A Trooper's Tale

As the Clone Wars intensify, so too does the number of soldiers wounded in action. To address this, a clone medical facility combined with a rehabilitation center has been established on Sacorria, designed to provide care for the injured. Under the direction of Yoda, Jedi General Kit Fisto accompanied by his Padawan Ahsoka Tano are dispatched to interview a battle-scarred clone scout trooper. Tano expresses her skepticism to Fisto, viewing the assignment as a misuse of their abilities, but Fisto reminds her that this assignment came from Yoda, not Anakin Skywalker. Tano argues that their role as Jedi is to be on the front lines, preventing the circumstances that necessitate such facilities. Fisto cautions her against hasty judgements, suggesting the mission holds a deeper significance. A 2-1B surgical droid informs the Jedi duo that they may now enter the patient's room, but warns them to proceed with caution due to the trooper's weakened state. Upon entering, both Tano and Fisto are visibly taken aback by the severity of the injuries sustained by the trooper, Sergeant Marrt of the 182nd Legion. He brushes off their concern, stating he has intel to share with them alone, and requests the opportunity to recount his final engagement.

Marrt begins his account by explaining that three weeks prior, he and his four-man squad were deployed to Belgaroth to investigate allegations of a Republic weapons factory engaging in trade with the enemy. He then introduces his squadmates: Knuckles, a fierce combatant who favored hand-to-hand combat over using a blaster, Chatter, a clone known for his incessant talking and aptitude for code-breaking, and Recon, a scout trooper renowned for his exceptional ability to sense impending danger. As the group shared a laugh at one of Chatter's jokes, Marrt silenced them, signaling their arrival at the Czerka factory.

The scout team eavesdrops on a conversation between Reep Tonith and Tarin, where Tarin apologizes for the shipment's delay of twelve hours. Tonith reminds him of their agreement: Tarin provides the requested units, and the Banking Clan along with Count Dooku will ensure his prosperity. Marrt is stunned by this revelation, but remains focused enough to investigate further, discovering that Tarin is manufacturing FEX-M3 nerve gas grenades, weapons outlawed by the Senate the previous year. Marrt secures a grenade as evidence and attempts to retreat undetected, but a B1-Series battle droid spots him. Tarin orders all droids to fire, forcing the clones to flee into the surrounding woods. Tonith scolds Tarin for allowing their escape, but Tarin assures him that the woods hold dangers worse than droids for the clones, specifically mentioning the Droidbreaker, a creature known for consuming plasteel and capable of tearing through their armor.

The four clones find themselves in a small, misty clearing, having evaded their pursuers. Recon requests Marrt to explain the situation, and Marrt reveals that the Muun Banking Clans are secretly aiding Dooku to gain an advantage in the war. He directs Chatter to comm HQ, but Chatter reports that the fog is disrupting the signal. The clones hear an approaching sound, and Knuckles speculates it might be more droids. Recon corrects him, identifying it as something large and fast, but his warning comes too late to save him from the Droidbreaker. Chatter screams as the Droidbreaker devours Recon's blaster, and Marrt tries to regain control of the situation. He begins to explain that they are in the creature's territory and must escape the swamp, but the Droidbreaker attacks again, killing Chatter.

Knuckles abandons his blaster, engaging the Droidbreaker in hand-to-hand combat, providing Marrt with the opportunity to formulate a plan, though at the cost of his own life. Marrt climbs a nearby tree, attracting the creature's attention, before throwing the nerve gas grenade he had taken as evidence. The creature swallows the grenade, and Marrt opens fire with his pistol. While most shots deflect off the creature's armor, one strikes the grenade, killing the Droidbreaker. Marrt buries his fallen comrades beneath the creature's head, vowing to destroy the nerve gas grenade shipment before it leaves the planet.

Following this, Marrt waged a solitary war against the factory for several hours. Although Reep Tonith managed to escape, Marrt successfully captured Tarin, though the battle resulted in the loss of his legs. He concludes his story by affirming to Tano and Fisto that it was a worthwhile sacrifice. Tano disagrees, pointing out that Tarin was unaware of his superiors' identities, leaving the true conspirators free. Marrt reveals that he suspected this, which is why he extracted company data records before destroying the facility. Examining the data, Master Fisto confirms that it implicates two influential senators in supplying arms to the enemy, assuring Marrt that their actions have been exposed thanks to his heroism. Fisto and Tano then depart, leaving Marrt to rest.

As they leave, Tano apologizes to Fisto for doubting the mission's importance, acknowledging that she still has much to learn. Fisto responds that Marrt has demonstrated that one individual can have a profound impact, a lesson that the Jedi must remember throughout the war if they are to prevail. They exit the base, heading to confront the senators involved in the arms dealing.