Bly, designated CC-5052, was an Advanced Recon Commando and clone trooper officer who held the military rank of Clone Marshal Commander in the 327th Star Corps of the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. A capable leader, Bly enjoyed a close working relationship with his Jedi commanding officer, Jedi General Aayla Secura, who held the dependable commander in high esteem. Together, they fought against the droid armies of the Confederacy of Independent Systems on numerous worlds across the galaxy, including Quell, Maridun, and Felucia.
Like all clone troopers, Bly was cloned by Kaminoan scientists using the human blood samples provided by the bounty hunter Jango Fett, which ultimately resulted in the creation of an army of genetically-identical soldiers. Within a decade of their inception, Bly and his fellow clones were adopted into the service of the Galactic Republic, leading to the pan-galactic civil war known as the Clone Wars. During the first year of the conflict, Bly and Secura's 327th Star Corps fought alongside the 501st Legion, led by Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and Clone Captain CT-7567 "Rex," in the Battle of Quell. Despite their efforts, the Separatist forces proved victorious, forcing Bly and his comrades to retreat to the Maridun system. While awaiting rescue, they discovered Separatist activity on Maridun and General Lok Durd's plan to test a dangerous weapon on a local village. Though far outnumbered and outgunned by Lok Durd's battle droids, the Jedi, the clones and Bly successfully defended the Lurmens until the arrival of the Republic Navy.
Bly, Secura and their troops participated in the Outer Rim Sieges during the final months of the Clone Wars. At the Battle of Felucia, Bly was ordered by the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious to execute Order 66βthe clone protocol calling for the destruction of the Jedi Order. Though loyal to Secura, his programming compelled him to obey the chancellor without question. Secura, who was always reassured to have Bly by her side, died as a result of being repeatedly shot in the back by the clone troopers that had served under her command for years. Afterward, Sidious proclaimed himself Emperor of the First Galactic Empire and CC-5052 served as a Stormtrooper Commander.
CC-5052 was a male clone of the bounty hunter Jango Fett created on Kamino. CC-5052 was a first-generation clone who was trained by Fett himself, and was later inducted into the rigorous ARC program. along with a group of other future Clone Commanders, producing the best clone trooper officers in the Grand Army of the Republic. The training program focused on enhancing the abilities of those clones who were considered the most fit, and drilling leadership skills into them to command other troops. CC-5052's combat ability and tactical vision originated from his genetic source, but with the training program he optimized his skills as a soldier and gained greater autonomy.
CC-5052 became a Clone Marshal Commander and Advanced Recon Commando, and was allowed to choose his own name, settling on "Bly." Like many of his clone brethren, he saw his first service in the First Battle of Geonosis, which marked the start of the Clone Wars. Due to Jedi Knight Aayla Secura's efforts in the battle, she was given command of her own clone corps and fleet group. Bly served as her second-in-command, and she was given the 327th Star Corps.
The newly christened Commander Bly joined Jedi General Secura on the field. The 327th were soon adapted to being dispatched wherever they were most needed, often on short notice, and prided themselves in their adaptability. During his service as commander of the 327th, Bly led his troops throughout battles that they displayed great courage in. During the war, he was involved in the battle of Honoghr and battle of New Holstice. At some point, he also led the 327th on Saleucami, which was the site of several events during the war. He developed a mutual trust with Secura, who fought alongside him on a number of exotic battlefields. Bly's 327th occassionally collaborated with General Anakin Skywalker's 501st Legion.
During the war, General Secura and Bly travelled to the planet Escander after intelligence obtained by Jedi General Quinlan Vos reported that a Separatist Head of State Count Dooku's scientists were developing a new battle droid on a there. Members of a company within the 327th, including Secura and Bly, disembarked from Republic gunships. A clone trooper pointed out that the approach was treacherous, to which Bly responded with how they should move forward. As the clone troopers became bogged down in the mud, battle droids on speeders ambushed the group.
After a clone trooper suggested hijacking the speeders to escape the ambush, Secura and several clone troopers together with "Flash" were the only ones to accompany him further. Secura had sent back the wounded clones to their gunship, including Commander Bly. The clone trooper then assumed command. Republic forces moved towards the base, with the clone trooper and Secura discovering that the intelligence was a trap and had engaged the Sith assassin Asajj Ventress. Eventually, Republic forces escape the area and return to their gunships to retreat from the world.
During the Clone Wars, Bly and Secura came under attack over the planet Quell by a Separatist fleet. Anakin Skywalker, his Padawan apprentice Ahsoka Tano, and Clone Captain Rex organized a rescue of Secura and her troops. Storming Secura's Star Destroyer Liberty, Skywalker, Tano, Rex, Lucky, and Cameron were able to locate and successfully rescue Secura, Bly, and Flash. However, Skywalker was seriously injured during the mission and Bly assisted in piloting a frigate to the Resolute in order to get the Jedi appropriate medical attention. While attempting to dock, the frigate's hyperdrive was activated, forcing them to detach from the Resolute. The cruiser then quickly entered hyperspace just moments after detaching. Later as the frigate traveled through hyperspace, Bly was able to notice that the coordinates were set to take them directly into a star. After a successful attempt at avoiding the star, the frigate crash landed on the world of Maridun, and the group were forced to search for help to aid an injured Skywalker.
