"Master Qui-Gon! Obi-Wan! Cousin!" Koth's heart was in his throat; a Jedi absolutely couldn't get hurt here, especially Qui-Gon Jinn!
In his future plans, this enlightened master might be a potential, non-hostile observer, or even... a cover in some sense.
"I'm fine, protect yourself!" A steady, low roar pierced through the clamor of the explosion.
Just as the Twi'lek, wielding a vibro-axe, lunged with a sneer towards the figure dimly visible in the smoke and dust of the room, a emerald green lightsaber, like lightning tearing through darkness, suddenly ignited!
"Humm—!"
Qui-Gon Jinn's figure elegantly spun out of the smoke and dust, his green lightsaber tracing a perfect arc, precisely parrying the two powerful axes that swung down!
Sparks flew! The powerful impact made Qui-Gon Jinn retreat half a step, but his eyes were as calm as water.
"Obi-Wan! Protect the Duchess!" Qui-Gon Jinn commanded in a low voice, while his lightsaber danced, forming a screen of emerald light.
He took on the Twi'lek's furious assault, each clash of axe and saber erupting in a harsh metallic screech and sparks of energy.
The young Obi-Wan's reaction was equally swift; the moment the wall exploded, he didn't rush towards the door, but instead used the Force to perform a backflip, shattering the inner window of the room, and his blue lightsaber instantly activated!
He clambered out the window like a nimble monkey, clinging to the outer wall, rapidly climbing upwards—Duchess Satine's room was on the floor above!
"The Duchess is in danger!" Obi-Wan's voice came through the communicator, tinged with urgency.
On the upper level of the fortress, fierce fighting had already broken out outside Satine's room; her personal guards were fighting to the death, but were clearly no match for the premeditated bounty hunters.
Satine's face was pale, but her eyes were firm, holding a small, exquisite blaster pistol, trying to find an opportunity.
Just as a bounty hunter, sneering, broke through the guard's defense and aimed his gun at Satine!
"Humm—!"
A blue-white blade of light, like a divine weapon descending from the heavens, suddenly pierced the ceiling from above, accurately penetrating the hunter's shoulder!
Obi-Wan Kenobi descended from above, twisting his lightsaber to disable the opponent's arm!
After landing, he didn't stop, his lightsaber forming a protective barrier, shielding Satine behind him, and engaging the remaining two bounty hunters in battle.
Though his swordsmanship was not as skilled as Qui-Gon Jinn's, he had the advantage of youthful vigor, wielding his lightsaber in an impenetrable defense, keeping his opponents from getting close for a time.
Downstairs, Qui-Gon Jinn's battle with the Twi'lek axe warrior entered a white-hot phase; the Twi'lek's strength was terrifying, his battle axes whistling as they tore through the air, while Qui-Gon Jinn relied on a Jedi Master's foresight and exquisite deflection techniques to contend with him.
But the presence of the human female sniper was a huge threat; she was like a venomous snake in the shadows, each precise shot forcing Qui-Gon Jinn to divert his attention to dodge or parry, greatly restricting his movements.
"Koth! The sniper!" Qui-Gon Jinn's voice remained steady amidst the fierce clash.
Koth had already locked onto the target! He used the corridor's pillars and the chaos as cover, dual pistols in hand.
He didn't have the Jedi's ability to block blaster bolts with a lightsaber, so he could only rely on his helmet's tactical display and the vague premonition from the Force to weave and dodge through the hail of gunfire, constantly closing the distance to the sniper.
"Annoying little bug!" The female sniper clearly noticed Koth as a threat; a red light flashed in her tactical visor, and her gun barrel instantly turned, a deadly red beam shooting directly at Koth's face!
A strong premonition of death made Koth's scalp tingle! He almost instinctively threw himself sideways, the blaster bolt grazing his shoulder guard.
The scorching airflow made his skin tingle with pain; as he rolled on the ground, he raised both pistols and, relying on the instantaneous intuition granted by the Force, pulled the triggers!
"Bang bang bang!"
The three blaster bolts were not aimed at the sniper herself, but at the ground beneath her feet and the wall beside her!
To avoid possible attacks and splashing debris, the female sniper had to move, temporarily interrupting her suppression of Qui-Gon Jinn.
"Now!" Koth seized this fleeting opportunity, leaping up and charging towards the corner where the female sniper was hiding! He had to get close; he had no chance in a long-range shootout!
On the other side, Qui-Gon Jinn's pressure suddenly decreased; a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly erupted!
"Hmph!" With a low exhalation, Qui-Gon Jinn no longer simply blocked; his green lightsaber seemed to come alive, instantly entangling one of the Twi'lek's battle axes, expertly pulling and guiding it! The Twi'lek's massive body immediately stumbled.
