Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: The Bad Batch episode 7, "Battle Scars."
Star Wars: The Bad Batch episode 7 ends with a scene of Captain Rex calling a mysterious Rebel ally, and while many have assumed he was talking to Ahsoka Tano, that may not be the case. The Rebel Alliance as it appears in the original trilogy wasn’t properly formed until years after the end of the Clone Wars, but smaller cells of freedom fighters became active as soon as the Palpatine rose as Emperor. Given how many enemies the Empire has, even in its early days, there are several characters who Rex could have been talking to.
The fact that Rex is actively organizing against the Empire in The Bad Batch is a bit surprising, given that when he appears as an old clone in Star Wars Rebels, he’s removed himself entirely from the Galactic Civil War. It’s unclear what happens in the interim to make Rex so disillusioned with the fight (though in fairness he is eventually convinced to return to the battlefield). For now though, it seems that he could be a big part of the early rebellion.
Because Rex and Ahsoka escaped Order 66 together, and because the two characters are so close, it makes sense to assume that she’s the one talking to Rex in The Bad Batch episode 7. However, there’s reason to think that might not be the case. The canonical novel Ahsoka details the former Jedi’s escapades immediately following the end of The Clone Wars, and that story doesn’t leave much room for her to be scheming against the Empire with Rex. In the book, Ahsoka spends the early days of Imperial rule hiding out on various Outer Rim planets and moons, often working as a mechanic. She occasionally butts heads with the Empire, and she has some limited contact with early rebel forces, but not with Rex, and not for a while after the end of the war.
With all that in mind, it might be more likely that Rex was calling someone else. Since he’s recently been in contact with Suu and Cut Lawquane – two people who might have reason to help oppose the Empire – they seem like a likely choice. Fellow clones Wolffe and Gregor, the two who Rex lives with when he’s found in Rebels, are also possibilities. It would make sense for him to be in touch with other clones who avoided Order 66, and Rex seems particularly concerned with the wellbeing of his brethren after the war.
There’s also a chance Rex was talking to someone less directly connected to him, but more involved in the overall rebellion. Bail Organa, for instance, opposed Palpatine’s regime in secret from the start, and there are many other powerful Star Wars political figures who could be organizing against the Empire. With Rex exiting Star Wars: The Bad Batch for parts unknown at the end of episode 7, it may some time before any more light is shed on who his mysterious contact actually is.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch releases new episodes every Friday on Disney+.
