When You Come Home

-35-

"You missed a real feast, Anakin!" Gregor informed Anakin as they ducked below their barrier. "It was incredible! There was food and company and music and more food! The whole restaurant stopped by to introduce themselves and —"

"Watch out!" Anakin yelled, yanking the soldier further down and bracing as the grenade blew up past them. "That's great, buddy, but tell me about it later! We're kind of busy!"

"I know, I know, but it makes it more interesting!"

"More interesting?!" Anakin spluttered, grabbing and dragging him behind a building. "This isn't interesting enough for you?!"

He snatched a new cartridge from his bandolier of cartridges and bombs, tossed away the old one, and loading a new one, pushing his back against the wall as Anakin peered around the corner. "Eh, I guess so. I want some excitement before I pop along!"

Anakin stared at him a moment too long, and couldn't dodge out of the way of the next grenade. It exploded too close to him, blasting him back into the wall and stealing his consciousness for a second. He came to quickly, struggling to his feet, his head spinning in time with the world, watching Gregor righting himself as well. That familiar singing in his head drowned out all other sounds, his ears rapidly accounting for the sudden sound boom. The sandy ground shifted and blurred, merging into the pieces of building that fell around them. The blackened hole left by the explosion still smoked. Small fires danced down the street. Everything moved in slow motion.

Anakin stumbled over his feet again, his knees hitting first. His lazy fingers grappled for his gun as the dreaded clank-clank of the Sith troops broke through the ringing in his ears. Gregor was grabbing his arm, yelling something at him.

"...surrounded! We can't ... out!"

Anakin frowned, shudders racing through his body as he dropped his gun again. He heard Gregor's next words as though they were translated directly into his brain.

"There are civilians evacuating this building!"

Of course there were civilians. Anakin knew that. They were in the building on the opposite side of the street. Gregor and Anakin had been the last line of defense. The Sith were not meant to get here. The civilians were supposed to get out before they arrived.

That meant that it was time to improvise. Anakin was good at improvising. Normally.

When his head wasn't spinning, and his arm wasn't aching, and his brain wasn't stalling, and his body wasn't failing.

Otherwise, he was good at improvising.

He must have blacked out briefly because Gregor had a grenade's pin in his teeth next time Anakin looked. He was still talking to him, his face pale and serious, his eyes set with a resolute conviction.

"We have to save these civilians. There's no other way." He paused for a moment to look fully at Anakin. "Take care of the boys for me. It was an honour serving under you, captain."

Then, as Anakin crawled forwards, his heart pounding and head spinning, Gregor turned the corner and threw forwards two grenades from each hand.

"Nooooo!"

The explosion blasted Anakin backwards and smashed into the buildings on either side, destabilizing and crumbling them. The ringing came back full force, the only sound in his ears his desperate panting and fluttering heartbeat. He watched with unseeing eyes as the dust curled up in a massive mushroom, debris and rubble flying up like a geyser, and the street caving into a suffocating tomb. His trembling hands scrambled backwards, splitting and cutting on the pebbles and rocks, as his shaking legs propelled him away from the scene of tragedy. He hit the wall behind him, his body still pushing him further away, his gaze glued to Gregor's sacrifice.