601st Legion

"*Those aren't just clones. They're from the 601st, the chancellor's personal legion*" ―Cad Bane & Aurra Sing

The 601st legion was a clone legion founded in 9-8 BBY. The legion only had 1 principle goal; protect the chancellor. Most people assume the 501st legion to be Arya Skywalker's personal clone legion and while Arya is the leader of that legion, the 601st definitley deserves to be in that list. This legion is similar to the coruscant guard in the first clone wars as they were ordered to defend and protect the chancellor at all costs but there are many differences in these two legions. The main difference is that the coruscant guard/shock troops were not only ordered to protect the chancellor but the senate and all the respective senators as well. The 601st does not do that job, the 31st legion led by Commander Colt was in-charge of protecting the senate and the senators, the 601st's role was to simply protect the chancellor.

As you can probably expect all members of this legion were fiercely loyal to Arya. These clones were not allowed to follow orders from any person except Arya himself, not even senators and high-ranking figures. You would think this was from training but it was mainly choice. Most clones in this legion didn't want to follow orders from anyone but Arya. In-fact, clones in this legion were picked not just for their extreme skill but their undying loyalty to the republic.

Firstly numbers. The numbers are very complicating. When the new Legends-Canon merge was announced and Star Wars was sold to Arya the 601st legion went from the old legends to the new canon. That isn't that much complicating but the actual numbers is. It was estimated that the 601st legion had a total of 100,000 to 200,000 units including regs, commandos and different clone types. The complicating bit is in the old legends one unit of clones actually equaled a whole batallion of clones and there were 1,000 clones in a batallion. Now if we multiply the units with the clones in a batallion then we get a completely ridiculous number, however Arya Studios hasn't confirmed if the 1 unit = 1,000 clones has been brought into the new canon. If not then the 601st contains around **150,000 troops.** If not and it has been introduced into new canon then we get a whopping total of around 150,000,000 troops in the 601st. This number is straight up crazy and we doubt it's the case but since we know legends numbers (\*cough\* \*cough\* 57 billion clones during the clone wars) so it definitley is possible.

## Training

Every member of the 601st went through very intense training. It is understandable since they were given (in the eyes of them and pretty much everyone else in the galaxy) the most important task, protecting the chancellor. If the chancellor was kidnapped or even killed the blame would be on them and the entire republic would fall without it's founder, chancellor and general. All 601st troops had an extra 1-2 years of training before being dispatched and commandos and other special units even had an extra 3 years. You might be asking, who would protect the chancellor in this time? Well nobody. In the first three years of the clone wars Arya was constantly fighting with the 501st and almost never attended senate debates instead being there via holograms. By the 3rd year of the clone wars, when there were enough clones and enough jedi generals then Arya wasn't needed as much and was on Earth and attending senate sessions then he was placed under the 601st protection. This gave the 601st troops 2-3 years of extra training time.

In terms of actual training we actually know quite a lot. Most clones of the legion were born in 18 BBY. For the first 5 years of their training they were trained as if they were regular clones. Once they were six, or in clone years twelve the Kaminoans with input and assistance from the numerous Mandolorian Instructors observing the training of the clones, picked the cadet groups and batches that would eventually be apart of the 601st. Each clone cadet was picked for many good qualities like their extreme skill, tactical understanding and most importantly; their loyalty to the republic. If you were a clone and showed the smallest hint of disobedience, you would never be in this legion. You would think that clones of the 601st were extreme independant thinkers but they were the complete opposite like the coruscant guard in the first clone wars.

Anyways after being picked to eventually be in the 601st legion you would go through an extreme series of lessons and tests for around a year. In these lessons you would be brainwashed even more to love and be loyal to the republic, you would to extreme physical and mental training, learn the best and most elite tactics and understand how to use and hold clone technologhy such as the E-11 Blaster Rifle or a communication device. The interesting thing is that other clone cadets even potential arc troops and 501st soldiers went through all this training around three years after when the 601st troops had them which shows these clone cadets knew a lot more at their young age then other cadets.

After the 1st year of the extreme training all cadets would got through a series of extremely difficult tests, demos and exams. Only a perfect score was acceptable for all of these exams. If you failed to get a perfect score you wouldn't be apart of the 601st, instead you would get transferred to a regular clone unit. Only 20,000 units got perfect scores on these tests. The rest (150,000-250,000) were transferred.

