"This might be my Jedi trial!" Barriss thought to herself.
Half a year earlier, she had asked Luminara when her trial would begin. Her Master had only replied, "Anytime. Always. Never."
Though Luminara Unduli, her Jedi Master, hadn't explicitly stated it, not all apprentices were informed in advance about their trials.
The content of the trial and whether the apprentice would receive prior notice were entirely up to the Jedi Master.
Barriss knew that her Master's refusal to reveal the trial beforehand meant that this surgery was likely the test itself.
Footsteps echoed outside the operating room. Barriss opened her eyes to see a gravity stretcher being wheeled in.
Along with the medical staff, Plo Koon and Luminara entered, followed by a young Togruta girl.
*She must be the patient's apprentice,* Barriss thought.
Barriss noticed the girl's reddened eyes and tightly clenched fists, clear signs of her deep anxiety.
"Shall we begin?" a Human medical officer asked softly, approaching Barriss with a Midi-chlorian Activity Monitor in hand.
This device displayed the real-time concentration of midi-chlorians in Solo's meridians, serving as a crucial tool during the repair process.
Barriss nodded, took a deep breath, and approached the gravity stretcher.
When she saw the extent of Solo's injuries, she couldn't help but gasp. His body was covered in burns from the lightsaber, and a diagonal wound crossed his chest. Though it had missed his spine, it had grazed his lung. Even more horrifying was the state of his left shoulder: crimson, lymphatic fluid-soaked tissue seeped from the mangled arm, which appeared completely numb.
With Lantilles' medical facilities, simply saving his life would be the absolute limit.
"Begin by clearing the damaged tissue," Barriss commanded the medical droid, forcing herself to remain calm. She then stepped closer to Solo, reached through the isolation field, and placed her palms on his chest. Closing her eyes, she opened herself to the Force.
The Force flowed like warm water, enveloping her hands before permeating Solo's body.
Barriss could clearly sense the injuries within Solo's body. Even more alarming was the lingering Dark Side energy from the Sith lightsaber, acting like a toxin that impeded healing.
The medical droid cleaned the burn area on Solo's left arm with Bacta Gel, then picked up the monitor's probe and attached it to his arm.
The screen showed that the concentration of midi-chlorians in the meridians of Solo's left arm was only 17% of normal levels, with a disordered distribution, indicating that most of the meridians had been severed.
"Purify the dark energy and repair the meridians," Barriss continued giving instructions. She then walked to Solo's side, reached through the isolation field, and gently placed both palms on the wound on his left arm. Closing her eyes, she opened herself to the Force.
The Force flowed like warm water from her palms, seeping into Solo's left arm.
Barriss could clearly sense the dark energy in the wound area, like black vines coiling around the severed ends of the meridians, obstructing the flow of midi-chlorians.
She focused her mind, channeling the Force into a "Purification Flow" and gradually peeled away the dark vines. As she did so, the midi-chlorians in Solo's body seemed to respond to the call, beginning to pulse weakly.
"The Sith lightsaber was indeed designed for slaughter," she murmured.
Focusing her mind, she used the Force to dispel the dark energy while soothing Solo's autonomic nervous system and stimulating his body's healing response.
Just then, the medical droid suddenly announced, "Patient is awake."
Outside the surgery room, Ahsoka immediately rushed to the observation window, pressing her hands against the glass and shouting, "Master!"
"Spike...?" Solo's voice came through the intercom, hoarse and weary, yet carrying a familiar teasing tone. "Am I dead, or am I still breathing?"
"Patient, you mustn't speak! It will interfere with your wound healing!" the human surgeon shouted urgently, his voice tinged with anxiety.
Barriss was also startled out of her meditation, looking at Solo in surprise.
She had never seen a patient joke in such a condition, let alone remain conscious.
"It's fine. I can control the pain." Solo's gaze swept across the surgery room before settling on Barriss, a faint smile curling his lips. "Oh, and who's this lovely lady? Is she in charge of my treatment?"
Barriss's cheeks flushed crimson, and she lowered her head in embarrassment, completely unprepared for this gravely injured Jedi to be making jokes.
"Master! Stop teasing her! She's not used to this!" Ahsoka paced anxiously outside the surgery room, her voice crackling through the communicator, tinged with exasperation.
