User:PresidentDVD/Workbench

Ciddarin Scaleback, also known by the nickname "Cid," was a Mantellian Trandoshan female whose career as an information broker and smuggler spanned the Galactic Republic Era into the early days of the Imperial Era. For years, Cid manned a parlor in Ord Mantell City from which she ran her operation that included mercenary work. She reaped most of her mercenaries' missions' rewards, which gave her a reputation that would come to alienate many of her associates beyond repair. While her numerous contacts made her a valuable informant for the Jedi Order during the Clone Wars, demands for Scaleback's services declined following the Republic's reorganization as the Galactic Empire. As a result of the Jedi's near-extinction, she turned to new ways of making money.

In 19 BBY, Cid met the fugitive clone squad Bad Batch, who, in exchange for intel on a bounty hunter they had encountered, rescued the rancor Muchi—a mission Cid's contractor, gangster Jabba the Hutt, was growing impatient wasn't yet complete. Desperate to lay low, the Batch agreed to work as mercenaries for Scaleback, who promised to keep their identities a secret. Cid had the Batch put life and limb on the line for her, showing only occasional concern toward their youngest member, Omega; when she was ousted from her parlor by the up-and-coming Roland Durand, the Batch helped her take it back; later, when she lost a bet to former associate-turned-nemesis Grini Millegi, Tech—who Cid nicknamed "Goggles"—raced in the Safa Toma Classic to secure her release when Millegi held her at ransom.

Scaleback and the Batch's "mutually beneficial arrangement" deteriorated, however, largely due to her lack of fealty. When a mission to a mine Cid owned on Ipsidon went awry, she dismissed the Batch's predicament despite their history of aiding her in times of trouble. Upon reaching safety, no thanks to her, the Batch cut contact with Cid, seeking refuge with pirate Phee Genoa, who Cid had introduced them to. After twenty rotations without a word from them, Scaleback reached out to remind the Batch of their arrangement, and they soon returned to Cid's in a frenzy, seeking sanctuary from Imperial forces hot on their tail. Scaleback, however, sold them out and revealed their location to their assailant, Dr. Royce Hemlock of the Empire's Advanced Science Division, reasoning they had brought too much heat onto her business. Subsequently, she fled Ord Mantell but was later tracked down by an Imperial assassin pursuing a fugitive Omega, CX-2.

Biography

The Republic Era

A native of the world Ord Mantell,^[1] located in the galaxy's Bright Jewel sector in the Mid Rim Territories,^[5] the Trandoshan female^[2] Ciddarin Scaleback^[6] worked as an information broker and smuggler^[3] during the final years of the Galactic Republic, a democratic union that governed much of the galaxy from its governing seat of Coruscant.^[7] Known by most as "Cid,"^[8] the Mantellian^[1] owned and operated an underground parlor,^[8] a cantina and gambling den, in^[2] seedy^[9] Ord Mantell City^[2] wherein she manned the bar, turning away newcomers who either looked troublesome or seemed not to have credits to spend.^[8]

Situated along the Celanon Spur,^[10] Burke's Trailing,^[11] and Entralla hyperspace routes,^[10] Ord Mantell was an ideal location for smuggling, and Cid's parlor sat in the middle of the action.^[12] In the back of the parlor, Scaleback kept an office where she met with clients. Among her amenities and trophies there she had a^[2] collection of helmets^[13] including from Phase II clone trooper armor, a Clone trooper pilot's, and from Mandalorian armor^[2] that one could only imagine how it was she came upon them.^[13] Among the parlor's frequent patrons were the Ithorian Bolo^[14] and his Weequay friend Ketch, who spent their downtime there.^[15] Scaleback also ran her mercenary operation out of there,^[8] having acquired numerous contacts across the galaxy to whom she passed along information.^[2]

