The eleventh episode of the animated web television show Star Wars: The Bad Batch is entitled "Devil's Deal". This episode became available on July 9, 2021.
A square in Lessu, the capital city on the planet of Ryloth, is filled with an anxious crowd. Crosshair observes them and identifies Gobi Glie, along with another of his freedom fighters, informing Vice Admiral Rampart about their arrival. A member of the crowd inquires about the location of Senator Orn Free Taa. From the balcony above, Admiral Rampart voices the Galactic Empire's dissatisfaction with the Twi'leks' negative response to the Imperial presence, despite the establishment of an Imperial doonium refinery intended to create jobs for the populace. Senator Orn Free Taa asserts that the Twi'leks have embraced the partnership, seeking confirmation from Eleni Syndulla, who affirms her support for anything beneficial to Ryloth.
Senator Taa then directs his question to General Cham Syndulla, inquiring if he shares his wife's viewpoint. Cham acknowledges the need for peace following years of conflict, to which Senator Taa responds by stating that peace has brought prosperity, highlighting a new era for Ryloth. Clone Captain Howzer asks General Syndulla if everything is alright. Cham responds that while he should be relieved that the war is over, he acknowledges that change is difficult. He expresses his hope that his people will embrace this change in the pursuit of peace. Howzer reassures him that Ryloth is safe, affirming that this is what they fought for.
Addressing the Twi'lek crowd, Senator Taa declares that the new Imperial refinery will restore stability and growth to Ryloth. He encourages all Twi'leks to relinquish their military positions and enjoy the freedom they have earned. As Senator Taa explains that the Empire has offered its clone army for their protection, the crowd begins to murmur in discontent. A blue-skinned Twi'lek woman calls out, demanding General Syndulla's presence, which causes concern among the Imperials and Senator Taa. Prompted by the crowd, Cham steps forward to speak, acknowledging their unease. He emphasizes that their strength as a people has always been their unity in defending Ryloth. He reminds them that during the Clone Wars, when the Galactic Republic faced defeat, they stood alone. Cham recounts how the Grand Army of the Republic came to their aid in their time of need, with Howzer standing beside him as Cham declares that they owe their survival to the clone army. He emphasizes their shared struggles with the Twi'leks, expressing his unwavering trust in the clones. With the war concluded, he urges them to lay down their arms and focus on Ryloth's future. The crowd responds with cheers and begins to disperse, while Senator Taa departs. Admiral Rampart speaks with Eleni, expressing regret over the absence of her daughter, Hera Syndulla, to which she responds that her daughter has other interests, looking uncomfortably towards the horizon.
Elsewhere on Ryloth, Hera Syndulla and her astromech droid Chopper are observing the Imperial refinery, located in a restricted area. Hera informs her droid that she overheard her father mentioning that this is only the first location. When Chopper responds in binary, she reminds him that they are under orders from Glie to stay and gather intelligence. Hera reclines on the rocks, watching the birds and dreaming of flying, but they are soon discovered by two clone troopers, prompting Hera to scold Chopper.
Later, at the Syndulla residence, Twi'leks are surrendering their weapons to clone troopers. From a balcony, Glie expresses his unease to Eleni about the clones defending Ryloth, to which Eleni explains that Cham understands the people's weariness of fighting and their inability to continue as before. Glie disagrees, arguing that surrendering their weapons has left them vulnerable, which he cannot accept. He reveals that he has already contacted his source for additional weapons. Moments later, Captain Howzer returns Hera and Chopper to the compound. Eleni inquires about what happened, and Howzer informs Cham that Hera and Chopper were found in a restricted zone. Hera tells her stern-looking father that they were simply exploring. Speaking to Cham, Howzer agrees to not report the incident as long as it does not happen again, and Cham assures him that it will not.
After the clone troopers depart, Cham questions Hera about her activities, and Hera repeats her earlier explanation. When he demands the truth, Glie admits that he sent her. Eleni sends Hera and Chopper inside while Glie and Cham confer. While walking with her mother, Hera complains about the unfairness of the situation, insisting that she and Chopper did nothing wrong. Eleni reminds her that the Imperial refinery is off-limits, to which Hera responds that she never mentioned being at the refinery. Smiling, Eleni reveals that she has her own methods of obtaining information, asking Hera to describe what she saw.
