A new Star Wars book confirmed a long-speculated-upon romance between two Disney+ characters after years of fan shipping. The galaxy far, far away has been no stranger to fan ships, as audiences try to pair up their favorite characters from the beloved sci-fi franchise. Whether it has been Rey and Kylo, Ezra and Sabine, or even Finn and Poe, there have been plenty of potential couples fans have made a case for over the years.
However, one major ship that may have slipped under the radar for some is the potential dalliance between The Bad Batch's Tech and Phee. The tech-enthused Clone Trooper and charismatic information broker were seen working closely throughout the animated series, with some believing there may have been something a little deeper than your average working relationship. Those theories of romance were seemingly confirmed in a recent book, as Star Wars chimed in on the couple's potential history.
The new book, Sanctuary: A Bad Batch Novel, addresses Tech and Phee's romance, unlike ever before.
As transcribed by The HoloFiles, several excerpts from the Lamar Giles-penned Star Wars adventure suggest that there was/is something going on between the two.
Moments like a scene in which Phee joins Tech as copilot on a star-faring mission and "[leans] close in a way most copilots didn’t," essentially confirmed the pair are a little more than 'friends from work:'
"Phee settled into the copilot chair next to Tech and leaned close in a way most copilots didn’t. 'Me joining you wont make it hard for you to concentrate, will it, Brown Eyes?'
'I’m used to piloting in all sorts of conditions. Through asteroid belts, evading missile attacks, slimy monsters clinging to theh ull. So, your presence, while welcome, won’t distract me.'
'You always know the sweet things a girl wants to hear.'
He cleared his throat and checked his consoles. All ship systems normal. His systems, though… he estimated his body temperature might have raised by at least a degree, and his pulse felt slightly elevated…. as was often the case when Phee was in such close proximity."
In the animated series, the pair had exchanged ever-so-slightly charged flirtatious remarks, but never anything as overt as this.
Another sequence describes the assumed love affair between the two, painting a vivid picture of bumping elbows and brushing thighs that simply was not seen in The Bad Batch show:
"Tech was next to Phee – no space between them. They bumped elbows as they dug into their plates. Their thighs brushed. Tech said, 'Are you enjoying the meal?'"
Sanctuary: A Bad Batch Novel hit store shelves on Tuesday, August 5, bringing the beloved Clone Force 99 back into the spotlight after their Bad Batch animated series ended over a year ago. The new book from Fake ID author Lamar Giles occurs between Episodes 13 and 14 of The Bad Batch TV show. It follows the titular team as they attempt to rebuild their island refuge on Pabu, as seen in Season 2 of The Bad Batch on Disney+.
Are Tech and Phee In Love in The Bad Batch?
In The Bad Batch proper, the argument could be made that there was nothing going on between Phee and Tech. The pair of Disney+ characters had a fun relationship, but nothing was expressly shown to prove they were 100% romantically involved.
Well, that prospect does not look nearly as murky as it once did. While Disney has in the past done things to muddy the waters for popular Star Wars fan ships (looking at you, Rey/Kylo kiss of gratitude), this does exactly the opposite.
Talk of feeling warm, brushing thighs, and playful remarks, like "You’re missing an impressive view," when talking about one another, essentially confirm that these two are madly in love.
Of course, that is about as far as a young adult novel could go with any potential romance talk. This is Star Wars after all, but it does enough to paint a picture of something a little more libidinal going on between the two star-faring staples.
Perhaps, with the Bad Batch already confirmed to appear in yet another Disney+ prequel, fans will see the romantic beginnings of this Tech/Phee relationship, but for now, this is all fans have got.