Her contacts made her a valuable informant for the Jedi Order,^[3] an ancient religious group of Force-sensitives^[16] who served as guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy.^[17] She had a "good thing" with them, as they valued her insights and trusted her,^[2] and she, in turn, was valuable to them.^[3] The Jedi continued to use Cid's services during the intergalactic Clone Wars,^[2] a conflict between the Republic and its splinter state, the nascent Confederacy of Independent Systems, that took place between 22 BBY and 19 BBY,^[18] visiting her in-person.^[2]

Among Scaleback's contacts was the human female pirate Phee Genoa^[19] who instead claimed to be a "liberator of ancient wonders"^[20] and was the most trustworthy pirate Cid knew.^[19] By 18 BBY,^[21] the two had long since known each other^[22] and Scaleback considered her to be a friend,^[19] though Genoa knew her as someone you wouldn't want to cross.^[22] Another contact was Grini Millegi,^[6] a Dowutin gangster and gambler^[23] who oversaw the Safa Toma Classic riot race on the Safa Toma Speedway,^[6] which was located on Serolonis.^[24] The two became familiar with one another and had a standard side wager for whenever one of their racers competed. However, the two grew apart, and Millegi began to distrust Scaleback since she did not always reciprocate loyalty. They parted ways, and time passed since Scaleback's last visit to Safa Toma.^[6]

Under Imperial rule

Meet the Bad Batch

Dealings with a Hutt

As the Clone Wars came to a quick and tumultuous end, Supreme Chancellor of the Republic Sheev Palpatine ordered the systematic genocide of the Jedi Order, using Order 66 to turn the clones that comprised the Grand Army of the Republic against their Jedi Generals. Palpatine then reorganized the Republic into the first Galactic Empire and declared himself Galactic Emperor.^[25] With the Jedi near-extinct,^[2] demand for Scaleback's services declined. In order to protect herself amidst the new regime,^[2] Cid concealed her past affiliation with the Jedi and turned her attention onto more profitable assignments in the face of the new government.^[3]

Early into the Empire's reign, Scaleback was hired by Bib Fortuna, majordomo of Jabba Desilijic Tiure,^[2] a Hutt gangster who ran one of the galaxy's largest criminal empires.^[5] She was hired to retrieve a young rancor, Muchi, who he had a bounty on. Cid's intel reported that Muchi had been taken into the custody of a group of Zygerrian enslavers operating out of Old Ord Mantell City,^[26] led by Raney.^[2] Meanwhile, the genetically defective Clone Force 99 became fugitives of the Empire after escaping^[27] the planet^[28] Kamino with a young female clone, Omega. The Bad Batch's inhibitor chips had malfunctioned and thus did not execute Order 66, and they subsequently refused to assassinate Saw Gerrera's militants when the Empire tested their loyalty as a result.^[27] While on the lam, the Batch had a run-in with a human female targeting Omega on^[29] the moon^[30] Pantora and,^[29] despite initial plans to lay low, the clones decided to try and uncover the identity of their mysterious assailant.^[2] Batch member CT-1409,^[27] also known as "Echo," suggested they find Cid, who he thought could be of some help. Despite members Wrecker and Tech's reservations about whether they could trust her, they travelled to Ord Mantell, under the false impression of Cid being a male.^[2]

As the Batch arrived, Scaleback worked on one of her slot machines. Hunter, the group's leader, asked Echo if either Bolo or Ketch, who they saw fighting, were Cid, to which Echo admitted that he'd never met Cid and didn't know what she looked like. Hunter then approached Scaleback and, unaware of her identity, asked if she knew who Cid was, which she denied. At Hunter's persistence, she angrily told him he was in the wrong place, adding that he should leave unless he had come to spend money. She then went to the bar and watched as the Batch discussed what to do next, while Omega observed Cid while poking at a holotable. She then approached Scaleback and asserted that she was, in fact, Cid. The Trandoshan wryly remarked that Omega was smarter than her friends, and Omega informed her team via comlink that she'd found Cid.^[2]

