More and more blows rained down on my battered armor. I barely managed to block them — but the fury with which that witch struck, the speed and power of her attacks… they were monstrous. The Dark Side of the Force...
New marks appeared on my armor with every passing second — it was the only thing keepingme alive. Without it, I'd have been chopped to pieces long ago. At first, the shields had helped. Then the cortosis coating. But even that wouldn'tlast forever — only the cloth armor of the liningremained intact, and even that was fraying fast. And this wound — again in the same place. Somehow my spine wasn't hit, and the edges of the injury had been cauterized by her blade. With sheer willpower, I kept the pain from overwhelming my mind...
Take that, you bitch! You're not taking my head — I still need it!
A blow from above — block — a Force thrust — hell, now she's— no, jump and double Sun djam! You wish, you won't break through—
A strike — parry, double — block! Damn, my knee plate's cracked. Jump back—ah, fuck, a Force push! I can't dodge— I'm flying— wall— impact— pain, stars— and this bitch already in the air again! I can't block both hits, not in time—
The world slowed. Time congealed, thick andsluggish, like syrup. I watched the red blade slowly descend, and I knowing it would hurt. All I could do was move my body to the right, millimeter by millimeter, and clear my mind.
No pain.
Ventress's crimson blade reached my helmet, slicing through the paint near the ear, then the armor, sliding lower and lower. I kept twisting, forcing my body aside, holding the second blade in a block — now her weapon hovered over my shoulder.
No pain!
It cut into my shoulder plate, searing through the armor, through the lining — and then the plasma hit flesh.
NO PAIN!!!
Agony.
Bitch, bitch, BIIIIITCH!!!
It burned — Force, how it burned…
The blade sank deeper, chewing through flesh until it hit bone — and passed through it.
No pain…
I twisted my hand — the blade grazed her fingers. Her lightsaber dropped from her scorched grasp as mine deactivated for an instant.
Time snapped back to normal. My left arm hit the stone floor with a heavy thud, rolled toward the railing, and fell somewhere below. Ventress's red blade carved into the floor from inertia; hersecond saber clattered beside it. My own blade reactivated and stabbed into her thigh. It didn't pierce through — she recoiled — but it was enough.
With a shriek of fury, Ventress staggered back, clutching her wounded leg.
"Bastard!" she spat, pressing her palm against the wound and licking blood from her split lip. A wave of rage surged through the Force. The Dathomiri lunged, gripping her curved blade with both hands—
But I have no strength left…
But halfway through her leap, a blaster bolt hit her shoulder, spinning her midair. I turned my head and saw the silhouettes of RK clones emerging from the corridor. Hissing in pain, Ventress landed and deflected their shots, her movements slower now. With her injured leg, she couldn't move so fast. So, she hurled the clones aside with a Force Push and leapt down into the atrium, where the guards and droids still clashed below.
The clones rose to their feet and rushed toward me..
"How are you, General?" I couldn't see their faces behind the helmets, but I could feel through the Force their… shock? Yeah, I must've looked terrible.
"How are the senators?"
"They're safe, sir — aboard the ship under Commander Tano's protection. The droids are clearing the nearby levels. It's time to leave!"
"That's right."
Slowly, painfully, I got to my feet and hooked my lightsaber to my belt. Then, spotting the crazy witch's saber on the floor, I summoned it with the Force — it clipped neatly beside mine.
Let that bitch look for another. Useless, but still — compensation. A trophy. Yeah, I'll give it to Ahsoka. Damn, that hurts. I definitely need a doctor. Hutt take it, where's my arm? Ah, Sith, it's gone. No time to search. Heh, looks like I've joined the Skywalker Club.
One clone slung my good arm over his shoulder to help me walk. Another jabbed me with a painkiller injector mid-stride, while a third covered our retreat.
***
Ahsoka waited anxiously by the lowered ramp of the corvette. A dozen clone troopers stood guard around her. The B-1s had crushed the resistance, however, and the battle had broken out somewhere far from the hangar.
"They're our!" one of the clones called out.
Ahsoka's heart froze as the squad approached — her Master leaning heavily on a clone's shoulder. His armor was scorched and scarred from saber strikes, a gaping wound burned through his chest…
But worst of all, his left arm was missing up to the shoulder.
"Master!" Ahsoka breathed, sprinting toward him.
"No time," he rasped. "Get on the ship!"
O'Connor ran out to the ramp, wild-eyed at the wounded Jedi.
"Midshipman! We're leaving!" he barked.
"But the hangar doors are still—"
"Are the ship's cannons for decoration?! Just blow them open! And get us out of here to Hutt's mom— fast!"
"Yes, General!"
The clones poured aboard, covering the rear. The ramp sealed shut.
Through the glare of explosions, the corvette roared out of the hangar and climbed sharply. No enemy ships managed to intercept — seconds later, the stars stretched into lines as the Isaribi jumped to hyperspace.
***
Ahsoka stood by the glass of the medical bay, watching her Master lying on the bed inside. The droids had stripped off his armor and were working over his wounds. She couldn't bring herself to stay during the operation — she wasn't sure she could bear it. Even from here, it looked terrible: dozens of burns, a deep wound in his chest, and… his left arm. It was gone.
Standing next to the Togruta were the clone troop commanders, O'Connor and the two senators — Amidala and Chuchi.
A white IM-6 medical droid floated out of the ward.
"How is he?" Ahsoka demanded.
"The patient's condition is critical," the droid replied flatly. "He has sustained at least one fatal injury. The second wound should have caused death by pain shock. Yet, for reasons beyondexplanation, the patient remains alive."
Ahsoka exhaled shakily.
"Sni-ips…" came a hoarse voice from the wall comm.
"Master?" Ahsoka looked up sharply.
"Do I look bad?"
Ahsoka couldn't answer. Sergeant Chuck spoke up instead.
"That's putting it mildly, sir! You shouldn't be talking!"
"Enough chatter. Are we flying?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Everyone safe?"
"Yes, General. No losses, no serious injuries — except you."
"Ahsoka, don't worry. You're in charge for now. I'm… I'm gonna take a nap. Maybe dream of… starships… plowing through… the GrandTheater…" the Jedi mumbled, yawning.
Ahsoka turned to the med droid.
"He's delirious," the droid said, waving its manipulators. "The patient has been administered high doses of painkillers."
The young Togruta clenched her fists, tearsbrimming in her eyes. I can't lose him!
And the man on the pristine white sheets smiled faintly in his sleep.
***
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