In the corridor of the Twelfth Military District headquarters, Master Plo Koon strode purposefully.
His tall Kel Dor frame cut a striking figure, adorned with his signature breathing mask and protective goggles, the hilt of his lightsaber clearly visible at his waist.
As a seasoned Master with fifteen years on the Jedi Council, his steady gait betrayed a hint of urgency.
The headquarters buzzed with excitement. Footage of London's lightsaber duel had spread like wildfire, and everyone was talking about the "indestructible Jedi."
Plo Koon had been dispatched by the Council to welcome the arrival of the *Star Falcon*. The ship carried not only Senators bound for Coruscant, but also the gravely injured Solo and Ahsoka, whom he had been deeply concerned about.
Many years ago, during a mission, he had discovered Ahsoka, then just two years old.
The Togruta infant, sensitive to the Force, had bright, lively eyes full of vitality.
He brought her back to the Jedi Temple and watched her grow from a stumbling Youngling into a capable, independent apprentice.
Ahsoka saw him as a father, eagerly sharing her training progress with him during every meeting. Their bond had long transcended that of an ordinary Jedi master and apprentice.
Entering the designated office, Plo Koon saw several officers gathered around a holographic projector, deep in discussion. Beside them stood two familiar figures.
Jedi Master Luminara Unduli and her apprentice, Barriss Offee.
Luminara was a Mirialan woman from the planet Mirial, her lower lip adorned with a black diamond chain tattoo that extended to her chin. Her deep blue eyes radiated calmness and wisdom.
Her swordsmanship was renowned for its precision and fluidity. A saying circulated in the Temple: "Fighting Luminara is like battling grass in the wind—you'll never catch her rhythm."
Her apprentice, Barriss, was also a Mirialan. Though only sixteen years old and a disciple for only four years, she had already demonstrated remarkable talent in Force healing.
Luminara never imposed her own path on others. Instead, she carefully nurtured Barriss's strengths. However, even now, Barriss had yet to assemble her own lightsaber.
"Master Plo," Luminara greeted first, her voice gentle.
Barriss performed a standard knee-bend, her gaze respectful.
"Master Luminara, Barriss," Plo Koon replied, getting straight to the point. "Jedi Solo Victor is severely injured and requires Barriss's healing abilities."
"We were just preparing for this," Luminara said, turning to her apprentice. "Barriss, go to the hospital and prepare the surgery room. Enter meditation early to build up your Force reserves."
"Yes, Master," Barriss nodded and swiftly left the office.
"I hope we make it in time," Plo Koon murmured, watching Barriss's retreating figure.
Through the Force, he could sense that Solo's life signal, though faint, was stubbornly clinging to existence.
***
"Do you think Barriss will succeed?" Plo Koon's gaze remained fixed on the screen, which was replaying highlights of the duel between Solo and Ventress.
"I don't know, Master," Luminara replied, shaking her head solemnly. "This Jedi's injuries are too severe. It's a miracle he's even alive."
"We need to hurry. Not only do we need to retrieve the ship, but Ahsoka needs support now more than ever." Plo Koon turned and strode toward the door, his pace quickening.
"Ahsoka?" Luminara paused, then realized who he meant. "You mean this Jedi's apprentice?"
"Exactly. I was the one who brought her back to the Jedi Temple years ago." A hint of pride crept into Plo Koon's voice. "She's a remarkably talented Togruta girl, though she can be rather impulsive."
"I'd love to meet the apprentice you've chosen, and see how she's grown under such a... 'unique' Jedi." Luminara smiled and hurried after Plo Koon, heading for the speeder platform.
***
The *Star Falcon* had barely settled at the spaceport when Ahsoka immediately organized a team to transport Solo.
The gravity stretcher carrying Solo was carefully wheeled to the boarding ramp, flanked by two medical droids displaying his vital signs on their screens.
Four RC clone commandos stood guard, ensuring no accidents occurred.