Taking the Batch into her office, Scaleback responded to Hunter's comment about how times had changed for everyone by noting that she had never before received clone deserters. Tech tried to explain why they deserted, but Cid cut him off. Uninterested, she asked that they get to the point and tell her what they wanted. Without a word, Echo plugged his scomp into her holoprojector and displayed the hologram they had of the assailant they encountered on Pantora, to Cid's displeasure. Hunter asked if Scaleback knew who she was, and she was quick to identify her as a bounty hunter despite not recognizing her per se. Hunter asked if Cid could find out who hired her, to which she responded that it depended on what they could do for her. At the Batch's confusion, Cid, annoyed, clarified that if they performed a job she needed doing for her, she would get them the information they wanted. Echo expressed concern at being called a "mercenary," to which Cid quipped that Omega appeared to be the brains of the outfit. At Hunter's prompting, she explained that the job was to rescue "a kid" named Muchi—leaving out the fact that Muchi was a rancor—and that they'd split the bounty 70-30 in her favor. Once the Batch agreed, Scaleback tossed Hunter an intel stick that had the details regarding the bounty. As they left, Scaleback warned them not to screw up.^[2]

While the Batch traversed the far side of the planet, infiltrating the Zygerrian stronghold and engaging in combat with the enslavers, Scaleback's sources in the Bounty Hunters' Guild identified the assailant in question as Fennec Shand, an up-and-coming bounty hunter who had gained a reputation for being dangerous and adept. Additionally, she learned Shand was working on a direct commission, though she was unable to find out who hired her.^[2] Shand's commission came from Kaminoan Chief Medical Scientist Nala Se, who wished to protect Omega from the Kaminoan Prime Minister, Lama Su, who aimed to return her to Kamino due to her status as one of two clones that were pure genetic copies of the original Jango Fett template the Kaminoans used^[31] and because her blood yielded a high M-count replication.^[32] Later, while she ate, Cid spoke to Fortuna via hologram,^[2] who informed her his impatient employer wanted to know why Muchi had not yet been returned.^[33] She explained that a mission of such nature required planning and asked Fortuna to assure Jabba that he'd be reunited with Muchi soon. At him threatening her, Scaleback explained that she had her "best people" on the job.^[2]

Shortly thereafter, Fortuna arrived at Cid's parlor, flanked by two Gamorrean guards. Cid quipped about being graced by the presence of "Jabba's right-hand man",^[2] and Fortuna, in turn, informed her that Jabba demands answers on where "his precious Muchi" was.^[33] Scaleback tried easing his concerns by pointing out that she always delivered on her promises, adding that the mission was a delicate one^[2] after he threatened consequences for failure.^[33] Cid asked Fortuna to tell Jabba to be patient, but before he could respond, the two heard a roar from outside. Recognizing it to be Muchi's, Fortuna left to go see her, with Cid in tow.^[2]

Pushing Bib's Gamorrean guards out of her way, Scaleback watched the Twi'lek excitedly greet Muchi, gloating to him that all was well. She then asked about her payment, and Fortuna commanded his Gamorrean guards to hand it to her. Once Fortuna, the Gamorrean guards, and Muchi had left, a satisfied Cid admitted she wasn't sure the Batch was going to be able to complete the job, which prompted Echo to chastise her for failing to mention that they'd be going after a rancor. She wrly said that it must've slipped her mind, then commanded Hunter—whom she referred to as "dark and broody"—to come with her to her office, which he did.^[2]

There, Scaleback displayed a hologram of Shand—this one showing her face—and informed Hunter of her identity but couldn't answer his question as to who had hired her. She added that, with someone like Shand pursuing them, Hunter and his squad mates would need friends and money, especially money. Hunter replied that they lacked both, and Cid replied that it was a good thing then that they'd met. Deactivating the hologram, she handed Hunter his share of payment and pointed out that there was more where that came from should the Batch be looking for work. Hunter replied that he'd think about it, then turned to leave. Scaleback began musing that the Batch must be pretty valuable if someone had hired someone of Shand's caliber to go after them, causing Hunter to pause and turn around with a frown. Cid assured him not to worry as she was good with secrets, prompting Hunter to scowl.^[2]

