Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Sanctuary (A Bad Batch Novel) by Lamar Giles.Everyone remembers where they were when they watched Tech fall to his death in the devastatingStar Wars: The Bad Batchseason 2 finale.Clone Force 99’s beloved engineer sacrificed himself to help the rest of his family get away from Governor Tarkin’s compound on Eriadu safely, and as heroic as it was, it was absolutely gutting.
It’s hard to imagine howStar Warscould make this moment even more tragic, but they have indeed managed it, even after two years.The brand-new bookStar Wars: Sanctuary (A Bad Batch Novel)by Lamar Giles has given Tech more time to shine in the days immediately preceding his death, showing us the true depth of his sacrifice.
Purchase Star Wars: Sanctuary (A Bad Batch Novel) by Lamar Giles Here
Tech Envisioned Having A Future With Phee Genoa
Easilythe biggest part of Tech’s story inSanctuaryis his growing affection for Phee Genoa, the “liberator of ancient wonders” (pirate) who brings the Bad Batch to Pabu inThe Bad Batchseason 2. There were obvious hints of a budding relationship between them in season 2, episode 13 “Pabu,” butSanctuarydives in deeper.
From going undercover as a married couple to grocery shopping for a newborn baby together,Tech and Phee take the spark they had inThe Bad Batchand multiply it by a millionby the time the back cover ofSanctuarycloses. They display all the true affection and charm of any goodStar Warscouple.
In fact, at one point,Tech even openly muses upon having a future with Pheethat potentially goes beyond his current life with Clone Force 99. Later on, Tech and Phee also openly discuss the possibility of having a family of their own, albeit in a heartwarmingly bashful manner.
“It was never clear if we clones could sire children.”
Phee was annoyed at the paltry caf offerings but picked a powder that seemed the least offensive. “Seems like the mystery’s been solved, Brown Eyes. How do you feel about that?”
Tech felt… a loaded question. “It proves a hypothesis I’ve held for some time. I’d love more data on the potential number of clone offspring throughout the galaxy, but I imagine that would be hard to come by.”
“You’re good at solving hard problems. The big question is if you could gather that data, what would you do with it? What would it mean foryou?”
“I…” Tech didn’t know what to say.
This makes it glaringly clear that both Tech and Phee envisioned a future together, or at least considered the possibility of it more than once. To know what Tech’s ultimate fate will be, however, and to knowthat future would never come to pass, makes Tech’s sacrifice all the more tragic. He gave up more than we thought.
Sanctuarydoes include more direct references to Tech’s sacrifice that go beyond a future with Phee, one of which involves his grappling gun. After executing the risky Plan 86-B escape plan to get away from Cellia Moten and her goons on Dallow, Tech caresses the grappling gun that hauled himself, Wrecker, Phee, and Omega onto theMarauder.
Tech reflects aloud that the weapon “hasn’t failed me yet,“but we, as the audience, know that it eventually won’t be enough to save him. While it may have caught Tech in the midst of his initial fall from the rail car, it wasn’t enough to help him haul himself back up to where the rest of his squad was.
Tech’s Death Impacted His Family Even More Than We Realize
Interestingly enough, a critical part of Tech’s death that wasn’t portrayed to its fullest potential inThe Bad Batchwas the squad’s grief over Tech’s death. It was only briefly referenced a handful of times in season 3, and surprisingly wasn’t a part of the highly-anticipated heated confrontation between Hunter and Crosshair in episode 5 “The Return.”
Sanctuary, however, gives us enough insight from the characters to knowjust how hard they took Tech’s death behind closed doors, Hunter specifically. Clone Force 99’s designated leader nearly carries outPlan 99himself when he’s pinned down on Dallow, all the while musing about his unwillingness to let any other squad member die.
Meanwhile, Omega emphasizes to Hunter that while she aches to explore the galaxy beyond just Pabu,she still wants her family to be all together. To know that’s not possible in the wake of Tech’s sacrifice is nothing short of heartbreaking, even if we’re only glimpsing the time period just before that happened.
Overall, though, Tech’s role inSanctuarysimply proveshow important he is to his family. He knows how each of them function and is there to provide backup and support even if they find themselves in a tough spot. His death inThe Bad Batchhits even harder for that reason alone, amidst many others.
