Solo ducked swiftly as a searing energy blast whizzed over his head, striking the rock behind him and sending sparks flying.
"This is getting messy."
He peeked out from behind the rock, his blaster rifle spitting out retaliatory fire. Through his Force sense, he confirmed that several militia members had been taken down.
The situation had devolved into utter chaos. The Nationalists hadn't waited for their attack; they had launched a preemptive strike instead.
Their main force consisted of robots, but they were intermingled with organic soldiers.
Solo's Legion, fresh off the transport ship, found itself immediately plunged into fierce combat. The vehicles had barely reached their designated positions before they were forced to establish defensive lines.
The heavy armored personnel carriers, with their thick plating, managed to halt the enemy's advance, but the overall situation remained grim.
On the battlefield, where rain and mud mingled, the two forces had become completely intertwined, making it nearly impossible to distinguish friend from foe.
Individual battalions, companies, and even platoons found themselves isolated and fighting alone. The entire battlefield resembled a layered mille-feuille—a porous, hole-ridden mille-feuille, at that.
The raging hurricane, coupled with the Ion Storm, had completely jammed the communication channels, nearly paralyzing the command system.
For hours, the battlefield descended into utter chaos.
This chaos spread across the entire front line.
The last message they received was a briefing from Obi-Wan, stating that the enemy had broken through the blockade around the Capital, meaning their rear was completely exposed.
Now, every direction was a front line.
Could there be a worse situation?
In the end, their makeshift command post became the most fiercely contested area of the battle.
Clone Trooper squads were scattered across a twelve-kilometer defensive line, not including the original garrison troops stationed there.
At that moment, the torrential rain from the sky subsided slightly into a downpour, and the communication systems began to slowly recover.
Li Norega, Bram, and Miro were swamped with work, desperately repairing communication equipment in a desperate attempt to reestablish contact with the scattered squads and rebuild the command structure.
Though Clone Troopers possessed independent combat capabilities and tactical creativity, knowing that the command post was still operational would undoubtedly boost their morale significantly.
Meanwhile, to prevent the Command Center from being completely overrun by the enemy, Solo, accompanied by Ahsoka, and Jeb, with Zul, rushed out of the Command Center to launch a counterattack.
Solo casually grabbed a blaster rifle, while the others relied solely on their lightsabers.
Two platoons of Clone Guards followed closely behind, Black Ghost naturally among them.
Lucky led a group to the rear to reinforce the defenses, while the Black Ghost Squad advanced to conduct reconnaissance.
"Commander, I recommend immediately reforming our lines and retreating to the forward ridge to establish defenses!" Black Ghost said, half-sunk in the mud, his sniper rifle still accurately picking off enemies one by one.
"Agreed! Bram, if you can establish communication, secure the defenses at coordinates 3.7 immediately! Li Norega, dispatch reinforcements to coordinates 2.6!"
"General Viktor! This is Cass!" The Zabrak Apprentice, accompanied by several companions, rushed over to them. The comm channel was filled with static, but any communication was better than none. "We're two kilometers to your right flank. Enemy robot units are closing in. Do you require support?"
"Excellent!" Ahsoka shouted, deflecting the barrage of energy blasts with her lightsaber. "The tin cans are piling up!"
"Cass! Take your squad around the lowlands and flank them with the walkers!"
"Oh, the Apprentice Squad is coming to the rescue!" Puck's voice dripped with sarcasm. "As if we didn't have enough trouble already."
Solo reminded him coldly, "Puck, your comm is still open."
"I know," Puck replied indifferently.
Black Ghost fired several precise shots, then stopped.
"Enemies ahead are cleared. You two," he said, pointing at two Sergeants, "take your teams to sweep the area and eliminate any stragglers!"
A Jedi figure appeared through the distant rain.
"Who's that?" Solo asked Jeb.
"Looks like Master Darnus Kam," Jeb replied after a moment of observation.
"Hey, Kam! How's it going over there?" Master Glaive waved and shouted, as if his voice alone wouldn't reach.
"It's going—" Kam's words were cut off by a sudden, urgent warning.
"Airstrike!" Black Ghost rolled sharply to the left to evade. The others immediately felt a strong sense of impending danger.
Behind Kam, a massive figure descended using a jetpack, crashing heavily into the mud.
"Watch out!" Flynka cried out, trying to push the figure back with the Force, but it was too late.