Employing Clone Force 99

While the Batch loitered in Cid's Parlor, deciding on whether to work for her, Omega practiced shooting with the Zygerrian energy bow^[9] she had acquired during Muchi's rescue^[2] with Echo, while Bolo and Ketch watched and placed bets on her shots. At Omega's repeated failure at aiming accurately on a consistent basis, Wrecker remarked that she wasn't exactly a natural, only for Scaleback to appear, strike him on the shoulder, and declare that "playtime" was over, as she needed to speak with the clones. She shooed Bolo and Ketch away—telling them to scram—before turning back to the Batch, saying rhetorically that she assumed they knew what a tactical droid was.^[9]

At the group's nods, Cid began explaining that tactical droids were the operational brains of the Confederate military, only for Tech to interrupt and start doing the same. Cid, in turn, cut him off—nicknaming him "Goggles"—and asserted that it was her briefing. She then shoved Wrecker aside and displayed a holographic projection of a T-series military strategic analysis and tactics droid, adding that tactical droid intel was of great value. She then told the squad what their mission was: infiltrate a decommissioning facility on Corellia and recover a tactical droid's head before all of them were destroyed. Hunter pointed out that the Batch hadn't yet decided if they were going to work for Cid, only for her to declare that they "were in." At Hunter's hesitation, she framed the partnership as "mutually beneficial" and emphasized that with the heat on them, working together was the squad's best option. Sighing, Hunter agreed, to which Scaleback reiterated that she had already told them they would. She then turned to Omega, telling her that her poor archery was a result of her "weak noodle arms." Cid grabbed Omega's bow and demonstrated three consecutive bullseyes in rapid succession before handing back the bow and declaring "lesson over."^[9]

A "mutually beneficial" arrangement

Heists gone wrong

The mission to the droid decommissioning facility did not go as planned, however; during the infiltration, the Batch encountered another party, sisters Trace and Rafa Martez, after the head. The groups decided to team up to fight the police droids alerted to their presence, and they managed to escape the facility unscathed, though the head was destroyed, but not before the Batch was able to create a data rod containing its intel. Aboard the Silver Angel, the Martez sisters' ship, Omega commented that whoever Cid's buyer was would be unhappy, prompting Hunter to explain to a disgruntled Rafa that Scaleback was paying them to acquire and deliver, not ask questions. Trace, in turn, told him that their contact,^[9] Clone Captain Rex,^[34] needed the tactical droid's intel to fight the Empire and better the lives of others. Before departing aboard the squad's ship, the Marauder, Hunter gave Rafa the data rod, thus returning to Cid empty-handed.^[9]

Not long after,^[34] Roland Durand, son of crime boss Isa Durand and a member of the Durand crime family,^[12] hired Scaleback to retrieve a^[34] zardimallo^[35] from the Rhokai gang, who had previously stolen the lizard. Cid tasked the Batch with the heist, and they successfully stole the lizard—whom Omega named Ruby—and brought her back to Cid's Parlor, where they presented it to the Trandoshan. Peering into Ruby's cage, Scaleback remarked that it was "one strange-looking lizard." Echo asked what her client^[34]—Durand^[12]—wanted it for, to which Cid replied that she neither knew nor cared, with Hunter finishing her train of thought by adding that all she cared about was getting paid. Cid replied that he was catching on, then pointed out that if she got paid, so did they. She asked that the Batch bring Ruby to her office, which Echo obliged.^[34]

