Episode 4.5—"Royalty"
The evening sunlight sparkles over the Organa's palace on Alderaan. Bail Organa stands on the balcony beside an Imperial woman named Admiral Plume. He has mostly recovered from the injury he received on Coruscant, but he still uses a cane for support. He and Plume look out at the royal military, which trains in tight formation on the expansive palace lawn.
Plume remarks that Bail's soldiers lack the discipline and numbers to protect the palace. Alderaan requires a stronger Imperial presence, as do other planets throughout the galaxy. If Bail advocated for increased Imperial support on his planet, he could influence other senators to do the same. Bail replies that Alderaan has thrived for millennia without Imperial protection, and it will continue to persevere. Noting that Plume has a schedule to keep, he says his men will escort her back to her shuttle.
When night falls, Bail enters the palace nursery to say goodnight to Leia. As Breha lowers the 12-month-old into her crib, Bail wonders how they can secure a safe future for their daughter under the Empire's rule.
We transition to Bail and Breha's room, several hours later. They awaken to the sound of the palace windows shattering. Bail opens the door just far enough to see the chaos in the halls. Dark figures have broken into the palace and are effortlessly destroying the guards. Armor covers the invaders from head to toe, and rocket thrusters on their feet allow them to soar through the air. They look just like droids, but Bail suspects that the Empire has created more Dark Troopers. He whispers that they need to get Leia. The troopers are blocking their path to the nursery, so the two climb through a window and leap onto the wrap-around balcony.
One of the palace maids, a shifty-eyed woman named Alena, enters the nursery from the other side of the hall. Hearing the sound of invaders drawing near, she grabs Leia and retreats to the balcony. Bail and Breha spot them from the far side of the platform. A bomb detonates, destroying the middle of the balcony and blocking their path to Leia. As more Dark Troopers converge on the palace, Bail tells Alena to escape with Leia. The maid hurries down the staircase attached to her side of the platform.
The Dark Troopers head to the armory. Before the palace's military can launch an offense, the troopers blow up the arsenal. The shockwave sends a violent tremor through the rest of the palace, throwing Bail off his feet. The troopers take to the sky, disappearing from sight. As Breha helps Bail up, he murmurs that they need to find Leia.
Meanwhile, Alena has fled the scene on a speeder. She stops in a rocky wasteland to catch her breath. She thoughtfully regards the valuable princess in her arms. Removing a comlink from her pocket, she speaks to a contact in Kyuzo. She whispers that she ran into luck.
We return to Ipsidon. Liz has secured a variety of pots, pans, and spices from the kitchen and is stuffing them into Echo's pack. An annoyed Echo says she can't stay with them. Glancing at Gonky, he adds that they already have one useless droid, and they don't need another. Eager to prove her worth, Liz assembles a savory dish from some stale rations. Echo starts to dismiss her, but she sticks a spoonful of her creation into his mouth. After tasting it, Echo mutters that if the others are okay with it, he guesses she could stick around. Gonky beeps jealously.
Hunter steps out of the Marauder and reveals that Bail Organa has contacted them. The squad gathers in the ship, where Bail speaks to them via hologram. He explains that one of his maids took advantage of a palace attack and kidnapped his daughter. She is holding Leia for ransom with a group of thugs. Bail asks the Batch to deliver the ransom and bring his daughter home. He is reluctant to send his own soldiers to retrieve Leia, as he suspects that the Empire ordered the attack on his military. As long as his soldiers remain a target, it is not safe for Leia to be around them.
Hunter replies that the Imperials aren't fond of them, either, and his squad's main priority is to rescue other clones. Omega protests that this assignment is part of their fight against the Empire. Hunter counters that their goal isn't to defeat the Empire; it's to stop clone oppression so they can settle down peacefully. Bail interjects that clones may have been responsible for the palace attack. He shares his theory that the Empire has developed a new phase of Dark Troopers. Hunter turns to his squad, who look just as disturbed as he does. He accepts the assignment.
Echo sets the ship's coordinates for Alderaan. Phee has left to check on her parlor and the Batch is unsure if they will have a chance to return to Ipsidon, so they decide to take Tech with them. Hemlock's whispers permeate Tech's brain, threatening to dissociate him from his surroundings. Tech manages to focus on Echo, who is adjusting the radio-transmitter that Tech took from the parlor. In his halting stutter, Tech says that Hemlock is in the radio. The others exchange glances. Hunter assures him that the only thing playing on the radio is static. Tech isn't convinced, so Echo turns on the radio. The uncanny hum of Hemlock's machine has vanished from the broadcast. All they hear is soft static. Confusion clouds Tech's eyes.
