501st Legion

"Within months the 501st had gained a well deserved reputation as 'Vader's Fist'"

- Journal of the 501st The 501st Legion was an elite fighting unit under the Galactic Republic and the Galactic Empire. The clone troopers in it had blue markings on their armor. Viron Company was a unit within the legion led by Commander Bow. They were seen on many planets, and they were also known as Vader's Fist. Hasti Zaadvala once encountered the 501st. They later served the Confederation of Free Planets and the New Galactic Empire.

Early Clone Wars
"Its been said that the 501st got the best of the war, we also got the worst of it."

- Journal of the 501st

The troopers of the 501st Legion were clones of the bounty hunter Jango Fett, who had been selected by Jedi Master-turned-Sith Lord Dooku to be the template for an elite army. Cloned by expert Kaminoan scientists, the troopers were given top-notch training in many fields, as they were designed to be the ultimate soldiers. Members of the 501st Legion fought in the Grand Army of the Republic against the Confederacy of Independent Systems in the Battle of Geonosis, the opening battle of the Clone Wars, in 22 BBY. A short time later, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine founded the 501st Legion by moving a number of clones to a secret location on Coruscant known only to the Chancellor's most trusted advisers, far away from the normal training center on the planet Kamino. These clones were given special training by Palpatine's command staff to make the 501st the most feared legion in the galaxy. Some members of the legion would be covertly transferred to other units; however, they were tracked to ensure that they would be available in the future if they were ever needed for any special assignments, as Palpatine suspected they would be. The core group of this legion was assigned to serve under Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and Clone Captain CC-7567, nicknamed "Rex." With Skywalker's help, the 501st quickly earned a reputation for incredible victories, often snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Among the 501st's earliest battles was the Battle of Christophsis, where they served under Skywalker, Captain Rex, and High Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi. Based out of Crystal City, the 501st troops managed to recapture Christophsis from the Confederacy, beating back Separatist General Whorm Loathsom's multiple assaults. However, Loathsom soon deployed a deflector shield to protect his battle droid troops, and the clone troopers were forced to pull back and defend the Republic's heavy cannons. After Skywalker and his newly assigned Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, destroyed the shield generator, the heavy cannons annihilated the droids and forced the Separatists to surrender. Immediately following the Republic victory on Christophsis, the 501st detachment Torrent Company was sent with Skywalker, Tano, and Rex to Teth to recover Hutt crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure's son, Rotta, in order to gain access to hyperlanes passing through Jabba's territory for the Grand Army. Ferried to Teth's surface in LAAT/i gunships, the Republic unit began a grueling campaign up the vertical face of a cliff to the B'omarr Monastery where Rotta was being held. Utilizing AT-TE walkers and grappling hooks, Torrent Company was able to defeat the Separatist battle droids holding the monastery, though half of the unit was lost on the way up. After Skywalker and Tano located and rescued Rotta from the depths of the castle, the Confederate forces—under the command of Dark Acolyte Asajj Ventress—launched a counterattack on the Teth monastery. The Jedi and clone troops were forced to barricade themselves inside the stronghold, loosing three-quarters of their remaining forces in defending the castle. Skywalker and his Padawan then left to find medical assistance for Rotta, leaving Captain Rex in command of the troops. Ventress and her forces were soon able to break through the monastery door's controls, and the defense of the