A fist clad in a thick, armored glove smashed into Kam's head. The Jedi Master collapsed instantly in the mud, his body convulsing as he tried to rise, blood gushing from his fractured skull.
Solo immediately activated his lightsaber, taking a defensive stance alongside Jeb and the others.
"It's been over a century since I last killed a Jedi..." The deep voice carried an ominous tone. "Today, I'll start killing again."
An armored boot stomped down on Kam's skull. With a sickening crunch of bone, the Jedi Master fell still.
"Durge!" Solo spat the name through gritted teeth.
"Is that the Bounty Hunter?" Jeb adjusted his grip on his lightsaber, eyeing the figure warily. "He's certainly intimidating."
"You bastard!" Flynka tried to attack with the Force again, but Durge merely swayed slightly before retaliating with a purple, lightning-like energy blast that sent her flying.
"After a hundred years, you Jedi still rely on the same old tricks."
"Hutt-bred! Zul, maintain a safe distance and keep him occupied! Solo, we'll attack together!"
"Agreed! Ahsoka, assist Zul with the outer enemies!"
Solo and Jeb charged Durge simultaneously, their lightsabers whistling through the air as they slashed at him. But the Bounty Hunter's speed was astonishing; he easily evaded every attack.
"Ha! Vermin like you are no match for me. Where are your beloved Clone Troopers? Could it be—"
Just then, an energy blast pierced the eye socket of Durge's helmet with pinpoint accuracy.
"Waiting here to take you down!" Black Ghost fired again, but Durge had already leaped away.
"I'll rip your head off and burn your innards to ash!" The Bounty Hunter roared and counterattacked.
Ahsoka's voice echoed in Solo's mind, and the Togruta instinctively activated the Force Bond communication.
[Ahsoka: Master, how can he still move with such severe injuries? ]
[Solo: He's a Gen'Dai. His body is composed of countless nerves and muscle fibers. Injuries like this mean nothing to him. ]
Meanwhile, Solo and Jeb launched another fierce assault on Durge.
Jeb's heavy punch slammed into the Bounty Hunter's armor, sending him flying back.
Only a brute like Jeb could punch metal with his bare fists, Solo thought to himself. Jeb was only a few centimeters shorter than Durge and equally massive.
"You're undoubtedly a crude scoundrel," Jeb said, raising his lightsaber to pursue, "but so am I!"
Durge activated his jetpack and soared into the air, evading the follow-up attacks.
Suddenly, a barrage of energy blasts erupted from the side. Solo and the others immediately adopted defensive positions, forming a ring with their backs to each other. Zul and Ahsoka swiftly joined them.
"Robot troops!" Black Ghost shouted a warning.
"Spike, Zul, you two handle them!" Solo roared, leaping forward with his lightsaber aimed at Durge's arm.
The plasma blade hissed through the rain, but was deflected by the bounty hunter's armor.
"Damn it, is this fucking beskar steel?!" Durge retaliated, dual-wielding blaster pistols and unleashing energy blasts that struck Solo's shield. Even with his defenses activated, the shield's battery was instantly depleted—the weapon's power was terrifying.
"Ha! Finally, something new!" Durge laughed unexpectedly. "You surprise me, Jedi. It's been a long time since I've faced an opponent like you."
Sensing Ahsoka's growing agitation, completely consumed by the battle's fury, Solo immediately sank into inner peace, just as he had before. Through the Force, he extended his awareness to her, soothing her emotions and erecting an invisible barrier.
He couldn't quite describe this intangible thing.
Regardless, he succeeded in isolating Ahsoka's negative emotions and stabilizing her state.
As for how he achieved this, Solo himself didn't fully understand.
Was it her anger? Her fear? Or some other emotion he couldn't identify?
"Solo, draw his attention!" Jeb shouted from the side.
"Are you crazy? How am I supposed to distract this monster?" Though he grumbled inwardly, Solo swiftly moved behind Durge and launched an attack.
"A valiant effort, but doomed to fail. My entire body is a network of nerve nodes—I can feel your heartbeat from two hundred paces away! You can't deceive me. None of you are my match!"
"Solo, we have to take down this son of a bitch! He's probably the Commander here!"
Jeb charged forward, Solo close behind, and the two once again teamed up to attack Durge.
The Bounty Hunter drew a vibrating axe and swung it viciously at Jeb, who had gotten too close. Master Glaive leaped aside just in time to avoid the blow.
