An energy barrier materialized, blocking the crimson glow of Ventress's lightsaber and sending sparks flying.
"A deflection shield?" Ventress growled, surprised. She leaped backward, simultaneously using the Force to tear decorative panels from the corridor walls. She transformed these fragments into projectiles and hurled them at Solo.
The first metallic panel grazed Solo's arm. The second wooden beam struck his leg. The third stone carving slammed into his shoulder blade.
Thrown off balance, Solo collapsed to the ground again.
Seizing the opportunity, Ventress charged forward, preparing to deliver a fatal blow.
But at that moment, Solo suddenly waved his hand, using the Force to shove Ventress backward.
While Ventress hung in the air, unable to brace herself, Solo snatched up the debris and hurled it back at her.
Though Ventress deflected most of the fragments with the Force, one shard struck her right index finger. The searing pain made her release her grip on the lightsaber. The hilt bounced across the floor and slid to Solo's feet.
Enraged, Ventress lunged at Solo again.
Solo blocked Ventress's lightsaber strikes, which rained down like hail, clearly struggling but managing to hold her off.
"Hah!" Ventress let out a short laugh, licking her lips greedily. "This will be more fun than I imagined."
Ventress rose from her roll, standing directly before Solo, who immediately launched an attack.
"You think I spent all those years in the Temple playing solitaire? They at least drilled some basic combat skills into me."
Ventress's curved lightsaber hilt whistled through the air and landed in her hand.
She charged at Solo again, unleashing a fierce and rapid barrage of strikes with both blades.
"My power is immense, you insignificant fool..."
"Right, right, you're so strong..."
Solo nimbly sidestepped, aiming his lightsaber at Ventress's leg in an attempt to execute the classic Joe Moke leg-sweep, but his blade was blocked.
He barely managed to raise his lightsaber to deflect Ventress's swift thrust aimed at his head.
However, he couldn't completely nullify the strike. The crimson blade left a deep dent in his helmet.
Solo leaped backward, then swung his lightsaber with all his might at Ventress's crimson blade during his jump.
Ventress effortlessly parried the strike.
"What a pathetic sight," Ventress hissed, her left-hand lightsaber whirling again. "But your lack of experience fighting the Dark Side will be your downfall."
Solo's movements were vigorous, but his armor, now riddled with scars from Ventress's lightsaber, had become more hindrance than protection, restricting his movements.
Asajj Ventress had to admit that this Jedi's reflexes were truly impressive. Despite Solo's clear lack of experience fighting Force wielders, he was rapidly adapting to the rhythm of their clash.
But that wouldn't change the outcome.
The Dark Side's power surged through Ventress's veins, infusing her muscles with strength and accelerating her reflexes to levels ordinary beings could never reach.
In her eyes, Solo had no chance of victory.
Yet this hunt, which should have been swift and decisive, had dragged on to the point of annoyance.
Dark power was potent, but it wasn't an inexhaustible source. The prolonged struggle was slowly draining her stamina, a development entirely contrary to her plans.
A sharp clang of clashing blades echoed from afar, followed by the dull shock of an explosion.
"Your subordinates have fallen into my trap," Ventress declared arrogantly, her crimson lightsaber thrusting toward Solo's face once more. "I prepared a few 'surprises' for them."
Solo grunted in acknowledgment, his azure blade sweeping horizontally to parry the attack before lunging forward, aiming straight for Ventress's heart.
Ventress lightly tapped her foot, pivoting to evade. Her two curved-hilt lightsabers crossed in a swift counterattack, forcing Solo to raise his blade diagonally upward to block the slash aimed at his abdomen.
Their chests pressed together, the blazing blades locked inches from each other's eyes.
"You're too slow, Jedi," Ventress taunted, her voice dripping with icy mockery. "Your moves are too predictable."
Solo slowly tilted his head, sweat dripping from his jaw. "Are you sure?"
Before the words had fully left his lips, his sword technique abruptly transformed.
His previously wide, sweeping motions condensed into compact arcs, the blue blade tracing tight curves close to his body. He had switched to Soresu, a defensive form of swordsmanship that minimized his exposed vulnerabilities, each movement precise and efficient.
Ventress's pupils constricted as she instinctively threw herself sideways, barely dodging the surprise attack. The sword's blade left a scorched mark on her chest, its searing heat stinging her skin.
"What?!"
She staggered back several steps, still unsteady, when Solo already closed the distance.
The blue blade whirled into an impenetrable defensive circle, moving so fast it left only afterimages. Ventress, accustomed to overwhelming opponents with aggressive dual-blade strikes, found no opening to exploit.
Rage surged through her. She violently channeled the Force, unleashing an invisible force that hurled Solo across the room.
Solo crashed against the metal wall with a dull thud. No sooner had he pushed himself up than Ventress charged forward, her dual blades crossing in a devastating strike.
The impact forced Solo to his knees, but he used the momentum to sweep his blade toward Ventress's ankles. She spun, parrying the blow and absorbing the force, then kicked Solo in the chest to create some distance.
Yet Solo barely paused, rising and advancing again without hesitation.
The first downward strike was instinctively parried by Ventress. The second diagonal slash forced her wrist to bend painfully, and the third swift thrust pressed her dual blades low.
The red blade grazed her shoulder, its burning pain forcing her to stumble back.
Ventress's face paled.
She was an expert in the Makashi lightsaber form and excelled in tactics involving the combination and separation of dual blades. She had held her own against Jedi Masters like Anakin and Obi-Wan on multiple occasions. Yet this Jedi's counterattacks carried an almost obsessive intensity.
Solo advanced relentlessly, each step firm and powerful beneath his scarred armor. He abandoned searching for openings, instead maintaining relentless pressure with the efficient movements characteristic of Soresu. The blue blade's arc quickened, gradually weaving a web of electrified blue light before Ventress's eyes.
Her breathing grew shallow and rapid. She abandoned attempts to block Solo's attacks, resorting only to deflecting his strikes.
Only then did she realize she had been toyed with. Those earlier "clumsy" moves had been deliberate feints, a facade Solo had maintained while secretly accumulating strength and waiting for the perfect counterattack opportunity.
Fundamentally, Solo was now pushing the limits of his own capabilities.
By merging the Shii-Cho and Soresu forms, Solo gripped his lightsaber with both hands, each strike carrying the force of thunder.
The blue blade whirled and hummed in his grip like a storm gathering energy, a force Ventress's Jarkai Dual-Blade Style couldn't hope to withstand.
She had to draw upon vast amounts of the Force just to barely block the strikes, avoiding being slashed by the blade. Even then, her arms grew numb from the sustained impacts.
Ventress realized she couldn't continue passively defending.
She swiftly crouched and unleashed a sweeping kick.
While Soresu was renowned for its impenetrable defense, its focus on sword techniques left it vulnerable to mobility-based attacks—this was her opening.
Her kick carried tremendous power, intended to disrupt Solo's balance and create an opening for a fatal strike.
But Solo was prepared.
His feet remained firmly planted, barely shifting as he maintained his defensive stance, parrying Ventress's subsequent series of lightning-fast thrusts with his lightsaber.
Please Support me by becoming my patreon member and get 10+ chapters.
[email protected]/Ajal69
change @ with a
Thank You to Those who joined my Patreon