Slick

For other uses, see Slick (disambiguation).

"It's the Jedi who keep my brothers enslaved. We do your bidding. We serve at your whim. I just wanted something more."

―Slick berates Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi —

Listen (file info)^[3]

Slick was the name of a veteran clone trooper sergeant in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. Named for his resourcefulness and discreetness, he began to develop a hatred for his Jedi commanding officers, believing that he and his fellow clone brothers were acting as the Jedi's puppets. In 22 BBY, Slick betrayed the Galactic Republic and began to pass inside information to the Dark Acolyte Asajj Ventress of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. After the Confederacy invaded the planet Christophsis, Slick accompanied a faction of Republic forces under the command of Jedi Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to liberate the planet from the Confederate oppression.

On Christophsis, Slick led his platoon on a reconnaissance of a strategical location for an ambush on the Confederate battle droids, and after returning to the Republic base, Slick informed Ventress and the Confederate General Whorm Loathsom of the Republic's plan. The Confederacy was able to ambush the Republic forces, and Kenobi and Skywalker went to search for information in Confederacy-held territory while Clone Captain Rex and Clone Commander Cody stayed to find the possible Republic traitor. In the clones' following interrogation of Slick's men, Slick was revealed to be the Confederate spy, and after the traitor severely damaged the Republic base's weapons depot, Rex and Cody engaged him in a brawl. Slick was apprehended, and when Skywalker and Kenobi returned, the traitorous clone was taken to lock-up.

Biography[]

Clone traitor[]

"All of you just blindly following orders! For what? At least I got something out of all this suffering."
"Yeah, I bet you sold out your brothers for some real shiny coin, huh?"
"Yes, she offered me money, but she offered me something more important, something you wouldn't understand! Freedom!"

―Slick reveals to Rex that he sold Republic information to Asajj Ventress —

Listen (file info)^[3]

The clone trooper nicknamed Slick for his resourcefulness and discreetness^[5] served in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. Promoted to the rank of clone sergeant,^[3] Slick was given his own platoon of troopers.^[4] However, he began to develop a hatred for his Jedi commanding officers; frustrated with the clones' position in the Republic army as the Jedi's "puppets," Slick betrayed the Republic,^[3] and in 22 BBY,^[6] he began to pass secret Republic information to the Dark Acolyte Asajj Ventress of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. In exchange, Slick received credits, as well as what he personally believed to be freedom.^[3]

Ambush on Christophsis[]

"This is Sergeant Slick reporting to Generals Kenobi and Skywalker. We have a candidate for an ambush site. Gus and Jester are checking it out. Double-towered business center with clear view of a major plaza."

―Slick reports on a strategical ambush site on Christophsis^[7]

BARC speeders Christophsis — Slick leads his platoon on BARC speeders to reconnoiter an ambush site on Christophsis.

In the seventh week of the war,^[8]^[9] the Confederacy invaded the planet Christophsis. Slick accompanied a faction of clone troopers under the command of High Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi General Anakin Skywalker to liberate the planet.^[3] After the Republic had set up a base, Slick led his platoon to reconnoiter a strategic site from which to ambush the Confederate droid forces. In the planet's^[7] capital city, Crystal City,^[10] Slick discovered a business complex with adjacent towers that faced the north and south and overlooked a major plaza. He then reported back to Skywalker and Kenobi on considering the towers as ambush sites.^[7]

As they returned to the Republic base, Slick and his men encountered a squad of B1-Series battle droids attempting to clear a major boulevard of Christophsians. When the battle droids discovered a crippled Christophsian and discussed killing the man, the clones intervened and eliminated the droids. After returning to the base, Slick secretly transmitted the Republic's plan of attack to Ventress and the Confederate General Whorm Loathsom.^[7] The clone spy continued to send Ventress information every couple of days from a terminal in his unit's barracks.^[3]

The Republic forces stationed themselves in the two towers, preparing to ambush the battalion of battle droids approaching in the plaza below. Kenobi, Clone Commander Cody, and Slick were based in the south tower, while Skywalker and Clone Captain Rex were positioned in the parallel north tower. The approaching column of droids suddenly split, and acting on Slick's information, a squad of B1 battle droids ambushed Kenobi and his men in the south tower. Kenobi's forces were overwhelmed, and Skywalker arrived with his men to assist Kenobi. Fighting back the droids, the Republic forces were able to escape from the roof of the tower via clone pilot Hawk's LAAT/i gunship.^[3]

