Ponds
CC-6454, better known as Ponds, served as a clone trooper commander within the forces of the Grand Army of the Republic. He was under the command of High Jedi General Mace Windu during the First Battle of Geonosis. Ponds proved his worth to his General as the commander of Lightning Squadron, a unit belonging to the Galactic Republic's 91st Mobile Reconnaissance Corps. During the events of 22 BBY, Emir Wat Tambor from the Techno Union launched an invasion of the planet Ryloth. Ponds then aided Windu in a counter-invasion of the world, aimed at liberating it. Ultimately, Windu and Ponds collaborated with General Cham Syndulla and his band of Twi'lek freedom fighters to reclaim Ryloth from the Confederacy, seizing the capital city of Lessu and capturing Tambor, who became a prisoner of the Republic.
In addition to engagements on Simocadia, Juma 9, and Behpour, Ponds participated in the Battle of Malastare. He also assisted Windu in the capture of an uncontrolled Zillo Beast that had been awakened by the detonation of an electro-proton bomb. Later, he accompanied Windu for a period of rest away from the war on the Republic Star Destroyer called the Endurance, during the time when the young bounty hunter Boba Fett was attempting to assassinate Windu. After Fett caused the Endurance to crash on Vanqor, he and his group of mercenaries—Aurra Sing, Bossk, and Castas—took Ponds, Admiral Shoan Kilian, and a clone naval officer as hostages, hoping to draw Windu into a confrontation. As part of their demands, Sing executed Ponds and subsequently ejected his body from their starship, the Slave I.
Biography
Initial Appearance on Geonosis
Ponds, designated CC-6454, was a clone trooper commander. He was born on Kamino, one of numerous clones derived from the bounty hunter Jango Fett. These clones were created by the Galactic Republic to fight for the Grand Army of the Republic. In the year 22 BBY, Ponds was among the 200,000 clone troopers assembled by Jedi Grand Master Yoda from Kamino. This force was sent to Geonosis, where the Republic was commencing an operation to rescue Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padawan Anakin Skywalker, and Senator Padmé Amidala, all of whom were facing execution by the newly established Confederacy of Independent Systems. During the ensuing First Battle of Geonosis, Ponds answered to Jedi Master Mace Windu, providing him with five commando squads. The Republic ultimately won the battle, and Ponds continued to serve under Windu as the Clone Wars spread across the galaxy.
Engagement on Ryloth
As the war progressed through its initial year, Emir Wat Tambor, a foreman of the Techno Union and member of the Separatist Council, led an invasion of the planet Ryloth, enslaving the native Twi'lek population. After Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano successfully broke through the Confederate blockade surrounding the planet, Ponds joined General Windu aboard an Acclamator-class assault ship. Windu's invasion force, composed of three Acclamator transports, prepared to land in the city of Nabat, but they were met with attacks from Confederate proton cannons positioned in the city below. Ponds informed Mace Windu that the cannons had breached the transports' shields, and as he spoke, one of the transports was destroyed. Windu then ordered High Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi to eliminate the cannons, allowing their transports to land in Nabat. Kenobi succeeded in destroying the cannons, and the two remaining transports were able to land. The ground forces were then deployed and quickly advanced towards Ryloth's capital, Lessu, with the goal of retaking the city and liberating the planet.
On the way to Lessu, Ponds accompanied Windu, leading the GAR unit Lightning Squadron, as well as several AT-TE walkers. While traveling along a cliff-side path, the forces were ambushed by Confederate Armored Assault Tanks, which attempted to trap the Republic forces on the cliff by disabling the front and rear walkers. Windu and Ponds responded by leading an attack with Lightning Squadron and several AT-RT walkers against the tanks. Despite defeating the tanks, the ambush resulted in the loss of thirty-two men, along with three AT-TE command crews. Windu and Ponds realized they needed reinforcements to succeed.
Windu participated in a holographic conference with Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, Jedi Grand Master Yoda, Ryloth's Twi'lek senator, Orn Free Taa, and Admiral Wullf Yularen. Windu learned that no reinforcements were available, but he decided to seek assistance from Cham Syndulla and his freedom fighters, a Twi'lek resistance movement that had been fighting the Confederacy since the invasion. Windu, accompanied by Advanced Recon Force troopers Razor and Stak, went to meet the rebels, while Ponds continued towards Lessu with the remaining forces.
Upon discovering a Twi'lek village, Ponds ordered the troopers to share some rations with the Twi'lek women and children who were still there. Suddenly, several Confederate Hyena-class bombers appeared and attacked the village, dropping bombs and destroying it in moments. A shocked Ponds reported this to Windu, and the increasing loss of life convinced Syndulla to reopen negotiations with his political rival, Senator Taa. Syndulla resolved his issues with Taa and decided to join Windu and his forces. The group then devised a plan to enter Lessu. However, the only way to enter the city was to activate its plasma bridge, as the controls for the bridge were located inside the city. To infiltrate the city, Windu decided to sneak onto one of two Confederate Multi-Troop Transports that were carrying stolen treasure for Emir Tambor. However, they would have limited time before being discovered, so Ponds and Syndulla needed to provide Windu with as much time as possible to cross the bridge.
Accompanied by Razor and Stak, Windu sneaked onto one of the MTTs. When their presence was revealed, the Jedi and the two clones made a run towards the other side of the plasma bridge while Ponds and Syndulla launched their attack. Windu and the clones successfully crossed the bridge, and Syndulla led the charge towards the bridge controls. Razor and Stak managed to activate the bridge, and after the Republic forces crossed and entered the city, Windu cornered Tambor. Four Hyena bombers prepared to destroy the city under orders from Confederate Head of State and Sith Lord Count Dooku, but the timely intervention of General Skywalker and Commander Tano in their fighters prevented the attack. After the battle, Ponds attended a parade on Ryloth alongside Syndulla, Taa, and Windu.
