Heya everyone!
I just decided to explore something that's really craved for in fanfictions...WHUMP! I know many people love it (including me) so I'll be writing this fic to kinda explore new stuff. Hope you guys enjoy this... it's completely new for me, but I'm gonna try my best. Happy reading!
Chapter 1
Unconscious
-Anakin-
"Hey Snips," Anakin said automatically as he saw Ahsoka enter the hangar. "You up for some adventure?"
Ahsoka grinned slyly. "As always, Skyguy."
They had been assigned the assault on the separatist starships above Felucia. Anakin couldn't remember the number of times Master Windu and Obi-Wan had reminded him that it was a very vital mission for them. Of course, everyone still treated him like he was a padawan, even now, when he had a padawan of his own.
"Sir," Rex appeared behind him, holding out his palm, where the transmitter was displaying Obi-Wan's hologram. "You have an urgent transmission from General Kenobi."
Obi-Wan looked worried, and Anakin doubted the news would be any good.
"Anakin, we….might have had a slight change in our plans. You will not be helping Master Gallia in the assault on the Separatist fleet."
Anakin frowned. "What happened?"
Ahsoka came closer, her face twisted into a confused expression.
"I'm afraid we have just received intel that Grievous is on the planet too," he said grimly, stroking his beard. "If we intend to free the locals he has been holding hostage, we cannot allow him anywhere near the cells. You and your squad will have to be here on Felucia to hold him up while I get the locals free. And then we will move on to capture the Separatist base once the citizens are free."
"But Master Kenobi, what about Master Gallia? She needs reinforcements," Ahsoka said.
"I've already contacted the republic. Master Plo will be arriving with reinforcements to aid her."
"Alright, Obi-Wan," Anakin said. Surely, the day was going to be fun.
*****Line Break*****
"Ahsoka!" Anakin called out. "Flank those droids from the right and get those gates open! We can't let Grievous get out of his hidey-hole!"
He fought in front of his squad, swinging his lightsaber and deflecting the lasers. Rex and his men were just behind him, marching towards the building that remained Grievous' control center of Felucia. Anakin had to admit, it was a bit exposed, and in correct words, cheap, to be the main center of an entire planet like Felucia.
It was just a huge tower, surrounded by metal doors on all four sides. Otherwise, no security, no blasters, no cannons. Just the gates opening and closing, and battle droids marching out of them.
"Use the grenades!" he called out to Rex.
"Sir, yes Sir!"
He saw the grenade go past him and fell back just in time to avoid the heat of the explosion. As he stood up, he saw droid parts spilled here and there. He would have dearly loved to gather them all up, but of course, Anakin had to focus on bigger things.
The doors opened again, and commando droids popped out this time, as Anakin's men started firing.
"Master! Grievous is trying to escape from the south door!"
The usual, then, he thought.
"Ahsoka! Make sure you get control of this command center. I'll go handle Grievous!" he shouted, before he jumped over the droids towards the south gate, cutting as many of them as he could. He reached just in time to see Grievous getting away on a speeder.
Anakin immediately jumped on another and started following him, speeding past the huge vegetation of the lush planet. He could not let Grievous away this time, no matter how much he tried to evade him. But Grievous definitely had some tricks up his imaginary sleeve.
Anakin dodged as Grievous fired from his speeder from the front. With his lightsaber parrying the lasers in one hand, and the other controlling his own speeder, he doubted he'd be able to catch him. Strangely, Grievous stopped near a clearing and jumped off his speeder.
"Skywalker," he hissed maliciously, his yellow eyes twinkling with hatred. "Always behind Kenobi."
"General Grievous," Anakin spat out with the same hatred. "Always running away like a coward."
Grievous snarled, taking out his two lightsabers. He jumped towards Anakin, but Anakin blocked his strike, fighting and aiming for any part he could have. But Grievous, though not force-sensitive, had really good skills with a lightsaber. Anakin pushed him away with the force, but he jumped back towards him. Anakin dodged, and realized Grievous hadn't been aiming for him at all.
He turned to see Grievous press a button on a nearby tree. The ground in front of Anakin swirled, as a landing platform with a starship rose above. So that's why Grievous had stopped here. Anakin had to stop him from escaping. He had to subdue Grievous. He decided to play aggressive this time, and jumped towards Grievous with his lightsaber, but he was quick. He ducked and disarmed him, throwing Anakin's lightsaber away.