Before going back to his barracks, Slick returned his Hush-98 comlink^[5] to the base's command center but left the device on so as to eavesdrop on Cody, Rex, and the Jedi as they debriefed on their failed plan. Slick learned that the Jedi believed that there was a traitor amongst their men; Skywalker and Kenobi planned to secretly investigate behind enemy lines for information, while Rex and Cody resolved to stay and search for the possible Confederate spy. After the Jedi had left, Cody noticed the activated comlink, and Rex spotted Slick in the hallway but did not recognize the traitor's identity. Slick fled, and the two clone officers gave pursuit. Slick escaped into the mess hall, blending in amongst the other clones; however, this tactic put Rex and Cody on the lead that the Confederate spy was one of the clones themselves. Returning to his barracks, Slick reported the Jedi's mission to Ventress, and the Dark Acolyte planned to confront them at the Confederacy's base.^[3]

Turncoat revealed[]

Chopper: "Everyone else turned right, toward the barracks and the mess. You turned left, toward the command center. Where were you going, sir?"

Slick: "Obviously, the kid feels cornered."

Cody: "Sergeant! What did you mean, 'till the Jedi come back'? How did you know the Jedi were gone?"

Slick: "I really wish you hadn't noticed that, sir."

―Slick's treachery is revealed —

Listen (file info)^[3]

Rex and Cody went back to the base's command center to continue their search for information. The two clones used the astromech droid R2-D2 to track an irregular wavelength in external communications—that Slick had caused from contacting Ventress every few days—to the terminal in the sergeant's barracks. Rex and Cody decided to interrogate Slick's men, believing that one of them was the double agent. When Rex and Cody arrived at his barracks, Slick insisted on talking with his men first, stating that their morale would be damaged, but the two proceeded with the investigations anyway. When Chopper was questioned, the trooper stated he had been in the mess hall after they had returned, but fellow troopers Punch and Sketch claimed that they had not seen him there till much later. Chopper revealed that he had been taking battle droid fingers from the battlefield—an act forbidden against war protocol—and had been stringing them together in a necklace. Slick used Chopper's discreditable situation to his own advantage, suggesting that Chopper himself was the spy.^[3]

ConfrontingSlick — Slick is confronted by Cody, Rex, and his own unit.

However, while stating to Chopper his right to silence, Slick accidentally revealed that he was aware of the Jedi's secret mission, information he could have never otherwise known. When Cody noticed this, Slick's cover was blown, and the Republic traitor attacked Cody and Chopper before fleeing. Slick deduced that Rex and Cody would check the gunship landing platform, believing that he was trying to escape,^[3] and left his utility belt attached to a thermal detonator there.^[2] When the two clone officers arrived at the gunship platform, Slick activated the explosives, destroying the gunships and AT-TE walkers on the landing platform as well as the base's weapons depot. Slick then entered the command center and hid in the vents above; Rex and Cody followed him into the command center and engaged in a ruse to bait Slick out of the vents. Cody took the ammo out of his blaster and left the gun on the table, while Rex seemingly left to check the south exit. Slick stole Cody's blaster and sneaked up behind the commander but discovered that the blaster was empty. Rex reentered the room, and Slick was surrounded.^[3]

Exchanging derisive words with Rex and Cody, Slick suddenly attacked Rex, stealing the captain's blaster and knocking him to the floor. Cody was able to disarm Slick but lost his own blaster in the process. As Slick headed for the door, Cody grabbed his legs and brought him down to the ground before engaging Slick in close combat. Rex ended the^[3] evenly-matched^[11] pair's fight by pulling Slick off Cody, but Slick was able to knock his adversary to the floor.^[3] Using the "groin popper" maneuver to dislocate Rex's leg,^[5] Slick stated that while Ventress had offered him money for his information, she had also offered him freedom. However, Cody punched Slick in the head and rendered the distracted clone traitor unconscious.^[3]

As Slick reawakened, he was taken in handcuffs to the Jedi, who had returned from a duel with Ventress. Slick verbally abused the Jedi, decrying that he and his clone brothers were acting as their puppets. Slick also stated that he loved his brothers, but Cody intervened, asserting that if Slick had loved his brothers he would not have put them at risk. The traitor was taken to lock-up,^[3] receiving a lengthy prison sentence,^[12] while the Jedi devised a plan to continue the fight against the Confederacy with their remaining resources.^[3]

Rumors of Slick's treachery persisted many years later, during the rule of the Galactic Empire. In the Imperial Handbook: A Commander's Guide, an Imperial officer's manual published shortly before the Battle of Yavin, the Kaminoan Nala Se claimed that such reports were likely the result of Jedi tampering.^[13]

Personality and traits[]

Slick: "It's the Jedi who keep my brothers enslaved. We do your bidding. We serve at your whim. I just wanted something more."

