When the Cavalry Comes.

I

For my Grandpa Perry, who fought in WWII as one of the last of the American mounted Cavalry.

When most people saw Cavalry, their first reaction was always 'Where'd you get the armor, kid?' Her response was the same every time. 'I got it with the rest of my squad on graduation on Kamino.'

Compared to the rest of her brothers, Cavalry was... Different. They were all tall and strong and grown up. She was a slim, wiry, slip of a girl. Almost fourteen years old. Her brothers, with their tanned and rugged features were a far cry from the pale girl, with mousy brown hair in a braid that wound around her head under her helmet. But she had the same childhood as her brothers, the same training.

The captain, with his not-so-shiny armor walked up and down the ranks of the troops. He wanted to pick out a select few of the new graduates to join his company in the 501st legion, under General Skywalker. He stopped in front of her.

"Why are you here, kid?" He growled. She took off her helmet, and looked into his face. The same face as her brothers.

"I'm here with the rest of my squad, you wanted to see the graduates." She answered, holding his gaze and forcing her tone level. His eyebrows raised.

"So you're the 'special recruit' I've heard about." He scoffed.

"I guess I am." She retorted, a touch of anger coloring her voice. She knew that she should be more respectful to a CO, especially since he was looking for recruits, but this was the third captain she had seen, and like the others he would probably just laugh her off.

Most of her squad had shipped out, one by one. Only her and one other was left, her favorite brother who went by Neon. She was getting tired of the other clones looking down on her. Most who knew her didn't but those who did really got under her skin. She mentally wished, not for the first time, that she had been assigned to Special Operations after she received her training.

To her surprise, the captain smiled. "I want her, and whoever is left in her squad." The Taskmaster in charge of her graduation smiled.

"Good choice, sir. Cavalry and Neon are two of my finest students." The captain beckoned, and Cavalry and Neon fell out of ranks to follow. A troop transport with some other new soldiers was waiting on the rain soaked landing platform. As soon as they were aboard, the panels on the sides closed down and the dim red lights lit the small cargo hold where the troops stood.

"Atten-tion!" The captain who had chosen her stood up at the front. They all snapped to attention. "My name is Captain Rex of the 501st. I have selected all of you for my command under Torrent Company. I want all of you to tell me your numbers, names, and training profession." He barked. As he walked down the line, Cavalry got a head count. There were eleven new recruits in all."

"CT 6782, Tup, infantry."

"CT 7623, Dogma, infantry."

"CT 6622, Hardcase, infantry."

"CT 8433, Scythe, Evac."

"CT 7080, Neon, heavy infantry."

"CT 5745, Cavalry, infantry and special operations." She had been given specific training to go off book. It came with being small. The captain nodded and turned to the next in line.

"CT 4789, Bomb, heavy infantry."

"CT 4478, Scatter, Pilot."

CT 3784, Weasel, Pilot."

"CT 4864, Axel, infantry."

"CT 7463, Rush, infantry."

"CT 6457, Whiteout, infantry."

The captain nodded, and returned to his post at the front of the hold. "At ease, we will reach the Resolute shortly." The troopers milled around little, greeting friends from training and such. Cavalry sat on a crate in the back of the transport, and took off her helmet. Neon sat across from her, doing the same.

"Well, squirt, this is it. We're going on the front lines." She smiled at the pet name.

"Neon, my name's Cavalry, and I think I earned it fair and square." She said, mock indignant. Another trooper plopped down next to Neon.

"Who are you?" He asked. Cavalry had been asked that so many times today, but the trooper in front of her was so childlike in asking she couldn't help but smile and tell him.

"CT 5745. Cavalry." She replied. "Hardcase, right?" He nodded.

"You don't look like a clone." He asked, looking around the hold. He was so bouncy and jittery it was almost comical. Neon, though, took offence at his comment.

"Yeah, she doesn't look like a clone. But she has the same training as all the rest of us, so back off." He cut in bitterly. Hardcase seemed almost startled at his sudden upfront attitude. Cavalry scowled at him.

"Be nice Neon, he was just asking." She chidded, hiding how much she really hated that particular question. Neon glowered at the ground.

"Sorry about him. He still sees me as his little sister. I was left on Kamino about twelve years ago. Jango Fett decided to put me in with the rest of the clones." She apologized to their new friend. Hardcase's face went from startled to excited in seconds.

"Oooh, cool!" He smiled and stood up, walking around the hold to talk to others. Once he was gone, she rounded on her squad mate.

"Neon." She didn't have to finish.

"I'm sorry. It's just... I'm tired of us being treated like we're defective just because you're here." He grimaced. Cav pressed her lips together. She always felt guilty that the previous squads she'd had been with were treated poorly if she was with them. Most of her squads before Carbon squad with Neon had hated her. She forced herself to smile and punch Neon on the arm.

"Hey, buck up. We're soldiers on the frontlines now. Now if they have issues with me I can prove that I'm not a drag." She grinned at him, hoping he believed her enthusiasm. The ship shuddered as it entered artificial gravity, and the floor beneath them gave a thud as it hit the ground. Neon sighed and scooped up their helmets, passing hers to her.

"I hope you're right."

Cavalry stood and put on her helmet. The panels on the sides opened, the fluorescent light blinding after the dim red of the hold. Taking a breath, she stepped out of the ship. She wasn't the little kid on Kamino anymore.

She was a clone trooper.