The pirates, who have paid no heed to Hunter's warning, make use of their stolen weapons. They fire rocket launchers at the shuttle, but it easily dodges the missiles. The shuttle fires its turret gun at the pirates' vessels. The stolen explosives inside the vessels detonate. Fire mushrooms out from the explosions, engulfing many of the pirates. The ground trembles, throwing the clones and pirates off their feet as the geysers inexplicably erupt. Acid shoots out of the geysers, burning those nearby.
The clones stay in formation as they retreat to their ships, but the disorganized pirates scatter every which way. The crowd is too thick for Wrecker and Omega to reach Hunter, so Hunter decides to pick them up in the Marauder. He and Echo bolt back to their ship as more Imperial vessels enter the atmosphere. Above them, the small shuttle continues to rain down fire.
Inside the Marauder, Tech awakens to the sound of explosions. He sees Hunter and Echo pushing through the distant crowd. The enemy shuttle closes in. Tech fights through his brain fog and climbs into the gunner's nest. After fumbling the controls with unsteady hands, he fires at the shuttle, forcing it to veer away from his brothers.
Before the two can reach the ship, Echo gets knocked down by the fleeing pirates. Hunter runs back to help him up. The two freeze when they see the shuttle landing. The wild terror in Hunter's expression slowly spreads to Echo, then to everyone else around them. The shuttle door opens, revealing a single dark figure. Slow, mechanical breathing emanates from the form. A red lightsaber ignites. Hunter tells Echo to run.
Everyone scrambles for cover as Darth Vader steps out of the shuttle. The Sith lord strides through the crowd, using the Force to make more geysers erupt. As acid splatters down on his targets, Vader lifts his hand. Massive chunks of earth tear away from the ground and hover by his side. He flings the earth at his enemies, crushing them.
Those far enough away from the destruction manage to make it to their ships. As Hondo and his surviving companions escape with their profits, Rex packs as many clones as he can into his ship. He orders Gregor to pilot the vessel to safety while he stays behind to help more clones. In the meantime, Hunter and Echo board their own ship.
Outside the factory, Wrecker and Omega try to reach the Marauder. Omega asks if they still have a chance to set a tracker. Wrecker notices Vader's abandoned shuttle. After ensuring that Omega has a clear path to the Marauder, Wrecker grips his tracker and tells her not to wait for him. He heads toward the shuttle. Undaunted, Omega follows behind him.
Vader senses the presence approaching his vessel. He raises his arm, using the Force to grip one of the remaining pirate ships. He sends the ship hurtling toward them. The tracker falls from Wrecker's hands as he yanks Omega out of the way. The ship crashes down, destroying the tracker and blocking their route to the shuttle. Vader returns his attention to the main attack as more Imperial ships land.
Stormtroopers stream out of the ships, concentrating their fire on the fleeing clones. Wrecker batters the stormtroopers with blaster fire, giving Omega an escape path. She doesn't want to leave him, but he promises he will be right behind her. As Wrecker continues to blast his foes, Omega heads to safety. She stops when she sees that stormtroopers have captured most of the remaining clones. The troopers lead their prisoners toward Imperial shuttles. After a moment of deliberation, Omega sneaks into one of the ships. She hides under a tarp before anyone spots her.
Meanwhile, Wrecker has broken through the line of stormtroopers and reached the Marauder. As he enters the vessel, Hunter asks where Omega is. Wrecker says he thought she was with them. More stormtroopers fire at them, forcing Echo to direct the ship into the sky. Hunter frantically speaks to Omega through his communicuff. As the door to her shuttle closes, Omega whispers her location into her communicuff. She says she's going to find out where the Empire is taking their brothers. All of Hunter's senses appear to amplify to excruciating levels. He orders her to return to the Marauder, but it's too late. Her ship has taken off.
Echo pilots the Marauder higher into the sky, prepared to follow Omega's shuttle. The Marauder jolts to a stop. On the ground, Vader clenches his upraised hand, using the Force to seize the Batch's ship. Echo powers the thrusters all the way up, but the ship doesn't move. They watch helplessly as Omega's vessel exits the atmosphere. Alarms blare inside the Marauder as Vader slowly pulls the ship toward him.
Behind Vader, someone fires a blaster shot. Vader nonchalantly raises his other hand, freezing the blast in midair. Then he tilts his head curiously. Turning, he sees the clone responsible for the shot. Rex. The captain stands resolutely, gripping his blaster. Vader dismissively releases his hold on the Marauder to confront Captain Rex.
As Echo regains control over the ship, Hunter and Wrecker watch the scene below. They realize there is nothing they can do to help Rex. He has given them an opportunity to escape, and they have to take it. Echo wavers for a moment, then reluctantly pilots the Marauder into space.
Back on the ground, Vader continues to hold the blaster shot in midair. He identifies Rex as one of the most esteemed captains in the 501st. Rex quietly asks who Vader is—the master, or the apprentice. Vader responds by sending the hovering blaster shot through a nearby clone. A distraught Rex steps forward, only to find himself paralyzed in Vader's telepathic grip. As Vader intensifies his hold, a flicker of some indistinct emotion shines in Rex's eyes. Rex furrows his brow, chasing away whatever crossed his mind.
Stormtroopers march up to Rex, activating their electrostaffs. Vader says Rex's men must face justice for their resistance to the Empire. If Rex tells him where the other rebel clones are, Vader will give him a prominent position in the Imperial army. The captain silently stares Vader down. Vader raises his other hand, using the Force to delve into Rex's mind. He slowly starts to extract words from Rex's mouth.
As Vader focuses all his attention on making Rex speak, the captain notices the stormtroopers' electrostaffs. Just before Rex reveals his men's location, he manages to reach out and touch one of the staffs. Electricity surges through Rex, rendering him unconscious. With a swift twist of his wrist, Vader disposes of the stormtrooper who was holding the staff. He orders the surviving trooper to hold Rex for interrogation.
We return to the Marauder. A devastated Wrecker sits quietly while Hunter paces the ship, fighting to regain control of his senses. He momentarily hears distant shouts and a strange clanging sound. These mysterious noises fade when his brothers begin talking. They consider reaching out to Omega, but they don't want to risk contacting her when Imperials could overhear. Echo says all they can do now is wait for Omega to get in touch with them.
In another part of the galaxy, the Imperial ships jump out of hyperspace. Omega cautiously peeks through the window. She sees that they are entering an enormous star destroyer.
END OF EPISODE SIX