"Alright, alright, I won't tease anymore." Solo chuckled, then his expression turned serious. "Doctor, is my arm salvageable? My meridians and connective tissue are completely severed."
"Yes, but it will take time." Barriss took a deep breath and approached Solo, her tone earnest. "I've already purified most of the dark energy. Now, I need to rebuild the meridian pathways. You may experience some stinging pain during the process. Try to endure it."
"Don't worry, I can handle it." Solo closed his eyes, his voice calm. "Begin."
Barriss placed her hand on Solo's forehead, gently channeling the Force into his consciousness.
After a few minutes, Solo's breathing evened out as he drifted into a deep sleep. The surgery room fell silent, save for the soft beeps of medical equipment and the occasional clink of surgical instruments.
Barriss adjusted the frequency of the Force output, transforming it into thread-like strands. She carefully inserted these strands into the severed ends of Solo's meridians, guiding the remaining Midi-chlorians to gather at the center like building a bridge.
On the monitor, the midi-chlorian concentration gradually increased, rising from 17% to 32%, then 45%... When the concentration reached 60%, Barriss felt Solo's left arm twitch slightly—a sign that the meridian connection was beginning to take hold.
"Continue. Maintain a stable flow of the Force!" Luminara whispered from outside the surgery, her voice barely audible. Through the Force, she could sense Barriss's progress, her heart clenching in anxiety.
Two more hours passed. The monitor showed the midi-chlorian concentration stabilizing at 82%, reaching the threshold for normal levels.
Barriss slowly withdrew her hands, her forehead glistening with sweat. The prolonged output of the Force had left her weary, but seeing Solo's left arm move slightly brought her a wave of relief.
"Repair complete," she announced to the medical team. "Next, we need to use the Force Nutrient Tank for post-repair recovery to consolidate the meridian connections." She walked to the observation window and nodded at Ahsoka. "Don't worry. The meridian connections in his arm are established. As long as the recovery goes smoothly, there will be no impact on normal movement or Force sensitivity."
After an indeterminate amount of time, Ahsoka was awakened by a gentle voice.
She opened her heavy eyes to find herself lying on a hospital bed, with Plo Koon sitting in a chair beside her, watching her.
"Ah... what happened?" Ahsoka rubbed her eyes, her mind a jumble.
"You were exhausted. You fell asleep standing by the observation window, so I brought you here to rest," Plo Koon said, his voice filled with tenderness. "The surgery lasted nearly sixteen hours, but it's now finished. Your Master is stable, and Barriss did a remarkable job."
"Really? Can I go see him?" Ahsoka immediately sat up, her eyes brimming with urgency.
"Of course, but be gentle. He's still resting... He's in a Bacta tank and will need to stay there for at least two days." Plo Koon smiled and stood up to pull open the door for her, his voice gentle. "Go back to the ship and rest first. I'll notify you immediately when he's out."
"No, Master. I want to wait here," Ahsoka replied firmly, her eyes showing her unwillingness to leave.
"Alright, follow me," Plo Koon said with an exasperated smile, turning and leading her out of the room.
After walking through several pristine white corridors, they entered a private hospital suite.
In a corner stood a cylindrical Bacta tank. Inside the green liquid, Solo's body floated, an oxygen mask covering his face, tubes from his arms connected to nearby life support monitors.
Barriss Offee stood beside the tank, data pad in hand, her brow slightly furrowed as she meticulously recorded the parameters.
"Bariss, how's he doing?" Plo Koon asked softly, careful not to disturb the treatment.
"Master." Barriss turned and bowed in the standard Jedi salute. "His overall condition is steadily improving. I've used the Force to repair the abrasions on his lungs, and his muscles and skin are regenerating in the Bacta. I've accelerated the healing process as much as possible with the Force, but full recovery will still take time, especially the meridians in his left arm. Although they've been reconnected, they still need the Bacta to stabilize."
Ahsoka stepped forward, her gaze fixed on Solo in the tank. Her voice carried gratitude. "Barriss, thank you... If it weren't for you, Master's arm might have been crippled."
"Don't thank me. It's my duty." Barriss smiled, gently clasping Ahsoka's hand. "Rest assured. He should be out of the tank in two days, and his left arm should be able to perform basic movements by then."
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