"Good moo-oorning, soldier! Time to rise and shiii-iine!"

Commander Blaze kept his eyes firmly shut. He didn't need to see to recognise that singsong tone. It was usually the first voice he heard in the morning, shattering his already restricted sleep, but today, he was inclined to be forgiving.

"Eh, space off, Dodge. What time is it, anyway?"

Feeling the dip of the side of his bunk as it took his brother's weight, Blaze knew there was no escaping this one. Dodge was a talker on a normal day. Today, he was going to be a handful.

"About oh five hundred, but I couldn't sleep. Today's the day!"

Blaze grudgingly opened his eyes and propped himself up on his elbows, trying to restrain a smile as Dodge pressed a mug of caf at him as soon as he was sitting.

"You should be getting all the rest you can, you might not be getting much of it from here on out."

Dodge grinned, an enthusiastic glimmer in his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but come on Blaze, don't tell me you're not excited! We're finally getting out of here! Deployment day!"

Deployment day. Blaze humoured his brother with a half smile. He'd never admit it, but he felt just about as excited as Dodge looked. He sipped at his caf carefully, enjoying the way the warm brown liquid enhanced the tingle in his muscles.

"Yeah, well, I'm just glad we're finally gonna get a chance to get our hands dirty. I'm getting sick of training room simulations and holonet reports of everyone else having all the fun. If they keep us locked in here much longer there aren't gonna be any clankers left for us!"

"That's the spirit!" Dodge punched Blaze's arm playfully, nearly causing him to spill his caf.

"Hey, easy soldier, I don't want caf burns all over me when I meet the general today!"

Dodge chuckled and unfocused his eyes, looking thoughtful for a moment.

"What do you think they're like?"

"Who?"

"The generals. The... jedi. I've never really spoken to one before."

Blaze smirked, taking another sip of his caf.

"I've never met one, either. Well, at least not personally. I've seen Master Shaak Ti back on Kamino, but we never spoke. I hear they're fierce in battle, though."

Dodge's eyes lit up, the grin he'd woken Blaze with spreading slowly back across his face.

"Well, some of the guys at 79's a few nights ago were just back from a mission, and they said they watched their general take out a whole battalion of battle droids! She just tore through them, they said they could barely see her, just heard the hum of her saber and next thing they knew, the droids were scrap!"

"I don't know about that. Sounds like a bar story to me. Heh, I don't know anything about General Frayus. Heard she was on Shili before she got called back here to the war. That's about it, though."

Dodge sighed, sliding off the edge of the bunk and stretching.

"Guess we won't have to wait much longer to find out. You seen any of your men lately? I ran a few drills with mine yesterday to keep 'em sharp and gave 'em the rest of the night off to do armour and weapons checks. Didn't think they'd have the focus for anything else, they were on edge!"

"We spent most of yesterday morning running through a couple of sims that I figured would cover all the basics. We're getting our mission today, so I didn't know what to prepare them for, but I'm confident they checked out. And ordered them to spend the rest of the night re-reading the reg manuals on the corresponding standard procedure. We may have been stuck on Coruscant longer than some of the other battalions, but no one's gonna say my men weren't prepared!"

Dodge responded with a long, low whistle.

"That's rough! Reg manuals all night for their last night together? No wonder my boys said they were griping!"

"Hey, they need to be on top of their game today! General Frayus needs us at oh nine hundred, and I'm not meeting her with half my men looking like they've been dragged through a garbage pit."

"All right, all right, don't get excited," Dodge laughed, raising his hands in a gesture that was clearly meant to appease him. "They're your men, after all! Come on, let's hit the refresher and get to the mess." He grinned sarcastically. "You never know, maybe they made us something special for our last meal here!"

With a burst of energy that Blaze found difficult to comprehend at this time of day, Dodge turned on his heel and scooped a towel from a pile in the corner before vanishing into the refresher. Yawning, Blaze finished the dregs of his caf and set the mug down, looking around. The command barracks were pretty much empty now - only a few bunks had been occupied the night before, and their occupants had already left to start their days, it seemed. It was still early, and Blaze had checked all of his armour and gone through a routine inspection of his weapons last night, but he was wide awake now, and the adrenaline coursing through his body was getting hard to ignore. Kicking his legs over the side of the bunk, Blaze stood, running a hand through his shaggy hair. It was a little longer than was generally considered acceptable, with a long forelock and a short ponytail that raised a few eyebrows from time to time, but Blaze had gotten away with it this far, and he planned to keep it that way. He had plenty of time to hit the refresher, make sure he looked presentable, and get to the mess before he picked up his armour and headed to the hangar to get his troops ready for their first inspection. So far, he smiled to himself, so good.

