#the bad batch the harbinger

[kopykunoichi]

Refresher for the people still confused about this...

In a galaxy far, far away, EVERYONE has midi-chlorians in their blood. The Force resides in all living things. It binds the whole galaxy together. Midi-chlorians are what allow beings to commune with the Force. The more midi-chlorians you have, the more potential you have to RESPOND TO and WIELD the Force. But notice that Asajj couches her statement with the line that those with a higher m-count were "believed" to be more capable of wielding the Force. There's a correlation, but it's not necessarily the only factor (see Sabine Wren).

This is the moment where the clones literally become stand-ins for the fans.

"What? If you can use the Force, you're a Jedi!"

No. If you can use the Force, you can use the Force. To use it as a Jedi uses it, you have to train as a Jedi. To use it as a Sith uses it, you have to train as a Sith. To use it like a Nightsister, you have to train as a Nightsister. Or you can get some rudimentary instruction and decide how you want to use it.

Jango Fett didn't have a high m-count, so his clones didn't either. But Omega and the rest of the Batch were special cases. As Cut said, the Kaminoans create with a purpose. Their deviations were intentional. Hunters abilities have always suggested he had a higher m-count than the others. But Omega's ability to perceive things before they happen (her bad feelings are nearly always spot on) and her affinity with animals have always been hints that her m-count is a little higher.

(Will update with screen grabs when I get them)

At the end of the episode, Omega asks Ventress if she has a high m-count.

Ventress: *looking at her nails* From what I've seen...no.

Omega: Then why is the Empire after me?

Ventress: Believe it or not, I don't know everything. But seeing as how a high m-count would make you a target, consider yourself lucky.

Omega: But I'm already a target.

Wrecker: Don't worry about it, kid. We'll figure it out. C'mon, let's get some chow.

Omega: *sigh* Thanks for trying.

Once they're out of earshot...

Crosshair: You're lying.

Ventress: About which part?

Hunter: You tell us.

Ventress: If Omega did have that potential, she'd have to be trained. Which would mean leaving you behind.

Hunter: That's not happening.

Ventress: What you want is irrelevant. The fact is, the Empire is after her, and they won't stop. If I were you, I'd leave this place. You're not as safe as you think you are. Our business is done.

Crosshair: I still can't figure out which side you're on.

Ventress: My own.

Okay, so Ventress is clearly not telling the truth about the m-count, which we know, because we've already seen Omega's charts. I really don't understand why people keep taking Ventress at her word here. We know better, and so do Crosshair and Hunter. My guess is that she's trying to protect Omega because she knows firsthand what it's like to be taken from your family and trained as a young girl.

We know that when Omega was at Tantiss, she was receiving transfusions of blood with midi-chlorians the same as all the other clones (harvested from the dead Jedi they're undoubtedly holding in the vault). They were taking her blood samples, but Nala Se kept throwing them away because she knew Omega would retain the higher midi-chlorian levels and she didn't want Hemlock to know that. The Emperor needs a clone that will maintain a high m-count so he can eventually get himself a new body. We know he does get that body, but not for decades - presumably because a) he never gets Omega, and b) the Batch is gonna take the fight to them at Tantiss and blow up their entire supply of midi-chlorian donors. Think about it - they're still working on Project Necromancer in The Mandalorian (24 years after The Bad Batch), but their resources are severely limited. The Empire has been all but wiped out, the Emperor is hiding out on Exegol, Dr. Pershing is clearly no Hemlock since he keeps killing his test subjects, and Grogu seems to be the only m-count donor they can get their hands on. The Emperor's cloned body is also deteriorating rapidly in TRoS, which suggests that even 25 years after The Mandalorian, he STILL hasn't figured out the right formula for cloning himself (which is good news for Grogu and Omega).

Which brings us back to the question, "Is Omega Force sensitive?"

The answer is, "yes", she is sensitive to the Force due to her elevated m-count. We've seen this all along. Hunter most likely is, too, and maybe some of the other Bad Batchers, to varying degrees. Tech could riot race, which takes incredible reflexes. Hemlock said that Crosshair didn't have a high m-count, and we don't know where Wrecker's abilities stem from. Omega can't wield the Force because she is untrained, but the potential is there. A person's aptitude to wield the Force seems to be strongly correlated to their m-count, but we've seen others with low aptitude eventually open the door to the Force with years of training and a decent dose of impending doom (we see this clearly with Sabine in Ahsoka, but it was also a topic in Legends).

Omega being Force sensitive doesn't mean that she has to leave her brothers. She can choose to pursue her training or not. She'd also have to find someone willing to train her. I'm not convinced Ventress is looking to take on any apprentices at the moment, but she could possibly connect Omega to Quinlan Voss (imagine the trouble those two would get up to).

But I don't think Omega will choose that path. One, it would just make her a bigger target. Two, I don't see her prioritizing power over family. She's a clone, and clones are ALL about family. They're Mando coded, not Jedi coded. Screw the space Buddhist lifestyle - clones parade their attachments around like trophies. Omega goes around collecting attachments like most kids collect rocks..."Hello, stranger trying to kill me, let's be besties."