Rex: "And all you had to do to get it was put the rest of us all at risk."

Slick: "I…I love my brothers. You're too blind to see it, but I was striking a blow for all clones."

Cody: "If you loved your brothers, you wouldn't have put them at risk."

―Slick defends himself against Rex and Cody —

Listen (file info)^[3]

Slick's hair was the generic black color of the clone troopers; he shaved it off to a trim halfway up the sides of his head in a crewcut style. He also dyed his eyebrows a dark red.^[3] He stood 1.83 meters tall and had brown eyes and tan skin.^[1]

As his nickname suggested, Slick was both resourceful and discreet,^[5] taking advantage of Chopper's visibly discreditable position during interrogations. He was also able to hide his true intentions from the Jedi and his fellow clones for a time,^[3] but although he was determined to outfox Rex and Cody, he was ultimately unable to do so when his true allegiances were revealed.^[1] Slick knew that after he was revealed to be the traitor, Rex and Cody would deduce that he would try to escape and search the gunship landing platform. He used this to his advantage, planting explosives to delay the clones and sabotage the Republic's weapon supplies. Slick did not escape when Rex and Cody believed he would; rather, he attempted to flee after he realized that he had been outsmarted when the pair were able to bait him out of the command center's vents.^[3]

Slick professed love for his clone brothers, but possessed a hatred for the Jedi. He believed that the clone troopers were no more than cannon fodder for the Jedi, and because of this, he believed that fighting for the Republic was dishonorable. However, while Slick acted for his clone brothers, he put forth his own pursuits of greater deeds, uncaring of the danger that he imposed on his fellow clone troopers. He became a threat to his brothers in selling information to Ventress as well as sabotaging the Republic's supplies; both actions decreased the Republic's chance of defeating the Confederacy and caused greater losses when TJ-55's droids were able to outmaneuver and kill many clones based on the passed intel.^[3] Despite this, Slick believed that he was doing the right thing for all clones and that it was worth the sacrifice.^[14]

While Slick himself devised a plan to outmatch Rex and Cody that nearly succeeded, the two clones were able to outsmart Slick by baiting him out of the vents. Slick was capable in close combat, as evidenced by his brawl with the duo,^[3] and as both he and Cody were veteran troopers, they were evenly matched in fighting skills,^[11] though eventually the loyal Clones were able to capture him. The sergeant's ruthlessness was portrayed through his violent actions, as he did not hesitate to dislocate Rex's leg.^[3]

Behind the scenes[]

"It is one of the things I think is an issue in the Clone Wars, is how can the Jedi Knights use these people as a military, knowing they're basically bred for combat? And this doesn't sit well with Slick; he doesn't see it evidently as being an honorable soldier, like Rex does. I mean, Rex is the good soldier; Rex and Cody, they're very loyal, very honorable. They have all the qualities that I think a hero has, and yet Slick sees them more as, you know, cannon fodder."

―Series Director Dave Filoni discusses Slick's character^[15]

The character of Slick was introduced in "The Hidden Enemy," an episode in the 2008 first season of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series,^[2] and Shadowed, an issue of the series' weekly webcomic, leading into the episode.^[7] Slick was portrayed by voice actor Dee Bradley Baker, who provided the voice for all the clones throughout the series.^[2]

Slick was noted as being the first clone traitor introduced in the series—something considered contradictory of the clones, as they were all seemingly bred to serve the Republic and be identical in beliefs.^[15] The episode's director, Steward Lee, and the episode's writer, Drew Greenberg, both note this detraction as "an ominous sign of things to come," for if one clone can break from his brothers, there is no telling how many others would do the same.^[14]

Slick was originally going to have red hair, but in the final version of the episode the standard black hair of the clones was used. This helped him blend in with the other clones, rather than stand out from them.^[2]