The Ion Team was an elite unit of Clone Commandos that was part of the 22nd Air Combat Wing
in the Grand Army of the Republic.
They fought alongside Jedi general Roan Shryne during the Clone wars, and were dispatched
to some of the bloodiest battles of the war.
So why did they believe Order 66 was a fake Order and why did they refuse to execute it?
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The Ion team of Clone Commandos was commanded by Captain Climber, and also included Commando
Trace, Commando Ras and an unnamed fourth member.
The Ion team were dispatched to the battle of Deko Neimoidia, in the final months of
the Clone Wars, alongside Jedi Generals Roan Shryne, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The combined forces of the 212th, 501st and the Ion team were so effective on Deko Neimoidia,
that they quickly captured the planet and forced the separatist leadership to move their
headquarters to the Outer Rim World of Utapau.
After multiple successes at the battles of Boz Pity, Murkhana and others, the dark day
of Order 66 eventually came and the Order to execute all Jedi was delivered to the Ion
team.
When the Order came, they were stationed with their Jedi General Roan Shryne, but also General
Bol Chatak and Padawan Commander, Olee Starstone.
Upon hearing the command from Chancellor Palpatine, the Ion team completely refused to execute
their Jedi leadership, because they believed that it was a false signal from enemy forces,
and that the real Order 66 which was written into law, along with a set of other contingency
orders like Order 65, would never be called upon.
Unfortunately though, Clone Commander Salvo was also present when Order 66 was given,
and Ordered the Ion team to execute the Order or be brought back to Kamino for termination.
Ion Squad’s leader, Climber refused Commander Salvo’s order once more, continuing to believe
that Order 66 had not actually been called, and then Ordered the Ion team to set up an
ambush trap for Salvo.
The trap set for Salvo wasn’t lethal, but because of the enhanced intelligence and independence
of Clone Commandos, it was effective enough to prevent Commander Salvo from killing the
Jedi himself.
Commander Salvo was absolutely furious at the Ion team for their treasonous actions,
and immediately reported all four of them to his superiors.
Other Jedi who were stationed on Murkhana that day were unfortunately execute, but the
three who were accompanied by the Ion were spared from the Great Jedi Purge.
Once Darth Vader discovered the Ion team’s refusal to execute Order 66, he was of course
absolutely disgusted by their action and hunted them down personally.
When Vader discovered the location of the Ion team, he killed Ras and the unnamed Commando,
brutally with his vibrant red lightsaber.
Captain Climber and Commando Trace however, were able to escape into a forest hills area
of Murkhana, evading Darth Vader’s grasp for the time being.
After losing track of the two surviving members of the Ion team, Vader ordered his 501st to
hunt the commandos down and return them to him alive.
While his men were searching for the fugitive Commandos, Vader eventually tracked down the
Zabrak General, Bol Chatak, who initially survived thanks to the Ion team, and decapitated
her with his blood red blade.
After some time, the tragic news finally came.
The two surviving members of the Ion team were captured by the 501st and were returned
to Vader.
Shockingly, Vader chose to spare their lives, and instead send them to the horrific prisons
on the planet Agon Nine for the rest of their accelerated lives.
General Roan Shryne himself was eventually tracked down and Killed by Darth Vader around
1 year after the events of Murkhana, on the planet Kashyyyk.
Interestingly, General Shryne actually decapitated Commander Appo right in front of Darth Vader
during the encounter.
The Jedi Padawan, Olee Starstone actually lived on through most of the imperial era,
hiding her identity as a jedi after she found out about the tragic death of Master Shryne
at the hands of Vader.
She ended up joining the crew of a ship known as the “Drunk Dancer”, alongside Chewbacca.
Startstone and Chewwie ultimately vowed to fight the empire in any small way they could
until the day they died.
That is the story of the Clone Commandos who refused to execute Order 66 because they thought
it was a false enemy signal.
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