"Metamorphosis" is the eleventh episode of the second season of the animated television series Star Wars: The Bad Batch. It premiered on Disney+ on March 1, 2023.
The Batch finds a mysterious missing vessel.
The derelict vessel
A smoking, deserted Imperial science vessel drops out of hyperspace and drifts sideways through space, clouded by dust and debris. Inside, a clone commando runs along a dim corridor, holding an electrostaff. As he turns into a hall with rotating turbines, he trips on a loose tank and falls. As he gets back onto his feet, his electrostaff flickers before going off. The commando anxiously surveys his surroundings before something grabs him from above. The electrostaff drops to the ground, still switched on.
The captive scientist
Several Rho-class shuttles escort an Imperial transport shuttle toward the Imperial base on Wayland. Flanked by two clone commandos, Scalder steps forward to greet the Doctor Royce Hemlock as he disembarks from the lead shuttle. Dispensing with formalities, the doctor provides brief instructions regarding the arrival of the remaining vessels before continuing into the facility.
Stopping outside a holding cell, Hemlock greets the prisoner within, revealed to be Kaminoan former chief medical scientist Nala Se. Attempting to persuade her of cooperation, Hemlock praises the scientist's achievements, before convincing her that her talents could serve a higher purpose within the Empire. After Nala Se continues to refuse cooperation, Hemlock threatens that he can do far worse to her than simply have her locked up in a cell.
As he leaves Nala Se to ponder this, scientist Emerie Karr approaches him with updates about Transport 904, whom they have lost communication with. Hemlock orders for recovery teams to begin a search, and for the transported asset to be contained. He also enquires about Kaminoans who were taken offworld prior to the destruction of Kamino, and Emerie informs him of one - the former Kaminoan Prime Minister, whom Hemlock requests to be brought before him. Nala Se watches as the Imperials depart.
Elsewhere, the Bad Batch travel on the Marauder through hyperspace. Omega and Wrecker chastise Ciddarin Scaleback for not helping them after they lost their starship during a mission to acquire ipsium. Cid asks them if they want to mope or make money. She tells them that she received a tip on a downed ship and offers to give them 30% of the cut. Tech convinces Cid to raise their share of the cut to 35% for that operation. When the clones show disinterest, Cid raises their cut of the share to 50% as a token of her good will.
She tells them that she will be sending the intelligence and warns them not to return without scavenging something. When Hunter asks why she should expect them to return, Cid warns them not to test her and to get the job done. Tech advises that severing ties with Cid will be complicated since she knows compromising information about them. Tech that they treat this as their last mission for Cid. Hunter explains that Cid only sent them coordinates for the lost ship without any ship transponder code or indication of what caused the ship to crash. Wrecker is surprised that Cid sent them limited intelligence while Omega questions whether scavenging wreckage will be hard.
The Bad Batch follow the coordinates, which take them to a village on a planet. Tech surmises that the crash was reported quickly since it landed near a village. Based on the Marauders sensors, he observes that the crashed vessel appears to be intact and thinks that the cargo should be in a fair condition to transport. The Bad Batch land their ship near a clearing. As they approach the starship, Wrecker and Hunter notice that it has no hull markings. Based on the severe hull damage and the lack of communication signals, Tech believes that the crew perished. Omega disagrees and suggests investigating inside.
The Bad Batch explore the crashed starship but find no sign of the crew. Wrecker discovers a discarded high volt electrostaff. After discovering scratch marks, Hunter surmises that whatever killed the crew wasn't human. Tech says that he will restore the ship's power and check data logs on the bridge. Omega is concerned Tech is going alone but Tech reassures her he will be fine. Tech enters the ship's engine room, which has been damaged during the crash. Using the visual sensors in his helmet, Tech searches for a power cable.
Meanwhile, the other clones continue their search of the starship and stumble upon a laboratory. Omega recognizes the Kaminoan medical technology but observes it is different from those on Tipoca City. Hunter contacts Tech, who is rerouting the reserve power. He manages to reconnect power and searches the engine room. Tech encounters a medical droid who warns him about danger. Tech asks the droid what attacked the starship but the droid runs out of power.
Meanwhile, Wrecker, Hunter, and Omega discover reinforced walls within the laboratory which are lined with slime. Amidst the darkness, the trio encounter a juvenile Zillo Beast. When the creature roars at them, Hunter and Wrecker drive it away with their blasters. The creature flees up the ceiling shafts while the back-up power flows into the laboratory. The Zillo Beast runs past them. Hunter warns Tech via comlink to leave the ship. Tech responds that the ship is a research vessel. Wrecker responds that they know wile Omega surmises that the research subject has escaped. Hunter warns Tech that the creature is headed his way.