Behind her came the grumbling of Senators, who believed they should disembark first, but Ahsoka ignored them completely. To her, her Master's safety was paramount.
"Move! Quickly!"
The moment the boarding ramp lowered, Ahsoka barked the command, her voice trembling with tension.
Almost bursting out of the ship, she saw the rescue team waiting.
A LAAT/low-altitude assault transport gunship was parked near the landing site, with two medics holding equipment. A little further away... a familiar tall figure stood out, the breathing mask and protective goggles particularly noticeable.
"Master Plo!"
Ahsoka immediately rushed over, her eyes reddening. At this moment, seeing a familiar elder, her tightly wound emotions finally relaxed a little.
"Ahsoka, it's good to see you, but the situation is..." Plo Koon patted her shoulder, his voice gentle. "Don't worry. Let the medics transfer your Master to the gunboat. The hospital's surgery suite is ready, and Barriss, Master Luminara's apprentice, will oversee his treatment."
Only then did Ahsoka notice Luminara beside Plo Koon and nodded in greeting. "Master Unduli, hello! I want to go to the hospital with my Master."
Plo Koon nodded with a smile. "Of course. The gunboat can easily accommodate us all."
At that moment, the Senators emerged from their ship and hurried toward the nearby Corellian shuttle.
Plo Koon observed a young Pantoran girl pause, her gaze lingering on Ahsoka and the gravity stretcher. She seemed about to speak, but ultimately turned away in embarrassment and followed the other Senators.
He could sense the girl's emotions were filled with guilt and helplessness.
A few minutes later, the Low Altitude Assault Transport gunship smoothly lifted off and flew toward the hospital.
Ahsoka stood by the gravity stretcher, tightly gripping Solo's hand. The warmth of her palm seemed to convey strength.
Suddenly, a weak groan emerged through the engine noise, muffled by the breathing mask but clear to everyone's ears:
"S-Spike..."
"Spike?" Plo Koon asked in surprise, having never heard this nickname before.
Ahsoka's cheeks flushed slightly as she explained awkwardly, her initially light tone growing increasingly sorrowful. "That... it's a nickname Master gave me. Because I sometimes talk back to him... he started calling me that."
"It's quite interesting," Luminara said, her gaze curious. "It seems you and your Master have a close bond."
"We did..." Ahsoka's voice trailed off, her eyes filled with self-reproach. "If I had been stronger back then, Master wouldn't have been injured so severely."
"Don't think like that, Ahsoka," Plo Koon said firmly, patting her shoulder again. "He's incredibly resilient. If he could hold on this long, he'll make it through."
***
Inside the hospital's operating room, Barriss Offee sat in a meditative posture, her body tense as she focused intently on sensing the flow of the Force.
Chief Healer Vokara Che had told her that the core of Force healing was "resonating with the Force, penetrating the pain, and repairing life." But facing a wound inflicted by a Sith lightsaber, she felt utterly uncertain.
The initial stage of Force healing required meditation, but as one's skill grew, the regeneration process could be accelerated.
Mastery of advanced healing techniques allowed for the treatment of severe traumas, even complete repair of flesh wounds or damaged internal organs.
Jedi healers used the Force for both diagnosis and treatment.
Vokara Che was one of the most distinguished healers at the Jedi Temple. After Anakin Skywalker lost his arm in a battle with Count Dooku, she was the one who custom-fitted his mechanical prosthetic.
Barriss had always aimed for perfection. Since the war began, she had performed hundreds of surgeries, but all her patients had been clone troopers.
That was... easy.
Their genes were identical, their physiological structures uniform. This meant that, aside from the absence of rejection issues, surgeons didn't need to consider what to look for or where to find it within their bodies.
For example, all human hearts function in the same way, but the size of their valves may differ, and one person's aortic connection might be higher than another's... There are a million and one ways individual anatomical structures can differ.
This is why even the best surgeons can never be one hundred percent certain.
But this time, the patient was human, and had been injured by a Sith lightsaber. The situation was completely different.
"This might be my Jedi trial!"
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