TJ-55's battle droid battalion

The title of this article is conjectural. Although this article is based on canonical information, the actual name of this subject is pure conjecture.

A full battalion of battle droids was led by Separatist Alliance T-series tactical droid commander TJ-55 during the Battle of Christophsis in the first year of the Clone Wars against the Galactic Republic. The battalion consisted of B1-series battle droids that were supported by Armored Assault Tank Mk Is.

Description

The battalion was part of the Separatist Droid Army's army infantry corps^[1] and consisted of three companies of B1-series battle droids.^[3] The battalion's battle droids were armed with E-5 blaster rifles.^[1] They were additionally supported^[1] by a another company^[3] of Armored Assault Tank Mk Is for armored support, which consisted of at least seven vehicles.^[1]

History

Several months after the outbreak of the Clone Wars with the First Battle of Geonosis,^[4] the Confederacy of Independent Systems invaded the crystalline planet Christophsis in the Outer Rim Territories. After local rebels appealed the Jedi Order for reinforcements, the Galactic Republic dispatched High Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi and his 7th Sky Corps and Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and his 501st Legion for assistance.^[1] With Republic Senator Bail Prestor Organa mounting a relief effort on the surface and the Republic's forces smashing through the Separatist Christophsis blockade,^[5] Kenobi and Skywalker's forces set up an ambush for local Separatist forces in an effort to turn the tide of the battle on the surface. By this time, T-series tactical droid TJ-55 had taken command of the droid battalion.^[1]

Unbeknownst to the Republic, one of their own clone sergeants, Slick, had secretly defected to the Separatist Alliance and provided them with information on the Republic trap, thus allowing the Separatists to in fact turn the entrapment against them. Republic clone troopers settled within two towers; Kenobi's contingent in the south tower while Skywalker and a small group of troopers overlooked from the north tower. Kenobi's troopers mounted several laser cannons and monitored TJ-55's battalion as it moved towards them in several columns followed by at least seven Separatist tanks. As the battalion came closer to Republic positions, the Republic forces noticed that the battalion's troops were splitting up into three companies. Soon after, battle droids entered Kenobi's tower and surprised the Republic troops from the rear, killing multiple unsuspecting clones. With Kenobi's forces now encircled within the tower, Skywalker had his men launch ascension cables to cross from their tower and assist Kenobi, at the same time calling for an evacuation ship.^[1]

After Skywalker and his soldiers arrived on Kenobi's tower, they cleared one direction of battle droids and joined Kenobi. The Republic's surviving forces evacuated on a lift towards the tower's roof, and fought back TJ-55 and their battalion while awaiting for the evac gunship. One clone trooper, Gus, managed to break of TJ-55's head, allowing the Republic to analysis the tactical droid's databank and decipher how the Separatists knew of their strategy. Ultimately, Slick was uncovered as the traitor and arrested, but not before he managed to destroy the Republic's arsenal.^[1]

Behind the scenes

The battalion appeared in "The Hidden Enemy,"^[1] the sixteenth episode of the animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars' first season, which aired on February 6, 2009.^[6]

Appearances

• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "The Hidden Enemy" (First appearance)

Sources

• The Clone Wars Episode Guide: The Hidden Enemy on StarWars.com (original site is defunct)

Notes and references