Dodge was dressed and waiting as Blaze finished brushing out his still damp hair and securing the small ponytail at the back. Although he knew next to nothing about General Frayus, he knew the Jedi's reputation as warriors, and the importance of the duty they faced as clones. The general would be counting on him to help execute her plans, to know the capabilities of his men, and to know how to deploy them advantageously in a fight. The 412th had never seen battle before - it was up to him to make sure that their first impression was a good one. Out of the corner of his eye, Blaze sensed his brother rolling his eyes.

"Y'know, if you keep on brushing it, there isn't gonna be anything left of it."

"I just wanna make sure-"

"You look fine, now will you quit your damn preening and hurry it up? The food in the mess is already tasteless, I'd rather it wasn't cold, too!"

Tugging on his boots, Blaze cast a final, unsentimental look around the empty command barracks. He'd spent most of his time here feeling stifled, whiling away long days training and familiarizing himself with every play in the Republic book. He was confident he knew the reg manuals back to front. For every strike, there was a counter strike, and it was finally time to play for credits. He was looking forward to some real action and a chance to finally see the world beyond the Shining City. He wouldn't miss this place one bit.

"Alright, alright, let's go."

The officer's mess hall was relatively busy when Blaze arrived, and he immediately noticed a handful of brothers he hadn't seen before. They looked like they'd just arrived this morning judging by the dark shadows under their eyes, and the state of their body suits, some of which still had recent tears and burn holes.

"Heh, they sure look worse for the wear," Dodge muttered under his breath as they passed. "Who do you think they are?"

Blaze scanned the trays of nondescript Ready Rations and selected one that looked the least nondescript and beige.

"From the holonet reports I've been hearing lately, I'd say they probably came from Thule. Things were wrapping up there last time I checked. Heavy casualties on our side, but we won. I'm sure we'll hear all about it, come on."

The small cluster of battle-worn men sitting around the end of one of the long dining tables were engaged in a discussion as Blaze and Dodge approached, but looked up to acknowledge their approach. He noticed their scars and burns, the little tears in their still unmended body suits, and felt a surge of excitement as he realised that today was the day he finally got to do what he was born for.

"Morning, brothers. Mind if we join you?"

"Please," one of the small cluster smiled, gesturing to the empty bench across from them. "Although you'll have to forgive us if we're not too talkative. I don't think any of us have slept much since we left Thule. It'll be nice to have a chance to get our armour repaired and catch up on some rest."

"I bet," Blaze laughed, taking his seat next to his friend. "I'm Blaze, commander of the 412th, and this is Dodge, commander of the 351st. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. Name's Kai. Commander of the 1186th, and these are my captains, Trip and Rain. Where've you boys been stationed?"

"We haven't been, actually. Today's deployment day for us. Finally getting out of the simulator and into some real action!"

Kai and his men chuckled amicably.

"The big day! Well, good luck, not that you'll need it, I'm sure. Sounds like you boys have had plenty of time to prepare. Have you met your generals yet?"

"Not yet. Scheduled to meet mine in a few hours," Blaze replied, scooping up some of the nondescript food on his plate.

"Same here," Dodge grinned. "What's your general like, Kai? Are they really like the guys have been saying they are?"

"Heh, well, they're certainly handy in a firefight. Reflexes faster than anything I've ever seen, and they all seem to have a few tricks up their sleeves. Sometimes I feel like they can see right through me the way they talk. Best advice I can give you - don't worry about them. You let them do their job and follow their lead and you'll be just fine."

Finishing his last few bites, Kai rocked back and rose, his men following his example.

"Sorry to cut this short, brothers, but we're dead on our feet - I think the three of us need a rest. And you two should probably be getting ready and inspecting your men! I'm sure you're both eager to make a good first impression."

"Yeah, you're probably right, we should get going," Blaze sighed, pushing his empty tray away and easing himself to his feet. "Nice to meet you all, enjoy your leave. We'll hold things together out there for you."

Kai laughed again, but there was a note of exhaustion in his voice this time.

"I'm sure you will, brother. Good luck!"