There, Scaleback presented Echo, Hunter, and Tech the Batch's payment, only for Hunter to reply that she had earlier told them the job would pay thrice as much. Cid pointed out that she had been talking about her, not the Batch's, cut, to which an incensed Echo asked how this was "mutually beneficial." She replied that, considering the debt they owed her, it was generous of her to let them still breathe. Hunter asked what debt she referred to, and Cid handed him a datapad containing docking fees, port charges, gear, fuel, rations, and 20 cartons of Mantell Mix, the latter of which Omega and Wrecker ate per tradition after their missions and put on Cid's tab. Cid told them that, despite her fondness for the Batch, she wasn't running a charity and that the team needed a big score for them to be square with her, pointing out to Echo that retrieving the tactical droid would have sufficed but they had bungled it. She suggested threateningly that they figure something out before they saw her ugly side, prompting Tech to jokingly ask if what they'd always seen wasn't her ugly side.^[34]

Just then, the four heard blaster fire. Following Echo, Hunter, and Tech, a disgruntled Scaleback asked what was going on and asked the hooded gunman in question who he was, prompting him to reveal himself as Captain Rex. Cid grumbled at having received another clone, telling Rex to not get comfortable as she was done taking in "strays," then shoving Hunter and telling him that her parlor was not a clubhouse for clones. She then left, grumbling along the way to her office about clones believing that they owned the place.^[34]

Rex, alarmed upon hearing that the Batch hadn't yet removed their inhibitor chips—specifically after noticing Wrecker's headaches, which had become more frequent—had the Batch meet him on Bracca shortly thereafter to remove their chips, which they managed to do successfully aboard a Venator-class Star Destroyer that was being scrapped. No sooner had Rex departed than a Scrapper Guild patrol spotted the Batch and notified the Empire,^[34] with word reaching CT-9904, also known as "Crosshair,"^[36] one of the original members of Clone Force 99^[37] who remained loyal to the Empire while the others had deserted.^[27] Per Vice Admiral^[36] Edmon Rampart's^[38] instructions, Crosshair and his Elite Squad Troopers went to Bracca to terminate the Batch, who, meanwhile, were debating on whether or not to leave Bracca. While Echo wanted to leave because of Rex's warnings about the scrapper patrols, Hunter pointed out that the potential haul from the Destroyer's armory and artillery bay could clear their debt to Cid.^[36]

Before long, Crosshair caught up with his former teammates, still aboard the derelict Destroyer. However, the Batch managed to escape by trigging an explosion within the ship's ion engine, leaving Crosshair badly injured. Hunter and Omega—split up from the rest of the Batch—then ran into Duros bounty hunter Cad Bane, who shot Hunter and kidnapped Omega.^[36] Upon discovering Bane's identity, Hunter had Tech check with Cid to see if her contacts knew anything about him. While she knew all about Bane, Scaleback had no knowledge of how to find him, telling the Batch that they were on their own. Despite Cid's lack of leads, Omega escaped Bane on her own and signaled the Batch, who arrived at an abandoned cloning facility on Bora Vio and retrieved her.^[31]

A dossier of rebels

As a result of the Batch's encounters with Shand^[39] on Pantora^[29] and Bane^[39] on Bora Vio,^[31] they decided that they needed to keep a low profile for Omega's sake. Meanwhile, Raxus Secundus,^[39] the former capital of the Confederacy of Independent Systems,^[40] was now under Imperial occupation. When Raxus Senator Avi Singh publicly spoke out against the Empire's acts of intimidation, Captain Bragg had him arrested. Singh's droid, GS-8, put out a call for help, which Scaleback received. The Batch, meanwhile, entered Cid's Parlor, and the Trandoshan informed them about their new mission: a "simple" extraction on Raxus, Singh's. She told them that GS-8 would meet them for a briefing, tossing Hunter a datacard containing the coordinates GS-8 would meet them at.^[39]

Hunter, however, refused to help Singh—a Separatist—tossing the datacard back to Scaleback, who angrily reminded him that the Batch's debt was still not paid and that a job was a job. Taking Cid aside, Hunter asserted that he was not going to bring Omega to a planet swarming with Imperials, to which Cid suggested that he leave Omega with her and that she'd keep an eye on her. Hunter replied that he did not exactly trust her, which Cid complimented. She added, however, that if keeping Omega safe meant more money for her, it would be in her best interests to do so. She then quickly cut Hunter off—calling him "bandana"—and told him to get going. Hunter ordered a reluctant Omega to stay close to Cid and to not leave the parlor. Once the Batch sans Omega left, Scaleback gave the young clone a mission of her own: scrubbing the parlor's counters.^[39]

