Hardcase

Hardcase was a Galactic Republic clone trooper during the Clone Wars that served under Clone Captain CT-7567 "Rex" in the 501st Legion. He served in the unit in multiple early engagements in the war, including at Benglor, Hisseen, and Mimban. When the 501st was deployed at the Battle of Umbara, Hardcase and his fellow troopers saw their Jedi General, Anakin Skywalker, replaced by Pong Krell. Krell used questionable tactics that resulted in heavy casualties, causing the troops to begin to become divided under his leadership. Hardcase went against orders multiple times during the battle, including infiltrating the Umbaran airbase with ARC trooper CT-5555 "Fives" to steal Umbaran starfighters. Later, Hardcase, Fives, and CT-5597 "Jesse" went on a rogue mission in the starfighters to destroy a Separatist supply ship, and Hardcase ended up sacrificing himself to destroy the ship.
==Biography==
===Early life===
Hardcase was a clone of the bounty hunter Jango Fett. He was born on the planet Kamino like all clone troopers were.Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, Updated and Expanded — Based on corresponding data for clones of Jango Fett However, his growth acceleration chamber on Kamino had a leak in it, which resulted in Hardcase developing a hyper-active attitude. Upon completion of his training, Hardcase became a soldier in the Grand Army of the Republic's 501st Legion, fighting for the Galactic Republic agains the Confederacy of Independent Systems in the Clone Wars.
===Mission to Benglor===
Not long after the beginning of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY,Star Wars Adventures: The Clone Wars – Battle Tales 1 places the mission to Benglor during the Clone Wars and prior to the Battle of Christophsis. Since the beginning of the Clone Wars and the Battle of Christophsis are dated to 22 BBY by Star Wars: Galactic Atlas, the mission to Benglor must take place in that year. Hardcase and other members of the 501st Legion traveled to the planet Benglor to investigate suspected Separatist activity. Under Jedi General Anakin Skywalker, the legion endured the sweltering heat of the world as they searched the forests for signs of the Droid Army. During a rest period, Hardcase discovered a mysterious slime-like substance and, suspecting it to be a clue to the Separatists' actions on the planet, alerted his superior, Clone Captain Rex. Other clones soon discovered the remains of a B1-series battle droid laid out in a line leading deeper into the forest.
One of the troopers, Bellow, followed the scraps until he was ambushed by a native creature. Hardcase began to fire upon the creature with a Z-6 rotary blaster cannon, trying to protect his comrade, but the beast ignored the trooper's fire and swallowed Bellow. Enraged at his brother's death, Hardcase disobeyed the orders of Captain Rex and charged at the creature, only to be swatted away by the beast. The animal prepared to attack the trooper, but General Skywalker subdued the creature by reaching out through the Force, allowing Hardcase and the rest of the clones to fall back. Skywalker reprimanded Hardcase for disobeying direct orders, expecting the trooper to comply in the future.
===Siege of Hisseen===
Sometime after the mission to Benglor in the same year, Hardcase and the 501st fought on the planet Hisseen against the forces of Count Dooku, the leader of the Droid Army, who sought to forcibly compel the Hisseenian parliament to join the Separatist movement. The clone legion fought alongside members of the 104th and 212th Battalions of the Grand Army to defend a Hisseenian village from the onslaught of the Count's army, though they were soon outmatched by the opposing B2-series super battle droids. The arrival of Generals Skywalker, Plo Koon, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, however, turned the tide of the battle in the Republic's favor. After destroying the droids, the Jedi departed to confront Dooku, leaving the clones to defend the village. Not long after, more droids arrived and engaged Hardcase and the other clone forces. During the firefight, the troopers were contacted by General Koon, who requested reinforcements be sent to his location.
===Battle of Mimban===
Hardcase and the 501st fought during the Battle of Mimban alongside the Mud Jumpers, led by Captain Rex in support of Jedi General Laan Tik. They were accompanied by Junior Representative Jar Jar Binks, who was intended to act as an interface with the native Mimbanese. Hardcase was ordered to by Rex to get Binks out of the combat zone to safety. Hardcase complied, voicing his opinion that the representative should be on the battlefield and sarcastically commenting that Binks was doing "a heck of a job." When Laan Tik was suddenly struck down by battle droid blaster fire, the chain of command fell to Binks and the troopers were forced to fall back. Hardcase was ordered to lay down suppressing fire to cover their retreat.
===Pursuit on Saleucami===
In 21 BBY,Star Wars: Galactic Atlas dates the events of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode "Landing at Point Rain" to 21 BBY, and dates the death of Ponds, as seen in the episode "Lethal Trackdown," to the same year. Since places "Grievous Intrigue" and "The Deserter" between "Landing at Point Rain" and "Lethal Trackdown," their events, which include the Battle of Saleucami, must take place in the same year. General Grievous captured Jedi Master Eeth Koth. Koth was freed and Grievous was left stranded on the nearby planet of Saleucami. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi led clone troopers of the 501st and 212th Attack Battalion to find and capture Grievous. During the mission, Hardcase rode a BARC speeder with Captain Rex as well as fellow 501st troopers Kix and Jesse. Rex was injured by a droid, and Hardcase and the others decided to drop him off at a farm while they continued their mission. Grievous would ultimately escape Republic capture.
