Clutch (clone)

This article is about Clone Commander Clutch, designated TK-571.
You may be looking for the stormtrooper designated TK-571, or other uses of Clutch.

"We take the palace, and this whole conflict ends right here, right now."

―Commander Clutch^[2]

Clutch, designated TK-571, was a clone trooper commander in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. Like all clone troopers, Clutch was cloned from the genetic code of Jango Fett—a Human male bounty hunter who served as the template of the Kamino clone army. As such, they were trained to fight as a soldier of the Galactic Republic. By the first year of the conflict, Clutch was serving as a commander in the forces led by the Jedi generals Tyffix and Tyr, both of whom were killed by Sephi insurgents during the campaign on Thustra. Command of the clone army on the Sephi homeworld defaulted to the Jedi commanders Cal and Pix, whom Clutch assisted until the arrival of Grand Master Yoda of the Jedi Order.

Pix was left in command by Yoda, who journeyed to the capital city with Cal at his side, in order to negotiate with King Alaric. Although the general gave Pix instructions to not engage the Sephi during his absence, Clutch advised the Jedi commander to launch a preemptive strike before their enemies could attack the Republic army's position. Ultimately, Senator Navi deceived Clutch and Pix into believing that the king executed her fellow Jedi. Pix deployed her forces in a full-scale assault on the capital, with Clutch relaying her orders to the clone troopers. Following the battle, Clutch returned to the galactic capital world of Coruscant with Pix and Yoda. Navi's deception was revealed before the entire Galactic Senate, resulting in his arrest by the clone commander and two Senate Guards.

Biography

Origin

Created on the ocean-covered world of Kamino,^[1] TK-571^[3] was a clone^[2] of the bounty hunter Jango Fett. Using Fett's DNA as a genetic template, Kaminoan scientists engineered millions of clone troopers for the purpose of creating a vast army for the Galactic Republic. The clones were officially commissioned as the Grand Army of the Republic by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine in 22 BBY. By that time, the Separatist Crisis had escalated into full-scale rebellion; various planetary and sectoral governments seceded from the Republic and formed the Confederacy of Independent Systems.^[1] Holding the rank of Clone Commander, TK-571 would eventually take on the name Clutch.^[2]

The Battle of Thustra

"The worst of it was that they were using themselves as weapons—throwing themselves at us and detonating their explosives. Very difficult to defend against. A brilliant strategy, if it can be maintained."

―Commander Clutch, reporting on the Sephi's suicide tactics^[2]

Commander Clutch serving under Jedi Padawan Pix during the Battle of Thustra

Approximately during the conflict, Commander Clutch and an army of clone troopers were dispatched to the planet Thustra with orders to suppress a growing secessionist movement amongst the native Sephi race. It was believed that the presence of a military garrison would be sufficient enough to dispel further notions of insurrection. The assumption was proven false when the Sephi launched several surprise attacks against Republic troops. By dawn, the Republic sustained many casualties, including the deaths of Jedi Generals Tyffix and Tyr. With both Jedi Masters dead, command fell to their padawans, Jedi Commanders Cal and Pix respectively.^[2]

Unwilling to accept the repercussions of Thustra's alliance with the Separatists, Grand Master Yoda of the Jedi Order journeyed to the rebellious world in hopes of renewing its allegiance to the Republic through diplomacy. Shortly after Yoda's arrival, he and Cal made their way to Thustra's capital city to negotiate with King Alaric; Pix was left in command of the clone troopers with explicit orders to avoid a fight with the Sephi. During Yoda's absence, Commander Clutch remained at Pix's side as her second-in-command.^[2]

Both Clutch and Pix were ultimately manipulated into disobeying Yoda's orders. Loyalist Senator Navi of Thustra sought to foil his homeworld's rebellion by forcing the Republic to take action. Hence, he secretly traveled to the Republic base and falsely claimed that Yoda and Cal had been executed by the order of King Alaric. The deception worked; Pix launched a full-scale assault on the Sephi capital. Clutch remained at the Jedi Commander's side during the Battle of Thustra and oversaw the fighting from an LAAT/i gunship on the frontlines.^[2]

Commander Clutch's clone troopers executing a forward assault on the Sephi rebels

As the Republic stormed the capital city in full force, Clutch directed the clone troopers to concentrate their efforts on capturing the King's palace. According to Senator Navi, the capture of the palace and its main occupant would destabilize the rebels' cause, thus ending the conflict on Thustra with a decisive victory for the Republic.^[2]

The attack ultimately backfired, as Yoda anticipated. Clutch and Pix had not expected that King Alaric's suicide, combined with the Republic's assault on the capital, would invigorate the Sephi to double their efforts at resistance. Furthermore, neighboring systems within the Sumitra sector became motivated by Alaric's martyrdom to send armies in support of the Sephi's cause. The combined resistance of various systems within a sector forced the Republic out of Thustra, hence resulting in its alliance with the Separatists.^[2]

On Coruscant, Senator Navi was reporting the events on Thustra to his peers in the Galactic Senate when Yoda and Mace Windu arrived to reveal Navi's deceitfulness. Clutch and Pix were both present as the Senator was arrested for treason by two Senate Guards.^[2]

Personality and traits

"Strategically, our best chance to hit them is now, before they can fully form up."
"We can't do that. Master Yoda's orders were—"
"I know… But we can't wait here indefinitely. Soon we'll have to choose between following General Yoda's orders… And saving our own lives."

―Clutch and Pix^[2]

As with the other clones of Jango Fett, Clutch was created to be an efficient soldier, programmed with absolute loyalty to the Galactic Republic. They stood at 1.83 meters tall and had tan skin.^[1] Clutch displayed a keen attention to the details of a battle, as demonstrated when they took note of the specific causes behind the Sephi's successful tactics. Clutch was particularly impressed by the enemy's willingness to resort to suicidal bombings. In the commander's opinion, it was an effective strategy, so long as it could be maintained.^[2]

Although Clutch was a loyal adherent to the command structure of the Grand Army, they possessed enough independent thought to suggest circumventing a superior officer's order if absolutely necessary. While serving under Pix, Clutch advised the young Jedi Commander that a preemptive strike—in defiance of General Yoda's instructions—on the enemy was the only efficient way to end the conflict with minimum casualties on the Republic's side. Nevertheless, Clutch's ingrained sense of obedience prevented them from acting without the consent of their immediate Jedi superior officer.^[2]

Equipment

As a clone trooper in the Grand Army of the Republic, Clutch was outfitted with the standard Phase I clone trooper armor and armed with a DC-15A blaster rifle. Although Clutch held the rank of commander, their armor sported the red color patterns^[2] of a clone trooper captain.^[4] During their time on Thustra, the clone used electrobinoculars to spy on Sephi troop movements.^[2]

Behind the scenes

Clutch appeared in Jedi: Yoda, a comic story part of the Star Wars: Jedi one-shots series^[2] released on July 21, 2004.^[5] Identified as "Clutch" in the comic,^[2] the clone would eventually receive the designation "TK-571" in the The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.^[3] In the MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies, there was an Imperial stormtrooper identified as TK-571 taking part in the Empire Day festivities of 2009 through 2011, though this stormtrooper had not been identified to be Clutch.^[6]