Later, the Batch lands on Alderaan and hides their ship in the woods that fringe the Capital. Bail meets them in the forest to transfer the ransom money and share the kidnappers' coordinates. He warns them that more Imperials plan to visit his palace this evening. Hunter says they will be back long before then. He tasks Liz with looking after Tech, then heads out with the rest of his squad.
The clones navigate through the wilderness until they reach the rocky wasteland. Two thugs stand guard over Alena, who waits for them outside a cave. She asks if they have the credits. After regarding the young woman for a moment, Hunter surmises that she is not the leader. He insists on speaking to her boss. Embo, the famed Kyuzo bounty hunter from the Clone Wars, emerges from the cave. He speaks to them in Kyuzo. Alena translates, ordering them to pour the credits on the ground and back away slowly. Hunter says they want to see the baby first.
Embo gestures to the cave, where they can hear Leia crying. As the clones warily approach the entrance, Hunter senses more life forms closing in. Behind them, thugs gather atop the cliffs and aim their rifles at the Batch. One of the guards wonders how much the Empire would pay for four wanted clones. Hunter nods to Omega, who draws her bow.
Gangsters fire from the cliffs behind them while others pour out of the cave in front of them. The clones stand back-to-back and return fire. Hunter grits his teeth, trying to keep his overactive senses in check. He steps closer to Omega, poised to protect her if necessary. When the clones have an opening, they retreat to the rock formations that jut up between the cave and the cliffs. They crouch between two boulders and continue to shoot. The thugs from the cave advance, but Wrecker hurls a massive rock in their direction. Omega fires at the projectile, shattering it into chunks that knock out several gangsters.
More cries emanate from the cave. Wrecker says he's going in. The others cover him as he sprints into the cave and attacks the men inside. He locates Leia, who is squirming in a guard's grasp. He locks the guard in a chokehold until he surrenders the princess. Leia's howls intensify when Wrecker picks her up. Some of her teeth have grown in, and she sinks them into his hand. When Wrecker brings Leia back to his squad, the thugs hold their fire, not wanting to harm their ransom. The Batch continues to shoot, forcing their enemies to take cover. The clones retreat past the cave, toward the mountain range beyond it. They disappear into the trees at the base of the mountains.
As the sun sets, Imperial vessels land in the Capital. Bail goes outside to speak with Admiral Plume. His face hardens when he sees rows of stormtroopers marching down the ships' gangplanks. Plume explains that the Emperor authorized an emergency occupation of Alderaan in response to last night's tragic attack. She assures him that Alderaan will remain safe if he welcomes the stormtroopers' presence. Bail eyes her coldly. He agrees to endorse the occupation as long as the Imperials support his people's best interest.
As night falls, the Batch hides in a rocky cavity in the mountainside. Hunter senses the Imperial vessels in the Capital. With the thugs combing the mountains and the Imperials swarming the palace, they are unsure how to escape. As Wrecker tries to hush a fussy Leia, Echo attempts to contact Bail via comlink. He discovers that the Imperials have blocked all transmissions to the Capital.
Wrecker declares that he is fed up with Leia biting him. He hands her to Hunter. Disgusted to find herself in the arms of yet another scruffy-looking male, Leia starts to wail. Hunter passes her to Echo, who immediately hands her to Omega. The princess doesn't fight Omega, but she continues to cry. Echo says if they don't quiet her down, every lowlife on Alderaan will be coming for them. Omega guesses that Leia might be hungry. She folds a leaf into a makeshift bowl, and Wrecker combines a crushed-up ration bar with some water. He mixes it into a paste and offers it to the princess. She wrinkles her nose and cries even louder.
Echo's gaze falls to his pack, which he has set on the ground. He says he wants to try something. Selecting some spices and cream packets from the bag, he seasons the paste similarly to how Liz did. As he whips the mixture into an airy mousse, an unexpected passion blossoms on his face. He tastes all the different spices and adds the ones he likes to his concoction. After using a spoon to create swirls in the mousse, he offers it to Leia. She sniffs the dish delicately, then allows Echo to feed her a spoonful. Her eyes light up. Laughing, she plunges her hands into the meal and crams them into her mouth. A smile spreads across Echo's face. Then he notices the others watching him. He looks away self-consciously.
As Leia licks her fingers clean, Omega points out that the thugs must have a way out of here. When morning comes, they can scout the terrain and search for the bounty hunter's ship. Finished with her meal, Leia toddles away from Omega and crawls onto Echo's lap. He doesn't look thrilled to have a drooling baby in his arms, but he accepts his lot with a sigh.
In the palace, Bail records a hologram message for the Senate. Plume watches as he urges the senators to welcome increased Imperial support. As he transmits the hologram, Plume promises to integrate her stormtroopers within the next 48 hours.