Omega eventually sat downcast at the bar, scrubbing aimlessly. Cid then approached and told her she was bringing down the mood, to which Omega replied with a sardonic sorry. Scaleback then asked what was wrong, and Omega admitted that she hadn't yet heard back from her teammates. She asked if Cid thought they were all right, to which she responded that they better be for what the job was paying. Omega grumbled that it wasn't fair that she wasn't allowed to go with them, only for Cid to tell her that life wasn't fair, adding that if she didn't like it, she needed to stop pouting and do something about it. She then commented that, if Omega wasn't so helpless, the rest of her team wouldn't have left her. Irritated, Omega marched away from Scaleback, prompting Bolo and Ketch to shake their heads at Cid disapprovingly, to her ire. Omega soon rebuffed that she was not helpless, to which Cid responded that she told Hunter that she'd keep Omega safe. Omega sarcastically asked Cid for how much, and Scaleback, walking away, muttered that it wasn't enough.^[39]

Omega soon returned to scrubbing while Cid played dejarik against Ketch. Bolo, who was watching, commented that Cid was cornered, and Ketch told her that she wasn't getting out of the hole she had dug herself into. Just as Scaleback was about to make her next move, Omega chimed in, saying that she wouldn't do what she was about to do, though the Trandoshan dismissed her advice and made the disadvantageous move. Omega pointed out that she had told her not to, and Scaleback, still dismissive of Omega's expertise, asked her what she should do next. Without saying a word, Omega made her move of choice, blowing the opportunity Ketch had as a result of Cid's blunder and winning Cid the game. Impressed, she asked how Omega knew what to do, to which she replied that she was good at strategy. Conceiving an idea, Scaleback asked if she was good enough at strategy to win a few dejarik matches for money, only for Omega to ask what her cut would be. Cid offered 30 percent, but Omega asked for 60.^[39]

Before long, Omega had won enough games that the money earned paid off the Batch's debt to Scaleback. On Raxus, meanwhile, the Batch successfully extracted Senator Singh from Imperial custody and brought him and GS-8 to Ord Mantell, only to find a cadre of speeders parked outside of Cid's Parlor. Inside, they found Omega, with Cid beside her, in a game of dejarik against a Pantoran, to Hunter's displeasure. Omega swiftly made a move that won her the game, and Scaleback patted her shoulder gleefully. Hunter shot Cid a dirty look from across the parlor, and she announced to her patrons that there'd be no more bets. As the Batch reunited with Omega, Wrecker asked her where she had learned to play dejarik, and Scaleback chimed in and commented that she was a natural and that she'd never seen anything like it. Hunter admonished Omega for not keeping a low profile, but Cid told him to ease up as she'd paid off their debt, telling Hunter to show a little gratitude to her friend. She then led Singh and GS-8 into her office to discuss their payment.^[39]

Shortly thereafter, Gobi Glie,^[41] a member of the Twi'lek Resistance during the Clone Wars,^[42] believing that his friend Cham Syndulla's policy of turning in weaponry would make Ryloth defenseless against the Empire, contacted Scaleback, asking for three dozen blasters and a case of thermal detonators. Cid tasked the Batch with the supply run, who delivered the supplies to Glie on Ryloth's third moon.^[41]

Caught in between gangsters

While the Batch were off-world on a mission Cid sent them on—wherein she failed to mention that the drop zone would be swarming with Gundarks—Durand, trying to make it big in the criminal underground, got involved with the Pykes, one of the most powerful syndicates in the galaxy. Durand took over Cid's Parlor and declared Ord Mantell a part of his territory. With Bolo and Ketch, Scaleback began planning a way to reclaim her business, while the Batch returned from their mission, met Durand, and, as a result, decided to leave Ord Mantell as quickly as possible. Omega, however, implored her teammates to find Cid so they could help her, prompting Cid, waiting for them aboard the Marauder, to clear her throat—alerting the Batch to her presence—and snidely comment that at least one of them cared. She then ordered the Batch inside, wherein she explained the situation.^[12]

