Bly

On Kamino, CC-5052 was created as a male clone derived from the genetic material of the bounty hunter Jango Fett. Being a first-generation clone, CC-5052 received training directly from Fett and was later admitted into the demanding ARC program, alongside a group of other prospective Clone Commanders. This program was designed to produce the most exceptional clone trooper officers for the Grand Army of the Republic. The program emphasized improving the skills of the clones considered most capable and instilling leadership qualities in them to effectively command other troops. CC-5052's combat skills and strategic thinking were inherited from his genetic source, but the training program refined his abilities as a soldier and granted him greater independence.

CC-5052 attained the rank of Clone Marshal Commander and Advanced Recon Commando, and was granted the privilege of choosing his own name, deciding on "Bly." Like many of his clone comrades, he experienced his first combat during the First Battle of Geonosis, which signaled the beginning of the Clone Wars. Due to the performance of Jedi Knight Aayla Secura in the battle, she was given command of her own clone corps and fleet group. Bly was assigned as her second-in-command, and she was given the 327th Star Corps.

Commander Bly, newly appointed, joined Jedi General Secura on the battlefield. The 327th quickly adapted to being deployed wherever their services were most urgently needed, often with little notice, and took pride in their adaptability. Throughout his tenure as commander of the 327th, Bly led his troops in numerous battles where they demonstrated exceptional courage. During the war, he participated in the battle of Honoghr and the battle of New Holstice. He also commanded the 327th on Saleucami at some stage, which was the location of several significant events during the war. He cultivated a relationship of mutual trust with Secura, with whom he fought alongside on various exotic battlefields. Bly's 327th occasionally collaborated with the 501st Legion under the leadership of General Anakin Skywalker.

During the Clone Wars, General Secura and Bly traveled to the planet Escander following intelligence gathered by Jedi General Quinlan Vos. This intelligence indicated that Count Dooku's, the Separatist Head of State, scientists were developing a new battle droid at a Separatist base there. Members of a company within the 327th, including Secura and Bly, disembarked from Republic gunships. A clone trooper pointed out the treacherous nature of their approach, to which Bly responded by outlining how they should proceed. As the clone troopers became mired in the mud, battle droids on speeders launched an ambush on the group.

After a clone trooper suggested commandeering the speeders to escape the ambush, Secura and several clone troopers, along with "Flash," were the only ones to accompany him further. Secura had ordered the wounded clones back to their gunship, including Commander Bly. The clone trooper then assumed command. Republic forces advanced toward the base, where the clone trooper and Secura discovered that the intelligence was a trap and engaged the Sith assassin Asajj Ventress. Eventually, Republic forces evacuated the area and returned to their gunships to withdraw from the planet.

During the Clone Wars, Bly and Secura were attacked over the planet Quell by a Separatist fleet. Anakin Skywalker, along with his Padawan apprentice Ahsoka Tano and Clone Captain Rex, orchestrated a rescue mission for Secura and her troops. Storming Secura's Star Destroyer Liberty, Skywalker, Tano, Rex, Lucky, and Cameron successfully located and rescued Secura, Bly, and Flash. However, Skywalker sustained serious injuries during the mission, and Bly assisted in piloting a frigate to the Resolute to ensure the Jedi received proper medical attention. While attempting to dock, the frigate's hyperdrive was activated, forcing them to detach from the Resolute. The cruiser then entered hyperspace shortly after detachment. Later, as the frigate traveled through hyperspace, Bly noticed that the coordinates were set to direct them into a star. After successfully avoiding the star, the frigate crash-landed on the world of Maridun, forcing the group to seek assistance for the injured Skywalker.

During their journey, Bly discovered a sign indicating the presence of sentient lifeforms nearby. Leaving Skywalker and Rex behind, the remaining group members ventured across the flatlands to find someone who could help the wounded Jedi. However, they were fiercely attacked by mastiff phalones, resulting in the death of the three other clones accompanying them. Shortly after, they discovered a Lurmen village, inhabited by Lurmen villagers. Initially, the village elder, Tee Watt Kaa, refused to help, but upon learning of their friend's situation, he allowed his son Wag Too to accompany them back to Skywalker. Bly, Tano, and Wag Too returned 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 cared for by the Lurmen people.

