One of Star Wars most devastating moments came in Star Wars: The Bad Batch when Tech enacted Plan 99, a plan that had one squad member sacrifice himself to save others. Of all the Bad Batch’s numbered plans, Plan 99 was arguably the most devastating, which has since continued to haunt those who mourn the loss of technology. It turns out, however, that Plan 99 isn’t just something that Clone Force 99 created on their own. In fact, Plan 99 may even have been common during the Clone Wars.
By Marc Sumerak Star Wars: Secrets of the Clone TroopersWritten from Captain Rex’s perspective, Rex recounts Clone 99’s sacrifice during the Battle of Kamino and brings up Plan 99 in his discussion of his brother’s legacy. Rex says: “After [99’s sacrifice on Kamino]when one of our kind decided to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the team, it became known as Plan 99.“This means that Plan 99 was not just limited to Clone Force 99; it was widely known throughout the clone army and was apparently enacted more than once.
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What the Bigger Context of Plan 99 Means for Star Wars
This plan is a tragic but heartfelt tribute
This huge added context for Plan 99 adds yet another layer of tragedy to the story of the clones during the Clone Wars. Unfortunately, based on your circumstances, the clones probably found themselves implementing Plan 99 quite oftenespecially given the fierce loyalty the clones had for each other. Though it may not have been seen out there The bad lotthe fact that Rex knew this and generalized it to the entire clone army rather than just Clone Force 99 speaks volumes.
In a more positive sense, this larger context also works as a moving tribute to 99, whose sacrifice must have truly moved everyone in the clone army. 99 was not always treated well; the maintenance clone frequently took hits from cadets during his time on Kamino. Despite that, the clones were able to recognize the meaning behind 99’s sacrifice, in that he was not afraid to act to protect his brothers and his homeeven when he had no true combat experience. Plan 99 is a heavy but significant tribute to his own sacrifice.
Plan 99 was used more than we previously thought
Didn’t just clone Force 99
Given that we thought Plan 99 was exclusive to Bad Batch, this new context proves that it was used much more than we thought. Only Tech enacted Plan 99 in The bad lotand Crosshair tried, but was thankfully dissuaded from doing so by Hunter and Wrecker. If Rex knows about Plan 99, however, and talks about it as something the entire clone army was involved in, then that must mean that this plan was used by many more clones than just Tech.
This is no surprise, given how clones are always so eager to separate themselves from their brethren and the Republic itself, but it certainly makes Plan 99 that much more devastating. In the context of just Clone Force 99, It seemed like the ultimate contingency plan, something they thought about but never expected to use. With this greater context, however, it becomes clear that many other clones were not only ready to give life, but actually did so. The bad lot may have introduced it, but Plan 99 went beyond the show’s most devastating moment.
Source: Star Wars: Secrets of the Clone Troopers by Marc Sumerak