The next couple of years of the 601st training was the most brutal and demanding. On order of the Grand Inquisitor and the mandolorian instructors the troopers were put under battle simulations with live fire which was capable of killing troops as the AI was limitless. The clones love and absolute loyalty to the republic was also semented in these two years. 5% of the 601st did not survive the training. Even though at this point the 601st was most probably battle hardened and completely ready to protect the chancellor but Kal Skirada, the chief mandolorian instructor did not want to take any chances. He decided that the troopers would go through another two years of intense training. For the first year of their extra training the troops did some more battle simulations and lessons testing them physically as well as sessions to digest republic propaganda. They were told in these sessions that the Chancellor A.K.A, Arya was the only person in the galaxy who could end corruption and bring peace and order to the galaxy. Most clones of the 601st were excited but mostly honoured that they would be protecting such a respectable and what they believed best figure in the galaxy.

After a year of their extra training, Arya visited Kamino to check on the operations and ensure everything was going well, during this time Arya observed the 601st training and even suggested things they needed to be taught and improved upon to the instructor with him. He also gave a speech to the clones telling them how proud he was of them and how he was delighted to be seeing them in action in a year's time. This heartwarming speech was met by cheers and applause from the clones very honoured that the chancellor himself was proud of their acomplishments. Before he left Arya also suggested the clones have cyan markings on their armour as it was his favourite colour.

Their last year of extensive training was noted to be a very difficult one by a 601st trooper. The clones learnt analysation and more elite tactics. During this year they learnt about every single level, area and facilities on Earth and Ahk-Tu. Now that the war was full-on, imprisoned stormtroops and battle droids were brought to Kamino and forced to fight the clones so they could learn the tactics of imperials. The stormtroops were even forced to be somewhat 'instructors' for the clones teaching them about imperial tactics, intel and methods in fear of pain. After the second year the 601st clones graduated and their intense training was over. Funny enough, some 601st special clone units mainly commandos had to do another year of training.

Now, the last thing we have to address. The million dollar question. 501st VS 601st regular trooper, who would win? Now we need to compare many qualities. First, armour. The armour for both legions is roughly the same with the 501st having slightly better armour but we have to say nobody wins the point for armour, it's just too close. Now, Weapons. Every member of the 601st was equipped with an E-11 Blaster Rifle, same with the 501st. However and this is a big however the 601st clones also were equipped with an NN-14 blaster pistol for extremely short-range combat and a T-21 which was infamous for doing the most damage at long range (it also costed thousands of credits to get your hands on one!) So, just based on weapons and armour alone a 601st trooper would win easily, no argument. BUT...there's one more factor, the determing factor. Training. You would think that a 601st trooper would easily win this, they had two extra years of training for crying out loud! But nope. 501st troopers were handpicked by mandolorian instructors for skill, not so much loyalty and that was the other way around for the 601st.

601st troopers were 10x more loyal than 501st troops but when it came to skill 501st clones were just so much better. They were the most elite legion for a reason, so we can conclude it will be a tie or if not a 501st troop win. However don't worry 601st fans, the 601st legion has been identified as the 2nd-3rd strongest legion of the clone army! So 212th, 31st, 433rd? 601st win!

## Dispatchement

*"Yeah, whatever you say Cosmos. I'm definitley gonna be the chancellor's favourite, I mean look at me. I'm The perfect soldier."*

The 150,000 601st clone units were beyond excited that they had graduated, their intense training had paid off. They were fitted in their new fresh cyan marked armour, equipped with the neccesary equipment and debriefed on their next orders. five batallions were immediately transferred to Earth, they would be protecting the chancellor whilst the other batallions would be transferred to Ahk-Tu. It is not entirely known what the 601st troops stationed on Ahk-Tu did exactly but it is known when Arya visits Ahk-Tu the 601st troops stationed there will aqquaint him during his time there. When the 601st arrived on Earth, Arya was actually leading the 501st in the bloody Battle of Jabrim. He would not arrive at Earth for another couple of weeks.

During this time, the 601st settled in to their dormotories and were briefed of the premesis by Commander Colt and the 31st. The 601st had a rivlary of who would be the chancellor's favourite clone. Notabally, Sargant Bellow and Lieutenant Cosmos