Devil's Deal

"Devil's Deal" is the eleventh episode of the animated web-TV series Star Wars: The Bad Batch. The episode was released on July 9, 2021.
==Official description==
As the seeds of rebellion foment on an outer rim [sic] world, the Empire schemes to squash it.
==Plot summary==
In Lessu, the capital city of the planet Ryloth, a tense crowd waits in a square. Crosshair, observing the crowd, spots Gobi Glie and another one of his freedom fighters arriving, and he reports this to Vice Admiral Rampart. Someone in the crowd asks for the whereabouts of Senator Orn Free Taa. Above in the balcony, Admiral Rampart conveys the Galactic Empire's displeasure at the Twi'leks troubled reply to the Imperial presence, despite the addition of an Imperial doonium refinery which will bring jobs to the citizens. Senator Orn Free Taa claims that the Twi'leks welcomed the partnership, and he asks Eleni Syndulla if she agrees, to which she replies that she will always support that which helps Ryloth.
Senator Taa turns his attention to General Cham Syndulla, asking if he shares his wife's outlook. Cham says that peace is needed after the years of fighting, and Senator Taa replies that peace came with prosperity, emphasizing that it is a new era for Ryloth. Clone Captain Howzer asks General Syndulla if things are alright. Cham says that he should be relieved that the war is over, but admits that change is not easy. He hopes that his people will embrace such a change in the name of peace. Howzer reassures him that Ryloth is safe and that this is what he fought for.
Senator Taa addresses the Twi'lek crowd, saying that the new Imperial refinery will bring stability and growth to Ryloth again. He urges all Twi'leks to step down from their military posts and enjoy their hard-fought freedom. The crowd begins grumbling as Senator Taa explains that the Empire had offered its clone army to protect and defend them. A blue-skinned Twi'lek woman shouts that they want General Syndulla, which distresses the Imperials and Senator Taa. At the urging of the crowd, Cham moves to speak, saying he understands their uneasiness. He says that the one thing they have always done as a people is stand together to defend Ryloth. When the Clone Wars began and the Galactic Republic was losing, they were on their own. Cham speaks of how the Grand Army of the Republic came to their aid in their hour of need, and Howzer moves to stand next to him as Cham claims that they would not be here if not for the clone army. He emphasizes that they fought with and for the Twi'leks, saying that he trusts the clones as he always has. Because the war has ended, he urges them to lay down their weapons and focus on Ryloth's future. The crowd cheers and begins dispersing, and Senator Taa walks away. Admiral Rampart speaks with Eleni, saying it is a shame her daughter, Hera Syndulla, is not there, to which she explains that her daughter has other interests, and she looks over the horizon, uncomfortable.
===Spying on the refinery===
Elsewhere on Ryloth, Hera Syndulla and her astromech droid Chopper spy on the Imperial refinery, which is in an off-limits area. Hera tells her droid that she overheard her father say it is only the first location. When Chopper mumbles in binary, she reminds him they cannot go because Glie had told them to stay and gather intelligence. Hera lies back on the rocks and watches the birds, daydreaming of flying, but the two are soon discovered by a pair of clone troopers, prompting Hera to chide him.
Later, Twi'leks hand their weapons over to clone troopers at the Syndulla residence. Watching over a balcony, Glie speaks to Eleni, expressing his discomfort with the clones being the ones defending Ryloth, to which Eleni explains that Cham knows that the people are tired of fighting and are unable to go on as they have been. Glie disagrees, believing that turning over their weapons has made them defenseless, something which he refuses to accept. He tells her that he has already reached out to his contact to send more weapons. Seconds later, Captain Howzer brings Hera and Chopper back to the compound. Eleni asks what happened, and Howzer tells Cham that Hera and Chopper were found inside a restricted zone. Hera tells her stern-looking father that they were just exploring. Speaking to Cham, Howzer agrees to not report the incident so long as it does not happen again, and Cham assures him it won't.
After the clone troopers leave, Cham asks Hera what she was doing out there, and Hera replies that she already told him. When he demands the truth, Glie explains that he had sent her. Eleni sends Hera and Chopper inside while Glie and Cham talk. While walking with her mother, Hera grumbles that the situation isn't fair, insisting she and Chopper had done nothing wrong. Eleni says that the Imperial refinery is off-limits, and Hera replies that she never said they were at the refinery. Smiling, Eleni says she also has her ways, asking Hera to explain what she saw.