At Hunter's hesitant reaction to her insinuation that the Batch would help her reclaim her parlor, Scaleback pointed out that if she lost, they would as well, adding that she had been good with secrets. Tech quickly picked up on the threat, while Omega again implored her teammates to help Cid, pointing out that when they needed help, they went to her. Reluctantly, Hunter asked what Scaleback's plan was, which she explained as they walked across the streets of Ord Mantell City. Per Cid's sources, a buyer—a Pyke syndicate representative—was to meet Durand that night to acquire a shipment of spice the Devaronian was storing inside Cid's office; thus, they were to sabotage the deal by stealing the shipment.^[12]

Turning a corner, she opened a manhole that led into Ord Mantell's old mining tunnels, which she and the Batch climbed down. Once down, Scaleback explained that they'd use the tunnels to sneak into her parlor and steal the spice, which they would transport on carts. Wrecker asked why they didn't simply storm the parlor, to which Cid replied that no one could know they were involved so as to not make enemies with the Pykes. Tech was quick to try and fix the cart's faulty motors, but Scaleback stopped him, reasoning that motors were too loud for the stealth the mission required. The group then hopped aboard the carts—Tech and Omega with Cid—and piloted them using levers. Upon reaching a gate, the convoy stopped.^[12]

Scaleback instructed the Batch to keep quiet once they passed the gate so that they wouldn't wake the hive of irling that resided there, informing them that the caverns had a slight infestation problem. Wrecker boasted that the Batch wasn't afraid of a few bugs, and Cid pointed out that it wouldn't be a problem if no one spoke. Per her instructions, Wrecker opened the gate, and they continued piloting the carts across a suspended track. Despite Scaleback's warnings, Wrecker fumbled his torch, dropping it into the abyss below, to the Trandoshan's displeasure. The group then began hearing screeching, after which Hunter implored them to keep moving, which they did.^[12]

Before long, they reached Cid's Parlor, which they would access from a ladder leading to a storeroom adjacent to Cid's office. Tech asked how they would know that Durand was not actively inside the office, to which Scaleback replied that she had that covered. Ketch, meanwhile, spying on Durand, led Ruby outside the parlor and captured her with Bolo's help, prompting Durand's men to pursue them. Upon seeing Durand's men running in the opposite direction they had, Bolo contacted Cid and told her the coast was clear, after which the Batch entered the storeroom and, in turn, Cid's office. Scaleback was quick to remind them that Durand wouldn't be gone for long. The team found the spice and began carrying the crates into the carts while Echo sealed the door. The Batch managed to escape with the crates mere moments before Durand shot the door open, subsequently finding out he'd been robbed and discovering the tunnels, with Durand's men spotting Cid and the Batch as they left.^[12]

Durand's men seized two carts and gave chase, turning on the motors. As they quickly gained on Cid and the Batch, Hunter and Wrecker began firing at them, prompting Scaleback to remind them that she'd earlier told them not to use their blasters. Though the clones managed to evade Durand's men, Cid pointed out that if they had woken up the hive in the process, they were all dead. Hearing the same screeching noise as before, Omega expressed to Cid her concern. Just then, a swarm of irling ascended towards them, prompting Cid and the Batch to power the engines as a means of escape. Though they were able to repel the insects by using their torches, one of the irling took with it one of the spice crates, and, in their subsequent escape, the Batch dumped the entirety of the spice, despite Scaleback's objections.^[12]