When morning comes, Echo sneaks out to spy on Embo's camp. He discovers Embo's shuttle concealed behind some boulders. Several gang members are nearby, so Echo returns to his squad before they spot him. Meanwhile, Omega tries to soothe Leia, who is crying again. Wrecker grouses that they've fed her and watered her and changed her. What more does she want? Echo appears at the entrance. Leia breaks into a smile and reaches out to him. Lifting her into his arms, Echo fills the others in about Embo's shuttle. They decide that this time, they'll be the ones doing the ambush.
The clones climb the towering boulders that surround Embo's ship. Echo hands a sleeping Leia to Omega. He instructs her to keep the princess away from the fighting. The men peer over the edge to survey the gang members, who are discussing their next move. Alena looks up and catches a glimpse of them. She starts to shout a warning, but Hunter stuns her. He, Wrecker, and Echo continue to shower the gangsters with stun blasts. When he has a clear path, Hunter climbs down to seize the ship. But Embo is anticipating this. The Kyuzo tosses an explosive into his shuttle. It detonates, blowing up the ship and knocking Hunter backward.
In the Marauder, Tech stares at the radio, which continues to air a soft static. A strange flickering sound suddenly invades the broadcast. His face pales as the hum of Hemlock's machine returns.
Hunter sees distant figures soaring toward the east, where the Capital is located. We travel past the Batch and over to the palace. The figures are, of course, Dark Troopers. They bypass the stormtroopers and attack the palace soldiers. 2,000 Alderaanians comprise the Organa's personal military, but they are no match for the 30 Dark Troopers. With their arsenal destroyed, the soldiers' only defense against the Dark Troopers is blaster fire and grenades. These weapons have no effect on the clones' flawless Zillo Beast armor. The Dark Troopers fly into the air and throw down powerful explosives, destroying scores of soldiers at a time. The soldiers fall back, retreating west toward the rocky wasteland.
Tech stumbles out of the Marauder and stops at the very edge of the forest. He sees the Dark Troopers pursuing the military. Memories of the attack on Coruscant flood his mind, momentarily drowning out his present awareness. He musters just enough sense to return to the ship. He babbles at Liz until she determines that he wants her to find his squad. Gonky has a copy of the kidnappers' coordinates. He beeps instructions to Liz, who manages to input the coordinates and set the ship to autopilot.
Back at the palace, Bail entreats Plume to call off the attack. Plume claims that she has no idea who these hostile "droids" are. She adds that her stormtroopers have not officially joined his military yet, so they cannot offer their services. As the controlled clones tear through his soldiers, Bail desperately asks Plume what else she wants. A smile curls the corners of her lips. She replies, "Nothing." Bail glares at the Admiral until guards block her from his view.
The Dark Troopers continue to push back the surviving soldiers. When Embo's thugs spot the battle on the horizon, many of them scatter. Embo continues to attack the Batch. He orders his anooba, Marrok, to track down the baby. The anooba bounds up to Omega. She skids down the side of a boulder, clutching Leia securely. Marrok chases after her, but Hunter tags the creature with a stun blast. The clones fire at Embo as he scoops up his reeling pet. He dodges their shots and disappears behind more rock formations. The battling Dark Troopers near the wasteland, but so does the Marauder. The clones board the ship and flee the scene.
By nightfall, the Dark Troopers have departed, leaving a large portion of the palace's military dismantled. Breha approaches a devastated Bail and whispers something to him. As soon as he is able, he meets the Batch in the darkening forest. Hunter listens somberly as Bail reveals what happened. Hunter promises that his squad will do everything they can to stop the Dark Troopers. They turn to see Echo carrying Leia down the gangplank. Brightening at the sight of her father, she pushes away from Echo to reach for him. Bail takes his daughter into his arms and thanks the Batch for everything.
Echo follows Hunter back to the Marauder, where the others are waiting. As Echo pilots the ship into the sky, Hunter says they need to contact Rex. He switches the radio back on and sends a transmission. Tech watches uneasily.
We transition from Tech's face to Hemlock's. He stands in the lab Tarkin gave him, watching droids assemble Zillo Beast armor. Rampart nervously steps into the room. Without turning around, Hemlock remarks that his updated armor will let the Dark Troopers attack with anonymity. The Empire can send them on missions that stormtroopers could not stomach, then claim that these unknown "droids" acted alone. He asks if Rampart is prepared for the next stage.
Rampart replies that the Marauder was spotted leaving Alderaan. He is certain that he can pinpoint the defective clones soon. Hemlock softly reminds Rampart that he was scheduled for execution before Hemlock intervened. Rampart's knowledge of Clone Force 99 is the only thing keeping him alive. If he wants to stay that way, he cannot fail again.
END OF EPISODE FIVE