Since the first episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, there have been a series of intensifying mysteries surrounding the young clone Omega. Throughout the series multiple characters sought to capture Omega for various reasons, first because of her unaltered clone DNA and, more recently, her relationship to Kaminoan scientist Nala Se. However, with the release of S3:E3 “Shadows of Tantiss”, Omega’s true significance to Star Wars may have finally been revealed and it could have significant implications for future Star Wars productions.
First Impressions
We first meet Omega in Season 1 Episode 1 when she introduces herself to Clone Force 99 on the Planet of Kamino. She is introduced as the medical assistant of Nala Se, the lead Kaminoan scientist in charge of cloning. As the only female clone (and child) on the base, it’s clear from the beginning that Omega is no ordinary “reg”.
While held captive at the secret Imperial Lab on Mount Tantiss, Omega learns from Nala Se that the empire is seeking to reproduce a genetic “M count”, but that so far, none of the specimens have yielded the desired results. It is later revealed in S3:E3 “Shadows of Tantiss” that this research is part of “Project Necromancer”, the Empire’s secret project to clone Emperor Palpatine.
Testing Positive
After what appears to be months of testing, the samples have yet to yield the desired results, failing to maintain or exceed the M-count of the “specimen” (presumably Palpatine).This all changes in S3:E3 when, interrupted by the arrival of the Emperor, Nala Se is unable to destroy the samples containing Omega’s blood as she had been doing in order to protect the young clone from the Empire.
Once tested, Omega’s blood succeeds where all others failed, providing the desired outcome the Empire was looking for. Knowing what the test would reveal, Nala Se had already instructed Omega to escape the facility, which she does, rescuing Crosshair in the process.
Omega’s Future
The precise details about the Empire’s tests have not been revealed. But there is speculation that “M count” stands for “midi-chlorian count”. First referenced in The Phantom Menace, midi-chlorians are microscopic organisms that exist in the cells of all living things and are responsible for connecting lifeforms to “The Force”. The number of midi-chlorians in each cell varies from lifeform to lifeform and those with higher midi-chlorian concentrations like Yoda and Emperor Palpatine, have a much stronger connection to the force.
If the “M-count” referenced during recent episodes are referring to midichlorians and the “specimen” is indeed from Emperor Palpatine, it could mean that Omega is force sensitive.
The details about the test are still unclear, but if the implication is that Omega has a midi-chlorian count anywhere near the Emperor’s, it would confirm that Omega is not only force sensitive, but with a higher M-count than most Jedi.
While this might sound like a stretch, show writers have been hinting that Omega could be force sensitive since the beginning.
Unusually Accurate
In the series’ first episode, Omega and the Batch are trying to escape Kamino but are held up by Crosshair and a squad of troopers. During the shootout Wrecker is wounded and Hunter and Echo must carry him onto their ship “The Marauder”. With Tech piloting the ship and their hands busy carrying Wrecker, Hunter and Echo are left exposed to the notorious sharpshooter Crosshair. However, just as Crosshair lines up his shot, his rifle is knocked out of his hands from a blaster bolt fired by Omega. For a trained soldier the shot would have been impressive, but for an untrained child, it was extraordinary.
Her combat prowess doesn’t end there. A few episodes later as Omega is escaping bounty hunter Cad Bane on Bora Vio, she finds a Zyggerian energy bow. While she lacks the strength to draw the bow at first, she masters it only a few months later. In S2:E1 the Batch is forced to flee a swarm of Aggrocrabs on the tropical planet of Aynaboni. As the crabs begin to overwhelm the Marauder, Omega slides down from the ship’s drop cable, jumps off the shell of a crab, summersaults to a stop and immediately comes up firing her bow, shooting two crabs off the nose of the Marauder.
Omega is an unaltered clone of Jango Fett, so she is certainly predisposed to combat proficiency. But even still, her skills are particularly refined for someone with limited training, especially for a child.
Holo Chess Grand Master
Omega’s combat skills aren’t her only hidden talent either. In S1:E10, she demonstrates an extraordinary talent for strategy. After helping Cid win a casual game of holochess against a bar patron, Omega goes on to play a number of high-stakes games, winning them all.
Omega’s most impressive feat comes later that episode when she is challenged to a game of holochess by Hunter who tells her “If you win, no more sitting out on missions.”. This win is significant because Hunter is not only a seasoned clone sergeant but one with a genetic mutation that gives him enhanced senses and almost supernatural instincts. Omega’s ability to best someone with Hunter’s abilities in a strategy stand-off, and at such a young age, is nothing short of extraordinary.
So does this mean she’s force sensitive? Maybe even a future Jedi?
Tempering Expectations
A potential reference to midi-chlorian counts and a mysterious positive test are bound to cause force-related speculation, but paying close attention to the language used by Hemlock and Emerie in the latest episodes could provide some more insight.
When informing Dr Hemlock of Omega’s positive test, Emerie says “The clone’s sample supported a positive M-count transfer with no degradation from the specimen.”
In the following episode when informing Nala Se of the same results, Hemlock says “Suspicious that all the samples you’ve taken from Omega never yielded any results, yet one tested by Emerie indicated a positive M-count transfer”.
While it doesn’t rule out the possibility of Omega being force-sensitive, the use of the word “transfer” could indicate Omega’s blood merely absorbed the M-count of the Emperor, revealing nothing about her own M-count and sensitivity to the force.
Only time will tell what the truth is, but whether Omega is force sensitive or simply an extraordinary clone, it’s been clear for a while that she’s special. Exactly how special remains to be seen, but if project necromancer is attempting to clone the Emperor like fans believe, Omega might be one of the most important people in the galaxy at the moment. And, if she also happens to be a Jedi – well- that’s just icing on the cake.