13th Battalion

The 13th Battalion, also known as the "Iron" Battalion, was a battalion in the Grand Army of the Republic that participated in the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and the Separatist Alliance. It was commanded by Jedi General Jaro Tapal, the Jedi Commander Cal Kestis, and a Clone Commander. It fought in the Bracca Invasion, and later participated in the implementation of Order 66 against the Jedi, which resulted in the death of Tapal and the entire unit, as well as the destruction of the Albedo Brave.
==Characteristics==
The 13th Battalion, also known as the "Iron" Battalion due to the resilience they showed in conflict, was an infantry battalion of the Grand Army of the Republic that consisted of clone troopers. The troopers were equipped with Phase II clone trooper armor with light yellow markings and DC-15A blaster carbines. The battalion was led by Jedi General Jaro Tapal and a Clone Commander who was outfitted with the same gear as the standard clone troopers of the battalion. Tapal's Padawan, Cal Kestis, also served in the battalion as a Jedi Commander. The 13th Battalion was headquartered on the Venator-class Star Destroyer Albedo Brave. Several members of a separate military unit led by Jedi General Chiata had the same color scheme of the 13th Battalion. As a battalion of the Grand Army, it was composed of four companies of 144 troopers each.Collapse of the Republic establishes that a battalion in the Grand Army of the Republic is made up of four companies. Star Wars: Complete Locations furthermore establishes that a company in the Grand Army of the Republic is composed of 144 clone troopers.
==History==
===Bracca campaign and training===
The 13th Battalion was a battalion in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and the Separatist Alliance, and fell under the command of Jedi General Jaro Tapal, the Jedi Commander Cal Kestis and a Clone Commander, who served as the unit's leading clone trooper officer. The 13th Battalion participated in the Bracca Invasion, and by the time after the Battle of Coruscant, managed to secure the planet. The 13th Battalion was then located on their headquarters, the Venator-class Star Destroyer Albedo Brave.
After Bracca was secured, rumors spread amongst the members of the 13th that they would be getting a new deployment and they were true because the battalion was ordered to assist Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi and his forces gain victory in the Fourth Battle of Mygeeto. Around the same time, Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis was summoned by his Master, Tapal, to the Albedo Brave Jedi training site. On the way, Kestis spoke with several clone troopers on topics such as having rematches, rumors of their next deployment, and whether Kestis was on his way to training. At least one member of the battalion believed that Bracca was a "dump" and another was friendly enough with Kestis to give him a high-five and wish him luck.
Kestis then entered the training room, where Tapal was speaking with the Clone Commander in the control center. Tapal instructed Kestis to reach their position, and Kestis undertook a training course. During the training, the Clone Commander fired upon Kestis as part of the training course, although Kestis was able to deflect the blasts. Kestis then reached the control center, to which Tapal then informed Kestis that the battalion secured Bracca and would move to Mygeeto shortly.
===Order 66===
====Initial attack====
At that time, the Clone Commander received Order 66 from Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, secretly Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious, just as Tapal felt a disturbance in the Force of the Jedi being attacked across the galaxy. The Clone Commander raised his blaster ready to shoot Tapal, when Tapal activated his lightsaber and cut the blaster and then slashed across the clone's stomach, killing him. Although Kestis was confused, Tapal told him that the clones had betrayed them. Tapal then instructed Kestis to get to the Albedo Brave escape pods to escape the ship, but to use the maintenance halls and that they would rendezvous there along with further instructions. Other clone troopers then began blasting their way into the control room while the two Jedi parted ways. Kestis made his way to the maintenance halls while the ship was put on high alert and clone troopers were deployed, some of which spotted Kestis and fired on him.
====Skirmish on the Albedo Brave====
After breaching a panel and entering the the maintenance hall, Kestis walked above several members of the battalion, who were updated on the Jedi's status. They reported that the Jedi were on the move and that there was no sign of Kestis and that they needed to search everywhere, but were then alerted to Kestis's movements above them. A clone then instructed his fellow soldiers to hold the room while he searched the area. After Kestis reached another area of the ship, the clones below him reported to others that there were casualties and that Tapal had destroyed several squads.
While Kestis continued, the clones discovered that there was someone in the maintenance halls and explosions erupted throughout the vessel. Sometime during the skirmish, Tapal overloaded the ship's main reactor. Kestis then reached an area with turbolifts, which were damaged after several explosions. After moving in the area, a clone trooper spotted Kestis and reported to his comrades and began firing. Kestis then encountered two more troopers which began firing on him, and in the fight Kestis lost his lightsaber, although Tapal arrived and killed the clones by pushing them off the doorway and into the turbolift shaft. Tapal then instructed Kestis to continue onward.
====Escape from the Albedo Brave====
Leaving the turbolift shaft, Kestis moved through another maintenance hall as his master slaughtered a contingent of clone troopers below. Tapal then informed Kestis that there was an override nearby and that it must be activated in order for them to escape the vessel. Once Kestis unlocked the override, Tapal moved from one hallway to another, killing several other clone troopers. Kestis eventually arrived at the escape pod bay, when he confronted two troopers. Tapal arrived simultaneously and dispatched the two troopers, although a large group of Republic forces soon converged on their location from a central hallway. Tapal defended Kestis as he opened the door, but was eventually wounded by the barrage of blaster fire. After a final attempt to protect Kestis, Tapal used the Force against the clones but was hit by another barrage of laser fire, and fell backwards into the pod. Kestis used Force Stasis to freeze the clones and allow time to escape. Once the escape pod launched, Kestis listened to Tapal's final words as the Albedo Brave succumbed to an explosion that claimed the vessel. The explosion killed all members of the 13th Battalion.
===Legacy===
Kestis travelled to Zeffo a second time and explored the Venator-class Star Destroyer that had crashed there. Kestis encountered several Force Echos of the skirmish on Zeffo that occurred when the forces of Jedi General Chiata turned against her and her padawan Marseph, resulting in Kestis reminiscing on his experience during Order 66's execution. During Kestis' mission to Dathomir, he had a vision of his experience against the 13th Battalion during the initial implementation of Order 66 while attempting to enter the Tomb of Kujet.
==Behind the scenes==
The 13th Battalion first appeared in the 2019 video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Its official designation and "Iron Battalion" nickname were later identified in The Art of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Clone trooper corpses with the armor of the 13th Battalion can be seen on Kashyyyk and Zeffo. The Star Wars: The Black Series figure release of a 13th Battalion clone trooper incorrectly described Tapal as leading the battalion as a Jedi Commander. At Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2022, a helmet of the 13th Battalion was featured as one of eight collectible pins from the Mystery Helmets Collection and titled as 327th Star Corps.
==Appearances==
*Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order 
==Sources==
*The Art of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order 
*
*Star Wars: Timelines
==Notes and references==
Category:Grand Army of the Republic battalions