Ventress let out a wild scream, stumbling backward and limping on her right leg from the searing pain.
"Scum!" she roared, clutching her bleeding wound as she licked the blood from the corner of her mouth, the Force surging with extreme fury.
She snatched up the remaining lightsaber, gripped it with both hands, and leaped again, her target still Solo's head.
Solo was too exhausted to block. He could only watch helplessly as the crimson blade closed in. Just then, an energy blast struck Ventress in the shoulder, sending her staggering backward.
Solo glanced sideways and saw the outline of the RC clone squad. Chuck was holding a blaster, continuing to fire at Ventress.
Hissing in pain, Ventress landed and hastily blocked the clone troopers' shots. Her leg injury hampered her movement. She could only use the Force to shove two clones to the ground before turning and leaping down into the atrium.
A chaotic battle raged there between battle droids and guards. The confused battlefield became her best cover.
The clones quickly rose and rushed to Solo's side.
"General, are you alright?" Chuck's voice crackled through his helmet, his Force connection carrying an unmistakable wave of shock.
Solo's condition was dire. Black smoke still rose from the wound on his severed shoulder, and the hole in his armor revealed charred flesh beneath.
"I'm fine!" Solo's voice was hoarse, barely audible. "Where's Ahsoka?"
"Commander Tano is protecting the Senator. They've already boarded the ship. The robot units are clearing the nearby floors. We need to withdraw immediately!"
"Roger." Supported by Chuck, Solo slowly rose to his feet, securing his blue lightsaber at his waist.
His gaze swept across the floor to Ventress's extinguished lightsaber. With a surge of the Force from his right hand, he drew the weapon into his grasp and clipped it to his belt as well.
"The Hutt's... consider it a war trophy..."
A Clone Trooper took Solo's uninjured right arm and guided him toward the ship. Another Clone Trooper administered a strong painkiller injection into Solo's neck as they walked.
Chuck, blaster at the ready, vigilantly scanned their surroundings, covering their retreat.
At the shuttle's boarding ramp, Ahsoka paced anxiously back and forth.
A dozen Clone Troopers had already secured defensive positions, and the B-1 battle droid's resistance had long been suppressed. The sounds of combat echoed far beyond the hangar.
"It's one of our own!" a Clone Trooper sentinel shouted.
Ahsoka's head snapped up, her gaze locking onto the approaching figures. Chuck was supporting a heavily scarred armored figure—the familiar silhouette belonged to her Master, Solo.
The armor was riddled with lightsaber marks, and a gaping hole in the chest, its charred edges still steaming, showed where a blade had pierced through.
But what made her heart stop was Solo's left shoulder. The arm was covered in blood, reduced to twisted, burned fragments of armor, and blood continued to seep from the wound.
"Master...!" Ahsoka's voice was barely a whisper as tears welled in her eyes. She rushed forward, but hesitated, afraid to touch Solo's injured body and worsen his condition.
"There's no time! Get on the ship!" Solo's voice came from beneath his helmet, muffled by painkillers but still firm.
Senator O'Connor hurried to the boarding ramp, staring at Solo's battered state. His eyes widened, and he stood speechless.
Solo turned to the ensign at the console. "Ensign! Start the ship immediately. We need to get out of here!"
"But General, the hangar doors are still closed. The enemy blockade is still in place..."
"Are the main guns on this ship just for decoration?! Blast open those hangar doors! Get us out of this hellhole—now!" Solo's voice carried an unyielding authority.
"Yes, General!" The ensign immediately executed the order, the weapons system on the console screen instantly activating.
Meanwhile, the clone troopers who had been covering the retreat all ran into the ship, and the boarding ramp slowly retracted.
The hangar doors shattered under the main gun's bombardment, flames and smoke billowing out. The frigate shot out like an arrow released from a bow, rapidly climbing toward space.
No enemy could intercept in time. In moments, the planet's outline shrank in the window, stars coalesced into a dazzling sea of light, and the *Star Falcon*'s hyperspace engine activated, vanishing instantly into the starry sea.
In the medical bay, Ahsoka stood before the observation window, watching Solo lying on the hospital bed.
The medical droid had removed his armor, revealing a body covered in burns and wounds. The chest wound was particularly gruesome, and the severed shoulder was swathed in layers of bandages.
Ahsoka still didn't dare enter the surgery area. Even through the glass window, the sight made her heart race with fear.
Clone Captain Chuck, Senator O'Connor, and Senators Amidala and Chu Chi stood beside Ahsoka, the atmosphere heavy and suffocating.
An IM-6 model white medical droid flew out of the hospital room, its mechanical arms still stained with disinfectant.
"How is he?" Ahsoka rushed forward, her voice trembling.
"Patient Solo's condition is critical," the medical droid's emotionless electronic voice declared, sending everyone's hearts sinking. "He has a fatal wound. The shoulder injury should have killed him from shock due to the intense pain. Yet for inexplicable reasons, he remains alive."
Ahsoka gasped in relief, tears finally spilling down her cheeks.
"A...so..." Solo's voice suddenly came from the communicator on the wall, faint and distorted.
"Master?" Ahsoka's head snapped up, her eyes fixed on the communicator.
"Do I... look... terrible?"
Ahsoka opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
Chuck took over, his voice tinged with worry. "Worse than terrible, Commander! You need rest, not conversation!"
"Cut the chatter... Are we flying?"
"Yes, we've just entered hyperspace!"
"Everyone... is alive?"
"Yes, everyone is fine, Commander. Except for you, there are no other injuries or casualties."
"Ahsoka, you..." Solo's voice trailed off, clearly exhausted. "Don't worry. You're in command for now. I'm going to sleep... I want to dream..."
Before he could finish speaking, a faint snore came through the communicator.
Ahsoka turned to the medical droid, her eyes filled with confusion.
The medical droid spread its mechanical arms. "To alleviate his severe pain, I administered a high dose of painkillers. He's now in a semi-conscious state, and anything he says is delirious."
Ahsoka clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as tears welled up again.
On the bed, Solo's lips curved into a slight smile in the haze of the painkillers, as if he were truly dreaming of spaceships and grand theaters.
***
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