Clone commando

From Wookieepedia, the Star Wars wiki.

A clone commando, or Republic commando, was an elite soldier of the Grand Army of the Republic. Often working in groups of four, clone commandos were assigned to carry out covert operations too delicate for regular clone troopers. Covert infiltration, sabotage, foreign unit training, and assassination were standard tasks for the clone commandos.^[1]

When Order 66 was issued by Emperor Palpatine at the end of the Clone Wars, one commando unit, Ion Team, refused to fire on their commanding Jedi for various reasons, thus showing that at least some commandos were independent.^[2]

Contents 1 History 2 Training 2.1 Specialized training 3 Integration into trooper training regime 4 Equipment 5 Known operations 6 Rank and color notation 7 Clone commando units 7.1 Training companies 8 Notable commandos 9 Appearances 10 Sources 11 Notes and references 12 See also

[edit] History

Soon after the cloners of Kamino began their clone trooper project, Jango Fett, although he believed his clones would be the best soldiers in the galaxy, realized that situations would arise that regular infantry clones could not handle. He persuaded the Kaminoans to create a new class of Advanced Recon Commando, which he would personally train. The result was the Alpha-class Advanced Recon Commandos.

The Kaminoans believed the Alpha ARCs would be just as rogue as the "failed" Null-class ARC troopers, so they proposed another idea. They requested a battalion of elite commandos be created from the regular clone trooper genome template. These clones would be just as loyal and obedient, with the same docility and independence, as their more common brethren. The only differences between the two would be their superior weapons, armor, gear, teamwork and training. The commandos would be placed into squads (nicknamed "pods") of four commandos each, in a reflection of the aiwha hunting pods native to the depths of Kamino.^[3]

Fett agreed to this proposal and requested that the commandos be trained by professional mercenaries in addition to computerized "flash" training. The cloners listened to Fett, and soon Jango had gathered 100 ex-Mandalorian soldiers and other elite mercenaries from around the galaxy to form the Cuy'val Dar. Under the direction of Fett, the training sergeants gave the commandos the most elite training available.^[4]

The Kaminoans soon found they had a number of small, operational squads, each capable of carrying out self-contained or campaign-augmenting missions, as well as being highly-trained and fiercely cohesive, yet capable of carrying out a variety of mission profiles.

When the Clone Wars started with the Battle of Geonosis, the commandos were some of the first units dropped in, disrupting droid factories and assassinating Geonosian lieutenant Sun Fac.^[1] However, due to the Jedi inexperience with leading an army, many commandos died—50 percent of them having died in the first year of the war—as many were used as infantry. Over the course of the Clone Wars, the commandos were set to work in various other flash-points across the galaxy, wreaking havoc on the Separatist forces.^[1]

Throughout the Clone Wars, there were many different opinions regarding the commandos. Some clones tended to respect the commandos for their superb training and combat skills while other clones, especially the infantry-based units that fought in the larger battles of the war, believed that the commandos' reputation was grossly exaggerated. As the Clone Wars dragged on, the emergence of the Mandalorian Protectors only added to the causes behind the growing number of casualties among the GAR. For this reason, and the fact that an ARC trooper went rogue because of his Mandalorian heritage in the first place, the clones began to despise anything Mandalorian, especially clones who still embraced the Mandalorian culture. This can be seen when the 2nd Airborne Company, after being dealt high casualties by the Mandalorian Protectors, showed their obvious contempt for Omega Squad, a unit of clone commandos that were deeply devoted to their Mandalorian roots. Ultimately, the loyalty of the standard-issued clones fell to the Galactic Republic without question, and since the Mandalorians had declared war for the Confederacy of Independent Systems, than heritage or no heritage, Mandalorians were now viewed by the clones as enemies of the Republic. And to a clone trooper - all enemies of the Republic die.

The ARC troopers, being the best and most elite unit within the Grand Army, were the clones that were held in a higher regard than the Clone Commandos. Even the commandos acknowledged the superiority of the ARC troopers, Darman having stated that the ARC troopers were about the closest thing on the Republic's side that he feared and Atin having complimented the ARC troopers for being "pretty well raw Jango."

The standard clone troopers were useful in a group, while the ARC troopers, though they occasionally worked in squads as well, were very capable on their own. The commandos were trained to battle in a four-men squad, but they were described as "formidable" by the Kaminoans, who claimed that "they are the best of the best that the Republic has to offer and were given the best training available, superior to their more common brethren." However, this is in reference the commandos in comparison to the regular clones and is based on the Kaminoans' biased opinion, for they still perceived the ARC troopers as failed experiments which breeded impulsive and irrational clones. Overall, the clone commandos were second best in the Grand Army, superior to regular clones and more independent-minded, but less up-to-par and more obedient than the ARC troopers.

It is possible that the remaining loyal clone commandos became storm commandos during the reign of the Galactic Empire.

With the initiation of the clone commando experiment, approximately 100 instructors (of which 75 were Mandalorians) were chosen by Jango Fett himself. Each instructor trained a group of clones, ranging from 4 to 100 clones per group, with each group separating into multiple squads (4 commandos). Of these clones, 100 were taken to be Clone Advisors.

