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

36.

'Your signature is the purest I have ever seen.'

Her voice was strong, and her throat held a heavy base. There was no sign of an accent, leading Sol to believe that this woman was from one of the core planets. Underneath the blue glow, the woman's skin was pale, and her eyelashes were dark, matching her black hair.

'It's interesting to see how much of us have formed into you,' the woman spoke again. 'Those eyes... how unique, they are.'

'Is this the first Jedi Temple?' Sol tried, trying not to push the ghost to elaborate on her words despite it being her one desire.

'Yes. Not what you expected, I presume?' the woman started to pace around the cavern, looking up at the walls with the same icy eyes.

'It's... ancient. No technology... it's nice.'

Sol wanted to cringe but resisted. Her hand tightened around her weapon that she held high but didn't feel the need to use it. The woman changed her direction and headed towards Sol, her brown boots silently treading the rocked floor. Sol watched warningly as the woman stopped in her wander and looked at Sol. It was as if the woman's eyes were analysing her, like a medical droid searching for an illness. Sol felt as if this woman could see her bones, muscles, and DNA without the need for a scanner or x-ray. This woman was intense in her ghostly form, and Sol could only imagine what she had been like when she had been alive.

'This temple has a deep connection with Force. It's why I guided you here.'

'What do you mean 'guided me'? I was sent here on a mission.'

'Only by my enforcement. Through the Force, I guided your involvement with this mission. If I hadn't, someone else would have been in your place. This would have not been part of the ancient prophecy.'

'Prophecy?' Sol repeated in confusion, before her eyes widened. 'Do you mean the prophecy of the Chosen One? The one who will bring balance to the Force by destroying the Sith?'

The woman didn't answer. Sol's shoulders sagged in disappointment.

'I am here to guide you into the next stage of your destiny,' the woman said, again. 'For you to understand your place, I will show how your existence was made possible.'

Sol blinked and opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut off by the woman.

'I am Satele Shan, and I am your ancestor.'

---

'Keep a surveillance of the waters. I should be back soon. My commlink is on, and I want updates on anything that changes.'

'Yes, Commander.'

Anakin turned away from Captain Rex before he and R2 started the path that would lead them around the island. With his over robe over his shoulders, Anakin felt the chill that rolled off the ocean and accompanied the dimming sky. He wanted to pull the hood of his robe over his head, but the wind would only blow it back down. His ears were cold, and the curls of his light brown hair flickered at his nape. He prayed that Sol had been able to find a place that shielded her from the winds, as the other side of the island faced their currents head on.

'I hope you remember where you're going, Artoo,' Anakin said down to his droid, and R2 replied wearingly at his master's stiff tone.

Obi-wan had left the planet in the only ship. Without the load of supplies, the Master was hasty in his departure and would reach Coruscant by the end of the night. But whether he would return in such speed, was a damning question. The Jedi Council were scattered across the galaxy and some of them were immersed in battle with separatist armies. There was no telling of how many Masters would be present to hear about Obi-wan's updates of Ahch-To, but Anakin was hopeful that their negotiations would be quick. With a stroke of luck, Anakin's ex-Master would be back with reinforcements and with a way to attack the underwater base within the next day.

'I'm sorry, Master Ani. I had no choice-'

'No excuses, Artoo. You should have followed her no matter what she said. You know what she's like,' Anakin scolded and R2 let out a sad boop. Anakin sighed, feeling bad for having to lecture his droid. He felt like Master Obi-wan and his continuous tangent about Anakin's lack of consideration of the Force, and about his cocky attitude. But at the thought of the man's absence, Anakin remembered that he was solely in charge of a mission for the first time.

'It doesn't matter, now. Let's just find that blasted woman.'

R2 didn't make a comment on Anakin's words and how they differ to the feelings the droid knew he constantly fought with. The droid just continued along the gravel path, dreading the rocky obstacles that he knew were ahead.

While they walked, Anakin couldn't help but think about what state he could find Sol in. He wanted to be optimistic, as that's what Obi-wan would tell him, but the fear that weighed down his chest was too heavy to ignore. What if she was hurt? What if she had fallen from a cliff and had been knocked unconscious? She hadn't answered her commlink, and Anakin hoped that it was because she had been in the grey area of the island that messed with the signal. But her lack of communication also could be because she wasn't conscious to answer.

Ever since their moment in the hanger, Anakin had grown more confident in his expressions towards Sol. When he saw the way she leaned down for the kiss that never formed, Anakin thought that perhaps she was getting impatient with him. But with everyone watching him and his actions almost all the time, Anakin couldn't risk even the smallest displays of affection.

Sol's very existence tormented him. With her purple eyes and dark hair, Anakin had to force his attention away from her when they weren't in conversation. When she called his name, or called him 'Ani', his hands clenched into fists as a way to resist jumping up and down in joy. When she laughed, he wanted to put his hands on her soft cheeks, and tell her how beautiful she was. How he wanted to tell her these things and explain why he teases her as much as he did.

'Master Ani, look!'

Anakin was yanked from his dreaming of Sol and looked to where R2 had stopped. Facing the cliff side, Anakin saw a disruption in the patterns of waves that hit the island. He leaned over the cliff and looked down, seeing a grey vessel had raised to the surface. A latch was opening from the top, and a ship was dispensed. Its jets shot it into the air and on its side, was the hexagonal shape of the separatist armies.

Anakin watched as the ship landed on a small ledge below the cliff his stood on, before another ship was released from the half-exposed water vessel. This one flew around the island and out of sight, and two more were released in the time Anakin had watched it curve through the air. Four ships had been dispensed and from the sight of the one below that was releasing droids from its hull, Anakin felt a deep dread at what he knew was happening.

'Oh, that's just astral, isn't it, Artoo?' Anakin mumbled in sarcasm. 'We're being ambushed.'