CC-6454

"General, the enemy fire is penetrating our shields!"

- CC-6454, to Mace Windu

CC-6454, nicknamed "Ponds," was a clone trooper commander in the Grand Army of the Republic. Around 22 BBY, the Techno Union foreman and Separatist Council member, Emir Wat Tambor, invaded the planet Ryloth, and Ponds assisted High Jedi General Mace Windu in invading the planet to secure its liberation. Ponds was stationed aboard Windu's Acclamator-class assault ship when the forces attempted to land in the city of Nabat, but fire from enemy cannons prevented the transports from landing.

The transports were able to land after High Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi eliminated the cannons, and the invasion forces headed to retake Ryloth's capital of Lessu. Ponds led Lightning Squadron, but en route to Lessu, his unit sustained losses during an encounter with several Confederate tanks. In need of reinforcements, Windu convinced Twi'lek freedom fighter Cham Syndulla to join forces with the Republic. The only access to Lessu was via a plasma bridge, and Windu and the Advanced Recon Force troopers Razor and Stak were able to activate it. Ponds and Syndulla led the charge across the bridge and engaged the Confederate forces, and Windu captured Wat Tambor, freeing the planet.

Biography
"Ponds" was the nickname of a clone trooper commander. Born on Kamino, Ponds was one of the many clones of bounty hunter Jango Fett, manufactured by the Galactic Republic to serve in the Grand Army of the Republic. After the Battle of Geonosis, Ponds was assigned to High Jedi General Mace Windu.

Battle of Ryloth
Around 22 BBY, the Techno Union foreman and Separatist Council member, Emir Wat Tambor, invaded the planet of Ryloth and enslaved its Twi'lek inhabitants. After Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano eliminated the Confederate blockade surrounding the planet, Ponds accompanied General Windu aboard an Acclamator-class assault ship. Windu's invasion force, consisting of three Acclamator transports, prepared to land in the city of Nabat, but they were attacked by Confederate proton cannons stationed below in the city. Ponds informed Windu that the cannons had penetrated the transports' shields, and as he spoke, one of the transports was destroyed. Windu instructed High Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi to destroy the cannons and allow their transports to land in Nabat. Kenobi was able to eliminate the cannons, and the two remaining transports were able to land. The ground forces were deployed, and soon headed to Ryloth's capital of Lessu to retake it and free the planet.

En route to Lessu, Ponds accompanied Windu and led the GAR unit Lightning Squadron, as well as, several AT-TE walkers. Along a cliffside path, the forces were attacked by several Confederate Armored Assault Tanks, which sought to trap the Republic forces on the cliff, and incapacitated the front walkers before targeting the rear walkers. Windu and Ponds led an attack with Lightning Squadron and several AT-RT walkers on the tanks. Although the tanks were defeated, the ambush had taken the lives of thirty-two of their men', along with three AT-TE command crews. Windu and Ponds needed reinforcements to be able to succeed.

Windu entered a holographic conference with Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, Jedi Grand Master Yoda; Ryloth's Twi'lek senator, Orn Free Taa, and Admiral Wullf Yularen. Windu discovered that there were no reinforcements available, but decided to enlist the help of Twi'lek Cham Syndulla and the freedom fighters&mdash;a resistance that had been fighting the Confederacy since its invasion&mdash;to help the Republic defeat the Confederacy. Windu went with Advanced Recon Force troopers Razor and Stak to meet the rebels, while Ponds continued to Lessu with the forces.



After coming across a Twi'lek village, Ponds ordered the troopers to spare some rations for the Twi'lek women and children that were still there. Suddenly, several Confederate Hyena-class bombers appeared and swooped down on the village, dropping bombs and destroying the village in a matter of seconds. A shocked Ponds reported this to Windu, and the increasing losses of lives 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 devised a plan to enter Lessu; however, the only solution would be to activate the city's plasma bridge, as it was the only access to Lessu, and the bridge's controls were inside the city itself. To infiltrate the city, Windu decided to sneak onto one of several Confederate Multi Troop Transports carrying treasures for Emir Tambor. However, they would only have a short amount of time before being discovered, and Ponds and Syndulla needed to give Windu as much time as possible to get across.

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 for the other side while Ponds and Syndulla commenced the attack. Windu and the clones were able to get across, and Syndulla led the charge toward the bridge. Razor and Stak managed to activate the bridge, and after the Republic forces crossed the bridge and entered the city, Windu cornered Tambor. Several bombers prepared to destroy the city under orders from Confederacy Head of State and Sith Lord Count Dooku, but the timely intervention of General Skywalker and Tano in their fighters halted the attempt. After the battle had ended, Ponds attended a parade on Ryloth with Syndulla, Taa and Windu.

Battle of Juma-9
A short while after Ryloth, the Station Juma 9 fell under attack. With Jedi Master Kit Fisto and Pond's commander Mace Windu, they sought to recapture the station. They found Clone Commander Cody and, while the Jedi entered the station, the clones scouted on the station's surface where they encountered some droids. Eventually they destroyed all and found two lightsabers in space. They met up with two Jedi who owned the sabers but were separated from them by a ray shield, thus forcing the Jedi to go around the ray shield. Eventually they made it and received their sabers. The Battle of Juma 9 was won.

Personality and traits
Ponds was obedient and followed orders. He was assertive, and did not hesitate when giving orders himself, as shown when he immediately ordered Lightning Squadron to the front of the Republic line of walkers during the cliffside ambush. Ponds was also compassionate, and when he learned that there were only Twi'lek women and children in a nearby village, he took pity on them and ordered his men to spare rations, and was also shocked when the Confederacy bombed the village.

He had a friendship with fellow officers Captain Rex and Commander Cody. He comforted the latter when he expressed his concern for Generals Plo Koon and Obi-Wan Kenobi on the Juma 9 station mission. He did complement Rex's shooting skills during the Behpour mission.



Armor and equipment
"Missile rounds, General: A clone's best friend."

- Ponds to Mace Windu.

Ponds' armor featured dark-red markings upon his helmet, arms, shoulder plates, towards the back of his torso, and from his knee pads down to the mid-calf. Ponds also wore a kama that bore two DC-17 hand blasters. On the back of Ponds' helmet, "Some guys have all the luck" was written in Aurebesh.

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 made his first appearance in the series' first season episode "Innocents of Ryloth," and went on to appear in the next episode, "Liberty on Ryloth." However, Ponds was only identified by name in the episodes' corresponding guides on the official Star Wars site.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes
 * Star Wars The Clone Wars Volume 4: The Colossus of Destiny
 * The Droid Deception
 * Star Wars The Clone Wars Volume 4: The Colossus of Destiny
 * The Droid Deception