monastery cost Rex all but five troopers. The clone captain and the rest of the survivors launched a last stand against the battle droids. General Kenobi and the 212th Attack Battalion eventually arrived at Teth, reinforcing the remnants of the 501st and securing the defeat of the Separatists. A treaty was established between the Republic and Jabba the Hutt, but although the 501st was replenished with new troops, the loss of the original Torrent Company left scars on all involved. Soon after, Rex and troops of the 501st were redeployed with Skywalker and Tano aboard their recently-christened fleet of Venator-class Star Destroyers to protect Bothawui from the Confederate General Grievous, who was intent on capturing the planet. Departing from Coruscant, Skywalker's forces eventually arrived at Bothawui and defeated Grievous, securing a Republic victory. 501st troopers Rex and Denal also helped Skywalker and Tano in destroying the Separatist listening post Skytop Station. Rex, Tano, Clone Sergeant Coric, and six new Torrent Company recruits—Ross, Boro, Joc, Hil, Vere, and Ince—later participated in a routine shakedown cruise aboard Captain Gilad Pellaeon's assault ship, the Leveler, in the Dantus sector. However, their short respite from the war ended when they were called in to rescue the Republic Intelligence agent Hallena Devis, who had been taken hostage by rebel forces in opposition to the Regent of the nearby JanFathal. Receiving assistance from the Altisian Jedi sect as well as General Skywalker, the task force was ultimately successful in extracting and rescuing Devis; however, troopers Vere and Ince were killed in the mission. Torrent Company itself continued to endure losses even after the JanFathal mission. Captain Rex inducted rookie troopers CT-27-5555 and CT-21-0408, nicknamed "Fives" and "Echo," into the 501st for their service in recapturing a Republic outpost from the Separatists and alerting the Republic to an impeding Confederate attack on Kamino. The 501st served with Skywalker and Tano in reinforcing Jedi General Aayla Secura, who was being ambushed by a Separatist fleet over Quell. Arriving in Skywalker's flagship, the Resolute, 501st troops were deployed in LAAT/i gunships to board Secura's cruiser, the Liberty, which was under attack by rocket droids. Skywalker and Tano rescued Secura and Clone Commander CC-5052 from the damaged Star Destroyer, but their escape cruiser's hyperdrive was accidentally tripped by a Vulture droid attack. The group mistakenly jumped to hyperspace, leaving Admiral Wullf Yularen in command of the remaining troops. At some point following the Quell engagement, the 501st's Torrent Company helped to retake the Bothan colony world Kothlis from General Grievous, serving there under Kenobi, Tano, Captain Rex, and Sergeant Coric. Launching from the Republic Star Destroyer Indomitable, Torrent Company joined in the battle to regain control of Kothlis's spynet facility on the planet's surface. Although the campaign was ultimately a success, it saw the unit's greatest depletion and losses since the Battle of Teth. The injured clones from the 501st company were sent to the Kaliida Shoals Medical Center for treatment, Rex and Coric among them. The legion also participated in "mopping up" the remaining droid forces on the recently liberated planet of Ryloth, helping Skywalker and Tano defeat the droids based out of the ruined city of Resdin. Eventually, Rex and a 501st contingent were sent to reconnoiter Geonosis, where evidence of Separatist droid foundries had been discovered. Upon arriving in orbit of the world, the task force was unable to make contact with the clones on the surface but ran preliminary scans and discovered the droid foundries in the planet's northern and southern hemispheres. In his report to the Jedi Council, Rex recommended a full-scale invasion to retake Geonosis, as the Geonosians were already in the process of mounting much more than a simple revolt. The Jedi Council used the information to mount an assault on Geonosis, sending several Jedi to lead a massive invasion force and shut down the droid factories.