#the bad batch #the bad batch spoilers #tbb spoilers #tbb omega #tbb hunter #tbb wrecker #tbb echo #tbb tech #asajj ventress #quinlan voss #nala se #tbb crosshair #the bad batch season 3 #the bad batch the harbinger #to be clear...i didn’t really want Omega to be force sensitive #but this is definitely the story they are telling #i just really don't want her to become trained in the force and i don't yet believe *that* is the story they are telling for her

[oldenoughbynow]

BAD BATCH AND DARK DISCIPLE SPOILERS (kind of)

Okay I NEED to know what happened after Dark Disciple.

That "I've got a few lives left" line? WHAT HAPPENED VENTRESS?? WHY ARE YOU HERE???

Also we KNOW Quinlan Vos survived Order 66 from Kenobi. GIVE ME VENTRESS AND VOS TOGETHER ON-SCREEN DISNEY.

#the bad batch #the bad batch spoilers #asajj ventress #quinlan vos #dark disciple #the bad batch the harbinger #vostress

[chewbaccawithouthan]

TBB S3, Ep: 9. Harbinger Spoilers!

~

~

Okay Good, so we’re all in agreement that Crosshair and Ventress’s ship name is “Crossajj” okay? Okay.

#Y’know crossajj like the flower things you wear to prom #the bad batch #star wars #the bad batch spoilers #hey if you don’t have anything nice to say DONT SAY IT AT ALL AND LET OTHERS BE HAPPY #the bad batch the harbinger #the harbinger #tbb season 3 #tbb spoilers #crosshair #asajj ventress #omega #tbb crosshair #tbb ventress

[azertyrobaz]

I never gave up on you, did I?

#the bad batch #tbb #the bad batch spoilers #tbb spoilers #tbb season 3 #star wars #omega #crosshair #clone force 99 #the harbinger #my edits

[jedimemery]

The space between Hunter and Crosshair that a certain spectacled soldier with an exceptional mind would’ve been filling oh help me I’m unwell.

#star wars #the bad batch #tbb #clone force 99 #bad batch #tbb hunter #tbb crosshair #tbb wrecker #tbb spoilers #the bad batch spoilers #tbb tech #I miss tech so much you don’t even understand #this image makes me want to cry #sob even #the harbinger

[lightwise]

“When have we ever followed orders”

“We’re not big on following orders”

Gif by @probadbatch

#the bad batch #tbb #star wars #tbb spoilers #the bad batch spoilers #plan 99 #the harbinger #assaj ventress #crosshair #tech #Hunter #wrecker

[adh-d2]

#the bad batch #sw tbb #the bad batch spoilers #tbb spoilers #the bad batch season 3 #tbb season 3 #the bad batch season 3 spoilers #tbb season 3 spoilers #tbb omega #tbb tech #asajj ventress #tbb s3e9 #The Harbinger #tbb s2e4 #Faster #ADH-D2's Patented Bullshit

[ladyzirkonia]

Assaj Ventress and the Force

The Bad Batch 3.09 - The Harbinger

#tbb spoiler #tbb spoilers #the bad batch #the bad batch season 3 #the harbinger #assaj ventress #tbb assaj ventress #star wars #zirkonias edits

[vaedis]

Dark Disciple & Bad Batch S3E9 SPOILERS

why i think Asajj Ventress lied to Omega & the Bad Batch

so in Dark Disciple, ex-sith Asajj Ventress and jedi Quinlan Vos fall in love. Ventress eventually becomes torn by Vos, because she recognizes that jedi cannot form attachments like this, and Vos is throwing away everything he’s ever known for her.

secondly, she wants to leave everything behind with him. she ends up recognizing the cruciality of love and what it means to be loved and found. she was alone and betrayed for so long (by family, mentors, and people she was meant to trust) and when she finally found peace and partnership in Vos; that changed her forever. in the end, Ventress turned to the light.

i think that in the end of TBB episode 9, she lies to Omega because Ventress recognizes the Bad Batch’s love for her. they protect her and care for her, and Ventress sees that.

Omega has what Ventress never had; and i believe that part of Ventress wants to preserve that for Omega.

Ventress told Hunter that Omega would have to leave them behind in order to become a jedi, in which Hunter responds, “not happening.”

Ventress sees how the Bad Batch support, protect, and love Omega. they keep each other safe. if Ventress was changed by Vos’s love, and recognized the love between the Bad Batch, i believe that Ventress would lie to their faces to keep them together. to allow them to live the life that she never had.

#the bad batch #tbb #tbb hunter #tbb omega #tbb wrecker #hunter and omega #tbb echo #tbb tech #crosshair #the bad batch season 3 #crosshair and omega #asajj ventress #ventress and quinlan vos #quinlan vos #the harbinger #pabu #tbb spoilers #bad batch season 3 spoiler

[archivistofnerddom]

I was half-expecting the Aasajj and Crosshair would be snarky best friends by the end of the episode. They share a certain kind of energy.