Meanwhile, the Pyke representative arrived on Ord Mantell to collect payment from Durand, now empty-handed. After Bolo and Ketch reported that the Pykes had come for Durand, Cid and the Batch returned to Cid's Parlor, finding the bodies of Durand's men, to Cid's glee. Just then, Durand spotted Scaleback, telling the Pykes who had apprehended him that she was the one they'd want—her having stolen their shipment of spice. The Pyke representative told Cid to return the shipment, and Cid replied that they didn't have any spice, prompting the Pyke to order their immediate execution. Hunter interjected, explaining that while they didn't have the spice on hand, they knew where it was. The Pyke replied that they should have no problem retrieving it, and in the meantime, they would hold Omega as a hostage, prompting the Batch to point their blasters at him and vehemently refuse. Scaleback turned to the Batch and implored them to lower their weapons and convinced them to agree to the Pyke's terms.^[12]

In the ensuing plan to retrieve the spice, Wrecker and Cid were to grappel down into the caverns and locate the crates of spice, Cid reasoning that because she had involved Omega in the ordeal, she was going to be the one to get her out. The team flew the Marauder to a crevasse that led into the caverns. As Scaleback and Wrecker prepped the grappling lines they'd use for their descent, she warned Wrecker not to drop his torch like he had done last time. Once down, Wrecker and Cid set off in opposite directions, and Wrecker quickly found one of the crates. Scaleback went to secure it while Wrecker continued the search.^[12]

As nightfall neared, Wrecker and Cid readied the final crate, with the latter instructing Hunter to pull the two of them up alongside it. However, halfway there, a cart broke loose, falling into the cavern below. As Scaleback predicted, a swarm of irling swarmed the pair, with the two of them contacting Hunter, who signaled to Tech who threw a flash bomb of his making into the cavern, causing a bright explosion that scared the irlings away. Once safe, Cid reassured Wecker that it wasn't so bad.^[12]

That night, they delivered the stolen spice to the Pykes, who thus considered the matter between the two of them solved. However, the Pyke representative had Durand—a separate matter in their eyes—forced onto a crate. As they brought a knife towards him, Omega pleaded that they spare him, with Cid concurring. She pointed out that if they killed him, they'd be starting a war with his mother, Isa Durand—a more formidable opponent than Roland—suggesting they call it a "bad deal" and move on. They responded that they do not accept "bad deals," then chopped off one of Roland's horns, after which they left. Once Durand left, Scaleback invited the Batch to come with her back to her parlor, offering to pay for their first round of drinks. Wrecker commented that she owed them more than that, to which Cid suggested that he not push his luck.^[12]

A matter of time

Shortly thereafter, Cid sent the Batch on a job. Mid-mission, however, the team was contacted by Captain Rex, who had received a distress signal from an old friend, CC-5576-39, also known as "Gregor," who had tried to desert from the Empire on Daro but was captured after planting said distress signal. Unable to rescue Gregor himself, Rex asked if the Batch could do it. Though Tech reminded them that if they deviated from their present course, they wouldn't be compensated, Omega pointed out that saving Gregor was more important than getting paid. The Batch took on Rex's mission, but Hunter was captured by the Empire's agents^[43] and taken to Kamino. In preparation to rescue Hunter, the remaining members of the Batch returned to Ord Mantell, where they left Gregor in Scaleback's care, to her displeasure.^[44]

In the course of the rescue, however, the Empire under Vice Admiral Rampart carried out an atmospheric bombardment^[44] that destroyed Kamino's cities and cloning facilities. The Batch managed to escape the disaster with the help of Crosshair, who subsequently refused to flee with his former squad mates and instead waited to be retrieved by Imperial forces.^[45] In the months that followed Kamino's destruction,^[46] Kaminoan medical droid AZI-345211896246498721347, also known as "AZI-3," began working at Cid's Parlor^[19] after having been brought by the Batch from Kamino,^[45] while the Batch took on small-scale jobs that avoided the Empire's notice.^[19]

A race for Cid

End of the road

Communications cut

Making the best out of a bad situation

Tracked down

Legacy

Personality and traits

Notes and references