Solo found himself alone against Durge, locked in a desperate struggle.
"Hahaha! You think I'm the Commander here?" Durge's barrage of shots forced Solo to retreat, parrying attacks. "What does that mean—" Jeb had just begun to speak when his voice abruptly cut off.
A red blade flashed, and Jeb's head rolled into the mud.
"May the Force be with you, you piece of garbage," Durge roared, laughing maniacally.
The ripple of Force energy from the death spread outward, causing the Togruta girl to shudder.
The death of a Jedi Master was far more chilling than the sacrifice of hundreds of Clone Troopers—like the faint glimmer of a distant star compared to the roaring blaze of a nearby bonfire.
Ahsoka looked forward and saw her Master frozen in place. Durge stood beside the Dathomir Witch, their red lightsabers humming ominously as they swung slowly through the rain.
"Grievous!" Solo shouted, his voice hoarse. "You bastard!"
[ Master! ]
Ahsoka's voice echoed in Solo's mind.
Solo: I need your help!
Ahsoka: Coming.
The Togruta girl parried a robot's attack and yelled, "Black Ghost, cover me!"
She charged forward and moments later stood beside Solo.
Ventress shrugged, tossing aside her cloak. "We meet again, Solo Victor—this time, you won't escape."
"The outcome of this battle remains to be seen," Solo Victor replied, extending his free hand behind him, ready for combat.
"You think this little fledgling can help you? Ha! I'll kill her right before your eyes, then I'll take my time with you!"
In an instant, the battlefield's rhythm surged.
Durge retreated, continuing to fire at the Clone Troopers, while Ventress lunged toward Solo.
Ahsoka eagerly met her, her lightsaber precisely parrying the Sith Witch's attacks.
Any initial doubts had vanished. She was fully capable of holding her own against this Sith Witch, especially with Solo always nearby, ready to support her at critical moments.
"You're stronger than I thought," Ventress said, her voice drawing out in surprise as Ahsoka's lightsaber nearly struck her. "I might not kill you, but I'll definitely cripple you!"
"Ah—!" Zul suddenly burst from the flank, launching a frenzied assault on Ventress.
"Zul, be careful!" Solo shouted urgently, but the girl completely ignored him.
Ventress's relentless assault continued, yet the power gap between them remained vast.
Red and green lightsaber blades clashed as Ventress severed the hilt of Zul's lightsaber with a single strike. She then swiftly lopped off both of her arms above the elbows.
Zul gasped, collapsing into unconsciousness as her body crashed heavily onto the rocky ground.
Without a word, Ahsoka and Solo charged Ventress simultaneously, forcing her away from Zul's body.
Solo now wielded two lightsabers—his own and Master Glaive's.
Ahsoka, using the Force, summoned Master Darnus Kam's lightsaber.
Four lightsabers now stood in opposition: two blue, two green, and two red.
Ahsoka: Master, what should we do? Two against two, we don't stand a chance.
Solo: Hold on, Spike. Do you feel it?
Ahsoka focused her mind, sensing the Force, and instantly understood her master's meaning.
Ahsoka: Yes.
After a moment of tense silence, two Speeder Bikes burst through the rain-streaked sky and sped toward them.
Ahsoka smiled in relief.
Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Cyrus landed.
A squad of Clone Troopers burst from the mud to their left, led by a six-person Apprentice team. They immediately opened fire on the enemy.
"Damn Hutts!" Ventress cursed, blocking a barrage of energy blasts with her lightsaber. "Durge, retreat!"
The enemy figures vanished into the rain-soaked depths, fleeing in disarray.
"Master?" Ahsoka asked.
"Let them go," Solo replied. "We need to treat the wounded immediately."
"Master Kenobi," Solo said, removing his helmet, his voice weary. "You arrived just in time."
"I sensed a need for help through the Force. What happened?"
"Durge and Ventress launched a surprise attack. We barely held them off, but—" Solo nodded toward the scattered corpses on the ground. "They noticed your arrival and retreated."
Master Cyrus knelt to examine Zul's wounds and let out a sigh of relief. "He's alive! I'll take him to Doctor Aubry immediately. Hey, Clone Troopers! Bring a stretcher!"
"Master, what happens next?" Ahsoka turned to Solo, her eyes filled with worry.
Solo looked at her gravely. "There's a lot to do, Ahsoka. The Jedi Knights are dwindling."
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