A Distant Echo " A Distant Echo " is an unfinished episode of the . The episode was originally intended to be the second episode of a seventh season , but production on the television series was halted before the episode was completed . Scripted by Brent Friedman , it is the second installment in a four - part story arc focusing on a ragtag unit of clone commando s of the same name . 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 . " " Believing that MIA soldier Echo may still be alive , Rex ' s mission becomes doubly important . Alongside the Bad Batch and Anakin Skywalker , the clone captain launches a dangerous covert rescue . " " Plot summary . Following the raid on the Separatist intelligence center on Anaxes , the clones return to Fort Anaxes . Rex informs Jedi General Anakin Skywalker that they will travel to the planet Skako Minor to find Echo , a missing Clone trooper who disappeared during a previous mission . The Clone Force 99 trooper Hunter recommends that they use his team ' s personal gunship , the " Havoc Marauder " . General Obi - Wan Kenobi criticizes Rex for embarking on a " reckless plan " but the Clone Commander managed to convince his superiors that they need to prevent the Separatists from having access to the algorithm . Unwilling to argue with them , Kenobi lets them go but warns them to be back before the next rotation . Rex , Anakin , and Force 99 prepare to depart on the " Havoc Marauder " for Skako Minor . Skywalker notices that the ship has a nose - art of his secret wife , the Naboo Senator Padmé Amidala , whom the clones admire . Wrecker jokes about negotiating with Amidala anytime . Meanwhile on Skako Minor , Minister Wat Tambor is contacted by Admiral Trench , who warns him that an infiltration team of clones has traced the algorithm ' s signal to Skako Minor . Trench warns that a Republic attack is imminent and Tambor resolves to be ready . In space , Skywalker , Rex and Force 99 prepare for their assault . Force 99 are reluctant to reveal who they answer to . Shortly later , they exit hyperspace above Skako Minor . Tech flies the ship into a storm but they manage to safely land on the planet ' s surface . Tech informs his fellow clones and Skywalker that they have landed on a part of Skako Minor that is inhabited by Poletec , a primitive people who worshiped large flying reptiles called Keeradak s . Shortly later , the " Havoc Marauder " is attacked by a keeradak . Skywalker and the clones go out to confront the keeradak , which carries a Poletecan mount . The keeradak kidnaps Anakin with its claws and flies away . The clone trooper Crosshair manages to fire a grappling hook at the keeradak and attempts to shoot it down but his blaster is knocked out of his hand by one of the keeradaks . The keeradak tries to knock Crosshair against the rocks which causes Crosshair to lose his grip . Despite falling , Crosshair is unhurt and managed to track Skywalker and his kidnappers to a nearby Poletecan village . The villagers take Anakin prisoner . Meanwhile , the clones join Crosshair at the edge of the village . After resolving not to terrorize the villagers , the clones move in to rescue Skywalker . They used a boulder to smash several structures and managed to awe the Poletecans by their display of firepower . In the end , the Poletecan chief ordered a ceasefire and told the clones that he did not want their war on his planet . The chief also explained that this was the reason he had kidnapped Skywalker . With Tech acting as a translator , Anakin told the Poletecans that Wat Tambor and his Separatists were responsible for bringing the war to Skako Minor . Rex then told Tech to tell the Poletecs that he and the Clones would apologize for their actions . He also explained that they were here to rescue one of their comrades , Echo , who had fallen into the hands of the Separatists . The chief provided the clones and Skywalker with scouts to lead them to Tambor ' s city Purkell but no further . During the journey , Tech found that he was unable to trace Echo ' s signal . Hunter thinks that the Separatists are trying to lure them into a trap . When Crosshair suggested that Echo had become a traitor , Rex assaulted him . Anakin managed to defuse the situation by sending Force 99 to scout out the surroundings while he talked to Rex . While Rex defended Echo , Anakin advised him that they should be ready for such a situation . Rex understands Anakin ' s concerns but insists on being the one to deal with his former comrade . In Purkell , Force 99 manages to trace Echo ' s signal to a tower . Shortly later , they are joined by Anakin and Rex . Tech managed to enter the facility and they took a lift to the top . While on the lift , Anakin reminded the clones that they were on a stealth mission and told them to avoid blowing things up . Upon exiting the lift , the clones found themselves facing several D - wing droid s . The clones and Skywalker quickly dispatched the droids in a brief skirmish . Exploring the facility , they lose Echo ' s signal again . Tech theorizes that the signal is only visible during data transmissions and that they have to wait for Echo to transmit more data . Anakin orders the clones to split up while they search the facility . Skywalker heads into a chamber where he dispatches two D - wing droids tat attempt to trap him . Meanwhile , the clones search the chambers . Tech traces the signal to an upstairs chamber but finds that its entrance is sealed . Shortly later , they receive a hologram message from Wat Tambor who informs the clones that he was aware that they were coming and had laid a trap for them . He told them that he had use their algorithm to predict every movement they had made to infiltrate Skako Minor , thus violating the Techno Union ' s neutrality . Rex responds that Tambor had violated the Union ' s neutrality by bringing a Republic prisoner to Skako Minor . Before departing , Tambor praises the clones for playing their part and orders several D - wing droids to execute them . The clones fight the D - wing droids and are assisted by Anakin , who helps them to destroy all the droids . After fighting off the droids , Tech manages to open the door to the chamber . Rex and Tech head into a large chamber where they find Echo confined within a stasis chamber . Echo has been drugged and is completely unaware of his surroundings . Several tubes have been fitted into him and some of his limbs have been replaced by prosthetic parts . Rex and Tech deduce that Echo had been kept unconscious by the Separatists who remotely mined his mind for information on the Republic ' s strategies on Anaxes . Rex comforts his old comrade and he and Tech begin freeing Echo . 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 Skako Minor .