The Bad Batch find the Zillo Beast feeding on electricity from power generators. Omega fires her energy bow at the creature. Tech tells the clones to take cover while he shoots the transport's reactor, which blows a hole through its hull. The Zillo Beast escapes the wrecked vessel into a forest that leads to the nearby village. Hunter says that they have to stop the creature before it harms civilians. Wrecker says that their blasters are useless against the creature. Tech thinks that the creature is not hungry since it ate the crew. Omega is startled that the Zillo Beast ate the crew. Hunter tasks Tech with accessing the ship's files to search for information on how to neutralize the creature. Omega volunteers to help due to her familiarity with Kaminoan technology.
Hunter and Wrecker depart aboard the Marauder to hunt down the Zillo Beast. They fire upon the creature with the ship's laser cannons. However, the Zillo Beast eludes them. Meanwhile, Tech and Omega discover that ship's data is highly encrypted. Omega finds information and technology about extracting genetic data from a host. Omega tells Tech that she heard rumors about Kaminoan experiments happening offworld.
Elsewhere, the Zillo Beast begins feeding on a power generator in the village. Back on the starship, Tech and Omega discover that the creature's genetic material was being used for modified armor plating. Tech surmises that the creature is impervious to blaster bolts. He also discovers that the species feeds on energy, which propels its rapid growth. Omega and Tech surmise that the creature grows bigger from feeding on electrical power. Tech informs that the creature was from the same species that attacked Coruscant during the Clone Wars. Tech warns Hunter not to let the creature near a power grid or it will increase exponentially in size. Hunter and Wrecker reach the power grid where they discover that the Zillo Beast has reached gargantuan size.
Shortly later, three Venator-class Star Destroyers, a transport, and several LAAT/i gunships arrive above the planet. Meanwhile, the village's human and alien residents react with fear and panic as the Zillo Beast drains their settlement's power grid. Hunter and Wrecker attempt to shoot down the Zillo Beast but are forced to flee when Imperial gunships arrive. Hunter warns Tech and Omega via comlink that Imperial forces are arriving. Tech says he won't leave until they have finished transferring the data. Omega convinces him to leave. The two escape before gunships obliterate the wrecked cargo transport.
Imperial LAAT gunships battle with the Zillo Beast. They are joined by the transport which fires a sonic boom, which incapacitates that Zillo Beast. The corvette uses a grappling claw to drag the incapacitated Zillo Beast into its cargo hold. Wrecker tells Hunter that the Imperials are taking the Zillo Beast. Hunter decides to retreat in order to avoid capture. An Imperial shuttle lands several Clone Commandos in the village. After shooting down two V-wing starfighters, Hunter and Wrecker evacuate Tech and Omega in the Marauder. They then fly into space, outrunning the Imperial V-wings.
Aboard the Imperial transport, Clone Commandos seal the Zillo Beast inside a large tank which is immersed in a turquoise liquid. Scorch and other Clone commandos round up the villagers aboard their shuttles. After fleeing into hyperspace, Tech informs the other clones that the crashed Imperial vessel was part of an Imperial cloning operation. When Hunter asks if the Emperor cloned the Zillo Beast, Tech explains that Palpatine issued the order when he was still Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic.
When Wrecker asks why the Emperor is interested in the Zillo Beast, Tech explains that the creature's genetic material has the potential to be weaponized in the hands of the right scientist. Hunter asks where they were taking the Zillo Beast but Tech is unable to answer since the ship lacked a destination. Tech theorizes that the Empire did not destroy the cities on Kamino to end cloning but rather to gain control over the technology. Hunter tells the other clones to share this information with Rex and Echo. Omega watches anxiously in the gun pod.
Later, Emerie informs Dr. Hemlock that the Zillo Beast has been recovered and has been secured in Mount Tantiss. She informs Hemlock that Lama Su will be arriving soon. Hemlock speaks with the Clone Commando's commanding officer Scorch and asks if any of the locals saw the Zillo Beast. Scorch responds that the locals have been detained and will be dealt with. He informs Dr. Hemlock that a military-class vessel escaped their assault. Hemlock tasks Scorch with investigating who the vessel belonged to before turning his attention to Lama Su.
Lama Su asks why he has been brought to Wayland. Hemlock explains that he is having trouble securing Nala Se's cooperation. Lama Su responds by telling Hemlock it must be frustrating to have the resources but lacking the expertise to exploit it. He taunts Hemlock that he may end up in a cell like him. Hemlock tells Lama Su that he misunderstands the situation. Lama Su offers to motivate Nala Se in return for his freedom. He tells Hemlock that he must locate a young clone named Omega, whom he describes as the key to controlling Nala Se. Hemlock invites Lama Su for discussions.