Along the way, Bly discovered a signpost indicating that there were sentient lifeforms nearby. Leaving Skywalker and Rex behind, the remainder of the group journeyed across the grasslands to look for someone who might be able to assist the wounded Jedi. However, during their travels, they were viciously attacked by mastiff phalones, and the three other clones accompanying them were killed by the creatures. Shortly afterwards they were able to find a Lurmen village, populated by many Lurmen villagers. At first the village elder, Tee Watt Kaa, refused to help but when he learned of their friend's plight, he allowed his son Wag Too to accompany them back to Skywalker. Bly, Tano and Wag Too headed back to the injured Jedi. Once there, the trio, along with Rex, managed to subdue another mastiff phalone that was attempting to kill the Jedi and the Clone Captain. Bly and Rex then carried Skywalker back to the Lurmen village where he rested and was nursed by the Lurmen people.
Later, Bly was resting in the Lurmen village when he witnessed a couple of Lurmen struggling to pile baskets of food. He helped them with their troubles and they thanked him by giving him a jogan fruit, which he gladly ate. Bly was then informed by Rex that a Separatist C-9979 landing craft was setting down near to the village. Along with the rest of the group, he helped Skywalker escape as the battle droids searched the village for contraband. As they watched and hid in the tall grass, a probe droid discovered them, but before it could transfer any information, Bly jammed it's signal. He, Tano and Rex pursued whilst Secura calmly assessed the situation. Deciding it best not the chase the droid, she separated from the others and was able to cut the droid off from the front.
Not long after, Bly and the others discovered a Separatist outpost on the planet. The group watched as the Separatist General Lok Durd announced his new weapon: the Defoliator Deployment Tank. Accompanying Rex on a scouting mission, the two clones went in for a closer look at the weapon. Unbeknownst to them, however, was that Durd was about to perform a weapons test. The Defoliator fired a shell and, as it descended, the clones were forced to retreat. Rex was able to fire his ascension cable and return to a nearby tree but Bly tripped as he attempted the same. As the shell's blast came towards him, Secura, using a vine, swung down from the tree and lifted Bly to safety just before fire encircled the clone. Bly thus was eternally grateful for Secura saving him. The group waited for nightfall, before returning to the outpost. Whilst Secura and Tano opened the front gate, Bly and Rex assisted Skywalker in destroying the battle droids guarding the outpost. The two clones then stole two valuable shield generators and loaded them onto a Separatist shuttle before leaving for the village.
Upon reaching the Lurmen settlement, Bly and the others warned the villagers about the Defoliator tank and how Durd planned to use their village as the site of his next test. Tee Watt Kaa refused to engage the Separatists in battle, stating that he'd rather die than let his people resort to violence. Despite his objections the group established a defensive wall around the village and the clones raised the shields, protecting the Lurmen from the Defoliator shell's impact. As Durd's battle droids closed in on the Lurmen, Bly and the others stood their ground. The group were able to destroy the battle droids with help from the Lurmen villagers and Skywalker was able to capture Durd. Bly and Rex then took Durd aboard the shuttle as Admiral Wullf Yularen's fleet arrived to extract the group from Maridun.
In the final days of the Clone Wars during the Outer Rim Sieges, Bly was present in a Jedi High Council meeting alongside Clone Marshal Commander Bacara and Jedi Generals Ki-Adi-Mundi, Mace Windu, Yoda, Depa Billaba, Secura, and Jedi Commander Caleb Dume. Clone Commander Bly was then present on Saleucami alongside Clone Commander Neyo and Clone Commander Faie. Eventually, Commander Bly and the 327th Star Corps was dispatched to the Outer Rim world of Felucia to track down Executive Separatist Council member Shu Mai, with Bly as the leader of a Republic task force under Secura. Shu Mai's Commerce Guild decided to poison the planet's water supply to prevent the world from becoming Republic territory. Secura led Commander Bly and his 327th into a mission to attempt to stop the poison from spreading.
Eventually, shortly after landing on Felucia, Secura and Bly were sent to capture Commerce Guild leader Shu Mai. While on Felucia, Commander Bly received and relayed Order 66, a directive that activated every inhibitor chip in each clone trooper and forced them to kill their Jedi leaders. During their advance through the Felucian jungle, Secura and Bly were at the front of a Republic column of vehicles that included All Terrain Tactical Enforcers, All Terrain Open Transports, and Infantry Support Platforms alongside a clone trooper infantry group and gelagrub mounts. Facing Separatist armored columns ahead, Secura immersed herself in the Living Force in preparation for the battle. Then distracted by a low-flying bird, briefly entranced by its energies, Secura was shot from behind by Commander Bly. He and his troopers continued to fire, understanding that even a wounded Jedi was a threat. Jedi General Secura died quickly, and Commander Bly ordered his men to examine Secura's body to confirm her death after the shooting. Bly and the 327th received the communication that the Clone Wars ended after having fulfilled Order 66 during the Felucia campaign. Eventually, Darth Sidious transformed the Republic into the Galactic Empire, which Bly then served in.
