What if Anakin and The 501st Took in The Bad Batch

What if Anakin and The 501st Took in The Bad Batch? Let’s explore the depth of it in the video.
Voice Acting & Narration: Steven Waters ⁨@bobablackfly602⁩
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Anakin lingers, watching Clone Force 99. Something unsettles him about letting them walk away. As Hunter signals his men to prepare to leave, Anakin steps forward.
Anakin: “Hold on. You’re just going to vanish back into the shadows after all this?”
Hunter: “That was the deal. We’re a unit. We work where we’re needed. Anaxes was just another job.”
Anakin: “You’re more than that. You proved it. The Separatists didn’t expect you, and that’s exactly why we need you.”
Crosshair: “And here I thought generals didn’t like soldiers who break rules.”
Anakin: “Maybe most generals. Not me. The Republic needs both discipline and… unpredictability. You bring what the 501st can’t. And Echo…he’s proof you belong here.”
Rex: “Sir, with respect, they’re not standard. They don’t take orders the way the men are used to.”
Wrecker: “That’s the point! We don’t march in straight lines. We win.”
Hunter: “General Skywalker, your captain’s right. We don’t fit in with the regs. They follow chain of command. We improvise. That clash will break missions before it saves them.”
Anakin: “Then we don’t make you follow the same rules. Stay independent, but attached. Officially part of the 501st, but operating on your own terms. I’ll see to it personally.”
Tech: “That arrangement is… unconventional. Likely unpopular.”
Anakin: “So is everything I do. And it works.”
Obi-Wan: “Anakin, you’re bending protocol again. What makes you so sure they won’t undermine order in the ranks?”
Anakin: “Because they’ve already proven they can save lives. And because Echo is one of us. Where he goes matters. If he stays with them, the least we can do is make sure it counts for the Republic.”
Echo: “I don’t know where I belong anymore. But I know I can’t go back to the 501st as I was. I’m different now. They… understand that.”
Rex: “You’re still one of us, Echo.”
Echo: “Not the way I was. You know it.”
Mace: “Skywalker, if you attach this unit, you’ll answer for the consequences. You’ve already tested the Council’s patience.”
Anakin: “Then hold me responsible. I’ll stake my command on it.”
Obi-Wan: “You’re serious.”
Anakin: “Always.”
Obi-Wan: “If it gives Echo purpose, perhaps it’s worth the risk. But it must be clear: Rex commands. They cannot be free agents without oversight.”
Hunter: “We don’t take orders blindly. Not even from a captain.”
Rex: “Then this won’t work.”
Mace: “Adaptation is the only reason the Republic still stands. Perhaps this squad represents that principle. Skywalker may be reckless, but he’s not wrong. Clone Force 99 has value.”
Hunter: “So this isn’t just a request. It’s an order.”
Anakin: “No. Not an order. A choice. You’ll still operate as yourselves. Independent, unconventional, unpredictable. Just with us when the mission calls for it. You answer to Rex, but I’ll make sure command respects what makes you different.”
Wrecker: “So we get to break stuff… and it’s official?”
Tech: “Inaccurate phrasing, but technically correct.”
Crosshair: “Until the first time they decide we’re a liability.”
Hunter: “We’re not regs. We never will be. But if this is the only way Echo keeps fighting where he belongs… then we’ll try it. On our terms.”
Rex: “Then we’ll make it work. I don’t like it, but Echo’s one of ours. And if you’ve got his back, I’ve got yours.”
Hunter: “That’s as close to a welcome as I can expect I suppose.”
Rex takes it firmly. Later, as the 501st regroups, the first test of the alliance comes in a planning session. Regular clones line up with precision, waiting for orders. Clone Force 99 stands casually at the back, restless.
Trooper: “They’re undisciplined. This’ll never work.”
Crosshair: “Discipline’s overrated. Survival’s better.”
Rex: “Quiet. General Skywalker’s Orders stand. They’re with us.”
Anakin observes from the side, satisfied. He knows it will take time, but the first step is made. Obi-Wan watches too, still doubtful, but willing to see if Anakin’s gamble pays off. Mace departs without further comment, but the fact that he didn’t object further is telling.
Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Rex watch Clone Force 99 moving among the regulars, still outsiders but now tethered to a larger family. Anakin’s gamble binds two philosophies together, order and chaos, discipline and instinct, on the edge of a war that grows darker every day.


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