End of the war
"In our bones, we knew the war was almost over. The galaxy waited with baited breath to see which side would make the final, daring move."

- Journal of the 501st

In the final days of the war, the 501st was frequently shuttled across the galaxy, often divided into specialized groups to assist other missions. Under the orders of Chancellor Palpatine, the 501st would sometimes operate outside of the usual command structure, with detachments of the unit serving at many pivotal campaigns. In 19 BBY, the final year of the war, the 501st took part in several battles pivotal in ending the war. In the Battle of Mygeeto, they were involved in Project Hammertong, a clandestine mission to acquire a power crystal for Chancellor Palpatine, who secretly had plans of constructing a superlaser-armed battlestation. The clones succeeded in pushing back the droid forces, recovering the power crystal, and crucial to the mission, keeping their commander, Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi, unaware of their true purpose. The legion also fought in the Battle of Felucia alongside Jedi Knight Aayla Secura. Despite conditions the troopers would remember as hellish, they defeated the Confederacy's droid forces, as well as several wild acklays. Shortly before the Battle of Coruscant, members of the 501st were stationed on Coruscant, where they were used to carry out security patrols. Not long afterward, the 501st fought in the Battle of Coruscant in an effort to rescue the kidnapped Chancellor Palpatine from the Confederacy. Members of the legion, many flying starfighters in battle for the first time, destroyed a number of droid starfighters and capital ships. Most importantly, they created a diversion, clearing a path for Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi to infiltrate the Confederate flagship, the Invisible Hand, and rescue Palpatine. After that battle, some members of the 501st were dispatched to Kashyyyk. When they jumped out of hyperspace, they found the planet blockaded by the Separatists. The 501st was forced to punch a hole in the Confederate Navy, which they accomplished along with stealing a set of attack plans for the upcoming battle. They then landed on the planet's surface, where they fought alongside the 41st Elite Corps and Jedi Master Yoda. Following this battle, a detachment of the 501st was transferred to Utapau. They fought with Obi-Wan Kenobi, and helped the 212th Attack Battalion defeat the droid forces there by taking down various CIS gun batteries and destroying an energy column. Most importantly, General Kenobi was able to kill the Confederacy's Supreme Commander, Grievous.

Fall of the Republic
"What I remember about the rise of the Empire is.... is how quiet it was. During the waning hours of the Clone Wars, the 501st was discreetly transferred back to Coruscant. It was a silent trip; we all knew what was about to happen, what we were about to do. Did we have any doubts? Any private traitorous thoughts? perhaps, but no one said a word. Not on the flight back to Coruscant. Not when Order 66 came down. And not when we marched into the Jedi Temple. Not a word."

- Journal of the 501st As the battle was winding down, a group of clones were taken and discreetly transferred to Coruscant, in preparation for Order 66—a top-secret order given by Chancellor Palpatine which stated that the Jedi had rebelled against the Republic, and needed to be eliminated. On Coruscant, they met Anakin Skywalker, now the Sith Lord Darth Vader, and were given their orders: destroy the Jedi. Though they appreciated the Jedi, their loyalty lay first with Palpatine, as all clone troopers had been taught to obey the Supreme Chancellor first and foremost. Vader led them into the Jedi Temple, ready for battle. Though some held quiet doubts about what they knew was to happen, they did not voice them, and the troopers of the 501st, alongside Vader, succeeded in killing almost every Jedi in the Temple. Meanwhile, Palpatine was transmitting Order 66 around the galaxy to different clone commanders. Nearly all obeyed their orders without question, killing their Jedi commanders. The Coruscant Security Force tracked a number of suspected Jedi, such as Tru Veld, and called in the 501st for assistance in capturing them. The legion also attacked and killed a number of Jedi on Shinarcan Bridge a couple of hours after the declaration of Order 66, and Jedi Knight Etain Tur-Mukan was killed by a fellow Jedi when she tried to stop him from killing one of the 501st troopers. Following the extermination of the Jedi, Decoy Squad Five was placed in charge of deceiving Jedi returning to the Temple, though the eight-member squad would be killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda, who had managed to escape the carnage and return to Coruscant.

Imperial rule
"For the first time in months, the 501st could relax and get about the business of maintaining an empire, instead of building one."