Cham becomes furious with Glie for involving his daughter in espionage, but Gobi disagrees, suggesting that the Empire is concealing something. Cham insists that he does not want his daughter involved in a sensitive situation. Glie reminds him that the clones were supposed to leave Ryloth after the Clone Wars ended, refusing to stand by as more arrive each day. Cham reminds him that they had agreed to disband when the time came, questioning the purpose of fighting if they cannot accept peace. Glie warns Cham that the Imperials are planning something that his friend is unwilling to acknowledge.
Later, Glie and Serin are preparing to leave for a supply run on a freighter. Hera arrives, explaining that she cannot go because her father disapproves of her spying. After Glie mentions that he was going to let her fly, Hera changes her mind and instructs Chopper to cover for her. Chopper beeps in protest before moving away. Unbeknownst to the Twi'leks, Crosshair is watching them. He attaches a homing beacon to their ship and informs his superiors via comlink that Glie's ship is tagged, but he is not alone.
Hera pilots Glie's ship into space, showcasing her flying abilities, which impresses Glie. However, he has Serin take over for landing, as he believes she is not yet skilled enough for such a task. Serin lands the ship on a small plain on Ryloth's third moon, a rocky planetoid. Shortly after, the Marauder lands on the moon. The Bad Batch, consisting of Hunter, Wrecker, Echo, and Tech, exit the ship with a box of weapons, followed by Omega, who watches from the gangplank. Hunter informs Glie that they were sent by Ciddarin Scaleback, and Tech adds that they have brought a shipment of three dozen blasters and a case of thermal detonators. Glie requests to inspect them, and Wrecker presents him with the crate.
Meanwhile, Hera approaches the Marauder, showing interest in the Omicron-class attack shuttle. Hera asks Omega for a tour of the ship, and with Hunter's permission, Omega agrees. Aboard the ship, she shows Hera the sensor array, deflector shield, navigation readout, and the hyperdrive. Hera asks Omega if she knows how to fly, and Omega explains that Tech will not allow her to fly until she can recite all of the ship's specifications from memory. Hera remarks that the specifications are only half of it, explaining that flying is about a feeling. When Omega asks what she means, Hera explains that she can close her eyes and imagine herself flying, believing that the instruments are a guide but she can plot the course with freedom. When asked if she was a pilot, Hera replies that she isn't yet, but hopefully one day, she will be. Omega then shows Hera her bunk in the gunner's mount, which she describes as her favorite part of the ship, as it doubles as her bedroom when they are not being chased. Hera is amazed that Omega gets to live on her ship, but she is concerned at the thought of the Batch being chased, asking if they are in some kind of trouble. Omega replies that she thought Hera was the one in trouble.
Outside, Glie and Serin are satisfied with the weapons, and they instruct the Batch to request more weapons from Cid. Hunter warns them that building an arsenal will attract attention, hoping the Twi'leks understand the battle they are choosing, but Glie replies that they have no choice. Glie and Serin board their ship with the weapons, and Hera joins them, thanking Omega for the tour of the Marauder. When Hunter asks Omega about her new friend, she replies that although Hera is strange, she likes her. Omega recalls that Hera likened flying to a feeling, leaving Tech perplexed, and the Batch returns to their ship as Glie's freighter departs.
Glie and the Twi'leks make their way back to Ryloth, navigating through a canyon. Inside the cockpit, Hera requests Glie to teach her how to handle takeoffs and landings, and he comments on her persistence. Serin reports that their sensors have detected an Imperial ship. Crosshair fires upon one of their ship's engines, causing it to crash at the base of the canyon, and Crosshair orders his troops to move in.
An Imperial LAAT/i gunship lands near Glie's ship, deploying several clone troopers, who promptly take the Twi'leks into custody. Shortly after, Vice Admiral Rampart arrives with Senator Taa, and Crosshair informs them that the three Twi'leks were apprehended smuggling weapons onto the planet. Rampart expresses his disappointment in Hera's involvement. Senator Taa uses Hera's presence among the insurgents as evidence to support his claim that Cham is planning an uprising against the Empire, stating that her involvement is enough to implicate him, and Hera insists it isn't true. Rampart, disagreeing with Taa, believes the public will see it that way, and he reminds Taa of Cham's influence over the Rylothians. He emphasizes that Cham has not yet committed a real crime, but Hera has. Captain Howzer objects, pointing out that Hera is only a child. Senator Taa counters that Hera is an insurgent, and he orders the clone troopers to take them away, to which the Twi'leks comply.
