Clone Force 99 accepted a new mission from Cid in the Bad Batch episode “Decommissioned” that took them all the way to Corellia, but their plan quickly fell apart when Trace and Rafa Martez stepped in their way. The ex-clone commandos ended up working alongside the pair and learning a vital lesson about questioning orders and doing the right thing for the right reasons.
Trace and Rafa left with important information they planned to share with a mysterious figure, but who are these resourceful and spunky sisters? What role did they play in Star Wars: The Clone Wars? And what motivated them to follow a more righteous path?
Who are the Martez sisters?
The galaxy is a dangerous place, especially in the lower levels of Coruscant where Trace and Rafa live. Trace, the youngest sister, is a mechanic, while Rafa does what she can to provide for herself and her sister. This often leads them into trouble, since Rafa makes deals with suspicious characters without thinking about the consequences of her actions.
Ahsoka Tano met them in season 7 of The Clone Wars after she made quite the entrance by accidentally crash landing on Trace’s repair shop. The ex-Jedi Padawan stuck around as the voice of reason, making the sisters question the deals Rafa made and lecturing them about morality. Ahsoka even told Rafa, “You can’t profit from other people’s suffering.”
It’s not until they’re stuck in a prison cell together that Ahsoka learns the truth about their upbringing. The two sisters used to admire the Jedi and thought of them as heroes, but that changed when the Jedi haphazardly chased an escaped criminal throughout Coruscant. Their mother, who also believed in helping people, and father died as the chaotic events of that day sent a transport ship hurtling toward their family home, leaving the two girls orphaned.
Learning about what the Jedi did to Trace and Rafa’s parents led Ahsoka to help Bo-Katan Kryze and Mandalore, since the Jedi prioritized saving Chancellor Palpatine over performing their sacred duty as protectors of the galaxy.
In the process of getting to know more about each other, Ahsoka said, “In my life, when you find people who need your help, you help them, no matter what. I guess it’s just who I am.” These positive interactions with Ahsoka changed their perspectives and put them on the path of doing good and helping others, as seen in The Bad Batch.
Rafa, like Ahsoka before her, lectured the ex-soldiers about morality and imparted those lessons on Clone Force 99 when she said, “Let me get this straight. You knew how dangerous the information on the tactical droid is, but you didn’t know who you were giving it to?” And just like how Ahsoka made an impact on the Martez sisters, they made an impact on Hunter and the rest of his group.
Trace and Rafa went from looking out for themselves to being role models, doing what they can to fight against the Empire and helping people in need.
Stream season 7 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the current season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch on Disney Plus.