12.

2.8K 93 3
                                    

Senator Padme led her bodyguards to the residential areas of Theed to her family home. They had been able to change out of their peasant attire, the Jedi feeling more comfortable in their robes with their lightsabers now more accessible. Padme led them down a side street from the quaint walkway where children played, and men and women walked without a care in the world. Sol noticed how different the people of Naboo were in comparison to the one's on Coruscant. No one even glanced their way or cared for who they were as they passed. She liked it and could feel herself relaxing from her constantly on-guard state.

'There's my house!' Padme called as they made it to a large estate beside a glistening lake. The senator ran forward at the sight of two young girls who appeared, their mouths wide with smiles and their cries for Padme filling the air.

'Aunt Padme! Aunt Padme!' they cried and embraced the woman who crouched to their level.

'Ryoo! Pooja!' Padme exclaimed in glee.

Anakin and Sol hung back as the senator reunited with her young family. Sol smiled, but Anakin seemed unnerved. She turned her head and saw how he watched the way Padme embraced the young girls while shifting his weight from foot to foot. It was obvious that he was picturing his young self hugging his mother, and his mood dampened through the Force, despite the beautiful scenery.

Wordlessly, Sol reached down and went to take the bag that was in Anakin's right hand. At her fingers brushing against his, he jerked his head in her direction and was quick to pull the bag away from her reach. Sol raised an eyebrow and looked up to see he was out of his daze and giving her a 'what do you think you're doing?' look.

'You wanted help before. I'll take one,' Sol explained with a shrug and held her hand out for the bag. But she should have known that Anakin's ego hadn't lessened just because of his confession in the palace garden.

'I've got it. I don't need you questioning my durability in carrying some bags,' Anakin said.

'I'm being nice-'

'Is that what you call it?'

Sol huffed and the glare that dawned her face felt familiar. Anakin smirked at the sight of it and turned back to the reunion that occurred in front of them. R2 was now being fussed over by the two children, his loud whistles and beeps sounding cheerful. Sol took the moment to look out at the lake that glistened in the sunlight as if it were made of diamonds. Greenery covered the shorelines and crept into the sky in the curves of mountains. It made Sol never want to take pleasure in anything contemporary again and live a life in the traditional buildings of Naboo.

'Anakin, Sol, come meet Ryoo and Pooja!'

Padme stood behind the two girls and shuffled them over to the Jedi. They stood awkwardly, Anakin the most awkward out of the two, and looked down at the children they learnt were Padme's nieces.

'Girls, this is Anakin and Sol, some friends of mine,' Padme introduced. The girls shyly waved with their free hands covering their lips, and Sol waved back. When Anakin didn't make a move to do the same, she felt embarrassed at doing so.

'Are you Jedi?' Pooja asked, eyeing Sol specifically. Through the sunlight, Sol saw how the girl's brown hair shined with a tinge of red, just like her own.

'Yes,' Sol replied through her small nerves. 'Have you ever met a Jedi before.'

'Not girl ones,' Ryoo said, eyes wide and staring at Sol. She sensed the concoction of awkwardness and envy radiating off Anakin. She didn't need to glance to the Skywalker next to her to know that he was bouncing on his heels and was looking around the grand estate. Sol decided to take it a step further and crouched down in front of the sisters.

Accismus⋆౨ৎ˚⟡.• Anakin Skywalker⋆౨ৎ˚⟡.•Where stories live. Discover now