Who are the Clonetroopers

August 2, 2008

When the clone troopers were first introduced, they were considered to be the future of galactic warfare. They were considered far superior to the battle droid armies that existed at that time and they basically were expected to be the backbone of Republic army at the time. The introduction of the Clonetrooper was such a powerful event that the galaxy wide conflict that was taking place took on the name of the Clone Wars.

The Rise of the Clonetrooper

The Clonetroopers were identical in form, physical prowess, stamina and mental capacity, the first few generations of clone trooper were grown in the cloning facilities of Tipoca City, on the storm-drenched world of Kamino. Using this secret facility and their own knowledge of genetic science, the Kaminoans quietly built what was considered the gold standard of clone armies.

Jedi spies were able to determine that the clone army was apparently commissioned by the late Master Sifo-Dyas, one of their own ranks. They had been commissioned nearly a decade prior to their first arrival on the battlefield. The source of genetic material for the early clones was a highly skilled and extremely talented bounty hunter named Jango Fett.

The key scientific breakthrough that was necessary for building successful clone armies was growth acceleration. Without this breakthrough it would take almost two decades for a soldier to reach combat maturity and this simply was not conducive to building armies quickly. As it were, a decade's time and training in military tactics and fighting techniques was required to produce a fully trained clonetrooper. Scientists were still able to maintain a small amount of independent thinking that would make the clonetrooper far better suited to changing battlefield conditions than a droid.

Clonetroopers resemble the traditional Stormtroopers in many ways as they were also encased in hard white armor and equipped with blasters. They wore a t-shaped visor rather than the traditional stormtrooper helmet and the the first units denoted rank using color codes on the armor. Green troopers were the sergeants, blue were the lieutenants, red symbolized the captains and finally yellow being the commanders. The commander clones underwent specific training to be able to be used in that capacity.

Before war's end, the color-designation changed to signify units rather than rank. The units were transformed into very specific special forces type teams that would often be equipped with mission specific battle gear and armor modifications. Some of these units included the Galactic Marines, the Shock Troopers, the Attack Battalion and the Star Corps.

The Separatist Crisis

As tensions increased in the early years of the Republic, Obi-Wan Kenobi discovered the secret clone army being built on Kamino and the Jedi Council was shocked to learn of its existence. They were even more surprised to discover the involvement of one of their own Sifo-Dyas. Nonetheless, when it became clear the Separatists were gearing up for war, the clone army was needed to protect the stability of the Republic. The Supreme Chancellor was granted emergency powers, and as his first act, he activated the clone troopers as the grand army of the Republic.

The first battle of the Clone Wars erupted on the barren plains of Geonosis which was a major Separatist stronghold. The clone troopers were unleashed on the Separatist forces and cut through the battle droid ranks with ease. Under the leadership of the Jedi, the clone troopers easily secured victory in the first battle of what would prove to be a very long war.

The effectiveness of the clone troopers would be proven time and again across the galaxy. The Jedi led the campaign and waged a very long and destructive war against the Separatists. Over time the Clones assigned to the Jedi developed strong working relationships, bordering on friendship, with the Jedi. In the end, however, the achievement of victory in war was of utmost priority to the clonetroopers and their loyalty would lie ultimately to the Republic.

Betrayal

Chancellor Palpatine, who was in truth Darth Sidious, had masterminded the Clone Wars from its very inception, having been responsible for the creation of the army via the cover of Sifo-Dyas. A specific contingency plan had been put in place establishing a series of emergency protocols that each clone commander was specifically trained to enact if called upon.

Order 66 was one of these emergency protocols that identified the Jedi order as traitors to the Republic. It required that they be eliminated immediately and with extreme prejudice. Once he was prepared to execute this order, Sidious made contact with his loyal clone commanders, and executed Order 66.

The clones turned on their Jedi leaders. They opened fire on the unsuspecting Jedi Knights, who were caught nearly completely unaware and virtually defenseless. The Jedi were all but eliminated under the savage attacks of the clone troopers. Execution 66 was almost 100% successful.

The elimination of the Jedi placed the clonetroopers under the direct command of the Chancellor. In time, the chancellor would leverage his new found power and control into one of the most feared galactic forces ever assembled. The clonetrooper evolved into the stormtrooper and thus was born the backbone of the Galactic Empire.