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

68.

'How can the Council do this?' Anakin said and Sol was surprised at his initiative to talk first. With a glance through the fallen blonde curls, Sol saw the look of anguish on his downturned face.

'They still treat me as if I were a Padawan learner,' he said again without waiting for Sol's response. 'They fear my power, that's the problem.'

'Ani, you heard Obi-wan. It's the Chancellor's attempts at interfering with the Jedi that the Council fear. It's nothing to do with you,' Sol tried. She kept her hand on his arm, and she was glad that he hadn't pulled away from her touch. With an effort to calm her nerves, Sol tried to cover her true feelings with a call to the Force. She wasn't lying to Anakin, but the feeling of betraying him was still strong in Sol's mind. She knew that her signature would show her emotions, so with the will of the Force, Sol lightly blanketted the quivering ends that could be seen in her white flame.

'You know that's not true, Solaris,' Anakin turned to look at the woman, giving her an intense stare. 'You felt it, too. Master Yoda has never treated you how he should, and now you're suddenly on the Council. Something's happening in the Order. Things are changing, and the Chancellor is the only one who can see it.'

Sol had to press her lips together to stop herself from battling his argument for the hundredth time. She thought about Obi-wan's plea to her. He said that she was the only one that could get through to Anakin because Obi-wan had seen how important she was to him. Sol was relieved to know that Obi-wan wasn't fearful of their relationship that went against the Jedi code, and that he trusted her to get through to Anakin. It gave her the confidence she needed, and Sol would do everything to try and make Anakin see that his trust in the Chancellor Palpatine was misplaced.

'Sometimes, I wonder what's happening to the Jedi Order,' Anakin said after some time of silence. 'I think this war is destroying the principles of the Republic.'

Anakin looked at Sol with conflict in his face. He knew that she was worried about him and that she wanted to battle his statements about the Chancellor and his political views. But he wanted her to see that it was all for their future. Everything Anakin did was for their departure from the Jedi Order and for their sanctuary of marriage on a faraway planet. If the war was over and the galaxy was in peace, they could leave the Order without a guilty conscience. From what Anakin saw, the Chancellor could grant them this with his desire to stop the pointless deliberation within the Senate. But the Council were pushing him back, like they always had done since his arrival at the Jedi Temple.

'Have you ever considered that we may be on the wrong side?' Sol dared to jump to the extreme. It caught Anakin's attention, like she wanted, and he turned his body to face her with a furrowed brow.

'What do you mean?'

'What if... what we've been fighting for has been lost? What if what we want at the end of this will never exist, because the Republic has changed?' Sol made sure to keep hold of Anakin's hand as she spoke. 'I know Padme feels it too, and I think the Council are panicking at the growing unrest. No one can agree on what's right anymore, so they're turning to what's wrong without even knowing it. What if the Republic has turned evil-'

'I will not listen to this, Sol.'

Anakin abruptly stood from the sofa and from Sol's grip on his arm, she was pulled up with him. She wouldn't let him walk away this time. Obi-wan was worried for him and was relying on Sol to get through to the most stubborn man in the galaxy. Sol tried to follow his avoiding gaze and was sure that her irises had turned a dark purple from her desire to get through to Anakin. With both hands, she pulled him to face her. Even though he was frustrated and aggravated from Sol's statement, his heart unwillingly melted at the sight of her large eyes and parted lips.