Blaze collected his tray and followed Dodge, whose grin hadn't faded in the slightest. He was confident that he was ready for this, and excited that he would finally have the chance to show the General what he was made of. A part of him had hoped Kai and his men would have stories to tell, but the disappointment was mitigated by the knowledge that he'd have some of his own very soon. He'd been starting to resent all of this sitting around, and he could only visit the range or re-read the reg manuals so many times before it all felt like muscle memory. He was ready for a real challenge, one that would let him put the strategy he'd been drilling into his head to the test. Dodge was waiting for him by the tray disposal, making little effort to conceal his excitement.

"Think we should head over to the armoury now? What time did you ask your men to be present for inspection?"

Blaze checked his wrist chrono. Everything seemed to be moving according to schedule, and it didn't hurt to be a little early to give his gear one last check.

"I gave them until oh-eight-hundred, so I guess we might as well suit up."

The pair navigated out of the mess and past clusters of officers drifting in and out of the room. Making a sharp turn through the doors of the mess and into the corridor, they headed off towards the armoury at a brisk pace. Through the corner of his eye, Blaze thought he could sense Dodge's smile fade by a degree.

"Heh, I wonder... where we're both gonna end up? Gonna miss seeing you, you know..."

"Oh come on, Dodge, you're not going soft on me, are you? You'll see me again before you know it, and you can buy me a drink to make it up to me."

Dodge laughed, relaxing a little.

"You talk tough, but I'm not so bad. You'll miss me when it's dead quiet out there, you'll see!"

"Or," Blaze cast a sideways, teasing smile at his brother, "maybe I'll actually be able to get some sleep for a change!"

Blaze sped up his pace slightly to avoid the retaliatory punch Dodge aimed at his arm, laughing in spite of himself. Dodge had always been a bit of a worrier despite his eagerness for action, but Blaze felt his confidence surge at thought of facing the enemy. Loss was unthinkable - he knew every play in the book, and they were only clankers, after all. They rounded the corner to the armoury and Blaze keyed in the access code absently, considering where he might be sent. He knew virtually nothing about General Frayus, but what little he did know suggested to him that she would likely be suited for missions involving tracking an enemy with precision and group coordination. Those kinds of skills wouldn't necessarily put him on the front lines, but at least it would be something interesting. Halting at his locker, he started keying in his access code again, listening to Dodge grumble from behind him as he opened his own locker.

"Ugh, I hope the guys are all in one piece after last night. A few of them decided it would be a good idea to celebrate at 79's before the big day. I told them I wasn't picking up anyone's slack today..."

"Well, it would be your own fault you know," Blaze teased as he pulled the latch to his locker. "There's no excuse for being sloppy, all of my men know-"

"Yeah, know what? ...Blaze? What's wrong?"

Blaze could hear Dodge speaking, but for the moment, the words were nothing more than a background noise. With one hand still on the door of the locker, he stared transfixed at its contents, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. He could feel Dodge moving towards him, and helplessly, he moved aside as his friend shoved him gently.

"Come on Blaze, what's the matter with- oh... skrag."

Willing himself to remain calm, Blaze moved forward and reached into his locker, his fingers latching tightly onto the familiar shapes of his chestplate and pauldron. Pulling them out into the light, he felt Dodge inhale sharply beside him. He could feel his teeth clench as his grip tightened on the edges of the armour.

"Blaze... it's pink..."

"Yes, I can see that," Blaze snapped, his eyes tracing along the curve of his pauldron. Painted with a fresh coat of burgundy just a few rotations prior, it now sported an uneven wash of nearly fluorescent pink. He let his eyes wander helplessly down to a spot where a tiny pink heart had been emblazoned in the glowing hue in a prominent place on his chestplate.

"But... but who could have done this? This area is secure!"

Ignoring Dodge's question, Blaze dropped the chestplate and pulled the rest of his armour out of his locker, feeling his dread mounting as each piece revealed the same wash of pink in the light of the armoury, down to his kama and the patterns on his helmet. Holding the helmet tightly in his hands, Blaze stepped away from the pile of armour he'd left cluttering the floor and sunk onto one of the benches placed through the aisles. He could feel Dodge hovering behind him, hesitating.

"Blaze, bring it over to the workbench, we've still got a little time. Maybe between the two of us we can scrub it clean..."

