SWRC: Tales of the Clone Wars (Book 2.5)

Chapter 4 The Roads to Recovery and Dissent.

"He's waking up," said a seemingly distant voice as Tye blinked groggily.
"I'll get the others," said another voice that Tye would later identify as Sirus.
"Who? What? Where?"

"Tye?" asked another voice, who was Aye. "What's wrong?"
"Don't you remember us?" asked Kye as he helped Tye sit upright.

"I remember you," said Tye slowly. "But, what's going on? What happened?"
Tye then seemed to note the med-ward surroundings and asked, "Why am I here?"

"You've been out for like six months," explained Dye, not wanting to believe that Tye couldn't remember anything that had landed him in his present predicament.
"Nine months," corrected Aye, indicating to Tye's med-data. "It says so here."

"Nine months?" said Tye. "I've been asleep for nine months?"

"You flat-lined like four times or something," said Kye. "We were sure that you weren't going to make it."
"We also thought that they would pull you off life support after flat-lining so many times," added Aye.

"You mean, I died?" asked Tye, still not entirely sure of what was going on around him.
"Yes, at least four times," said the cold voice of C.T.

C.T's cold voice had snapped Tye back into reality and he remembered everything that had happened before he'd been shot.
"Where's the rest of the company?" asked Tye, wanting to move and make sure that they were still alright.
"Everyone's here Tye," explained Kye, stopping him from moving too much.
"Sirus just went to get them. We haven't been out in the field since you were taken down on Jedha."

"Was anyone hurt?"
"Only you really," said Dye. "A couple of others had minor blaster burns, or something that would have normally been treated on the field. You were the only serious case."
"Thank goodness," sighed Tye closing his eyes for a second.
"What do you mean you haven't been out in the field in nine months?"

"The General somehow managed to convince the higher ups that 'we were a useless company without our commanding officer, Captain Tye'," quoted Dye, in a mock tone. "Though I think she may have used your number instead of your name."
"But we're in the middle of a war, aren't we?" said Tye. "Why would they keep us all behind the lines?"

"They must know about this company's 'problems'," said C.T.
"That's not true C.T," said Kye, standing up and facing his friend. "You just can't accept that they're all different and actually have personalities, unlike you."

C.T stood up off the wall sharply and went to challenge Kye to his words.

"Don't."

Tye's voice cut through any form of argument that Kye and C.T were about to have. As they both looked back at their currently bedridden commander, Tye finished and indicated towards the door.

"Not when everyone's watching."

Kye and C.T looked over to the door and saw that the beginnings of the company had assembled outside Tye's room.

"Sorry commander," apologised Kye while C.T simply kept his mouth shut and turned away, but Tye had been around C.T long enough to know that was his way of apologising.
"Thank you," said Tye, too used to dealing with squabbles within his company.

"Tye?" asked a voice that Tye knew all too well.
"What's wrong Wash?"
"You are okay!" exclaimed Wash, wrapping him in a bear hug.
"Yes, I'm fine Wash," said Tye with a struggle. "Though if you don't let go of me, I might not be."
"Sorry," said Wash releasing Tye.
"Thank you," said Tye as other members of Orange Company forwarded into the room.
"Hey Colours," suddenly noted Tye. "Nice to see you in the vaguely right coloured armour."

"I changed it like you ordered, sir," said Colours enthusiastically.
"To be fair, I have been out for apparently nine months," said Tye. "But we don't really do formalities here Colours."
"Okay," said Colours.

"What's happened to everyone's armour?" asked Tye. "I don't recall it being like that before Jedha."
"That is entirely," started Felix, twirling his hand around and pointing to Colours. "His fault."
Colours smiled slyly as another trooper, Phoenix, explained, "We had a lot of time to kill and as Colours was repainting his own armour, Felix asked him to paint his. And then everyone else got involved."

"That might explain the phoenix on your armour," said Tye, taking note of Phoenix's new phoenix design on his armour. "Why's there a 49 as well?"

"We were switched to the 49th battalion while you were out," explained Kye. "and Colours thought it would be fitting for all of us to have a 49 on our shoulders so that we could identify each other if we were separated while you were out."

"It's also the first two numbers in your CT code," said C.T for the first time since Tye had shut him and Kye up.

"So you painted everyones armour?" asked Tye, ignoring C.T's observation.
Colours nodded, "I even did yours."
"You did what?!" asked Tye.
"I didn't touch the helmet!" exclaimed Colours.

"Thank goodness," said Tye.
"Kye said that I should," explained Colours nervously. "As a present to you for when you woke up."

"Then thank you Colours," said Tye. "I'm pretty sure it needed a paint touch up anyway."

Colours was relieved that Tye wasn't mad at him and he wasn't in trouble.
As everyone continued to tell Tye what had happened over the last year since he was hospitalised, out of the corner of his eye, Tye saw another figure standing and watching the company.

Before Tye could even acknowledge his commander, General Neeran Zaneshi had turned and left the room filled with the members of Orange Company. Tye let it be, but couldn't help but wonder what was really going on in the galaxy since he'd been knocked out.

It was years later, in the time of the Empire, that I discovered that the year I awoke was 20 B.B.Y. The dreaded Clone Wars had ended a year later in 19 B.B.Y and so many of our brothers had died in the conflict.

But the Clone Wars wasn't the end of us as Orange Company 49, as we called ourselves after I awoke.

If anything, it was the beginning.
But of what, we couldn't tell...