No. 5 – I've Got Red In My Ledger
Betrayal | misunderstanding | broken nose
"It's a shame you couldn't go help the chancellor with his problem," Pong Krell said.
Anakin shrugged. "The transport crashed." He could have called another one, but the fighting had gotten hot and he didn't feel right leaving his men. Thank the Force he had. Pong Krell's strategy was mind-numbingly stupid. "It can't be helped. He'll have to do without me." He turned his back on Pong Krell and knelt next to a small stream. A bolt had grazed his arm, causing blood to stream down his arm. He cupped his hand and dumped water on his arm. "Can you hand me that kit over there?"
Krell handed Anakin the med kit. "Our next move should be a full-frontal assault."
Anakin snorted. What was it with this guy and full-frontal assaults? "That would get most of our men killed. We'll only do that if we have no other options. I don't think we're that desperate yet." He pulled some gauze from the kit and scrubbed his arm. Yes, just as he'd feared. He'd need stitches. Kix was too busy with worse off soldiers, so Anakin would have to do this himself.
"Your cowardly ways are going to lose this battle," Krell said.
Anakin rolled his eyes. He opened the suture kit and pulled out an already-threaded needle. "Well, I'm in charge, not you, so it doesn't matter. We'll lose the right way if need be." Though he'd hardly ever come to that.
"Very well. If it must come to this, then so be it," Krell said.
Anakin slid the needle into his skin and pulled the first stitch tight. "Glad we're on the same page."
A lightsaber ignited. Anakin's neck prickled. "Krell, what's wrong?" Had the Umbarans found them? He glanced back.
Krell brought the lightsaber swinging down towards Anakin.
Anakin shouted. He dodged, but not fast enough to prevent the lightsaber cleaving deep into his shoulder.
He grabbed his lightsaber with his left hand and ignited it, leaping to his feet and taking off running. "Rex!" Agonizing pain spread through his chest. His right arm dangled and he struggled to draw in a full breath. Darkness threaded at the edge of his vision, shock threatening to plunge him into unconsciousness, but he had to fight it.
If he didn't, he'd die.