SWRC: Tales of the Clone Wars (Book 2.5)

Chapter 12 Infighting.

Song in reference to Tye and C.T.

"Congratulations you guys," said Tye, clapping his hands slowly as he walked towards them. "You can do anything if you put your minds to it."
"No," said Turf. "Thank you."
Tye smiled and motioned for him to continue.
"We wouldn't be having this conversation if you hadn't taken your time to help us come together," said Turf.

"Then you'll be happy to know that my Jedi General is willing to take in an extra five troopers into her company," said Tye. Shocked and relieved looks spread through the five members of Animal Squad.
"Welcome to Orange Company 49."

<Several hours later...>
Turf had wandered away from where Orange Company 49 was stationed on Kamino and had unfortunately run into long time bully Ace and his friends and squad mates.
"Well," said Ace, and Turf knew he was in for hell. "If it isn't Turd and his squad of animals."
"It's Turf," corrected Turf and knew instantly that he shouldn't have.
"Turf?" exclaimed another trooper. "Sounds more like 'Turd'!"

Turf began to shake uncontrollably with both fear and anger until a hand was placed on his shoulder and he was pushed slightly behind his new Captain.

"I suggest you leave my company members alone," said Tye, staring the troopers down. "Lest you want to incur the wrath of the entire company and its commanding officers."

"Who are you?" asked Ace, trying to sound confident against an obvious captain and war veteran.
"I think you know who I am," said Tye quietly. "I am Captain Tye, the leader of Orange Company 49."

Shocked looks crept onto the faces of the observing clones. Almost all had heard the stories at some point of the ruthless clone cadet Tye and his accomplice C.T-4957.
How they had advanced so quickly that they became candidates for ARC trooper status swiftly and attained it just as fast, all before their formal training in teams began.

And that was where most of the story began, much to Tye's long lasting dismay.

"You're the formidable Captain Tye," said Ace. "The 'Miracle Clone'! What happened to you since you left here?"
"I met my Company," replied Tye. "And I'm glad I did."
Ace scoffed and Tye added, "Otherwise, I'd be just like you and I wouldn't be sure I could live with myself like that."

Ace was particularly surprised by Captain Tye's reply.
"I can not changed what happened in the past," said Tye. "But I sure as hell can make sure it doesn't happen to anyone again."

"But the stories-"
"Have long since been wrong, kid," said Tye. "I am no longer like that. I'm ashamed that I even was like that now. Don't follow me and C.T on that path. It does not end well. Ever."

Tye turned and left, Turf swiftly falling into place after him as a million questions burned through his mind...

"You never heard the stories?" asked Tye, genuinely surprised and thankful, looking over at Turf and his training squad. "You're lucky then."
"But how did it go?" asked Turf, curious.
Tye sighed and said, "If you hate me after I tell you, I will not blame you."

That left the five new clones perplexed as Tye began, "When C.T and I were very young cadets, just out of test tube growing phase really, we swiftly proved ourselves as the best amongst our peers and were selected to be part of the ARC program.
We didn't realise what that was going to do to us. When we finished, we were so far removed from what had happened to others in our group that we did not know how to cope properly.
So we turned to abusing the crap out of the others."

The five recruits were surprised.

"I feel ashamed for it now and as time went by, it got worse and worse for those who weren't part of our training squad, Kye, Dye and Aye, and those who we thought of as inferior, such as many of those who make up the rest of this company."

"Like the twins?" asked Turf.
"The twins copped it a lot from us," confirmed Tye. "Wash, almost everyone really. And then, C.T and I were assigned to Orange Company.
That was when everything changed. With the help of everyone who made up the company."

"Who?"

"Everyone," replied Tye with a distant smile. "It took so long for them to convince me that they weren't that different though everyone else would disagree. But eventually they got through to me, the real me.
The next task was getting through to C.T, who, back when I was blinded by myself, I had appointed second-in-command if anything happened to me. Sure I had other second-in-commands as time went by, but C.T was to take over if I was either reassigned or out of commission. And he did not change as easily nor as readily as I did."

Attentive and rapt silence was all that greeted Tye when he paused

"It took up until an incursion on Jedha that put me in hospital for nine months, where I earnt the name 'Miracle Clone' after dying at least 4 times, for C.T to begin to change his ways and how he acted around those we'd originally deemed inferior."

Tye looked off distantly, "Everything has been so much better since then."
The sound of yet another squabble breaking out between C.T and Kye proved Tye wrong.
"For the most part."

Tye left the five bewildered new troopers to deal with the argument between C.T and Kye.
"What!" yelled Tye, to get their attention. "Is Going On?"
"I'm sorry," apologised C.T. "But I cannot just follow orders blindly! Especially when I know they're wrong."
"C.T, what are you on about?" asked Tye, surprised at his outburst.

C.T seemed to want to say something to Tye but then directed his gaze over to Kye and spat, "Nothing."
Tye was suspicious but knew something else must have stopped his friend and when he looked at Kye to see if he had anything to say, he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Nala Se, the much feared Kaminoan genetic engineer.
"Kye?"
"It's nothing Tye."

"You two need to sort this out," said Tye. "This has been going on since before I woke up. It needs to stop before they suspect that our command structure is weak."
Neither Kye nor C.T made to acknowledge what Tye had said and Tye added, "Right now."

"Yes, Captain," said C.T.
"Yes, Tye," said Kye. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry, just don't do it."

"Jedi General Neeran," came the voice from the holo-receiver. "Mission received."
"Patch it through," replied Neeran. As she read over the document, Neeran couldn't help but wonder what was really going on between the commanders of her company, especially Tye, C.T and Kye...