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

41.

Sol went to glare up at Anakin who looked between her and Ahsoka. The way he said her nickname was mocking, but also teasing with an underlying meaning. While Ahsoka saw the glare that Anakin gave Sol, the young woman who Anakin stared at saw the twitch of his eyebrow and the twinkle in his blue eyes. With a short glimpse into the Force, Sol felt the soft orange glow the Skywalker emitted and indulged in the warmth that took her into its arms.

'Take her with you, and I'll be able to concentrate on getting to the base,' Anakin's voice sounded in Sol's head through the Force. 'If you're nearby and I know she's on your watch, I'll be at ease.' 

Unknown to Ahsoka, Sol agreed to Anakin's compromise. With a lingering look, Anakin turned to climb into the ship where four clones were waiting for their commander. Sol watched him disappear into the cockpit and turned back to Ahsoka, who dawned a crestfallen expression. Sol wiped any sign of giddiness from her face, as Anakin's soft words had touched her heart through the Force, and she raised a hand to place on the Padawan's shoulder. When Sol's palm cupped her orange skin, Ahsoka looked up with her large eyes and noticed the small smile that graced Sol's lips.

'You'll be with me. I hope that's enough of an outcome,' Sol said and the edge of Ahsoka's lips hitched up.

'Of course, Master Sol. Being included in the mission is a privilege in itself,' Ahsoka nodded.

'I'm not a Master. You don't have to address me as one, you know.'

'Oh. Is Commander Sol, okay?'

'I suppose...' 

Ahsoka beamed before she headed over to another prepared ship. Sol watched her leave before glancing at the cockpit of the ship Anakin would be commanding. She could see him through the glass window powering the controls and running checks with the clones in the hull. It was only hours before that he had confessed his adoration for her to its extent and had explained why he had been so distant as of late. Because of this, Sol was now aware of how she and Anakin would be interacting in the presence of other people from. They had to be subtle and communicate through the Force, and when they were alone, they could be who they wanted to be to each other. They had survived the ambush of the droid army and their conversation in the first Jedi Temple would play on Sol's mind until they were able to speak in private again.

'Sol, you are... all I think about.'

'I can feel you, no matter where you are in the galaxy.' 

His words from the memory made her stomach swell and a shaky breath leave her lips.

Anakin turned his head from the controls, as if sensing Sol's stare, and met her eyes from inside the cockpit. A smile grew on his handsome face and Sol was overcome with the flutters in her chest. The sight of his white teeth through his pink lips was a slice of bliss and Sol couldn't help but smile back, before heading to her ship where Ahsoka and three clones waited for her arrival.

--- 

'Rex, are you in position?'

'Affirmative, sir.'

'Solaris?'

'I'm on the south side of the base.'

The three commanders lead the party of ships through the water in search of the separatist base. With domed bodies and propelled wings to send them through the currents, the ships illuminated the sea floor with white headlights. The cockpits were bathed in cobalt blue and were filled with four occupants, while one was in the weapons control room. With a screen showing nearby foreign objects, the weapons shooter was able to aim through a small window and launch from the room that protruded from the side of the ship.

'Are you okay back there, Ahsoka?' Sol said through the commlink that connected the cockpit with the separate room.

'Yes, Commander Sol. Nothing has appeared on the scanners yet,' Ahsoka's voice sounded from the speaker on the control panel.

'Good. Keep watch and let me know.' 

Sol surveyed the seafloor as she maneuvered through the clear water. She was thankful that they were submerged in an ocean that had sandy floors and sea creatures whose habitats were of the shallow depths. This made the view of the water a dance of harmless small fish and colourful crustations. Sol knew from her young days of schooling that the deeper the ocean, the more dangerous the creatures were.

In her ship, was Ahsoka and three clones, who sat with their helmets on their laps. The same face repeated on the shoulders of clone armour and they were aware of their roles; one in the passenger seat surveyed the map on the controls that showed the other ships in their party, one monitored the oxygen and power levels on the side of the control board, and one kept contact with the 501st legion back on the island. With Ahsoka in the weapons room, Sol was confident in her team, but also nervous of what could happen in such an unfamiliar environment. 

'Ma'am, we have three hours of oxygen, and thirty minutes of back-up for when the power goes out,' the clone informed from behind Sol. 'This is also transferable to the other ships if they're in distress.'

'I assume we have a distress call system that can be sent if the intercom goes out with the power?' she questioned without turning from the blue ocean in front of her. 

'Yes, ma'am. Flares and emergency balloons will inflate around the ship to pull us to the surface if oxygen gets below 3%.'

'That's comforting.' 

Hovering above the sea floor, Sol controlled the ship around the island to where the marked the base would be. Three ships followed behind hers, as three more did behind Anakin and Captain Rex's ships, and the parties were anxious for the sight of something unnatural on the floor of Ahch-To's ocean. But their search was short-lived, as the grey slab they were looking for entered their vision.

'There's our target,' Captain Rex exclaimed through the intercom. 'I don't know if you guys can see what I can, Commanders, but there's an obnoxiously large separatist symbol in my view.'

'Lucky you-' 

Sol went to combine her sarcasm with a scoff, but was stopped at the sight of a ship appearing from the base. A rectangle opening that broke through the grey structure that stretched lengthways, as opposed to climbing high up, released a red ship that beamed its headlights in the underwater ship's direction.

'That must be one of its hangers,' the clone in the passenger seat said.

'Yes, and its occupant is heading our way,' Sol mumbled, the realisation not yet having settled into her system.

'Commander Sol, I've got something on my scanner. It's straight ahead,' Ahsoka said from the intercom. 'Should I engage?'

'Yes, that'll be good, thanks, Ahsoka.' 

With that, the headlights of the opposite ship blinded the cockpit's occupants. Sol jumped into action and turned the joy sticks to a sharp right, sending the ship out of the red vessel's way. As their ship changed course, a missile was released from the red ship's wing and broke through the strong currents that attempted to stop it. Fizz shot from its jets as it soared with the speed of a blaster, and if Sol hadn't jerked the ship to the right, the missile would have exploded the cockpit from head-on.

Because of this sudden jerk of the ship, Ahsoka was thrown from her seat. She let out a yelp in surprise, before grabbing at her controls again to aim for the object that appeared on her scanner.

'Alright, they know we're here!' Sol said through the intercom to both the other ships and Ahsoka. Her hands gripped the joy sticks and she began to head to the right of the base with their jets propelling them at full speed.

'What?!-'

'Do you want me to engage, Commander?'

'Yes! Yes, Ahsoka! Engage with all intent to kill!'

'Right! I'm on it!'

'Solaris, what's going on?! Are you over the base?' 

'The Commander is taking us to the east side, sir!' the clone in the passenger seat spoke for Sol through the intercom. 'We'll be in sight for you soon enough!'

'Maker, that youngling better have some skill...'