When You Come Home

-36-

The shot came out of nowhere.

One minute, everything was going perfectly, and then the next, everything fell to pieces. And it was all because of one unseen sniper, laying wait in the darkness, lethal weapon in hand, fatal sight set.

From his position, Anakin saw the whole scene unfolding. He watched, helpless, as Cody, leading the charge and bringing the battle to an end, stumbled backwards. His hands were pressed against his chest, his face suddenly pale.

That was when chaos broke out.

It started with a couple of the boys glancing at Cody, their expressions changing to disbelief. The disbelief spread to horror, and that horror spread to the rest of the troop. Order was thrown out the window. Sith swarmed the area. Disaster was unleashed.

Anakin jumped from his building, his world slowing to a blurry haze as he stepped into Cody's position. He heard himself yelling out commands and instruction, but no amount of skill or flexibility could account for the unexpected influx of enemies. Anakin had no idea where they had come from.

Explosions and gunshots rocked the street, spraying dust and rubble everywhere. The frantic clanking of the Sith boots ingrained into Anakin's mind. Defeat was inevitable; victory was grasping at thin air.

"Retreat!!! Fall back! Get everyone out of here!" Anakin again heard his own voice, sounding far from his body and farther from his mind. He was functioning on autopilot; all unnecessary systems had shut down.

His narrow field of sight pierced the brown clouds and stinging sand to spot Cody. The commander had dragged himself behind a chunk of stone, one hand pressed against his chest, the other propped against the ground for support. Anakin beelined for him.

He skidded to his knees, his heart in his mouth as his whole focus was engulfed by his commander. Nothing else mattered. The Sith, Tatooine, the war, the rest of the world ... nothing mattered. Cody was all that mattered now.

"Hey, we need to get out of here!" Anakin said breathlessly, reaching for Cody's arm. "The Sith will be here any minute."

"Kid," Cody grabbed Anakin's hand, coughing weakly. His jacket was stained crimson. "You have to go, kid. I'm not going to make it."

"You don't get to say that," Anakin snapped, snatching a glance over the chunk of stone. The Sith were so close. He pressed both of his own hands against Cody's wound. "You're coming with me, and you're going to hang on until I get you to Coric. He'll fix you in no time."

"There's no time," Cody rasped, his breaths shallow and wheezing. His eyes fluttered shut before he forced them open again. He jerked forwards to place his hand on Anakin's shoulder. "Go. That's an order."

"No," Anakin said unsteadily. "You know I'm terrible at obeying orders. I won't leave you."

"You have to!" Cody's voice was urgent. "If you stay here, you'll be killed for sure."

"I'm not staying, and you aren't either," Anakin said desperately, trying to get Cody to move. "I won't let you die."

Cody coughed again, harsh and horrible, then sighed heavily. The gritty ground scraped roughly as he slumped back again. "I knew I wasn't going to make it out of this war, kid. War is not good business." He managed a weak smile, looking Anakin dead in the eye. "Save yourself, kid. And then go save the world. I know you can do it."

"Stop it!" Anakin pleaded, choking on the lump in his throat. His whole world was spinning. "You're going to make it! You have to! I need you, Cody."

"You'll be fine —"