Matchstick/Legends

"Broadside, we make it through this one, drinks are on me." "I can already taste them!"

- Matchstick to Broadside

"Matchstick" was the nickname of a clone trooper pilot who served in Shadow Squadron of the Republic Navy, under the command of Jedi General Anakin Skywalker around 22 BBY. When the Confederacy of Independent Systems warship, Malevolence, destroyed several Republic fleets, Matchstick and the squadron accompanied Skywalker and his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, to the Bormus Testing Facility where BTL-B Y-wing starfighters were both manufactured and tested. The group acquired the starfighters from the facility and developed a plan to destroy the Malevolence with the bombers. During the Balmorra Run, Matchstick's bomber was damaged by a Neebray manta. After coming out of the nebula, Shadow Squadron engaged the Malevolence and their droid fighters. When the massive warship fired its ion cannon on the squadron, Matchstick's bomber's engines failed and he collided with fellow trooper Tag's Y-wing, killing both pilots and their gunners. He did not die in vain, as the squadron was able to destroy the ion cannons of the Malevolence, decimating Grievous, the commander of the Malevolence, plan to destroy the Medical center.

Biography
"Matchstick" was the nickname of a clone trooper pilot, who served the Republic Navy. Like all clone troopers, Matchstick was one of the many clones of Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett. Matchstick served in Shadow Squadron of the Republic Navy, and around 22 BBY, Broadside and the squadron accompanied General Anakin Skywalker for a mission to hunt down the new Separatist warship, Malevolence, a Subjugator-class heavy cruiser equipped with dual ion cannons.

In preparation for hunting down the Malevolence, Matchstick and the rest of Shadow Squadron accompanied Skywalker and his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, in the Twilight, Skywalker's personal freighter, to the Bormus Testing Facility, a facility which was tasked with manufacturing and testing Y-wings, in order to acquire newly manufactured BTL-B Y-wing starfighters. After encountering protest by a Gran worker, due to the breaking of procedure, Skywalker ordered Matchstick and fellow squadron pilot Broadside to enter hangar 8-122 of the facility and carry out his pre-arranged orders. While Skywalker and Tano maneuvered the Gran representative of the testing facility into authorizing the release of the bombers, Matchstick and Broadside informed the Clone troopers guarding hangar 8-122 that having a Jedi with them qualified as having the clearance required to enter the hangar. After boarding the bombers, Matchtsick and the rest of Shadow Squadron departed the facility in the Y-wings, while Skywalker and Tano departed in the Twilight.

After bringing the bombers to Skywalker's flagship, the Venator-class Star Destoryer Resolute, Broadside and Shadow Squadron were briefed by Skywalker and Admiral Wulff Yularen, the commander of the 'Resolute. Skywalker explained the plan of destroying the bridge tower of the Malevolence with the bombers in order to kill Confederate General Grievous, the Supreme Commander of the Droid Armies. Shortly after, Yularen reported that Grievous had attacked a Republic medical convoy at Ryndellia with the Malevolence. Because Ryndellia was near the Mid Rim planet of Naboo, and due to the fact that Grievous had attacked a medical convoy, Skywalker concluded that Grievous' next attack was the Kaliida Shoals Medical Center, a medcenter that contained over 60,000 injured clone troopers. Departing from the Resolute, Shadow Squadron, along with Plo Koon in his starfighter, followed Skywalker in the nearby Balmorra Run, as a shortcut to arrive at the medcenter before the Malevolence does. Upon entering the Kaliida Nebula they encountered several Neebray mantas, the giant inhabitants of the nebula. Skywalker ordered the squadron to assume the single-file Bantha formation and follow him out of the nebula. During this, Matchstick's fighter was damaged and he downplayed the damage across Koon, but the mantas did not cause any casualties apart from an astromech droid. Shadow Squadron arrived at the medcenter shortly before the Malevolence came out of hyperspace and approached the station. By this time, the medical center had evacuated half of its patients on Pelta-class frigates, but the clones being treated in bacta tanks were unable to be moved.

Shortly after arriving at the Medical Center, Grievous began to fire the Malevolence ' s turbolasers at the departing frigates. Skywalker and Shadow Squadron began engaging the Vulture droids deployed by Grievous flagship. Soon the battle droids, stationed in the Malevolence, fired the warship's starboard ion cannon on Grievous orders. The ion cannon's ray approached the Republic squadron and Skywalker immediately ordered his fighters to head for the top edge of the ray to avoid being neutralized. Despite the attempts of Shadow Squadron to evade it, the ray deactivated three Y-wing bombers, as well as most of the Vultures. Also, as the Squadron was evading the ray, Matchstcik's engines failed causing his fighter to collide with fellow pilot Tag bomber, exploding and thus killing both pilots and their gunners.

Although he was not the only casualty of the battle, Matchtstick's dead affected the squadron including Padawan Ahsoka Tano. However he did not die vain as the squadron was able to destroy the Malevolence ion cannon's thus enabling Grievous to destroy the med center and so saving over 60,000 wounded clones.

Personality and traits
Matchstick was a confident clone, downplaying the damage to his bomber. However this overconfident would case his death as his bomber was destroyed during the battle of the Kaliida Nebula. He was used to bet with Broadside about the outcome of their missions. He also would face superior officers when his commanders ordered him.

Behind the scenes
Matchtstick first appeared in Procedure, the online comic to Shadow of Malevolence, the third episode of season one of the The Clone Wars TV series. . The comic was posted on Star Wars.com on October 6, 2008, and based off an idea by Henry Gilroy, written by Pablo Hidalgo, illustrated and lettered by Grant Gould, with cover art drawn by Steven D. Anderson. Broadside was voiced by Dee Bradley Baker, who voices all of the clone troopers in The Clone WarHe later appeared in Shadow of Malevolence. Matchstick was voiced by Dee Bradley Baker, who voices all of the clone troopers in The Clone Wars television series.

Appearances

 * The Clone Wars: Procedure

Notes and references
Matchstick