Smile

Name.

"All clear," the whisper came over the comlink, and CC-2224 ejected his bunk from the wall. It slid out silently, on well oiled hydraulics, and he peered over the edge, looking down for the rest of his natal squad. Vigil was hanging on to the ladder that ran between their bunks, near the bottom, looking up. He gave another all clear sign before hopping off, and 2224 swung himself out onto the ladder as well, just as 2223's bunk slid out alongside his with a soft hiss. 2221's bunk was already open and empty, at the bottom, as was Vigil's. Hack, of course, was the first one up and out, and his bunk was extended and vacant as well. He was the one who had to get things ready.

2224 grasped the sides of the ladder with his hands and feet, and slid himself down, hopping off just before he made the ground. 2223 was right after him, and they quickly made their way to the small dressing area below their bunks. Hack was already at work; he'd removed a panel from the holoscreen usually used for announcements and was working on the electronics behind it. Vigil was keeping watch, ushering them into the dressing area before turning in towards the gathering area himself. 2221 had already claimed the best spot, just in front of the screen.

"Did you get it?" 2221 hissed at Hack, just as the screen flickered to hazy life. The reception wasn't great, but it was one of the better channels Hack was able to slice into. Blurry lines wavered across the screen periodically, and the color was a bit vague, but otherwise the images were clear and the audio was good, even though they kept it low.

They could get in so much trouble being out of bed in the middle of the night. It was against regs. Growing clones needed to complete their prescribed set of nighttime flash training, and that required a completed sleep cycle with the appropriate proportion of NREM and REM sleep stages.

But the show was just so…different…from anything else they'd ever seen.

"Turn it up," 2221 whispered at Hack, who, as their slicer and the person who got them into the holonet programming, had placed himself in charge of the control panel. Predictably, Hack glanced at Vigil, who shot a furtive, if unnecessary glance towards the commons area beyond their bunks before responding.

"Patrol droid went past five minutes ago. We have another forty-two minutes before it comes around again. As long as no one gets up for the 'fresher, we're clear."

Hack nodded once at 2221 and raised the volume a notch, just as the triumphant opening theme of the program began to roll. The five boys huddled closer, and 2224 jostled with 2223 for a clearer angle, trying to avoid being shoved into 2221.

Then Commando Cody appeared, in all his Mandalorian glory, to a blaze of fanfare. His black and gold armor was backlit brightly by the flames shooting off his jetpack, and he swooped through the starry night sky, the opening credits and names of the actors scrolling over him. The five boys grinned, huddling closer, making whispered noises of excitement.

2224 shoved back at 2223 when 2223 jabbed him with an elbow. There was no time for further arguing, though, as the first scene opened, finding Commando Cody steering his transport through space. The five boys went silent, waiting for the job to come in. The show always started that way; either Commando Cody was already on the case, or he was about to get one. A moment later, his communications display lit up, and the small image of an elegant Lowen woman who often gave Commando Cody his assignments appeared. She was supposed to work for a super-secret spy agency in the Republic, but because Commando Cody was the best, they hired him to solve special problems. Because he was awesome like that. 2224 tried to stifle a grin. Episodes that started out this way were the best. It was like getting orders, but the orders always led to something amazing. This time, there was an Omwati scientist who was allegedly selling her genetic research on the sly to a Hutt syndicate to make biological weapons.

Of course, as soon as they saw the Omwati scientist, they knew it wasn't her. She was too pretty and Commando Cody flirted with her. Commando Cody didn't flirt with bad guys. "It's her assistant!" 2224 whispered resolutely to the others, looking at the skinny little human man. He just looked suspicious, and he kept trying to show off how smart he was, especially in front of the beautiful and genuinely brilliant Dr. Lyni, who was obviously being framed.

Hack agreed. "He's jealous of her work." There was a round of nods of agreement, and scowls every time the evil assistant appeared on screen. 2221 started making farting noises every time the evil assistant started talking, until 2224 smacked him in the head for being annoying.

The big battle scene at the end involved a lot of pyrotechnics, and Commando Cody flew around with his jetpack a lot. ("When are we starting jetpack maneuvers?" 2223 whispered. "Not for another six months," Vigil whispered back. "Shhh!" hushed 2224 and Hack.) This week, the climax was a straight up hand-to-hand fight between Commando Cody and the evil bounty hunter the Hutts hired to help the assistant steal the research. Commando Cody won, of course, but not until after a lot of things around them blew up.