Qui-Gon Jinn's other hand shot out like lightning, a powerful Force push like an invisible battering ram, slamming hard into the Twi'lek's chest!
"Pfft!" The Twi'lek, as if struck by a heavy blow, spat out a mouthful of blood.
His massive body flew backward, crashing heavily against the corridor wall, which was dented inward significantly! One of the battle axes in his hand also flew out.
"Boss!" The Devaronian tech expert, who was setting up a blockade, was filled with shock and anger; his shoulder cannon fired wildly, and he simultaneously threw two concussion grenades!
Qui-Gon Jinn swung his lightsaber, deflecting the blaster bolts, and then lightly jumped backward, bracing himself against the concussion grenades' shockwave, only being pushed back a few steps.
And just as the Devaronian's attention was drawn to Qui-Gon Jinn, Koth had already rushed in front of the female sniper!
The sniper rifle was difficult to wield in a confined space, so the female sniper decisively abandoned her gun, pulling out a dagger from her waist with a vicious motion, stabbing towards Koth's throat!
Koth's eyes under his helmet were cold; he gave up on blocking with his pistol, instead ducking sharply, letting the dagger graze his helmet, sending off a trail of sparks!
At the same time, his heavy punch, infused with all his strength, slammed hard into the female sniper's unprotected ribs!
"Crunch!" A clear sound of bone cracking came.
"Ugh!" The female sniper grunted in pain, her movements instantly distorted; Koth was merciless, driving his knee hard upwards, striking her abdomen, then delivering a precise hand chop to the side of her neck! The female sniper's eyes rolled back, and she collapsed softly to the ground.
Having dealt with the sniper, Koth immediately turned back; Qui-Gon Jinn had already regained his footing, his lightsaber pointed at the struggling Twi'lek and the panicked Devaronian, and Obi-Wan had also resolved the threat on the upper floor, escorting Satine down the stairs.
The tide had turned!
The Twi'lek roared, a hint of desperate madness flashing in his eyes; he grabbed his last remaining battle axe, seemingly intending to launch a suicide charge, while the Devaronian suddenly pressed a detonator in his hand!
"Beep beep beep—boom! Boom!"
The proximity mines and sticky bombs he had previously placed throughout the corridor were detonated simultaneously! The violent explosion instantly engulfed the corridor, smoke, flames, and debris soaring into the air!
"Watch out!" Qui-Gon Jinn roared, and the powerful Force immediately resisted the explosion, shielding Obi-Wan, Satine, and the nearby Koth behind him! The shockwave and debris of the explosion were violently halted.
When the aftershocks of the explosion and the smoke slightly dissipated, the corridor was unrecognizable; only a charred mess and wreckage remained where the Twi'lek and Devaronian had been—they had chosen to take themselves out, or rather, used their final madness to cover a possible retreat.
"They ran?" Koth looked at the chaotic scene, his brows furrowed under his helmet; he didn't believe those three were all of them, the killing intent he had sensed earlier from the Force was more than that.
Qui-Gon Jinn withdrew the Force, his face slightly pale; his keen gaze swept over the scene, finally resting on Koth.
Then he slowly shifted his gaze to a half-collapsed ventilation duct at the end of the corridor, where an extremely faint, rapidly receding trace remained.
"No, there's another one," Qui-Gon Jinn's voice was low and certain, "a more cunning one; he used his companions' sacrifice and the cover of the explosion to escape through there." He pointed to the ventilation shaft.
Koth followed Qui-Gon Jinn's finger, his helmet's night vision and thermal imaging modes instantly activating; deep within the ventilation duct, a blurry thermal signature, slightly different from the ambient temperature, was rapidly moving!
"Chase!" Koth didn't hesitate for a moment; he had to know who sent them! Death Watch? Or some other faction?
This concerned Satine's safety, as well as his own and the base's security! He was the first to rush towards the ventilation shaft, nimbly squeezing inside.
A hint of admiration and deeper contemplation flashed in Qui-Gon Jinn's eyes; this young Mandalorian was decisive, perceptive, and his use of the Force, though rough, was full of wild intuition and great potential.
More importantly, he had an almost instinctive obsession with protecting Satine, or those he considered family.
"Obi-Wan, protect the Duchess, clear the scene, and treat the wounded!" Qui-Gon Jinn quickly gave instructions, then his figure flickered, like a weightless feather, silently gliding into the ventilation duct as well.
He pursued Koth closely, his green lightsaber igniting in his hand, illuminating the dark, narrow, dusty, and debris-filled passage.