This is the second part of an multi-episode arc from the season seven premiere, “The Bad Batch”, this continues with the squad and Captain Rex. They have tracked the droid algothrim that has been predicting their tactics to a transmission by Echo, from the Core World planet Skako Minor. The title is a nod to the trooper’s name, but it seems more appropriate if it were named after the “faint echo” term, defined as a sound returning to a listener. The Distant Echo is the title of a 2003 novel. The theme is “The search for truth begins with belief”, but I think it would “Your friends always need your trust.” We have another gunship coming into the Republic hangar on Anaxes which brings us to Anakin, Captain Rex, and Hunter from the Bad Batch squad. Hunter questions if Echo is behind the droid algothrim and Anakin says that the Jedi Council still has to approve the mission. Captain Rex is ready to start, but Anakin reminds him of “that thing we need to do.”
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STAR WARS: CLONE WARS -- “A Distant Echo” -- Disney/Lucasfilm.
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Hunter leaves for the ship and Anakin takes Captain Rex to stand guard as he enters the barracks. He sets down a holoprojector that projects an image of Padme (Catherine Taber). It is great to have Taber back as a voice and also we get that Anakin and Padme keep in close contact during his missions. Also that Rex is the go between to help them keep their relationship private. This was not apparent in the Clone Wars series. They are both important in their respective duties for the Republic. Rex sees the approach of General Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor) and gives the signal banging on the door. Rex tries to make excuses to Obi-Wan for Anakin. Ewan McGregor’s voice is so distinctive, but Taylor captures it and has really developed the character. Padme tells Anakin all of the trust Rex has shown backing up Anakin should be returned. This makes the relationship, clear from the series, evident to those who only saw the prequel films.
Anakin tosses Rex his helmet and they head off to the mission while Obi-Wan mentions that Anakin should say hi for him to Padme, he knows about the secret. The Bad Batch shuttle has reached Skako Minor with Tech piloting. Wrecker is power lifting a GNK power droid as Rex asks Hunter who is their commanding officer, but that person is unknown. The ship is shaken as Tech reports that it will be a “difficult landing” so everyone straps in. The atmosphere is stormy with yellow clouds and lightning. A dragon-like form passes. Rex tells Anakin that the primitive natives are called Poletecs. The flying repitle, keeradak, is riden by a Poletec and leaps on the cockpit! They scramble out of the ship and see the Poletec rider, he has a long head with a red and white face and flat nose. One of the riders swoops in taking away Anakin who has dropped his lightsaber.
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STAR WARS: CLONE WARS -- “A Distant Echo” -- Disney/Lucasfilm.
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Crosshair fires a grappling line on the keeradak and Hunter lets it take him away. The rider flies through the rocky spires of the planet. Hunter detaches the line and rolls on a spire above the Poletec village. He has Tech follow his signal with the others. Anakin pinned under the keeradak claw is spoken to by the natives who communicate in a distorted language. Rex has joined Hunter with the rest of the squad and reminds them that Anakin has ordered “no casulties.” Hunters orders Wrecker to do their Rockslide tactic, using his strength to roll down a boulder. Crosshair fires a device that electrifies the keeradak so it can release Anakin. The leader (David Acord) with Hunter’s gun pointed at him speaks and Tech translates his words, it sounds like language from the Q*Bert video game character, shown on his visor, very cool, who needs protocol droids?
The natives don’t want war and Rex has Tech translate that they are only looking for their lost soldier. The chief offers to have scouts take them to Tambor City. Wat Tambor (also voiced by Matthew Wood) speaks with Admiral Trench. Tambor who was in Attack of Clones looks like a green alien in a steampunk suit. I should have recognized Skako as his homeworld. Trench warns him about the clones. At the spire above Tambor City, Wrecker reveals that he is unsteady with heights, and Hunter again suspects it’s a trap! Crosshair gets Rex into a fight, but this is broken up by Anakin. The lightning returns in a storm, it seems like the storms are infrequent and not a constant. Tech gets access to a tower with a lift that bothers Wrecker. They have to face D-wing droids that look like walking coat hangers with two blasters, their first appearance, and the group has to uncover the mystery of the algorithim and if it is Echo!
Four Lightsabers out of Five!
#CloneWars, #ADistantEcho, #CatherineTaber, #JamesArnoldTaylor
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