- Journal of the 501st A short time after the execution of Order 66, Palpatine would announce that he was reorganizing the Republic into the Galactic Empire, which he would rule as emperor. Now serving the Empire, the members of the 501st took the designation stormtrooper, as well as new armor, weapons, and ships. They would continue to serve directly under Vader, and in the years to come, would fight in a number of pivotal battles. The legion was often deployed in places where its advanced fighting skills could be used to make a political statement. Most of its missions were classified, so as to hide what it was doing from the Imperial Senate. In the years following Order 66, the 501st woud fight on a number of mop-up missions against either remnants of the Confederacy or the few Jedi that had managed to survived Order 66. A short time after Order 66, the 501st Legion went on Kessel to help Darth Vader take down the Jedi conclave there. Vader fought against a total of eight Jedi, and though he was wounded, the 501st aided him in killing them. When it was over, the eight Jedi lay dead. Vader's reputation, along with that of the 501st, grew tremendously with this victory. On the planet New Plympto, Commander Vill led a detachment of the 501st against Nosaurian forces still loyal to the Confederacy. The Nosaurians held out for a time, but Vill and his men succeeded in defeating the rebels at the Battle of Half-Axe Pass. The 501st followed Vader to Murkhana, where they confronted a group of clones who had refused to execute Order 66. Vader killed most of them and had the rest taken into custody, and then led his men to Kashyyyk once more, where they fought against a group of Jedi who had survived Order 66. Led by Commander Appo, they killed and enslaved tens of thousands of Wookiees in an effort to gain workers for the Emperor's new secret project, the Death Star superweapon. Some of the Jedi, including Master Roan Shryne, were killed. However, before dying, Shryne managed to kill Appo, after which Commander Bow assumed command. Vader then brought a unit from the 501st with him on a visit to the devastated planet of Honoghr. There, they were attacked by the native Noghri, who proved to be a match for the elite stormtroopers. Impressed, Vader devised a plan to enslave the species and use them as his personal assassins. Another crucial mission took place a year after the Empire's rise. The Queen of Naboo, Apailana, was suspected of hiding Jedi fugitives. After several failed negotiation attempts, the 501st was dispatched to Naboo to assassinate Apailana and kill any Jedi on the planet. Apailana attempted to flee from the unit, guarded by several Jedi, but was killed along with her guardians. This mission was the first time the 501st would forcibly adjust a planet's government. More would follow. Sometime after the Battle of Naboo, the 501st was sent to Mustafar to stop a droid rebellion led by the rogue Geonosian Gizor Dellso. Dellso had found a hidden droid factory and had started it up, producing an army of battle droids. The 501st first had to fight his fleet before they were able to land on the planet. They also succeeded in taking back the plans for an experimental starfighter that Dellso had managed to steal from the Empire previously. On Mustafar, they destroyed numerous droids as well as Dellso's prototype droid schematics before confronting Dellso and his bodyguards. The troopers killed Dellso as well as his guards, then bombarded the planet from space. In 12 BBY, the 501st was sent to Kamino due to suspicions of a rebellion on the planet. There, the Kaminoans were waiting with specially trained ARC troopers. The 501st was led by the bounty hunter Boba Fett, himself an unaltered Fett clone, due to his knowledge of the inner workings of Tipoca City and the cloning centers. Their mission was to kill as many rogue clones as possible, and destroy the cloning facilities. With the help of the bounty hunter, the 501st destroyed the cloning mechanisms, ending the rebellion. It was after this incident that Palpatine decided to use different templates for the clone army, as an army of genetically similar soldiers was too dangerous. After these incidents, the 501st gained the nickname "Vader's Fist," as they were his personal stormtrooper squadron, and executed many top-priority missions. The unit, also referred to as the Five Hundred and First, would consist solely of Fett clones for a time after the Battle of Kamino, the only Imperial unit to do so, although by 0 BBY non-Fett clones were in the unit. Members of the 501st were also stationed at the Jedi Temple at some point when Darth Vader's secret apprentice Galen Marek arrived in search of the Great Holocron. As Marek's existence was supposed to be kept from the Emperor, he was instructed to kill all who saw him. To preserve this secret, Marek killed a number of 501st troopers guarding the Temple.