When Cham becomes furious with Glie for involving his daughter in espionage, Gobi disagrees and suggests that the Empire is hiding something. Cham says that he doesn't want his daughter put in the middle of a delicate situation. Glie reminds him that the clones were supposed to leave Ryloth when the Clone Wars ended, refusing to stand by as more arrive each day. Cham reminds him that they had agreed to disband when the time came, asking what the point of fighting is if they could not accept peace. Glie warns Cham that the Imperials are up to something that his friend was refusing to see.
===Building an arsenal===
Later, Glie and Serin prepare to leave for a supply run on a freighter. Hera arrives but says she is unable to go because her father disapproves of her spying. After Glie mentions that he was going to let her fly, Hera changes her mind and tells Chopper to cover for her. Chopper beeps in protest before circling away. Unknown to the Twi'leks, they are being watched by Crosshair, who fires a homing beacon onto their ship and reports to his superiors via comlink that Glie's ship is tagged but he is not alone.
Hera flies Glie's ship into space, demonstrating her flying skills, by which Glie is impressed. However, he has Serin take over for landing, as he doesn't believe she is skilled enough for such a task yet. Serin lands the ship in a small plain on Ryloth's third moon, a rocky planetoid. Moments later, the Marauder lands on the moon. The Bad Batch, including Hunter, Wrecker, Echo and Tech, disembark from the ship with a box of weapons, and Omega follows and watches from the gangplank. Hunter tells Glie that they were sent by Ciddarin Scaleback, and Tech adds that they brought a ship of three dozen blasters and a case of thermal detonators. Glie asks to inspect them, and Wrecker brings him the crate.
Meanwhile, Hera walks towards the Marauder, looking in interest at the Omicron-class attack shuttle. Hera sees Omega and asks for a tour of the ship, and with Hunter's permission, Omega agrees to her request. Aboard the ship, she shows Hera the sensor array, deflector shield, navigation readout, and the hyperdrive. Hera asks Omega if she can fly, and Omega explains that Tech won't let her fly until she can recite all of the ship's specifications from memory. Hera remarks that the specifications are only half of it, expressing that flying is about a feeling. When Omega asks what she means, Hera explains that she can close her eyes and imagine herself flying, believing that the instruments are a guide but she can plot the course with freedom. When asked if she was a pilot, Hera replies that she isn't yet, but hopefully one day, she will be. Omega then shows Hera her bunk in the gunner's mount, which she describes as her favorite part of the ship, as it doubles as her bedroom when they are not being chased. Hera is amazed that Omega gets to live on her ship, but she is concerned at the thought of the Batch being chased, asking if they are in some kind of trouble. Omega replies that she thought Hera was the one in trouble.
Outside, Glie and Serin find the weapons satisfactory, and they tell the Batch to request more weapons from Cid. Hunter warns them that building an arsenal will attract attention, hoping the Twi'leks understand the battle they are choosing, but Glie replies that they have no choice. Glie and Serin board their ship with the weapons, and Hera joins them, thanking Omega for the tour of the Marauder. When Hunter asks Omega about her new friend, she replies that although Hera is strange, she likes her. Omega recalls that Hera likened flying to a feeling, leaving Tech perplexed, and the Batch returns to their ship as Glie's freighter departs.
===Caught by the Empire===
Glie and the Twi'leks return to Ryloth, flying through a canyon. Inside the cockpit, Hera asks Glie to teach her how to handle takeoffs and landings, and he remarks at her persistence. Serin reports that their sensors have picked up an Imperial ship. Crosshair shoots one of their ship's engines, causing it to crash at the base of the canyon, and Crosshair orders his troops to move in.
An Imperial LAAT/i gunship lands near Glie's ship, dispatching several clone troopers, who quickly take the Twi'leks into custody. Shortly later, Vice Admiral Rampart arrives with Senator Taa, and Crosshair informs them that the three Twi'leks were caught smuggling weapons onto the planet. Rampart speaks to Hera, telling her he finds her involvement to be distressing. Senator Taa cites Hera's presence among the insurgents as evidence for his claim that Cham is plotting an uprising against the Empire, saying she is enough to implicate him, and Hera insists it isn't true. Also disagreeing with Taa, Rampart believes the public will not see it that way, and he reminds Taa of Cham's influence over the Rylothians. He emphasizes that Cham has not yet committed a real crime, but Hera has. Captain Howzer objects that Hera is only a child. Senator Taa counters that Hera is an insurgent, and he orders the clone troopers to take them away, to which the Twi'leks comply.