Later, Bly was resting in the Lurmen village when he observed a couple of Lurmen struggling to stack baskets of food. He assisted them, and they expressed their gratitude by offering him a jogan fruit, which he gladly consumed. Bly was then informed by Rex that a Separatist C-9979 landing craft was landing near the village. Along with the rest of the group, he helped Skywalker escape as the battle droids searched the village for contraband. As they observed and hid in the tall grass, a probe droid detected them, but Bly jammed its signal before it could transmit any information. He, Tano, and Rex pursued the droid, while Secura calmly assessed the situation. Deciding it was best not to chase the droid, she separated from the others and intercepted it from the front.

Shortly after, Bly and the others discovered a Separatist outpost on the planet. The group observed as the Separatist General Lok Durd unveiled his new weapon: the Defoliator Deployment Tank. Accompanying Rex on a scouting mission, the two clones approached the weapon for a closer look. Unbeknownst to them, Durd was about to conduct a weapons test. The Defoliator fired a shell, and as it descended, the clones were forced to retreat. Rex managed to fire his ascension cable and return to a nearby tree, but Bly tripped while attempting the same. As the shell's blast approached him, Secura, using a vine, swung down from the tree and lifted Bly to safety just before the fire encircled the clone. Bly was eternally grateful to Secura for saving him. The group waited until nightfall before returning to the outpost. While 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 departing for the village.

Upon reaching the Lurmen settlement, Bly and the others warned the villagers about the Defoliator tank and Durd's plan to use their village as the site of his next test. Tee Watt Kaa refused to engage the Separatists in battle, stating that he would rather die than have 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 approached the Lurmen, Bly and the others stood their ground. The group managed to destroy the battle droids with the assistance of the Lurmen villagers, and Skywalker captured Durd. Bly and Rex then took Durd aboard the shuttle as Admiral Wullf Yularen's fleet arrived to extract the group from Maridun.

During the final days of the Clone Wars as part of the Outer Rim Sieges, Bly attended a Jedi High Council meeting alongside Clone Marshal Commander Bacara and Jedi Generals Ki-Adi-Mundi, Plo Koon, Mace Windu, Yoda, Depa Billaba, Secura, and Jedi Commander Caleb Dume. He also attended another meeting with Secura, Windu, Koon, and Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi. Clone Commander Bly was later present on Saleucami alongside Clone Commanders Neyo and Faie. Eventually, Commander Bly and the 327th Star Corps were dispatched to the Outer Rim world of Felucia to locate Executive Separatist Council member Shu Mai, with Bly leading a Republic task force under Secura. Shu Mai's Commerce Guild decided to poison the planet's water supply to prevent the world from falling under Republic control. Secura led Commander Bly and his 327th on a mission to stop the poison from spreading.

Shortly after landing on Felucia, Secura and Bly were tasked with capturing 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, compelling them to eliminate their Jedi leaders. During their advance through the Felucian jungle, Secura and Bly were at the forefront of a Republic column of vehicles, including All Terrain Tactical Enforcers, All Terrain Open Transports, and Infantry Support Platforms, along with 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. Distracted by a low-flying bird and briefly captivated by its energies, Secura was shot from behind by Commander Bly. He and his troopers continued firing, recognizing that even a wounded Jedi posed a threat. Jedi General Secura quickly perished, 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 had ended after fulfilling Order 66 during the Felucia campaign. Eventually, Darth Sidious transformed the Republic into the Galactic Empire, which Bly then served.

Following the formation of the Empire, Commander Bly served Darth Vader when the Dark Lord of the Sith personally contacted him to assist in capturing two rebellious Padawans. Bly's experience with the Jedi made him an ideal candidate for the mission, and he collaborated with Vader to eliminate them. Commander Bly continued to serve Darth Sidious during his reign as Galactic Emperor within the Imperial Army, subjugating countless star systems. Serving in the Stormtrooper Corps, Bly was dispatched on various critical missions, including hunting down Force users who had survived the execution of Order 66.

