Clone X trooper

Clone X troopers, also known as CX troopers, Clone X series, clone assassins, or Shadows (by Rex) were specialized clone troopers conditioned by the Advanced Science Division of the Imperial Science Bureau of the Galactic Empire. During the process, their identities were erased and underwent programming to be fanatically loyal to the Empire. Clone assassins were monitored with enhanced tracking to ensure they completed their missions without fail. Acting as specialized clone commandos and assassins active under a deep undercover program of the Advanced Science Division, they wore unique armor and were equipped with a variety of weapons. In the event of possibly being captured, they were provided with a electro capsule.
Vice Admiral Edmon Rampart was given Clone X to silence clones who knew of his involvement in the Attack on Kamino and planned to snitch on him to the Imperial Senate. Months later, the Empire sent CX-1 to eliminate Senator Avi Singh, and, when CX-1 was captured by the Clone Underground movement, sent CX-2 to silence CX-1 on Teth.
==Description==
Clone X troopers, designated as CX troopers and also known as clone assassins, were specialized clone troopers that were activated to serve as assassins and clone commandos. The clones were products of Chief Scientist Doctor Royce Hemlock's deep undercover program, where clones were conditioned into new warriors without a trace of their old identities. The conditioned soldiers served as special operatives organized under the classified Advanced Science Division. In order to avoid detection, only one clone assassin is activated at a time. If a clone assassin fails his mission or is captured, another will be activated and tasked with killing his predecessor.
During operations, Clone X troopers were equipped with black military armor that contained communications devices on the helmets, and could have a rangefinder attached. Their helmet was pressurized and possessed a mechanized visor that would retract and protract as needed. Additionally, a control panel brace could be added for direct control to their CX Dagger vessels. Among the Clone X troopers were a variety of roles, with Clone X, CX-1, and CX-2 being trained as sharpshooters and as such were provided with a 773 Firepuncher rifle, an RK-3 blaster, and a backpack equipped with gear like thermal detonators, attached to their armor. Four Clone X troopers deployed by Hemlock during a raid on Mount Tantiss were equipped with different helmets and were resistant to stun blasts, Hemlock's toxin gas, and blaster fire, with it taking several well-paced shots to kill each of the assassins. Furthermore, these troopers were trained to wield weapons such as electrospears, superheated vibroblades, electrified bolas, and double-barreled blaster pistols. In order to maintain their clandestine nature in the event of being compromised, Clone X troopers had all records of their previous identities (including operating numbers) erased from all databanks and were implanted with electro capsules in one of their teeth to be used in the event of capture and imprisonment as well as an internal homing device that could avoid scans and remain active while the soldier remained alive.
==History==
===Coruscant Conspiracy===
Several months after the rise of the Empire, these specialized clone troopers were active when one such commando, Clone X, who was deployed to serve Vice Admiral Edmon Rampart, was ordered to assassinate an Imperial clone trooper known as Cade, who was planning to expose Rampart for his involvement in the destruction of Tipoca City to the Imperial Senate. Set up upon a rooftop near 79's, a cantina on Coruscant that catered to clone troopers, Clone X shot and killed Cade as he exited the cantina alongside clone stormtrooper Slip. Clone X attempted to terminate Slip as well, but the panicked clone managed to commandeer a speeder bike and escape.
Soon after, Clone X managed to track down Slip and successfully assassinate him in the streets of Coruscant after spotting the trooper speaking with Pantoran Senator Riyo Chuchi. In an attempt to tie up any loose ends, Clone X proceeded to attack the senator and her bodyguards, and pursued them through a nearby warehouse. After killing all of Chuchi's men, Clone X prepared to kill the Pantoran senator but was stunned by the rogue Clone Captain Rex, who showed up to extract Slip before his demise. Clone X later awoke to find that Rex and Chuchi brought him to Trace Martez's repair shop, on Level 1313 of the Coruscant Underworld. After refusing to answer Rex's questions, Clone X revealed his knowledge of Rex's name and told him that he was fighting the wrong battle, calling him "limited". The assassin then proclaimed himself as a "believer" before biting down on an electro capsule, killing himself instantly.
The next day, Clone X's corpse, now on a hoversled, was shown to the rogue commandos of Clone Force 99, with Rex mentioning that the assassin's identifying number had been wiped. Three months later,Omega tracks the days (164) that have passed since her capture in "Plan 99," which takes place sometime after "Truth and Consequences". Therefore, the events of "Shadows of Tantiss" must take place approximately six months after the death of Clone X. clone assassin CX-1 was present at Tantiss Base, briefly watching a group of clones being escorted by commandos before entering a turbolift. The genetically defective clone commando Crosshair was admitted into the undercover program, but their conditioning attempts were unsuccessful, likely due to his defective nature.