Blaze was absently turning the helmet in his hands, the pink glow etching patterns onto his retinas. He'd been so careful to memorize regulations and strategy, so meticulous about knowing all of the plays. But predictability, as it happened, was a trait more associated with droids. As a clone, he should know that better than anyone - it was why they'd been created, after all. Exhaling the breath he suddenly realised he'd been holding, Blaze set the helmet down on the bench beside him and ran his hands through his hair, forcing himself to look calmly at the defaced armour that was piled in front of him. The pink wash on his armour was patchy in places - it looked diluted, and judging by the garish colour, it was definitely not GAR issue. It wasn't exactly a stretch of his imagination to assume that some of the jokers in the group had decided to pay him back for his decision to keep them from their last night at 79's. He had a few names in the back of his mind, but he'd worry about that later. Blaze caught himself feeling grudgingly impressed - whoever had done this had been fast, resourceful, and precise. Aside from the obvious insubordination, this was just the kind of man he needed in the 412th. He just needed a way to harness it somehow.

"We need to get moving, we're not going to make it to the hangar for inspection in time..."

Blaze grabbed the chestplate from where he'd left it on the floor and rose slowly, turning to face Dodge with a crooked smile spreading across his face.

"You're right. Here, help me get this on."

Blaze started unfastening the clasps on the chestplate, watching a horrified expression settle onto Dodge's face with satisfaction.

"You're... you're going to WEAR it? But the general will be there! She'll see it! What are you gonna say?!"

"You just let me worry about that," Blaze crooned, adopting an exaggerated pout. "Come on, Dodge, don't be such a buzzkill." He slipped the chestplate on over his bodysuit and checked his reflection in the tiny mirror that he'd left in his locker, the little pink heart glowing back at him from its place above his own.

"Actually... I think it kinda suits me."

The hiss of the hangar door released a flood of chatter as it opened, and Blaze was pleased to see his battalion in place, arranged by company and chatting casually amongst themselves. He'd parted ways with Dodge in the corridor, and he could still see the way his brother's fists had clenched and awkwardly clasped his shoulder, the way Dodge had turned and slowly walked away. Blaze wasn't worried - the kid had spirit, and he knew it wouldn't be long before he was back to his old jokes and barely contained enthusiasm. He smirked, imagining the face Dodge would make meeting his general for the first time. A real, live jedi. And one of the luckiest jedi in the army to have a commander like Dodge.

"Commander on deck!"

The call went out from one of his captains, who had evidently noticed Blaze as he made his way into the hangar, and he suppressed a satisfied grin as his men snapped to attention. He could sense them stiffen as he walked by, presumably noticing his armour's unmistakable modifications. Drawing himself to his full height, Blaze ignored their confusion and proceeded at a brisk across the length of the deck, stopping in front of the captain of Outrider company.

"Captain Switch, good morning."

A brief look of shock flickered across Switch's face as he struggled to comprehend what he was seeing, but he reigned it in almost immediately.

"Good morning, sir. Outrider company is present and accounted for, awaiting your orders, sir!"

"Very good, captain," Blaze responded, watching Switch carefully. He could see a glimmer of uneasiness in the captain's eyes. "Anything to report before the inspection?"

"Sir, I... some of the men... I overheard... your armour, sir!" Switch exhaled the words in exasperation, a cornered look in his eyes. Blaze gave Switch a searching glare.

"If you know anything about this, we'll deal with it after the general's inspection. For now, let's stick with relevant reports."

"Y-yes, sir," Switch stammered miserably. "Nothing further to report, sir."

"Thank you, captain."

Blaze carried out the rest of his inspections efficiently, countering each confused murmur with a calculated glance. His captains were ready, each of them at attention in front of the company they led. Blaze placed himself before them, saying nothing, letting his eyes scan their ranks. Uneasy silence filled the air, and Blaze made no effort to break it. He turned on his heel to face forward, his stance rigid, and as he did so, he heard the hiss of the hangar door from somewhere behind him. Footsteps echoed across the metallic floor, and Blaze took a deep breath as the sound drew nearer, gripping his helmet tightly as he held it with one arm. He felt his apprehension nagging at the back of his mind, but deciding to keep it firmly there, Blaze turned his head slightly for a glimpse of his general.

Striding towards him was a young human female, dressed in the earthy robes of the jedi order. She wore her long, dark hair swept into a simple bun, her face framed by a narrow streak of white that ran down one side of her forelock. Perhaps it was the shadow cast from her dark hair onto pale skin, but she looked... exhausted. That was unexpected. Blaze made eye contact as she approached and snapped into a salute, trying to keep his eyes from lingering too obviously on the lightsaber at her belt.