As a clone of the bounty hunter Jango Fett, Bly's physical characteristics included a height of 1.83 meters, brown eyes, and tanned skin. He had a yellow stripe on each of his cheeks. He was a reliable soldier who consistently supported Aayla Secura during the Clone Wars, respecting her dedication to completing their missions, a mindset he shared. Bly and Secura developed a relationship of mutual trust, but this did not change the outcome of Order 66, when Bly was compelled to comply and fatally shot Secura. Bly did not hesitate to fire on Secura, under whose command he had served in numerous military campaigns throughout the Clone Wars and whom he had defended with his life until that moment. Bly and his soldiers continued to fire into Secura's body even after she had fallen.

Bly admired Secura for her combat prowess and sense of duty, believing that she did not allow personal emotions to interfere with a mission. Consequently, Bly acted similarly on Felucia during Order 66, despite the close bond they had formed. Bly was a seasoned commander with experience in many battles during the Clone Wars. Although Secura respected and trusted her former Jedi Master, Quinlan Vos, Bly remained cautious. Despite his reservations, Bly maintained professionalism, ensuring it did not impede his duty within Secura's 327th Star Corps. Bly considered Escander, like his homeworld Kamino, to be desolate. Bly was an inspiring leader, often assuming full command of the 327th Star Corps when Secura was assigned elsewhere. Throughout the Clone Wars, Bly proved to be a skilled soldier, frequently prioritizing his sense of duty above all other considerations.

As a Clone Marshal Commander and ARC trooper, Bly received training in the ARC program. His skill set included combat training, military tactics, leadership, aerial maneuvers, and reconnaissance. Bly was also a skilled marksman with all the weapons he used, but he preferred his DC-17 hand blasters. Bly was a highly trained combat soldier and capable pilot of many standard vehicles used by the Republic Military, including Consular-class frigates.

Throughout the Clone Wars, Bly wore several sets of armor, starting with Phase I clone trooper armor. As a prominent ARC trooper and clone officer, Bly had several markings to identify him as such. In his Phase I armor, he wore a kama made of lightning-resistant fabric, providing special leg protection. Bly also wore a left-shouldered pauldron, as well as powerful retractable macrobinoculars attached to his helmet. This allowed him to view an expanded field of vision of the terrain when needed, without carrying external binoculars in his utility belt or backpack. His helmet also featured a powerful subspace antenna that linked him and his troopers at a command post. Bly also customized 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, retaining his kama, macrobinoculars, blasters and holders, as well as his markings. He used a double shoulder pauldron, another symbol of his ARC status, although he occasionally used a different single-sided left shoulder pauldron. Bly also used standard clone trooper weaponry during the war, including the DC-15A blaster rifle and DC-15A blaster carbine. During his Imperial service, Bly replaced his clone trooper armor with stormtrooper armor and used a flexible single-panel pauldron on the right shoulder, similar to other Stormtrooper Commanders.

CC-5052 made his initial canonical appearance in the 2005 film Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. Temuera Morrison provided his voice, as he did for all the other clone troopers in the movie. Similar to Aayla Secura, Bly was conceived by writer John Ostrander for the Star Wars Legends comic book series Star Wars: Republic, where Bly briefly interacted with Aayla Secura. According to Star Wars Helmet Collection 73, Bly's ARC training prevented him from participating in the Battle of Geonosis, but the later released source Star Wars Bust Collection 53 indicated that he did participate in that battle.

In Revenge of the Sith, Bly was originally intended to have red markings, but these were changed to yellow to better suit the imagery of Felucia. The clone trooper with red markings was later identified as Commander Deviss. Although Bly's appearance in the final cut is silent, the illustrated screenplay of Episode III attributed a single line to him. The line was "No," spoken to Secura in response to her question about the presence of droids before he attacked her.