===Exposing the Clone Underground===
A couple days later, CX-1 was sent to assassinate Separatist Senator Avi Singh, who went into hiding with his droid GS-8 after the occupation of his homeplanet by the Empire after the end of the Clone Wars after getting saved by Clone Force 99. He was meeting with Senator Chuchi on her homeworld Pantora, to discuss forming a galaxy wide rebellion against Emperor Palpatine, and were guarded by Captain Rex and several members of his Clone Underground rebel cell. CX-1 infiltrated the tea parlor where the meeting took place and prepared to assassinate Singh, but was compromised at the last moment by Rex. CX-1 tossed a thermal detonator into the room to cover his escape, but was pursed to the top of a maintenance tower, where he was stunned by Captain Howzer. Not wanting a repeat when he questioned Clone X, Rex had Howzer remove CX-1's electro capsule and he recovered a highly encrypted data puck from his gear which was a target register. CX-1's capture and inability to kill himself resulted in Clone Commander Scorch activating another assassin, CX-2, to kill him. CX-2 traveled on his CX Dagger vessel to the Clone Underground's hideout on the planet Teth and infiltrated it. After killing several guards, CX-2 eliminated CX-1 and continued to engage the Clone Underground, killing multiple members of Rex’s rebel cell and causing the base to collapse from detonators he planted earlier. Concurrently, Commander Scorch dispatched a recovery strike team to reinforce CX-2, led by Commander Wolffe, to recover Omega, who was Doctor Hemlock’s prime target and discovered with Clone Force 99 and the Clone Underground.
Upon the arrival of reinforcements, CX-2 disregarded Wolffe's order to use stun blasts and continued to operate separately from the recovery strike team, and kept his blaster set to kill. Despite the animosity between the two clones, CX-2 claimed that his efforts had prevented the target from escaping. CX-2 later engaged in hand-to-hand combat with rogue sharpshooter Crosshair, angered at his inability to become a clone assassin due to his defective nature. Crosshair ultimately defeated CX-2, though he survived the fight.
===Hemlock's final weapon===
Eventually, after a successful raid on Pabu conducted by CX-2, Omega was recaptured and brought back to Tantiss Base on Wayland and placed in Imperial confinement. Desperate to recover their older sister, Clone Force 99 raided Tantiss Base. When a Zillo Beast containment breach sent Imperial forces stationed at the base in disarray, Hemlock decided to activate the remainder of his clone assassins whom he was getting ready in the training room, Sniper CloneX3, Sniper CloneX4, Sniper CloneX5, and another trooper. Arriving in the the training room, Hemlock opened the doors of the assassins' stasis chambers, releasing the troopers, who were subsequently dispatched to Tantiss base' hangar to deal with Clone Force 99. After neutralizing the rogue clones in a brief brutal firefight, the assassins brought the Clone Force 99 back into the training room, where Hemlock began torturing them in an attempt to recondition them into more operatives. Concurrently, Omega and Corporal Echo freed the clone prisoners and led them to the training room to rescue Clone Force 99. As CX-2 and one assassin remained in the reconditioning room to guard Clone Force 99, the other assassins entered the training room just below to neutralize the freed prisoners. Soon after, Omega snuck into the reconditioning room and was caught, but not before managing to free one of Wrecker's restraints. Meanwhile, the other assassins continued to battle Echo and the freed clone prisoners, inflicting heavy casualties.
As Wrecker awoke, he freed himself and knocked out Scorch, CX-2, a clone assassin, and Hemlock. The clone assassin attempted to neutralize him, but Wrecker managed to overpower him and knocked him into a recovering CX-2. As Scorch and Hemlock escaped with Omega, Wrecker pushed the assassin through the window down into the training room. Hunter grabbed the electrospear and tried to find CX-2, but his sight was blurred due to previous torture. CX-2 attempted to sneak up behind Hunter and tried to shoot him. As he approached Crosshair's restraining chamber, he pulled the trigger but missed as Crosshair kicked him at the side. This caused Hunter to able to locate CX-2 using his heightened senses and threw the spear at CX-2, impaling his chest and killing him.
Meanwhile, as Wrecker and one assassin fell into the training room, Echo knocked out one of the assassin by grabbing the other assassin's hand with the blaster and shot him. The assassin got up but sustained more shots from Wrecker, therefore killing him. Echo returned the favor, killing the assassin behind Wrecker with a flurry of lasers. As the two fought the two remaining clone assassins, Wrecker was shot in the leg. He managed to get up and kill an assassin who had managed to sneak up behind Echo by slamming his head into a wall. As the final assassin attempted to attack Echo, Vik killed the assassin.
==Appearances==
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==Sources==
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*Star Wars: The Secrets of the Clone Troopers 
*Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy
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==Notes and references==
Category:Clone trooper variants