His mechanical fingers constricted around Anakin's throat, blocking the passage of air to his lungs. Already exhausted, Anakin's vision began to spin with the lack of oxygen. Grievous pinned him to a tree, his legs a foot above the ground, squeezing his fingers tighter around his neck. Anakin reached out for his lightsaber with the force, and ignited it as soon as it touched his hand. Grievous let go of him, and Anakin fell to the ground, coughing and gasping for breath.
Grievous ignited his lightsaber back, but Anakin held him. Grievous ignited the other two lightsabers, and Anakin, in this condition, was no match for four lightsabers. He felt a piercing pain near the left part of his abdomen. Grievous had stabbed him. Anakin knew there was no escape this time. Grievous would kill him for good now.
But just at that moment, his comlink beeped. "Anakin," Obi-Wan's voice reached his ears, though it sounded like he was hearing it from far away. "Have you managed to subdue Grievous? We have your coordinates. Shall I come over?"
Anakin desperately wanted to yell at him to come, but he couldn't.
"Anakin, come in. Anakin?"
"Kenobi," Grievous hissed. He rushed towards the ship, and in moments, it was rising up, ready to leave the atmosphere of the planet. Grievous could have finished him off and then ran away too. It would just have taken him seconds.
So he really is a coward, he thought. Anakin shakily got up to his feet, his flesh hand on the lightsaber wound. Anakin looked at his hand, which was now completely red from the blood. It flowed freely out of the wound, as though someone had just opened a tap. His vision swam, as he fell to his knees, his hands propping him as he bent down. As he gasped, he saw blood coming from his mouth. Dark spots danced in his vision. The world seemed to be spinning so fast that everything was a blur to his eyes, that drooped with the effort of staying awake.
But beyond everything, was excruciating pain, searing and white hot. Anakin knew he had to call for help, to get medical attention, but he could feel the energy seeping out from his body as each painful moment passed.
"Anakin! We just saw a ship leave from near where you are. Did Grievous manage to escape again?"
Anakin wanted to tell him that Grievous had, indeed, run away. That he had failed to capture him, but all his energy was being sapped by the effort of staying awake.
"Anakin, come in! Anakin!"
Anakin felt as though he was floating underwater, and Obi-Wan was yelling at him from the surface, only instead of water it was his own blood that had now pooled around him. The strength leaving his hands, Anakin collapsed onto the ground as blackness threatened to take over him. The last thing he heard was Obi-Wan frantically calling his name before he finally gave in to unconsciousness.
-Ahsoka-
Ahsoka cut the last droid with her lightsaber as she sighed. She immediately went up the tower and sent a transmission to Master Kenobi telling him about their successful attack on the control center and Grievous trying to escape. He arrived there in even less than five minutes.
"The locals are safe now," he told her as they walked outside the tower. "What about Anakin?"
"There has been no news from him, Master."
Ahsoka admitted she was a bit worried about her master. Surely, it wouldn't take this long for him to come back. Master Kenobi absentmindedly ran a hand through his hair, then he tapped on his comlink.
"Anakin, have you managed to subdue Grievous? We have your coordinates? Shall I come over?"
He waited for a second before calling out again. "Anakin, come in. Anakin?"
"It's strange," he looked at her. "Anakin never does this."
"Maybe he's occupied with Grievous right now," she suggested, even though she was getting more and more worried by the second. Just then, Rex appeared from their right, taking off his helmet.
"General, we've taken control of this base and secured the perimeter. General Gallia and General Koon have the Separatist fleet in retreat."
"Very well, Captain," Obi-Wan told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "What about the locals?"
"They're definitely a bit traumatized, sir. But we have rations ready for them. They will be alright."
"Good job, Rex. You may go and rest with your men now."
"Yes, sir," Rex said.
Ahsoka was now sure something was wrong.
"Something is definitely wrong, master. It wouldn't take Master Skywalker this long," she told him. Suddenly, a voice caught them off guard. Ahsoka saw, distantly, a ship taking off.
"That ship just took off near Anakin's coordinates," Master Obi-Wan said urgently. "Anakin wouldn't do that. Something's wrong."
