13th Battalion

The "Iron" Battalion, more formally known as the 13th Battalion, gained its nickname from its demonstrated resilience on the battlefield. As an infantry battalion within the Grand Army of the Republic, it was primarily composed of clone troopers. These troopers wore Phase II clone trooper armor distinguished by light yellow markings, and they were armed with DC-15A blaster carbines. The battalion's leadership included Jedi General Jaro Tapal and a Clone Commander, the latter of whom had standard gear like the other clone troopers in the battalion. Cal Kestis, Tapal's Padawan, also held a leadership role as a Jedi Commander within the battalion. The 13th Battalion used the Albedo Brave, a Venator-class Star Destroyer, as its mobile headquarters. It's worth noting that a separate military unit under the command of Jedi General Chiata shared a similar color scheme to the 13th Battalion. Being a standard battalion in the Grand Army, it was structured into four companies, each consisting of 144 troopers.

During the Clone Wars, the 13th Battalion served as a unit of the Grand Army of the Republic in the conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Separatist Alliance. The battalion operated under the command of Jedi General Jaro Tapal, Jedi Commander Cal Kestis, and a Clone Commander who acted as the senior clone trooper officer. The 13th Battalion saw action during the Bracca Invasion, and following the Battle of Coruscant, they successfully secured the planet of Bracca. After this victory, the battalion was stationed aboard their headquarters, the Albedo Brave, a Venator-class Star Destroyer.

Following the security of Bracca, rumors circulated among the 13th Battalion's members about a potential new deployment, which turned out to be true. The battalion received orders to support Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi and his forces in achieving victory during the Fourth Battle of Mygeeto. Around this time, Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis was summoned by his Master, Jaro Tapal, to the Jedi training facility aboard the Albedo Brave. On his way, Kestis engaged in conversations with several clone troopers, discussing topics like future rematches, the rumors surrounding their next deployment, and whether Kestis was headed for training. At least one member of the battalion expressed their belief that Bracca was a "dump," while another displayed friendliness towards Kestis by offering him a high-five and wishing him good luck.

Upon entering the training room, Kestis found Tapal in discussion with the Clone Commander in the control center. Tapal tasked Kestis with reaching their location, prompting Kestis to undertake a training course. During the course, the Clone Commander fired at Kestis as part of the training exercise, although Kestis successfully deflected the blaster bolts. After Kestis reached the control center, Tapal informed him that the battalion had secured Bracca and would soon be deploying to Mygeeto.

At that precise moment, the Clone Commander received Order 66 directly from Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, who was secretly the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious. This occurred just as Tapal sensed a significant disturbance in the Force, indicating that the Jedi were under attack across the galaxy. The Clone Commander immediately raised his blaster, preparing to fire upon Tapal. In response, Tapal activated his lightsaber, severing the blaster and then striking the clone across the stomach, killing him instantly. Despite Kestis' confusion, Tapal explained that the clones had betrayed them. Tapal then instructed Kestis to proceed to the Albedo Brave's escape pods to escape the ship, advising him to use the maintenance halls and promising to meet him there with further instructions. Simultaneously, other clone troopers began forcing their way into the control room, and the two Jedi separated. Kestis made his way towards the maintenance halls as the ship went on high alert and clone troopers were deployed, some of whom spotted Kestis and opened fire.

After breaching a panel to enter the maintenance hall, Kestis found himself above several members of the battalion, who were receiving updates on the Jedi's movements. They reported that the Jedi were on the move, that there was no sign of Kestis, and that a thorough search was necessary. However, they were then alerted to Kestis's presence above them. A clone instructed his fellow soldiers to secure the room while he investigated the area. As Kestis advanced to another section of the ship, the clones below reported casualties and mentioned that Tapal had eliminated several squads.

While Kestis continued his journey, the clones discovered someone in the maintenance halls, and explosions began to erupt throughout the vessel. At some point during the skirmish, Tapal overloaded the ship's main reactor. Kestis then reached an area with turbolifts, which were damaged by the explosions. As he moved through the area, a clone trooper spotted Kestis, reported his location to his comrades, and opened fire. Kestis then encountered two more troopers who also began firing on him. During the fight, Kestis lost his lightsaber, but Tapal arrived and eliminated the clones by pushing them off the doorway and into the turbolift shaft. Tapal then instructed Kestis to continue moving forward.

After leaving the turbolift shaft, Kestis proceeded through another maintenance hall while his master eliminated a contingent of clone troopers below. Tapal then informed Kestis about an override nearby that needed to be activated for their escape. Once Kestis unlocked the override, Tapal moved from one hallway to another, eliminating several more clone troopers. Kestis eventually reached the escape pod bay, where he encountered two troopers. Tapal arrived simultaneously and dispatched the two troopers, but a large group of Republic forces soon converged on their location from a central hallway. Tapal defended Kestis as he opened the door, but was eventually wounded by the barrage of blaster fire. In a final attempt to protect Kestis, Tapal used the Force against the clones but was struck by another barrage of laser fire, causing him to fall backwards into the pod. Kestis used Force Stasis to freeze the clones, giving them time to escape. As the escape pod launched, Kestis listened to Tapal's final words as the Albedo Brave succumbed to an explosion that destroyed the vessel and killed all members of the 13th Battalion.

Kestis revisited Zeffo on a second occasion and explored the Venator-class Star Destroyer that had crashed there. Kestis discovered several Force Echos of the skirmish on Zeffo that took place when the forces of Jedi General Chiata turned against her and her padawan Marseph, prompting Kestis to reflect on his own experiences during the execution of Order 66. During Kestis' mission to Dathomir, he experienced a vision of his confrontation with the 13th Battalion during the initial implementation of Order 66 while attempting to enter the Tomb of Kujet.

The 13th Battalion made its debut appearance in the 2019 video game, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Its official designation and the "Iron Battalion" nickname were later revealed in The Art of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Corpses of clone troopers wearing the 13th Battalion's armor can be found on both Kashyyyk and Zeffo. The Star Wars: The Black Series figure release of a 13th Battalion clone trooper incorrectly identified Tapal as leading the battalion as a Jedi Commander. At Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2022, a helmet representing the 13th Battalion was included as one of eight collectible pins in the Mystery Helmets Collection, but it was mistakenly labeled as 327th Star Corps.