Crosshair informs Rampart that he has spotted three of Glie's insurgents on the mountain ridge and requests permission to engage them, but Rampart denies his request, instructing him to allow the insurgents to report back. However, he instructs Crosshair to get into position. Two Twi'lek insurgents witness the arrest through their macrobinoculars and decide to report back to General Syndulla. Cham is horrified by the news, and Eleni insists that they speak to Senator Taa immediately. Chopper arrives and communicates in Binary. Eleni is shocked to learn that Glie, Serin, and Hera have been found guilty of treason without a trial, and Cham says that Senator Taa will ensure they never receive one. He decides that they must intercept the prisoner convoy before it reaches the capital, and one of the Twi'lek insurgents provides the location of the prisoners, who are on the western outskirts in Sector 3. Chopper departs with Eleni and Cham.
Hera and the other prisoners are being transported within the hold of an HCVw A9 turbo tank. The Syndullas and Chopper meet with the Twi'lek insurgents, and with the juggernaut heading for the narrows, Cham insists they get there before the convoy. Eleni instructs Chopper to stay and await her signal before riding away with the other Twi'lek fighters on Blurrgs. Above the canyon, Cham eliminates two clone troopers riding BARC speeders. Inside the juggernaut, Vice Admiral Rampart and Senator Taa become aware of the insurgent attack, and Taa orders the clone troopers to attack, a demand that Captain Howzer carries out. With the escort riders distracted, a red-skinned Twi'lek insurgent infiltrates the juggernaut through a turret and stuns several Imperials.
Meanwhile, Cham leads two BARC speeder riders into a narrow section of the canyon where another Twi'lek neutralizes them. Inside the juggernaut, Hera hears the sounds of blaster fire. The Twi'leks disrupt the Imperials' communication devices when Rampart attempts to call for reinforcements, and Howzer realizes the comms are down. Outside, the two remaining BARC speeder riders separate. Eleni shoots down one of them and Cham stuns the clone trooper. A Twi'lek insurgent brings the juggernaut to a halt, and Cham and Eleni attach detonators to the vehicle. Senator Taa orders the remaining clone troopers to hold their ground, but the more pragmatic Rampart instructs Captain Howzer to order his men to surrender. Taa is horrified, but Rampart insists he was keeping them alive. Cham and Eleni enter the juggernaut's hold, and Hera is overjoyed to see her parents.
The Twi'lek insurgents hold the Imperials and Senator Taa at blasterpoint. Hera speaks with her mother in worry, asking what her father will do because Taa will not let them go, and Eleni reassures her. Chopper arrives in a landspeeder and picks up Hera. Cham confronts Senator Taa, who condemns him for attacking his convoy and brands them all as traitors. Cham, enraged that Taa threatened his daughter and accused her of treason, accuses Taa of prioritizing his own greed and self-interest over Ryloth, denouncing him as the true traitor. Cham aims his blaster at Taa, who pleads for Rampart and Howzer to intervene. Rampart, appearing indifferent to Taa's plight, simply replies that Cham is the one with the blaster. Captain Howzer attempts to reason with Cham, and Eleni urges him to reconsider, saying that Taa's time will come, but not in this way.
As Hera watches from the landspeeder with Chopper, Rampart thanks Senator Taa for playing his part and nods his head. Unbeknownst to Taa, this is a signal to Crosshair, who is positioned outside the canyon, and Crosshair shoots one of Taa's lekku. At that moment, Imperial reinforcements arrive in LAAT gunships. Eleni shouts to Chopper to get Hera away from the situation, and the two manage to escape through the canyon on the landspeeder. However, Vice Admiral Rampart arrests Cham, Eleni, and the other insurgents for the attempted assassination of Orn Free Taa. The rebels are handcuffed by clone troopers, and Taa is wheeled away on a stretcher. Rampart orders Howzer to assemble forces to find Hera. As the LAAT gunships fly away, Hera watches sadly from the landspeeder as Chopper drives them away.