Star Wars Adventures: The Clone Wars – Battle Tales 4

This captivating weekly series delves into a period marked by significant galactic turmoil—the Clone Wars! As Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and fellow Jedi Knights confront seemingly insurmountable challenges, Commander Cody, Captain Rex, and their clone brethren, entrenched in their positions, exchange tales of war. These narratives spotlight beloved characters from The Clone Wars animated series, including Padmé Amidala, General Grievous, and numerous others!

On Hisseen, Captain Rex and his soldiers consolidate their formation, striving to maintain their position against an approaching surge of Separatist battle droids. Rex emphasizes the necessity of holding their ground until reinforcements arrive. Hardcase, however, expresses his eagerness for the droids to continue advancing, relishing the abundance of targets. Conversely, a clone named Twitch suggests a tactical retreat. This proposal prompts Heater to reprimand Twitch for his inclination to abandon their assigned post and mission, leading him to recount a story about the consequences of running and betraying one's comrades.

In a flashback to Kamino, Heater and other clones are branded as despicable deserters and cowards, bringing shame upon the clone army. Overwhelmed by anger, Heater initiates a brawl with another clone, asserting that he never desired this conflict and was merely acting in self-interest. At that moment, Commander Wolffe intervenes, halting the altercation and escorting Heater away for a private discussion. Wolffe elucidates that training scenarios reveal much about clones—their performance, teamwork, and resilience under the pressures of war. Consequently, some believe that Heater and others like him are unfit for actual combat. Heater simply replies that he doesn't understand what overcame him, but he can't stop wondering what he'd do if he ever had a choice and isn’t sure whether deserting was a smart decision or a terrible mistake. Wolffe then offers him and the others like him a mission, an opportunity for redemption and to have their names cleared where they can either find a place with his brothers in the army or stay on Kamino. Heater eagerly accepts, and later, aboard a gunship in Melagwani's atmosphere with fellow clones Sync, Racetrack, and Charlie, he reviews the mission's specifics.

A Separatist weapons depot on the planet's surface directly supplies a planet that the Republic is attempting to liberate. Therefore, they must disrupt the weapon supply line to aid their comrades. Racetrack raises a concern: the mission is a one-way trip. Command hopes for a miracle, but views it as a win regardless, as it resolves their deserter issue. Charlie and Sync interject, stating that this is a chance to atone for abandoning their squads when they were most needed, acknowledging their fear and wrongdoing. Suddenly, the gunship is struck by a surface-to-air missile, resulting in a crash landing within a city on the surface. After regaining consciousness and escaping the wreckage in the streets of a city on Melagwani, they leave their dead pilot behind and quickly move through the abandoned sector before vulture droids swarm it. When the others question if Heater is actually going to see the mission through, he explains that he gave his word to Wolffe and won’t let him down again, but the others question how much they have to give away after already giving their word and life. This causes Heater to stop them and say that this is the only life they know and only family that they have, so he’s going to fight for them as the only way they survive is together. Meanwhile inside of the weapons depot, a super tactical droid analyzes the situation and is taken aback at the fact that the Republic only sent one gunship, but calculates that the Republic’s odds of success are very low.

Approaching the gates, Racetrack, carrying two clone helmets, addresses two battle droid guards, claiming to be the sole survivor of the gunship crash and seeking to negotiate surrender terms. As the droids become confused, he throws the helmets into their arms, revealing thermal detonators concealed within. The resulting explosion breaches a hole in the wall, drawing droid forces away from other entrances, allowing the three remaining clones to infiltrate the depot. Once inside, they attach explosive charges to vital structures and prepare to evacuate. However, upon questioning Racetrack's location, Charlie suggests that Racetrack is destined to be a deserter, and while they don’t want to believe it, it’s the truth. Just then, the super tactical droid arrives with a squad of battle droids and explains that Racetrack is the smartest of them for deserting as it was their only chance at getting out of here alive. When Heater questions how the droid knew, the super tactical droid shares his calculations of them attempting unconventional tactics to complete their mission. When he gives them the option to surrender or die, Heater threatens to set off the explosives which will kill them all, but he doesn’t have to make the decision as Racetrack regroups with them and starts blasting away at the battle droids. He apologizes for being late, and the super tactical droid is killed as he’s overwhelmed with the fact that his calculations were wrong. After escaping, the clones set off the explosives and destroy the weapons depot, and Racetrack explains his chance of heart due to the others being his ride off of Melagwani. However, this isn’t the full truth and it’s because they’re one in the same; family and brothers. Later, Republic forces arrive and Commander Wolffe informs the group of four clones that they are free and will be taken wherever they want to go, but they don’t take him up on this and instead stay in the army and return home to their brothers.

Back in the present, Rex and his troops remain under intense fire from the approaching Separatist forces, and Heater is shot down and wounded. Before he can be finished off, Commanders Cody and Wolffe along with their forces arrive, and Rex informs them that they are outnumbered and surrounded, so he attempts to contact General Skywalker for assistance just as the enemy starts to close in.

In one panel, Heater mistakenly refers to Wolffe as a captain, rather than his actual rank of commander.

• UPC 827714019537; August 26 , 2020 ; IDW Publishing ; First printing [1] 00411; Cover A; Derek Charm 00421; Cover B; Derek Charm 00431; Cover C; Mel Milton