And of course, he rescued Dr. Lyni from all the explosions, and they flew off together to safety. "Oh, how can I ever thank you?" she was saying breathily, staring up at him starry eyed. 2223 snickered, and Vigil and 2224 simultaneously whacked him in the head for interrupting the moment.

Commando Cody posed heroically. "No need, my little bird!" All five of them took a breath. It was in every episode. This had to be it. All five boys said, in unison with the hero, "I never lose a fight!" Then Commander Cody smiled at the camera, and the five boys all grinned back.

As the credits rolled, the two survivors were silhouetted against the sunset, and the closing theme began to play. There was a collective sigh from all five boys as the theme played. Hack turned back to the control panel and switched the holoscreen off before getting to work resetting the channels to the proper Kaminoan ones. Vigil slipped back out towards the common area, taking a look up and down the hall.

2224 lingered, looked at the now-blank screen. It was different from any of the training vids they ever watched. And at the end, the hero always flew off, safe and with adoration and the promise of more adventures to come. And pretty Omwati geneticists.

The sound of 2221 drew his attention away from the screen. 2221 and 2223 were mimicking Dr. Lyni and Commando Cody at the end, with 2221 wheezing, in a falsetto voice, "Oh how did you get to be so amazing?"

2223 puffed up his chest and declared, "I'm genetically perfect, my little bird!"

They almost collapsed giggling. 2224 glared at them. "Get quiet, both of you, before someone hears."

2221 sighed. "Aw, '24, you're too serious. Relax, we've still got eight minutes before the droid sweeps back."

2223 chuckled but slung an arm around 2224's shoulders, and 2224 shot him a cool look. "Admit it, you're just jealous of Commando Cody's awesomeness in battle."

"And with girls!" 2221 added, still grinning. 2224 rolled his eyes at 2221 and shrugged 2223's arm from around him.

The problem was, he knew, that they were right, in their way. They were of the clone commander line, all five of them. Dedicated to duty, but trained to be independent enough to lead their more ordinarily trained brothers. That independence training, though, allowed them to understand glimpses of real independence. There'd been an episode, three weeks ago, when Commando Cody had turned down a Republic job, because he'd found some people who needed his help on a poor planet that was being harassed by pirates. It was silly. The plots were always silly, over the top and ridiculous, but they always ended the same way. With the intrepid hero flying free and victorious at the end.

And 2224 knew that was why he kept coming back. He suspected Hack, Vigil, 2221 and 2223 were the same.

"So what if I am?" 2224 countered bitterly enough that the grins on 2221 and 2223's faces faded. 2224 sighed. He didn't mean to sap all the fun out of the event. Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe was on once a week, in the middle of their sleep cycle. Since the day Hack discovered he could slice the holonet, they'd been trying to see what they could find. See what the Kaminoans kept from them. Apparently, it was a lot. 2221 and 2223 were somber, and Vigil, still standing watch just beyond them, was looking worried. 2224 ran a hand through his hair, and summoned a weak smile. "Who doesn't want to be awesome in battle, anyway?"

It garnered a couple of equally thin smiles, but also a quip from Hack as he finished putting the holoscreen back together. "Or awesome with girls?" Hack was grinning, folding his arms over his chest and looking 2224 up and down, considering. "I don't know about you, though. Awesome in battle maybe. But with girls?"

2224 glared at him, while 2221 and 2223 laughed. "Funny," 2224 shot back.

"I try," Hack admitted, with a deliberate air of false modesty. He stepped in closer and thumped 2224 on the back once as he walked by. "Come on, Cody. Back to bunks."

2224 paused, startled, as Hack moved past him. "What did you call me?"

Hack turned back enough to grin at him again, with other smiles starting to spread again across the faces of 2221, 2223 and Vigil just behind him. "You heard me," Hack said. "Come on, Cody. We've only got a minute before the droid comes back. Or do you want to explain to the sergeants why you were wandering around in the middle of the night, gaping like a gooberfish?"

Even with the joke, no one laughed. They all just stood there, smiling at him.

Cody. He let the name settle in his mind for a moment. Cody. There were worse names, he supposed. 2224 tasted the name aloud. "Cody." The flavor was different than "CC-2224". It was different from "Hack" or "Vigil" too. But it wasn't a bad taste. More unique than numbers. A little over the top, like the namesake, but a little heroic, too. Commander Cody. There was a good sound to it, like freedom and victory and sneaking around in the dark with his squad mates.

They were waiting his response.

Cody smiled, and stepped forward.

According to the Wookieepedia, Cody was named for a 1950's serial character named Commando Cody. I decided to play with that a little….

~Queen