Galactic Civil War
"For months we'd treated the Rebellion like a disobedient child, only to have our tolerance repaid with treachery on an unimaginable scale."

- Journal of the 501st In 0 BBY, the 501st would have their first encounter with the Rebel Alliance. A group of prisoners on the Death Star, led by a captured Jedi, rebelled and stole a set of schematics for the superweapon. The 501st managed to put down the brief insurrection, recaptured the set of the plans, and killed the Jedi. The 501st soon learned that the plans they thought they had recovered was a decoy. They followed Vader around the galaxy, trying desperately to get back the lost plans. Following a battle on Polis Massa in which the Rebellion put up a much greater fight than expected, the 501st once again thought that they had recovered the plans. Much to Vader's displeasure, they learned that it was once again a decoy from the Alliance. They then learned that Princess Leia Organa had the plans. With that information, the Star Destroyer Devastator followed the Tantive IV, Organa's ship. Above the Outer Rim planet of Tatooine, the Devastator managed to disable the corvette. The 501st then stormed the ship, and stunned Organa, but failed to locate the plans, as an escape pod containing them had been jettisoned. At least one stormtrooper did not like the Imperial philosophy, and planned to defect following the invasion of the Tantive IV. However, he was shot and killed by Organa during the battle. Though some troopers were by now tired of this chase, they were not so foolish as to voice their complaints, and suspected that soon this pursuit would be over. The unit believed that Organa would cave in to Vader's methods of persuasion, and inform him of all the Alliance's secrets. However, she refused to divulge any secrets, even under torture. Meanwhile, the 501st was stationed on board the Death Star. Much to their displeasure, Organa was able to escape from her cell with the help of several Rebels who managed to infiltrate the Death Star. The Alliance finally received the plans, and was able to discover a weak spot in the battlestation's defenses&mdash;an unshielded thermal exhaust port located on the surface. Unfortunately for the Alliance, the Empire had finally discerned the location of the Rebellion's secret base&mdash;the moon Yavin 4. Taking the Death Star to the Yavin system, the Empire expected to finally emerge victorious. However, in the subsequent battle, the Rebel Alliance was able to destroy the Death Star. Over half the men of the 501st died in the explosion. In response, the remnants of the 501st joined the Empire's blockade of Yavin 4. The legion managed to destroy a number of capital ships and starfighters in space before landing on the suface. There, they managed to kill three Bothans who were among the Alliance leadership. Still, the 501st was furious, as they felt like they had overlooked the Rebellion, only to pay for it with the lives of millions. The men were determined to end this threat once and for all. In 1 ABY, the unit was sent to Makrin City along with Vader on a mission to capture Leia Organa and arrest Governor Barshnis Choard for high treason. Though Organa escaped with the help of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and five rogue stormtroopers, Choard was arrested and taken into custody.In 3 ABY, the 501st took part in the Battle of Hoth along with Blizzard Force. The unit destroyed the Alliance's shield generator, and placed a homing beacon under the last Rebel transport, allowing several Star Destroyers to bombard the planet, decimating the transport and killing a number of Rebels. Overall, the battle was an Imperial rout. The 501st believed they had finally ended the Rebel Alliance threat, calling this battle their finest hour. However, a year later at the Battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance destroyed the second Death Star with Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader on board. The Empire, and the 501st, was in shambles.

Confederation of Free Planets
"We had swore we were loyal to them, that we would never betray the Jedi again. We were lying of course.... and everyone believed us."

- Sergeant Fox

In 7 ABY the 501st Legion joined the Confederation of Free Planets. In 8 ABY the 501st Legion were ordered to follow Order 66 again and kill the Jedi.

New Galactic Empire
"How we savored victory. We'd succeeded in killing those Jedi fools again. And we'd succeeded in putting a new, stronger government in action again.... we were beginning to think we were unstoppable."

- Commander Appo Later the 501st Legion served the New Galactic Empire after it replaced the Confederation of Free Planets.