Star Wars The Clone Wars: Cuy'Val Dar#Wattys2016

Twenty

Sarge recoiled and nearly fell backward onto the floor, throwing his hands up to block any further attack. He stood there dazed for a second until his vision cleared and he saw Null standing before him practically seething with anger and blame. Sarge slowly put his hands down, watching the ARC.

What is going on?

Null was tense, his arms crossed in front of him and his eyes narrowed.

Sarge tried to calm down, then taking a deep breath asked, "Null..." he began in a calm voice, and that was as far as he got, "What the kriff was that for?"

"For Haley," Null said in a quiet but firm voice.

"What?" Sarge asked darkly.

"I said that was for Haley—," Null shot back, uncrossing his arms and curling both hands into fists. "—If you had let me turn myself over to Bacsa, Haley never would have stepped forward and he would still be standing here today, Sergeant."

Null's voice was the calm quiet one he used when his anger was beyond the point of yelling. There was blame written across his expression as he accused Sarge and the Sergeant tensed instantly.

"I held you back because I didn't want two dead men on my hands!" he retorted.

"If you had let me go you wouldn't have any dead men on your hands."

Sarge tightened his own hands into loose fists and his hazel eyes darkened as he stepped closer to Null, face to face with the ARC.

"Are you accusing me of being responsible for Haley's death?" he hissed in a whisper-like tone.

Null looked Sarge directly in the eyes. "Maybe I am—," Null paused, then in a sarcastic tone added, "—Sir."

Sarge snapped and hauled off at the ARC, scoring a good hit across the man's face. Null staggered back, jerking his head to the other side to shake off the pain and the blood that was now running from his nose. Then he slammed his fist into Sarge's face, stunning the man. Sarge felt the pain shoot through his nerves, firing up the adrenaline in his blood, and he let his reflexes take over. 

Null came at him again and Sarge threw the ARC's blow off to the right, instantly swinging at the man's ribs. Null caught Sarge's arm and threw the Sergeant back, the power of his grip nearly toppling the Sergeant. However, as Null let go, Sarge shot forward and got inside the other man's defense, swinging fast and clipping Null's jawline hard enough to break the skin. Null grabbed Sarge by the throat on instinct and slammed his fist into the Sergeant' solar plexus.

Instantly, Sarge felt the air forced from his lungs and he gasped, dropping his hands to grab his abdomen as pain rippled across his rib cage and diaphragm. Null seized that instant and whirled Sarge around by the throat, slamming the man's head against the wall. Sarge felt his head contact the wall with enough force to jar every bone in his skull, then white pain exploded in the back of his skull and his eyes rolled upwards. His entire body went slack in Null's grip.

Null quickly dropped the Sergeant as the rush of the fight faded. His vision faded back to normal and his tense muscles relaxed as a dull ache settled into them. Null's hands were shaking with the excess adrenaline and he took a deep breath, then glanced down at Sarge's unconscious form. It only took a second for Null to realize what he had just done in the haze of his anger and his face paled some.

I'll be charged with treason for this.

Null now backed off, that leftover adrenaline having faded but fear now gripping him instead and causing his blood to rush through his veins ever quicker. Turning and looking around to make sure no one had awakened and witnessed the scene, he turned to the door and ran.