"General Frayus, it's an honour, sir. The 412th battalion is awaiting your command."

"Commander, a pleasure to meet you."

The general's eyes followed the bright patterns of Blaze's armour carefully as he held his breath, bracing himself for the criticism he anticipated would come. But it did not. Cautiously, Blaze watched her facial expression, finding curiosity in the place of judgement. For a moment that felt painstakingly long, the general was silent. Slowly, she turned away from Blaze and to the ranks of troops that stood before her, her eyes lingering on individuals, her forehead furrowed. Unsure of what was expected of him, Blaze waited in silence, feeling awkward. He'd expected a military leader and military command, but he wasn't sure he knew what to make of this. The general turned to him at last, a sad smile on her face. Blaze's chest tightened - had he disappointed her somehow?

"You've done well with them, commander. I'm told they've been trained to very high standards. I'm... I'm sure we'll see some action together soon enough. What can I call you?"

"My designation is CC- 1357, sir."

The general raised an eyebrow, another strange, cryptic expression. Blaze felt himself tense involuntarily. What was he doing wrong?

"Thank you, commander. I... understand that clones often have names as well as numbers? Do you have a name as well?"

"It's... Blaze, sir," he responded, startled.

"Commander Blaze," she smiled, her eyes grazing over the helmet that was locked in a vice-grip under his arm, and settling on the tiny heart on his chestplate. "Ask your men to finish their preparations, I'd like us to be underway as soon as possible. I'll brief you and the captains once we're on our way. I'm afraid our first mission requires some urgency, but I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to get to know one another where we're going."

Blaze barely had time to utter his affirmative before the general turned and left with a rustle of heavy fabric. For a moment, he hesitated, uncertain of exactly what had just happened. She hadn't even mentioned the state of his armour, and the way she'd spoken seemed so far from protocol. Blaze frowned, wishing he knew if she'd been satisfied by her troops, wishing he knew anything about the strange general he was now sworn to serve. But there was no time to dwell on it now.

"Captains, you heard the general, get your men moving, we're shipping out of here tonight!"

A resounding chorus of "Sir, yes sir!" echoed through the hangar, and three of the four captains turned to their men and began barking orders at their men, who responded immediately. Switch, however, remained behind.

"Captain Switch?"

The captain stood a little taller and moved uneasily towards Blaze, halting beside him but avoiding his eyes.

"...yes, sir?"

"I believe you had something to report?"

"Sir, I... I overheard some of my men this morning talking about some kind of prank, but I had no idea it would be anything like this! Of course disciplinary action will be taken, I assure you if I'd known the severity of their-"

Blaze raised a hand calmly, silencing the captain.

"Bring me the man responsible, captain. I'd like to deal with him myself."

Switch opened his mouth as if to protest, but Blaze countered with a calculated withering glare, and Switch reconsidered.

"Yes, sir... right away, sir."

Blaze didn't have to wait long. Switch vanished into the ranks of his own company, re-emerging from the sea of white and burgundy with a trooper in tow. Blaze watched carefully as the two men approached him, noticing the intricate tattoo that spanned across the man's face. One corner of his mouth was twisted into a faint grin, but paired with the wideness of his eyes, Blaze knew he hadn't anticipated being caught. Perfect.

"Commander, this is the man responsible."

"Thank you, captain. Trooper, what is your name and designation?"

"CT-41-4372, commander. I'm called Lockdown."

"Lockdown. Care to explain your actions? Perhaps you thought my preparation assignments were unfair?"

"...No, sir, I -"

"No? Then shall I assume you followed my orders and completed the reading I assigned?"

"I... I read it, sir..." Lockdown muttered, his jaw clenched.

"Good," Blaze responded, not allowing himself to smile despite his private satisfaction. "Then you won't have any difficulty catching up. I'm putting you on armour maintenance detail."

"You're... I don't understand, sir... you're not going to send me away?"

"Of course you don't understand, I can see that much. No, Lockdown. I'm not sending you away. I command the 412th battalion, and it is my personal duty to see to it that my men get things done right. No one under my command leaves a job half finished, am I understood?"

"Yes, sir. You want me to clean your armour, sir," Lockdown replied despondently.

"No," Blaze countered, feeling the grin finally settle across his face. "I want you to paint it well."