The Jedi stood behind the glass, watching the operation that had been going on for several hours.
The Togruta stood silently, her fists clenchedtightly. Luminara leaned toward Master Plo Koon and whispered:
"The girl has become very attached to her Master."
"Yes. She was a bit of a… problem youngling. I could hardly imagine who would agree to take her as a Padawan—she had overstayed her term by almost six months. And then this war began. One day, during Vikt's report, I suddenly learned that Ahsoka had become his Padawan."
"And how did he prove himself as a commander?"
"Surprisingly well. General Vikt completed all of the Council's assignments with minimal losses among his clones. The officers at headquartersspeak quite highly of him."
"I think he's a worthy choice for Ahsoka. She'll learn a lot from such a talented Jedi."
Suddenly, Ahsoka cried out:
"Master!"
"Snips?" The Jedi's voice came over the intercom. Though it was hoarse and weary, there was still laughter in it. "Am I dead yet, or not?"
"Patient, you mustn't talk—you're in pain!" cried the surgeon, while Barriss Offee, interrupting her meditation, looked at the Jedi in astonishment.
The sight was indeed impressive—at that very moment, the surgeons were removing damaged tissue, while the med-droids worked to treat the remaining wounds.
"Leave me alone. I can control my pain," the Jedi said, practically waving off the stunned man. Then his slightly cloudy gaze shifted to Barriss. "Oh, who do we have here? Such a beauty." He looked at the girl and smiled.
Luminara could clearly sense her Padawan's embarrassment.
"Master! Stop embarrassing her—she's not used to your jokes!" the young Togruta flared up.
"Got it, got it!" the Jedi replied playfully.
Unduli looked from the man to the Togruta and back again. No doubt—they're two of a kind.
***
Barriss looked at the man in amazement. No, she had already been impressed by his abilities during the duel, but to joke like this while lying on the operating table… he clearly had the willpower of beskar, no doubt about it.
Meanwhile, the operation continued, and the Jedi asked a few very serious questions.
"Is it possible to transplant an artificially grown arm?"
"Impossible. It's much easier with clones—their body parts are interchangeable, and the body doesn't notice the difference during transplantation. But with an artificially grown arm, rehabilitation could take a year, maybe three. There's also a risk that the patient could lose sensitivity to the Force. Not to mention, it takes at least a year to grow such an arm, and the cost is extremely high—several million credits—with no guarantee of success the first time," replied the surgeon.
"What about cloning an arm?"
"Even longer. To get a normally functioning body part, you'd have to grow a complete organism. Even with Kaminoan growth accelerators, that would take at least seven, maybe ten years."
Barriss nodded.
"We can't wait. We need to restore the nerve endings and install the adapter right now; otherwise, even future use of the prosthesis could be in question. I'm going to put you to sleep—it's necessary for the next stage of the operation."
"Well, if you have to, go ahead," the Jedi replied calmly.
Barriss placed her hand on his forehead, and a few minutes later, the Jedi was asleep.
The operation continued…
***
Ahsoka was awakened by someone's voice.
"Huh?" She struggled to open her eyes. She was lying in one of the wards, with Master Plo Koon sitting nearby.
"You were too tired, Ahsoka. You fell asleep almost standing up."
"Oh. Um, how…?"
"I brought you here. I thought you should rest."
"Master, how is he?"
"The operation lasted almost sixteen hours, but now he's stable. Barriss Offee did an excellent job."
"Can I see him?"
"You can, but you won't be able to talk to him right now. He's in a bacta tank and will stay there for two days." Plo Koon spread his hands. "So… you'd better go back to the ship. I'll let you know as soon as they take him out."
"Master, I'd still like to see him."
"All right, Ahsoka. Follow me."
Ahsoka jumped briskly out of bed and followed the Kel Dor.
After walking through several corridors, they entered a small ward. In one corner stood a tank filled with a greenish liquid—bacta—in which her teacher's body floated. A mask supplied him with oxygen. Barriss Offee stood nearby, holding a datapad.
Plo Koon asked,
"Barriss, how is he?"
"Master," the Mirialan bowed slightly. "His condition is improving. I worked on his lungs, and now his internal tissues and skin are regenerating. I've accelerated the process as much as possible, but the treatment will still take some time."
Ahsoka stepped forward.
"Um… thank you, Barriss."
"You're welcome, Ahsoka Tano. I'm just doing my job."
The Togruta held out her hand, and the girl shook it in response.