After returning to the Dingyuan, Solo decided to contact the Jedi Council immediately.
He and Ahsoka went to the bridge, where they joined Master Skute around the holographic projection table, waiting for the Council's response.
Soon, holographic projections of Masters Ki-Adi-Mundi, Plo Koon, Shaak Ti, and Kit Fisto appeared above the table.
"Welcome, Master Skute, and you, Warrior Victor," Plo Koon said first, his tone gentle.
"Thank you for the Council's timely assistance," Master Skute began, his voice respectful and courteous, clearly accustomed to interacting with the Council's senior members. "Without Warrior Victor's help, I fear I would not have been able to complete the mission to seize Diado."
Exhausted from consecutive battles, Solo found himself disinterested in this bureaucratic exchange, merely nodding in perfunctory agreement.
Ahsoka seemed unusually excited, practically bouncing in place, her face radiating the thrill of "I can actually participate in such a high-level meeting!" Solo almost burst into laughter at the sight.
Master Skute delivered a detailed report on the battle's difficulties, the unit's casualties, and Solo's crucial role in the operation.
After the report concluded, Solo stepped forward and asked, "Masters, what new mission does my unit have next?"
"Return to Donovia for now," Ki-Adi-Mundi replied. "You'll need to organize a fleet to patrol sections of the Perlemian Trade Route. Pirate activity has surged since the war began, targeting not only Separatist transports but also Republic merchant ships and supply lines."
Oh, wonderful. Just what I wanted—hide-and-seek with pirates, Solo grumbled inwardly. And they talk about pirate activity 'surging' after the war started. Were there none before?
Shaak Ti's words slightly eased his discontent. "We'll dispatch reinforcements to you as soon as possible, including the latest batch of Clone Trooper recruits to replace your losses. We'll also send some young Jedi Padawans to gain practical combat experience. Supplies, equipment, and technical gear will be shipped to you in stages."
"Sigh, another wave of clone brats," Solo thought helplessly. "But then again, these new clones are only about ten years old, not much younger than the Padawans. Complaining won't change anything."
Solo replied respectfully, "Understood. I'm ready to depart at any time."
The communication could have ended there, but Ahsoka suddenly spoke, her voice brimming with excitement, "Master Plo! It's so great to see you!"
"Oh, it's little Ahsoka? What brings you here?" Plo Koon asked, surprised.
Solo finally remembered that it was Plo Koon who had discovered the young Ahsoka during a mission years ago. He recognized her Force sensitivity and brought her to the Jedi Temple for training.
"I'm now Warrior Victor's Padawan!" Ahsoka declared proudly, puffing out her chest.
"I see. I hadn't heard about that," Plo Koon said with a smile. "If you ever return to the Temple, please come visit me. You're always welcome to chat."
"Of course, Master Plo!" Ahsoka nodded vigorously.
The communication officially ended.
Solo gave Ahsoka an amused look, causing her cheeks to instantly flush crimson. "What are you staring at me for? It was just a friendly greeting, is that so wrong?"
Solo and Master Skute's farewell had been rushed.
Master Skute had a mountain of tasks to handle: tending to the wounded, restoring order on the planet, negotiating with the local government... He had no time for pleasantries.
Solo didn't want to disturb him further. After a brief farewell, he led his fleet away from Diado and quickly activated the hyperspace engine, setting course for Donovia.
"Finally in hyperspace," Solo muttered, collapsing into the captain's chair and rubbing his throbbing temples. "We've still got over ten hours to go, so in theory, I could get some rest... Dream on."
He mentally reviewed his unfinished tasks:
The Clone Troopers' tactical training plan wasn't finalized, several holodisks containing Separatist tactics remained unreviewed, and he still needed to find time to guide Ahsoka in her Force cultivation.
"I'm going to lose my mind. It's only the second week of the war!" Solo chuckled wryly, realizing he'd started talking to himself. "I need at least two hours of sleep, or I won't make it."
But when his gaze fell upon the pile of damaged Clone Trooper armor and scattered duranium alloy panels in the corner, he couldn't help but sigh heavily.
He stood up, walked over to the pile, and sat down, picking up a duranium alloy panel and running his fingertips over its cold metallic surface.
These were war trophies recovered from the Diado battlefield, and they needed to be quickly handed over to the engineers for disassembly and study.
The low hum of the hyperspace engine echoed continuously through the ship's hull. Whenever Ahsoka had a moment of free time, she eagerly rushed to the training room.
Among all her training subjects, she was most obsessed with lightsaber combat, often neglecting Force meditation and tactical theory as a result. Solo frequently scolded her for this, but she couldn't break the habit.
Only when she gripped her lightsaber did she feel the strongest sense of belonging.
Time quietly slipped away with each swing of her blade.
Ahsoka was intently practicing a thrusting maneuver from the Shiien style, trying to integrate it into her preferred Ataru style. She had even adjusted the technique to suit her natural reverse grip.
Completely absorbed in her practice, she didn't notice Solo had entered the training room and was silently observing her movements from the doorway.
It wasn't until she sensed that evaluative gaze that Ahsoka suddenly snapped back to reality, hurriedly deactivating her lightsaber with a nervous expression.
"Oh no, I'm going to get scolded again."
"Master!" Ahsoka hurried over to Solo, forcing her most innocent expression, her voice tinged with panic. "I'm sorry! I won't focus solely on practicing my lightsaber again!"
Solo was taken aback by her reaction, his eyes widening comically. "Uh... what are you talking about?" he asked, utterly confused.
"You know... about me holding my lightsaber in a reverse grip," Ahsoka replied, her voice trailing off. "Back at the Temple, the Masters were always reprimanding me for it. I tried to change, but holding it this way just feels more natural to me..."
"Oh, that!" Solo exclaimed, wiping his forehead in relief. "I was worried you'd gotten into some trouble and imagined all sorts of disasters!"
"Master!" Ahsoka stamped her foot in frustration, her Togruta head-tails swaying in sync. Clearly, she was displeased with Solo's teasing.
"Alright, alright, I was just joking." Solo waved his hand, his tone turning serious. "The Hutts don't care how you grip your sword. As long as it feels comfortable and you can protect yourself in battle, what's wrong with a reverse grip?"
"Really?"
Ahsoka looked at Solo with uncertainty. Only after confirming her Master wasn't lying did her expression slowly shift from dejection to delight.
"Awesome!" Tano's eyes lit up, and she confirmed in disbelief, "We really can?"
"Of course." Solo nodded with a smile, then scratched the back of his head, his tone a little helpless. "Now that you've interrupted me, I've forgotten what I was going to say... Oh right, we had an unfinished conversation earlier. Come with me."
"Uh, it's about..." Ahsoka stood frozen, her face full of surprise, momentarily unable to react.
Solo raised his hand as if to slap his own face but stopped himself. Taking a deep breath, he said slowly, "About what you asked earlier—the thing about 'Jedis being guardians of peace and balance.'"
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