Following the Empire's formation, Commander Bly served Darth Vader when the Dark Lord of the Sith contacted him personally to help him capture two rebellious Padawans. Bly's experience with the Jedi made him an ideal candidate for the mission, and he collaborated with Vader to exterminate them. Commander Bly then continued serving Darth Sidious during his time as Galactic Emperor within the Imperial Army, submitting countless star systems. Serving in the Stormtrooper Corps, Bly was dispatched on various critical missions, such as chasing Force users who survived the implementation of Order 66.
As a clone of the bounty hunter Jango Fett, Bly stood at 1.83 meters and had brown eyes with tanned skin. A yellow stripe could be found on each of his cheeks. He was a dependable soldier who always had Aayla Secura's back during the Clone Wars, respecting his Jedi General's dedication to completing their missions, a mentality that he also shared. Bly and Secura shared a mutual trust, however, it made no difference during Order 66 when Bly was forced to comply and gunned down Secura. Bly did not hesitate to open fire on Secura, under whose command he had served in many military campaigns throughout the Clone Wars, and who, until that moment, he had defended with his life. Bly and his soldiers continued firing into Secura's body, well after she had fallen.
Bly respected Secura for her battle grit and sense of duty, believing that she did not allow personal feelings to become involved in a mission. As such, Bly did the same on Felucia during Order 66 despite the close bond that he formed. Bly was a veteran commander of many battles in the Clone Wars. Although Secura respected and trusted her former Jedi Master, Quinlan Vos, Bly was wary. Despite his wariness, Bly was professional enough that it did not interfere with his duty within Secura's 327th Star Corps. Bly believed that Escander, like his homeworld Kamino, was bleak. Bly was an inspirational leader, often taking full command of the 327th Star Corps when Secura was posted elsewhere. Throughout the Clone Wars, Bly proved to be a proficient soldier, often placing his sense of duty before any other consideration.
As a Clone Marshal Commander and ARC trooper, Bly received training in the ARC program. Bly was skilled in combat training, military tactics, leadership, aerial maneuvers, and reconnaissance. Bly was also a skilled marksman with all of the weapons he wielded, but preferred his DC-17 hand blasters. Bly was a highly trained combat soldier, and could also pilot many standard vehicles used by the Republic Military, including Consular-class frigates.
Throughout the Clone Wars, Bly wore multiple sets of armor, including initially Phase I clone trooper armor. As one of the most prominent ARC troopers and clone officer, Bly had several markings identifying him as such. In his Phase I armor, he wore a kama with lightning-resistant fabric, providing special leg protection. Bly also wore a left-shouldered pauldron, as well as powerful retractable macrobinoculars that he attached to his helmet. This allowed him to view an expanded field of vision of the terrain when he needed, without having to carry external binoculars in his utility belt or backpack. His helmet also had a powerful subspace antenna that linked himself and his troopers at a command post. Bly also fashioned his battle uniform with two DC-17 hand blasters in holders on each leg.
Later in the Clone Wars, Bly adopted the new Phase II clone trooper armor, maintaining his kama, macrobinoculars, blasters and holders, as well as his markings. He used a double shoulder pauldron, which was another symbol of his ARC status, though he occasionally used a different single-sided left shoulder pauldron. Bly also used standard clone trooper weaponry during the war, including DC-15A blaster rifle and DC-15A blaster carbine. In his Imperial service, Bly traded his clone trooper armor for stormtrooper armor, and used a flexible single-panel pauldron on the right shoulder like other Stormtrooper Commanders.
CC-5052 made his first canonical appearance in the 2005 film Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, where he was voiced by Temuera Morrison, who voiced all of the other clone troopers in the movie. Much like Aayla Secura, Bly was created by writer John Ostrander for the Star Wars Legends comic book series Star Wars: Republic, where Bly briefly spoke with Aayla Secura. According to Star Wars Helmet Collection 73, Bly did not serve in the Battle of Geonosis because of his ARC training, but the later released source Star Wars Bust Collection 53 stated he indeed served in that battle.
In Revenge of the Sith, Bly was intended to feature red markings, but these were changed to yellow to better fit Felucia's imagery. The clone trooper with red markings was established to be Commander Deviss. While Bly's appearance in the final cut is silent, there was a single line attributed to him in the illustrated screenplay of Episode III. The line was "No," said to Secura in response to her question if he thought that there were droids around before blasting her.