The Muunilinst 10
The renowned Muunilinst 10 was a distinguished squad of Advanced Recon Commandos of the Alpha-Class variety and standard clone troopers commanded by ARC Captain Alpha-77 Fordo. This unit consisted of four ARC Alpha Lieutenants alongside eight standard clone infantrymen. Their designation originated from their pivotal role in the destruction of the Harnaidan defensive cannon situated on Muunilinst during one of the opening battles of the expansive Clone Wars conflict. Furthermore, their assignment on Muunilinst involved collaborating with Obi-Wan Kenobi to seize control of the Banking Clan's central hub and successfully subdue the formidable bounty hunter, Durge.
In the aftermath of the Battle of Muunilinst, Fordo took charge of a contingent of 20 ARC Alpha lieutenants for a crucial mission: extracting the surviving Jedi Generals from the perilous environment of Hypori. This operation thrust them into a brutal confrontation with General Grievous. Despite their exceptional skills, the Muunilinst 10 suffered losses. The clone trooper designated CT-43/002 met his demise in an ambush on Muunilinst, and four ARC Alpha lieutenants were slain by Grievous on Hypori.
History
Assignment on Muunilinst
The mission for the Muunilinst 10 involved the elimination of a Separatist artillery piece, coupled with the capture of key figures within the InterGalactic Banking Clan. Transported via a customized LAAT/i gunship en route to their designated zone, their aircraft fell victim to a rocket propelled grenade fired by a B1-Series battle droid, resulting in a forced landing within the city and the deaths of the two pilots. Upon exiting the wreckage, they found themselves under intense sniper fire. In this initial assault, clone trooper CT-43/002 was immediately killed.
Fordo issued directives for two clones to draw the attention of the droid snipers, while another clone was tasked with pinpointing the snipers' locations. After successfully identifying the droids' positions, an ARC trooper, employing a PLX-1, obliterated the building ledges that served as vantage points for the snipers.
Resuming their advance towards their primary target, the group encountered an AAT. While one ARC Lieutenant stealthily approached the AAT from an elevated position, the remaining eight provided suppressing fire. The ARC operative boarded the AAT, fought his way inside, set explosives, and then leaped to safety before detonating the charges.
Ultimately reaching the artillery cannon, they neutralized numerous battle droids before successfully destroying the cannon using high powered explosives and rappelling up the control tower.
Following the arrival of Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi, they forcefully entered the command center, overcoming the droids stationed as guards, and contributing to the defeat of the notorious bounty hunter Durge before securing the area, even amidst sustaining injuries from Durge's attacks. This action was crucial in the Republic's successful takeover of the planet.
Assignment on Hypori
The surviving members, augmented with heavy gunners and additional troops, were dispatched to Hypori with the objective of rescuing the remaining Jedi from the Battle of Hypori, arriving with surprising speed. Upon arrival, Fordo instructed two of his men to investigate two of the three life signs he was able to detect. While one investigated a life sign among the rubble and another in the rafters of the downed Acclamator assault ship, Fordo led the rest of his men to the one directly ahead of them. The life sign Fordo detected turned out to be Ki-Adi Mundi, who had just been disarmed by Grievous. General Grievous was on the verge of delivering a fatal blow to Mundi when Fordo and his men commenced firing upon him. Grievous evaded the barrage by seeking cover behind debris. The troopers employed the firepower of the Z-6 rotary blaster cannon, reciprocating quad blaster and under-barrel grenade launchers to obliterate the durasteel cover. Nevertheless, Grievous managed to evade their attacks. Grievous attempted to ascend to the roof but was forced down by a volley of grenades. He landed near 4 ARC lieutenants whom he promptly cut down with his two lightsabers. Fordo urgently requested reinforcements. The firepower of their ARC gunship successfully drove Grievous away, enabling the evacuation of the survivors. Fordo was awarded Jaig eyes for his actions on Hypori.
Skirmish over Coruscant
They participated in the Battle of Coruscant, among other clone troopers defending sector 4, where they were ultimately overwhelmed. Captain Fordo gave the order to retreat, but this was countermanded by Masters Yoda and Mace Windu who arrived to offer assistance.
Gear
The Muunilinst 10 were celebrated as exemplary soldiers, demonstrating exceptional combat prowess. Consequently, they were equipped with a diverse arsenal, including standard-issue BlasTech Industries DC-15A blaster rifles, customized DC-17 hand blasters, WESTAR-M5 blaster rifles, thermal detonators, heat signature detectors, PLX-1 portable missile launchers, Z-6 rotary blaster cannons, droid poppers, and reciprocating quad blasters.
LAAT/i
The Muunilinst 10 LAAT was uniquely adorned with a Rancor design on its nose. The gunship featured a jagged blue stripe extending upwards. Blue accents also embellished the missile pod and wings, with the wings further distinguished by white triangles ascending towards the top.
Behind the scenes
Despite the Guide to the Grand Army of the Republic specifying a total of 10 clones (inclusive of Fordo) within the Muunilinst 10, the number depicted on screen fluctuates considerably. Following Kenobi's briefing in Clone Wars Chapter 2, nine clones are visible. Ten clones are observed after the LAAT/i sustains a missile hit, and eleven clones disembark from the downed gunship. The count reverts to ten during the scene where the clones are placing explosives on an artillery cannon. Upon Obi-Wan Kenobi's rendezvous with the Muunilinst 10, nine clones are again present. Finally, during the confrontation with Durge, the number of clones exceeds ten, potentially indicating that the unit had joined forces with the main invasion force to capture key InterGalactic Banking Clan officials. The number of ARC Alpha Lieutenants also varies from two to three to four, contingent upon the scene. Furthermore, during the Battle of Hypori, nineteen clones are visible in several shots, with the count exhibiting similar fluctuations as in previous chapters.