Carnage of Krell

"With two soldiers under his command facing execution for defying directives, Captain Rex is compelled to confront General Krell, his excessively aggressive commanding officer. Risking accusations of mutiny, Rex must make a difficult decision as the true nature of the enemy is revealed."

In his command tower, Captain Rex engages in a discussion with Krell, requesting that he reconsider the court martial of Fives and Jesse. Krell, however, remains steadfast in his refusal, arguing that the insubordination of the two "traitors" will encourage others to defy his authority. Further displaying his profound lack of regard for the troopers, Krell asserts that time is of the essence and instructs Rex to immediately arrange for their execution.

Rex proceeds to the brig to retrieve Fives and Jesse, informing them of their impending fate, news which they receive with considerable distress. Rex feels powerless to intervene, yet he assures the prisoners that Krell's injustice will not go unpunished. Fives, seemingly resigned to their situation, tells Rex that they were aware they would face consequences for their actions, a sentiment that Jesse does not share.

Fives and Jesse are escorted outside and positioned before a firing squad led by Dogma, who stands alone in his lack of unease at the prospect of executing his fellow clones. As the squad takes aim, Fives suddenly addresses his brothers, emphasizing that they are not mindless droids but rather sentient and intelligent beings. Fives contends that the clones are individuals who not only follow orders and serve with loyalty but also must be trusted to exercise their own judgment when orders are demonstrably wrong. Ignoring Fives' plea, Dogma commands the firing squad to open fire, but the clones deliberately miss their targets. Despite Dogma's fervent appeals to carry out the order, he finds no support either among the firing squad or from Rex, who simply retorts, "Good luck finding anyone to do it," and orders the release of Fives and Jesse.

Following the unsuccessful execution, General Krell summons Rex and Dogma to the tower, accusing the former of committing a grave error by opposing him. Before Rex and Krell can engage in a physical confrontation, the tower receives a transmission from a clone scout, reporting that the Umbarans are preparing another offensive, potentially utilizing clone armor and weaponry seized from a platoon. Krell decides to launch a pre-emptive strike. As the troops advance, they are ambushed by what they believe to be the enemy in disguise.

Rex ventures into enemy territory to examine the body of one of the supposedly "disguised" Umbarans, only to discover, to his utter shock, that the soldier is a clone trooper from the 212th Attack Battalion. Realizing that they have been deceived, Rex sprints across the battlefield, desperately urging his men to remove their helmets and reveal their true identities to their misled comrades. The fighting gradually ceases, but both sides have already suffered significant losses, including the leader of the 212th platoon, Waxer. Waxer informs Rex that General Krell issued the same orders to his men as he did to Rex, falsely claiming that the enemy was wearing clone armor, before he dies from his injuries.

Deeply disturbed and bewildered, the troopers of the 501st Legion and the 212th unite under Rex's command. Despite the potentially treasonous nature of the act, Rex directs the volunteers to seize and arrest Krell for betraying the Republic. They return to the airbase, free Jesse and Fives, and confront Krell in the command tower. Unfazed, Krell nonchalantly admits to inciting the clones to fight against each other before launching an attack, killing several clones in a fierce close-quarters battle before shattering the tower windows and escaping into the jungle.

As Rex's men initiate the pursuit, Dogma, who had previously deserted the group, intercepts them, holding them at gunpoint and accusing them of treason. In a tense standoff, Rex argues that despite their genetic engineering, the clones are not droids and must exercise their own judgment. After a final warning from Tup, Dogma is apprehended, and Rex resumes leading his men in pursuit of General Krell.

While the clones scour the jungles, Krell ambushes his pursuers. Tup is thrown aside during the chaos and lands near a native vixus. He prompts Rex to lure the traitorous Jedi toward the carnivorous plant, resulting in Krell being subdued by the monster and stunned by Tup. In the brig, Krell confesses to Rex's interrogation that, having foreseen the rise of a new order in the galaxy and seeking personal gain, he has forsaken his Jedi principles in favor of a selfish ideology. He also reveals his intention to sabotage the Republic's war efforts by divulging critical information to the Umbarans, with the ultimate goal of being recognized by Count Dooku and becoming his new apprentice. Dogma turns against Krell and denounces him as a traitor, but an unrepentant Krell retorts that he merely exploited Dogma's unwavering loyalty.

Upon leaving the prison, Rex and his squad are informed by Appo that Krell has tampered with the airbase's communications and had been disseminating false information: Obi-Wan Kenobi's forces have already captured the capital, but the remaining Umbarans are now advancing to attack the airbase. Fearing that they may be unable to defend the airbase, potentially allowing Krell to escape and use his knowledge of the Republic against them, Rex and his men conclude that the renegade Jedi poses too great a threat to be left alive. Returning to the prison, Fives releases Dogma, and Rex prepares to execute Krell. Krell taunts the captain, confidently asserting that Rex is incapable of delivering the killing blow. Rex hesitates, prompting further mockery from Krell. However, the Besalisk is abruptly silenced by a shot in the back, fired by Dogma using a pistol taken from Fives' holster. Dogma then justifies his actions, expressing his anger at being manipulated into killing his brothers.

As the clones regroup at the airbase, Fives informs Rex that Obi-Wan's forces have defeated the remaining Umbarans and secured all sectors, effectively ending the invasion. Dogma is taken into custody, receiving a nod of approval from Rex for his actions. As Fives and Rex observe the wounded receiving medical attention, Rex questions the purpose of the war. Fives attempts to reassure Rex by suggesting that the war will eventually end, to which Rex responds by questioning what will become of the clones when it does.

The "Launch Pad" article in Star Wars Insider 129 initially mentioned this episode, mistakenly referring to it as "Carnage of Krall." A subsequent update to the "Events" section of StarWars.com clarified that the correct title of the episode was "Carnage of Krell."

Fives' kama disappears on two occasions: first, as he begins to rise when Rex releases him and Jesse from the brig, and later, as Rex begins to interrogate the imprisoned Krell.

After the troopers attempt to arrest Krell, he leaps out of the window with his blue lightsaber in his right hand, but upon landing, the green lightsaber is inexplicably in his right hand instead. When Tup fires at Krell, he fires two shots, yet Krell deflects three shots originating from Tup's direction.

When Rex and his men march to the tower, Rex occupies the central position typically held by Anakin. As the clones prepare to arrest Krell, he utters the phrase "it's treason, then" and initiates his rampage. These scenes mirror the events in Revenge of the Sith when the clones advance on the Jedi Temple and when Mace Windu attempts to apprehend Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, who is revealed to be the Sith Lord Darth Sidious.

Chris Glenn created a comprehensive Umbara alphabet specifically for this episode.

The director's cut of the episode was included in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season Four DVD collection.