No. 1 – All Trussed Up and Still Nowhere To Go
"You have to let go" | barbed wire | bound
It was rare that Anakin only saw a battlefield after the battle was over. But the young Jedi knight in charge of the battle cleanup had disappeared, so, as the closest battalion, Anakin was sent to finish up and find the missing knight.
"Commander Tano has the battle cleanup under control," Rex said.
Anakin nodded, scanning the red landscape. "Be alert for any signs of life."
"How about right there?" Rex pointed across the battlefield.
A lone figure limped across the landscape, stumbling across the red dirt spotted with bodies and broken droids.
"Help!" the figure called out. "Someone help me!"
Anakin ran forward, hand on his lightsaber. "What's wrong?"
"My friend, he's injured and stuck halfway down a cliff." The man ran up, streaked with blood. "Can you help him?"
Anakin nodded. "Rex, go back for Kix."
Rex saluted and ran off.
"Where is your friend?" Anakin asked.
"This way!" the man turned and ran to the hills ringing the battlefield.
Anakin followed him. The man led him around a hill into a valley protected by three red rock walls.
Anakin froze. A gleaming silver ship sat in the back of the valley. Seven haphazardly armored and heavily armed men sat around a fire, three Weequays, a Duros, a Trandoshan, and two humans. The missing Jedi knight lay at their feet, bound and gagged. He was a young human man with light brown hair just growing out of the padawan cut. Newly knighted, then, inexperienced.
The human man that had led him here smirked and pulled a blaster on him. "Here are my friends, Jedi."
One of the humans around the fire stood up. "You caught a bigger fish than I expected, Darhol." He drew a blaster and leveled it at Anakin. "I suggest you drop your lightsaber, or your colleague dies right here." He kicked the knight in the back.
The knight choked. His eyes widened and he shook his head frantically.
The Trandoshan lifted a blaster rifle and placed the muzzle against the knight's head.
Anakin gritted his teeth. There was no way he could defeat all the bounty hunters without the knight dying. He unclipped his lightsaber and dropped it on the ground. "Okay, I'm unarmed." He raised his hands in the air. He could figure out an escape later, once the knight was less vulnerable.
"Kick the lightsaber over here," the standing human, probably the lead bounty hunter, ordered.
Anakin complied. His lightsaber rolled to the feet of Darhol, who picked it up and clipped it to his belt.
"Secure him." The lead bounty hunter gestured to Anakin with his head.
The Weequays stood, grinning. One held a large bundle of grey wire in his hands, another held wire cutters. They jerked Anakin's hands behind his back and roughly pulled his gloves off.
A cold wire wrapped around his wrists. The wire was loaded with barbs that dug into his flesh wrist. He pulled at the wire. Pain pierced his wrist and warm blood trickled down his hand.
The Weequays frisked him, removing his belt.
"Cap'n, this Jedi's s'posed to be a big deal. Should we make doubly sure he can't get away?" one of the Weequays asked.
The lead bounty hunter nodded. "Do what you have to do."
The Weequays broke out into chuckles. They wound the barbed wire around Anakin's upper arms and chest, then around his lower arms and stomach.
He clenched his teeth. The Weequays pulled the barbed wire too tight, the barbs digging deep into his skin. He struggled in the grip of the barbed wire. The only hope he had of escape was loosening the bonds. Tiny rivulets of blood streamed down his tunic.
One of the Weequays swept his feet out from under him. He crashed to the ground amidst a chorus of raucous laughter. The barbed wire dug deep into his arms, shooting pain in hot spikes throughout his body.
The Weequays stole his boots, then wrapped his knees and ankles in barbed wire. They tossed his belt to the captain.
The captain dug through his pouches, tossing the paraphernalia to the other bounty hunters. They sneered at his food capsules, smashed his comms, requisitioned his lightsaber repair parts, and played with his multitool.
"Hey, leave those alone!" Anakin called. "Let go of that!" That multitool was old. It belonged to his mother before she gave birth to him. "Schutta! E chu ta!"
"Shut him up," the captain ordered.
The Trandoshan grinned. He grabbed the roll of barbed wire and stalked up to Anakin.
Anakin wriggled, but nothing budged. His hand grew slick with blood. He closed his eyes and tugged on his bond with Ahsoka. Snips, I might be in a bit of trouble.
Master, what's wrong?
Claws dug into his cheeks, forcing his mouth open. "Open up," the Trandoshan said with his gravelly voice.
Anakin's eyes popped open. The Trandoshan shoved a gasoline-soaked rag into his mouth. He cringed, his eyes watering. The Trandoshan cut a length of barbed wire and wrapped it around his head, pinning the rag in place.
Master!
"Bring him in the ship and let's go," the captain said. "We've got one of the most wanted Jedi on the Separatist lists. We can't let that pay off get away from us."
Kriff. I'm sorry, Ahsoka. Anakin struggled as the bounty hunters dragged him into the ship, but only succeeded in coating his tunic in blood.