===Battle of Umbara===
In 20 BBY, Hardcase and the 501st were deployed to fight in the Battle of Umbara. Skywalker led the initial assault and helped the troops reach a ridge, but they soon evacuated the area as Republic air support arrived. After the conflict, Skywalker was called back to Coruscant and replaced by Jedi General Pong Krell. After a brutal march towards the capital, Krell ordered the troops to advance straight down the main road, and despite initial opposition to the plan, Rex moved Hardcase and the other squads down the road. When the clone trooper Tup questioned why they were not probing the city's defenses first, Hardcase responded with confidence, saying that he believed they could take whatever they faced. When the troops were ambushed, Hardcase fired on the advancing natives with great effect, taunting his enemies until the overwhelmed clones swiftly retreated back the way they came. When Krell sent reinforcements to bail them out, Hardcase turned around and fired at the Umbarans, shouting at them when they began retreating.
As the campaign progressed, the troops quickly began to discuss Krell's seemingly irrational and heavy-casualty tactics. Hardcase maintained his focus, trying to be optimistic for the heavy fighting that awaited. However, his motivations quickly changed as the campaign progressed, and despite being optimistic about the assault on the Umbaran airbase, understood the concerns voiced by the majority of the troops, including ARC trooper Fives and Jesse. As the troops advanced down a narrow path directly into Umbaran resistance, Rex ordered a full retreat despite Krell's orders for them to press on in the face of the Umbaran Militia's mobile heavy cannons. Hardcase and the others dropped back and tried to use rocket launchers to hit the mobile cannons, but their armor was too strong. He formed his own plan, and together with Fives, Rex tasked them with infiltrating the airbase to steal two Umbaran starfighters, going against Krell's orders for a full frontal assault. As Rex and the other troops held out and suffered even more casualties, Hardcase and Fives snuck into the base and, figuring out the controls on the fly, flew back and used the fighter's impressive firepower to destroy the cannons.
After securing the airbase, Hardcase and clone trooper Dogma reported to Krell to inform him of the increased number of Umbarans attacking the base. Krell ordered the two clones to interrogate the prisoners to reconfigure the base's security for an effective defense. Now holding a position instead of constantly advancing, the clones had more time to debate Krell's leadership. When the majority of the troopers believed that Krell was out of control, Hardcase, Jesse, and Fives formulated a plan to use the captured Umbaran starfighters to disable the Separatist supply ship that was in orbit on the planet. The ship was resupplying nearby forces that was putting pressure on the 501st and their position.
After cracking into the access codes, Hardcase once again attempted to fly the fighter in the hangar, which ended poorly. When they suggested the plan to Rex, he admitted he liked it but eventually returned to tell them that Krell had vetoed the idea. Tup voiced his concerns about their flying abilities, citing Hardcase's poor display that they would not last very long in an aerial engagement. When Hardcase again attempted to fly the fighter and accidentally destroyed the hangar, Krell confronted him. Hardcase explained that he had been working on the fighter when an enemy booby trap went off, which satisfied Krell but also reaffirmed that he would not be authorizing their mission. Regardless, Hardcase agreed to disobey Krell's orders and accompanied Jesse and Fives, who commandeered starfighters in an attempt to destroy a droid supply ship themselves instead of going along with Krell's plan.
===The sacrifice===
The three clones flew through the space battle, forming up behind other Umbaran starfighters and maneuvering to get close to the supply ship. When they were discovered, they flew into the interior of the ship to blow it from the inside. When their rogue operation was looking like it would fail, Hardcase got out of his starfighter to blow up the ship himself. Fives told him to get back inside his ship, but Hardcase was firm in his decision, saying it was the only way. When Jesse convinced Fives to let Hardcase finish their mission, Hardcase grabbed one of the wing-mounted missile pods on the ship and hurled it into the reactor. As Fives and Jesse flew away, Hardcase looked back at his brothers and smiled as he sacrificed his life to destroy the supply ship.
==Personality and traits==
Hardcase was a human male clone of Jango Fett, who stood at 1.83 meters, or 6ft in height. He had black hair which he shaved bald, brown eyes and tan skin.
Hardcase was a tough and loyal clone but frequently forged his own plan and sometimes disobeyed orders. When he did exactly that during the Mission to Benglor, he was reprimanded by General Skywalker. Hardcase loved a good fight and embraced the danger of their missions, even enjoying destroying his enemies. He described himself as hyper-active and blamed it on a leak in his growth chamber. Hardcase's eagerness for battle and his hyperactivity made his personal weapon of choice, the Z-6 rotary blaster cannon, the perfect weapon for him to become an expert at using in combat.
When Hardcase and the others worked on the fighters, Hardcase teased and joked with his brothers. On the Separatist supply ship, Hardcase chose to sacrifice himself to aid in the destruction of the ship as a final favor to his comrades, whom he cared for deeply. He kept his head shaved throughout the war, and like many of his fellow clones, Hardcase had personalized tattoos on his face.
==Skills and abilities==
As a clone trooper, Hardcase was skilled in both armed and unarmed combat and had knowledge of military tactics. Hardcase was a heavy weapons specialist.
==Equipment==
Early on in the war, Hardcase, like the rest of the clones, wore a set of standard Phase I clone trooper armor with distinct blue armor. Later, he would make the switch to Phase II clone trooper armor along with the rest of the clones, keeping the distinct, personalized design from his Phase I armor. His weapon of choice was a powerful, rapid-fire Z-6 rotary blaster cannon, although he could be seen with a DC-15A blaster rifle during the Battle of Umbara.
==Behind the scenes==
Hardcase first appeared in "The Deserter," which first aired on January 1, 2010 as part of The Clone Wars: Season Two. He was voiced by Dee Bradley Baker, who voiced all clones for the show.
==Appearances==
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*Star Wars Adventures: The Clone Wars – Battle Tales 1
*Star Wars Adventures: The Clone Wars – Battle Tales 4
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==Sources==
==Notes and references==
Category:Clone troopers
Category:Individuals with he/him pronouns
Category:Males
Category:Members of the 501st Legion (Galactic Republic)