No. 12 – It'll Be Fun, They Said

Torture | made to watch | begging

"I told you this was a bad plan," Anakin said.

Obi-Wan winced. He had to admit, his typical "spring-the-trap" plan ended up with more "trap" than anything else. They never should have gotten as far as in a cell, disarmed, with no avenue for escape. "How's your eye?"

"I'll have a nice bruise," Anakin said. "So what's the plan for escape?"

Obi-Wan gritted his teeth. He was just rubbing it in at this point. "Why do I have to be the one to always make the plans? Don't you want to be a Jedi Master one day? Think of today as practice. I'll be the knight, you'll be the Master."

Anakin snorted. "Very funny." When Obi-Wan didn't immediately shoot back banter, he straightened. "You're serious?"

They didn't have anything better to do, and Obi-Wan had gotten them into this mess, so why not? He shrugged. "Go ahead. What is your plan for getting out?"

Anakin cast around the cell. "Well, I—"

The door hissed open. Super battle droids clanked in, followed by a Phindian officer, Drek.

Anakin stood up. "What are you doing here?"

The super battle droids seized his arms and slammed him against the crumbling rock wall. Two more grabbed Obi-Wan and slammed him against the opposite wall.

Drek let out a grating laugh. "Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, here at my fortress!"

Anakin wriggled in the grip of the super battle droids. "This is all part of our plan."

Obi-Wan shook his head frantically at Anakin. The last thing Anakin needed to do was bring attention to himself. If he challenged Drek's authority, Drek might target him to prove a point.

Drek laughed harder. "All part of the plan! Well, my plan involves you telling me everything I need to know."

"Fat chance," Anakin spat.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan warned.

"What?" Anakin asked.

Drek withdrew a knife from his belt and stabbed it through Anakin's flesh hand. The tip sank into the wall. Anakin screamed.

"Stop, stop! Leave him alone!" Obi-Wan cried.

Drek latched onto Obi-Wan. "Stop?" he repeated. "Leave him alone?" He wrapped his hand around Anakin's throat and squeezed.

Anakin wriggled, pushing his feet against the wall to no avail. His eyes bugged out.

"Stop!" Obi-Wan cried. His heart hammed. It was his job to protect Anakin and he was failing.

"What would you do for me to stop?" Drek asked. "Would you tell me about the location of the nearest Republic bases?"

Anakin did his best to shake his head.

Obi-Wan squeezed his hands into fists. He couldn't break for Anakin. He couldn't break for Anakin.

Drek released Anakin's throat. He pulled an electrowhip off his belt. "Prepare him for a whipping."

"No, please!" Obi-Wan begged.

"Master, it's all right," Anakin rasped.

The super battle droids ripped Anakin away from the wall. He gasped. The droids stripped his tunics from him. Anakin's sleeves caught on the knife in his hand as the droids pulled it off. He whimpered. The droids turned him around and slammed his chest against the rock wall.

Drek raised his whip and snapped it against Anakin's back. His body seized. He let out a strangled cry.

"Stop, please!" Obi-Wan couldn't hold back his begging as Drek whipped and Anakin screamed.

A battle droid popped its head in. "Uh, boss, we kind of need you urgently."

Drek swore and spat on the ground. He gestured at the super battle droids. "Come on, we've apparently got work to do. Breaking these two will have to wait."

The super battle droids dropped Anakin on the ground. He gasped, blood streaming down his back and spattering on the dirt.

The other super battle droids released Obi-Wan. They all left the cell marching behind Drek, the cell door hissing shut as the last one disappeared.

Obi-Wan dashed across the cell. He fell to his knees and pulled Anakin into his lap. "Anakin. Oh, Anakin, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

Anakin smiled weakly and held up the hand with the knife stuck through it. "I know how we're going to escape."