The Bad Batch " The Bad Batch " is an unfinished episode of the . The episode was originally intended to be the premiere for a seventh season , but production on the television series was halted before the episode was completed . Scripted by Brent Friedman , it is the first in a four - part story arc focusing on a ragtag unit of clone commando s , Clone Force 99 . The episode , along with the rest of its arc , premiered on April 17 , 2015 at Celebration Anaheim , and was released on StarWars . com shortly after on April 29 , 2015 . Official description . " " Rex , Cody , and Clone Force 99 , an unorthodox , elite squad also known as the Bad Batch , look to recover the Republic ' s strategy algorithm from Admiral Trench . But a haunting truth awaits … " " Plot summary . The Republic campaign on Anaxes begins to take a turn for the worse when the Separatists capture the main production facility for the Republic ' s battle fleet . While Mace Windu and Anakin Skywalker debate on how to proceed , Commander Cody and Captain Rex join them with a theory as to how Trench , the leader of the enemy forces , has been able to predict and counter their every move so far . As Rex relates , he had developed a special algorithm to analyse the usual Republican strategies and develop corresponding responses to counter the army ' s performance weaknesses . From the latest happenings on the local battlefield , he has concluded that somehow the algorithm has fallen into enemy hands ; but besides him , only two other people knew about the algorithm ' s existence and layout : The late ARC troopers Fives and Echo . Since Fives ' death is confirmed ( Rex Whitnessed it himself ) , and Echo ' s body was never recovered during the secret mission to the Citadel , Rex reasons that somehow Echo must have fallen into the enemy ' s hands and been coerced to surrender the program . Upon hearing this , Windu and Skywalker task Cody and Rex to infiltrate the Separatists ' planetary cyber center to find and recover the algorithm . Cody suggests calling in a crack commando force squad he has worked with before to assist in the job . This elite squad - Clone Force 99 , informally known as the " Bad Batch " - consists of defectively born clones who underwent unique and " desirable " mutations . Accompanied by Jesse and Kix , Cody and Rex meet the squad , consisting of Sergeant Hunter , the team ' s leader ; Wrecker , the squad ' s brash strongman and assault specialist ; Crosshair , the teams grim , sarcastic sniper ; and Tech , the hyper - intelligent and knowledgeable tech specialist . Mounting a gunship , the assembled team departs for the cyber center . However , on their way the clones are spotted and shot down by a battle droid squad , and end up crashing in a ravine , leaving Cody seriously injured and trapped inside the vessel ' s wreckage . It is there that the Bad Batch begins to demonstrate its unique qualities : Wrecker singlehandedly lifts the gunship off Cody ' s body , and then he and his squadmates engage the incoming droids in a surprisingly aggressive move , taking down the entire enemy force by themselves . After the clones have left , a second droid force investigates the crash site and inform Trench of their findings . The clones makes their way to the cyber center on foot , guided by Hunter ' s extraordinary sensory capabilities . With Cody incapable of continuing , Rex announces that he will take charge of the mission . This creates tensions with Crosshair and Wrecker , which threaten to escalate into a fight until Hunter intervenes and concedes command to Rex . Proceeding without Cody and Kix , they reach a Separatist outpost near the cyber center , which Rex decides to take , hoping that it will contain vital information . Using the Bad Batch ' s prior performance as his attack strategy , Rex and his fellow clones quickly overwhelm the outpost ' s droid garrison and capture its command and communication center . But while trying to hack into the cyber center ' s computers to investigate its defensive capabilities , Tech intercepts a message which announces the impending arrival of heavy droid reinforcements . Rex splits up the squad for a diversionary three - front attack on the center ' s guard force , just as the droid relief forces arrive at the outpost ; but before Trench can warn them about the clones ' assault , the cyber center droids are taken by surprise . While Rex , Crosshair and Jesse keep the guards occupied , Hunter , Tech and Wrecker penetrate the building and capture its command center . As the other clones hold the incoming droid reinforcements off , Rex joins Tech in the command center . Tech hacks into the computer system and discovers the algorithm , but strangely it is not stored inside the center ' s memory banks but is instead broadcast from Skako Minor , a planet whose indigenous population has declared its neutrality in the war . Digging in further , Tech manages to receive an audio signal which sounds like a human voice - and identifies itself with Echo ' s birthcode ! In the meantime , the encroaching enemy force drives the remaining clones back into the command center . The clones fight their way out of the structure and escape aboard a speeder craft secured by Crosshair . While Trench learns about the clones ' infiltration of the broadcast , Rex in turn is left brooding over the startling discovery that Echo may still be alive . Development . Series Writer Brent Friedman , who scripted " The Bad Batch " as well as the other three episodes of the arc , released information about the episode via his Twitter account in May 2014 . Jedi General Anakin Skywalker is involved throughout the arc to an extent , though most of the action focuses on Rex and The Batch . Friedman stated that the " emotional hook " of the arc is Rex ' s relationship with ARC trooper Echo , a character who had been killed in the episode " Counterattack " but was resurrected for this arc . The setting for the episodes is split between Anaxes , a planet from the " Star Wars " Legends line , and a new world called Skako Minor . On April 9 , 2015 , StarWars . com announced that " The Bad Batch " and the other three episodes of the story arc would be released on April 17 in story reel form , in a special screening at Celebration Anaheim .