Conflict on Behpour
Soon after Ryloth, a Separatist superweapon was found on Behpour by Naboo Senator Padmé Amidala. This weapon had been created by Kul Teska, the Skakoan agent who also led the assault on Juma-9. Ponds was included in the Republic task force sent to destroy the weapon before it could cause the Naboo sun to collapse. After Generals Kenobi and Skywalker disabled the facility's shield, the clones entered the facility and quickly secured the entrance. Ponds later assisted Cody and Captain Rex in securing a landing platform for Skywalker's starship, the Twilight.
Skirmish at Juma-9
Shortly after Ryloth, the station known as Juma 9 came under attack. Mace Windu and Commander Ponds, along with Jedi Master Kit Fisto, sought to retake the station. They encountered Clone Commander Cody, and while the Jedi entered the station, the clones scouted the station's surface, where they encountered some droids. They eventually destroyed all the droids and discovered two lightsabers in space. They then met up with the owners of the lightsabers—Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Plo Koon, who had been separated from their weapons by a ray shield, forcing the Jedi to go around it. Eventually, they retrieved their sabers, and the Battle of Juma 9 was won.
The Battle of Malastare
Ponds assisted Mace Windu in searching for survivors in the Zillo Beast's hole. Mace Windu instructed him, Trapper, and Hawkeye to investigate the area. Soon, the Zillo Beast discovered them and began chasing them. However, Mace, Ponds, and another trooper managed to escape aboard a gunship.
Time Aboard the Endurance
While on board the Venator-class Star Destroyer Endurance, Ponds interrupted Mace and Skywalker as they were about to give a tour of the ship to a group of clone cadets, telling them to go to the bridge instead. Unbeknownst to them, a young Boba Fett had infiltrated the clone youth brigade with the intention of avenging his father's death at the hands of Mace Windu. Fett managed to slip away from the rest of the brigade and proceeded to destroy the ship's main reactor. Ponds and several other clones were dispatched to investigate the cause of the reactor's destruction. Later, Ponds stated that he would remain on the Endurance with Admiral Shoan Kilian and go down with the ship while the other clones evacuated.
Capture and Death
Following the crash, Ponds, along with Admiral Kilian and another clone officer, was kidnapped by Aurra Sing, Boba Fett, Castas, and Bossk. Initially, the bounty hunters planned to ransom the three hostages to the Separatists. However, when their booby trap failed, Sing decided to use the hostages as bait to lure Mace Windu into the open so that Boba could kill the Jedi who had killed his father. They decided to send a message to the Jedi, and they ordered Boba to kill Ponds to prove their seriousness. When Boba hesitated, Aurra grew impatient and killed Ponds herself when he refused. The Jedi watched in horror as the bounty hunters then cut off the transmission. Later, the bounty hunters dumped Ponds' body into space.
Personality and Characteristics
Ponds displayed obedience and followed orders diligently. He was also assertive and did not hesitate when issuing commands, as demonstrated when he immediately ordered Lightning Squadron to the front of the Republic line of walkers during the cliffside ambush. Additionally, Ponds possessed compassion: upon learning that there were only Twi'lek women and children in a nearby village, he felt pity for them and ordered his men to share rations. He was also shocked and angered when the Confederacy bombed the village.
He maintained friendships with fellow officers Captain Rex and Commander Cody. He offered comfort to Cody when he expressed his concern for Generals Plo Koon and Obi-Wan Kenobi during the Juma 9 station mission. He also complimented Rex's shooting skills on Behpour.
After being captured by Aurra Sing, Ponds initially refused to give her his name, only doing so after she forcefully demanded it. Just before Aurra killed him, Ponds calmly closed his eyes and accepted his fate.
Equipment
Ponds' armor was distinguished by dark-red markings on his helmet, arms, shoulder plates, the back of his torso, and from his knee pads down to the mid-calf. Ponds also wore a kama that held two DC-17 hand blasters, which he used on Malastare. On the back of Ponds' helmet, the phrase "Some guys have all the luck" was written in Aurebesh. He also used a DC-15A blaster rifle on Ryloth and a DC-15S blaster carbine on Behpour.
Behind the Scenes
Ponds, like all the other clone troopers in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series, was voiced by Dee Bradley Baker. He was first mentioned, albeit briefly, in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia (2008), before making his first appearance in the series' 2009 first season episodes "Innocents of Ryloth" and "Liberty on Ryloth."
During the 2010 episode "Lethal Trackdown," Aurra Sing asks Ponds for his name, to which he responds with the number "CT-411," which contradicts the "CC-6454" designation given in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Visual Guide Ultimate Battles reference book and repeated in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes video game, both released in 2009. This was later revised in the 2010 Star Wars: The Clone Wars Character Encyclopedia, which gave him the new designation "CC-0411" after the conflicting number from "Lethal Trackdown." However, when Ponds received an entry in the StarWars.com Encyclopedia in 2012, his designation was listed as the previously stated "CC-6454." This article assumes that the latter is correct, as precedence is given to the Encyclopedia as the most recently published source.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Visual Guide Ultimate Battles stated that Ponds was assigned to Mace Windu at the Battle of Geonosis, which was depicted in Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones. Although Republic Heroes stated that he had been assigned to Windu after Geonosis, Ponds's 2012 Encyclopedia entry confirmed his role during the battle, going so far as to retcon a clone commander in the film as Ponds.
Ponds appeared in the comic The Clone Wars: The Colossus of Destiny, but wore armor that had blue stripes down his arms, and two blue eyes on his helmet, over his visor.