#star wars #the bad batch #tbb crosshair #asajj ventress #the bad bad spoilers #the bad batch season 3 #the harbinger #tbb 3x09

[sadiecoocoo]

Wait a minute… who’s the youngest in the bad batch? I mean it’s technically not omega…

I always thought it was wrecker cuz I mean… look at him.

But now I see a bunch of people saying it’s crosshair and I think it’s so funny because it makes a lot of sense but also why does he look the oldest then 😭

#the bad batch #tbb #tbb crosshair #sw tbb #tbb season 3 #tbb wrecker #tbb omega #even if it’s not true I want to headcannon wrecker being the youngest #look at that harbinger of chaos and tell me he isn’t the youngest child

[ibeaperson]

Omega and Ventress Theory

My theory is that Asajj was using her fight with Hunter, Wrecker, and Crosshair--not the task of retrieving the blossom in her second test--in an attempt to get Omega to unlock her Force sensitivity.

Let's put this into perspective.

Fennec tells Ventress about Omega and company. Ventress finds them on Pabu, likely already expecting to find a Force-sensitive individual considering they are asking about M-Count. This is then somewhat confirmed given the Batch's reactions to her asking why they want this information (and Omega literally asking "You're saying I'm a Jedi?"). This also may be why she's more willing to tell them about the relationship between M-Count and Force sensitivity.

Ventress probably already knew who the Bad Batch were considering they all fought in the war and the Batch's success rate. It's also entirely plausible that Fennec told her about them as well.

Then, Omega wants to be tested for Force sensitivity, and for whatever reason, Asajj agrees. (Side note: No one can't tell me Omega doesn't remind Asajj of Ahsoka. I think this may have influenced why Asajj agreed to test Omega. Perhaps she wanted to help Omega in the way she tried to help Ahsoka when Ahsoka was being framed for the Temple bombing. There's also speculation that Asajj is working with Quinlan by this point to protect other Force-sensitive people and this is part of that overarching goal).

So, the testing starts and Asajj hears the Batch realize who she is. She knows that she's going to have to deal with them anyway given their proximity to Omega.

Omega fails the first test. Asajj switches tack.

We already know a pretty surefire way of getting someone's latent Force-sensitivity to show up is to put them in a high-stress environment or in a situation where they/their loved ones are threatened (We have seen this as the way Asajj unlocked her ability to use the Force). So, Asajj gets Omega already high-stressed with retrieving the blossom from the weeping maya tree before the sun sets (far distance, time crunch, task of reasonable difficulty).

Omega leaves. Asajj and the Batch are alone. I think Asajj may have intentionally drawn the fight out in order to make sure Omega would see it, maybe keeping tabs on Omega's whereabouts via the Force. At the same time, this creates a lot of tension in the Force, which perhaps Omega could pick up on and use to feed her Force-sensitivity.

Then, Omega gets back. She sees one of her brothers being choked with the Force and the other at lightsaber-point. And the first thing Omega does when she tells everyone to stop is to push her hand out in a very Force-push-like way.

But, this failed.

Okay, theory over. What do y'all think?

#bad batch #bad batch season 3 #tbb omega #tbb hunter #tbb wrecker #asajj ventress #tbb the harbinger #force sensitive omega #clone force 99

[spockvarietyhour]

#Star Wars The Bad Batch #SWTBB #TBB #The Harbinger #Asajj Ventress #Omega #Omega TBB #spoilers #Danny watches Star Wars The Bad Batch

[azertyrobaz]

You're an odd little clone.

#the bad batch #tbb #the bad batch spoilers #tbb spoilers #tbb season 3 #star wars #asajj ventress #omega #the harbinger #my edits

[calicos-clones]

Ventress: does literally anything in the new tbb episode

Me, distraught and in love:

#asajj ventress #the bad batch #tbb #clone wars #babygirl crosshair got out emo-d #star wars tbb #the harbinger #tbb crosshair #cw #bad batch season 3 #bad batch memes #clone wars memes #tbb omega #tbb hunter #tbb asaj ventress

[lightwise]

I Am Many Things

But I am not your enemy.

Something something about a yellow lightsaber, and what it means.

Something something about Ventress being both a sentinel and a harbinger. A warning and a guiding light. A bearer of bad news and a steadfast beacon.

Something about "We're not the same." "No? We were all pawns in the same war. And we lost." About the ownership of her fate, and her part in it, and the things she never chose and can't change now. About the calm and purpose she exudes. About the wisdom she's gained through endless hardship and reflection. Biting realism without hopelessness.

Something about taking the light and the dark, that was always in her, that was forced upon her, that took her so long to fully own and yield as anything more than a weapon, and using it to commune with the depths of the sea and turn destruction into surrender, danger into peace.

Something about characters who stand in the middle, who bridge the gap, who see beauty in places that others see only terror. Who stand for themselves but by doing so light a path for others to follow.

Something something about character growth. About balance. About duality. Wisdom. Knowledge. Protection. Purpose.

Something about a yellow lightsaber, and what it means.

#the bad batch #tbb #asajj ventress #ventress #character analysis #lightsaber #yellow lightsaber #sentinel #harbinger #tbb spoilers #the bad batch spoilers #tbb season 3 #the bad batch season 3