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Reckless.
It had been one of his Masters' regular criticisms of him throughout his apprenticeship, that he ran into things headfirst with no thought of a plan.
He had thought that the incident on Gennosis, what with the fact that it cost him his arm might have finally beaten the streak out of him.
And Anakin had tried, he really had. He had tried to plan before getting his lightsaber out but he could admit, that he had got this one wrong.
Well, he’d struggle not to admit that now that he was in the middle of a tropical jungle in the middle of this indiscriminate mid-rim planet, vision obscured by the amount of blood pouring down the side of his face.
He reached for his comm, desperate to try and contact… someone, to try and get and find our where he was.
He had been reckless.
Unlike how many people in the Temple would characterize him, he was self-aware enough to admit that. Had he followed his training, had he not engaged, he would not be in this position.
But he was sure even his Master would have been able to resist the provocations of Asajj Ventress.
The Sith? Darksider? Anakin wasn’t sure, he had never really taken much interest in the theoretical distinction between those who practised the dark side of the force. He never understood the need, it wasn’t like it would ever be of any practical use to him.
He didn’t know where she had come from. He had never heard of her until after the shit storm that was Gennosis, yet she had seemed to crop up on every mission since. Whenever he and Obi-Wan ventured off-world she seemed to crop up. And she was proving deadly capable at her job.
She had become a feared name throughout Republic space. She wasn’t only an effective assassin but she had become provocative in the way she accomplished her tasks.
Anakin doubted any Jedi would have turned down the importunity to stop her in her tracks. He doubted even Obi-Wan would have been able to resist her taunts.
He may however have resisted falling into such an obvious trap.
Then again, given his Masters' usual behaviour, he may have just triggered it on purpose.
Either way, Ventress had succeeded in separating them. Us much as Anakin remained convinced in his prowess with his lightsaber, facing off against a dark-sider and a whole platoon of droids did not put the odds at all in his favour.
Which had all led him to his current situation, stuck on his own in hostile territory, with no way of contacting anyone with some kind of injury. He wasn’t even sure of its severity, all he knew was that it hurt and that it was bleeding.
A lot.
He needed to find a way to get back. But there was no sign of the path he had taken, the path he had been led down early. Every direction looked the same.
He was stuck.
He could already feel himself growing light-headed. He needed to get back to them. Now.
He closed his eyes. He had never enjoyed meditating. The force always seemed too loud when he did. It shouted at him, so many things trying to compete for his attention. When things were important the force usually made itself known to him without mediation. But it was not telling him anything now. He didn’t have a choice.
He evened his breathing and lowered some of his shields, letting the force in.
It was… quiet.
Anakin had never known it to be this quiet. Even on Tatooine, before he even knew what he was looking for the Force had been loud for him. But here it was quiet.
It must have been something to do with this forest, it dampened things. Making it so much easier for him to focus.
Anakin reached out. He needed something, he needed a sign.
He felt a pulse.
He followed it, reaching out further. There was one clear point of light, standing out distinctly from the dark emptiness of the jungle.
He didn’t know what it was. No matter how much he reached towards it, it did not become any clearer.
But it was the only thing he could see.
He had to trust in the force. He had to trust that it was showing him this for a reason.
He opened his eyes and began to walk forward. He could not see out of his right eye at all now. The blood and the bruising from the cut Ventress had given him had closed it entirely. Not that he would be able to see well even if he had two functioning eyes.
The Jungle had grown very dark. The suns had clearly begun to set.
There was no clear path, his feet kept catching on the roots that twisted over the floor. He bumped into one of the tree trunks and threw out a hand to try and stop his fall when his foot caught on another root. He crashed to the floor.
He forced himself back to his feet, wincing at the sting of the additional cuts that the fall had caused.
His sight was useless. It was only confusing him, providing a distraction from whatever the Force was trying to show him. From where it was trying to take him.
He had to trust in it.
So he closed his eyes. For the first time he trusted entirely in the Force, and he let it guide him forwards.
The sounds of the jungle faded. He could just hear the calming hum as he continued to walk forward.
He avoided all the obstacles, whereas before his walk had been a struggle, now he moved easily. It felt that the jungle had gone entirely. Like he was walking through a flat, empty field. And that light just kept growing closer.
But as easy as the walk now seemed, he couldn’t ignore his injury. He was growing more and more light-headed. He felt his focus begin to slip.
He immediately hit a tree. He fell to the floor.
The world returned to him with a rush.
The Jungle around him was alive with sound. The sound of leaves crunching underfoot. Of branches falling. Of shouting.
He opened his eyes.
Clones were swarming over the jungle, their distinctive armour making their movements through the vegetation easy. The furthest forward caught sight of Anakin and made straight for him.
He must have lost some time because one moment the Clone was in the distance, and the next he had been gathered in his arms.
He was speaking into his comm.
“Yes General. We’ve very close to your position.” The clone paused. “General you will want to organise a MedEvac.”
A MedEvac, Anakin thought, Surely he wasn’t that bad.
The Clone moved quickly, Anakin jostling in his arms.
And then they were in a clearing. Anakin could sense his Master without seeing him, his presence in the force blazed.
He felt hands on his face.
He opened his eyes. He didn’t even realise he closed them.
Obi-Wan leaned over him. His face was creased in worry.
“Padawan, What happened?”
“I lost Ventress Master, I’m sorry” Anakin groaned.
“Never mind that Padawan, what happened to you?”
Anakin waved at his face.
“Oh this, it’s just a scratch Master,” he said.
He could see Obi Wans look of disbelief before the world went dark.