Credit: LucasfilmThis week’s episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021), “Retrieval”, picks up where last week left off: with Clone Force 99 marooned on an arid world with no obvious means of escape after the Marauder was taken by a thief…
The Bad Batch are attempting to reach a comms tower on another side of the planet when Omega (Michelle Ang) comes up with an idea. They can track Gonky, their droid, to find out where their stolen ship was taken.
It turns out their ship was taken by a young criminal named Benni (Yuri Lowenthal) who works for a crime lord named Mokko (Jonathan Lipow). Mokko recognises that the ship is modified and could cause trouble, but as it is worth a lot, he lets the youngster keep the droid. He gifts him a little water too.
Back with the gang, Omega has successfully tracked down Gonky. The group head off to his location, finding a subterranean city. It doesn’t take the group long to find Benni and Gonky. Benni reveals that Mokko runs the entire city as the boss, and says he will reluctantly help them find their ship.
He reveals that the Techno Union ran the mine during the war, but Mokko took power after the conflict. Data (Dee Bradley Baker, who voices all the Clones) reveals a holo of the base. They’ve found a tricky entry point into the ray-shielded base, and blasters are off the menu due to the high concentration of Ipsium.
The group make their perilous descent down, avoiding some deadly vents and guard droids along the way. Hunter is spotted, but manages to throw his attacker into the heat.
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The group have made it into the mine, where droid guards are enforcing exhausting manual labor. Benni says Mokko had to reduce wages just to keep the mine open due to degraded Ipsium, but ‘at least they’re still working’.
Reaching the Marauder, Data realizes the hyperdrive has been removed. Omega also flags that the ray shield needs lowering, something which can only be done from the central tower.
Mokko is seen troughing endless food, showing that the boss clearly is keeping the lion’s share for himself. Benni and Omega are trying to break in via getting a key card. Benni says he is hoping to make his way up in the organization so can’t be found, but when we see him talk to his fellow thieves, it’s clear he has little respect and Mokko is exploiting his young team.
Benni doesn’t win top earner and is perhaps beginning to see how Mokko’s manipulation works. Omega says he shouldn’t have to compete for food and to impress his boss for survival. He also gets to see how the Bad Batch care for Omega, and wishes he had that in his home. She gives him some rations while he looks deep in thought.
During the ship repairs, Data points out how Mokko’s use of power and leverage over his workers is not dissimilar to the way the Empire is run. Two of the young thieves spot the Bad Batch and a chase begins.
Back with Omega and Benni, she reveals that the supposedly degraded Ipsium is not degraded at all. Mokko has been lying to them. The crime boss enters the room, seizing Omega and forcing Benni into a confession of where the rest of the Bad Batch are.
Mokko confronts our heroes at their ship, using Omega as a hostage. As he prepares to capture the Clones, Benni emerges and shouts the truth about the Ipsium, wielding Omega’s proof. The rest of the thieves begin to revolt against their leader and Mokko tells them to kill Omega. As she falls, she is rescued by Hunter.
On the bridge, Mokko’s guards are eliminated by Wrecker, and the boss begins wildly swinging, accidentally pitching himself over the edge. Benni tries to save him but the boss tries to pull him over too. Mokko loses his grip and falls into the lava.
Benni thanks Omega for showing them the truth. Speaking to Data, Omega says the Empire isn’t the only threat, with so many others in the galaxy looking to exploit. But Data says there are heroes like them too. They make it off world in their newly restored Marauder.
What did you think to this week’s episode of The Bad Batch? Tell us in the comments below.