Accismus⋆౨ৎ˚⟡.• Anakin Skywalker⋆౨ৎ˚⟡.•

26.

In the minute of silence, Sol let her arms fall, and a sigh escaped her lips. Her eyelids felt heavy but the adrenaline and pride in her chest swelled enough to keep her awake. Master Yoda was getting back to his feet while staring at the young woman in surprise. She had carried the twenty-ton beam with deep concentration and didn't falter at any point in its levitation. Now he knew that Sol was the person he always thought she was and knew that he didn't have to be afraid for her anymore.

'Solaris...'

She looked up from her lowered head and saw Master Obi-wan guiding Anakin across the room to stop in front of her. His eyes were bloodshot, and his frown was deep, but Sol could feel the warm glow from him that she always did when in his presence. Master Kenobi held his in-tact arm while looking between his student and Sol, making sure that Anakin wasn't about to lose consciousness again.

'Ani... your arm...' Sol gasped lightly at the burn that occupied half of his bicep, leaving none of his forearm or hand left to see.

'It's okay... I'll get a new one,' Anakin attempted to joke, but Sol didn't smile. Master Kenobi moved away to see if Master Yoda was okay, who spoke with a clone captain at Count Dooku's escape, leaving the Padawans to talk. They risked the moment and Sol shot forward to embrace Anakin's middle, being careful of his armless limb.

With his middle in her hold, Sol buried her face into his chest. It was bliss as Anakin settled his one hand on the small of her back, before clenching her robes in a desperate fist. He let his nose fall into the crown of her head where he smelt the sea salt and ocean smell that Sol always had. They feared for each other in the battle, despite Anakin being unconscious, and they were able to be close even though they had lost Dooku.

Master Kenobi and Master Yoda sent the clone captain away with some orders and turned to see the young Jedi embracing in silence. They blinked at the sight and looked to each other, before looking away and heading for the ships to finally head back to the Jedi Temple.

---

Anakin leaned against the corridor wall with his hands behind his back and his legs outstretched. The sunlight of the city poured in through the large windows that lined the corridor and the tiled floor reflected the light to appear as if glistening with crystals and diamonds. It was a pleasant day on Coruscant and reminded the Jedi who returned from their missions of why the planet was home to the many people of the city, and to those in the Jedi Temple.

Pulling his arm out from behind him, Anakin stared at the black glove that concealed his new, bionic limb. Made from the finest sheens of silver, the Skywalker's new arm was mobile and nimble. It reactivated the nerve endings that had been regenerated by the advanced technology in medicine and acted like a natural hand with finger and joint movements. Although it wasn't ideal, Anakin was content with it as opposed to have no limb at all, but its silver parts stood out from underneath his dark robes. So, he would wear a black glove over the one hand, hoping that it would serve him well when next in battle.

While eyeing the way his new fingers clenched to form a fist, the doors to the conference room opened. Anakin pushed his frame off the wall and dropped his bionic hand, eager to see the one who exited from the room full of the Jedi Council. Anakin felt a grin pull at his lips and his chest fill with joy at the sight of Sol's sparkling, violet irises, and her display of white teeth from her large smile was enough to want to embrace her in the corridor.

'You're now even stronger with the Force, Jedi Knight Solaris,' Anakin said, his tone mixed with light teasing and endearment. He stood up straight as Sol rushed to stop in front of him, before she looked up at the young man with her smile still wide.

'As it is with you, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker,' she replied. 'Master Obi-wan looked mighty proud, as did Master Yoda.'

'You don't have to call them Master anymore, remember?' Anakin shook his head, causing his braid to jiggle and catch his attention. 'I can finally cut this off. Its years have finally come to an end.'

'Master Yoda is still the Grand Master, remember, Ani?' Sol emphasised his nickname before eyeing the braid he eyed in distaste. 'I can singe it off if you want; count it as a form of ritual for graduating to knighthood?'

Sol put her hand on the handle of her lightsaber that was clipped to her utility belt. The side of her lips hitched into a smirk and Anakin eyed her with a narrowed gaze. It was playful but the woman's teasing was enough for the man to want to tease back as an equal.

'You would like that, wouldn't you, Solaris?'

Anakin made sure to lower his face closer to hers with his own smirk on his lips. Sol stepped back and reared her arm behind her to slap against his middle, making him choke and jerk from the hit. Sol glanced over her shoulder at the double doors of the conference room that held the entire Jedi Council, and was thankful to see it was still closed. They had dived into another meeting about Count Dooku's escape and the rise of separatist movements on the Outer-Rim after the knighting of the two students, but they could exit the room at any time. Sol would hate for their credentials to be stripped just after receiving them because of her and Anakin's close proximity and alluding relationship.

'Be wary, Ani. You know what would happen if we're...'

'Caught?' Anakin finished for her and stood up straight with his hand over his stomach. 'Don't worry yourself, Solaris, we're not doing anything wrong. We're just... supporting each other as new co-workers, right?'

'Yeah, that's definitely it. At least, that's what Padme would call it.'

Anakin smirked down at the new Jedi Knight.

'And that's why she's in politics and we're not.'