The most recent episode of The Bad Batch, “The Solitary Clone,” mostly took place on the planet Desix, but at the beginning and end we saw the lives of the clones on Coruscant.
The military headquarters seen on the planet during the era of the Republic during the The Clone Wars now serves a similar purpose for the Empire, with the clones being based out of the facility. And outside the facility is a large wall, a monument, that clones Cody and Crosshair talk in front of at times during the episode.
This monument was actually first glimpsed briefly during The Clone Wars, in the “Wrong Jedi” arc to close out season five. But it wasn’t a major focus like it is in The Bad Batch, with two key conversations happening in front of the monument, which Cody looks at and seems to read. So what is this monument?
According to the trivia gallery for the episode of The Clone Wars in which it was introduced, “The Jedi Who Knew Too Much,” the monument is a memorial erected to remember the clones who died during the first Battle of Geonosis, which was the first conflict in the Clone War (as seen in Attack of the Clones). The stone for the monument is from Geonosis, and the names written on it are the designations of each one of the clones who gave their lives during the battle.
But, for those of you who are curious what those names are and want to do a little digging to read it, let me stop you there. The piece of concept art included in that trivia gallery said that the names of the clones “should just be random groupings of numbers.”
Neither Cody nor Crosshair fought in the first Battle of Geonosis, but the fact that this monument stands outside the military headquarters is a poignant reminder of the horrors of war and the cost paid by their brothers. So it’s notable that, while Cody looks at this monument, Crosshair accuses the clones who have defied the Empire as traitors. Cody isn’t convinced and, well, how could he be as he’s looking at this memorial to clones who gave their lives in the fight? When he remembers all his brothers who have fallen? When he knows that the clones have a choice, and have chosen to give their lives for what matters? I don’t think it’s random that these pivotal conversations between Cody and Crosshair happen in front of this memorial. The Empire might not value the clones and might just expect unquestioned loyalty, but Cody knows better. That’s not who they are. And they’ve proven that since the very first battle of the War.
Star Wars Thoughts 