No. 6 – Touch and Go
Bruises | touch-starved | hunger
Anakin dragged his feet across the red dirt, without even the energy to glare at the battle droids prodding the group of slaves along. If he had access to his lightsaber, he could fight this, but he'd been undercover when he was captured, and from the way they'd been speaking, he would be in big trouble if they figured out who he was.
Anakin's empty stomach pressed against his ribs. They had barely been fed since the capture of that town Anakin was investigating for Separatist activity then transport to another planet. They had landed in a desert and were marching their captives several days across the landscape to the town in the distance. The only explanation he could come up with was a desire to escape authorities.
"Stop," one of the super battle droids ordered.
Anakin readily stopped. His legs trembled, threatening to dump him onto the ground.
A young human female teenager in front of him swayed and collapsed. Anakin caught her, sinking to the ground under her weight. Her skin was ashen and her breaths shallow. Something about her stirred protectiveness in him, perhaps her resemblance to his old friend Amée. The young girl couldn't keep going much longer with such little rest and nutrition.
The battle droids tossed halves of old ration bars down on the dirt near the prisoners. Anakin dove and scooped two up. The halves were better than the quarters they had previously been given.
Anakin tapped the cheek of the girl. "Come on, you need to eat."
The girl's eyes fluttered open. "What?" she asked.
Anakin pressed one half of a ration bar into her hand. His hand trembled and his head spun. He needed to shove the half ration bar into his mouth so he could walk the rest of the way to the town.
He pressed his half into the girl's hand as well. "Here. You need it."
The young girl's eyes glittered. "Thank you," she breathed. She ate the halves far faster than Anakin expected given her exhaustion.
"Back to marching," the super battle droid ordered.
The girl trembled. "I can't keep going. I don't have the strength."
"It's all right." Anakin slipped his arm under her knees and stood up, his knees trembling. "I'll carry you." His legs almost gave out, but he gritted his teeth and plowed forward.
Sweat crawled down the side of his face. He gasped, his lips cracked and dry. The sun beat down strong on his head.
"Faster!" the super battle droid barked.
The prisoners in front of him picked up the pace. A pace he couldn't match with the girl in his arms. He groaned and walked faster. Black spots swirled across the red desert sands. Wavering heat wafted up from the red stretch of dirt, sand, and rock. The horizon tilted.
Dirt pressed into his cheek, grated against his lips.
"No, please, don't hurt him. It's my fault," the girl pleaded.
"Get up," the super battle droid ordered.
A hard metal foot crashed into Anakin's side. Pain burst through him, driving his breath out of him. He gasped. He dragged his hand forward and slipped away.
The foot crashed into his ribs. He groaned and forced his eyes open. Bright blue swirled in front of him. He huffed, red dirt swirling. He pushed himself up, climbing to his feet through sheer willpower. Staring the super battle droid in its face plate, he wavered on his feet.
"Get going. We don't have all day," the super battle droid said.
Anakin lurched a step forward, then another, then one more. He gripped the pain still throbbing in his side and forced himself forward. He just had to keep going. One more step and one more until Obi-Wan showed up and rescued him like he always did.
Just one more step.