Crosshair tells Rampart he is clocking three of Glie's insurgents on the mountain ridge and requests permission to deal with them, but Rampart denies, telling him to allow the insurgents to report back. However, he tells Crosshair to get into position. Two Twi'lek insurgents spot the arrest with their macrobinoculars and decide to report back to General Syndulla. Cham is horrified by the news, and Eleni insists that they speak to Senator Taa immediately. Chopper arrives and speaks in Binary. Eleni is shocked to learn that Glie, Serin, and Hera have been found guilty of treason even in the absence of a trial, and Cham says that Senator Taa will make sure they never get one. He decides they should intercept the prisoner convoy before it reaches the capital, and one of the Twi'lek insurgents gives the location of the prisoners, who are on the western outskirts in Sector 3. Chopper leaves with Eleni and Cham.
===Intercepting the transport===
Hera and the other prisoners are transported inside the hold of an HCVw A9 turbo tank. The Syndullas and Chopper meet with the Twi'lek insurgents, and with the juggernaut heading for the narrows, Cham insists they get there before the convoy. Eleni tells Chopper to stay and wait for her signal before riding away with the other Twi'lek fighters on Blurrgs. Above the canyon, Cham takes out two clone troopers riding BARC speeders. Inside the juggernaut, Vice Admiral Rampart and Senator Taa become aware of the insurgent attack, and Taa orders the clone troopers to attack, a demand to which Captain Howzer complies. With the escort riders distracted, a red-skinned Twi'lek insurgent infiltrates the juggernaut through a turret and stuns several Imperials.
Meanwhile, Cham lures two BARC speeder riders into a narrow corner of the canyon where another Twi'lek takes them out. Inside the juggernaut, Hera hears the sound of blaster bolts. The Twi'leks jam the Imperials' comm devices when Rampart wonders about reinforcements, and Howzer realizes the comms aren't working. Outside, the two remaining BARC speeder riders split up. Eleni shoots one of them down and Cham stuns the clone trooper. A Twi'lek insurgent brings the juggernaut to a halt, and Cham and Eleni place detonators on the vehicle. Senator Taa orders the remaining clone troopers to hold out, but the more pragmatic Rampart tells Captain Howzer to order his men to surrender. Taa is horrified, but Rampart insists he was keeping them alive. Cham and Eleni enter the juggernaut's hold, and Hera is delighted to see her parents.
The Twi'lek insurgents hold the Imperials and Senator Taa at gunpoint. Hera speaks with her mother in worry, asking what her father will do because Taa will not let them go, and Eleni reassures her. Chopper arrives in a landspeeder and picks up Hera. Cham confronts Senator Taa, who denounces him for attacking his convoy and labels them all traitors. Cham, angry with Taa for threatening his daughter and accusing her of treason, accuses Taa of putting his greed and self-interest over Ryloth, condemning him as the true traitor. Cham points his blaster at Taa, who pleads for Rampart and Howzer to intervene. Rampart, appearing to be unsympathetic towards Taa, simply replies that Cham is the one with the blaster. Captain Howzer tries to reason with Cham, and Eleni speaks to him, saying that Taa's time will come, but not this way.
As Hera watches from the landspeeder with Chopper, Rampart thanks Senator Taa for playing his part and nods his head. Unbeknownst to Taa, this is a signal to Crosshair, who is situated on the outside of the canyon, and Crosshair shoots one of Taa's lekku. At that moment, several Imperial reinforcements arrive in LAAT gunships. Eleni shouts to Chopper to get Hera away from the situation, and the two manage to escape through the canyon on the landspeeder. However, Vice Admiral Rampart arrests Cham, Eleni, and the other insurgents for the attempted assassination of Orn Free Taa. The rebels are handcuffed by clone troopers, and Taa is wheeled away on a stretcher. Rampart orders Howzer to assemble forces to find Hera. As the LAAT gunships fly away, Hera watches sadly in the landspeeder as Chopper drives them away.
==Credits==
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==Notes and references==
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