[edit] Training

Clone commandos were trained by a group of elite training sergeants chosen by Jango Fett. These men and women, known as the Cuy'val Dar trained the commandos in a variety of tactics, and often the trainers were a fatherly figure for the fatherless clones. However, some, like Walon Vau, opted to toughen up their soldiers and were ruthless towards them.^[5]

Clone commandos were trained in live-fire exercises, giving them a sense of the reality of combat long before normal clone troopers. Anti-terrorist training was conducted in a building nicknamed the Killing House. Though many commandos died during these exercises, the rest learned rapidly, allowing them to become better soldiers. However, the repercussions of their squadmates' deaths were felt by any commando who lost a vod—a brother.^[5]

[edit] Specialized training

Each clone commando was trained to handle a specialized task, varying from commando to commando. Some, like Sev, specialized in sniping and assassination. Others, like Fi, specialized as medics and received more advanced training than their other brethren in that field. Others, like Boss or Niner, showed more leadership potential and acted as squad leaders. Some, like Scorch and Darman, showed a natural skill with demolitions ordinance and acted as demo specs. Others, like Fixer or Atin, were trained to be able to handle a variety of technology-based tasks, such as slicing computers.^[1]

[edit] Integration into trooper training regime

It appears that the clone commando program was so successful that some clone troopers were trained in commando skills and tactics. Some commando-trained troopers were CT-19/39, a recon trooper killed on Praesitlyn;^[6] CT-5108/8843, a former bomb disposal expert taken under Kal Skirata's wing; the clone trooper squad that accompanied Mace Windu and Valiant during the hunt for Darth Sidious;^[7] and the non-ARC members of the Muunilinst 10.^[8]

[edit] Equipment

The commandos were not all about subtlety. They had at their disposal an impressive arsenal of blasters, sniper rifles, and anti-armor launchers, all part of the configurable DC-17m Interchangeable Weapon System. They also carried either DC-15s side arm blasters, or shotguns. Wearing advanced Katarn commando armor, clone commandos were the ultimate soldiers. Because the armor was silvery-gray, the other clone troops called them "shinies."^[1] However, some squads would put special colors on their armor to symbolize rank and position in the hierarchy of the squad. Other squads would opt for improved camouflage, as was the case with Omega Squad, which wore black matte armor.

By default, the commandos were trained with the DC-17m, but often times other weapons would be used or issued to them, depending on the situation. Katarn-class armor also featured a retractable knuckle plate vibro blade for melee combat. However, they were also supplied with an array of non-Republic exotic weaponry, such as bowcasters or Trandoshan firearms, as demanded by their mission objectives.^[1]

Often one member of the squad would be given an E-web repeating blaster. This was an extremely cumbersome and heavy weapon as it had to be moved in several parts. When used by normal troopers, the E-web was manned by two troopers but such was the training given to the commandos that it was only manned by one.

[edit] Known operations

Republic commandos were deployed across the galaxy following the Battle of Geonosis, battling through the murky Geonosian hives and the dangerous forests of Kashyyyk.^[1]

• Battle of Geonosis^[1]
• Mission to Qiilura^[5]
• Coruscant spaceport siege^[9]
• Mission to Coruscant^[10]
• Mission to the Corellian-Perlemian Intersection^[10]
• Mission to the Chaykin Cluster^[1]
• Mission to Fest
• Mission to Ord Mantell^[11]
• Battle of Praesitlyn^[6]
• Mission to Garqi
• Battle of Deko Neimoidia
• Battle of Murkhana
• Mission to Kashyyyk^[1]
• Mort's mission to Kashyyyk
• Mission to Yorn Skot
• Mission to Gaftikar

[edit] Rank and color notation

The standard color of the Katarn armor worn by Republic commandos was silver-gray regardless of rank. However an experiment by the Kaminoans allowed for one squad, Delta Squad, to paint their armor as they saw fit and test its effects on morale in combat. Delta Squad's superior performance during the Battle of Geonosis would pave the way for all other commandos squads to paint their armor as well. Some commandos decorated their armor to their individual tastes or according to rank, while others, such as Omega Squad, ordered identical suits of matte black stealth armor, as they found the regular armor was easily spotted when crossing an open field.

Delta Squad used circles on the left breast plate to designate rank. Boss, being the leader, had four circles. Fixer, being second in command, had two circles. Since Scorch and Sev didn't have a leadership role, neither of them had any circles on their armor.^[1]

[edit] Clone commando units

• Arca Company
  • Omega Squad
  • Delta Squad
• Aiwha Squad
• Aiwha-3 Squad
• Blue Squad
• Bravo Squad
• Gamma Squad
• H.O.P.E. Squad
• Ion Team
• Lambda Squad
• Kilo Squad
• Prudii Squad
• Teroch Squad
• Theta Squad
• White Squad
• Vevut Squad

[edit] Training companies

• Alpha Company
• Epsilon Company

[edit] Notable commandos

• "Climber"
• "Di'Kut"
• "Mort"
• RC-0288
• RC-1013 "Sarge"
• RC-1133 "Taler"
• RC-1134 "Vin"
• RC-1135 "Jay"
• RC-1136 "Darman"
• RC-1138 "Boss"
• RC-1140 "Fixer"
• RC-1207 "Sev"
• RC-1262 "Scorch"
• RC-1309 "Niner"
• RC-3222 "Atin"
• RC-8015 "Fi"
• RC-5108/8843 "Corr"
• "Tyto"
• "Zag"

[edit] Appearances

• Star Wars: Republic Commando
• Republic Commando: Hard Contact
• Omega Squad: Targets
• Honor Bound
• The Package
• Republic Commando: Triple Zero
• Odds
• Republic Commando: True Colors
• The Cestus Deception (First appearance)
• Jedi Trial
• The Drop
• Labyrinth of Evil
• Evasive Action: Reversal of Fortune
• Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
• Orders
• Republic Commando: Order 66 (Non-canonical appearance)
• Order 66: A Republic Commando Novel
• Star Wars Republic 78: Loyalties
• Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron

[edit] Sources

•  Clone commando in the Databank
• The New Essential Chronology

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] See also

• Special forces