He tapped his comlink again. "Anakin! We just saw a ship leave from near where you are. Did Grievous manage to escape again?"
Still, no response.
"Anakin, come in! Anakin!"
"We should go and check out for Anakin, master. What if he's injured?" Ahsoka said.
He called out a few more times, before shaking his head. He jumped on a nearby speeder. Ahsoka followed him, jumping on another and accelerating after him. Ahsoka couldn't keep down her fear. What had happened so bad that her master was not even able to respond to the com?
"Do not fear Ahsoka," Master Kenobi called out. "Anakin's comlink must have broken or probably is malfunctioning. He will be fine."
The smell of blood hit Ahsoka before the sight. She squinted to see a red pool near a clearing, the exact position of Anakin. Lying in the pool of his own blood was her master, unconscious.
"Oh no," Master Kenobi muttered. He jumped off his speeder and rushed to Anakin's side. Ahsoka gasped when she spotted the lightsaber wound when the older master turned him over. Anakin's eyes were completely closed, his face pale, and he was barely breathing and completely limp. His clothes were soaked from the blood, and judging from the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, she knew he must have been coughing up blood too, which was not a good sign.
"Master Kenobi, he is barely breathing," Ahsoka practically wailed. She knew that if they didn't get him help soon, his master would run out of time.
He gripped Anakin firmly in his arms and gently tapped his cheeks. "Anakin! Can you hear me? Are you awake? Anakin!"
He put his one hand on the wound to apply pressure on it, while his second hand was wrapped around her master's shoulders. Ahsoka immediately took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket and gave it to Master Kenobi.
Anakin was growing paler by the second. He looked so frail. The flow of blood had completely stained the white handerchief red, and it still flowed out of her master's wound. Anakin was not responding to anything. He was completely unconscious.
"Ahsoka, contact Captain Rex and tell him that Anakin is injured and to send medics to our coordinates immediately. And tell him to send a transmission to Admiral Yularen and ask him to provide medical backup from the Resolute as soon as possible. We need to transport Anakin to the starcruiser to get him proper medical attention."
Ahsoka did as she was told, getting up and tapping her com.
"Rex, come in," she said impatiently, trying to keep her voice calm. Master Kenobi ran his hand soothingly through her master's curls which were plastered to his skin from the sweat.
"Commander Tano," Rex's voice came.
"Rex, General Skywalker has been critically injured. I need you to get to my location as soon as possible with a medic. And send a transmission to Admiral Yularen asking him to provide medical backup from the Resolute as soon as possible."
She could feel the urgency in Rex's voice. "Yes, sir."
She then rushed back to her master's side. His face had paled more considerably, and his head hung limply. Ahsoka prayed with all the strength she could for her master. She stepped aside as Rex arrived with Kix and a medikit, letting Kix do his job. Master Kenobi, still holding Anakin, looked back and forth between Kix and Anakin. Ahsoka stood beside hkm as she watched Kix bandage his wound to avoid further loss of blood.
"How did General Skywalker end up like this, sir?" Rex asked.
Master Kenobi shook his head. "We don't know. Anakin wasn't answering so I and Ahsoka came to check on him. We found him just collapsed here in his blood."
Ahsoka saw her master's lightsaber lying a few feet away. She picked it up and went back to her master, fingers tightly clasped around his lightsaber as though it was her master's hand. But of course, that's what he used to say. She vaguely remembered their conversation.
Your lightsaber is like your hand, Ahsoka. Do not lose it whatever the case.
And then she would joke, saying that how come he lost his hand then?
"Sir, he's lost too much blood. He needs proper medical care immediately or else he won't–,"
Kix didn't finish the sentence, but Ahsoka knew it already. A gunship landed behind them and clones spilled out. They picked up her master, her usually cheerful master who was on the near verge of death, and put him on a stretcher and left for the starcruiser. Master Kenobi put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, Ahsoka. Anakin will be fine."
But even he sounded hesitant. Ahsoka had never wished anything harder than she did today. She wished that her master would be okay.
-Anakin-
The first thing Anakin's unconscious mind realized was pain. Excruciating pain near his left abdomen. He felt as though he had been floating, but was now slowly falling as his body grew heavier and heavier. He slowly opened his heavy eyes, but immediately closed them as the brightness pierced his pupils and groaned.
"Finally awake, are we?"
