21st Nova Corps

"Come on!"

- Ki-Adi-Mundi's last words, to the Galactic Marines

The Galactic Marines, also known as the 21st Nova Corps, was a prominent military unit of clone troopers noted for their unique armor and relentlessness in combat. The marines served in the Grand Army of the Galactic Republic as part of the 4th Sector Army under the leadership of Jedi General Ki-Adi-Mundi and Marshal Commander CC-1138 "Bacara." Prior to the conclusion of the Clone Wars, the marines fought Separatist Alliances droid forces in the Assault on Mygeeto where they received Order 66, causing Mundi's marines to betray and kill him on the battlefield.

History
The Galactic Marines, also known as the 21st Nova Corps, were formed as a unit of the Grand Army of the Republic, an armed force of clone troopers engineered to serve the Galactic Republic and served as part of the 4th Sector Army. Like the clone army in general, the marines fought to defend the Republic against the Separatist Droid Army of the Confederacy of Independent Systems in the galaxy-wide conflict known as the Clone Wars. CC-1138 "Bacara" served as the marine Clone Commander, second to Jedi General Ki-Adi-Mundi of the Jedi Order.

During the war, the marines served the Republic with distinction, becoming well known for their aggressiveness on the battlefield. In 19 BBY the marines participated in the Outer Rim Sieges with Mundi and Bacara leading the unit in a direct assault on the Separatist world of Mygeeto. As the fighting continued, Bacara's troops received Order 66 from Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, commanding them to execute the Jedi Purge. The marines complied with the order and turned against their general, gunning him down as he fought the Separatist battle droids on the front line.

Organization
As a corps of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Galactic Marines consisted of 36,864 troopers divided into sixteen regiments. The Galactic Marines were under the command of Jedi General Ki-Adi-Mundi and Marshal Commander CC-1138 "Bacara" and was attached to the 4th Sector Army.

Equipment and vehicles
Clone troopers assigned to the Galactic Marines were considered to be of exceptional conditioning and discipline, and were trained to operate in hostile environments, such as fungal clouds to pure vacuum environments. Along with infantry forces, the Galactic Marines utilized UT-ATs in combat.

In addition to their reputation as relentless soldiers, the Galactic Marines were also distinguished by their specialized armor, a variant of the Phase II clone trooper armor that succeeded the earlier Phase I model. The design of the helmet incorporated a specialized visor designed to filter pollutants and other hazards, which included a special synthmesh visor for the filtration of poisonous gases.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy – A Graphic Novel
 * Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
 * Kanan 2: The Last Padawan, Part II: Flight

Notes and references
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