Star Wars Adventures: The Clone Wars – Battle Tales 4

Star Wars Adventures: The Clone Wars – Battle Tales 4 (also known as Star Wars Adventures: Clone Wars 4) is the fourth, penultimate issue of the canon comic book miniseries Star Wars Adventures: The Clone Wars – Battle Tales. It was written by Michael Moreci, illustrated by Derek Charm and Davide Tinto, colored by Luis Antonio Delgado and Thomas Deer, and published by IDW Publishing on August 26, 2020.
==Publisher's summary==
This exciting weekly series explores a time of great upheaval in the galaxy—the Clone Wars! While Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and other Jedi Knights fight against incredible odds, Commander Cody, Captain Rex, and other clones, pinned down for the duration, swap war stories that feature your favorite characters from The Clone Wars animated series, such as Padmé Amidala, General Grievous, and many more!
==Plot summary==
On Hisseen, Captain Rex and his troops tighten their formation and attempt to hold their ground against an incoming wave of Separatist battle droids. When Rex states that they must hold their position until backup arrives, Hardcase opines that he wants them to keep coming as he likes more targets to fire at, but one clone named Twitch suggests that they fall back. This causes Heater to chastise him for wanting to retreat and abandon their post and mission, so he decides to tell him of what it’s like to run and betray his brothers. 
Flashing back to Kamino, Heater and several other clones are called lousy deserters and cowards - a disgrace to the clone army. With this, Heater loses his temper and starts to throw punches with the other clone and say that he never asked for this war, as he was only thinking for himself. Just then, Commander Wolffe enters the room and breaks up the fight before taking Heater away with him for a private conversation. Wolffe tells Heater that training scenarios say a lot about clones - how they perform, work as a unit, and stand up to the pressures of war, and because of this, people think that he and others like him aren’t cut for real battle. Heater only says that he doesn’t know what came over him, but he can’t stop wondering what he’d do if he ever had a choice and isn’t sure whether deserting was a smart decision or a terrible mistake. Wolffe then offers him and the others like him a mission, an opportunity for redemption and to have their names cleared where they can either find a place with his brothers in the army or stay on Kamino. Heater doesn’t hesitate to accept, and later whilst on a gunship in the atmosphere of Melagwani with fellow clones Sync, Racetrack, and Charlie, he goes over the details of their mission. 
A Separatist weapons depot on the surface has a direct line of supply to a planet the Republic is trying to liberate, so they have to cut off the supply of weapons to give their brothers a chance. Racetrack however, has an issue which is that this is a one way mission; command is hoping for a miracle, but it’s a win for them no matter what as they’ll have their deserter problem solved. Charlie and Sync cut in, saying that it’s a chance to redeem themselves as they left their squads when they were most needed, and were scared and wrong. Just then, the gunship is hit by a surface-to-air missile, causing the gunship to crashland in the city on the surface. After recovering and escaping the downed gunship in the streets of a city on Melagwani, they leave their dead pilot behind and quickly move through the abandoned sector before vulture droids swarm it. When the others question if Heater is actually going to see the mission through, he explains that he gave his word to Wolffe and won’t let him down again, but the others question how much they have to give away after already giving their word and life. This causes Heater to stop them and say that this is the only life they know and only family that they have, so he’s going to fight for them as the only way they survive is together. Meanwhile inside of the weapons depot, a super tactical droid analyzes the situation and is taken aback at the fact that the Republic only sent one gunship, but calculates that the Republic’s odds of success are very low. 
Outside the gates, Racetrack carries two clone helmets and approaches two battle droid guards and tells them that he’s the only survivor of the crashed gunship, so he’s here to negotiate the terms of surrender. When the droids become confused with what to do, he tosses the helmets into their arms where they discover the gift inside of a thermal detonator. When it goes off, it blows a hole in the wall and causes other droid forces to investigate and be drawn away from other entrances, allowing the three other clones to infiltrate the weapons depot. Once inside, they attach explosive charges onto key structures and prepare to leave, but when they question Racetrack’s whereabouts, Charlie believes that Racetrack is meant to be a deserter, and while they don’t want to believe it, it’s the truth. Just then, the super tactical droid arrives with a squad of battle droids and explains that Racetrack is the smartest of them for deserting as it was their only chance at getting out of here alive. When Heater questions how the droid knew, the super tactical droid shares his calculations of them attempting unconventional tactics to complete their mission. When he gives them the option to surrender or die, Heater threatens to set off the explosives which will kill them all, but he doesn’t have to make the decision as Racetrack regroups with them and starts blasting away at the battle droids. He apologizes for being late, and the super tactical droid is killed as he’s overwhelmed with the fact that his calculations were wrong. After escaping, the clones set off the explosives and destroy the weapons depot, and Racetrack explains his chance of heart due to the others being his ride off of Melagwani. However, this isn’t the full truth and it’s because they’re one in the same; family and brothers. Later, Republic forces arrive and Commander Wolffe informs the group of four clones that they are free and will be taken wherever they want to go, but they don’t take him up on this and instead stay in the army and return home to their brothers. 
In the present, Rex and his forces continue to be under heavy fire from oncoming Separatist forces, and Heater is shot down and wounded. Before he can be finished off, Commanders Cody and Wolffe along with their forces arrive, and Rex informs them that they are outnumbered and surrounded, so he attempts to contact General Skywalker for assistance just as the enemy starts to close in. 
==Continuity==
In one panel, Heater refers to Wolffe as a captain, rather than as a commander.
==Media==
===Editions===
*UPC 827714019537; August 26, 2020; IDW Publishing; First printing
**00411; Cover A; Derek Charm
**00421; Cover B; Derek Charm
**00431; Cover C; Mel Milton
===Cover gallery===
TCWBattleTales-4.jpg|Cover A
StarWarsAdventuresCloneWarsIssue4Cover.png|Cover A (not final)
SWATCWBT4CharmVC.jpg|Cover B
SWACLBTMel.jpg|Cover C
==Appearances==
==Notes and references==
==External links==
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