A voice called out from his right. Obi-Wan.
Anakin opened his eyes again, and this time, it was easier, though his whole body still felt as though it weighed tons. He saw Obi-Wan sitting on his right on a chair, his eyes tired, but he looked visibly relieved to see him awake. He realized he was lying in one of the rooms of the medbay of the Resolute. An IV line went through a machine behind him to his flesh arm. Slowly, everything came back to him. Grievous, the fight on Felucia, him getting stabbed.
"Did you manage to find Grievous?" he coughed, and was surprised when his voice sounded so hoarse.
"Unfortunately, Grievous is getting quite good at evading capture. Though I must admit you excelled at, ah, scaring the wits out of us."
"How long have I been here?" he rasped.
"Three days. You lost quite a lot of blood from your wound."
As soon as the topic went to wound, Anakin groaned. The pain was really bad. They had changed Anakin's robes, but he could feel the bandages wrapped around his stomach. He tried to get up, but all he could do was shift a few inches up. Obi-Wan got up from his chair and grasped him firmly and helped him sit up. He propped a pillow behind him before going back to his former position.
"What happened after Grievous got away?"
"Well, as usual. Your old master saved the day. When you didn't answer us, I and Ahsoka decided we would go and see what was going on. We found you unconscious in that clearing, and brought you here. Master Gallia and Master Plo managed to make the Separatist fleet retreat. Felucia is back in our control. Oh, and yes, Ahsoka is very keen to have a word with you about how you managed to get yourself injured," he intoned.
"Where's she? She didn't get hurt, did she?" Anakin couldn't help but feel concern for his padawan.
"She's resting right now," he said casually. "She was here the whole time before I managed to make her go and take some rest."
Anakin still felt pain, but more than that he felt guilty. "Obi-Wan, I'm - I'm sorry. I let Grievous go. I should have –,"
"Don't be, Anakin," his voice softened. "You did everything you could have. It was not your fault."
His gentle tone made him feel even more guilty.
"But aren't you angry at me? I mean, I was so careless that I let him get me."
Obi-Wan gazed at him gently. "Do you know, Anakin, that when I and Ahsoka saw you in a pool of your own blood, the only thing on our minds was you. You were so pale, barely breathing. You could have died if not for Kix and immediate medical attention. I haven't even given a thought about Grievous except just while telling the council about what happened."
Anakin just bent his head down, pretending to look at his wound.
"Ahsoka was so worried she didn't even sleep for two days and barely ate. She was by your side all the time. You must realize, Anakin, that you cannot fix everything. The best thing is that you are alive, and will recover soon. Grievous is just a droid, but you, Anakin, are a person. Your life is more important than Grievous, and I'm glad that even the council agreed to this."
Anakin's eyelids were starting to get heavy, but he tried to look grateful as much as he could. Obi-Wan helped him lay back again, as he became more and more drowsy. Man, he was definitely on some serious medication.
"Oh, but you are definitely grounded. You're being transferred to the Halls of Healing tomorrow, and I'm afraid Vokara won't allow you to even get out of bed for two weeks."
Anakin groaned. "Oh no, master. Please don't."
Obi-Wan chuckled. "Sorry, Anakin. But I can't talk you out of this one, or else Master Che would be after me for my entire life for getting you like this, and believe me, I do not wish to be on the other end of her lightsaber."
Anakin closed his eyes, smiling from the inside. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka cared for him, he was alive. Now the only thing he had to look forward to was some boring weeks on Coruscant. He really hoped at least they and Padme would keep visiting him from time to time. And some part of him wished that he should probably have gathered some droid parts in his pocket before leaving after Grievous.
"Well, Happy Vacations," Obi-Wan patted his leg as Anakin gave himself away to sleep. But this time, he was not going to die. He was safe.
Wow! I really had so much fun writing this one. Please tell me if you all loved it or not. I'll give it another chance, but this one's gonna be a oneshot only. I'll try to upload some new fics around Star Wars, because I'm an absolute fan of that. And to my followers, don't worry because I'm not leaving The Daughter of Neptune uncompleted. I'm just exploring some other stuff for a while. New chapters will still be uploaded on that fic, so don't worry! And for those who haven't read it yet please check it out and show me some love. Hope you enjoy it!
Signing off,
Silverstriker27